“Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.”

— Gandalf, The Two Towers

Edoras — the proud capital of the Kingdom of Rohan — is one of the most spectacular Lord of the Rings filming locations in all of New Zealand. Built as a full-scale set atop Mount Sunday, this windswept hill in the South Island’s Rangitata Valley became home to the Golden Hall of Meduseld during the filming of The Two Towers.

Of all the places we visited during our New Zealand adventure, this was easily the most breathtaking. Mount Sunday looks exactly like it does in the films — and its remote location, deep within the Southern Alps, makes it feel like you’ve truly stepped into Middle-earth.

⸻

🗺️ How to Get There

The nearest town is Ashburton, about two hours west of Christchurch.

We approached from the south via the Inland Scenic Route 72, turning off at Mount Somers. From there, the road leads toward the Ashburton Lakes, where the pavement ends and the gravel road begins.

🚗 Travel Tip:

The gravel road is well maintained for most of the way and suitable for standard cars in dry conditions.

The small community and campground at Lake Clearwater is the last sign of civilisation before reaching Edoras. From there, the road winds over vast plains until you reach a ridge with your first jaw-dropping view of Mount Sunday.

The descent into the valley is steep, with a few ruts near the Potts River, but it’s otherwise smooth driving until you reach the Mount Sunday car park — which has a toilet and picnic area.

(Here’s the Google Maps location for easy navigation.)

⸻

🥾 The Walk to Mount Sunday

“Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?”

Mount Sunday is Edoras — and standing there, it’s easy to see why Peter Jackson chose this spot.

The trail from the parking lot crosses river stones and a small swing bridge before winding through grassy flats to the base of the hill. As you walk, the shape of Mount Sunday grows ever more familiar.

It’s not hard to picture the grave mounds of kings here, the white flowers of simbelmynë swaying in the breeze.

The climb to the top is short but steep, and the 360° views are absolutely worth it. From the summit, you can see the Clyde and Havelock River valleys stretching below, framed by snow-dusted peaks that seem to pierce the clouds.

While little remains of the original film set, you can still spot metal plugs and grind marks where the structures once stood. The wind here is fierce — so fierce, in fact, that we struggled to hold our phones steady for photos!

⸻

🏰 Helm’s Deep — A Hidden Gem Nearby

Just northwest of Mount Sunday, on the slopes of The Thumbs, lies another, lesser-known filming spot: Helm’s Deep.

If you’re a fellow LOTR enthusiast, you might remember the extended scene from The Two Towers where Aragorn rides toward Helm’s Deep and pauses on a hill overlooking the river below. That hill sits where the Clyde and Havelock Rivers meet, and across the water, on the opposite side, lies the film’s representation of Helm’s Deep.

🎥 Fun Fact:

The fortress itself was later digitally added, but the surrounding landscape is unmistakably this part of the Rangitata Valley.

⸻

☕ Elevenses with a View

We took shelter from the relentless wind and enjoyed what was possibly the most scenic elevenses of our lives — banana and Nutella sandwiches, juice boxes, and a bar of chocolate overlooking the vast valley below.

Rarely has a simple snack tasted so epic.

Sometimes, Middle-earth moments come in the smallest packages.

⸻

👑 Lord of the Riddermark

Mount Sunday was, without a doubt, the most authentic LOTR location we visited in all of New Zealand. Only Hobbiton on the North Island rivals it — though Hobbiton feels more like a theme park, while Mount Sunday is utterly wild and raw.

Few other places capture that true Lord of the Rings feeling: untouched nature, cinematic scale, and a touch of magic in the air.

Standing on the summit, you can easily imagine King Théoden and Éowyn gazing across the Riddermark, watching for riders returning to Edoras.

“And the sun shone on the Golden Hall, and all the land was filled with light.”