(CNN) -- When Michele Maro became captivated by "The Lord of the Rings" movies, she never imagined she would one day be walking around in the Shire, touring Hobbiton and peeking into hobbit holes.



Fans of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy can tour a New Zealand farm that was used as the setting for Hobbiton.



Those are all fictional places, but fans can visit the closest thing possible in New Zealand, where the trilogy was filmed and where specially designed tours will take visitors to some of the stunning locations featured in the movies.



Maro, who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, spent two weeks in New Zealand in 2003 being guided around forests, national parks and farms, exploring sites that she didn't think were real when she first saw them on the big screen.



"The scenery was so pretty that I thought it had to be computer-generated," Maro said.



But the place that moved her most was a serene sheep farm in Matamata, New Zealand, where filmmakers brought to life author J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of Hobbiton, the hobbit village where Frodo Baggins lives, complete with hobbit holes peeking out of hill sides.



"I just stood there and cried. It was like, 'I can't believe I'm actually here,' " Maro said. "I loved the movie so much, and to actually be there where they filmed that, it overwhelmed me."  See iReporters' film location photos »



Sing along with 'The Sound of Music'



Such passion has prompted tour operators all over the world to take fans to sites that have served as settings for blockbusters on the big and small screens. They can be legendary places recognized on their own or seemingly mundane restaurants, houses and street corners that become instantly recognizable when put in the context of a favorite movie or TV show.



In London, England, you can visit locations used in movies such as "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral." When in Rome, Italy, world-famous landmarks like the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum will make you feel as if you've stepped right into "Roman Holiday" and "La Dolce Vita."



Tours highlighting sites used during the filming of "The Sound of Music" have many visitors singing with joy in Salzburg, Austria.



"The buses were packed. It seemed to be very popular," said Kelly Van Baren, a sales manager who lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. She and her sister watched the musical over and over while growing up, she recalled, and when they visited Munich, Germany, in the fall of 2007, they made a special one-hour train trip to Salzburg just to take one of the tours.



It turned out to be an adventure in itself. A convoy of three huge buses with scenes from the film painted on their sides shuttled mostly American tourists to various sites, including the church where the main characters were married and a gazebo featured during some of the musical numbers, Van Baren recalled. Her favorite site was a majestic palace used as the von Trapp family home in some of the exterior shots.



The movie was played on the bus during the tour, and the sightseers were encouraged to sing along, prompting Van Baren to wonder what the locals must think of the visitors.



"It was just hilarious, these three giant buses full of Americans driving around the countryside. It wasn't a proud moment, but it was fun," Van Baren said.



Big Apple lures fans



Movie and TV fans who want to stay closer to home to explore famous locations have plenty of movie tours to choose from in the United States.



New York, which has served as the backdrop for countless films and television shows, offers a wide variety of sites. Seeing them in person for the first time can be shocking, tour operators say.



"Guests are definitely surprised by the appearance of the locations," said Pauline Gacanja, public relations and marketing assistant for On Location Tours. "On TV,
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of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy Matamata, New Zealand, singing with joy sites that have served as settings for blockbusters on the big and small screens. New York, New Zealand some of the stunning locations featured in the movies. some of the stunning locations featured in the movies.
question: Which fans flock to New Zealand to the site where the movie was filmed?, answer: of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy | question: Where was Lord of the Rings filmed?, answer: Matamata, New Zealand, | question: What are the visitors of "The Sound of Music" doing?, answer: singing with joy | question: Where did the tours take the fans?, answer: sites that have served as settings for blockbusters on the big and small screens. | question: Where was Sex and the City filmed?, answer: New York, | question: In what countries are the tours located?, answer: New Zealand | question: What kind of places do you visit on the Tour?, answer: some of the stunning locations featured in the movies. | question: Where do tours take the fans to?, answer: some of the stunning locations featured in the movies.