Maps of Movies
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Where The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King says it takes place, and where it was really shot.
Middle-earth is invented, but Edoras, Mount Doom and the Shire are real places in New Zealand, while Minas Tirith was a quarry set.
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Scenes and places
The ruined tower of Isengard
The victors reach Isengard and find Merry and Pippin relaxing in the ruins. Gandalf takes Saruman's palantír, which sets the rest of the story moving.
Set in Isengard — The heroes ride to Saruman's flooded fortress and find Merry and Pippin resting among the wreckage.
The tower stronghold of the wizard Saruman, now flooded and broken.
Edoras, the hill-top hall of Rohan
The group celebrates in Edoras, but Pippin looks into the palantír and Gandalf learns that Minas Tirith is the target. Aragorn's choices about his own destiny start to press on him.
Set in Edoras — Rohan's hill-top capital, where the victory at Helm's Deep is celebrated.
A lone hill rising from a river plain, with the hall of Rohan on top.
Filmed at Mount Sunday, Canterbury, New Zealand — The Edoras exteriors were shot here in October; the set was later removed, the mountain remains. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Minas Tirith, the white city of Gondor
Gandalf and Pippin ride to Gondor's capital to warn its steward Denethor of the coming attack. Pippin is then told to light the beacons that call Rohan to war.
Set in Minas Tirith — Gondor's seven-tiered capital, where Gandalf and Pippin go to warn the steward Denethor.
The white, tiered stone city of Gondor, built against the mountainside.
The Paths of the Dead
Aragorn enters the haunted road with Legolas and Gimli, asking the ghosts to fight for Gondor if he frees them from their curse. He walks it by choice, not command.
Set in Dunharrow and the Paths of the Dead — A haunted mountain road through which Aragorn leads Legolas and Gimli to find an army of cursed ghosts.
A canyon of tall, eroded earth pillars.
Filmed at Pūtangirua Pinnacles, Wellington Region, New Zealand — One of several places the Paths of the Dead scenes were shot, according to the sources cited. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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The towers of Minas Morgul and Cirith Ungol
Frodo and Sam climb through Mordor's mountain passes, Frodo weakening under the Ring. Gollum guides them while secretly plotting to take it.
Set in Minas Morgul and Cirith Ungol — Sauron's dark towers above the pass where Frodo and Sam climb.
The dark towers that guard the pass into Mordor.
Shelob's lair
Gollum tricks Frodo into the tunnel and leaves him alone with the spider. Sam's loyalty is tested when he must keep going without Frodo.
Set in Shelob's lair — The dark tunnel where Gollum leads Frodo into the giant spider's den.
A cave-like tunnel shown on a studio set, adapted from the Isengard cave set.
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Théoden's riders reach the city and charge into the Orc army. Aragorn arrives to turn a losing fight and decide the battle for Gondor.
Set in Pelennor Fields — The open plain outside Minas Tirith where Rohan's army charges the Orc host.
A wide open plain beneath the city walls.
Filmed at Twizel area, Canterbury, New Zealand — The charge of the Rohirrim, with about 150 horse riders, was shot near Twizel; the exact field is not given, and these coordinates are the town centre. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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The Black Gate of Mordor
Aragorn marches to the gate to draw Sauron's eye away from Frodo and Sam. He leads with little hope of winning, only of buying time.
Set in The Black Gate — The gate of Mordor, where Aragorn leads what is left of the free peoples as a diversion.
A barren volcanic desert plateau.
Filmed at Rangipo Desert, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand — The Black Gate scenes were shot in the Rangipo Desert. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Mount Doom
Frodo and Sam struggle up the volcano, weak and out of food and water, while Aragorn holds the army at the gate. The Ring pulls hardest at Frodo here.
Set in Mount Doom — The volcano in Mordor where the Ring must be destroyed.
A smoking volcano rising from black ash plains.
Filmed at Mount Ruapehu slopes, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand — The film's article places the Mount Doom exteriors on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Filmed at Mount Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand — Its Wikipedia article calls it the stand-in for Mount Doom in the films. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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The Shire
The hobbits come home and find the Shire unchanged, though they are not. Frodo still carries the weight of the journey.
Set in The Shire (Hobbiton) — The green, rolling hobbit country that the travellers no longer quite fit.
A village of round-doored hobbit homes in green hills.
Filmed at Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata, New Zealand — Filmed on a farm near Matamata; the set is now a visitor attraction. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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The Grey Havens
Frodo and Sam come to the harbour for a last parting. The film closes the quest on a quiet goodbye.
Set in The Grey Havens — The harbour from which the Elves sail west.
A quiet harbour on the sea's edge.
Characters
- Frodo — A young hobbit who carries the One Ring towards Mordor.
- Sam — Frodo's loyal gardener and companion on the quest.
- Aragorn — A Dúnedain ranger who must face his destiny as heir to Gondor's throne.
- Gandalf — The wizard who acts as general at the siege of Gondor.
Questions answered on the map
- Where was Edoras in The Return of the King really filmed?
- Where is Mount Doom in real life?
- Where was the Shire filmed?