London & surrounding area
London harry potter locations

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HARRY POTTER IN LONDON!

LEADENHALL MARKET (London): The entrance to Diagon Alley.

There are several secret doors to the wizarding world hidden in London in plain sight… and this spectacular covered market is one of them!

Harry and Hagrid themselves visited this spot in the city in the first movie on their way to Diagon Alley, the quintessential shopping area for magic goods, so Harry could buy his school supplies.

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According to the books, muggles will be distracted by all the shops there are at Leadenhall Market, and they won’t pay attention to the Leaky Cauldron, the old pub that is the entrance to Diagon Alley. 

We’re pretty sure this magic pub is not actually inside this market… but check out all the boutiques, shops, restaurants and bars carefully just in case when you visit Leadenhall Market. If you don’t find the Leaky Cauldron at least you’d have admired one of the oldest markets in London!

The Millennium Bridge, another Harry Potter filming location, is a short 15 minute walk away from this landmark. But wait a second… didn’t this steel suspension bridge crossing the River Thames get destroyed?!
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In the last film of the saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, a small group of Death Eaters attacked the city and demolished this bridge. Luckily, in real life it still exits and links St.Paul Cathedral with the Tate Modern area!

Click on the ‘Activities’ button and check out our selection of Harry Potter tours around London to visit these and other filming locations from the movies! You’ll get to know a side of the city muggles usually don’t have access to while following the steps of Harry!

KINGS CROSS STATION (London): Platform 9 3/4.

Hurry up! The Hogwarts Express is about to leave! Do you have your ticket with you? Good, let’s go to the platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station in London.

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This is one of London’s major train stations, linking the capital with the north. And do you remember where Hogwarts is? Exactly, as described in the books, it’s somewhere in the north of the UK.

In order to access this magical spot between platforms 9 and 10 a ticket is required, but do not worry! Harry Potter fans have everything under control and you can take a photo with a station luggage trolley embedded in the wall near the entrance of King’s Cross. 

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Just outside King’s Cross station you’ll see the reddish building of Saint Pancras International Station, one that you’ll recognize from the second movie of the saga when Harry and Ron flew past it in the flying car after missing the Hogwarts Express.

PICCADILLY CIRCUS (London): Harry, Ron and Hermione running away.

Harry, Ron and Hermione appear (magically) in the midst of the chaos of Piccadilly Circus. The most famous square in London. Piccadilly connects the city centre and Buckingham Palace, which makes it one of the busiest tourist points in the whole world. A strange place to hide don’t you think?

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Led by Hermione, the three friends walk up Shaftesbury Ave escaping the bustle. She knows the area because she “used to come to the theatre here with mum and dad”. The perks of being a muggles‘ daughter. Fiction met reality here because this street is actually considered the heart of the West End. 

In fact, the play Harry Potter & the Cursed Child is now playing at the Palace Theatre in the 113th of Shaftesbury Ave. 

You too can live the theatre culture in London since the Palace Theatre a must-see location in many Harry Potter tours in the city. Do you want more details? Magic awaits in our ‘Activities’ section!

WARNER BROS. STUDIO (Leavesden): Harry Potter Studios.

About 30 km northwest of central London, the Warner Bros. Studio can be found in Leavesden (Watford). If you’re a Harry Potter fan you can not miss it!

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Discover the permanent exhibition and studio tour located inside the same studios where the films were shot for over 10 years. Explore the collection of original props and costumes, step onto the iconic sets and hop on the Hogwarts Express or take a walk into the Forbidden Forest… and of course, don’t leave the studios without tasting the delicious butterbear!

There’s a bus waiting for you at Victoria Station in London to take you to the wizarding world of Harry PotterClick on the ‘Activities’ button where you’ll find a tour that includes transportation to and from Warner Bros. and your entry ticket. It only remains for you to enjoy the day and maybe practice some magic tricks!

Would you like to seize the day even more and add a Harry Potter tour in Oxford to this whimsical experience? Keep reading!

OXFORD UNIVERSITY (Oxford): Hogwart's library and infirmary.

We leave London behind to get closer to Hogwarts! Inside the prestigious Oxford University, we can visit some of the most famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry interiors.

Duke Humfrey’s Library, one of the oldest reading rooms in Europe, doubled as the Hogwart’s library in some of the Harry Potter films. Its endless wooden bookshelves date back to the 15th century!

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Please keep in mind that we are not quite sure if you’d be able to find a Philosopher’s Stone manuscript in here as Hermione did in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Besides, if you visit the library, remember to remain silent since many Oxford students come here daily to study.

Another “magic” location at Oxford University is the Divinity School. This is the Gothic building with a stunning ceiling that Harry could see from his bed when recuperating at the Hogwart’s Infirmary in the first film.

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But you may also remember this majestic space from a funnier scene. Yes! Without the beds, this locations turned into the room where Professor McGonagall taught some dancing movements to the students, particularly Ron, in preparation for the winter ball in Harry Potter in the Goblet of Fire (without much success, we must add).

Harry also wandered around some parts of Christ Church College (Hogwart’s main staircase and some corridors, besides the room that inspired the Great Hall) and around the New College Cloisters (where Mad-Eye Moody turned Draco into a ferret in the fourth film of the saga).

Do you want to take dancing classes at Divinity School like Ron did? Or searching for books regarding the philosopher’s stone inside the Duke Humfrey’s Library? In our ‘Activities’ section you’ll find a selection of tours from London and Oxford that will take you to these filming locations!