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This is a review of my Harry Potter Tour in London UK, that I recently took. For a Harry Potter geek like me, it was super fun!
The tour cost £22 and took 3.5 hours. Not only did I see locations from the Harry Potter films. I also saw film locations from Bridget Jones Diary, Mission Impossible and more. And famous landmarks like St Pauls Cathedral, Borough Market and the Tate Modern.
I thought the tour was great value, and a great way to spend half a day. In total, we saw 18 film locations from the Harry Potter Films.
The tour guide was lovely and had loads of stories.
If you’re visiting London, I think this tour is a great way to tick off loads of major sites in one day. I spent some time searching for a Harry Potter Tour in London, and I’m glad I chose this one. The tour is rated 4.9* from over 600 reviews.
But let me be clear! DON’T book this tour if you’re not a Harry Potter Fan. 3.5 hours is a long time to spend on a tour, if you’re not interested.
Also, this tour doesn’t visit Warner Bros Studios in London. That’s a separate article, as I had a great time there. In that article, I explain how to save £40 on tickets.
The tour started off at Kings Cross Station (obviously). From there we visited the Harry Potter Shop and got a photo at Platform 9 ¾.
We then visited a host of other locations, including Leadenhall Market, London Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern, St Pauls Cathedral and more.
In this article, I’ll detail exactly where we went in the tour. I’ll cover everything. So if you want, you can save £22 and visit each location yourself.
If you want to book the tour, pre-book here.
• The tour costs £22 and lasts 3.5 hours – book here
• Perfect for Harry Potter fans with 18 filming locations included.
• Also features sites from Bridget Jones Diary, Mission Impossible, and iconic London landmarks.
• Great value and a fun way to spend half a day in London.
• Highly social experience with friendly guests and a passionate guide.
• Rated 4.9 stars from over 600 reviews.
• Starts at Kings Cross Station with a photo at Platform 9 ¾ and visit to the Harry Potter Shop.
• Includes Leadenhall Market (Leaky Cauldron scene) and Borough Market (Prisoner of Azkaban filming).
• Stops at famous landmarks like London Bridge, Southwark Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
• Ends at Leicester Square with the Harry Potter statue and other cultural icons.
• Not suitable for non-Harry Potter fans or those who dislike walking.
• Does not include Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
• You could visit all locations independently to save money.
I also wrote an article on my 9 favourite Haunted Tours in London. London has a pretty messed up history over the last 2,000 years. From plagues, serial killers to headless ghosts at the Tower of London and Jack The Rippers. If you’re into messed up stuff, that article is a must read!
The tour starts at Kings Cross Station (aka the London Harry Potter Train Station). Opened in 1852, it was once the largest railway in the UK. It’s been refurbished in recent years and looks fantastic. Enjoy the photos I took above.
More importantly, Kings Cross has platform 9 ¾. The departure point of the Hogwarts Express. But you already knew that!
The station is also home to the London Harry Potter Store.
We then went inside the London Harry Potter Train Station. To the Harry Potter Store.
It's pretty fantastic. Full of capitalist goodness and unhealthy treats!
The store is open from 8am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday. Then 9am to 8pm on Sunday. I couldn’t spend too much time here, as we had a lot to do.
London Harry Potter Platform 9 ¾ is right next to the Harry Potter store.
Taking a photo at the London Harry Potter Platform 9 ¾ was a real highlight for me.
There was a queue to get a photo at the platform. It only took a few minutes as it was 8am. I understand that the queue can get up to 2 hours at peak times.
Next in the London Tour Harry Potter, we went to Leadenhall Market. The market is historic, and has been there since 1321. It was used as a filming location in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Where Hagrid takes Harry to the Leaky Cauldron, which is the gateway to Diagon Alley.
The outside of the leaky Cauldron was filmed at 42 Bull’s Head Passage. Which is the spot that Hagrid takes Harry for his first visit to Diagon Alley.
Leadenhall market is really beautiful with classic architecture.
The London Tour Harry Potter then went to London Bridge. London Bridge is world famous, but it wasn’t used in any of the Harry Potter films. The original bridge was built in 1209 and made out of stone.
Sadly, that bridge isn’t still there. The modern bridge was opened in 1973 and is designed for heavy traffic.
Once we crossed London Bridge, we were officially in South London. We walked to Southwark Cathedral. Like London Bridge, it’s super famous. But also like London Bridge, it wasn’t used in the Harry Potter Films.
It's one of London’s oldest gothic cathedrals. It can be traced back to 606 AD. The architecture is stunning. With ribbed vaults and stained glass windows.
From Southwark Cathedral, it was a short walk to Borough Market. Which was a filming location for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The entrance to the Leaky Cauldron for that movie was filmed here.
In the scene, Harry arrives in London and enters the Leaky Cauldron. This was filmed at 7 Stoney Street, which is part of Borough Market.
This is different to the first film. Where the entrance to the Leak Cauldron was filmed at Leadenhall Market.
I had a blast at Borough Market. It’s one of London’s most trendy markets. Full of London’s most famous Instagrammable food items. I tried a sandwich from the Black Pig. I also had Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and coffee from Monmouth.
The food was lovely, but it may have been too much. As I was in the middle of a walking tour.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is a short walk from Borough Market, along the South Bank of the River Thames.
It wasn’t used in the Harry Potter Films.
The Globe Theatre was 1st built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s acting company. The modern theatre was faithfully reconstructed in 1997. It hosts authentic Shakespeare productions. Buy tickets here – starting at £15.
A short walk further along the South Bank and then we got to the Tate Modern. Another famous London Landmark. But not used in the Harry Potter films.
It’s one of the world’s leading museums for modern art. It’s also free to enter.
We didn’t have time to go inside. But we took a photo.
We then walked to the Millennium Bridge. It was used in the opening sequence of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Where the bridge was blown up by the Death Eaters, as part of their assault on London
The bridge opened in the year 2000 and is pretty nice to walk over. It was the 1st new London river crossing built in 100 years.
St Paul’s Cathedral is one of London’s most famous landmarks. It was famous, regardless of Harry Potter! It was also used as a filming location in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was used for an interior shot.
The spiral staircase inside the South West Bell Tower served as the staircase leading to the Divination classroom. Where Harry has lessons with Professor Trelawney. This staircase is known as the Geometric Staircase.
St Pauls Cathedral was built in 1675, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
St Pauls became a symbol of British defiance in World War 2. On 30-Dec 1940, it was the 114th night of the Blitz. As Nazi bombs rained down in London, the spirit of the city wasn’t broken.
As morning came, Herbert Mason took a famous photo of the cathedral. The dome standing amid smoke and flames while London burned around it.
Great Scotland Yard is an historic Street in Westminster. Since the 19th Century, it became famous as the original location of the Metropolitan Police,.
It’s used as the filming location for the visitor entrance to the Ministry of Magic.
In Order of the Phoenix, Arthur Weasley escorts Harry to his disciplinary hearing via a red telephone box that descends underground. This prop was placed on Great Scotland Yard for the shoot.
Then it was off to the Sherlock Holmes Pub near Trafalgar Square. For a quick pint in a wonderful boozer.
I of course had a Sherlock House Ale.
Obviously the pub was not related to the London Tour Harry Potter. But it’s a really cool landmark.
The Harry Potter Tour London UK ended at the Harry Potter Statue in Leicester Square. We all made sure to get a photo with the statue.
The Harry Potter Statue is part of the Scenes in the Square Culture Trail. Other statues include Marry Poppins, Batman, Wonder Woman, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and more.
Leicester Square is the beating heart of London’s entertainment district and a major cultural landmark.
The Harry Potter Tour London UK doesn’t include Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio.
The Warner Brothers Studio is based in Watford in North London. A full 20 miles from Central London.
The Warner Brothers Studio is fantastic. But you need to whole day to visit there. If you’re on a Potter Fan Vacation, this is perfect. Have one day doing the London Walking tour. And another full day at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour.
It's an actual film studio, where all eight Harry Potter films were produced. The experience includes:
The tour must be booked in advance. There are no same-day sales.
Book your ticket here, including transfers from Central London. The price is £83 per person, which is the cheapest price I’ve seen. You’ll get picked up and dropped off at Victoria Coach Station.
The total time of the tour is 7 hours. Including transfers.