The top 37 Harry Potter days out in the UK
Calling all Muggles (and wannabe witches and wizards)! As the best-selling book series in history – 600 million copies and counting – it’s not surprising that you’ll find a whole string of Harry Potter days out to bring the wizarding world to life.
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It’s almost hard to believe that not so long ago, the words Harry Potter, Voldemort and Hogwarts would have meant nothing – although the latter two would have raised a few quizzical eyebrows. Over 25 years on from the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on June 26, 1997, you definitely needn’t stop at reading the stories and watching the films.
And as my daughter discovered the wizarding world and became a confirmed fan of Harry Potter herself, I had an added excuse to try them out – from Harry Potter tours to attractions and filming locations galore, these are my pick of the best, with 37 days out for Harry Potter fans (and some extra magical bonuses).
CAUTION: Contains spoilers if you haven’t read all the books…
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The Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hertfordshire
The ultimate destination for Potter fans – myself included – you could easily spend all day at the Warner Bros Studio Tour.
Ride broomsticks, drink butterbeer, discover props, see the Hogwarts Express and walk into The Forbidden Forest, complete with magical creatures and details on how the sets and animatronics were created.
As with all the exhibits, the detail is astonishing – check out hippogriff Buckbeak, whose feathers were added by hand and kept groomed by the Creature Effects team. And if you’ve always wanted to visit Hogwarts, this is the only place you’ll find the whole castle.
Some of the newer additions include the chance to visit Gringotts Wizarding Bank, while in winter you can discover Hogwarts in the Snow or a Dark Arts theme for Halloween.
Tickets sell out well in advance but it’s worth looking at companies like Golden Tours which often have ticket and transport packages, as well as checking for returns – you can also find hotels near Harry Potter Studios London including some with ticket packages.
For my full set of tips for the Harry Potter Studio tour, check out this post
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
If Hertfordshire is the only place you’ll see the complete Hogwarts, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is one of the few where you can explore inside.
Appearing as the school for witchcraft and wizardry, you can now try your hand at broomstick lessons in the grounds of Alnwick Castle – on the very place where Harry had his own first flying lesson – as well as spotting the site in the Inner Bailey where Ron and Harry crash-landed the flying Ford Anglia.
You can even stay in a Harry Potter-themed room at Crux in Alnwick, with great names like the Dumbledorm family room, a broomstick’s throw from Alnwick Castle
There are also regular events at Alnwick Castle where you can learn to make magic wands, plus Potter-inspired characters on some days.
Check out my review of a day out at Alnwick Castle with kids, including broomstick lessons
Harry Potter in Concert, UK
After the first screenings of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were an instant sell-out, the Harry Potter in Concert series has been working through the rest of the series.
And as well as performances worldwide, there are new UK events for 2024 with concerts in London, Liverpool, Gateshead and Edinburgh.
Previous years have also seen performances elsewhere in the UK including Glasgow, Bath, Bournemouth and Cardiff, as well as the complete set of films shown in the US, Australia and some European destinations – so it’s worth keeping an eye on the schedule.
Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire
The pretty Wiltshire village with its stone cottages and timber-frame houses has doubled as both Budleigh Babberton and Godric’s Hollow – check out the Sign of the Angel pub, once a 15th-century merchant’s house, which appeared as the Babberton Arms in the sixth movie.
But it’s Lacock Abbey which most fans flock to, with its 800-year-old buildings and cloisters featuring in several scenes at Hogwarts in the early movies.
Spot the rooms where Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised, Snape’s potions room and Professor Quirrell’s classroom – plus a bonus 16th century Belgian cauldron in one cloister room which looks like it’s straight from a potions lesson, even if it wasn’t actually a prop.
Check out our day in Lacock, exploring Lacock Abbey and wandering around Lacock village
Kings Cross, London
There’s a second chance to pretend you’re off to Hogwarts and catching the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾ in London’s Kings Cross.
With a shop to get your house scarf (and wand, chocolate frogs, Niffler if you fancy), you can pose for photos with a luggage trolley part-way through the wall – there’s usually a queue which shrinks during the day, so getting there early or late is often best.
You can also turn up after the shop has closed with your own camera and props. Platforms 4 and 5 were the ones which were actually used for filming.
For more ideas of Harry Potter locations in London, check out my pick of the best
St Pancras, London
It might have pretended to be Kings Cross when Harry and Ron flew overhead in the Weasleys’ Ford Anglia, but the impressive neo-gothic building is actually St Pancras International and the St Pancras Renaissance hotel.
It’s easy to pop next door to Kings Cross while you’re there and pose at Platform 9 3/4.
Leadenhall Market, London
Who wouldn’t want to step through the hidden door into Diagon Alley? In real life, it’s not off Charing Cross Road – instead the Victorian covered market in the City of London was used for the street of wizarding shops in the first movie.
And the way in to The Leaky Cauldron? You need the curved blue door next to the optician in Bull’s Head Passage which currently houses Two Eyes Coffee.
Check out my four-page mini guide to Harry Potter’s London, including tips on some of the best places to visit, filming locations, wizarding trivia and even some of the inspirations behind the stories.
The Market Porter Pub, London
This pub near Borough Market was transformed into The Third Hand bookstore in the Prisoner of Azkaban, while the building next door was also used as The Leaky Cauldron.
It opens early for the market traders, so you could even start your exploring from 6am.
The Millennium Bridge, London
The dramatic start of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince features the Millennium Bridge between St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern collapsing after the Death Eaters attack.
While it’s affectionately known to Londoners as the wobbly bridge, happily it no longer wobbles and wasn’t destroyed by dark magic, so you can still stroll across it.
The train station café where Harry reads about the attack is actually on platforms 1 and 2 of Surbiton station, just outside London, but if you’re exploring the capital, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Westminster station and Lambeth Bridge have all cropped up as well.
Scotland Place, London
On the corner where Scotland Place and Great Scotland Yard meet, Harry found the phone box for the visitor’s entrance to the Ministry of Magic.
The phone box itself was a prop, so you’ll have to use your imagination.
Check out my four-page mini guide to Harry Potter’s London, including tips on some of the best places to visit, filming locations, wizarding trivia and even some of the inspirations behind the stories.
Australia House, London
This ornately grand Edwardian building on the Strand stood in for Gringott’s Wizarding Bank, complete with goblins.
In the Muggle world, Australia House is the office of the Australian High Commission, so you may not be allowed inside – take ID, cross your fingers and ask the security guards very nicely for a quick look.
Claremont Square, London
Wander around Claremont Square in Islington and it’s not hard to believe you’re actually in Grimmauld Place – numbers 23-29 inspired filming the exterior of Sirius Black’s family home, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
The square’s odd shape has its own secret to tell, courtesy of an 18th century water reservoir which was later covered over.
Virginia Water, Surrey
The long lake not far from Windsor was used as Hogwarts’ Black Lake in the third and fourth films.
It’s here that Harry rides the Hippogriff and where Hermione passes messages between Harry and Ron during the Triwizard Tournament. Loch Shiel in Scotland took its place in later films.
Ashridge Woods, Buckinghamshire
The pretty woodland where the Quidditch World Cup is held – and where the Death Eaters memorably make an appearance – is actually Ashridge Wood, part of the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate.
The distinctively gnarled old beech, which doubled as the Whomping Willow, was also on the estate until it collapsed in 2014.
Seven Sisters Country Park, Sussex
The chalk cliffs, the Seven Sisters which give the park its name, were used as another location in the fourth film, where the Portkey whisks Harry for the Quidditch World Cup – from Beacon Hill in Berkhamsted.
Wookey Hole caves, Somerset
Some of the Wookey Hole caves appear in the second movie as part of the Chamber of Secrets itself.
And while you shouldn’t stumble across a basilisk, these Somerset caves – which have been used by humans for around 50,000 years – are as spookily atmospheric as anyone might wish.
Oxford walking tour
Follow in Harry’s footsteps on a self-guided walking tour of Oxford, whose historic buildings have cropped up repeatedly as filming locations.
The Tudor dining hall at Christ Church college inspired Hogwarts’ Great Hall, while the staircase was used during filming, and Mad Eye Moody famously turned Draco Malfoy into a ferret in the cloisters at New College.
The Divinity School at the Bodleian Library appears as the school’s infirmary, plus if you take a special tour, you can see Duke Humfrey’s Library where Harry used his invisibility cloak to access the restricted section.
If you’d rather try a guided tour, this 90-minute Harry Potter tour of Oxford includes entry to the Divinity School.
Check out my review of a Harry Potter tour of Oxford with kids
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire
Elizabethan mansion Hardwick Hall doubled as Malfoy Manor, the main base of the Death Eaters in the later movies, with filming inside and outside the property.
For some bonus magic, kids can find fairy houses in the gardens too – although you won’t find albino peacocks strolling across the grass.
Gloucester Cathedral
Another slice of Hogwarts, this historic setting was also used as a location for the wizarding school in the first two films.
The appropriately named Dark Entry, in the north-eastern corner of the cloisters, was where the warning message in blood appeared in the second film, as well as where the flood from the girls toilets was filmed.
Harry and Ron also hid from the troll in the first movie in Gloucester cathedral’s Lavatorium, while the West Slype door became the entrance to Gryffindor’s common room.
Durham Cathedral
Yet another of the historic buildings used to stand in for some of the exterior and interior shots of Hogwarts, the Chapter House at Durham Cathedral was the site of Professor McGonagall’s transfiguration class in the first two films.
The ancient cloisters also appear in both of the first two movies as part of Hogwarts.
Goathland Railway Station, Yorkshire
Take a journey to Hogsmeade, aka the station for the village of Goathland on the North Yorkshire Moors, which appears in the first movie, where Harry gets out of the Hogwarts Express on his first trip to school.
It also doubles for Hogsmeade station at the end of the film, as Hagrid gives Harry the photo album – all future scenes were filmed on stage sets though.
For more ideas of days out in Yorkshire, check out my top places to go in York for Harry Potter fans as well as things to do in Whitby with kids – the end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway line
Malham Cove, Yorkshire
Less than a mile outside the village of Malham in Yorkshire, the unusual curved limestone rocks appeared as the camp where Harry and Hermione hide from Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Freshwater West, Wales
This beautiful beach in Pembrokeshire was the backdrop for Shell Cottage, home to Bill Weasley and the site of Dobby’s grave.
The cottage itself was removed completely after filming, but you can still visit the gorgeous setting.
Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland
The closest thing to travelling on the Hogwarts Express itself is to get a ticket for the Jacobite Steam Train which runs through the Highlands from Fort William to Mallaig, the same route used by Harry and his friends on the way to school.
The striking Glenfinnan Viaduct with its 21 arches is the most famous spot along the 84-mile round trip.
Glen Coe, Scotland
The wild and beautiful scenery of Glen Coe has been used in a variety of scenes, not least in the third movie as the location of Hagrid’s Hut at Clachaig Gully (after it moved from Black Park in Buckinghamshire, not far from filming at Pinewood).
Its wild scenery has also been used as a location for the bridge leading to the entrance of Hogwarts.
Three nearby lochs have also appeared as locations: Dumbledore’s Grave at Loch Elit, Loch Etive as one of the camp sites in part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, while dragons were added to shots of Loch Arkaig.
Edinburgh’s Harry Potter locations
While Edinburgh wasn’t one of the filming locations for the Harry Potter movies, it plays an important role in the books – it was here that JK Rowling wrote the stories, famously starting in the Elephant House cafe to stay warm and finishing in the city’s five-star Balmoral Hotel.
And there are more than a few places to visit which helped inspire her. Your list of Harry Potter things to do should include Greyfriars Kirkyard, where you’ll spot a headstone for Thomas Riddle, as well as Victoria Street, one of many places which lays claim to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley.
Take the free Potter Trail tour which covers all the main Harry Potter places in Edinburgh, and won’t cost you a single knut (though do bring a few galleons as a tip at the end).
Find more things to do in Edinburgh with kids here
More Harry Potter things to do
London Walking tour
If you want someone to bring the central London locations to life, check out the Tour for Muggles, while Brit Movie Tours has another walking tour option as well as a coach tour which take in the highlights.
The Wizard Walk of York
Set off in search of magical creatures, led through the streets of York by your wizard guide, on York’s only tour specifically designed for children – picking up a string of awards along the way, it’s been named the Best Tour of York for four years running, as well as Experience of the Year.
The Wizard Walk of York tour is perfect for fans of Harry Potter although you don’t need to be an expert on the wizarding world to enjoy it. Expect spellbinding magic, comedy and a dash of local history.
Starting and ending at the Shambles – reminiscent of Potter’s Diagon Alley – the tour lasts around an hour and is aimed at kids aged 5-10 in particular, although it’s fun for witches and wizards of all ages.
You can even add on a special Wizard Wand Kit as an enchanting souvenir, with a handcrafted wooden wand and instructions for seven tricks to learn at home. Runs most weekends in term-time and every day in the holidays.
Visit the House of MinaLima
You’ll know the work of graphic design duo Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima – aka MinaLima – if you’ve watched a single Harry Potter film. The pair were the brains behind everything from the Marauder’s Map to packets of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.
And you can visit their London gallery and shop in Soho – formerly at Greek Street, it has moved to nearby Wardour Street. Entry is free although you may need to queue…
Take the UK tour
If you want to pack in as many Potter locations as possible into one trip, Brit Movie tours has a full-day adventure which visits Lacock and Gloucester Cathedral, as well as JK Rowling’s former home.
Costing from around £800 per person, it’s not cheap but it’s perfect if you live and breathe Potter. The previous two-day tour which also included Oxford is no longer running.
Or there’s also a cheaper Wizards London Bus tour covering the locations in the capital, in a three-hour tour.
The Palace Theatre, London
This West End theatre is the venue for the sell-out play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts I and II.
Ordinarily you need to book well in advance, although it’s worth keeping an eye on the site for returned and cancelled tickets coming back on sale. If you’re based in or near London (or are just feeling lucky), you can also play the Friday Forty lottery on the Todaytix app, with a chance to get a pair of tickets at £40 each for the two performances.
A shorter version is also now performed in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Melbourne and Hamburg, and from October 2026, London will switch to performing the same cut-down version. The final two-part show will run on 20 September 2026, marking 10 years of the original format.
Stay in Harry’s childhood home
OK so it’s not *really* Harry’s home but it’s the closest you can get to living the story – the De Vere House in Lavenham, which doubled as Godric’s Hollow, is available to rent.
Unsurprisingly, it’s very popular so book well in advance – you have to share a bathroom but have a private room and sitting room. And can be fairly certain that Voldemort won’t turn up unexpectedly while you sleep.
The village itself appears in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2, although Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson were added to the footage later with a bit of CGI magic – conveniently it snowed during filming, just as it does in the book.
Eat and sleep Potter
For fans, what better finishing touch than a wizard afternoon tea (complete with eye of newt scones) or a spot of potion making before heading to bed in the Wizard or Enchanted Chambers at the Georgian House Hotel.
There’s no official Harry Potter link but with trunks, cauldrons and four-poster beds, it’s the closest you’re likely to come to the Gryffindor dormitory if you didn’t get a letter by owl aged 11.
A wizard Escape Room
If you love the thought of Escape rooms, there are currently a a couple of wizarding-themed escape rooms in London.
Escape London’s Magic Emporium (at the Islington location) takes you into Wizarding School, where you’ll find glowing potions, enchanted books and wands before having to defeat a monstrous guardian protecting a hidden chamber.
Or Enigma Quests School of Witchcraft and Wizardry escape room in Shoreditch is designed to test you on everything from Charms to Potions – only those who get an Outstanding grade will escape! Recommended for age 8+.
Wand making at the Wizard Exploratorium
EDIT: NOW CLOSED Are you really a Harry Potter fan if you haven’t dreamed about walking into Ollivanders and your wand choosing you? You can’t quite do that in the Muggle world, alas, but the next best thing is making your own wand.
The Wizard Exploratorium isn’t officially linked to Harry Potter (in fact, it says so very specifically!) but the half-hour Magic Wand Experience is perfect for young fans.
After choosing your magical style (light, dark or earth magic), you get to pick your wand, the core and a special ‘tree essence’ (saves cutting down all those wand trees), before practising a few basic spells.
Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex
If you’ve ever longed for an owl to arrive with your letter about joining Hogwarts, East Sussex is – alas – probably the closest you’ll get.
At 15th century Herstmonceux Castle, The Bothwell School of Witchcraft is only for over 18s, but you can discover first-hand how it feels like to be sorted into a house, join magical lessons and meet the weird and wonderful creatures in the grounds.
Although it’s not officially linked to Harry Potter, it’s easily the next best thing. Tickets sell out fast for the summer events so keep a close eye out.
British Library, London
The British Library marked the 20th anniversary of the first book with a collection dedicated to the magic of Harry Potter, the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate a single series of books by a living author,
As well as previously unseen materials from JK Rowling and publisher Bloomsbury, such as original drafts and drawings, it featured other magical treasures from the library’s own collection of wizarding books, not least a scroll showing how to create your own Philosopher’s stone.
The exhibition is now over but you can discover more about the displays by clicking here, and the Library itself is still open to visitors.
Don’t visit these Harry Potter days out
London Zoo
A day out at London Zoo in Regent’s Park is always fun with kids, but if you’re planning Harry Potter days out in the UK, the reptile house has now closed, so you need to find somewhere else to practise your parseltongue.
Previously there was a sign to commemorate the scene where Harry gets into conversation with a boa constrictor before realising his magic powers – although in the films a Burmese python appears instead, and the tank actually held a black mamba.
Harry Potter photographic exhibition
There was a chance to ride a broom without leaving central London, as well as a fantastic look behind the scenes at the Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition in Covent Garden, but it has now closed.
Check out our review for a taste of what you could see at Harry Potter photo exhibition with kids from quirky trivia to how some of the most memorable scenes were created, photos of the cast between filming and outfits.
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience
If you always wanted to venture into the Forbidden Forest, you had a chance to do just that in Cheshire with Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience at Arley Hall and Gardens in Cheshire.
After two years, the experience is currently closed, although there is a chance to see it outside the UK. For the time being, you can get a taste of what it was like with my review of our visit to Harry Potter: The Forbidden Forest Experience, spotting Hippogriffs, Centaurs, Unicorns and Nifflers, as well as casting your own Patronus.
The special exhibition at the Natural History Museum inspired by the Fantastic Beasts movies has also now finished – read my review of visiting the Fantastic Beasts exhibition for a virtual look around.
**First published 2017, updated 2026**
PIN FOR LATER: THE BEST HARRY POTTER DAYS OUT
Disclosure: Contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. All opinions on the top days out for Harry Potter fans and mild Pottermania remain my own.
Jacobite train copyright VisitBritain/VisitScotland; Freshwater West copyright VisitBritain/Visit Wales Image Centre; Virginia Water copyright VisitEngland/Andrew Boxall; St Pancras, Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral and Lavenham courtesy Depositphotos; Wizard Walk copyright The Story Of You; all others copyright MummyTravels
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I have 2 Potterheads in the house so we have visited lots of these but the big one, the studios tour, we are doing on my twins birthday this year. What I like is that there are so many HP locations and they are so spread out that regardless of where you are in the country you can probably get to some of them. I’m going to check out the Tour for Muggles in London that you’ve recommended I think that would be a hit with my kids. #FarawayFiles
What a great birthday treat – I thought it was amazing there, would love to go back and see the Forbidden Forest. And as you say, you’re never that far from somewhere which has appeared in the movies, so many to explore.
Oh my goodness this is epic! I had no idea there were so many connections. My 12 year old is going to want to do them all when I show her.
It surprised me when I started counting them all up – definitely enough to keep her busy for a while!
So many beautiful places, which are worth a visit in their own right. What I love about these locations is the fact they’re so spread out across the UK – so visitors of almost any part of the country can see a Harry Potter landmark. #FarawayFiles
Absolutely – it was lovely to discover just how many there were dotted around the country.
Fantastic to re-visit this via #citytripping. It really is a treasure trove of a post!
Thank you! 🙂
What a fabulous list! I will have to show this to my older two who have been (and still are) mad Harry Potter fans in their time, to see how many we can see whilst we live here! Have shared! 🙂
Thanks! And for the shares – definitely a fun few days out to plan around them.
Phew wee, what an amazing list. And for such a big HP fan myself, I think I better get cracking… although admittedly I have done a few at least! Wookie Hole is pretty brilliant! As is the WB Studio Tour. I also love Seven Sisters…
Absolutely! The studio tour is amazing – I haven’t been to Seven Sisters yet myself, and not to Wookey Hole since I was about six. Good reason to return: having rewatched all the movies first, of course.
I can’t believe it has been 20 years since the first book! Wow, I feel old :0( I got to read the books several years after they were release. It will be awesome to visit some of the locations in here. We have the attraction here in Universal Stidios Hollywood (have not been yet) but I will prefer the experiences on your list. #FarawayFiles
I know – it seems incredible to think that. I got into them a couple of years after the first came out (was actually living in Germany when they did), and I remember binge reading the first three, then discovering the fourth was just about to be published. Universal is definitely on my list one day, but so lucky to have lots of locations nearby.
Great list! I look forward to visiting Budleigh Babberton. You could add Elephant Cafe in Edinburgh too, where it all began. Pretty busy nowadays mind…
Thanks! Lacock is so pretty – and I did wonder about adding some of the Edinburgh options, both related to the writing and there are walking tours there too, but feared the list might start to spiral a little!
This is PERFECT! If I had the time and money, I would totally visit each and every one of these places!
Thanks! Something for the bucket list 😀
Harry Potter fans rejoice – what a great list! Can’t believe that when we were in Alnwick last year we passed on that cool castle! We did buy books at Barter Books in Alnwick though – does that give me a hall pass? Thanks for sharing this epic list with #FarawayFiles, Erin
Thanks! And I can’t believe you skipped the castle either – time to go back, I think. Although a gold star for the books 🙂
Excellent list! I love visiting the WB Studio Tour especially at Christmastime when they dress up the Great Hall. I would really love to go on the Jacobite Steam Train. Interested also in visiting the exhibition at the British Library. Thanks for sharing #FarawayFiles
Thanks! The Studio tour really is amazing – I’d love to see it at Christmas as well, and the train through that amazing scenery in Scotland would be fantastic.
Have you started reading HP with your daughter Cathy? I love the books but I think our two are a little bit young for some of the scary bits. I really want to start visiting these places with the books as context. It’s so amazing how imaginations come alive when kids connect the dots between fiction and reality. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
Not yet – I think she’s still a bit little for even the first one (both in terms of asking a zillion questions about the plot and the scarier bits at the end). Perhaps in a year or so when she’s six, which I think would bring the places much more to life.
Fabulous list! Alnwick and Oxford are both great places. Hardwick Hall is high on my UK bucket list and hope to go there soon! Hadn’t realised it was Malfoy Manor so another reason to visit! #citytripping
Thanks! Hardwick Hall has just great history, the Potter connection really is the icing on the cake.
Gosh – so many beautiful and interesting places to choose from! We haven’t reached the Harry Potter phase yet (can’t wait!), but I’m keeping this up my sleeve for when we do. #citytripping
Thanks – same here, I think there’s another year or two to go before I can get my daughter hooked and we can start exploring some of them together.
I love this list!! I too am a huge harry potter fan. I’ve read the first two (thanks to the illustrated editions) with my five year old. We have been to quite a few of the places you’ve mentioned but I’m hoping to visit a few more with him soon. He has asked for his sixth birthday to go to Harry Potter World so we will be hoping over to London to do that in the spring. I’m going to see if i can make a few more of these work then too! #CityTripping
Thanks! the studio tour would be an amazing birthday treat, and you could definitely combine some of the London or Oxford options – I’d been thinking maybe to wait until my daughter was 6 before starting to read the books, but the illustrated editions could be a nice way to introduce her.
I love the idea of literary travel with kids. What a fun way to engage little ones while traveling and bring some of that magic home as well. #CityTripping
Thanks – I think so, it really helps spark their imaginations, and anything which induces a love of travel and reading sounds good to me
I was thinking of doing a similar post but it turns out I haven’t visited anywhere near as many Potter sites as I thought I had! This such a fabulous, thorough list. I’d love to visit Glenfinnan Viaduct and would jump at the chance to see The Cursed Child! 😀 #citytripping
Thanks! There are still plenty on my list to visit – the viaduct looks so lovely. And I must make a diary note when The Cursed Child tickets next come out as I keep failing to get organised enough to pounce.
I HAD to pin this for later reference because there are just so many HP travels out there – I’ve seen lists before, but this is definitely the most extensive I’ve ever seen! I’ve done a few, but my to do list is longer now haha
Thank you 🙂 I was a bit surprised when I started counting them up at just how many you could try, and there are a few JK Rowling-linked options in Edinburgh which I left off too.
OMGosh this is like the most thorough list of HP destinations I’ve ever come across! Pinned! I’ve only seen King’s Cross so far, so I have a ways to go! #CityTripping
Thanks! You do indeed – definitely a few more to tick off in London on your next trip, or a good excuse to pop a few other UK cities onto the travel wishlist.
Wow, I’d heard of a few of these, but didn’t know there was SO many sites you could visit, very cool! #citytripping
Thanks! There is just so much out there, I had to stop myself at 31 🙂
There are so many places! I’m a big Harry Potter fan so I would love to visit some of these. #citytripping
There really are – I hope you get to some.
love HP books:)
Me too!
That’s quite a list! It might be rather fun to keep it around and knock them all off one by one – I’m not sure I am up for an intensive tour focusing on just Potter related places.
I think a trip trying to tick those off one by one would be quite full-on for all but the biggest fan – I like the idea of sticking it to the fridge and working my way through the rest though
We’re massive Harry Potter fans in our house even down to my youngest son’s ever-growing collection of wands. We’ve been to quite a few of the locations on your list. You’ve inspired us to tick off a few more now! #citytripping
Thanks – I remember your lovely post from Lacock especially. I am a bit jealous of the wand collection too…
I love Harry Potter! Bookmarking this for later – my husband and I were looking for Harry Potter activities for our next trip to the UK!
Thank you – and what helpful timing! I hope you get to do a few
An excellent list, we loved the studios and there’s so much that you can see in London that will cost no more than an Oyster card to zip around seeing them all. #CityTripping
Thanks! And that’s very true – it needn’t cost a fortune to do a lot of these.
I’m so jealous! I’m going to have to look up some things in the US, hopefully there are some. I can’t believe that it’s already been 10 years though… looks like you have a tonne to choose from, do you know what you’ll go to yet? #citytripping
There’s the Wizarding World at Universal Studios – definitely on my ‘one day’ list. And I still have quite a few left to fit in: I suspect Lacock might be the most likely to fit into a weekend, or a return to Oxford perhaps, although one day I will finally get to Northumberland to explore including Alnwick.
This is amazing! My older daughter is obsessed, I mean obsessed, with Harry Potter (currently reading the entire series again for a second time) and I just showed her this and she is freaking out. If only we didn’t live so far! #citytripping
Thank you! That is so lovely to hear – although sorry for my part in her freaking out! 🙂 That UK trip is getting more and more likely?
What a great list – I can’t wait til my kids are old enough to get into Harry Potter!
Thanks! Absolutely – counting down until my daughter is too.
I love Harry Potter & can’t wait for my kids to be old enough to share that love. What an awesome list!
Thanks! I know – I keep working out how old she needs to be
I’m pinning this list for the next time I go to London! And I will totally be geeking out at every spot, and reveling in the fact that I’m too old to care if anyone notices. Great list!!
Thanks – and absolutely, my attitude too! 🙂
What an amazing list! I read a couple of the books when I was a late teen, but never really got into the story. Then I moved to London and it became so much more when I worked in a cinema while the movies were on. Now, fast forward a long time, i can’t wait to read these books with my son (he’s still too young though). This list is the best I’ve seen for visiting locations from the books and films! It’s fantastic that it covers so many locations around the UK – kids can really immerse their imaginations when visiting these places. I am pinning this for future reference and sharing far and wide! Thank YOU! #FarawayFiles and #CityTripping
This is such a cool list! Unfortunately we are halfway across the world in Australia, but I have pinned for our next visit to the UK.
My daughter is completely obsessed. She would love to do all of these!
It would make a fun trip for a fan
Like many 9-year-olds, my eldest loves Harry Potter! He’s been to the Warner Bros Studio tour but that’s about it as we have not been living in England…..until this summer when we move to London!! So I can see lots of Potter-themed days out ahead of us 🙂
Perfect – lots of inspiration I hope.
I cannot wait til my kids are old enough to appreciate Harry Potter! I recall seeing Platform 9 3/4 before it was made into a formal attraction. It made my week!
I used to have a regular meeting which meant going past Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross – made me smile every time.
I had no idea FreshWest in Pembrokeshire was a feature in Harry Potter! (We’ve been thee loads!) I love visiting Cramond just outside of Edinburgh too as you pass JK Rowling’s house and it’s always interesting to see where authors live and where they draw their inspiration. Plus the little cafe in Edinburgh where she wrote the first books. Great post for fans Cathy!
Thank you – it looks the perfect place for Shell Cottage. And I did wonder about putting some of the places with JK Rowling links in too as there’s some great options in Edinburgh: maybe a follow-up post!
Perfect for a Potterhead 🙂
Thanks!
This is such a wonderful post! Makes me want to watch all the movies again before my next visit to England! Definitely pinning this one!
Thank you! I hope you get to fit a few in
This is brilliant! Our eldest is absolutely obsessed with Harry Potter. She can’t go more than a couple of hours without coming out with a quote or random fact or something. She is going to love this (and then spend forever hassling me to take her to every single place)!
Thank you! And that’s fantastic (although, also, sorry 😉 )
I need to get my kids into Harry Potter fast! I loved the books and I had no idea there were some many options to get them come to life, thank you!
When I started counting them up, it took me a little by surprise! Perfect once you’ve got your little fans hooked.
We are not Harry potter fans yet but this will come in handy very soon!!
I hope so – a few fun ways to bring the books to life
As a family we are big Harry Potter fans. We have already visited some of these places but not all so we will certainly give some of these places a visit.
Great – hope you have some fun days out
Awesome list! I have some work to do on seeing these Harry Potter locations. Look forward to ticking them off.
Well, that’s summer sorted 😉
I’m finally reading the Harry Potter books at the moment – yep I’m a lot behind – so will have to go and see a few of the locations once I get to the end!
I almost feel envious of you discovering them for the first time! And definitely – very fun to explore some of the places from the films. Lacock is practically up the road from you (and lots of Scottish ones if you’re back there?)