The Green Dragon Inn is the tavern of The Shire, standing at the heart of Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata, New Zealand. Built as part of the permanent movie set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, it welcomes visitors as part of the guided tours that wander through the village — round doors, gardens and all.
Its headline act is the drink: the Hobbit Southfarthing range, served from the inn's barrels and billed as 'the only brew for the brave and true', created to capture the taste of The Shire, home of the Hobbits.
A visit can be as simple as a tour and a pint, or as leisurely as the Tour and Lunch Combo, the Second Breakfast Tour or the Evening Banquet Tour. Seasonal occasions — the Hobbiton Beer Festival, Summer Harvest Festival, International Hobbit Day and A Hobbiton Christmas — bring the inn to life through the year.
At the heart of Hobbiton Movie Set, among the round doors and hillside windows of The Shire near Matamata, stands The Green Dragon Inn — the tavern that generations of filmgoers have only ever seen through a lens. Here it is real: a working inn at the centre of the movie set created for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, and the natural gathering point for everyone who comes to walk the lanes of Hobbiton.
Of all the corners of Hobbiton, the Green Dragon is the one people remember longest. It gives a visit its natural finish: after hobbit holes, gardens and stories from your guide, the inn appears at the end of the lane and the tour becomes a session at the local — a local that happens to sit in the middle of Middle-earth.
The inn's drinks are its headline act. Served from the barrels is the Hobbit Southfarthing range, brewed to capture the taste of The Shire, home of the Hobbits, and proudly tagged 'the only brew for the brave and true'. The setting does the rest: your pint is poured inside a fully realised Middle-earth tavern reached on foot through the movie set itself, which makes even a quiet ale feel like the end of a quest.
Hobbiton's experiences give you several ways to build a visit around the inn. The Signature Tour is the classic guided walk through the set, with Mandarin-language departures for Mandarin speakers and a Tour Companion App offering translation support to other visitors. Departures also run from the Matamata Information Centre for those coming straight from town, and groups can book the Private Group Signature Tour for a walk of their own.
Then there is the food. The Tour and Lunch Combo pairs the walk with a meal, the Second Breakfast Tour takes its name from the hobbits' famous extra morning meal, and the Evening Banquet Tour carries the visit into the night. The Behind The Scenes Tour looks at what keeps the set standing, and every tour experience now includes the chance to venture beyond the door at Bagshot Row, exploring the interiors of a humble Hobbit's home.
The inn doubles as a stage for Hobbiton's special events. The Hobbiton Beer Festival puts the Southfarthing brews centre stage; the Summer Harvest Festival, International Hobbit Day and A Hobbiton Christmas mark the seasons; and The Lord of the Rings 25 Year Anniversary Celebration gives fans a milestone worth travelling for. The Middle-earth Halfling Marathon turns the set into an off-road trail running adventure, private functions and weddings can be hosted here with the village as the backdrop, and the events calendar changes through the year, so it pays to check what's on.
Tours begin at The Shire's Rest, at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera, and are booked online by choosing a date and group size — worth doing early, particularly around festivals and anniversary events. Gift vouchers are available if you are sending someone else on the adventure, and an accessibility guide on the website helps visitors plan around mobility needs.
One practical note: maintenance and restoration work is ongoing at Hobbiton Movie Set. On some works days the site has warned of considerable operational noise and low-flying helicopter activity, though tours continue to run and the team works to keep the experience immersive. A quick check of the website before you travel saves surprises.
Do you need to be a fan to enjoy any of this? The Hobbiton team tackles that question directly in its Shire Diaries blog, and the honest answer is no. The set is a beautifully kept piece of filmmaking history, and the tours are built to be enjoyed by anyone who likes good storytelling and good scenery. But few visitors finish at The Green Dragon Inn, Southfarthing in hand, without feeling at least a little bit like a Hobbit.