New Zealand

Even if you’re only a casual Lord of the Rings fan, it’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of the place. Tours take you through the Shire with plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, with several packages available depending on how deeply you want to immerse yourself in Hobbit life. Hobbiton is also extremely popular, so book well in advance, particularly during New Zealand’s busy travel season. Whether you’re stopping in for the standard experience or making a bigger occasion of it, this is one tourist attraction that absolutely lives up to the hype.

More than a traditional waterfall, Huka Falls is all about the incredible volume and force of water surging through the gorge before plunging into the river below. Several viewpoints and walking trails let you experience it from different angles, and its location near Taupō makes it an easy stop while exploring the central North Island. No tickets or reservations are needed for the main viewing areas, so it’s a spectacular addition to the itinerary that won’t cost you a thing.

The Wētā Workshop Experience takes you through displays of practical effects, props, costumes, creatures, miniatures, and the techniques used by the artists who create them. Guides share behind-the-scenes stories while demonstrating just how much work goes into everything from fantasy weapons to enormous monsters. Several tour experiences are available, so it’s worth checking the options and booking ahead, especially if you’re a film fan visiting Wellington.

One of the museum’s highlights is the world-famous Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition, created with Wētā Workshop and featuring enormous, incredibly lifelike figures that tell the stories of New Zealanders who served in the Gallipoli campaign. Beyond Gallipoli, Te Papa offers an impressive introduction to the country’s people, landscapes, history, wildlife and culture. It's an easy recommendation for anyone visiting Wellington, especially if you want to come away knowing New Zealand a little better.

The track is completely free, winding past unusual limestone formations, crashing waves, and blowholes where you can hear the power of the ocean and feel the mist as it surges through the rocks. It's a great introduction to the wild beauty of New Zealand’s West Coast, with dramatic cliffs, rainforest, and the Tasman Sea all packed into a relatively short walk. Visit when the ocean is active and the blowholes can put on an impressive show, forcing waves through narrow openings in the limestone below. It’s also an easy stop to work into a larger West Coast road trip, with small coastal towns, beaches, and plenty of additional hiking opportunities nearby.

Baldwin Street climbs a ridiculously steep hillside in the charming South Island seaside city of Dunedin, earning international fame and a Guinness World Record along the way. Park nearby, make the short but surprisingly punishing walk to the top, take the obligatory photos that barely capture how steep it actually is, and head back down knowing you can now say you’ve conquered it. Dunedin has plenty more worth exploring, but sometimes you just have to embrace a good old-fashioned tourist trap, especially when it’s free.