The most magical Harry Potter locations, London

I make no secret of the fact I love Harry Potter – and since introducing my daughter to the books, I’ve had an excuse to revisit a string of Harry Potter locations in London, to go with my list of the best Harry Potter days out in the UK.

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Because if you love the wizarding world, you can find countless Harry Potter filming locations in London, plus places which are mentioned in the books (whether they made it into the Harry Potter movies or not) and even historic spots which are thought to have inspired JK Rowling.

There are a huge number of Harry Potter tours in London too, including ones suitable for kids, if you want to pack as many locations into a single day as possible… not to mention the Warner Bros studio tour nor far outside the city.

But if you’re looking for the best Harry Potter locations in London with kids to explore as a family (or to explore on your own!), here’s my pick of the top 20 – plus a few magical bonuses.

King’s Cross, London

Start your Harry Potter tour of London by heading to the station to board the Hogwarts Express, at Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross station.

OK so it’s not the actual Hogwarts Express, but you can pose for photos with a luggage trolley part-way through the wall.

There’s usually a big queue – this is one of London’s biggest Harry Potter attractions – but it usually shrinks during the day. Or turn up bright and early (or arrive late) with your own camera and props when the shop has shut to avoid waiting. Platforms 4 and 5 were actually used for filming if you want to check them out too.

Save some time to browse in the Harry Potter shop, which is one of the best places to buy Harry Potter souvenirs in London, whether you want to buy your house scarf, wand, chocolate frogs, Niffler and other wizard paraphernalia – some exclusive to the shop. They even deliver if you get really carried away.

Looking for the bridge that Harry and Hagrid walk over on their way to the Hogwarts Express? It’s not at King’s Cross… or even in London! Instead, check out my top places to go in York for Harry Potter fans

St Pancras, London

If you want to enjoy the picturesque view seen when Harry and Ron flew off over King’s Cross in the Weasleys’ Ford Anglia (from ground level), the impressive neo-gothic building is the St Pancras Renaissance hotel at the St Pancras International.

It’s easy to pop by if you’re next door at King’s Cross posing at Platform 9 3/4. It’s also close to the British Library which has a collection of wizarding books, including a scroll showing how to create your own Philospher’s stone, as well as other books on the history of magic.

For more great kids’ books about London, check out my top picks for all ages

Leadenhall Market, London

Who wouldn’t want to step through the magical entrance into Diagon Alley? The real life film location is not off Charing Cross Road though (although you could also wander down that street while you’re in London, to follow in Harry’s footsteps in the books).

Instead Leadenhall Market, 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 door next to the optician in Bull’s Head Passage… previously blue, it’s now been painted white.

The Market Porter Pub, London

This pub near Borough Market was transformed into The Third Hand book store in the Prisoner of Azkaban, while the building next door was also used as The Leaky Cauldron.

The Market Porter opens early for the market traders, so you could even start your exploring from 6am.

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.

Cecil Court

There are various streets around the country which claim to have inspired JK Rowling to create Diagon Alley, from Exeter to Edinburgh, as well as York. But Cecil Court in London is another strong contender for the real-life Diagon Alley.

It is set just off Charing Cross Road, as the magic street is in the books, and has a string of weirdly wonderful shops, selling books, maps and antiques, complete with an old-fashioned gas lamp in the centre.

As well as the street’s magical feel, it’s also home to Watkins Books, founded in 1893 and based at Cecil Court since 1901, claiming the title of the oldest occult and mystical bookshop in the world.

You may even be able to buy dragon’s blood here (a dried resin powder rather than anything more magical…)

Goodwin’s Court

Once you’ve wandered along Diagon Alley, it’s time to brave Knockturn Alley – or the street that claims to have inspired it. Goodwin’s Court, just across St Martin’s Lane from Cecil Court, dates back to the 17th century.

It has its own gaslamps to light the narrow street, lined with bow-fronted houses and shops – although you won’t find flesh-eating slug repellent on sale.

The street has also been named as another contender for Diagon Alley, but the darker atmospheric feel means it’s easier to imagine Borgin & Burke’s than Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes here.

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 – check out the little exhibition with information on how they created the designs, and some originals on display, before browsing for a few more Harry Potter souvenirs in the shop.

Originally at Greek Street in Soho, it moved to nearby Wardour Street (no vanishing spells involved). Entry is free although numbers are limited so you may need to queue…

The Millennium Bridge, London

It’s hard to forget the dramatic start of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, showing the Millennium Bridge between St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern collapsing after the Death Eaters attack.

The wobbly bridge, as it’s known affectionately to Londoners, won’t be wobbling or crumbling as a result of dark magic, but you get a great view along the Thames, and from the South Bank to St Paul’s cathedral on the north.

St Paul’s cathedral

Once you’ve crossed the Millennium Bridge, there are Harry Potter links to St Paul’s Cathedral itself – head inside to check out Wren’s Geometric Staircase in the south-west tower which appeared Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The staircase doubled as one of many at Hogwarts, seen when Ron and Harry leave Professor Trelawney’s divination class after Hermione has walked out.

You can buy tickets to visit St Paul’s Cathedral here, including a discount using my code MUMMYTRAVELS6 if you book through my link

Australia House, London

While you can get an unforgettable glimpse of Gringotts Wizarding Bank at the Warner Bros Studio tour, complete with goblins, the office of the Australian High Commission stood in for the Diagon Alley institution in the early movies.

This is one of the harder Harry Potter filming locations in London to visit because of the security involved at the ornately grand Edwardian building on the Strand. But take ID, cross your fingers and ask the security guards very nicely for a quick look inside and you might be lucky.

London Zoo

Practise your parseltongue in the reptile house at London Zoo in Regent’s Park, where Harry gets into conversation with a boa constrictor before realising his magic powers.

In the films, a Burmese python appears instead, and there’s a plaque in the reptile house to commemorate the scene…

For some extra serpent trivia, the real-life London Zoo tank previously held a black mamba but is currently empty.

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 became 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.

Westminster tube station

When Harry and Mr Weasley head to the Ministry of Magic for Harry’s hearing, you see them taking the tube – to Mr Weasley’s delight and bewilderment – in order to arrive in thoroughly non-magical fashion.

The station they have to navigate is Westminster – not a long walk from Scotland Place (read on), the supposed site of the Ministry itself.

The train station where Harry meets Dumbledore (after reading the newspaper in the cafe in Half-Blood Prince) is Surbiton station – it’s just outside London and doesn’t really have the flavour of magic, so probably not worth going out of your way to discover unless you’re determined to see every last location from the Harry Potter films! If so, head to platforms 1 and 2

Scotland Place

The red phone box where Harry found the visitor’s entrance to the Ministry of Magic stood on the corner where Scotland Place and Great Scotland Yard meet.

The phone box itself was a prop (or perhaps it’s only visible to wizards?), so you’ll have to use your imagination.

Piccadilly Circus

Harry, Hermione and Ron apparate here to escape the Death Eaters in the Deathly Hallows Part One, so if you’re ticking all the Harry Potter London locations off, you should at least stroll through.

The scene filmed here included 300 extras and had to be shot early in the morning because of the difficulties of shutting Piccadilly Circus down.

In reality it’s usually a bit less magical, as it’s one of the city’s busiest junctions, although you do have the famous illuminated adverts brightening everything up.

Lambeth Bridge

Sadly you can’t guarantee a ride on the Knight Bus but you can see one of the Harry Potter London locations where it appeared on screen, crossing Lambeth Bridge.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, this is where the Knight Bus squeezes between two other very non-magical doubledecker buses as it drives over the bridge.

It’s around a 15-minute walk from Westminster, so you could also just walk onto Westminster Bridge and take a look down the river to see it from afar.

Harry Potter walking tour in London

You won’t be short of Harry Potter walking tours in London, most of which will take you to the main Potter film locations listed in this post.

It’s always fun to join a group of fellow fans though, and a lot of the tour guides run quizzes or can show you scenes from the films as you go, for an added bonus.

Check out the Tour for Muggles, as well as this child-friendly Harry Potter walking tour.

Brit Movie Tours has another walking option and there’s also a free option from Strawberry Tours, in partnership with London with a local.

More Harry Potter tours in London

If you want to save your feet, or see more than on a walking tour alone, try this London Harry Potter tour including a boat trip. Or there are tour bundles including a Harry Potter walking tour, plus hop-on hop-off bus tour and boat tour (although the latter don’t have a wizarding theme)

You can also join a Wizards London Bus tour covering the locations in the capital, on a three-hour tour.

Check out my tips for some more of the best bus tours in London with kids here

The Palace Theatre, London

This West End theatre is the venue for the fabulous play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts I and II.

With more performances, you don’t need to book months in advance any more, although you’ll find the best prices if you do – and during peak season, it’s worth keeping an eye on the site for returned and cancelled tickets coming back on sale if you’re trying to visit last-minute.

There’s also a lottery via TodayTix to be in with a chance of two tickets for £40 – so if you’re in easy travelling distance of London, it’s well worth playing.

Recommended for aged 10+, it’s fantastic with kids who are Harry Potter fans, but between the length of time spent at the theatre and a few scary moments, it’s not ideal for younger kids.

A condensed version is also now performed in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Melbourne and Hamburg.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hertfordshire

Although the Warner Bros studios aren’t in London itself, it’s only a 20-minute train journey from Euston (plus the shuttle bus from Watford Junction station) to reach the site in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.

And when you’re this close, there’s no way you should risk missing this ultimate destination for Harry Potter fans in London – myself included. Make sure you book ahead as tickets get snapped up well in advance.

Check out my full set of tips for the Harry Potter Studio tour

Allow plenty of time to ride broomsticks, drink butterbeer (optional!), discover props, see the Hogwarts Express, walk into The Forbidden Forest and watch a dragon rampage through Gringotts bank.

There are displays galore, and it’s only when you visit that you realise the astonishing detail and just how much work has gone into each aspect, not to mention an array of magical creatures plus background on how the sets and animatronics were created.

Check out hippogriff Buckbeak, whose feathers were added by hand and kept groomed by the Creature Effects team, or interact with Dobby the House Elf. And if you’ve always wanted to visit Hogwarts, this is the only place you’ll find the whole castle.

There are special events throughout the year, in winter you can discover Hogwarts in the Snow or a Dark Arts theme for Halloween, as well as other temporary exhibitions.

If you’re looking for hotels near Harry Potter Studios London, check out my top picks, or if you prefer to book tickets with a coach transfer from London, click here or direct via Golden Tours

Eat and sleep Potter

The Georgian House Hotel

You might not be able to curl up in the Gryffindor dormitory after a long day exploring, but the next best thing has to be heading to bed in the Wizard or Enchanted Chambers at the Georgian House Hotel near Victoria.

Book via booking.com here, including free cancellation

Once you’ve refuelled over a wizard afternoon tea, of course, complete with eye of newt scones or finished whipping up your own potions (aka cocktails and mocktails)…

There’s no official Harry Potter link but with trunks, cauldrons and four-poster beds, the only thing that’s missing is an owl.

Hagrid’s Hut

You don’t need a giant family to love Hagrid’s Hut in Watford. This two-bedroom apartment is only a two miles from the Leavesden studios site, so it’s a quick five-minute drive to take you to the wizarding world.

And as well as all the usual self-catering facilities, including kitchen and washing machine, there’s a fun Harry Potter theme throughout the apartment – look out for owls dotted around, broomsticks on the walls and the books to read as well, to get you in the mood for your visit.

With a double bed, bunk beds and a sofa bed, there’s room for five which makes it ideal for larger families visiting the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios. There’s on-street parking as well.

Click here to book rooms at Hagrid’s Hut with free cancellation

For more self-catering apartments and hotels near Harry Potter studios, check out my top picks

Spinner’s End

For another Harry Potter themed alternative, self-catering apartment Spinners End is a three-bedroom apartment – along with a sofa bed in the living room – so there’s plenty of room to spread out.

It’s also two miles from the Warner Bros Studio tour, and the bedrooms are themed around the different Hogwarts Houses (no Slytherin though, despite the name!)

There is a minimum two-night stay, but if you’re planning to spend the whole day soaking up every detail of the studio tour before heading into central London for more Harry Potter locations, that’s just what you’ll need. There’s also free parking, plus a full kitchen with washing machine.

Potion making and a Wizard Afternoon tea

If checking out the different Harry Potter places in London has whetted your appetite for all things magical, you can try your hand at creating your own potions or refuel with a Wizard Afternoon tea at The Wizard Exploratorium in Soho.

During the 1h 45-minute potion making experience, you can enjoy a welcome drink poured by magic wand, plus the chance to brew two of your own (as well as the use of any essential magical equipment while you’re there) – suitable for young potion makers (kids aged 5+) as well as adults.

Or tuck into the Wizard afternoon tea, with ‘sand-witches’ alongside the scones and desserts, plus tea brewed by magic wand – also lasts for 1h 45 minutes. As long as you can cast the right spells with your wand to get the ingredients from the puzzle chest, and crack the essential skills of transfiguration to concoct your tea, of course.

Check out my review of a Wizard Afternoon Tea in London with kids

More magical experiences for Harry Potter fans in London

Wand making at the Wizard Exploratorium

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 – and the next best thing if you can’t get to Florida to get creative with one of the Harry Potter wands at Universal.

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.

For more unusual things to do in London with kids, check out my pick of the best

A wizard Escape Room 

Could you put the clues together to reach the Chamber of Secrets (and escape again)? If you love the thought of Escape rooms, there’s currently a wizarding themed escape room in Highbury & Islington, north London.

Wizarding School: Fang of the Serpent at Breakin Escape Rooms isn’t officially linked to Harry Potter, but if you’ve read the books, your knowledge of the plots and a few spells might give you a head start on solving some riddles.

Harry Potter photographic exhibition

*EDIT – NOW CLOSED* There’s another chance to ride a broom, as well as a fantastic look behind the scenes at the Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition in Covent Garden.

Check out our review for all the details of a day at the Harry Potter photo exhibition with kids, but there’s a chance to discover quirky trivia, find out how some of the most memorable scenes were created, see outfits up close, and check out photos of the cast between filming.

Fantastic Beasts exhibition – now closed

Inspired by the Fantastic Beasts movies, the exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London featured a good helping of Harry Potter props too – a dragon head and golden egg for starters – as well as plenty about the wizarding world’s other magical creatures.

While it has now ended, take a virtual look around in my review of visiting the Fantastic Beasts exhibition.

For more great Harry Potter days out near London, head to Oxford for more great filming locations, as well as more of the best UK days out for Harry Potter fans

*updated 2023*

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