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Visit Platform 9 ¾™ at King’s Cross Station

"A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 o’clock. Harry looked behind and saw… the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. He had done it."

This Harry Potter scene took place in central London. True Potterheads already know that. For those just discovering this treasure trove of a wizarding school , well, you know now. If you check none of the boxes above, but travelling is your beau, King's Cross is for you!

Is King's Cross station included in Warner Bros Harry Potter studio tours?

King's Cross Station isn't actually set up within the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour London itself, but it is a popular departure point for many tours heading to the studios. This is because it's the station featured in the Harry Potter series as the gateway to Platform 9 ¾, where wizards board the Hogwarts Express.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London offers a behind-the-scenes look at the sets , props , and costumes used in the Harry Potter films. While there isn't a physical recreation of King's Cross Station within the tour, there are several nods to the iconic location. For example, visitors can pose for a photo with a luggage trolley disappearing through the wall between platforms 9 and 10, just like Harry did in the first film.

How to reach the Warner Bros Harry Potter studios from King's Cross station?

• Why choose: Fastest route
• Timings: 1hr 4 mins
• Start at King's Cross Station, England. Walk 20 minutes to London Euston. Take a 13-minute train to Watford Junction. Transfer at Watford Junction Railway Station (Stop 6). Take a 13-minute train to Harrow & Wealdstone. Arrive at Ashfields (Approx. 4 minutes). Walk to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potte
• Get directions here .

• Why choose: Cheapest
• Timings: 2hrs
• Start at King's Cross St. Pancras Underground Station and take a 26-minute Tube ride to Edgware Underground Station. Transfer to the Brent line at Edgware (Stop F). Ride for 48 minutes to Watford Junction Railway Station (Stop 1). Then, transfer at Watford Junction Railway Station (Stop 6) for a 15-minute train to Harrow & Wealdstone. Upon arrival at Ashfields, Watford (approximately 4 minutes later), walk to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
• Get directions here

• Why choose: Convenient
• Take a taxi from Pancras Rd/A5202 to M1 and drive for 28 minutes on M1. Take exit 5 from M1 onto Colne Way/N Western Ave/A41 in Bushey (12 min). Continue on N Western Ave/A41, drive for 10 minutes and arrive at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.

Harry Potter King's Cross Station highlight

Platform 9 ¾

Platform 9 ¾ at the Warner Bros Studio Tour London is a recreation of the iconic location from the Harry Potter series. While it's not a real train platform that whisks you away to Hogwarts, it is a popular photo opportunity for visitors. The recreation includes a baggage trolley disappearing through a brick wall, just like in the films. Originally positioned along the corridor between platforms 9 and 11, the installation was later relocated to its current location outside the famous Harry Potter store at King's Cross. You can pose for a photo with the trolley, pretending to be on your way to Hogwarts.

The Harry Potter Shop

Another major draw for fans is the store itself. The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ is an alternative to Diagon Alley for fellow muggles! If anything appears in the series, you will most likely find it here as well. The options are almost limitless, ranging from robes, wands, and Hogwarts school trunks (which you may also customize) to candies, bottled butterbeers, books, and keepsakes.

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Frequently asked question about warner bros harry potter studio tours- king's cross station.

Yes! Although it's not a real train platform, there's a recreation with a disappearing luggage trolley for photo opportunities. You'll find it outside the Harry Potter Shop near platforms 9 and 10.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at sets, props, costumes, and special effects used in the Harry Potter films. Explore iconic locations like the Great Hall, Dumbledore's office, and Diagon Alley.

While not an actual platform, there's a recreation you can pose with for photos, similar to the one at King's Cross Station.

Everything a Potterhead could desire! Robes, wands, Hogwarts items, candies, Butterbeer, books, keepsakes, and more.

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Best Things To See On A Walk From King’s Cross Station To The British Museum

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It’s easy to ride the Tube or a bus from King’s Cross St. Pancras Station to the British Museum, but you see more on foot. The direct route is about one mile with no hills.

From King’s Cross, the route traverses Bloomsbury, famous for writers, artists, and green squares.

Guided tours are often organized along a theme. Our list is not like that. It follows a fairly direct route and shows you some points of interest along the way.

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The Magnificent Architecture Of King’s Cross St. Pancras

King’s Cross St. Pancras is two connected train and Tube stations, with shopping, food, and restrooms inside each.

Witnessed from across busy Euston Road, the two stations are distinctly different. King’s Cross was designed by engineer Lewis Cubitt and opened in 1852. It looks boldly modern. Two great train-sized arches proclaim its purpose.

In contrast, the front of St. Pancras International Station, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, is a highly decorated red brick Gothic Revival masterpiece. Today, this is the front of the St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel, formerly the Midland Grand Hotel, built in 1873.

Argyle Square, From Dust Heap To Respectability, Twice

The neat Georgian terrace houses defining Argyle Square today don’t give any clues to its dirty past.

The ground between here and King’s Cross Station used to be covered in the literal dirt of the Great Dust Heap. Pigs roamed this garbage mountain, hunting for food. Human scavengers sifted for valuables. Even dead cats were worth retrieving for their fur.

The story is that the Russians bought this dust heap and others to make into bricks for rebuilding Moscow after Napoleon burned it down.

Starting in the 1840s, Argyle Square saw the building of nice new homes. They weren’t meant to be grand, just tasteful, respectable houses.

Things slid downhill in the 20th century. King’s Cross became notorious for crime, prostitution, and drug dealing.

Since the 1990s, investments in the station and area have raised the tone again.

A Taste Of Art Deco In Bloomsbury

Clare Court on Judd Street in Bloomsbury is a U-shaped art deco apartment building with a spacious feel. Its most colorful past resident may have been Ian D. A. Board.

From the 1940s until he died in 1994, Board worked at and then ran the dingy, legendary Colony Room Club in Soho. The artist Francis Bacon was a regular.

Christopher Howse wrote that in a court case, Board gave his address as Clare Court. Then he testified about throwing the mobile phone of one Babyface Scarlatti across the room at the club.

Howse’s obituary of Board said, “In his 60th year he gave up drinking brandy for breakfast. He drank vodka in the morning at home.”

The First Medical School For Women, 8 Hunter Street

The extraordinarily determined Sophia Jex-Blake and six other women were admitted to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1869. Many male classmates and doctors opposed them, even staging a riot. In 1873, those women who had already been granted degrees saw them revoked under pressure from the men.

In 1874, the determined Jex-Blake leased a house at 30 Handel Street (formerly Henrietta Street) and started a medical school. The London Evening Standard printed two sentences about it, beginning, “The London School of Medicine for Women was opened without any special ceremony.” The next story, significantly longer, featured the annual oyster festival in Colchester.

The school was a success, and in 1898 moved to a new, purpose-built home at 8 Hunter Street. Now used as a health center, the building continues along Handel Street and up Wakefield Street. Above the main door is the old sign, “London Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine for Women”.

St. George’s Gardens, Outdoor Space For The Poor

This is one of London’s secret gardens. It’s no coincidence that St. George’s Gardens used to be an overgrown cemetery. Peeking in here will add about 15 minutes to your walk.

In 1714, this became the first London cemetery set far away from its church. The churchyards in London were full and this was the only solution.

After this new space was itself filled up, it became neglected.

As Charles Dickens vividly documented, London in the 1800s was a hard place for poor people. A few decades after Dickens, social reformers led by Miranda and Octavia Hill campaigned for more green space for Londoners. Opening up the cemeteries as public parks was one strategy. St. George’s Gardens opened as a park in 1884 and was one of the sisters’ first successes.

The high brick walls were built to keep out the body snatchers of the 1700s. These criminals sold stolen bodies to anatomists.

On the other side of the south wall is The Foundling Museum, but there is no direct public access to it.

Notable people remembered inside the cemetery-turned-park include Oliver Cromwell’s granddaughter Anna Gibson, whose large tomb is fairly easily found. On the north wall, there’s a plaque honoring 16 Jacobite supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who were all executed in 1746 and buried here.

Leave St. George’s Gardens the way you came.

The Foundling Museum, Brunswick Square

A visit to The Foundling Museum will take you off the direct path and is worth a stop of an hour or more if you have time. Otherwise, save it for another day and use Handel Street or Hunter Street to reach the nearby Brunswick complex (a large concrete building).

The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital. Distressed by the suffering and death of abandoned babies in London, sea captain Thomas Coram and many influential supporters started a charity in 1739. The Foundling Hospital wasn’t a hospital for the sick; it was an orphanage that cared for children until 1954.

In the museum, visitors learn about the children’s lives. There are recordings of some of the people who grew up in care telling their own stories.

Many people are moved to see the tokens that the desperate, often destitute, mothers of the 1700s used to leave with their babies to identify them later, if ever they could reclaim them. The hope embodied in a playing card torn in half or a faded scrap of ribbon is timelessly touching.

Skoob Books In The Brunswick

Having been home to Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens, among many other writers, it’s no surprise to find bookstores in Bloomsbury. Skoob is eclectic and accommodating, described by Time Out magazine as a “temple for secondhand books”.

Skoob is in The Brunswick, a modern concrete mixed-use complex from the early 1970s that combines apartments, shopping, and a cinema.

Leaving The Brunswick will put you on Marchmont Street. The local Marchmont Society has put up their own blue plaques on buildings associated with famous past residents. Kenneth Williams, comic actor, was one.

The Horse Hospital, Colonnade

The Horse Hospital , built in 1797 when horses were the engines of transport, became an independent arts venue in the 1990s.

Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel

Formerly the Hotel Russell, this hotel in Russell Square is eclectic and decorated to the extreme. The front of the hotel has statues of four past English queens.

Russell Square

Inside Russell Square, it’s leafy and green with a playful fountain.

On the western corner, outside the green space, there is a little green building. This is a traditional cabmen’s shelter, originally meant just for taxi drivers but now open for anyone to buy food and drink.

From here, it’s a short walk to the British Museum.

Pro Tips: The entrance on Montague Place may be quicker to get in through than the main entrance. To explore Bloomsbury more deeply, consider booking a tour with a London Blue Badge Guide .

For more unique London experiences, consider these eight things to do in the Marylebone neighborhood , what to know about mudlarking on the River Thames , and why you should visit the Churchill War Rooms .

Canadian writer Jill Browne lives in Calgary, Alberta, not far from Banff National Park. She travels regularly to London, England, often solo, and has lots of tips for walking and sightseeing there. Jill blogs about London history on LondonHeritageHotspots as well as on Instagram . She loves to plan family history trips for people, especially when their roots connect them to the British Isles. Her website, Genealogy And Travel is devoted to genealogy travel and family history tourism, no matter where you are. You don't have to fly to get in touch with your ancestry.

An experienced road tripper, Jill has driven across Canada and the U.S. multiple times. She and her geologist husband have explored some of Australia and the North Island of New Zealand by car, and are hoping to go back for more. Jill likes gardens, forests, and anything with plants, really. "Adventure without risking life and limb" is her travel motto, and the byline for her blog, Middle of the Road Less Travelled .

The Hidden History Of King’s Cross: A Self-Guided Walk

King’s Cross is an absolutely fascinating area, packed with history and industrial heritage.

It was once a crucial industrial hub for Victorian London, receiving and distributing goods and coal from the North. After a period of decay and decline after World War Two, it has recently, in the last ten years or so, undergone rapid change and regeneration.

Come on a walk with me around some of the better and lesser known historical sights in the area. This is the route I took, see below for the history behind each stop.

King’s Cross Station

The route begins at King’s Cross Station.

King’s Cross station opened in 1852 and was, at the time, the largest railway station in Britain.

The King’s Cross area, named after a statue of King George IV that had been located at the road crossroads here from 1830-1842, had previously been the site of a smallpox and fever hospital and generally pretty unpleasant.

Prior to that it had been known as Battle Bridge after a crossing here over the now lost River Fleet . Legend has it that the ‘Battle’ bit comes from this having been the location of Boudicca’s battle against the Romans in 60/61AD. There is even an urban myth that she is buried beneath platform 9 or 10 of the station.

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

We make our way over now to the incredible and instantly recognisable neo-gothic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

This Victorian architectural marvel was designed by George Gilbert Scott and acted as a grand frontage onto Euston Road for the new St Pancras station behind, finished in 1865.

The hotel was completed in 1876 and was, at first, known as the Midland Grand Hotel. It closed as a hotel in 1935 due to the high running costs and used as railway offices. In the 1960s National Rail wanted to demolish it but thankfully it was saved after a campaign led by John Betjeman and the Victorian Society.

Since an extensive refurbishment in 2004, there are a number of apartments in the building as well as hotel rooms. There is one even in the iconic clock tower, just below the clock face with 10m high ceilings in the main space. See photos of the inside here .

You can find out more about the history behind the hotel in my blog post here . 

St Pancras Station

We head through St Pancras station now. The station opened in 1865, commissioned by the Midland Railway Company to bring goods and coal into London. Since 2007 it has also of course been the London terminus for the Eurostar. 

Look out for the 9 metre high ‘Lovers Statue’ by Paul Day and the statue of Sir John Betjeman who led the successful campaign to save the station and hotel from demolition in the 1960s.

German Gymnasium

Coming out of St Pancras station on Pancras Road you will come face to face with the German Gymnasium.

Amazingly, when it opened in 1865 this was the first purpose built gymnasium in the country. It was funded by the German Gymnastics Society.

It was used by the National Olympian Association for their first ever Games back in 1866. This purely UK based organisation pre-dates the International Olympic Committee and its first international games in 1896.

Before World War Two the building ceased to be a gymnasium and has been used for various purposes since then. Today it is a German themed restaurant. 

Stanley Buildings

Peek around the side of the German Gymnasium and you still see the Stanley Buildings. These were constructed in 1865 by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company to provide good quality accommodation for workers at King’s Cross.

What you see is the only surviving block of what were once five, built for 104 families. Today it is offices and meeting spaces. 

Granary Square

Heading Northwards we cross over the Regent’s Canal. When the canal opened in 1820, it connected the Kings Cross area to the midlands and was a major trigger for turning this area into an industrial hub. 

You enter the large, open space of Granary Square with its fountains, art installations and benches. It used to look pretty different.

It was actually once a huge basin for loading/unloading barges. The whole complex was completed in 1852, designed by Lewis Cubitt.

The Granary building itself picture above was predominantly used to store wheat for London’s busy bakers. The sheds, either side were used to transfer freight off or onto rail carts. Make sure you spot the old metal railway tracks and turntable outside the Granary Building today. 

The Granary Building today is home to the arts school, Central Saint Martins.

Midland Goods Shed

Follow the tracks round via the canal to see the Midlands Goods Shed.

Built in 1850, it was originally used as a temporary passenger terminal whilst King’s Cross Station was being constructed, before becoming a goods shed. Queen Victoria used it in 1851 to travel up to Scotland.

It is currently being restored to be an events and cultural space. Peer over the edge, down to the canalside, to see the iconic Word on the Water book barge. 

Coal Drops Yard

Follow the route round the back of the granary building and you pop out by Coal Drops Yard. Go inside the side entrance and you will walk past a great scale model of the development.

Constructed in the 1850s, coal would have once arrived here on trains from the North. The structures once carried four high level railway tracks.

The coal was dropped from the trains into storage hoppers, hence coal drops. The coal would then be loaded onto carts or barges to be transported around London and power the Victorian city.

They were later used as warehouses and became well-known in the 1980s and 90s as a location on the London rave scene.

Today it has been developed into a shopping area with restaurants and bars. The upper level is known as ‘the viaduct’ as a reference to its industrial history. 

The Coal Office

Loop back on yourself, along Bagley Park, the raised walkway, past the old coal office buildings. This is where clerks would be based, monitoring the amount of coal coming in and out of the site.

They are officially known as the Fish and Coal Buildings due to the fact that later on staff were based here who distributed the fish arriving into London as well.

Make sure to spot the old Coal Office ghost sign on the side of the building. 

The Canal Towpath

Cut underneath the high walkway onto the canal towpath. You will pass by some plaques and information boards on the history of the area. 

Gasholder Apartments

Towering over the whole site are the old gasholders. Constructed in the 1860s, they were part of the St Pancras gasworks, the largest in London at that time. Gas was manufactured here until the late 20th century. 

The Grade II listed structures have now been restored and transformed into luxury apartments. For those wondering, it looks like a 1 bed apartment currently goes for about £1.2 million.

The Victorian Water Tower

Cross the canal via the Somers Town Bridge, past the St Pancras Lock with its attractive late 19th century lock-keepers cottage. 

You will pass by the lovely little Victorian water tower.

It was constructed in 1872 to supply water to the steam locomotives at the train stations. You may well notice that it has architectural similarities to the St Pancras hotel. This is not just a coincidence, the water tower was also the work of the office of George Gilbert Scott. 

It used to be 700 metres closer to the station but when it was threatened with demolition, due to the Channel Tunnel Rail link, it was moved to its current site in 2001. 

It is used today by the St Pancras Cruising Club and they have open days for the public to look around. Find out more about visiting here .

Camley Street Natural Park

We finish the walk at Camley Street Natural Park. This was once land occupied by more coal drops, owned by the Great Northern Railway Company. From the 1950s they lay derelict and were finally demolished in the 1960s. 

Since 1984, the brownfield ‘wasteland’ site has been given over to nature and is managed today by Wildlife Trust, with a new canal-side cafe. You can read more about the history of Camley Street Natural Park here .

Thank you for joining me, make sure to comment below with your thoughts or feedback if you go on the tour!

Find out more about the history of King’s Cross here .

More London historical sights below…

My Top Ten Historic Churches In London

A Visit To London’s New Roman Wall Museum

A Wonderful Day Trip To Historic Hastings

15 Amazing Overlooked Details To Spot At Westminster Abbey

Share this:, 11 thoughts on “the hidden history of king’s cross: a self-guided walk”.

Fantastic information again, thanks! How did they manage to move the Water tower??

Thank you for the interesting facts about the iconic site of Kings Cross. Back in the early ’80s, I used to patrol the area as a Policeman and saw some sights, especially working nights and stumbling across the prostitutes in York Way and Goodsway. It was a bit of an eye opener! The goods yard was derelict then and on a Sunday early turn, you would meet all sorts of characters from Bagley ravers, bomb disposal experts (!) to a self-employed document disposal chap who was caught burning bank statements from numerous banks and large corporations in order to save himself some money from taking it to an incinerator. Happy days!

an interesting add on is to walk from the Camley street park to the church and graveyard.. where the hardy tree was.. sadly now fallen..but the church is certainly worth a visit

Hi Jack. Do you a walking tour of Kings Cross covering all the areas in the above post. Regards Linda

Fantastic I love thee details and I’d love to do a tour

The King’s Cross walk looks so interesting. I have walked through these streets frequently (living in Holborn and formerly working at St Pancras Hospital) without knowing the details. Do you do a book of walks?

Love reading your posts Jack and hope to do one of your walks soon but I obviously need to respond quickly to your newsletter with new dates! Like you I find London endlessly fascinating with its juxtaposition of old and new; there’s always something new to discover. Thank you for all of your research.

My friend and I walked around the area recently and saw most of what you show, it was wonderful to find out about the water tower. We explored the Coal Drop Yard and all the shops. My family lived and worked around this area and I tried to picture how their lives must have been. We walked along the canal path and watched a boat use the lock which was a thrill for us. Loved the Retro shop, and sat on deckchairs soaking up the atmosphere. Crowds were watching the outdoor cinema and we bought double ice cream cones before heading home. My friend does tours in this area so I will join her again soon!

Did this tour yesterday with friends, absolutely brilliant and very informative, thank you. The area has been regenerated so well and the design is fabulous.

An excellent walk around Kings Cross. Some of this was familiar but there were some interesting moments that I hadn’t spotted previously – thank you so much for sharing Jack 😊

It was a very difficult job – all moved in one pieces .. jacked up and moved … Cost an absolute fortune!! I remember them doing it!! But what a work of art Richard

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Hogwarts Express - King's Cross Station

An Attraction in Universal Studios Florida

Last updated: April 7, 2024

At a Glance

Part of the genius of creating Diagon Alley  at USF is that it is connected to Hogsmeade  at IOA by the Hogwarts Express, just as in the novels and films. The counterpart to the Hogsmeade Station in IOA is Universal Studios' King's Cross station, a landmark London train depot that has been recreated a few doors down from Diagon Alley's hidden entrance. ( It's important to note that King's Cross has a separate entrance and exit from Diagon Alley; you cannot go directly between them without crossing through the London Waterfront. )

The passage to platform 9¾, from which Hogwarts students depart on their way to school, is concealed from Muggles by a seemingly solid brick wall, which you'll witness guests ahead of you dematerializing through. [Spoiler: the "Pepper's Ghost" effect creates a clever but congestion-prone photo op, but you only experience a dark corridor with wooshing sound effects when crossing over yourself.]

Once on the platform, you'll pass a pile of luggage (including an owl cage with animatronic Hedwig) before being assigned to one of the 3 train cars' 7 compartments. The train itself looks exactingly authentic to the n-th degree from the billowing steam to the brass fixtures and upholstery in your 8-passenger private cabin. Along your one-way Hogwarts Express journey, you'll see moving images projected beyond the windows of the car rather than the park’s backstage ares, with the streets of London and Scottish countryside rolling past outside your window. The screen isn't 3-D, but it's slightly curved to conceal the edges and create a convincing illusion of depth. Even more impressive is the frosted glass doors you enter through, which turn out to be amazing screens that makes it seem like someone is standing on the other side. You experience a different presentation coming and going, and in addition to pastoral scenery there are surprises appearances by secondary characters (Fred and George Weasley, Hagrid), and threats en route (bone-chilling Dementors, licorice spiders) augmented by vibration and sound effects in the cars.

Note that, as in Escape from Gringotts, the lead actors did not reprise their roles to the ride's detriment, as this Middleton, Delaware reader reports:

Ron sounds like Ron & Harry is decent but Hermione sounds like they grabbed a worker's relative and put her in a sound booth. I wish they would change it already.

Hogwarts Express isn't an adrenaline rush in the same way that Gringotts is, but for those invested in the Potter lore it may be even more emotionally thrilling. And unlike most Potter attractions, it can be experienced by the whole family, regardless of size.

• Universal Express
• Must Transfer From Wheelchair/ECV

Touring Tips

Universal was somehow surprised by a survey that showed guests considered the Hogwarts Express an attraction rather than merely transportation connecting the two parks. This “revelation” threw the creative team into a tizzy about how they could increase the capacity of the train—a task made all the more difficult because the stations and track were already under construction.

There’s a capacity-versus-authenticity issue front and center with the Hogwarts Express—and if you know J. K. Rowling’s reputation for perfectionism where adaptations of her books are concerned, you know the sticky wicket this presented for Universal. The train cars from the films and novels are divided into private compartments that seat eight, but replicating those compartments means fewer seats and longer loading times (and longer queues, too).

As a result, not everyone in one or the other park will be able to experience the train, because its carrying capacity is relatively small and the track can accommodate only two trains, each moving in a different direction and passing one another in the middle of the journey. This leaves Universal with a few crowd-mitigating options.

• First, because using the train for a one-way trip involves park-hopping, one-way passengers will need a valid Park-to-Park ticket. Disembarking passengers must enter the second park and, if desired, queue again for their return trip. There are ticket booths to upgrade your one-park pass at the station entrance.
• Second, Universal Express is ironically unavailable for the Hogwarts Express, at least for the time being.
• Third, if the line becomes too long Universal could limit you to only one one-way ride per day. If you wish to take a same-day return trip, you could be relegated to a secondary queue that promises to be exponentially slower than the already glacial standby queue. (Thankfully, this has only been enforced a couple of times.)

At the other end, the Hogsmeade Village station lies within the footprint of the Dragon Challenge roller coaster and provides pedestrian access to Hogsmeade and IOA’s Lost Continent themed area. On days of low-to-average attendance, disembarking guests will be allowed directly into Hogsmeade, less than a minute’s walk away. On days of heavy attendance, they’ll be directed to the bridge between The Lost Continent and Jurassic Park, where they’ll have to either queue to enter Hogsmeade or obtain a free timed-entry ticket to visit The Wizarding World at a specified time.

Despite all these challenges, the Hogwarts Express managed to move one million riders in its first month of operation, surprising everyone with its operational efficiency. As a result, lines rarely exceed 15 minutes in the morning and evening, although the queue may swell to an hour in mid-afternoon.

Guests exiting in Hogsmeade have a chance to take a photo with the locomotive before it backs out for its next run. Guests departing from Hogsmeade should pose with the static train outside the station before they queue up.

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The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾

• The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾

Welcome to The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾!

An exciting destination for every Harry Potter fan, the Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ is located in London King’s Cross Station and is the perfect location to stock up on your wizarding world supplies.

The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ offers fans unique and exclusive products, along with our famous trolley-through-the-wall photo opportunity!

About the Harry Potter Shop

Our trolley-through-the-wall photo opportunity is located just outside of our shop at King’s Cross Station. Our professional photographers can capture your photo for you and you have the option to purchase your photographs in print and digital format in-store. You are also welcome to take your own photos too! Remember to tag us in your photos with @HarryPotterShop and #Platform934. No ticket is needed for your photo but please be aware there is often a queue and during busy periods, the photo opportunity will close an hour before the advertised store closing times, so please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ was the first ever Harry Potter Shop to open in the world outside of a themed visitor attraction. It opened its doors officially by none other than Warwick Davis, who played Professor Flitwick and Griphook in the film series, on December 14th, 2012. Since opening the store in King’s Cross Station, we have opened an additional Harry Potter Shop in Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5. Further retail opportunities also await at Harry Potter New York in the heart of New York City’s Flatiron District.

Getting here and opening times

The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ is located in King’s Cross Station, London, N1 9AP. The closest underground station is King’s Cross St. Pancras, which is on the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern (Bank branch), Piccadilly and Victoria lines. It is approximately a ten-minute walk from Euston station. The nearest railway station is London King’s Cross.

While opening times may vary, our standard opening times for our Pop-Up shop can be seen below: Monday – Saturday: 8am – 10pm Sunday and Bank Holidays: 8am – 9pm

If you’re interested in joining the team at Platform 9 ¾, please  click here  to view our careers website.

The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾, Kings Cross Station, London - N1 9AP

Opening Hours

The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾ is open:

Monday to Saturday: 8am-8pm

Sunday: 9am-8pm

Bank Holidays: 9am-8pm

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Things to do in Moscow for First-Timers

Updated December 14, 2017

// By Margherita

Last August, a dream came true for both myself and Nick – we visited Russia for the first time. We joined the 13-day Waterways of the Tsars cruise with Viking River Cruises, travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg (with some cool stops in between). Here’s our first post, with lots of interesting things to do in Moscow for first timers!

My Moscow Dreams

I’ve always liked to think that Moscow was my first trip ever. My father visited the (then) Soviet capital in 1986, and returned with a mini-bearskin hat and stories about that mysterious country – ‘a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’ , as Churchill famously defined it.

My dad told me stories, and I dreamt. I dreamt the multicoloured domes of St Basil’s, the crenellated walls of the Kremlin, the metro stations – my dad described them as ‘real underground palaces, with marble and chandeliers’ – I even dreamt of visiting GUM, the legendary department store on Red Square, with luxurious stuccos and dusty, empty shelves.

Moscow fascinated me so much that I imagined I could see it from my bedroom window. Looking east, beyond the station of Milano Lambrate, I could see a dozen red, blocky apartment buildings, and imagined it was Moscow. Deep within myself I knew they weren’t Socialist high-rises, it was Milano Due, the utopic ‘city of the future’ built by Berlusconi at the dawn of the 1980s.

That is probably why when we first visited Moscow last August, the city looked familiar. Many people describe their first visit to New York as a kind of deja-vu, after having seen the city in so many movies. Moscow gave me exactly the same feeling. Because, in a way, I had already been there.

Not just through my dad’s tales and my own childhood daydreaming – but also through books. I walked alongside Dr Zhivago in the streets of post-revolutionary Moscow. I sat next to Anna Karenina as she travelled to the city. Most of all, I walked down the Arbat and flew over the roofs of the city with my namesake heroine, Margarita .

Yet, Moscow eluded us for years , until we finally landed at Sheremetyevo airport one hazy morning, after two aborted landings because of thick fog. From the very first minute, it felt familiar – yet surprised us in ways I couldn’t imagine. No book or photograph prepared us for the magnificence of the Kremlin cathedrals, for the dazzling beauty of the city at night, for the extravagance of the Metro stations.

If you follow our blog regularly, you’ll know that we rarely write about ‘must-sees’ – instead, we try to delve deeper and find unusual things to see and do in the towns we visited. However, as this was our first time in Moscow, we decided to focus on the essentials, and compiled this guide of things to do in Moscow with first timers in mind. (I’m sure we’ll be back to explore the city further)

6 Things to do in Moscow for first timers

1)red square.

Red Square is Moscow’s main landmark , and the place where – I guess – 99% of people begin their exploration of the city. Imagine my joy when we were about to cross the gates into the huge square that I had so often pictured in my mind.

I could glimpse the multicoloured domes of St Basil’s on the far side , but it wasn’t the sprawling expanse I knew – something was blocking my sight. Two huge grandstands for a forthcoming festival of military bands had been erected right in the middle of Red Square, taking up most of available space.

The rest of the square was packed with tourists, it was a very hot day, and I’m sure you can imagine my disappointment.

So, just a little piece of advice for you. If you want to see Red Square in all its sprawling magnificence , make sure there’s no event going on in the square – apparently, events happen very often. We got a couple of messages on social media from people that also found Red Square all blocked up because of concerts or other festivals.

Facing St Basil’s (or the grandstands, in our case), the right hand side of the square borders the Kremlin walls, and near there you’ll find Lenin’s Mausoleum . After having seen the embalmed corpse of Mao in Beijing and Uncle Ho in Hanoi, we were looking forward to visiting Vladimir Ilich – but sadly, we missed the opening times.

On the left hand side of the square there’s  GUM , the same department store that my dad had visited 30 years previously, finding it dusty and empty. During our visit, the afternoon light shone through the glass domed ceilings, over white marble floors and whitewashed walls.

Diners clinked glasses in cafés and the store windows were packed with luxury clothes and accessories. And of course, on the far side of the square, St Basil’s was as dazzling as ever, the five domes five different jewels over the sapphire sky.

A little curiosity for you – the ‘Red’ in Red Square has nothing to do with Communism. The word Krasnaya used to mean ‘beautiful’ in Old Russian, and got the meaning ‘red’ only in more recent times. So, Red Square is also Beautiful Square.

Red Square was a bit of a disappointment, but the Kremlin exceeded all our expectations. The word Kremlin means ‘citadel’ – myself and many others were convinced that the Kremlin would be a simple city palace, but it’s in fact a walled city within a city , with palaces, churches, gardens and two helipads so Mr Putin can get to work without needing to brave the horrid Moscow traffic.

The Kremlin feels like a place that belongs to a parallel world. Everything looks tidy and perfect. Guards in huge hats and manicured uniforms patrol the streets, whistling if you dare cross away from the zebra crossing – yet, strangely, it’s absolutely fine to climb over the Tsar Bell, the largest bell ever cast at a weight of 480 tons.

The Tsar Bell never tolled, and the Tsar Cannon standing right next to it, the largest cannon ever made, never fired a single shot. Go figure.

The most beautiful location in the Kremlin is stunning Cathedral Square , surrounded by several churches with glistening golden domes. We only had time to visit two – Cathedral of the Assumption , where the Tsars were crowned, and Cathedral of the Archangel , final place of rest of several tsars and their families.

3) Moscow Metro

The Kremlin has been the home of Russia’s rulers for centuries. During Communist times, the power was in the hands of the people (or at least, that’s what they were told). In the late 1920s, Stalin ordered the construction of a monumental underground system – a ‘Palace for the People’ , that would fulfil the need for propaganda and intra-city transportation at the same time, as Moscow grew non stop.

Nowadays, the Moscow metro is developed over 12 lines – one circular and 11 radial . An apocryphal tale states that when Stalin was shown the Metro plan, no circular line was contemplated. Stalin placed his teacup on the paper, leaving a round brown mark – naturally, the leader was praised for his brilliance, and that’s how the circular line was born. All lines are colour coded, and the circular line is brown.

The Moscow Metro is not only stunning to look at – it also works amazingly well, and it’s super cheap. It runs from 5 to 2 am, every 20 seconds in peak hour, and a single ride only costs 50 roubles and has no time limit. That means you can spend the whole day touring this stunning system of underground palaces, spending less than a euro.

Each station is decorated differently – no station signs are visible from inside the trains, so Muscovites can tell where to get off by looking at the station’s decoration. Some of the most stunning include Mayakovskaya on the Green Line, Ploshchad Revolyutsii on the Blue Line and  Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya and Kiyevskaya along the Circular (Koltsevaya) line.

I had read about the Arbat so many times in books , that I couldn’t wait to visit it for myself. It is one of the oldest surviving streets of Moscow , connecting the city centre with the boulevard ring. It was once one of the main thoroughfares into town from the West, before becoming home to the nobility first, then to artists and Soviet officials.

These days, the Arbat is not Moscow’s ‘Boulevard St Germain’ anymore – most of the mansions lining it were destroyed to stop Napoleon’s advance in 1812. There are actually two Arbats in Moscow now – the Old Arbat is pedestrian , so it’s still a wonderful place for a walk and some people-watching. There are several souvenir shops but being the heart of the tourist city centre, I’d give shopping around here a miss.

Towards the end of the street there’s an Alice in Wonderland themed cafe (a slice of Tokyo in the center of Moscow?) which could be an interesting spot for a coffee. Or you could check out New Arbat , just parallel, the home of administration and bureaucracy during Soviet times.

5) Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Even if you’re not one for churches, you’ll agree with me that the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a spellbinding sight , with its golden domes and white marble frame set against the sky, and the Moskva river flowing right on its side.

To make matters even better, the Cathedral has a really interesting history. It was erected in the 19th century, after the victory against the Napoleonic Army. A convent was evacuated to make room for the church, and one of the sisters – enraged after having been evicted – claimed that no building erected on that site will ever stand for more than 50 years.

The Cathedral was eventually consecrated in 1883 – and in 1931, 48 years later, it was demolished by Stalin to make room for the ‘Palace of the Soviets’, a monumental building that was going to be topped by a huge statue of Lenin. WW2 halted construction, and after Stalin’s death the construction site stood unfinished for decades – the gaping hole for the foundations was turned into the world’s largest open-air swimming pool.

The ‘current’ Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was built between 1995 and 2000. 50 kilos of gold were used for the domes. Will it last for more than 50 years? Only time will tell.

6) Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

If like me you’re a fan of Communist architecture and iconography , you’ll be spoilt in Moscow. In the past, we visited Communist sights in Warsaw , Vilnius and Bratislava – but really, they’re nothing compared to Moscow.

From kommunalka apartment blocks to Stalin’s Seven Sisters (huge 1930s skyscrapers housing hotels, apartments, offices and universities), from the Metro to statues and plaques everywhere, Moscow has plenty of relics from the Communist period – after all, it was the capital of the Communist world.

I could spend weeks touring all sights of Communist Moscow – to be honest, we are already planning a trip back for this very reason. If you only had time to visit one Communist sight, make sure it’s the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics . The entrance to the museum is in the base of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space , which is by far THE MOST AMAZING monument we’ve ever seen. I mean, check it out.

The museum itself makes for a very interesting visit for everyone interested in the space race. It houses the first satellite ever to be launched, the embalmed bodies of two space dogs, a full-scale reproduction of space station Mir, space suits and lots more interesting exhibits. We visited on a guided tour with Viking Cruises, which was a great idea as it was really hard to understand the function of some objects otherwise.

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics celebrates a time when people dared to look at the stars and dream that one day, we might actually uncover this great mystery. Sure, political implications (on either side of the wall) were behind it all, not some romantic dream – but 55 years from Gagarin’s first flight, space news are often relegated to the bottom of newspaper pages.

Perhaps we have way too many problems on this planet to worry about exploring others. Exploring the Museum, I wished that one day we’ll be able to set out and uncover the biggest mystery of all once again.

Moscow with Viking Cruises

We visited several of the sights mentioned in this list on tours run by Viking River Cruises as part of our Waterways of the Tsars cruise. The Kremlin tour, Moscow city tour (by public transport or bus – naturally we opted for the latter) and a traditional music concert were included in the tour price, but we also took additional tours to the Museum of Cosmonautics and around Moscow by night , both of which we enjoyed a lot.

Our accommodation was on the Viking Truvor , moored in Moscow’s North River terminal near   Rechnoy Vozkal station on the green line, making it possible to reach the centre in half an hour to explore the city independently. All meals are served on the boat, and transport to/from the boat is always provided during tours. Trust me, on a Viking cruise you won’t go hungry!

A great benefit of exploring Moscow with Viking were the excellent local guides , who shared their knowledge with us and gave us ideas on how to make the most of our free time in such a big, sprawling city. We spent three days in Moscow, but we are sure we will be back!

We would like to thank Viking Cruises for having welcomed us aboard the Waterways of the Tsars cruise.

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A Moscow Free Walking Tour of the Iconic Red Square

Updated March 10th, 2020

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No visit to Moscow, Russia is complete unless you take a walk around the famous Red Square and see the iconic sights of the city. One of the best ways to see all the famous landmarks in Moscow and learn a little something about them too is on a free Moscow walking tour through the Red Square.

Continue reading for a sneak peek at what you will see on your free tour in Moscow and for tips on both the tour and visiting the sights. Make sure to save some time during your trip to go inside of the magnificent buildings because you will not be going in the buildings during the tour.

The State Historical Museum

The Moscow free walking tour begins at the Marshal Zhukov monument in front of the State Historical Museum . You can’t miss this massive red building. The museum’s interior is almost as spectacular as the artifacts you can see within. Read my post dedicated to the museum here to find out more on what you can see and tips for visiting. Admission is free with the Moscow City Pass .

The Kremlin

Behind the walls of the Kremlin lie the working offices of Russian’s government and president. When visiting the Kremlin you can see the Armory Chamber, Cathedral Square, the Patriach’s Palace and many more cathedrals. You definitely want to buy tickets ahead of time so you avoid the long-lines. You can get free admission with the Moscow City Pass . It’s also worth it to take a guided tour if you don’t speak Russian so you have more of an understanding of what you are seeing.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

If asked to conquer up an image of Moscow, St. Basil’s Cathedral might just be the most likely image you picture. The cathedral has a museum that you can visit at a later time. You can buy tickets at the ticket kiosk outside the cathedral or receive free admission with the Moscow City Pass .

Moskva River

Next up on the tour is the Moskva River which runs through the center of Moscow. A cruise on the Moskva River is a great way to see the city from a different perspective.

GUM Shopping Mall

Who would think a mall would be one of Moscow’s most well-known attractions? GUM shopping mall across from the Kremlin makes up one of the four sides of the Red Square. The stores might be a bit too pricey for shopping, but the gorgeous interior is worth a visit. If that doesn’t convince you, the mall has some of the best ice cream! GUM is the only building you go inside during the free walking tour. There are pay bathrooms you can use while you have a few minutes of free time.

Kazan Cathedral

Located on the northeast corner of the Red Square, the Kazan Cathedral is another impressive dome-shaped building in Moscow that is also an active place of worship. Entering the cathedral is allowed, but remember to be respectful if people are worshipping.

Bolshoi Theater

Contrary to the previous buildings, the Bolshoi Theater isn’t along one of the four sides of the Red Square. Located a few minutes away, the theater is one of the best theaters in the world. Make sure to come back for a guided tour of the inside or make reservations far ahead of time to attend a ballet or opera.

Alexander Gardens

The tour ends near the Alexander Gardens , a free public park located along the western Kremlin walls. The garden’s green lawns, sculptures and water fountains offer a nice place to take a stroll or relax a bit after some busy sightseeing.

You can visit all these sites on your own, but the best part of doing the Moscow free tour is that you learn more information and have the potential to meet new people!

During my tour I started to talk to a woman from Malaysia and she invited me to join her and her friends for a Russian meal afterwards. It’s these little impromptu meetings and opportunities that I love most about traveling and add more to the sightseeing experience. While I was a little hesitant about going to the tour myself I told myself it would be a great opportunity to possibly meet new people. I love when things work out like that!

If you have already seen the iconic sights of the Red Square and are looking for other things to do in Moscow check out my What to Do in Moscow post that gives more off-the beaten track things to do in Moscow!

Moscow Free Walking Tour Visiting Information

Moscow Free Walking Tours

How to Get There

The Moscow Free Walking Tour begins at the Marshal Zhukov monument in front of the State Historical Museum (a large red building). The website shows a map with the exact meeting point.

To get to the red square area you can take the blue 3 metro line to the Ploshchad Revolyutsii stop, or the green 2 line to the Teatralnaya station or the red 1 line to the Okhotny Ryad station. For more on how to use the metro read my Moscow Metro Guide .

Tours every day at 10:30am – 1pm in English

If you need a toilet before the start of the tour the Okhotny Ryad and GUM shopping malls are both close to the start of the tour. You will need to pay to use the toilets. There is a quick break mid-way through the tour at the GUM shopping mall where you can use the toilet if needed.

During the mid-way break in the tour you can buy some ice cream at the GUM shopping mall. There aren’t many other options or time for anything else. After the tour there are a lot of restaurants in the area. There are a couple of Varenichnaya №1 locations nearby if you would like some authentic Russian food. Their speciality is Russian dumplings. Another classic choice nearby is Grand Cafe Dr. Jhivago. While you can try traditional Russian foods like borscht and Olivier Salad, you may need a reservation. GUM has several restaurants, including a couple of buffets upstairs.

Recommendations

While I would start off your visit to Moscow with a tour of the Red Square, make sure to come back to each place to tour the inside. If you are visiting several sights consider buying the Moscow City Pass  to save money on admissions.

Other Tour Options

Another company  Moscow Free Tour  does a similar free walking tour in the Red Square. Check the site for the details on the starting point and times. If you prefer a private paid tour with a hotel pick-up and a visit to St. Basil’s Cathedral included check out this tour . For a private paid tour with a hotel pick-up and a visit to the Kremlin included you may want to take this tour or this one . Even if you don’t typically take tours, I would recommend taking tours as much as possible in Moscow. Many people do not speak English and most information is not in English either.

Where to Stay in Moscow

Find somewhere to stay in Moscow near the Red Square so you are convenient to all the sights!

More About Russia

• Moscow Things to Do:  Unique Things to Do ,   Spartak Stadium
• Moscow Markets:  Izmailovsky Market ,   Danilovsky Market
• Moscow Museums:  Moscow City Museum ,  Victory Museum ,  Museum of the Patriotic War in 1812 ,  State Historical Museum ,
• Moscow Life:  Malls ,  Christmas in Moscow ,  Metro ,  Learning Spanish ,  My Russian Apartment ,   What is Life Really Like in Russia ,  FiFa World Cup ,  Russian Winters , and more posts about  life abroad in Russia .
• St Petersburg:  City Guide ,  The Hermitage Museum ,  Kayaking the Rivers & Canals ,   Peterhof Palace

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22 comments.

The Kremlin looks rather imposing. It would be great to explore the history in Moscow.

There is a lot of history in Moscow to explore!

What a handy guide to get the most of Moscow’s red square! I’ve always wanted to try a walking tour and this looks like the perfect place to start!

I really enjoy walking tours, I think they are a great way to get to know a new place!

You have highlighted all the main sights around and in the Red Square indeed! I have visited Moscow in winter and the atmosphere was magical…even though it was cold 🙂 I’m looking forward to visiting in summer too!

Yes, there is a magical feel during the winter. I have to say I prefer the warmer, brighter summers though 🙂

Follow My Anchor

I am planning to go to Moscow and St. Petersburg this year so reading this was very helpful. I would love to do the walking tour! What time of year did you do it? I am planning to go in August as I really can’t stand the cold 😀 Do you think August might be a good time to visit Moscow? Thank you so much for your information!

I did the walking tour in September. July and August are the best times to visit Moscow in my opinion, so you are going at a great time! I lived in Moscow for a year so I have a lot of posts about Moscow and a couple for St. Petersburg too. Please check out my other posts as you are planning your trip and feel free to send any questions my way!

I’m a huge fan of taking free walking tours whenever my husband and I travel. We learn more about the history from the local’s perspective. Your walking tour in Moscow looks fun. The St. Basil’s Cathedral is beautiful and would love to see it. Thanks for sharing the must-see places in Moscow!

I’m a big fan of free walking tours too! I completely agree that you get a good perspective and introduction to the history of the city.

I would love to take the walking tour to get a good coverage of the area! The tip about paying for the bathrooms is great. That’s something I didn’t realize when I went to Europe for the first time from the US.

I always find it annoying paying for bathrooms in Europe!

I visited Moscow in June this year for the World Cup and I loved it. St. Basil’s Cathedral was the highlight for me, it’s such an impressive piece of architecture. I would’ve liked to visit more of Russia but maybe next time!

I really enjoyed Moscow during the World Cup too. The city was much livelier than usual!

I have been to St. Petersburg but never to Moscow. I think that these kind of tours are very useful to gather many information but I second your suggestion to visit the palaces inside as they have stunning interior decor and art treasures.

Yes, I think both going on tours and getting an overview and touring the inside of places are good to do.

Shreya Saha

St. Basil’s cathedral is definitely a beautiful place to visit. I would also love to stroll by the Alexander gardens and maybe spend some time in the shopping mall call mom maybe visit the theater, also I would love to visit Kremlin and the State Historical Museum. That’s a great list you have managed to provide here.

Never been to Russia, but the country’s history and culture has always fascinated me. Great list of things to do in Moscow’s Red Square. Kremlin is definitely on top of my list!

Russia does have a fascinating history and culture!

The architecture here always looks so beautiful. I would love to go to Russia. Some helpful tips here that would really help me navigate a future trip. I love the Russian ballet so a trip to the theater would be a must for me.

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Testimonial

"A very enjoybale day in Moscow. We had a very nice and knowledgeable guide Anastasia.(Nastia) She was very passionate about the City and we learnt so much in our brief four hours walk with her! Certainly this walking tour added a lot of value to our Moscow Holiday. A great idea to educate visitors about Russia and Moscow. The group was intimate enough to ask questions and stop for snacks etc..we thoriughly enjoyed it and would highly reccomend it.Carry on doing a great job!"

"I really enjoyed the tour, it was a great experience, very informative and fun. I will definitely tell everybody about that tour, keep it it is a fantastic idea!"

"Sorry I do not remember the names :( ... They were very talkative and very into everything. I think they both really love the city, and they made me feel like this to. They knew much about History, which was very informative! Great guides!!!"

"We partook of the fantastic Petersburg Free Tour. Due to our timing during the low season (shockingly not everyone is flocking to Moscow while the average temperature is 15F), it ended up being just us and Sonia, the afore-mentioned super-guide. She quickly ascertained the limited scope of our wanderings.."