It’s time for a confession. Whenever I see the rolling hills of Hobbiton at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring and Bilbo talks about how hobbits appreciate a simple life, I get teary-eyed. The scene has that affect on me partially because I’m still touched by how that corner of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is what I always imagined as I read the books, but mostly because it’s just beautiful. The Shire is lush and quiet, and that’s appealing to me. Happily, we can all get a taste of the tranquil Middle-earth setting because Hobbiton is a tourist attraction.

The set of Hobbiton in New Zealand was completely rebuilt for The Hobbit trilogy, and it’s now permanent. You can a take a guided tour and stop in for a drink at The Green Dragon Inn. No, seriously. The inn is a replica of the one seen in the films and offers both beverage and food. They will probably not allow you to dance on the tables like Merry and Pippin, but you can pretend.

If you need any more convincing that a visit to Hobbiton would be a memorable experience, look at photos from Redditor Ascarea’s recent trip in December. Even though there were a few tour groups visiting the set at the same time, Ascarea was able to grab several shots without people. She was skeptical that the location might be a tourist trap but was pleasantly surprised by the size of Hobbiton and believes the price of admission ($75 per adult) is worth it.

Take a break, look through the gallery, and be swept away to Middle-earth for a few minutes:

Be sure to drool over even more photos of The Shire at Imgur and then head to Hobbiton Tours to plan your vacation.

Have you been to Hobbiton? Tell us all about it in the comments, and make sure you catch The Hillywood Show’s Lord of the Rings / Frozen parody for more hobbit-y goodness.