[Update] Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London: What You Need to Know | harry potter studio london pantip – NATAVIGUIDES

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Love Harry Potter? The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is an absolutely magical day out for children and adults alike. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Harry Potter. You may have noticed that I’m low-level obsessed with both the films and the books. The story that captured our imaginations 20 years ago is no less magical today.

London is filled with Harry Potter spots – whether that’s filming locations, cool graphics stores or Potter-inspired bars, there’s plenty to keep your wands busy. Even so, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is phenomenal.

Recognise this?

I’ll admit that I put visiting the tour off for a while because I never quite got round to booking my ticket. Mistake. Now that I’ve been I can say hand on heart that it is a must for anyone who loves Harry Potter.

I’ve written this step-by-step guide to help you understand what to expect, how to book your tickets, plan your journey and have a brilliant time. No pressure then…

 

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OK, So the Big Question is… Are the Harry Potter Studios Worth the Money?

In short – yes. The Harry Potter Studios are worth the money.

It’s pretty much impossible to talk about why you should go on the Harry Potter Studio Tour without confronting the fact that tickets are hella expensive.

£47 for adults and £38 for children over 5 is no laughing matter – particularly when you add transport and (if necessary) accommodation to that too.

Even though the tickets are expensive, I’d say that the experience is absolutely worth it – it’s been brilliantly done – so much so that I know people who’ve been back a couple of times over the years.

Want to book a tour instead? Choose from these tours from London.

Exploring the Magical World of Harry Potter at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London: What to Expect

All eight of the films were filmed in the Leavesden Studios over a period spanning more than a decade.

There’s nowhere else that you can visit where you can see so many of the places, costumes and details that made the iconic films the biggest movie series in history.

You see everything! Even Hagrid’s hut

How to Get Your Hands on Harry Potter London Tickets

Buy Tickets on the Website

Now, I’m not going to lie – trying to get your hands on the Harry Potter studio tickets is like trying to conjure a genuine smile from Professor Umbrige. As in, it will take all of your wits and whiles to make it happen. Unlike trying to coax a smile from Umbridge though, it will be totally worth the effort.

Off to Hogwarts!

First of all, let me be clear. You have to buy tickets in advance – there will be no turning up on the day and hoping to strike lucky.

That shizz just doesn’t fly (as in they don’t even sell tickets on the door, so you’ll have schlepped out to Leavesden for no reason – and I’ll warn you, apart from the studio tour, Leavesden isn’t the kind of place where you go to have a lot of fun).

So, you need to plan your trip in advance. Preferably as far in advance as you possibly can.

Tickets for the Warner Brothers Harry Potter tour sell like hotcakes – and months ahead.

Don’t be all blasé like me, hopping onto the website and thinking you’ll pick one up for the next day. I was totally sucker punched when I saw that tickets were pretty much booked out for two months in advance. That’s not a typo and yes you’re reading it right. Two months.

Now, there are a couple of workarounds, which I am going to go into more detail below but that is the standard position.

So if you’re thinking about taking a trip to London and you want to get a ticket, do it the moment you book your flights. I only wish I were joking.

Book Tickets Here

Sneaky Trick Number One for Getting a Ticket to the Warner Bros Studio Tour

Book a tour – or transport inclusive ticket from a tour operator.

I have to be honest – I am prettyyyyyy disorganised a lot of the time and I’ve often found that hunting around for a tour can mean that you can nab a last minute spot when all other hope is lost.

Have a look on Get Your Guide and simply work your way through the different operators until you can find one with a ticket for the date that you want. Simple and oh so crafty *cackles uncontrollably in the manner of Bellatrix Lestrange*.

PS – I talk more about tours and transport inclusive options in the How to Get to the Harry Potter Studios Section Below.

Sneaky Trick Number Two For Getting Your Hands on Harry Potter Studio Tickets

You’ll have better luck if you can visit on a weekday outside of school holidays, but as you’re likely to be grown-ass adults with actual jobs, whether you can do that depends on exactly how much magic you’re willing to practice to get yourself a spot.

Sneaky Trick Number Three for Nabbing Those Tickets

Now I know that I said that you have next to zero chance for nabbing tickets to Harry Potter land in London without booking them at least a couple of months in advance but guess what… I lied.

Well, kind of.

You can get last-minute tickets on the website if you’re willing to be flexible and just take whatever day and time is available. I booked my tickets on Tuesday to go on the Sunday of the same week – and was pretty lucky that the tour started at 2pm so I had loads of time to make my way around.

There were only a couple of tickets for the Sunday available – and a few more for the following Monday and Tuesday… after which the earliest I could book was 2.5 months later.

It’s a big gamble – definitely not one I’d recommend taking if you’re only in the country for a short period but it is always worth checking.

Read Next: The Ultimate Guide to London’s Magical Harry Potter Spots

Tips for Making the Most of Your Time in the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour

Go Early

If you’re more of an adult than me and actually book your tickets far enough in advance that you get a choice about which slot to choose rather than having to take whichever one’s available because you’re trying to find a ticket for this weekend, I have a tip.

Go as early in the day as possible – and try and avoid the last slot or two.

Much as I’d love to pretend that these are sage words I winkled out of prophecy buried in that creepy vault in the Ministry of Magic, the boring truth is there are very good reasons for this advice.

One is that the tour is untimed. Once you’re in, you’re in for however long it takes you to make your way around.

Considering that some people (ME) literally won’t rest until they’ve read / played with / googled at / photographed / posed with every tiny little bit on every single set, you can understand how later slots can get pretty busy.

Who wouldn’t spend loads of time here???

The second reason I say to go as early as possible is kind of the same – you want to make sure that you have all the sweet sweet time that you need to make your way around that tour.

They suggest three to four hours but who knows, you may end up taking more (particularly if you kick back with a butterbeer in Hogsmeade).

Someone once spent over thirteen hours in the tour, which seems a liiiitttttle excessive – what were they doing? Reenacting the films? Actually, that’s a brilliant idea.  

Either way, with the earlier slots you pretty much have all the time you want. It would be a real shame to have to rush any of the experience – you paid enough to justify squeezing every last second of pleasure from your well-spent galleons.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Did you see that bit above where I said that the average person takes three to four hours walking around the studios?

When your feet hurt and you’ve had enough

Now imagine doing that in some flimsy-ass high heels that make you want to cast a spell and set your own feet on fire after half an hour and I think you’ll get my point about comfortable shoes.

Unless you have your own flying broomstick that is, in which case you can wear those heels as you zip around the tour with your cape billowing in the breeze behind you.

Dress Up (If You Want, but Why Wouldn’t You Want to…)

I have one regret about my trip to the making of Harry Potter and that is that I didn’t dress up. There were so many kids (and adults!) rocking cool Harry Potter attire that the moment I saw them, I knew that I a) wanted to be them and b) would feel so sad about it for the whole time I was there.

So dust off your capes, your house scarf, your Potter-style glasses etc with free abandon – ain’t no one going to judge you for it.

Swot Up on the Films (and the Books for Extra House Points)

This will only apply if you haven’t watched the film in a little while (in which case, who even are you?).

There are so many cool spots here but there’s no point if you can only dimly remember the films from some time a few years ago when you watched it as you did your knitting.

You’ll recognise so much from the films

No. That is not good enough. You want to make sure that you’ve watched the films recently, that they’re fresh in your mind, that you recall every detail – and preferably you can do some short reenactments as you go around…

And, if you want to get extra mega-nerdy house points, breeze through the books so you can say sage things comparing the books to the films and the sets and totally blowing everyone’s minds with your crazy levels of knowledge.

Don’t Whizz Through the Great Hall too Fast – In Fact, Don’t Whizz Through Any of the Tour too Fast

The tour starts with a couple of short intros – one in a small room where you can see the cast on small screens above you and marvel at how much older they look. Then start thinking about how much older you must be too and actually get so wrapped up in this that you actually end up missing everything they say.

The second intro film is a much grander affair and in an actual cinema. Now, once you finish that second film, the doors beyond open and you’re let into the Hogwarts Dining Hall.

The Harry Potter Dining Hall

What do you get when you take lots and lots of very keen Harry Potter fans, lock them in a dark room and then let them loose onto one of the film’s most exciting sets?

I think mayhem is the word that you’re looking for. I had a whole family push into my photo, pretty much stampeding over me to nab a picture with a statue of Dumbledore.

Hi Dumbledore!

No worries though, jokes on them because I just waited behind until almost all of the people had trampled their way through to the next room and quietly (and rather smugly, channeling my best Hermione knows it all face) took my pictures and had a nose around the now empty hall.

Don’t take too long though – you only have a certain period of time until the next group of people are released from the cinema room and into the frenzy.

That advice applies to all of the tour actually – unless you’re in one of the later slots you have all the time that you need to make your way around, take millions of pictures and absolutely live your best Harry Potter life.

There’s no need to rush that – if you do, you won’t have anything good to put into your pensieve.

Read Next: Mischief Managed: This is What it’s Really Like to Visit the Harry Potter Inspired Bar in London

Pick the Guides’ Brains

No, not literally. The guides in the Warner Bros studios take Harry Potter fandom to. another. level. You will bow in the face of their superior and all out geeky knowledge of the things on the set.

I totally encourage you to sidle up to one and ask a really niche question about a tiny piece of the set buried in the back of a scene, then watch as *poof* all their magical knowledge comes out. It’s BEAUTIFUL.

Do Fill in Your Making of Harry Potter Passport

You’re handed a Harry Potter Passport with your tickets. I tried to be all cool and dismissive about it – what do they think we are? Children who are going to run around getting stamps and filling in the questions in our magical books? Damned right we are.

Now is not the time to pretend that you’re in any way not excited about finding the 13 golden snitches that are hidden throughout the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour.

Finding those snitches and getting those stamps is better than that moment when everyone thinks that Harry’s dead and he bursts out of Hagrid’s arms to turn Voldemort into tiny pieces of ash. I shizz you not.

Highlights of the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London

Now that you’ve booked your tickets and are incredibly excited, I thought I’d help fuel the fire with a few sneak peeks at some of my favourite spots from the set 😀

The Great Hall

Feasts, howlers, ominous speeches – Hogwarts’ Great Hall has seen it all. It’s pretty cool to see the hall in real life (though if you’ve ever visited Christ Church in Oxford – another city with many Harry Potter filming locations, you’ll notice the strong resemblance).

Peeking at the Uniforms in the Great Hall

I won’t let you in on all of the little secrets but you get to peek behind the scenes to find out how they created the floating candles and enchanted ceiling effects, plus there’s a cool display of the house uniforms and details on how they changed throughout the films.

The Gryffindor Dormitory

Lush velvet, wooden four poster beds – welcome to the Gryffindor Dorm. Biggest surprise? The beds are absolutely tiny as they were designed for the kids for The Philosopher’s Stone but ended up being used in all the films.

Dumbledore’s Office

Dumbledore’s Office

So much wisdom, so little time.

The calm retreat in which many of the films’ most memorable scenes took place – Dumbledore’s Office is adorned with rows and rows of books and many portraits of former Hogwarts headmasters.

Though it brought up all the feels from that awful moment when Snape kills Dumbledore and you feel like your soul has been split in two.

The Potions Room

Press it, don’t squeeze it Hermoine. The potions room is lined with all manner of tinctures and strange ingredients – ready to be made into love potions or poisons… let’s hope it’s the first of the two!

The Forbidden Forest

Buckbeak in the Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest is a real eye opener – dark, ominous and more realistic than I’d like to admit, it’s crazy walking through the forest as giant spiders descend from the ceiling, accompanied by thunder and flashes of lightning.

Malfoy Manor

Poor Charity

The ominous tone of Malfoy Manor is set by a dummy of Charity Burbage hanging over the long table at which the death eaters sit. Who can forget the poor teacher’s death – brutally attacked by Nagini while the whole table watched.

The Ministry of Magic

Magic is Might 🙁

Glimpses of the Ministry of Magic peep out from the giant sets – one of the largest ever created for a film. The larger-than-life Magic is Might statue stands to remind Muggles of their rightful place. Creepy.

Read Next: The House of Minalima – Step into a World of Harry Potter in Soho

Platform 9 ¾

Choo choo – ready to go!

It’s real! All aboard the Hogwarts Express! Many of the scenes on Platform 9 ¾ were actually shot in King’s Cross (one of the filming locations in London) but part of the station was reconstructed in the studio – complete with a Hogwarts Express that you can jump aboard and trolleys buried in the walls for that iconic shot of you running through to the secret platform.

Diagon Alley  

Diagon Alley

Hop into Ollivanders and get your wand at the ridiculously lifelike set for Diagon Alley. The set changed significantly throughout the progress of the films – the final version is a cross between a Victorian shopping street and a weird, wacky emporium.

Hogwarts Castle

Hogwarts Castle

The last stop on the Harry Potter studio tour is IMHO the best – the scale model of Hogwarts Castle. Each of the films directors changed bits on the castle to suit the mood of their film – the result? An incredible sprawling model, complete with intricately-designed details. When can we move in?

What’s The Best Way to Get to the Harry Potter Studios from London?

Where is Harry Potter Studios?

The Harry Potter Studios are actually situated just outside of London in Leavesden, Watford. There’s not too much to do in this area besides visiting the studio tour but there’s plenty to do inside, so you can still make a day of it.

Have no fear though – no matter which part of London you’re in, the Harry Potter Studios are pretty easy to get to. I’ve outlined the easiest ways for you below…

By Car

Getting to the Harry Potter studios isn’t difficult if you have a car. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Central London and parking is free.

Like many places outside of the city, Sat Nav does tend to lose its way a little when you put in the postcode, so you’re better off entering in Warner Bros Studios Leavesden to make sure that it takes you to the right place. We don’t want any Diagonelly / Diagon Alley mix ups here.

Make sure that you have your booking confirmation to hand as you go into the car park as they need to check it before you go in.

By Bus from London

Did I mention that the studios are kind of in the middle of nowhere? Upshot is that your options for getting to them are far more limited than for places in central London.

If you’re not driving, the easiest thing to do is to buy a Bus and Entrance Package. The package covers your bus from a central London location and your ticket for the tour. Mischief managed!

There are a few different operators offering buses from different London locations – this one does them from Victoria coach station, or browse here for other options. Most bus and tour packages cost around £85 for adults.

On a Guided Tour

This is different (and a lot more expensive) to the Bus and Ticket Combos. I’m talking fully guided tours for those who want that next-level Harry Potter knowledge and aren’t afraid to make it rain pounds and pennies in order to get it.

This guided tour includes transport from London, a fully-guided tour around the studios plus re-entry to the studios so that you can go back and explore them at your own leisure before heading with your guide back to London again.

Book your spot for £89 pounds – and no, you can’t rob Gringotts to fund the cost of the tickets.

By Train (and Bus)

In my opinion, getting to the studios by train is the most awkward option, though it isn’t too bad. You need to hop on a train from London Euston to Watford Junction (this takes about 20 minutes) and then catch a bus (£2.50 extra – cash only) from Watford Junction to the Studios (this takes about 15 minutes).

In theory, you could do the trip in 35 minutes but everyone I’ve spoken to says it takes a bit longer and there’s the hassle of having to change at Watford Junction.

I’d rather hop on one bus to do the full journey but that’s just me. You don’t need to book ahead but check train times to make sure you’re not waiting around in Euston for the next one.

Hotels Near Harry Potter Studios London

Premier Inn Watford North (Budget)

I tend to prefer Premier Inns over Travelodges but it’s the same deal – a comfortable budget option that’s only a short distance from the studios. Check availability.

Hemel Hempstead Holiday Inn (Budget)

The Hemel Hempstead Holiday Inn is everything that you’d expect from a Holiday Inn (as in basic but clean and comfortable). The real draw is that it’s less than a ten-minute drive (seven minutes to be exact) away from the Studios – particularly perfect if you’ve got an early morning start. Check availability.

The Grove (High End)

The Grove is hella pricey but what else do you expect when you opt to stay in a gorgeous country manor house? Stylish interiors, ridiculously snuggly beds and a fabulous in-house restaurant. Totally your pick if you really want to push the boat out. Check prices and availability.

Other Hotels in Watford

I should point out that there are quite a few hotels in and around Watford Junction, where it totally makes sense to stay if you are getting the train to the station but don’t want to hurry there and back the same day.

Compare prices and availability for hotels in Watford.

Harry Potter Studio Tour London Map

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London Warner Bros Studio at Leavesden Studios offers The Making of Harry Potter tour, popular with both kids and adults.

Over the ten years during which the Harry Potter movies were released, the crew constructed more than 500 different Harry Potter sets at the studio, including thousands of props. 

After the movies got filmed in 2012, Warner Bros decided to develop the location into a permanent tour called ‘The Making of Harry Potter.’

With more than 6000 Harry Potter fans visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London daily, it is now a must-visit family destination. 

This article shares everything you must know before booking your Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London.

What to expect on Harry Potter tour

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Making of Harry Potter is not a theme park, and it doesn’t have rides and other adrenaline-pumping activities. 

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides guests with the ultimate opportunity to walk on actual sets, see the brilliance behind stunning visual effects, and uncover the behind-the-scenes mysteries of the Harry Potter films.

Along the journey, you will participate in interactive activities like ‘flying’ a broomstick and even buying a frothy cup of Butterbeer!

The initial part of the tour is guided, and you can explore the rest on your own. 

First, you will see two short films, after which the guide rounds up everyone and makes them stand at the doors of the great hall. 

Once inside the door of the magnificent room, visitors are free to explore the Harry Potter tour by themselves. 

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How to reach Warner Bros. Studio

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is at Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, 

WD25 7LR.

It is 32 km (20 miles) North-West of London and less than 5 km (3 miles) from the M1 and M25 motorways.

By Train

Watford Junction is the closest railway station to Warner Bros. Studio.

If you board a train from London Euston, in 20 minutes, you will reach Watford Junction. 

If you board a train from Birmingham New Street, the journey time to Watford Junction is 70 minutes.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is 5.5 km (3.4 miles) from Watford Junction, and it is best to take a shuttle bus. 

Shuttle from Watford Junction

Mullany’s Coaches run regular shuttle buses, from Watford Junction to the Studio Tour.

These buses run every 30 minutes and take around 15 minutes to reach the attraction. 

When the Warner Bros. Studio opens at 8.30 am during the peak season, the first bus starts from the station at 8.15 am. 

And during the lean season, when the studios open at 9.30 am, the first bus leaves the station at 9.20 am.

The last studio tour shuttle back to Watford Junction is always after the studio shuts down for the day. 

This is a free service, and you only need to show a valid Studio Tour ticket or booking confirmation for the date of travel.

Bus tour packages

Several tour operators offer a packaged tour of Warner Bros. Studio, including entry tickets and return transport. 

Two such tours are most popular with Harry Potter fans – one that starts from just outside Victoria Station and another that starts from outside Kings Cross station.

If you are a family, we recommend the Harry Potter Family Package from London.

Visitors who don’t mind stretching the day opt for the Harry Potter and Oxford Tour, where besides the Warner Bros Studios, they also see Oxford University. 

Car parking

If you plan to drive to the Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden, it is best to fire up your Google Map and follow directions. 

Brown traffic signs labeled ‘Warner Bros. Studio Tour’ will direct you to the car park entrance as you approach the attraction.

All ticket holders are entitled to free parking. Keep your booking confirmation on hand to present at the door.

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Warner Bros. Studio hours

During the peak tourist months of May to October, the Warner Bros. Studio opens at 8.30 am, and the first tour begins at 9 am. 

The final tour starts at 6.30 pm during these months, and the studio closes at 10 pm. 

During the lean months of November to April, the Warner Bros. Studio opens at 9.30 am, and the first tour begins at 10 am. 

The day’s final tour begins at 4 pm, and by 8 pm, the studio closes for the day. 

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How long does Harry Potter Studio tour take

With newer sections added to the attraction, visitors tend to spend at least four hours exploring the Warner Bros. Studio.

But if you’re a hardcore Harry Potter fan, allowing time for lunch and the extras such as Riding a Broomstick (which involves queuing time), you might find yourself spending as long as five to six hours strolling around studio.

During peak seasons and times, there is a 15 to 30 minutes wait before you can enter the world of Harry Potter. 

Besides visiting Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio, tourists also take walking tours of Harry Potter filming locations in London. 

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Harry Potter Studio tour tickets

Most visitors book Warner Bros. Studio Tour London tickets along with the return transport. 

Where to book tickets

There is no ticket counter at the venue, and all visitors must book tickets for the Harry Potter tour London online. 

During peak season, more than 6000 tourists visit the attraction daily, which is why you must book your tickets much in advance. 

The more you book your tickets in advance, the more choice of dates and times you will have. 

How online tickets work

When you book your Harry Potter Studio Tour at Warner Bros, you select a preferred time of visit.

The time you select while booking your tickets is the time to board the coach and the time to reach the Warner Bros Studio is two hours after you board the bus.

Immediately after purchase, your tour tickets get emailed to you. 

You don’t need to take any printouts. 

Now all you must do is, reach the coach at least 20 minutes before the starting time.

Note: Most of the time, a Harry Potter movie gets screened on the bus.

Tickets for kids

The Warner Bros Studio Tour is suitable for adults, teenagers, and younger kids. 

Kids aged four can enter the studio for free, but they must pay a discounted rate for the transport. 

Kids aged five to 15 years get a small discount on the tour price. 

All visitors above 16 years pay the full adult price for their Studio entry and transport. 

Warner Brothers Studio Tour with Transfers

This spectacular full-day tour of the Warner Brothers Studio begins with a bus ride from just outside Victoria Station in downtown London.

You enjoy the spellbinding settings at the studio, the most famous items used in the movies, and the outfits worn by the trio Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Find out about Hogwarts’ best-kept secrets, including interesting tidbits and trivia about special effects and animatronics.

The whole trip lasts 7.5 hours, and you get to spend four hours and more at the studio.

Adult ticket (16+ years): £89
Child ticket (5 to 15+ years): £84
Infant ticket (up to 4 years): £30

The Making of Harry Potter package offers the same experience, just that it starts from just outside King’s Cross Station, on Pancras Road.

If you want more time options, check out this Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Transfer.

Harry Potter Studio Family Package

With transportation from London, spend a wonderful day with your family at Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden. 

If you are a family of four, this is the perfect Harry Potter studio tour for you. 

You get the family entrance ticket to the studio, valid for two adults and two children under 15 years old.

You also get a family photo taken at the Great Hall or Dumbledore’s office.

Cost for a family of four: £340

Harry Potter Studio Tour + Oxford Day Tour

This 12-hour trip starts with a two-hour bus trip out of London to the ancient city of Oxford, home to England’s oldest university.

After a beautiful guided tour and free time in Oxford, it’s around an hour’s drive to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, where your magical adventure will begin with The Making of Harry Potter.

After a wonderful day, it is time to board your coach and return to London, where you will get dropped at your original starting location.

Adult ticket (16+ years): £109
Child ticket (5 to 15+ years): £105
Infant ticket (up to 4 years): Free

Other popular Harry Potter tours

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What to see at Harry Potter Studio Tour London

There is a lot to see at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Harry Potter tour. 

Visitors can see fascinating sets, props used in the movies, costumes the characters wore, special and visual effects, the creature effects that made the animals come alive on screen, and the creative process of the art department. 

Great Hall

The Great Hall opens at 1 min 35 secs of the video

The Great Hall is the setting for several of the most memorable moments in the Harry Potter films, including the Yule Ball and the Battle of Hogwarts.

It got created for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2000 and has since been utilized as a significant set for six more films.

Students’ costumes from each Hogwarts house and two huge tables prepared for supper are in the magnificent Great Hall.

The Hogwarts Professors sat at the top of the room at the instructors’ table.

Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was shot on-site and in the studio.

It got entirely relocated to the Studio for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to house Aragog’s lair, and it grew throughout the film series.

Scenic designers built backgrounds up to 600 feet long for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The Forbidden Forest has 19 trees, each having a diameter of more than 12 feet.

Platform 9¾

Hundreds of students were carried from Platform 9¾ to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by the Hogwarts Express locomotive.

The majority of the sequences on Platform 9¾ got filmed at King’s Cross Station in London. 

However, during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the art team built a portion of the station platform on a set here at Leavesden, replete with the track and the train.

The Hogwarts Express served as the backdrop for the very first shot ever taken for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, as well as the very final scene of the whole series in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

Diagon Alley

Throughout the film series, the Diagon Alley set was continually changing.

Many Diagon Alley set pieces were also re-dressed for the Hogsmeade village in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The street’s initial design included rich features from the Harry Potter novels and influence from the roads depicted in Charles Dickens’ writings.

Diagon Alley is home to the dusty Ollivanders wand store, where Harry’s wand famously selected him, as well as Gringotts Bank, Flourish and Blotts, and Mr. Mulpepper’s Apothecary.

Props at the Studios

Of the numerous props you can see at the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London, four stand out – Potions Classroom, Memory Cabinet, Professor Umbridge’s office, and Puking Pastilles.

Potions Classroom:  Over 950 potion jars line the classroom walls, each containing a unique item, such as baked animal bones from a local butcher shop, dried plants, herbs, and shrunken heads created by the props department.

Memory Cabinet: Vials and labels were designed for the cabinet in Professor Dumbledore’s office. The Graphics Department hand-designed each label before sending it to the Props team, who applied it to each bottle.

Professor Umbridge’s office: The interior of Professor Dolores Umbridge’s pink office at the Ministry of Magic was meticulously designed. Don’t miss her 130-plate collection showcasing different moving kitties.

Puking Pastilles: Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, which sold everything from Extendable Ears to fireworks, was built to appear like an 18th-century shop. Head Propmaker Pierre Bohanna designed the Puking Pastilles dispenser to be both funny and disgusting at the same time.

Costumes at the studio

Of all the costumes on display at the Harry Potter Studio Tour Warner Bros, four get the most attention – the Quidditch uniform, the clothes worn by the gang in the final scene 19 years later, the Yule Ball costume, and Beauxbatons uniform.

Special & Visual Effects

Don’t miss the Chamber of Secrets door, Invisibility Cloak, and Whomping Willow during your visit. 

Most Harry Potter fans mistake the Chamber of Secrets door for a Visual Effect, and on tour, you will see why it is not. 

Remember seeing branches that would ‘whomp’ Mr. Weasley’s flying car? 

Well, during your tour, you will see how the team created this Whomping Willow special effect.

Green Screen: Don’t pass up the chance to participate in our green screen experience and fly a broomstick over London as the actors did during shooting.

Creature Effects

One of the things young visitors on the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio tour love are the creatures they saw in the movies. 

The imaginary creatures to look out for are Basilisk, Buckbeak, Goblin Heads, and Aragog. 

When you stand in front of the Goblin heads during the tour, think of how 140 make-up artists from all over Europe turned 60 actors into goblins every day in just four hours. 

Art Department

For most of us, it isn’t easy to fathom the effort put in to create all the artwork for the movies. 

Remember Hogwarts Castle? During your Warner Bros. Studio tour London you will see the model built by 86 artists and crewmembers for the first movie.

If we were to add all of the person-hours put into building and modifying the model, it would take over 74 years.

You will also see a lot of graphic designs, white card models, and technical drawings. 

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Digital Guide & Souvenir Guidebook

Before entering, you may rent a Digital Guide for approximately £5 from the counter in the foyer, which will provide you with more information on the Studio Tour.

For about £10, you can buy a Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Souvenir Guidebook, which includes behind-the-scenes secrets and stunning photographs.

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Map of Warner Bros. Studio tour London

Only the initial part of the Harry Potter London studio tour is guided, after which you are on your own to explore. 

Since there is so much to see, visitors tend to get lost and miss important sets and props. 

That’s why keeping a map of Warner Bros. Studio comes in handy. 

Besides the location of the sets and exhibits, a layout of the studio tour will also help you find visitor services such as restrooms, cafes, audio guide desk, information desk, etc. 

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Food and drinks

The Harry Potter Studio Tour in London has four places to eat and drink – Chocolate Frog Cafe, Hub Cafe, Food Hall, and Backlot Cafe.

Most of these cafes open when the Studio Tours begin for the day and remain open till the tours end.

If you want to enjoy a frothy Butterbeer, you must get to the Backlot Cafe, located halfway through the Studio Tour.

Popular attractions in London

# London Eye
# Tower of London
# London Zoo
# Stonehenge
# Madame Tussauds London
# St Paul’s Cathedral
# Windsor Castle
# Kensington Palace
# The Shard
# Whipsnade Zoo
# O2 Arena Roof Climb
# Chelsea FC Stadium Tour
# London Dungeon
# London Transport Museum
# Chessington World of Adventures

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