Harry Potter Forbidden Forest review, Cheshire
There’s a magical new night out awaiting Harry Potter fans, with the chance to venture into the Forbidden Forest in Cheshire – so as you can imagine, I and my small wizard-obsessed daughter were one of the first in line to try it out for our Harry Potter Forbidden Forest review.
contains affiliate links*
Having spent the few weeks before our visit convinced we’d have to cancel, it was doubly fun to make it to the site at Arley Hall and Gardens, where the winter event is inspired by the Wizarding World and its fantastic beasts.
As well as spotting Hippogriffs, Centaurs, Unicorns and Nifflers, Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience gives those who venture into the forest a chance to share in a few iconic wizarding moments – casting your own Patronus, for example. So will you be enchanted?
2025 EDIT: The event’s run is currently over and there are no confirmed dates for it to return. For more Harry Potter days out in the UK, check out my top picks here
Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience: need to know
Set in the grounds of Arley Hall (not far from Tatton Park), Harry Potter: The Forbidden Forest experience runs from around October to January. First launched in 2021, it has returned for the 2022-23 winter season with some new additions.
There are various timeslots available and tickets must be prebooked: you should arrive 15 minutes beforehand as there’s a bit of a walk from the car park to the starting point.
Allow around 60-90 minutes for the visit (with around 45-75 minutes to walk the trail route) depending how long you want to spend on the interactive elements – if you have the final timeslot of the night, it’s worth knowing everything shuts 90 minutes after that session starts.
After entering in a small group, the experience is all at your own pace, so you can linger as long as you want, as well as spending extra time in the Hogsmeade-style village at the end.
Prices range from £26.50-£48 for adults and £21.50-£36 for children, depending on the session date and time, and children under five are free (and there’s an option to bypass the scariest element of the trail). Prebook tickets here.
Parking is free. Realistically you need a car to be able to visit the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience though.
There are toilets and places to buy food and drink along the way, with most choice in the village after the trail (not to mention plenty of opportunities to purchase Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts merchandise).
Look out for butterbeer, hot chocolate and other magical treats as you go, including chocolate frogs and pumpkin doughnuts – plus bubble cocktails for grown-ups.
You do need to dress appropriately: the trail runs through the woods so if the weather is bad, you can expect plenty of mud – during our visit, the worst was actually by the car park rather than under the trees, but come prepared with boots/wellies and wrap up warm.
No need to bring a wand, although you can if you want!
For more ideas of UK days out for Harry Potter fans, check out my top picks
Harry Potter Forbidden Forest review
From the moment you arrive, you’re transported to the wizarding world – music plays and lights glimmer in the distance as you wander towards the illuminated path under the trees, with snippets from the films to enjoy along the way.
The trail itself is a mix of experiences: in some places, you simply spot one of the string of magical creatures and inhabitants, posed under the trees – treasure-laden Nifflers, some rather sweet pygmy puffs, as well as Hagrid with Fang.
In others areas there’s more chance to interact: you can bow to hippogriffs and watch to see if they return the gesture, or watch giants belching, as the figures come to life.
Grawp’s antics are guaranteed to raise a smile – although beware of standing too close… he definitely needs a bath!
Elsewhere, projections create the magic, whether it’s a herd of centaurs galloping towards you, or the shimmer of a unicorn under the trees.
We heard blast ended skrewts explode, spied the flying Ford Anglia crash and shivered at the howls of werewolves.
You’ll also find some proper interactive options: the chance to cast your patronus was one of our favourites – who hasn’t wondered what animal might burst forth from your wand? Plus you can recreate Harry and Voldemort’s battle in the graveyard, with streams of red and green light meeting.
There was no question that my daughter was going to be Harry in that particular spot!
This was one of the busiest spots, but the queue moves pretty quickly, and everyone was happy to take their turn before posing for photos.
Perhaps the most memorable inhabitants of the forest are the acromantula, but if you don’t fancy meeting giant spiders, you can avoid that part too: I’m not scared of spiders but it was definitely one area which made me jump more than the others.
There were only a few bits which unnerved my nine-year-old, including eyes watching us from the dark in one section of the path – although she skipped the spiders entirely. I’m not convinced you’d want to take a toddler but there’s enough enchanted fun to make it worth braving for older fans!
And to finish, a final dramatic spectacle over the lake recreating one of the key moments from The Prisoner of Azkaban, where Prongs rides once again.
But if that section is one of the most eye-catching, the whole trail is beautifully done. The lights create different moods along the way, from the more light-hearted characters and fairytale sections, to the spookier more dramatic moments.
Some parts, including the gleaming unicorn, genuinely felt magical, as if we’d left Cheshire far behind and stepped into the grounds of Hogwarts itself.
For wizards and witches large or small, it’s one of the most enchanting days out for winter.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. All opinions in my Harry Potter Forbidden Forest review are my own
Images copyright MummyTravels
LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER