There’s a cause why we picked London for a household trip. As our teen stated, “some women are all about style and dream of going to Paris, however I actually need to go to London.” Why? Due to all of the Harry Potter points of interest in London in fact!
Sure, in fact Harry Potter isn’t actual, however after studying the books and seeing the Harry Potter movies numerous instances, it did appear enjoyable to attempt to see a few of the locations depicted within the motion pictures in individual. In spite of everything, whereas a go to to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Common Orlando is magical, it’s nonetheless in FLORIDA, not London. So I got down to observe down all of the Harry Potter points of interest in London (and close by) and plan the final word journey to London for Harry Potter followers.
In case you have an aspiring wizard or witch in your loved ones, you’ll want to test these out as effectively. Simply keep in mind, for a few of these planning early is important!
The best way to discover the Greatest Harry Potter Sights in London
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There are fairly just a few Harry Potter movie places inside the metropolis of London. However keep in mind, it has been 20 years for the reason that first film got here out and the town is all the time altering. Plus, a few of the places have been digitally altered to disguise their look. So discovering all of them by yourself will be robust.
One choice is to take one of many Harry Potter strolling excursions in London, together with a Muggle’s Information to London, however these will solely cowl what you may attain inside an inexpensive strolling distance. If you wish to cowl extra floor, take into account a Black Cab Harry Potter driving tour.
We took the three-hour Black Cab Harry Potter tour, which covers a variety of filming places inside London. They do additionally supply a full-day choice, which takes you to some locations exterior of London, however we have been saving these for one more day.
What I cherished about this tour is that our information would present us the clip from the film, whether or not it was Order of the Phoenix, Deathly Hallows, and so on. after which we’d hop out of the cab for a more in-depth look. The film clips actually assist refresh your reminiscence and make the person websites extra attention-grabbing.
Harry potter Filming Areas
A few of the Harry Potter filming places alongside the tour included:
Piccadilly Circus
After the assault at Invoice and Fleur’s marriage ceremony in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron, Hermione, and Harry apparate to London proper within the coronary heart of Piccadilly Circus. The filming of this scene was one of many few instances that visitors has been shut down at this busy intersection.
It appears completely different now with extra high-tech digital billboards and a shift within the visitors sample, however a lot continues to be the identical.
Scotland Place
Scotland Place and the Nice Scotland Yard confirmed up on two events within the Harry Potter movies. Essentially the most memorable is when Ron, Harry, and Hermoine drink Polly Juice potion to remodel into Loss of life Eaters to sneak into the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Half One.
You possibly can peak across the similar nook as the primary characters did once they have been anticipating anybody coming to then knock them out and drag them right into a storage to alter garments.
Cecil Courtroom
It’s rumored that this charming little road off of Charing Cross Highway was JK Rowling’s inspiration for Diagon Alley. It is stuffed with ebook retailers, maps shops, and fortune tells so you may see why this rumor acquired began.
In case you are keen to shell out beaucoup bucks, one of many retailers even sells a first-edition, autographed copy of the Chamber of Secrets and techniques.
Parliament
When Hagrid first brings Harry to London to get his faculty provides, they fly previous Parliament. After all, that is from the riverside. Close by can be Westminster Tube Station, which so befuddled Mr. Weasley.
After stopping for an image at Parliament, we went throughout the Lambeth bridge (however we didn’t move by the Knight Bus!) to the South Financial institution.
Millennium Bridge
The Millennium Bridge is featured in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, when the Loss of life Eaters fly over London and the bridge shakes and breaks and folks fall into the river.
You possibly can stroll throughout the bridge at this time if you wish to lower over from Shakespeare’s Globe Theater to St. Paul’s Cathedral, if that’s a part of your London itinerary.
Borough Market
Borough Market is a well-liked attraction when visiting London and we hadn’t match it into our in any other case jam-packed London itinerary so I used to be pleased it was included in our Harry Potter tour.
Different motion pictures have been filmed close to right here too (like Bridget Jones’ Diary), however at this time there’s a taco stand the place what was as soon as used as the doorway to the Leaky Cauldron. Even when it appears completely different, Borough Market is an efficient place to seize lunch or dinner if you’re taking a DIY self-guided Harry Potter tour.
Leadenhall Market
After Borough Market we went again throughout the river, taking in views of the Tower Bridge, which Harry and crew fly over on broomsticks in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Afterwards we stopped at Leadenhall Market. I might not have even recognized about this little gem of a market if it wasn’t for our Harry Potter tour however I might love to return again right here for procuring and a chunk.
The unique Leaky Cauldron entrance is now an optometrist store and the skin is a distinct colour, however should you examine it to the film, you may hint Hagrid and Harry’s footsteps.
Kings Cross Station
Whereas Harry departed for Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Categorical from Kings Cross Station, the skin of that station is just not very enticing so what you’ll typically see are exterior photographs of St. Pancras Station subsequent door.
Anybody can go line as much as take an image on the Platform 9 ¾ store in Kings Cross Station, however our Harry Potter tour took us onto the precise platform that was used for the filming. Often you may solely get right here if you’re a ticketed passenger and it isn’t really between Platforms 9 and 10.
Platform 9 ¾ Store at Kings Cross
Our tour ended on the Platform 9 ¾ Store at Kings Cross Station. There’s a full memento store and a photograph spot with a trolley going into the wall beneath a Platform 9 ¾ signal.
You possibly can keep and go to the store and take footage with props if you’re keen to attend the 45-60 minutes within the queue. In case you are visiting by yourself, I might advocate going early to keep away from an extended wait.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Little one
In case you can handle to get tickets (and might afford them — see how a lot a visit to London prices), your Harry Potter fan will adore you should you embody a efficiency of Harry Potter and the Cursed Little one on the Palace Theater.
We weren’t in a position to get tickets to see the Cursed Little one in London, however we did see Harry Potter and the Cursed Little one on Broadway (learn all about it.) If you wish to keep abreast of latest ticket block releases, join updates and pre-release registration.
Harry Potter Lodge
In case you actually need to go loopy, ebook a keep at this Harry Potter-themed lodge:
Verify charges and opinions on the Gregorian Home Lodge and browse the total Harry Potter lodge evaluation on Journey Your self. We didn’t keep there however Cailin’s video tour and evaluation make it look fairly intriguing for the proper friends.
Harry Potter Themed Afternoon Tea
Since we didn’t need to make our total journey about Harry Potter, we really opted for a Glam Rock themed excessive tea with our teen on the Ok West lodge. Nonetheless, if you’re inclined to strive a themed excessive tea along with your youngsters, there are just a few that meet the invoice:
Warner Bros. Studio Tour “The Making of Harry Potter”
Any journey to London with Harry Potter followers requires a day journey to the Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden, about 20 minutes exterior of London, to see the movie units. These studios have been nearly all of the flicks have been filmed have been reworked into “The Making of Harry Potter.” Now they’ve even opened Gringotts Financial institution!
Getting there
There are three choices to get to the Warner Bros. Studios: prepare, bus, or automobile. Many bus excursions can be found from Central London, simply needless to say these solely enable for 3 hours on the Studios, which is slicing it a bit quick and you could really feel that your time there may be too quick.
For that cause, I might advocate shopping for tickets direct and taking the prepare. Simply needless to say tickets promote out MONTHS prematurely and typically the one choice is to ebook a bus tour by an organization resembling Golden Excursions or Get Your Information.
To take the prepare, you must allot near 1.5 to 2 hours out of your ticket entrance time. You have to to take the Tube (or a taxi) to Euston station. From there, you may catch a prepare to Watford Junction. Be sure you test the prepare choices as a result of some are categorical and solely take 20 minutes, whereas others may be for much longer.
When you arrive in Watford Junction, there are shuttle busses that may take you to the Warner Bros. Studio. They run each half-hour from 9.20am (with extra companies out there from 8.15am when the primary tour is at 9am). The final return shuttle bus again to Watford Junction will depart the Studio Tour when the Tour closes. The journey takes about quarter-hour and a spherical journey ticket prices £2.50 (money solely, no bank cards.)
What to Count on Inside Warner Bros. Studio Tour
Some individuals assume that The Making of Harry Potter is a few sort of amusement park, just like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Common. Others get confused by the studio “tour” title — pondering that it’s a guided Harry Potter studio tour. It really is neither.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour is the precise studio the place the flicks have been filmed. Tickets are given an entrance time and that’s when your “tour” begins, however the tour is self-guided.
It begins with a brief movie concerning the making of the flicks after which you’re allowed to enter the Nice Corridor. We visited in December through the “Hogwarts within the Snow” occasion when the corridor is embellished for the holidays. You might be given simply a short while to discover this room earlier than you’re ushered into the primary room.
In the primary room, you will see that units, costumes, and props that have been used within the motion pictures. There may be the Gryffindor Frequent Room, Dumbledore’s Workplace, Hagrid’s Hut, the Burrow, the Potions Room, and Malfoy Manor.
You can too learn the way the magic was made. There are some interactive reveals resembling driving a broomstick in entrance of a inexperienced display screen and studying to forged spells. You can too discover the Forbidden Forest, house to Aragog and his spider buddies and be taught the magic behind the casting of a Patronus.
On Platform 9 ¾ you may step aboard the Hogwarts Categorical set, take a photograph at Platform 9 ¾, and take a “experience” on the Hogwarts Categorical with a inexperienced display screen backdrop. There are many alternatives all through to buy memento photographs.
In spite of everything that, take a break for some Butterbeer within the cafe (I’ll admit I favor the Butterbeer at Common Orlando.) Then you may head exterior to see the Knight Bus, Privet Drive, and the Hogwarts bridge.
Be certain that should you take a bus tour that you just save time for the top of the tour as a result of the miniature fashions, the draft paintings, and the mannequin room with the total model of Hogwarts is completely fascinating. I feel you must enable not less than 4 hours to see every little thing should you can.
Harry Potter Areas Exterior of London
In case you are searching for a day journey from London, a go to to the Harry Potter filming websites in Oxford is an ideal choice. There are 38 schools that make up the College of Oxford, and a few of these have been used for filming scenes within the Harry Potter motion pictures. You possibly can discover by yourself however I might advocate a strolling tour. You can too rent a personal driver-guide like we did for a full-day journey.
A must-do cease is at Christchurch, the place the Nice Corridor is what was used for the Nice Corridor/Eating Corridor at Hogwarts. You can too go to the staircase the place McGonagall greeted the first-year college students in Chamber of Secrets and techniques.
In New School you may see the Cloisters that have been used for a few of the hallways scenes, and the tree the place Draco Malfoy was become a ferret.
In case you have a automobile or rent a driver, you may also cease in Lacock Abbey, the place they filmed the Potter’s home in Thinker’s Stone and the Potions classroom. Discover extra Harry Potter filming websites within the countryside right here.
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