Hiking the Edoras Filming Location on Mount Sunday, NZ

Disclaimer: This blog in no way sponsored by, or affiliated with the Tolkien Estate, Wingnut Films, or New Line Cinema. The commentary provided in this post falls under fair use.

Visiting Edoras on Mount Sunday

Edoras is the capital city of Rohan, the great kingdom of men in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson’s well-known movie adaptations of The Lord of the Rings used Mount Sunday in Ashburton Lakes, New Zealand as the filming location for the city of Edoras. Mount Sunday, surrounded on all sides by fields, mountain ranges, and rivers, is the perfect location for Edoras.

Whether you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings or not, this view of the mountains is one you won’t want to miss if you find yourself near Ashburton Lakes. Mount Sunday is about a two and a half hour drive from Christchurch or two hours from Timaru. You can easily see this filming location by yourself for free or by taking a tour from Christchurch.

View on Map

My Experience in the Kingdom of Rohan

When I visited Mount Sunday, I opted to not take an expensive tour and instead drove through the mountains about an hour and a half from my AirBnB in Ashburton. Although the entire road out to Mount Sunday is very scenic, rounding the corner and seeing Mount Sunday in its valley made me feel like I was entering Middle Earth. Foggy mountains surrounded the hill of Edoras on nearly every side.

Once you get to the end of the road to Mount Sunday, there is a small parking lot and a sign to mark the trail to the top of the hill. Make sure to note that a good portion of the trail and the hill is on private land, so be respectful and close any gates that you need to open.

In the past, hiking to Mount Sunday involved wading through a deep stream. Luckily, when we visited, a beautiful and very convenient bridge had been built so we could easily cross into the realm of Edoras. Here was the only reference to The Lord of the Rings and Mount Sunday’s role in the movies. An informational sign about Galaxiid fish in the stream marks Mount Sunday as the film site of Edoras in The Two Towers.

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After crossing the stream, you get (in my opinion) the ultimate view of Mount Sunday. Here you get a perfect view of where the halls of Edoras once stood.

Edoras Filming Locations

Many of the shots of Edoras were filmed from a helicopter, however, you can get comparable views without even leaving the path. The trail goes right up the hill by the gate to Edoras and where Theodred’s funeral is held.

Behind the Scenes Fact: The gate and the buildings on the top of the hill, including the Golden Hall, were real and physically constructed on site. The small houses on the side of the hill, however, were computer generated.

From here, the path climbs up Mount Sunday from the incline on the left. Although it appears to be a gentle slope, it is quite steep and slippery.

Once I got to the top, I was blown away (almost literally) by how windy it was! This made maneuvering around the uneven terrain difficult. Despite this, it was easy to tell where the halls and stables of Edoras once stood. Unfortunately, nothing is left of the set except for some metal posts and carved rock where the buildings once were.

Behind the Scenes Fact: In The Two Towers, when Eowyn sees Gandalf and the others approaching, the wind blows Rohan’s flag away and it lands at their feet. Peter Jackson did not plan this; it was just the result of high wind speeds and a faulty prop. The cast and crew went along with it and it became a powerful symbol for how Rohan was deteriorating under Saruman’s control.

The 360 degree mountain view at the top was absolutely breathtaking. Lord of the Rings fan or not, I highly recommend this day hike for anyone in the area. It is one of my absolute favorite Lord of the Rings filming locations and a unique, awe-inspiring place in its own right.

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Would you make the trip out to Mount Sunday to visit Rohan and see where Edoras was built and filmed? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Know Before You Go

• Mount Sunday is virtually in the middle of nowhere. Even though it is a relatively easy hike, make sure someone knows where you’re going in case of an emergency.
• Since Mount Sunday is in a valley, it is extremely windy at the top. The wind can easily knock you over and send your hat flying, so keep anything loose attached to you or in a backpack.
• The path up Mount Sunday is very steep and slippery, so wear appropriate shoes.
• Almost the entire trail is on private property, so be respectful and stay on the trail.
• When I visited, there were lots of cattle grazing on and around the path. Be extra cautious around bulls and give them plenty of space.

Other Things to do in the Area

• Lake Heron
  Lake Heron is about a half hour detour off the road out to Mount Sunday. It’s a very scenic lake and a great place to go for a walk or have lunch.
  
  
• Mount Taylor
  The tallest of many peaks that you can summit in the area.
• Mt Hutt Ski Area
• Timaru, NZ
  A charming coastal city south of Christchurch, about 2 hours from Mount Sunday.

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