Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament beside Westminster Bridge under a blue sky, London

Itinerary

Five Days in London, Wizard Style

Inspiration for your next adventure

Platform 9¾, the studio where the films were made, real filming locations across the city and one night at the theater. Harry Potter's London, for fans of every age.

Who this is for

Harry Potter fans of any age, traveling together, who want the real filming locations and the studio where it was all made. You care more about standing where a scene was shot than about a themed café, and you want the play to be the big night.

The shape of the trip

Where you sleep, and the rhythm of the days

King's Cross, 4 nights

One big thing a day: the filming locations, the Studio Tour, then the play. Sights in the morning, a rest in the afternoon when younger fans need it. The splurge is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre.

Where to go and what to eat

The places

01
King's Cross and St Pancras
The Gothic front of St Pancras stood in for King's Cross in the films, where the flying Ford Anglia lifts off. Platform 9¾ is in the King's Cross concourse rather than between platforms 9 and 10, and the trolley photo is free. Ten minutes away on foot, Claremont Square was the model for 12 Grimmauld Place. People live there, so be brief and quiet.
02
The City and Bankside
Walk through Leadenhall Market, the Victorian arcade Harry and Hagrid visit in the first film, on a weekday morning. St Paul's Cathedral runs a free guided tour that includes the spiral staircase up to Divination. Then cross the Millennium Bridge, which the Death Eaters twist apart, to Borough Market, where a door under the railway arch was the Leaky Cauldron in the third film. The market closes on Mondays.
03
The Studio Tour
Take the first slot of the day at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, about twenty minutes by train from Euston and a short shuttle ride. Inside are the Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley, Gringotts and the Hogwarts Express. Most visits take about three and a half hours, and the Butterbeer is halfway around.
04
Westminster and Soho
See the ticket barriers at Westminster station and the street that served as the Ministry of Magic's entrance. Then visit House of MinaLima, a free gallery by the designers behind the films' newspapers, letters and maps. Have an early dinner before Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, now a single performance of just under three hours, recommended for ages 8 and up.

My take on London, England

Accio London! This is the ultimate adventure for witches, wizards, and Muggles alike, trading in boring sightseeing for the exact spots where cinematic history was made. Designed for true fans who care way more about standing in Harry's actual footsteps than sipping from a basic themed café, this four-night stay near King's Cross keeps things easy with one magical main event per day—plus plenty of time for a Butterbeer break.

Kick off your journey right where the magic begins at King's Cross and St Pancras (whose gorgeous Gothic façade stood in for the station where the flying Ford Anglia takes off). Snap your photo at the official Platform 9¾ concourse, track down the real-world inspiration for 12 Grimmauld Place at Claremont Square, and wander through Leadenhall Market's painted Victorian roof where Harry and Hagrid first entered Diagon Alley. From there, climb the spiral stairs at St Paul's Cathedral (the real-life Divination staircase), cross the Millennium Bridge before the Deathers twist it apart, and track down the hidden Leaky Cauldron door tucked under the Borough Market railway arches.

Dedicate a full morning to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to walk right into the Great Hall, gawk at Gringotts, and wander down Diagon Alley. Back in the city, check out the Ministry of Magic's secret street entrance in Westminster, geek out over original prop newspapers and Marauder's Map drafts at the free House of MinaLima gallery, and cap off your journey with the ultimate wizarding splurge: watching Harry Potter and the Cursed Child light up the Palace Theatre stage. Mischief managed!

A red double-decker bus on a busy London street

My take

Worth it, and what to skip

Worth it

Booking the Studio Tour first. It sells out, so let it set your dates.
The first slot of the day. The sets are emptier and the photos are better.
A hotel at King's Cross. Platform 9¾ is downstairs and the Studio Tour train is a short walk away.

Skip it

Cecil Court as "the real Diagon Alley." It is a lovely street, and it was never in the films.
King's Cross on September 1. There is no official send-off anymore, and fans are asked to stay away.