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Harry Potter Studios, London: full review of the Warner Bros Studio Tour

Post date January 12, 2020
Post categories In Cultural Travel , England , London

The Harry Potter Studio Tour takes you behind the scenes to see the real film sets, original costumes, Platform 9 ¾, Hogwarts Castle and so much more. And it’s not just for Harry Potter fans.

When I booked my last trip to London , my sister suggested she’d join me and we’d go to the Harry Potter Studios together, to do a tour of the sets where the Harry Potter movies were made.

Having visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in LA, which was a brilliant experience, I got curious and Googled it.

I found that The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making Of Harry Potter (that’s the full name of it…) had some really amazing reviews online and it looked like a truly exciting day trip from London.

But it wasn’t until we got inside the studios that I could fully appreciate what an impressive, immersive, spectacular and fun experience it was!

The whole experience is designed so beautifully and with so much attention to detail that it really left us stunned.

Hogwarts Castle model at the Harry Potter Studio London

Visiting the Harry Potter Studios takes a good few hours and it does take a bit of planning in advance.

In this post, I’ve gathered all the tips and advice that will help you plan your visit efficiently and added some extra tips that will help you make the most of it.

By the way, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour isn’t only for avid fans of the J.K. Rowling books or of the Harry Potter movies. Even if you only watched some of the movies or read some of the books, you will definitely have a great time at the studios.

How to get tickets to the harry potter studio

Tickets to harry potter studio may sell out for your dates, because it is such a popular attraction, so you have to buy your tickets online in advance as soon as you can.

here are your harry potter studio ticket options:

Your main options are: Just the entry ticket; ticket + transport; or ticket + transport + a guided tour.

1. Book a ticket that includes transport to and from the studios: I think this is the most practical option, as you won’t have to plan the journey by yourself (it’s outside of London). This option doesn’t include a live guide, but you can buy an audio guide when you get to the studios.

2. Book a fully guided tour : This option includes transport, entry tickets and a dedicated guide who will take you around the studios.

3. Get tickets for the studios without transport. You can get them from the studio tour website and I suggest you also check for current discount codes on Klook .

Tips on booking tickets to the harry potter studio

If you don’t take a guided tour, I recommend adding the audio-visual guide to your order.

Tickets to the Warner Brothers Studios are for specific time slots. That means you have to pick your time of entry when you book the ticket.

However, you can stay in the Harry Potter Studios as long as you like (that would be several hours, normally).

Demand is high in summer and during weekends. If you visit in the summer months, try to book for a weekday rather than Saturday or Sunday.

That way, you’ll stand a better chance of finding tickets at the time slots that are convenient for you.

You want to arrive about 20 minutes before your time of entry, as there might be a line and there are some security checks.

There are several other ticket packages available, I’ll give you more details about them later in this post.

Where is the harry potter studio tour?

Though the official name of the tour is The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, it is actually not in London itself, but very close to it in Leavesden (Hertfordshire, England).

It doesn’t take very long to get there from central London, and can easily make for a nice day trip from London.

How to get to the warner bros harry potter studios

The easy way to get to the Warner Brothers Studios is by joining a tour that includes transport to the studios from London and back.

The other option is to plan how to get there yourself using public transport (a train and then a shuttle bus) or by car.

If you don’t want to worry about transport, there are different options to choose from.

Tours including transport & tickets from london

Tours from London leave from central locations in the city that are easy to get to: Victoria Station or Baker Street.

Check availability here or use the calendar below.

WB studio guided tours, transport included

Book a fully guided tour : This tour includes transport from London and back, an entry ticket and a dedicated guide who’ll take you through the studios.
A guided tour combining film locations and the WB Studios : This guided tour takes you on a walking tour around Harry Potter film locations in London and then continues with a tour of the Warner Bros. Studios.

Tours to the harry potter studio combining other uk destinations

With a tour in Oxford : This full-day trip includes a visit to the studios followed by a guided tour in Oxford. The Great Hall at Christ Church College in Oxford was the inspiration for the Hogwarts Great Hall.
Dover to London & Heathrow Transfer via Warner Bros Studios : This option will help you make the most of your time in England. This tour takes you by bus directly from Dover to the Warner Bros Studios and then takes you back to your London or Heathrow hotel. The price also includes the entrance ticket to the studios.
From York : This tour departs from York train station early in the morning and takes you to London and to the Harry Potter studio. The price includes all transportation and admission to the studio.

Getting to the WB studios by public transport

If you want to plan your own journey to the Harry Potter studios, you’ll have to take a train from London and then a bus to the studios.

When you plan the journey, you want to allow more time in case the train is delayed or the bus gets full quickly and you have to wait for the next one.

First, take a train from Euston Station in central London and get off at Watford Junction.

You can use your Oyster or contactless card for this train ride, or buy train tickets in advance here by searching for London-Watford Junction trains.

Outside the station, you’ll see the bus stop for the Harry Potter Studio Tour shuttle bus, that goes from the train station to the studios.

Prepare some cash in advance, as there’s a small charge for the bus. Also have your ticket booking confirmation ready (you can show them the email confirmation on your phone).

The train ride from London should take about 20 minutes with the express train, but if you board a local train it takes about an hour.

If you’re not sure which train to board, ask the staff at London Euston station for advice.

The shuttle bus ride should take around 15 minutes.

How to get to the harry potter studios by car

You can use postcode WD25 7LR in your satnav system to reach the studios.

The studios provide free parking (you’ll have to show your booking confirmation).

Check the official website for detailed routes from London and other parts of the UK.

What to do when you arrive at the warner bros studios

The entrance to the Harry Potter Studios

When you arrive, collect your ticket from the ticket desk. It will have your entry time printed on it.

When you collect your ticket, they’ll give you a beautifully illustrated Harry Potter passport , full of puzzles, trivia and a Golden Snitch hunt to play during the tour.

If you didn’t get a passport with your ticket, you can ask a staff member to get you one during the tour.

Then you’ll have to go through a security check and probably stand in line to get in.

I recommend you book an audio-visual guide with your ticket (unless you’re taking a guided tour of course). Pick it up at the Digital Guide desk. It’s available in 10 different languages.

If you forgot to pre-book it, you can still hire one when you arrive.

There’s a cloakroom at the Warner Bros Studios that you can use to store your bags or coats for free.

You can also have a hot chocolate at the Chocolate Frog Café 🙂

It all goes quite quickly and you’ll soon find yourself inside with a large group of people and a guide who’ll give you a short briefing.

Inside the harry potter studios

The Studio Tour starts with a short film about the making of Harry Potter. It’s a little appetizer before you actually go into the studios.

After the film, the door to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is revealed and that’s where the spectacular Harry Potter experience really starts!

Once the door opens, you’ll find yourself in the Great Hall.

It’s a magnificent surprise and I can’t think of a better way to start a tour like this.

You’ll want to take pictures of the great costumes and the Sorting Hat, but there will be lots of people around… I waited till they were all ushered into the next room so I could take some photos 😉

You can basically stay until the staff ask you to move on, because another group is about to enter The Great Hall.

However, during the rest of the tour you’ll be completely free to explore everything at your own pace.

Highlights from the harry potter studio tour

There is a lot to see in the studios. You can easily spend 3-4 hours there, or even more.

Everything is presented in a way that really draws you in.

The audiovisual guide has video interviews, behind the scenes photos and much more. It is well worth getting.

I’ll give you a quick description of the highlight, without revealing too much, because you really want to experience it yourself 🙂

After The Great Hall, you’re introduced to the people behind the movies, from the costume designers to the soundtrack composers.

There are many costumes and wigs on display, as well as models and parts of the set, including the marble staircase, the boys’ dormitory, the Gryffindor common room and Dumbledore’s office.

The sets are full of fascinating details to spot.

Original props from the different movies are displayed in the middle of the room, like the golden egg and the Triwizard Cup.

The potion classroom is super entertaining, as is the Weasley family house, full of mechanical tricks.

Potions Classroom at the Harry Potter Studio Tour

The special effects and visual effects part of the tour is really exciting and you’ll get to try the green screen yourself.

Walking into the forbidden forest is a truly immersive experience!

A full-size Hogwarts Express train awaits you in the next room, next to Platform 9 3/4 in a recreation of King’s Cross station in London.

You can board the train and walk inside the carriages.

When you exit the train station, there are even more movie sets to discover, like the 4 Privet Drive house, the Knight Bus and the bridge to Hogwarts.

We felt like we’d seen so much! But there was still a lot more to see.

This tour keeps surprising you. It feels like at every stage there should be a “Wait! There’s More!” sign 😉

In the next rooms, we learnt about the set design and special effects, the various creatures from the movies and how they were made and lots of behind the scenes secrets.

Towards the end of the tour, expect some more beautiful highlights:

A very impressive model of Hogwarts Castle occupies an entire room and as you walk around it you can see how it was shot from different angles.

The Diagon Alley set is as wonderful as you’d expect, colourful and full of cool details.

Diagon Alley at the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studios

And… there’s more, but I don’t want to reveal everything.

The harry potter studio tour shops

There are several shops in the Warner Bros Studios with plenty of gifts and souvenirs for both adults and kids.

The Studio Shop is the main shop. It’s the one you reach at the end of the tour and it is simply huge.

It offers all the official merchandise you can imagine, collectables, wants, costumes and clothing items (a Gryffindor Scarf or a Deathly Hallows scarf? tough choice), homeware, art and more.

They also have Harry Potter sweets like the irresistible Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and Peppermint Toads.

There are smaller souvenir shops you’ll go through during the tour:

One is the Forbidden Forest Shop and the other is the Railway Shop , next to Platform 9¾.

Hotels near the harry potter studios

If you want to stay close to the Warner Brothers Studios for easy access, here are some good hotels in the area:

holiday inn london watford junction

This hotel has great reviews and is located only a 5 minute walk from Watford Junction railway station, where you can take the 15 minute shuttle bus to the Harry Potter Studios. If you arrive by car, it’s a quick ride.

travelodge watford central

A budget-friendly option, about 15 minutes walk from Watford Junction and about 10 minutes by car from the studios.

jurys inn london watford

Another convenient option, a very short walk to Watford Junction and a short drive to the WB Studios.

mercure london north watford hunton park

This hotel is close to the studios, but there is no direct access on foot, so it’s a good place to stay if you arrive by car or if you want to take a taxi.

My tips on the harry potter studio tour

Visiting the Harry Potter Studios is an experience that you want to prepare for. There is so much to see you might be overwhelmed!

Here are some tips I want to share after visiting myself that will help you make the most of your visit:

Book your tickets way in advance, preferably on a weekday to avoid the crowds. Check availability here:

Watch at some of the Harry Potter movies or read some of the books shortly before you go. You don’t have to read or watch the entire series to enjoy the tour, but it will make your experience much more meaningful.

When you select the time of entry , make it as early as you can, so that you have as much time as you like inside.

Allow at least 3 hours for a self-guided tour, or even four. Then, if you’re a big fan, you’ll want to spend some time in the gift shop.

You’ll want to take a lot of pictures and videos, so make sure your phone is fully charged and bring a power bank with you just in case.

On selected dates, there are special events in the Warner Bros Studios. Have a look at the official website to see if any of those coincide with the dates of your visit. These include events like Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall or the Christmas event Hogwarts in the Snow.

You can bring some food with you or eat at the Backlot Café. It’s about halfway through the tour. If you bring snacks with you, you can eat them at the cafe.

If you’re an avid fan, you can come in a Harry Potter outfit. I saw quite a few fans who dressed up for the tour.

save this harry potter studio tour guide on pinterest

Faq – harry potter studio tour london

The Harry Potter tour takes 3-4 hours on average.

Definitely! It’s an amazing experience, beautifully designed and very entertaining.

You can buy tickets on the official site or join a tour that includes tickets and transport.

The Harry Potter Studios are in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, north of London.

The nearest train station is Watford Junction.

Take a train from Euston Station to Watford Junction and then a shuttle bus to the Warner Brothers Studios.

No, it’s a tour around the film sets of the Harry Potter movies.

The studios opened in March 2012.

Tags Culture , Entertainment

Thanks for sharing, I was supposed to visit earlier this year but I’ll have to get back another time, now I will be even better prepared!

I live in London and have been curious about this tour. Yes, I find it so expensive. Thanks for putting together this post with a lot of useful info.

I know the price can be an issue… Still, it’s such a great experience, it’s worth it 🙂

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Hogwarts Castle Model - Warner Bros Studio Tour

Taking a Harry Potter Studio Tour in London: Everything You Need to Know

Last updated: April 9, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 24 Comments

If you’re a Harry Potter fan visiting the UK, the chances are high that you want to take the Harry Potter Studio Tour near London. This tour, of the Warner Bros. Studio where the majority of the films were shot, is a fascinating experience, and well worth doing even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan.

You can visit places like the Great Hall, the railway station, various filming locations from inside Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest, and even Diagon Alley.

As well as visiting the film sets, you will also learn all about how the films were made, see many of the props from the movies, get to participate in some green screen magic, have the opportunity to try Butterbeer, and of course, buy all the Harry Potter merchandise you can imagine!

In this guide we’re going to go through everything you need to know to visit the Harry Potter Studios, including how to get there, how to get tickets, information for making the most of your day, and lots more! Let’s get started by answering some questions you may have.

Where Was Harry Potter Filmed?

Harry Potter was filmed all across the UK, at real world locations such as Glenfinnan Viaduct, Alnwick Castle, Glencoe in Scotland and Leadenhall Market in London . See our full guide to Harry Potter filming locations in the UK for more.

The interior sets and the majority of the rest of the films were shot at the Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden, just outside London.

Where is the Harry Potter Studio Tour?

The Harry Potter Studio Tour takes place in the Warner Bros. Studio, which is found in Leavesden, England. This is around 20 miles northwest of London.

The Warner Bros. Studio is a fully working film studio, one of the largest in the UK, and many films have been shot here, including the whole Harry Potter franchise as well as some of the Star Wars, Batman , and Mission: Impossible films.

Harry Potter Studio Opening Times

You will definitely want to check the website for up-to-date opening times, but generally throughout the year the studio is open from 8.30am through to 10pm. More specifically:

Doors open at 8.30am
First tour starts at 9am
Final tour starts at 6.30pm
Studio closes at 10pm

These times do vary by day. In terms of dates, the Studio is open every day of the week. There are some exceptions, it is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25th and 26th of December).

How Much Does the Harry Potter Studio Tour Cost?

Prices for the standard tour are as follows (correct as of April 2024).

Adult: £53.50
Child aged 5-15: £43
Childer Under 4: Free
Family: £172
Carer: Free

For a family, this can be either 2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children.

You can also purchase more expensive tour packages, but these are the basic prices. Note that these are just entry prices, and don’t include any transport.

Is the Harry Potter Studio Tour Accessible?

The Harry Potter Studio Tour is accessible, and visitors can bring one carer free of charge with proof of entitlement.

For the studio itself, the majority of it is level and accessible for wheelchair users. There are some exceptions, such as the Hogwarts Bridge and the Knights Bus. Diagon Alley also includes an incline and cobbled streets.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are permitted but mobility scooters cannot be wider than 86cm.

Visitors with assistance dogs are welcome and water bowls can be provided. There’s also a dedicated toilet area for assistance dogs.

For visitors with a hearing impairment, induction loops can be provided. A portable iPad is also available (this must be booked in advance), which can provide a subtitled version of some of the films. It’s also possible to book a BSL tour in advance.

For more information on accessibility and any other needs you have, please visit the accessibility section of the official website.

How to Get to the Harry Potter Studio Tour

You have two major options for getting to the Harry Potter Studio Tour – you can take a tour which includes your transport, or you can make your own way there using either public transport or a car.

We’ll go through both of these options so you can make the right decision as to which is going to be best for you.

Certainly, the easiest option for getting to the Harry Potter Studios is to take a tour which includes your return transport.

These tours leave from various locations around London (and other parts of the UK), and included in the price of your tour will be pre-booked timed entry to the Studio Tour and return transport to and from a pick-up point.

Note that most tours do not include a guide inside the experience as it is largely self-guided. However, you can book a tour, such as this one , which does include a guide for the time inside the studio as well. When choosing tours, do check how long they give you at the studio. You will generally want a minimum of three hours, although you might find four hours will be more suitable if you want to experience everything.

Some options include:

This tour which departs from the Victoria Coach Station in London
Another tour with departure from Victoria Coach Station in London
A slightly longer tour giving you 4 hours at the studio, with departure from Kings Cross Station, London
This is a fully guided tour which includes return transport and a guide throughout the experience.
This tour of the Harry Potter studios , which includes return transport from central London hotels
If you want to do more on your day, this tour includes a tour of Oxford as well as the Studios , with departures from Great Portland Street, London
This tour , with one of our favorite walking tour companies Take Walks includes a short walking tour of central London (including some Harry Potter filming locations in London ), followed by round trip transport to the studio and entry to the Studio Tour for four hours. We’ve done this tour and it is a good option although does make for a full day.

As you can see, there are lots of options! We’ve got more on all of these in the section below on how to buy your tickets for the Studio Tour.

By Public Transport

From central London, it’s fairly easy to get to the Harry Potter Studios by public transport. You will take the train from Euston Station to Watford Junction.

Then you need to take a dedicated shuttle bus operated by the Studio Tour that runs from just outside Watford Junction Station (it is well sign posted), that takes you directly to the studios.

For the train, you can either buy your tickets in advance here , or you can pay on the day using a contactless or Oyster card. This will require you to tap in and tap out using the yellow card readers. Note that Oyster cards and contactless cards do not work beyond Watford Junction, so don’t go any further than this.

See our guide to buying and using the Oyster card in London , and our guide to paying for public transport in London for more information on using these forms of payment for travel in and around London.

For the shuttle bus, this is included in the price of your entry ticket. To board the bus you will need to have a valid pre-purchased ticket to the Harry Potter Studios, or proof of a ticket booking confirmation (printed or on your phone).

Getting to the Harry Potter Studios by car is relatively easy. Depending on the time of day, exact departure location and traffic, the drive from central London takes around an hour to ninety minutes.

From Oxford it’s around an hour, and it’s around two hours from Birmingham. Visitors with valid pre-purchased Studio tickets can take advantage of free parking on site. Note you cannot enter the parking area without a valid ticket or booking confirmation for that day.

Where to Buy Harry Potter Studio Tour Tickets

If you are making your own way to the Harry Potter studios, you have to buy your ticket in advance from the official website . You cannot turn up without a ticket, and tickets are not for sale on site.

Tickets go on sale well in advance, but despite the site having capacity for up to 6,000 people a day, they tend to sell out far in advance, so you will want to plan as far ahead as possible.

The summer months, weekends, and school holidays are the busiest days of the year for the Studio so we recommend that you book as far in advance as you can if you are visiting over those periods.

Weekdays often have better availability, so if you are flexible, look at different days of the week to maximise your chances of getting a ticket.

Tickets are for timed entry, which helps the studios manage visitor numbers throughout the day. Whilst there is no limit to how long you can stay after you enter, you do need to enter the attraction at the time you book. There is a little bit of flexibility in this, but it’s best not to show up hours later than your time to avoid disappointment.

The WB Studios Tour folks recommend you arrive at the site at least 20 minutes before your ticket time so you can go through the security checks.

If you can’t buy a ticket from the official site, don’t worry, you still have lots of options.

First, you can opt to take a tour with a tour company, as these have a different ticket allocation system. Whilst this will be slightly more expensive, at least you will still be able to go, and it will include transport as well. See here for some of the tour options available, and here for even more !

Another option is to book a Deluxe Tour, which includes a two-hour guided tour of the studios, a photo package, a hot meal, butterbeer, souvenir guidebook and special designated parking. Following the guided tour, you are free to explore yourself. As Deluxe Tours are more expensive, they tend to have better availability.

Deluxe Tours can be booked directly with the Studios, subject to availability, on the official site here .

How Long Does the Harry Potter Studio Tour take?

The regular tour itself is self-guided, other than an introduction at the beginning, so you can take as long as you like to wander the studios.

The average length of a visit is around three and a half hours, and that is what the studio estimates most people will take and forecast their capacity around.

This is also about the amount of time that most tour companies will give you, although some offer a bit more time on site, so if you think you will need more time, be sure to pick a tour company that offers more time.

Where to Stay Near the Harry Potter Studios

The majority of visitors to the Harry Potter Studios visit from London as a day trip, and choose a hotel in London. If you go down this route, you might want to consider a hotel that makes it easier to get to the studios, be that by public transport or on one of the tours.

We’ve suggested some options below, as well as some hotels near the Studios themselves if you want to be really close.

Note that hotels in London are relatively expensive, especially those located near major attractions, and rooms aren’t always huge. However, we’ve picked what we think are a good choice for you.

We also recommend reading our guide to where to stay in London for some suggested options across all budgets.

Hotels near London Victoria train station (where most bus tours depart)

Comfort Inn Buckingham Palace Road – great value 3* property just 5 minutes walk from London Victoria train station
The Resident Hotel – well reviewed 4* property, five minutes from London Victoria.
Lime Tree Hotel – A well reviewed boutique hotel, around nine minutes walk from London Victoria
Walrus Bar and Hostel – it’s not too close to London Victoria (15-20 minutes by public transport, or a 35 minute walk), but it’s very central and is a great budget option for London in general

Hotels near Euston train station (for the train)

YHA London St. Pancras – a good value budget option a short walk from both Euston and Kings Cross stations. Offers both private and dormitory style rooms
Comfort Inn and Suites King Cross – a great mid-range option, with all rooms coming with a kitchenette
Point A Hotels – comfortable, cosy rooms, part of the well rated budget-friendly Point A hotel chain
Radisson Blu Edwardian – luxury, boutique accommodation, a short walk from Euston station

Hotels near the Harry Potter Studios

Mercure London – one of the closest hotels to the actual studios, this would be a good option if you are driving and want to be as close as possible
Holiday Inn Express London – right next to Watford Junction, this mid-range and well reviewed property is convenient for both trains to London, and for the studio shuttle
Jurys Inn London Watford – another great mid-range option, just a short walk from Watford Junction train station

Our Harry Potter Studio Tour Review and Experience

Now for the fun stuff! Although, if you want your visit to be a surprise, you might want to skip this section, as you now have everything you need to know in order to visit.

Still, if you want an idea of what to expect from your visit, read on, and we’ll share our own experiences of visiting the Harry Potter Studios! We have actually visited a few times over the years, both via a tour and using our own transport, and well talk about that a bit as well.

The first time we visited the studios we came from central London, taking the train to Watford Junction and the Shuttle Bus to the studio. When we visited there was a fee for the shuttle bus, but this is now included in the price of the ticket. The train was easy, and the shuttle bus departure point was well marked just outside the train station.

We pre-booked our tickets on the official website, so with our email booking confirmation we picked up our tickets from the kiosks. They have both staffed ticket windows and automatic kiosks – both work!

Once we had our ticket, which had our entry time on it, we went through security and joined the line for entry.

On another visit we took a tour to central London to compare the experience, specifically this tour . Whilst getting to the studio ourselves was easy enough, obviously having a bus take us directly to and from the studio from central London did make things even easier. However as it wasn’t a guided tour, once we were on site the experience was the same as visiting ourselves.

All entries for the Harry Potter Studio Tour are timed, so you have to wait in line, as they let each group in all together. Still, waiting in line is made fun, as the line has the cupboard under the stairs set right next to it, meaning you can start getting excited about your upcoming adventure straight away (and start taking pictures!).

At the time of our entry, we were all ushered into a large waiting room with a series of screens around the walls and given a brief introduction as to what we might expect. We then went into a cinema where some of the key cast members shared their thoughts. Then, the cinema screen rolled away, revealing a giant wooden door before us. Here, a guide welcomed us, and prepared us for our journey.

The Great Hall and Beyond

After our introduction, the massive wooden doors we were standing in front of opened, and the Great Hall was revealed. I have to say, this was pretty amazing, to be able to step into the world of Harry Potter. The Great Hall set was used as the Great Hall for six of the films, with many scenes shot here.

It certainly felt like the most complete of the sets we visited, as it was totally immersive and all around us, and was quite an experience.

From the Great Hall we were essentially allowed to continue on our own into the first half of the tour building. This had so much to see that I won’t go into it all here.

To give you an idea though, you can do everything from practice your wand waving through to seeing the Womping Willow in action through to visiting the potions laboratory, meeting Buckbeak, hanging out on Platform 9 3/4, and wandering around the Forbidden Forest!

Food and Butterbeer

Around half way through the tour, you come to the Backlot Cafe. This serves hot and cold food, as well as that famous drink – Butterbeer! This is a non-alcoholic beverage that tastes sort of like a mix of marshmallows and popcorn. It is definitely a must-try when visiting! We can also recommend the Butterbeer icecream which is very good.

You don’t have to eat here, as there are other dining options on site, including the Studio Cafe. However, if you want to try Butterbeer, the Backlot Cafe is the place to do it.

Privet Drive and the Night Bus

Once you’ve finished your butterbeer experience, it’s time to head outside to Privet Drive! Here you can see the house where Harry grew up, as well as a number of other fairly large props and sets, including the Knight Bus and the bridge that led across the ravine outside Hogwarts.

This is the only outside part of the tour, and it isn’t a huge area, although if the weather isn’t great you might want a waterproof jacket to enjoy this part of the tour.

Gringotts Bank, Diagon Alley and the Last of the Tour

After seeing the exterior part of the tour, you enter the final part of the tour. Don’t worry though, you’re only really half way though – there’s loads to see still! From here you’re going to see a lot of the props and costumes, as well as detailed information on how these were created, and the work that went into them.

You’re also going to have the opportunity to walk through Gringotts Bank, meet a dragon, walk right down Diagon Alley, and see such locations as Ollivanders Wand Shop!

Finally, and perhaps most impressively, you come to the 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts itself. This is a massive construction that fills a whole room, and is truly spectacular. You can also watch videos to see how the model was used and digitally merged into the final films, which is very impressive.

Once you’re done with all the above, you pop out into the shop, where you can buy pretty much any Harry Potter merchandise you can imagine!

Tips for Visiting the Harry Potter Studio

Based on our experiences visiting the Harry Potter Studio in London, we’ve put together the following tips to help you plan your visit and maximise your time.

Decide how you want to visit

As described earlier in detail, you have a number of options for visiting the Harry Potter Studios, although depending on ticket availability, you might not always have every option. However, the main options are:

Book a standard tour and plan your own transport, either by train/shuttle or car
Book a deluxe tour and plan your own transport, either by train/shuttle or car
Book a tour that includes transport and entry like this

Whichever you choose to go for, you will definitely have a great time!

Book your tickets in advance

We can’t emphasise this enough – tickets are not available on site – you have to book in advance . If you’re travelling independently, you can do that through the official site .

If tickets are not available through the official site for the time you want to visit, or you’d rather let someone else handle your transport, here is a good selection of tours to choose from , and here are some more options .

Plan your time

The average visit time is three and a half hours, so make sure you give yourself at least this much time on site. Don’t forget there’s food on-site as well as a massive gift shop, so you’ll want to factor time in for these activities too. Some fans can easily spend 4 or 5 hours here.

Whilst the majority of tours that include transport give you at least three hours on site, some allow for longer visits, so make sure to book the right tour for you. There is a lot to do and see on site, so more time can definitely be put to good use and you don’t want to feel rushed!

One of the best parts of visiting the Harry Potter Studios is just how interactive the experience can be. Whilst it’s certainly not a theme park, there’s a lot to do, from practicing your wand skills through to pushing your own trolley through the wall at platform 9 3/4 through to riding and summoning your own broomstick!

Some of these experiences will have a short queue, but due to the timed system for entry, these will never be too long.

Many visitors also come in full Harry Potter outfits, so don’t be afraid to dress up and get into the swing of things. You won’t be alone, and it adds to the experience for many people!

There are 24 comments on this post

Please scroll to the end to leave a comment

15th August 2023 at 8:43 am

what an amazing detailed blog. really helped me understand and plan the trip. I am booked for 1st October 5:30 as didn’t get any other day or time slot on the website,, do you think I should look at going through a tour agent to get more time in the day time or evening is fine? hoping there will be no issues in taking public transport while coming back. we will be staying in Westminster.

Laurence Norah says

15th August 2023 at 9:08 am

Thanks very much! So I think you will be fine. On the 1st October it looks like the studio tour doesn’t close until 10pm, and I would say that 4.5 hours should be more than enough. The last bus to the station leaves at 10pm, so just be sure to be on that. In terms of trains, looking at the West Midlands train timetables, the last train on a Sunday back to central London is at quarter to 1 in the morning, so I think you will be fine.

Enjoy your visit!

George says

3rd May 2023 at 7:47 am

I just finished reading your post about taking a Harry Potter studio tour and I have to say it was incredibly informative and enjoyable to read! You provided a lot of helpful information for anyone planning on taking a tour, from practical tips on transportation and timing to advice on how to make the most out of the experience.

One of the things I really appreciated about your post was how you made it clear that the tour is not just for die-hard Harry Potter fans. Even for those who have only seen the movies, the tour can be a fascinating and immersive experience. I also liked how you emphasized the importance of taking your time and really exploring each exhibit and set, rather than rushing through them.

Your post was also full of helpful details, from what to expect on the tour to how to save money on tickets. I particularly appreciated your recommendation to book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment, as well as your advice to avoid peak times if possible.

Overall, I thought your post was a fantastic resource for anyone planning on taking a Harry Potter studio tour. You provided a wealth of information and tips that will undoubtedly make the experience more enjoyable for anyone who reads your post. Thanks for sharing your insights and expertise with us!

4th May 2023 at 5:30 pm

Thanks very much George, I appreciate your feedback!

3rd April 2023 at 10:58 am

Hi there! I just read your blog post about taking a Harry Potter Studio Tour and I have to say, it’s an incredibly informative and detailed guide. I’ve been to the Studio Tour myself and I can attest to the accuracy of your tips and advice.

I particularly appreciate the way you organized your post into different sections, making it easy for readers to find the information they need. Your advice about booking tickets in advance and arriving early is spot on – it’s definitely worth taking those extra steps to avoid long lines and ensure the best possible experience.

Your photos are also amazing and really bring the tour to life. It’s wonderful to see all the different sets and props up close and your photos do a great job of capturing the intricate details that went into creating them.

Overall, I think this post is a fantastic resource for anyone planning a visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. You’ve covered everything from transportation to food to the best photo opportunities, making it a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to make the most of their visit. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us!

Highly Recommended to all.

3rd April 2023 at 11:27 am

Thanks very much, I’m glad to hear you found the post useful and you enjoyed your Harry Potter Studio Tour 🙂

Jean searle says

25th October 2021 at 11:18 pm

My family live on the wirral it would take us about 3 1/ 2 hrs to get there with the price of fuel costly then the stay overnight in the hotel with bed and breakfast. Your outstanding entry price for an adult £48 Kids price extortionate my granddaughter is 8yrs old obsessed with Harry Potter reads the books loves the films she is desperate to come on the studio tour but can’t justify you outrageous prices. And then we have to pay for fuel to travel back. I am registered disabled but not in a wheelchair. My husband is my carer we are also pensioners do you honestly expect a disabled person to pay £48 to get in while OK my carer is free surely you should have compensation for the disabled person. As it stands we have to keep letting the 8yr old down as we can’t afford your prices. Then the added extras for the bus etc. I would ask you to see if you could establish a different rate for children under 10 and the disabled pensioner please as we would bring her but out of our pension we cannot afford your cost. Hope you take into account what I have said. Underprivileged children should be catered for I know.you have to make your money but at the cost of a child. Shame on you. My granddaughter may never get to see it now.xc

26th October 2021 at 10:13 am

Thanks for your message! So to be clear, this website is not associated with the Warner Bros Studio or Harry Potter tour. It’s just a guide to visiting. If you want to reach out to them directly, you’ll need to do so via their website. Their contact information can be found here: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/contact-us/

All the best,

Dave Gaudie says

23rd July 2021 at 6:54 pm

Can I take photos throughout the tour ?

23rd July 2021 at 7:02 pm

Yep photography is permitted pretty much everywhere in the Harry Potter studio tour. There are a few exceptions – you can’t do photography in the pre-show cinema, or in the green screen areas. You also can’t use a tripod.

Have a great visit, and let me know if you have any more questions!

13th October 2019 at 4:38 am

Hello! I am so excited to have found your blog. I plan to read the entire london portion. I booked tickets to the studio for 1/1. I thought it would be a fun way to start the new year. Now I am wondering if it will be a problem to get to the studio. TfL site states train will be running on a sunday schedule. How much extra travel time should we think about? Our tix are for 1230p. We are staying by the waterloo station. Thank you for your amazing insights!

13th October 2019 at 3:25 pm

Thanks very much, I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time.

For the trains, all you’d have to do is check the timetables for a Sunday and this should give you an idea of how much time you will need 🙂 You shouldn’t have to worry too much I don’t think, 1230 should give you plenty of time to get there! Have a wonderful time!

Nurika Abdullah says

27th September 2019 at 12:33 am

Hi thank you for this it is so useful especially for first timers like me. My concern is on the age, in the studios website it says below 16 must be accompanied by adults. I am thinking of sending my 15 and 13 yr old kids on their own. Would this be possible if I take a guided tour instead? Many thanks Nurika

27th September 2019 at 7:02 pm

Unfortunately the policy is that all children must be accompanied by an adult, even on the guided tours

26th September 2019 at 7:33 am

Thank you for you site and sharing some great information!! It is just awesome!!

Would you happen to know the difference between the Studio’s VIP tour and the Fully-Guided Making of Harry Potter Tour. Looks like the Fully-Guided might have a couple more stops?

26th September 2019 at 10:49 pm

So the VIP tour (I guess you mean the Deluxe tour?) includes a few extras like butterbeer, souvenir photo, meal and guidebook. So quite a few extras. The fully guided tour includes the tour, but I believe it’s the same actual tour as the Deluxe tour, just without the extras. Of course, it also include round trip transport from London as well.

So it’s more about if you want the extras or not, or if you prefer the transport.

Have an amazing time, whichever you go for!

Dr. Abraham K. George says

2nd May 2019 at 10:15 pm

Wow! What lovely immersive writing, and lots of fine fine details. A pleasure to read. I’m so glad I stumbled on to this blog. My search is over. Have bookmarked it. Going to follow it faithfully for our first-time holiday to London + Scotland this month. The fully guided tour seems to be the best of the lot as it probably gives you the maximum time possible to spend at the studio (I hope). By the way, tickets are sold out on the official site. Thank you so much, Abraham

3rd May 2019 at 4:39 pm

Hi Abraham – my pleasure, and I hope you have a wonderful tour. For sure, the tours are very popular so they sell out far in advance on the official website, but there are a number of other ways to get a trip, so I hope you are able to visit still 🙂

27th March 2019 at 7:48 pm

Hi can i ask the extra activities you mentioned are they free or do I need to account for extra spending money Regard emma

27th March 2019 at 7:59 pm

So the activities like the wand workshop, broomstick summoning and other interactive things like that are included. The only thing you would need money for is the giftshop, or if you want to eat or try butter beer. For the green screen broomstick flying experience, where you are filmed on a broomstick against a green screen, that is an extra price as you get the experience as photos or a DVD. There are also some other opportunities to buy photos through the tour, but these are of course optional 🙂

Have a wonderful time!

Robert says

13th March 2019 at 4:51 pm

Excellent information! I’ve been to the WB Harry Potter Studios twice (2015, 2017), and you really covered everything in accurate detail.

One tiny error though it probably won’t confuse anyone: You wrote “Then you need to take a dedicated shuttle bus operated by the Studio Tour that runs from just outside Euston Station (it is well sign posted), that takes you directly to the studios.” I believe you meant “Watford Junction Station” instead of “Euston Station” in that sentence.

Thanks for your terrific work on the entire site. A colleague of mine sent me a link to it knowing I have led student/parent groups to London. I’ve enjoyed digging into it!

13th March 2019 at 5:00 pm

Thanks so much for your comment! We loved visiting and writing this post was a real pleasure 🙂 Thanks also for spotting that error – I’ve fixed it now 🙂

Thanks again!

Roslia santamaria says

28th November 2018 at 7:02 am

Thank you so much..This is very useful!!

28th November 2018 at 11:21 am

My pleasure Roslia 🙂

Warner Bros Studios Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter Review

Disclosure: We were invited on this day out for the purpose of this post however all opinions are my own.

At the weekend we were invited to the Warner Bros Studios Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter to celebrate the launch of their new Mandrakes and Magical Creatures exhibition. We hadn’t been since 2016 and the children were so excited to visit – especially as they are now massive Harry Potter fans.

Warner Bros Studios Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter Review

How to get to Warner Bros Studios Tour London?

We drove to the Warner Bros Studios Tour and there’s plenty of free parking on site. It’s really well signposted from the M25 and M1 and it’s only 20 miles from London. If you need to use public transport, you can get a free shuttle bus from Watford Junction station. This is included in the cost of your ticket and takes just 15 minutes with buses running every half an hour.

There are also bus transfers available from London Victoria and London Kings Cross stations. These are at an extra cost and organised by Golden Tours. You can find out more on the Warner Bros Studios Tour website.

Arriving at Warner Bros Studios Tour

Tickets suggest that you should arrive about twenty minutes before your tour starts but you can arrive even earlier if you want to as there are plenty of places to grab some food or a drink with the Warner Bros Studios Tour complex before the tour starts and also so much to see and do.

When we arrived we joined a queue outside where a friendly member of staff scanned our tickets before we went inside and went through airport style security. This is always really reassuring and it was a quick and efficient experience.

After security there were toilets, a cloakroom that you can use free of charge and a couple of customer service desks to pick up audio tours or book afternoon tea. We didn’t need anything so walked through into the big central hall dominated by the Gringotts Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon hanging above us.

In the hall we got to see costumes from the Fantastic Beasts movies, see a little glimpse of the Mandrakes and Magical Creatures exhibition and have a drink or snack if we wanted in the Chocolate Frog Cafe or the Hub Cafe at opposite ends of this vast entrance hall.

The Warner Bros Studios Tour experience

When it was just before our tour time we joined the entrance queue. This took us on a little journey through the movie franchise, past Harry Potter’s room under the stairs and into a big holding room with walls covered in movie posters from each movie. When the room was full a film-like sequence started, telling us about the tour and what to expect.

We then went into a cinema room where we watched a film taking a look back at the Harry Potter movies, how they were made and all the work went into them. I found this quite emotional as Harry Potter has been such a big part of our lives – with it being 25 years since the first book was published – and it’s quite surreal to think of life without Harry Potter in it.

Before we knew it the movie had finished and it was time to walk through the doors into the Great Hall. This is a part of the Warner Bros Studios experience that I will never tire of doing. The minute you walk through those doors and see the hall you are just blown away. It may not have that magical ceiling but it is still a room full of magic. It’s an amazing space.

We took time looking at the costumes and props around the room, getting our first glimpse of Hogwarts along with the students and professors we knew so well. It was then time to head into the main exhibition.

The Great Hall is the only part of the Warner Bros Studios Tour where you have a set amount of time. Once you’re through into the exhibition halls you can take as long as you like and move freely around. It’s a place where you could easily spend all day.

The Warner Bros Studios Tour takes you through the Harry Potter movies, seeing the costumes, props, hair and makeup used in the movies. We saw costumes from so many different scenes in the movies and saw how each character’s hair was stored – including eyebrows, beards and stick on moles!

One of our favourite parts of the experience was seeing the Gryffindor dorm rooms and the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms. Being so close to sets we knew so well was amazing – and walking into Dumbledore’s office was something else. It was just incredible.

The children loved seeing Professor Snape’s potions class alongside Hagrid’s Hut, with Fang standing proudly at the entrance. We all learnt about the animals used in the movies – and the fact that Fang and Crookshanks were actually a few different animals all playing the same part. We’ve never noticed!

We got to make a broomstick rise up to our hand and the children really liked riding on a broomstick with a green screen in the background. Great fun where you can buy the photos as souvenirs afterwards if you want to.

I loved seeing inside The Burrow – the Weasley’s house – and there were so many interactive parts where we could pres buttons and see things come to life like the washing up cleaning itself or vegetables being chopped.

We learnt about the vehicles used in the movies, saw the Death Eater’s table with Nagini the snake slithering along it. There were glimpses of the Ministry of Magic and a look into Dolores Umbridge’s office with so many costumes and props in between.

The Warner Bros Studio Forbidden Forest

We found ourselves in the Forbidden Forest next. As you can imagine, this is dark and eerie, full of artificial smoke and with so many spooky noises. It was so different to the rest of the tour experience. We got to meet Buckbeak, see all the spiders moving in the darkness and find out how the Forbidden Forest had been created, It was fantastic.

The Warner Bros Studio Hogwarts Express

We came out of the forest, turned a corner and came face to face with the Hogwarts Express, something that will always make everyone wow. We were able to push trolleys of suitcases through the wall on the station platform and even climb aboard the Hogwarts Express to see how the props changed with the movies. There was even a little green screen experience where you felt you were travelling along on the real Hogwarts Express.

The Warner Bros Studio Backlot

After leaving the Hogwarts Express we found ourselves in the studio backlot, an outside space with more sets and vehicles to see. This was the first real break within the tour as well – with places to buy food and drinks or stop and enjoy a picnic. There are places to sit throughout the tour but this is the first real refreshment break.

The backlot is also home to the Backlot Cafe where you can buy food and drinks or Butterbeer – and even Butterbeer flavoured ice cream. Butterbeer was hit and miss with the children – with one saying it was the best thing she had ever tasted and Little Man said he just didn’t really like it. Us grown ups thought it tasted quite like cream soda – and the froth on the top was delicious!

You’re able to take food and drinks into the Warner Bros Tour with you and we found a seat and enjoyed our packed lunch out in the main backlot although there is seating inside too. As you can imagine, the Backlot Cafe does get very busy and there queues are long at lunch time but it’s really well managed and the food looked and smelt pretty good.

After our lunch we explored the backlot, loving seeing The Burrow in all its glory. We really got to appreciate all its quirks and angles, making us all love the Weasley’s home even more than we did before.

We also got to walk through 4 Privet Drive, seeing the lounge full of letters flying around and Aunt Petunia blown up like a balloon. It was amazing to walk through such an iconic part of movie history.

Outside we made our way into Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse for a Herbology class. We were greeted by so many Mandrakes ready to be pulled from the ground, screaming as they moved! There were also the herbology class costumes and the whole set looked just like it did in the movies. It’s an absolutely beautiful space.

Back outside, we took some photos with the Weasley’s car and Hagrid’s motorbike, climbing aboard the Knight Bus and walked along the Hogwarts bridge. There’s so much to see in the backlot and it’s definitely one of the children’s favourite parts of our tour.

It was then time to head back inside for the last part of the tour. here we learnt about all the special effects used in the movies, all the creature effects and so much more about costumes and makeup. The amount of detail was incredible.

Warner Bros Studio Tour Gringotts Bank

Our biggest wow moment came when we turned a corner and found ourselves in Gringotts Bank. It was beautiful. We were blown away. With marble columns, the big wooden counters and goblin cashiers, it couldn’t have felt more real.

We got to see inside the Gringotts vaults, with so many photo opportunities, and learnt how the marble was made. Spoiler alert: It’s not real marble! It looked so realistic.

Just before we left the bank we got to experience the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon escape for ourselves. Complete with smoke, fire and pretty much utter devastation, it was a real taste of movie magic. So much so that we watched it a few times, each time loving it as much as the last.

Warner Bros Studio Tour Diagon Alley

Stepping out of Gringotts, we found ourselves in Diagon Alley and spent time looking in the windows of all the shops and appreciating all the detail in every single thing. It’s really like walking through the world of Harry Potter and we absolutely loved it.

It was then time to finish our tour, seeing artwork from the movies before coming face to face with a huge model of Hogwarts, all lit up and twinkling as we walked around it. It’s a fantastic end to such a great day out.

We walked through Ollivander’s wand shop, with each member of cast and crew having a wand box with their name on, and then found ourselves in the Warner Bros Studio Tour shop, ready to make any vital purchases and head on home.

How long does the Harry Potter Studio Tour take?

The Warner Bros Studios Tour is somewhere you can spend as long or as little time as you like. You really go at your own pace. We spent about six hours at Warner Bros Studios, with a packed lunch in the middle, and it was a good amount of time for us, leaving us satisfied that we’d done and seen everything we wanted to.

We had such a great day at the Warner Bros Studio Tour and the children already can’t wait to go back. Each time you visit there’s something new to see and the children loved that we went during the Madrakes & Magical Creatures exhibition. It’s on until 12th September if you want to see it too.

You can find out more about the Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter and book tickets over on their website . For reference the address is: Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR

You can see a little Reel of our trip on Instagram here:

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Harry Potter Studio Tour Review

Thinking about going to Warner Bros. studio London for The Making of Harry Potter tour, but not sure if it's worth the rather expensive price or what to expect? Having visited there myself, I can tell you with certainty that the studio is an absolute must-see for every Harry Potter fan. And as for what to expect... Read my Harry Potter studio tour review for lots of useful tips, from booking your tickets to getting there and making the most of your experience. It's everything I wish I had known before going!

Buying tickets to Warner Bros. studio tour

In order to visit the Harry Potter studio tour, you must book your tickets in advance. Having a ticket is a prerequisite for being allowed on site, so you can't just show up and hope to be admitted. The tickets are timed, and visitors are grouped according to their timeslot and let inside at regular intervals.

When it comes to booking tickets, you have two options:

Buying tickets from the Warner Bros. website and making your own way to the studio. The pro here is flexibility - you can spend as much or as little time visiting the Harry Potter studio tour and leave whenever you feel ready. I have read very varying accounts of how much time people have ended up spending at the studio, so it's tricky to know in advance just how long you will want to stay for. However, with this option, it might not always be possible to get a ticket for the date you want, especially if booking at relatively short notice (and when I say short notice, I mean the next month or two).

Going through a tour company and getting a package of entrance tickets + bus transfer from Central London . The pro here is not having to worry about train + shuttle bus times, as you know exactly what time the bus leaves that gets you to your booked entrance slot. I also found availability of the package tickets to be a lot better than the tickets on the WB website. Picking this option does make it more expensive though, plus you are less flexible with your time at the Harry Potter studio tour.

Tip: If you decide to book on the Warner Bros website, but can't see any availability for your dates of visit, don't feel forced to book the bus package straight away. When I was booking our tickets, I discovered that availability changed every day and suddenly dates became bookable that had previously shown as full. So I kept checking, and, eventually, a slot opened up that worked for us. Of course, there's no guarantee that this will happen, but it's worth a try anyway.

Travelling to Warner Bros. studio from London

Warner Bros. Studio is located in Leavesden, which is quite a long way away from Central London. The best train station is Watford Junction, as there's a free shuttle bus from here arranged by the studio that ferries the guests back and forth at regular intervals.

If you decided to opt for a package of ticket + bus transfer, then not much to plan for you, as you will be driven straight to the studio. The tour company will give you the details of where the pickup point in Central London is. From what I've seen, the majority of pick ups are in the area of Victoria station, but there are a few other possible pickup locations, like King's Cross or Baker Street. All you have to do is find your way there, and also be at the collection point at Warner Bros Studio at the right time after completing the tour.

I chose to make my own way to the studios. The first part of the journey was taking the train from Euston station to Watford Junction. You can use an Oyster card or contactless for this journey, as Watford Junction is inside the London transport network. The trains are quite frequent and the journey time is around 15-20 minutes, and you can check the schedule in advance for your travel date.

The trickiest bit for me was figuring how to time arrival at Watford Junction, so that the wait for the shuttle bus would be minimal. The Warner Bros. website doesn't have a fixed timetable, instead saying that the buses run "at least every 30 minutes from 9.20am". Now, I don't know if they run more frequently, but I planned my timings based on 30 minute intervals, and there was indeed a bus there at that time.

The bus station is right next to the train station and it's easy to identify which stop the shuttle bus leaves from. You have to show your Harry Potter tour ticket to be able to board. Once you're on the bus, it will take another 15 minutes or so to get to the Warner Bros. Studio, during which you get shown a short intro video.

Harry Potter studio tour London shuttle bus

Tip: If you are travelling to Watford Junction using an Oyster card or contactless, make sure you keep your eyes open for where to tap in at Euston station. Usually, there are gates to pass through, where you use your card or ticket to open them, but the platform that we were assigned didn't have these gates in operation on entrance. There was a single tapping point pretty high up, which we completely missed, as it was hidden by the crowd of people streaming onto the train. So then we had to ask staff where to tap in, run all the way back up to do it and run back down to get on the train, which we almost missed as a result.

On the way back to London, there is a screen in the cloakroom area of the WB studio that counts down the time until the next shuttle bus. That's where it all went a bit wrong for us. We exited when it said the shuttle bus would be leaving in five minutes and queued up at the collection point. However, the only shuttle bus that came dropped off the passengers from Watford, and then went and parked up at the charging point instead of picking us up. So we waited and waited, and the queue got longer and longer. There were only a few seats towards the very front of the queue under the small bus shelter, whereas everyone else had to stand the whole time. Plus, there is no screen at the bus shelter that tells you when to expect the next bus. I don't even know how long we stood there for, it certainly felt like an eternity, but when a shuttle bus finally arrived for the trip to the station, there were so many people waiting that not everyone managed to fit onto the bus, even though they allowed people to stand on the top deck, which is normally prohibited. I really hope the people who had to remain behind didn't have to wait 30 minutes for the next shuttle...

Arrival at Harry Potter studio tour

Whether you come on a tour bus or the shuttle bus from Watford Junction, you get dropped off in the parking lot of the Leavesden studio, from where you walk a short way through a wand alley towards the building entrance.

At the entrance, there are bag searches in operation, so be prepared for a short wait as the security men go through everyone's bags. After completing that, you end up in a very large lobby, with the digital guide station and cloakroom right by the entrance, plus as you walk further in, there are several cafes, toilets, the studio souvenir shop, as well as the queueing point for starting the tour.

Cloakrooms are free to use and will take bags and coats. If your visit is during the colder time of the year and you come wearing a coat, be aware that though most of the tour is indoor, some of the sets are outside, so the cloakroom attendant recommended keeping our coats on.

If you arrive with time to kill before your entrance timeslot, you could do your Harry Potter souvenir shop straight away and then leave the shopping bags in the cloakroom, so as not to carry them around. The souvenir shop is very large and has lots of different categories to choose from:

My tip: definitely get the souvenir guidebook! You can pre-buy it when booking the tickets at the Warner Bros. website, in which case you will get a voucher to show to the cashier. You will still have to pick the book up in the shop and queue up with the rest of the shoppers, so there is no advantage of pre-booking vs. just buying it when you get there. The book is a lovely memory and is put together in a great way, with lots of photos and interesting bits and bobs to know about each set. I love mine!

I opted for pre-booking digital guides as well, so we picked those up on arrival. You don't have to pre-book and can also decide to just pay for one on arrival, and it's the same queue for both. To be honest, my tip for you is to skip them. I thought the digital guide experience wasn't very cohesive with the exhibition. There is TONS of extra information on the guide, with many videos and photos, so you end up having to spend a lot of time standing around looking at a tiny screen rather than the exhibits. I found it rather overwhelming and time-consuming. There were a few extra bits on the digital guides we found interesting, like the talk about how the child actors were schooled during the filming, but by and large, we felt the actual sets and the information displays at the exhibition were more than enough to have a great experience. Plus, about halfway through the tour, my guide decided to give up the ghost. By that time, we'd given up on using them anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.

Food and drink at Harry Potter studio tour

For our visit, I booked the Warner Bros. studio afternoon tea in the Food Hall before starting the tour, and I can highly recommend it. The Food Hall is in the lobby area, so you can visit here either before or after the studio tour.

I'll be honest with you, I wasn't expecting much in terms of taste and quality as it's such a popular tourist destination, but the food was really excellent and the service very friendly. There were sandwiches, savoury pastries, sweet pastries and scones. The visual highlight was the golden snitch choux, which I stupidly forgot to take a close-up photo of... Not only was everything delicious, but, compared to what you pay for afternoon tea in Central London, I felt it was great value for money as well (£70 for 2 people when we visited in February 2023).

Afternoon tea at Harry Potter studio tour

We went for a traditional afternoon tea, but there are also vegan and gluten-free options on offer. The portion size is generous and it's very filling, but if you can't finish everything there and then, the staff can put the leftovers in a doggy bag and even store it for you until the end of your tour.

During our session, there were quite a few tables still free and there was a sign inviting visitors to ask about the afternoon tea, so it might be possible to be spontaneous and get a spot on arrival, but booking in advance is of course a more certain way to guarantee access.

I was also really looking forward to a break in the Backlot Café, which is located about midway through the tour. By that time, we were ready for a small rest after walking around for so long. The coolest thing about the Backlot Café is of course the famous butterbeer. Unfortunately, the queue was out the door and there weren't any free tables to sit at either, so we had to pass. That means I still don't know what butterbeer tastes like... *sigh* Therefore, my tip for you - if having a taste of butterbeer is a non-optional activity during your Harry Potter studio tour, be prepared for waiting, and you might have to drink it while standing too.

Harry Potter Studio Tour Backlot café queue

There are actually two queues in the photo above, one is for food + butterbeer, and the other one, on the right hand side, is for just butterbeer. Both queues were long and only got longer.

There are more cafés in the lobby that you can visit before or after the tour, but I didn't use them, so nothing to report here.

What happens during the Harry Potter studio tour?

The first (short) part of the Harry Potter studio tour is led by staff. After everyone has gathered for the current timeslot, you are ushered through the first few rooms as a group, with some staff announcements plus a video during those. The last staff-led room is the Great Hall. Here, you are given some time to take photos, after which you have to leave the room, as the next group will be coming along shortly. You can't come back to that first part of the tour afterwards.

Staff intro at the gates to the Great Hall, Harry Potter studio tour London

After the Great Hall, you are no longer linked to your timeslot group and can explore the exhibition at your own pace, however quickly or slowly you want to do it. You can also double back if you want to see something again. There are members of staff around in case you have questions about any of the sets, but there's no guide assigned to your group. If you do want a guided tour of the Harry Potter studio, you might want to look into their deluxe tickets .

Most of the sets are visible to everyone. What I mean by that is that you are naturally walking through them (Forbidden Forest, Gringotts, Diagon Alley) or by them (Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms, Dumbledore's office etc.) as you go through the studio tour. And my oh my is there a lot of awesome stuff to see and learn. The amount of detail that goes into making each of these sets is absolutely incredible! I don't want to give too much away, but here are a few photos to whet your appetite:

As you go through, you learn both things specific to the Harry Potter film franchise and also more generic things about film making. One of my favourite parts was discovering how the goblin masks were made - a truly fascinating and intricate process that is shown through a really well-made video.

Some sets have to be entered to be seen. These are the sets like the inside of Hogwarts Express, Privet Drive and the greenhouse. Because they can only take so many people at once, that results in queues to get in, which means we skipped those. Here's the queue to get on board Hogwarts Express, for example:

Also, the majority of the sets are of the 'you can look, but you can't touch' variety, but there are some very cool free photo ops where you interact with the set, like Hagrid's motorbike, Mr. Weasley's car and Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. There was hardly any queuing needed for those, and the photos turned out awesome. And speaking of which, photography during the Warner Bros. studio tour is not only allowed but also actively encouraged, so do bring along a camera to make sure you have plenty of memories to take home with you.

On top of that, in the green-screen experience areas, you can get transplanted into the Harry Potter world, flying a broom or riding the Hogwarts Express. There is no filming or photography allowed here, except for what is done by the staff. After filming, you can purchase photos or videos, but those come at an additional cost and are yet another thing we decided to pass on. If you do want to take part, there were hardly any people queuing, so you will be able to get your turn quickly.

Another fun part of the Harry Potter studio tour for me was the Activity Passport. The staff will tell you where to pick one up at the beginning of the tour, and then you can collect stamps at various points as well as answer trivia questions. The passport made for a really cool souvenir!

Harry Potter studio tour Activity Passport

So how much time did all of the above take? I mentioned in the beginning of the post that it seems to be very individual, so I am not sure you can use my visit as a guideline for yours. For us, just the actual tour, excluding afternoon tea, browsing the souvenir shop and things like that, so just walking through the exhibition, took 3.5 hours. And that was skipping all the places with queues and the green screen experiences. There is a lot to take in and time sure does fly when you're having fun!

I hope you found this post useful and that it answered any questions you might have ahead of your visit. I thought that Harry Potter studio tour was absolutely amazing and hopefully you feel that way as well after you see it all for yourself! Feel free to also check out my other London posts to make your stay in the capital even more fun.

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Posted on 1st July 2021 Categories Things to do

By: Author Julianna Barnaby

Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour (+ Everything You Need to Plan Your Trip)

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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.

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…

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.

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.

WB Studios London - Running with trolley

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…

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 – t his 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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Looking for More Harry Potter Guides?

Check these out…

Harry Potter Filming Spots in London

Guide to Leadenhall Market

Soho’s Magical House of Minalima

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WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON - THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER (Leavesden) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

A Muggles Guide to Visiting Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour in London

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Post last modified: December 27, 2022
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I’m an unashamed Harry Potter fan. I remember reading the books and watching the films during my teenage years. I had a huge shock hearing Hermione’s name in the film for the first time after years of reading it as ‘Her-Moyn’ in my head.

Last week, I finally got the chance to visit Warner Brother Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter . I managed to disguise the entire weekend as a birthday present for my younger brother but we all know who it was really for!

The studios were originally an aircraft factory but for 10 years played host to 588 sets created for the Harry Potter film franchise . Many of the sets were kept in case they were needed later on. But once filming had ended, Warner Bros decided to display the iconic sets for fans to enjoy – Hurrayy!

Here’s what to expect as well as tips for your visit to Warner Brothers Studio Tour London:

Getting There

It’s possible to drive to Warner Brothers Studio Tour London with free parking (postcode WD25 7LR) but we chose to take public transport.

The easiest way to arrive by public transport is on the train to Watford Junction train station where there is a shuttle bus straight to the entrance of the studio tour . There was an information video playing on the shuttle bus which got us really excited for the day ahead.

The train is about £10 each from Euston station and the shuttle bus is £2.50 each. You’ll need cash for the shuttle bus .

What to Expect

When you first enter the tour, you’ll be guided through a series of rooms including a cinematic experience featuring cast from the Harry Potter films and The Great Hall itself. If someone has a special occasion like a birthday or wedding, be sure to volunteer them for a special duty when asked – I won’t give away any spoilers here.

One of my favourite things about the tour is how friendly and helpful the staff are as they bring the experience alive, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you like.

The Magnificent Great Hall

The first set we came across was The Great Hall. Here you’ll get your first glimpse at the level of detail the studios went to when producing the sets. I was shocked at how it had been intricately designed to be as lifelike as possible, every single detail was thought of.

This set was designed for the very first film and used throughout the franchise so it had to be very durable. Take some time to look at the costumes as well, you’ll find outfits for each of the four houses as well as the main teachers.

I could have spent more time viewing the exhibits here but unfortunately, we were rushed on before the next group came in. After the great hall, the rest of the tour is self-guided so you’re free to spend as much time as you want exploring each area.

Muggle Fact: The studios were almost entirely used up by the Harry Potter sets for the duration of the franchise, however some other films made use of the same sets such as Sherlock Holmes and Sweeny Todd which have a similar Victorian vibe.

Studio 1 – The Main Sets

The first stop is studio 1, this is where you’ll find an array of recognisable sets from the films including the Weasley kitchen, the potions dungeon, Gryffindor dorm room, and, my favourite, Dumbledore’s office.

Muggle Fact: Dumbledore’s office is filled with books, most of these are in fact telephone directories bound in leather.

There are also plenty of interactive activities, most of which are free to try, these include spell classes and broomstick practice against a green screen. Don’t forget to take a selfie in the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and see what your deepest desires are.

During our visit there were also some of the experts that worked on the sets dotted around the studio providing information and answering questions from budding fans.

I enjoyed the intricate details of the wands from each of the Witches and Wizards in the film, it was interesting to see the level of expertise that had gone in to these and how they reflect the characters personality and costume.

Muggle Fact : Almost 350 paintings lined Hogwarts, these were all hand painted and were actually paintings of the crew that worked on the film franchise.

Next you’ll enter the forbidden forest, not for the faint hearted!

All Aboard the Hogwarts Express

As you leave the forest, you’ll walk out on to a reconstruction of platform 9 ¾ where you’ll find the original Hogwarts Express used in the films, and you can even go onboard.

There’s an opportunity to get that famous pose with a luggage trolley as it disappears through the wall on to platform 9 ¾ and you’ll see how they recreated the interior of a carriage against a green screen to film well known scenes aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Drinking Butter Beer

At the half way point, you can imagine being in Hogsmeade whilst you sip on a freshly poured butter beer. Unfortunately, it’s not as delicious as you might think , I wasn’t a fan at all! Try one to share before splashing out as it’s not cheap either. It’s non alcoholic so its suitable for children too.

In the courtyard you can take a ride on the Kinght Bus, explore number 4 Privet Drive and even go inside to see Harry’s cupboard under the stairs and his Hogwarts letters seemingly flying around the living rooms. I was in awe when I spotted the Ford Anglia outside and could resist hopping in for a photo.

Muggle Fact: The triple decker bus used as the knight bus was actually built and taken in to central London for use in filming, you can imagine what a challenge this was going under bridges.

Animatronics and the Art Department

I’d always assumed most of the special effects were done in post-production but I was amazed going in to the animatronics department to find out what really happens.

One of my personal favourites here is the monster book of monsters which can be seen in the glass cabinet in the centre but also look out for dobby and Hagrid.

Be sure to watch the information video with Warwick Davies as this sheds some light on what happens in this department and how the creatures go from concept to reality.

Top Up on Magical Supplies at Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley is based on a street called Cecil Court near Leicester square in London, featuring independent bookshops and antique stores. But you’ll encounter the actual set during your studio tour.

Look out for Gringotts bank, Olivanders gift shop and Weasleys Wizard Wheezes candy shop. Unfortunately, you only get to see the store fronts and can’t actually go inside. I’ve heard you need to visit Harry Potter World in Orlando to take a trip inside the stores, a little too far for us.

See Hogwarts in All its Glory

The final stop on the tour is a spectacular scale model of Hogwarts. You’ll initially see a smaller cardboard model which itself is pretty impressive but there is something really magical (excuse the pun) when you come across the scale model. It fills the entire room and the lighting fads in and out of daylight giving it that extra touch.

This model was actually used in the films, there are videos around the room that show you how the model was merged with live action to give the effect that events were actually happening at Hogwarts.

At the end of the tour is a gift shop, this is incredible. Even as a 26 years old, I was so tempted by one of the wands until I remembered that I have real life things to spend my money on like bills.

Tips For Your Visit

Book an early slot – I’d definitely recommend booking a morning spot if possible, there is so much to see that you could spend many hours wondering the exhibits, this way you won’t be feeling rushed as it nears closing time.
Take a packed lunch – The food is very expensive, especially if you have to buy for the whole family. There are dedicated areas for eating and drinking at the beginning, end and half way through the tour.
Feast in the great hall – Look out for special events throughout the year, including Sunday breakfasts and great hall feasts at Christmas.

Muggle Fact: Did you know the Warner Brothers Studios at Leavesden are currently being used for the Fantastic Beasts spin off franchise including one of the largest sets ever build for the amphitheatre in the second film. Unfortunately you can’t yet visit these sets but fingers crossed for the future!

Other Must-Visit Harry Potter Attractions

If you’re planning a trip to WB studios, why not theme your whole trip around the boy who lived. There are loads of great Harry Potter attractions in London , including platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station, Charring Cross Road aka Diagon Alley and tons of other locations that were used in the films. We saw all of these attractions during the Sandermans Harry Potter tour which I can highly recommend, the route was great and our guide was really knowledgeable about the films.

Harry Potter fever isn’t limited to the UK, from the brand new Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida to the Ukraine Hogwarts , a university that hit headlines for it’s likeness to the magical school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Whilst you’re in London….

If you’re willing to step outside of the potter-sphere, London is full of other fantastic attractions too. Here are a few of the best ones to check out:

Museums – London is home to tons of great museums and the best thing is that most of them are free. Some of the top ones you need to visit are the Natural History Museum , British Museum and the RAF Museum .

Sky Garden – This is one of my favourite places to visit in London and yet again it’s free of charge. From the 43rd floor of a Fenchurch Street sky scraper (nicknamed the walkie talkie), you’ll get great views across London from the city’s highest public garden. Book in advance or visit early in the morning to get in for free.

Buckingham Palace – A visit to the capital of England wouldn’t be complete without seeing the changing of the guards at the iconic Buckingham Palace.

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I went to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London and it was truly one
At the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London : r/harrypotter
The amazing Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London
2019 highlights at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Visite guidée de la Warner Bros Studio Tour à Londres
A Magical Guide to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London: Everything

COMMENTS

London: is the Harry Potter Studio Tour worth it? : r/travel
This took up a day of our time, but it's definitely worth it. My boyfriend came along with me and he even enjoyed it. You can make it as long or short as you want, but it will probably take 2 hours if you do it quickly. I've been to the Harry Potter world at Universal, and the Warner Brothers tour is 100x better.
Warner bros studios tour : r/london
Tripadvisor | Warner Bros. Studio Harry Potter Tour with Superior Transport from London provided by Evan Evans Tours | England. So the two options are: Take a tour from London and explore the studios with a big group for $250. Get to the studios with public transport and explore it freely walking with just the two of us for $140 (without public ...
Warner Bros Studio Tour London
buy through golden tours! they reserve a large chunk of tickets so there's usually available tickets for whatever day you want to go. I bought from them a week before my trip. It is about $40 more than the tickets on the warner bros site but it includes transportation from london so we though it was worth it. 4.
I visited Warner Bros Studio Tour London, the Making of Harry ...
Here's my brief overview and short tour of the Warner Bros Studio Tour London, the Making of Harry Potter. If you haven't visited yet, it's 100% worth the journey and I can wait to check out the ones in Hollywood and Tokyo! Here's my brief overview and short tour of the Warner Bros Studio Tour London, the Making of Harry Potter.
The Warner bros studio tour in London was incredible.
View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. The Warner bros studio tour in London was incredible. This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast Related Topics Harry Potter Harry Potter (book series) Young adult ...
Warner Bros. Studio Tour, London : r/harrypotter
Hahaha thanks for your enthusiasm, it's making me more excited! :) It probably won't be until the summer as my little brother is still in school, but it'll be a great holiday to look forward to! Hello r/harrypotter ! I'm just looking for some advice off of those of you who've been on the Warner Bros. Tour in London.
Harry Potter Studios, London: Full review & useful tips
Harry Potter Studios, London: full review of the Warner Bros Studio Tour. January 12, 2020. In Cultural Travel, Destinations, England, Europe, London. The Harry Potter Studio Tour takes you behind the scenes to see the real film sets, original costumes, Platform 9 ¾, Hogwarts Castle and so much more. And it's not just for Harry Potter fans.
Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour London: Review, Tips and Guide!
The Harry Potter Studio Tour takes place in the Warner Bros. Studio, which is found in Leavesden, England. This is around 20 miles northwest of London. The Warner Bros. Studio is a fully working film studio, one of the largest in the UK, and many films have been shot here, including the whole Harry Potter franchise as well as some of the Star ...
from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London : r/harrypotter
I went on a Thursday in mid-January 2020 (pre-plague) and it was nice, but they sell out almost every day so it's always going to be somewhat crowded. That said, once the school tours left in the mid afternoon it cleared up a lot. Honestly, just pick a time and go. 100% worth it.
Warner Bros Studios Tour London Review
We drove to the Warner Bros Studios Tour and there's plenty of free parking on site. It's really well signposted from the M25 and M1 and it's only 20 miles from London. If you need to use public transport, you can get a free shuttle bus from Watford Junction station.
Harry Potter Studio Tour London Review
Warner Bros. Studio is located in Leavesden, which is quite a long way away from Central London. The best train station is Watford Junction, as there's a free shuttle bus from here arranged by the studio that ferries the guests back and forth at regular intervals.
The Experience
It was really good value for the amount of time we were there.". "You definitely have to experience this! Remember to book the tickets early, a month before the visit may be too late.". Experience Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, explore the sets, discover the history and home of the Harry Potter film series.
Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London: What ...
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.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Discover the magic of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London! Explore authentic sets, props, and costumes from the Harry Potter films. Book now for an unforgettable experience.
J'ai visité Warner Bros Studio Tour London, le Making of ...
Voici mon bref aperçu et ma courte visite du Warner Bros Studio Tour London, le Making of Harry Potter. Si vous ne l'avez pas encore visité, le voyage en vaut la peine à 100 % et j'ai hâte de découvrir ceux d'Hollywood et de Tokyo !
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Located at the Studios where all 8 films were produced, the Studio Tour showcases the incredible British talent, imagination and artistry that went into making the impossible a reality on screen. Visitors will relive the magic through the eyes of the filmmakers who brought the Harry Potter film series to life.
A Muggles Guide to Visiting Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour in London
The studios were originally an aircraft factory but for 10 years played host to 588 sets created for the Harry Potter film franchise.Many of the sets were kept in case they were needed later on. But once filming had ended, Warner Bros decided to display the iconic sets for fans to enjoy - Hurrayy!
Harry Potter Studio Tour
If you are not familiar with the London area, we highly recommend a pre-booked tour. It's hassle-free and very convenient: Warner Bros. Harry Potter Tours - London. The Harry Potter Studio Tour is located in Leavesden, a 20-minute drive from London. You can arrive at the Studio as part of a tour, via car or public transport.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Located at the Studios where all 8 films were produced, the Studio Tour showcases the incredible British talent, imagination and artistry that went into making the impossible a reality on screen. ...
Deluxe Tour
Your Deluxe ticket includes a 2 ½ hour guided tour with a small group, surrounded by the authentic sets, props and costumes, where you will learn the behind-the-scenes secrets at the studios where it all began. After stepping onto the authentic stone floor in the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall, you will receive the unique opportunity to return to ...
Facilities
Enjoy a drink and snack at our Studio Café, hot food and Butterbeer at our Backlot Café or bring your own food and use our picnic area. Find Out More. Find out about the facilities available at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. Cloakroom, cash machine, toilets and much more.
Tickets
Explore the Tour. Schools. Travel Partners. Private Events. Tour Accessibility. Find all ticket prices and the different ticket types available for the Studio Tour. Tickets must be booked in advance. Adult tickets start from £47.
Review: Is the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Worth It?
For a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood movie-making, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is one of the best options around Los Angeles. This tour offers a 2-3 hour experience inside a working Hollywood studio, with the chance to explore outdoor sets and soundstages used to create La La Land, Gilmore Girls, The Big Bang Theory, and numerous other productions.
What's On
Find out what's coming up at the Studio Tour. Learn more about what it took to create the iconic Harry Potter film series at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.