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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!

Further Reading

And that’s it for our guide to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. We hope you found it useful – we certainly had a lot of fun taking the tour and putting this post together!

As well as this post, we’ve also got a lot more content that we think you’ll find useful, both Harry Potter related, and other content to help you plan your time in London and the UK.

• Whilst this is one of the best places for Harry Potter fans to visit in the UK, it’s by no means the only Harry Potter location or activity you can take part in. Check out our guides to finding Harry Potter in London, Harry Potter in Edinburgh and Harry Potter in Scotland for more inspiration.
• We also have a complete guide to Harry Potter filming locations in the UK
• A  Two Day London Itinerary  to help you see all the highlights of London. There’s also a  1 day version  if you’re short on time, and both a  3 day  and a  six day itinerary  if you’re here for longer
• Our detailed  packing list for London , to help you prepare for your trip
• Our  guide to buying and using the London Oyster Card , and our  guide to public transport in London  to help you get around without spending too much money
• My tips for finding the  best Photography Locations in London
• Our full  review of the London Pass  to help you decide if this attractions pass can save you money on your visit to London
• The best Things to Do in Kensington , London, in case you wanted to focus more on a specific region of the city
• A review of a  one day walking tour in London , should you want a guided tour of all of London’s highlights
• Our  detailed itinerary for  two weeks in the UK , should you want to have London as the start of a bigger adventure. We also have a  one week UK itinerary  for a slightly shorter visit.
• Thoughts on taking a  day trip from London, taking in Stonehenge, Bath and the Cotswolds , our  guide to visiting Oxford for a day, and our guide to things to do in Cambridge .
• The  Eyewitness Travel Guide to London , which has all sorts of information within, including more itineraries and ideas for your trip. We also recommend the  Rick Steve’s London 2019  guide, the #1 bestseller on Amazon for UK travel guides, and always an excellent source of relevant information

And that’s it! Are you a Harry Potter wanting to take the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour? Have any questions about a visit? Let us know your thoughts or questions in the comments below!

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There are 24 comments on this post

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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 🙂

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter: where world famous witchcraft and wizardry filmmaking comes to life.

Discover the magic of the big screen and the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter ™ film series. Take your students on an enchanting tour of the actual sets used in the films; complete with authentic props and real costumes. You'll see animatronic characters and experience the stunning special effects along the way. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London celebrates and educates visitors of the artistry and craftsmanship in quality film production - on both sides of the camera.

Want to learn even more? School groups can enjoy specially-created educational lessons to complement and enhance the tour in brand new, state-of-the-art learning spaces. These lessons offer students authentic and relevant learning experiences in one of the most exciting and magical contexts: the production of Harry Potter . The film series is used as a case study to explain elements of film production, all of which align with KS2, 3, 4 and 5 learning objectives.

The lessons are particularly valuable to groups studying STEM, Art and Design, Media and Film, English, and Business Studies. Topics covered include:

• Costume Characterisation
• Costume Distressing
• Screenplay Writing
• Movie Marketing
• Movie Graphic Design
• Instructional Writing
• Camera Choices
• The Script to Screen process
• Careers in the Creative Industries

The Harry Potter Studio Tour and educational lessons offer a truly unique and memorable opportunity: to experience the magic of film production at the heart of one of the most popular series to date.

Get in touch for more information on a school trip to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter. Our team can tailor the perfect trip to suit your class' needs - call today on 0845 293 7970.

Harry Potter World School Trip FAQs

What are the opening times of the studio tour.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour opening times vary depending on the season. However, on weekdays the studio tour typically opens at 09:30 and closes at 20:00. During holidays and weekends the studio tour opens at 08:30 and typically closes at 22:00. Due to the volume of visitors, we have to pre-book groups as soon as possible for the best chance of getting a ticket.

How long is the Harry Potter London Tour?

The average visit to the Warner Bros Studio Tour lasts between three and four hours. You are not limited to this amount of time and can spend as long as you like at the attraction.

What can you expect from the tour?

On the Warner Bros Studio Tour you will visit numerous original sets from the Harry Potter film series as well as two soundstages. There are also many interactive elements of the studio tour and you can also pay for extras, such as a drink of butterbeer and the opportunity to 'fly' a broomstick.

Can you bring your own food and drink to the studio tour?

You can bring food and drink into the Warner Bros Studio Tour but you are not allowed to consume food on the tour. There are numerous locations where you can purchase food and drink during your visit to the studios including The Backlot Café, The Main Food Hall and the Chocolate Frog Café.

Is WiFi available at the Warner Bros studio tour?

There is complimentary WiFi available during your school trip to the Warner Bros Studio Tour.

Browse our school trips to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London 

Primary school trips .

A primary school trip to London enables pupils to discover many aspects of their curriculum in a short space of time. Our personalised itinerary packages can ensure that your pupils visit Harry Potter World on their trip to London.

Learn more about our Primary School Trips to London here

Cultural Trips 

For a school trip that will inspire your students, you need to look no further than our very own capital city. We can create a cultural tour suited to you, which offers pupils the opportunity to visit the Harry Potter World.

Find out more about our cultural trips to London .

Media and Film Trips 

A media & film studies trip to London simply must encompass a Warner Bros. Studio Tour. A trip to to Harry Potter World is an incredible opportunity for students to experience the film production process at the heart of one of the popular film series.

Find out more about our Media & Film School Trips to London here.

English Trips

For a school trip that will inspire your English students, you need to look no further than a trip to Harry Potter World. Pupils can enjoy educational lessons alongside the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in state-of-art learning spaces.

Find out more about our English Trips to London here.

Planning your first school trip?

If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process.

• Choosing your destination
• Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
• Promoting your tour in school
• Confirming your booking
• Tailor-make your tour
• Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
• Quick reference timeline
• Pre-tour checklist

Additional support, resources & information:

Tour planning service

With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:

• Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
• Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
• Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals

You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.

FREE school trip promotion pack

We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:

• Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete
• A3 posters to promote your trip around school
• PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
• Parents’ leaflets covering how NST manage safety, financial protection and details of our travel insurance
• Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip

For selected destinations, we’ll provide a trip launch web page using video footage and imagery. This web page is provided by a weblink and can be shared with pupils and parents in many ways.

Risk assessment support including preview visits

Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour. Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.

Planning first school trip

Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.  If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.  Our helpful guide covers the following: 

• Choosing your destination 
• Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head 
• Promoting your tour in school 
• Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment) 
• Quick reference timeline 
• Pre-tour checklist 

View our essential guide to a successful school trip here

Get live updates on your group's tour location

Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track. 

With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.

Watch our short Locate My Trip video here .

Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager

Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.  With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.  What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.  Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here

Free classroom resources

We've created a range of free resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!  Take a look at our downloadable posters here

Speak to one of our school travel experts

Our team of school travel experts have unrivalled destination knowledge and experience so they can help to bring your tour ideas to life and might even suggest options you hadn’t already thought of too! So get in touch today and we'll help to create a bespoke, budget-friendly tour itinerary to meet your specific learning requirements.

Why choose NST...

Here's why thousands of teachers choose NST each year...

• Unrivalled knowledge

Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.

• Making it easier for you

With our online school trip organiser , travel app , free classroom posters and trip launch resources to support your in-school promotion.

• Free group leader inspection visits

We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning. 

• Value for money

We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.

• More than 50 years’ experience

With over 50 years’ experience , with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.

• Risk assessment guidance

Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.

• Peace of mind

Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away. ​

• Offsetting carbon emissions

For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions. 

Looking for protection on your next school trip? 

Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.  

Don’t forget – if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial. 

Financial protection from the moment you book

NST are fully bonded:

Managing safety on school trips

For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:

• 24-hour emergency cover
• Audited accommodation & transport
• Excursions & school visit assessment
• Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning

We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured

The Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.

Image copyright: TM & © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.

School Travel

The Making of Harry Potter 1 Night

Take your pupils behind the scenes and discover the magic behind the spellbinding special effects and secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Tread the original stone floor of the Hogwarts’ iconic Great Hall and wander down Diagon Alley. The Studio Tour offers school groups the unique opportunity to explore two soundstages, as well as a back lot that’s filled with original sets, animatronic creatures, and breathtaking special effects.

Sprinkle Some Harry Potter Magic on Your School Trip

Make your students the happiest children in the world by letting them explore authentic sets and experience the Harry Potter film series through the eyes of the filmmakers. This is a great way to boost students’ enthusiasm and engagement across a number of subjects for Key Stages 2 to 5, including Art & Design, Film & Media, English, and Business Studies.

Our ready-made itinerary also includes a guided walking tour of Oxford, focussing on New College and Christ Church College, both of which are featured heavily in the Harry Potter films.

Price from £ 139 PP

Get an online quote in seconds

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

• Private Coach
• Travel by train may be possible, please ask
• 1 Night Bed and Breakfast accommodation
• Visits as mentioned on your itinerary
• Meals as selected
• Educational resources
• 1:10 free place for accompanying adults

TAILOR YOUR TRIP

CALL US NOW ON 01384 398 893 OR  EMAIL US  TO DISCUSS YOUR REQUIREMENTS FURTHER

WHAT’S EXTRA?

• Entry into Warner Bros Studios which must be booked directly
• Travel Insurance (Please let us know if you would like this included)

We have a wide range of excellent itineraries available:

York 2 Nights

Request a quote.

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•  Established 2012  •

The ORIGINAL and BEST

Harry Potter walking tour of Edinburgh

and it's FREE!

Edinburgh Tour

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Celebrating 11 years!

2012 - 2023

Our FREE tours in Edinburgh depart every day at 12pm! Book your place now.

Book a paid PRIVATE tour at a time to suit you.

We offer discounts on private tours for SCHOOL and educational groups.

and share the magic with a friend or loved one...

Or click here to find out what our tour covers and why we're the best in Edinburgh!

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Wizarding school

• View history

Map of select wizarding schools around the world

A wizarding school , also called a magical school , was an educational institution which provided magical instruction to young witches and wizards . [1]

There were eleven long-established and prestigious wizarding schools throughout the world, all of which were registered with the International Confederation of Wizards . Smaller and less well-regulated institutions were rarely registered with the appropriate Ministry and were difficult to keep track of. However, most countries in the world did not have their own wizarding school. Magical children in these countries were typically homeschooled or educated via correspondence courses. [1]

Most primary education prior to attending wizarding schools also took place at home. Whether inadvertently or deliberately, children could use magic and attract unwelcome attention, and this was the same for Muggle-borns . [2]

• 1 School locations
• 2 Range and regulation
• 3 Interaction between schools
• 4 Specialised schools
• 5 Known wizarding schools
• 6 Behind the scenes
• 7 Appearances
• 8 Notes and references

School locations [ ]

The exact locations of most wizarding schools were kept secret, both to prevent the schools from being discovered by Muggles and to protect them from the harmful effects of war or interference by domestic or foreign governments. Generally, magical schools were situated in landlocked, mountainous areas, which were difficult to access without magic and easier to defend in case of attack. [1] There were, however, exceptions, such as Mahoutokoro School of Magic located on the island of Minami Iwo Jima , [3] and Castelobruxo in the Amazon rainforest . [4]

Range and regulation [ ]

The vast majority of countries in the world did not have their own wizarding school. [1] Wizards and witches in these countries generally chose to homeschool their children instead. [1] Correspondence courses were also sometimes used as a cost-effective method of providing magical instruction to young witches and wizards in countries with very small or isolated wizarding populations. [1]

Day student of Mahoutokoro in Japan riding to school on a giant storm petrel

Wizarding schools generally admitted students from whatever country in which they were based, but some served multiple nations or a broad geographical region, or at least were open to accepting international students on a selective basis. Castelobruxo , Ilvermorny and Uagadou accepted students from all over their respective continents, [5] [6] [4] whereas Hogwarts only accepted students from the United Kingdom and Ireland . [7] [8]

The school with the smallest number of students was Mahoutokoro , and the school with the most students was Uagadou. [5] [3]

Some schools also enforced special restrictions with regard to the admission of students. The Durmstrang Institute , for example, did not accept Muggle-born witches and wizards. [9]

The Educational Office of the International Confederation of Wizards was responsible for cataloguing and overseeing wizarding schools around the world, namely the eleven oldest, most respected ones. [1] Smaller wizarding schools existed, but these were often short-lived and poorly-regulated, as most were not registered with the respective Ministry of Magic of the country in which they operated. [1] The quality of magical education on offer at these smaller, unregistered institutions was thus questionable. [1] Africa was known to have been home to a number of smaller wizarding schools in addition to Uagadou . [5] The book An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe covered publicly available information on various wizarding schools in Europe. [10] [9]

Interaction between schools [ ]

Beauxbatons students arriving at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament in 1994

Every five years, a competition known as the Triwizard Tournament was held between the three major European wizarding schools: Beauxbatons , Durmstrang , and Hogwarts . [11] One champion was selected to represent each school [11] (with the exception of the 1994 Triwizard Tournament, when Hogwarts ended up with two champions) [12] [13] to compete in an array of deadly challenges. [11] The winning school received the Triwizard Cup . [11]

A fierce Wizard's Chess rivalry existed between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, with Hogwarts' spirits eventually being crushed in a tournmanent prior to the 1980s . Hogwarts' reputation for Wizard's Chess was reprised, however, when Jacob's sibling defeated Celine Castillon in the Walter Aragon Wizard Chess Competition . [14]

The Wizarding Schools Potions Championship was held in seven-year intervals between students of Hogwarts, Koldovstoretz , Mahoutokoro and Uagadou . The winning school received a golden cauldron . [15]

Castelobruxo in Brazil offered student exchange programmes to pupils at wizarding schools in Europe. [4] There was apparently also an international pen-friend programme in place for students of Castelobruxo and Hogwarts. [4] [16] Bill Weasley wanted to take an exchange trip to Castelobruxo, but had to back out because his family could not afford the expense, leading his upset Castelobruxo pen-friend to send him a cursed hat. [4] [16] Beauxbatons Academy of Magic also offered a student exchange programme. [17]

Specialised schools [ ]

Outside of general education, the wizarding world offered specialised schools of learning as well. Such schools include the Academy of Broom Flying , [18] Charm School , [19] Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages , [20] Merge School of Under-Water Spellage , [21] The Naaszcademy of Magizoology [22] and the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts . [23]

Known wizarding schools [ ]

Behind the scenes [ ].

• Known wizarding schools serve more than half of the world map, but home-schooling and correspondence courses are most common in the world and magical peoples in most countries choose them. The compatibility of the two suggests that, even with the vast coverage of magic schools, most of their students are from the country in which the school is located. For example, Beauxbatons contains a large number of Spanish, Portuguese, Belgian, Dutch, and Luxembourgish student, but the majority of students was French (the country of their location).
• The Salem Witches' Institute was once thought by some fans to be a wizarding school in the United States . J. K. Rowling has since revealed that the Salem Witches' Institute is a play on the Women's Institute in Britain. [36]
• One method could be said that they can attend schools with a wider acceptance range. (Ex: a Belgian Muggle-born could attend Beauxbatons Academy of Magic , a Canadian Muggle-born could attend Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry , or a Nigerian Muggle-born could attend Uagadou .)
• It is worth noting that the eleven wizarding schools mentioned in canon are not the only ones in the world. There are many other smaller wizarding schools around the world for children who cannot or don't want to attend the "Great 11". Africa is said to encompass many smaller schools beside Uagadou .
• It is possible that some independent teachers that are not employed by any school have specialised in teaching Muggle-borns. Before the founding of Hogwarts, Queen Maeve was famous for teaching young Irish wizards, and Pottermore states that home-schooling is still common in the wizarding world.
• Until the summer of 1994 , Harry Potter had not given much thought to wizarding schools outside of Hogwarts. It was only when he saw some foreign students and informed by Hermione Granger that they must attend Beauxbatons that he became aware of this.
• Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts have been described as the three largest wizarding schools in Europe, meaning that there is at least one other wizarding school on the continent, possibly including Koldovstoretz , as most of Russia's population is in the European part of the country.
• It is not known so far where the three remaining schools of the Great 11 are located. JK Rowling did, however, hint in a tweet that one of them could be located in Australia . [37]

Appearances [ ]

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Mentioned only)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (Mentioned only)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Creator: Harry Potter
• Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• LEGO Dimensions
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells (Mentioned only)
• Wonderbook: Book of Potions (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy

Notes and references [ ]

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Wizarding Schools" at  Wizarding World
• ↑ J. K. Rowling's official site F.A.Q
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Mahoutokoro" at  Wizarding World
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Castelobruxo" at  Wizarding World
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Uagadou" at  Wizarding World
• ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 @naunihalpublic Uagadou takes students from all over Africa, but it is in Uganda. #IAgreePottermoreShouldSayThatWillChangeDescription by J. K. Rowling on Twitter.com
• ↑ 7.0 7.1 3 July 1999 interview in the Telegraph
• ↑ 8.0 8.1 8 July 2000 South West News Service interview
• ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 11 ( Aboard the Hogwarts Express )
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 9 ( The Dark Mark )
• ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 12 ( The Triwizard Tournament )
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 16 ( The Goblet of Fire )
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 17 ( The Four Champions )
• ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery , Year The Curse-Breaker's Gambit
• ↑ Wonderbook: Book of Potions
• ↑ 16.0 16.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 7 ( Bagman and Crouch )
• ↑ MinaLima Releases Map of the Wizarding World in Paris While J.K. Rowling and Globus Mundi Hint at Future 'Fantastic' Destinations!
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (see this image )
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) - GBC version
• ↑ Harry Potter Limited Edition
• ↑ " Making the Magic Real " presentation by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima , at LeakyCon 2013 (29 June, 2013) (see this image )
• ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite - ( SOS Task Force Training - Calamity Essentials II: The Naaszcademy of Magizoology)
• ↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard , "The Fountain of Fair Fortune"
• ↑ 24.0 24.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Beauxbatons Academy of Magic" at  Wizarding World
• ↑ 25.0 25.1 The Triwizard Tournament was founded in the 1290s, according to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 12 ( The Triwizard Tournament ), implying Hogwarts , Beauxbatons and Durmstrang all existed.
• ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Castelobruxo" at  Wizarding World - "The fabulous castle appears to be a ruin to the few Muggle eyes that have ever fallen upon it (a trick shared by Hogwarts; opinion is divided on who got the idea from whom)."
• ↑ Report on Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre reading
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Chapter 11 ( Aboard the Hogwarts Express ): Hermione: "It must be far north because they have fur capes on the uniform list."
• ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Durmstrang Institute" at  Wizarding World
• ↑ 1997 interview in The Herald (Glasgow)
• ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Chapter 9 ( The Writing on the Wall ) tells us that Slytherin made the Chamber of Secrets over a thousand years before 1992, shortly before he left Hogwarts
• ↑ 32.0 32.1 Pottermore - News: "Pottermore reveals that Ilvermorny is the North American wizarding school"
• ↑ Pottermore - Writing by J.K. Rowling: "History of Magic in North America: Seventeenth Century and Beyond"
• ↑ Pottermore facts from the 2014 UK editions of the Harry Potter books (transcript and link to photographs here )
• ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Uagadou" at  Wizarding World - "Africa has a number of smaller wizarding schools [...] there is only one that has stood the test of time (at least a thousand years) and achieved an enviable international reputation: Uagadou."
• ↑ .@jgrahamhutch The Salem Witches' Institute isn't a school, but a joke on the Women's Institute in the UK. by J.K. Rowling on Twitter
• ↑ J.K. Rowling teases Canadian, Australian Wizarding World schools' future reveal at SnitchSeeker
• Harry Potter
• 1 Tom Riddle
• 3 Harry Potter

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Private Guided Tours

Private guided group tours of Harrow School can be arranged on a weekday in term time and all week in the holidays. Tours begin between 10am and 11am or between 2pm and 3pm. By special arrangement they can also be made outside of these times.

Visit some of the most spectacular and historic rooms and buildings at Harrow School including the Fourth Form Room, Speech Room, Chapel and War Memorial Building, amongst others, accompanied by one of our knowledgeable guides.  The tour offers the chance to get a real behind-the-scenes look and learn more about world-famous Harrow School and its history, including its use as a film location for some very well known films and TV series including Harry Potter and The Crown.

The tour lasts 90 minutes. Longer and more bespoke tours are available on request. Tours begin outside Speech Room, with directions sent to you after you book.

The cost for a group tour for 2023 (both during term-time and school holidays) is Adult: £10.00 Student: £8.50 for a 90 minute tour. A minimum of ten guests must attend or the cost of ten people covered.

You also have the option to add a catering package to a 2pm or 3pm tour such as a Champagne Afternoon Tea (£15.00 per person) or Afternoon Tea (£11.00) or Tea and Biscuits (£4.50) . This is for a minimum of 20 people, served after the Tour. Click here for more details.

Contact [email protected] for more details and to book.

Private Guided Tours Gift Vouchers

You can buy private tour gift vouchers for up to 10 guests here. 

Virtual Guided Tours

Our Virtual Guided Tours are hosted on Zoom or Teams. The tour starts right at the very beginning, looking at how Harrow School was created by a Royal Charter granted to John Lyon. Our guides have extensive knowledge of the School’s 360-acre site with it’s historical and modern buildings, and of daily life at Harrow: its traditions, sports, day-to-day routines and curriculum. This tour also covers the School’s role in the two World Wars.

Specific-interest tours can also be arranged.

Virtual Tours last one hour and can be booked year round. The tour itself takes 45 minutes, with 15 minutes for Q&As.

To find out more, for prices and to book please contact [email protected]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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Full Cast Set For The National Tour Of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

Previews begin on September 10 at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre.

The cast has been announced for the National Tour of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, which launches in Chicago September 10, 2024.

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John Skelley  will play Harry Potter with  Trish Lindstrom  as Ginny Potter and  Emmet Smith  as their son Albus Potter.  Matt Mueller  will play Ron Weasley with  Ebony Blake  as Hermione Granger and Naiya Vanessa McCalla as their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley. Playing Draco Malfoy will be Ben Thys with Aidan Close as his son Scorpius Malfoy. Delphi Diggory will be played by  Julia Nightingale  and Severus Snape will be played by  Larry Yando .

They are joined by  Kaleb Alexander , Julianna Austin, Markcus Blair, Casey Butler , Erin Chupinsky , Reese Sebastian Diaz , David Fine , Simon Gagnon, Alexis Gordon , Caleb Hafen, Lauryn Hayes, Nathan Hosner , Torsten Johnson, Katherine Leask , Markelle Leigh, Mackenzie Lesser-Roy , Evan Maltby , Zach Norton, Travis Patton , Maren Searle , Ayla Stackhouse , Jennifer Thiessen , Timmy Thompson, René Thornton Jr., and  Kristin Yancy  playing a variety of characters.

Previews begin for the six-time Tony® Award-winning production on September 10 at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre. The official opening will be Thursday, September 26. The final performance of the 21-week engagement will be Saturday, February 1, 2025 followed by engagements at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles and at The National Theatre in Washington DC.

CHICAGO TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD are on sale now and range from $49.00 - $193.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. There will be a limited number of lottery seats available for this engagement. Details will be provided closer to the engagement. Groups of 10 or more can book tickets now by calling (312) 977-1710 or emailing  [email protected] . For more information, visit  www.BroadwayInChicago.com .

The touring production is based on the acclaimed Broadway production, currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, New York. It picks up right where the last Harry Potter film left off: Nineteen years after Harry, Ron, and Hermione saved the wizarding world, they’re back on a most extraordinary new adventure – this time, joined by a brave new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When Harry Potter’s head-strong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, it sparks an unbelievable new journey for them all—with the power to change the past and future forever.  

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, the first Harry Potter story to be presented on stage and the eighth story in the Harry Potter series, has sold over 10 million tickets worldwide since its world premiere in London in July 2016 and holds a record 60 major honors, with nine Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best Play. The international phenomenon has cast its spell worldwide with productions currently running in London, New York, Hamburg, and Tokyo, and has completed runs in Melbourne, Toronto, and San Francisco. The original two-part production in London's West End recently celebrated its 7th anniversary, while the reimagined Broadway production celebrated its 6th anniversary. 

The most successful non-musical play in Broadway history, HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILDhas the unique distinction of being named by the Guinness World Records as the highest-grossing non-musical play in Broadway history with over $270 million total sales and over 2.5 million tickets sold.

To stay up to date with the latest information, go to  tour.harrypottertheplay.com .

ABOUT HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

Based on an original story byJ.K. Rowling,Jack ThorneandJohn Tiffany,HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is a play byJack Thorne, directed byJohn Tiffany. 

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD features movement by  Steven Hoggett , set by  Christine Jones , costumes by  Katrina Lindsay , music & arrangements by  Imogen Heap , lighting by  Neil Austin , sound by  Gareth Fry , illusions & magic by  Jamie Harrison , music supervision & arrangements by  Martin Lowe . US Casting by  Jim Carnahan , CSA. 

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is produced by  Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender  and  Harry Potter Theatrical Productions. 

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7 best movies like Harry Potter on Disney Plus, Max, Prime Video and more

B y this point, pretty much everyone and their pet rock has heard of Harry Potter. The bestselling book series spawned not just a popular stage musical and several spin-off books, but eight massively successful films that saw its young stars grow up before our very eyes. 

With Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint in the three lead roles, the movies follow the adventures of one Harry Potter, a seemingly ordinary boy who learns that he actually has magical powers, and must fight against an evil fascist would-be dictator in order to save the wizarding community.

But what to do if you’ve seen all the movies and still have a hankering for some cinematic magic? We’ve assembled a list of movies like Harry Potter that’ll scratch that itch — all of which are currently available to stream.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Before Harry Potter was even a twinkle in the eye of JK Rowling, The Chronicles of Narnia was enchanting children for generations (and continues to do so). But when the film version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe came out in 2005, it was greenlit at least partially in an attempt to capitalize on the success of the popular wizarding franchise, which made it clear that young audiences responded well to the fantasy genre. 

The Pevensee children, a group of four siblings from WWII-era England, end up being magically transported to the land of Narnia by way of an ordinary wardrobe. There, they are drawn into geopolitical conflicts, battle an evil witch, meet Santa, and eventually become kings and queens. Not bad for a quartet of preteens.

Watch it on Disney Plus

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Another day, another quasi-Harry Potter film with Christopher Columbus in the director’s chair. Like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson is a perennial underdog who learns to his amazement that he has both unusual powers and a storied legacy. Like Harry Potter, the Percy Jackson book franchise took the YA market by storm, wooing young readers around the world. But while Harry Potter revolves around the life of a young wizard transplanted into a school for magic, Percy Jackson has its origins rooted firmly in Greek mythology.

Percy discovers that he is actually the demigod son of Poseidon, and is sent away for his own protection to what is essentially a summer camp for all the wayward half-human offspring of the gods. As the son of one of the three most powerful gods — all of whom took a vow not to father any more demigod children, for the good of everyone — Percy has an immediate target on his back. Almost like he’s “the Chosen One.”

Watch on Disney Plus

The House with a Clock In Its Walls

The parallels between The House with a Clock In Its Walls and Harry Potter are myriad. Both feature young orphans sent off to live with their oddball relations as a result of a car crash that killed their parents (or at least, that’s the party line in Harry Potter, even if it turns out not to be true). In both films, said orphan inadvertently discovers a world of magic at their fingertips, and is forced to do battle with the forces of darkness to protect those around them. 

Unlike Harry Potter, however, The House with a Clock In Its Walls was only ever intended to be a standalone film, despite interest from many fans in a sequel to further explore the adventures of its young wizarding hero.

Rent/buy from Amazon or Apple

In terms of plot, Hugo doesn’t have much in common with Harry Potter — except for the fact that it’s based on a popular children’s book, and it’s about a young orphan boy who discovers magic. Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives alone in a bustling Parisian train station, narrowly evading the security guard who is determined to catch him. 

He befriends a grumpy toymaker (Ben Kingsley) and his granddaughter (Chloe Grace Moretz), only to discover that the bitter old man is actually Georges Melies, the famed father of silent film in France. Directed by Martin Scorsese with a playfully imaginative eye, Hugo captures the journey of its young protagonist to help Melies rediscover the magic of cinema — something that Scorsese hopes to impart to the audience, as well.

Watch on Paramount Plus

Beautiful Creatures

Who needs a stodgy old British boarding school setting for their magic when they can have a Southern gothic? Beautiful Creatures revolves around a teenage girl, Lena Duchannes, whose life will change forever once she reaches her 16th birthday. Cursed with supernatural powers beyond her control, she will be claimed for either the light or the dark, as each of her family members has been before her. 

It takes the magic of Harry Potter and its central battle between the powers of good and evil, and injects scintillating family drama into the proceedings. Then, for good measure, it’s peppered with the kind of star-crossed romance that made Twilight all the rage at the time.

Watch on Max

Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children

What if Harry Potter didn’t take place in a grand castle in the Scottish countryside, but in a small institution for children with special abilities? The result might look something like Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children, where Jake (Asa Butterfield) travels back in time to 1943 to discover a cozy English home occupied by a group of children with unusual qualities (one can breathe underwater, for example, while another has the power to bring the dead back to life) and their caretaker, Miss Peregrine (Eva Green). 

The entire school exists within a time bubble, where the strange inhabitants can be protected from the dangers of the outside world, and malevolent forces that threaten to hunt them down. In terms of world-building and magical ambiance, Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children matches the best that Harry Potter can offer.

Young Sherlock Holmes

Young Sherlock Holmes may not take place in a world of magic, but it nonetheless has more than a passing similarity with Harry Potter. In detailing one of the teenage Sherlock Holmes’ first ever cases, it features a trio of heroes: A lanky ginger, a short, bespectacled boy with brown hair, and a bushy haired female sidekick. (And that’s to say nothing of the film’s swotty blond antagonist, who bears a striking resemblance to Draco Malfoy.) 

It captures the classically British boarding school experience, and there’s a reason it’ll look familiar to Harry Potter fans: It was directed by Christopher Columbus a decade and a half before he helmed the first two Harry Potter movies. His stylistic choices from Young Sherlock Holmes have echoes in Harry Potter, from its castle-like boarding school aesthetic to the long tables of the student dining hall.

Watch on Prime Video

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Theater | Larry Yando will trade Scrooge for Severus…

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Theater | larry yando will trade scrooge for severus snape in ‘harry potter and the cursed child’.

Come Sept. 10, the veteran Chicago actor will be down the street at the Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., appearing in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” as Severus Snape, the formidable professor at the Hogwarts School of Wizardry whose chilly exterior is born of deep-seated trauma (not unlike Scrooge).

Snape, also not unlike Scar in “The Lion King” (another of Yando’s long-lived roles), was played in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011 by the late British actor Alan Rickman.

When the cast of the “Harry Potter” national tour is announced Monday, it also is expected to feature the Chicago actor Matt Mueller as the adult version of Ron Weasley, as well as Northwestern University graduate Emmet Smith as Albus Potter, Harry Potter’s son in this theatrical sequel, penned by Jack Thorne from an original story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne  and John Tiffany, the show’s director. Smith was Rolf in the Marriott Theatre production of “The Sound of Music” in 2022. Longtime Chicago actor Nathan Hosner also is expected to be in the ensemble; Tiffany long has been known as an admirer of Chicago-based actors.

Coming more than six years after the  original Broadway opening , the show’s long-awaited first U.S. touring production is the condensed one-show version, also seen on Broadway since 2021. The one-ticket production is a shortening of the original two-show production that debuted in 2016 and continues to play to packed houses in London.

No end to the tour has been announced, but with the Chicago production staying through Feb. 1, with subsequent engagements planned for Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, it’s likely to be a multi-year affair. Individual tickets to the Chicago run already are on sale ( www.broadwayinchicago.com ); its arrival is expected to boost Loop economic fortunes this fall.

The Goodman said it wished Yando well. “We’re delighted for Larry to have this fantastic new opportunity,” said artistic director Susan Booth. “And while one doesn’t replace a performance like his, we’re looking forward to announcing our 2024 Scrooge in the next few weeks.”

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

[email protected]

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Harry Potter offers magical boost to British tourism

Sunday, 09 Jun 2024

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Edinburgh draws Harry Potter fans worldwide, boosting the British economy with billions in global sales of Potter-related items. Photo: AFP

Sam Thorne guides Harry Potter fans through the gothic streets of Edinburgh, where controversial author JK Rowling dreamt up the boy wizard more than three decades ago.

The Scottish capital attracts lovers of the bespectacled schoolboy from across the world, boosting the British economy and helping generate billions of pounds in global sales of Potter-related offerings.

"Here you will encounter the tomb of Voldemort," Thorne tells his tour group, in reference to the villainous dark lord of magic who murdered Potter's parents when he was a baby.

The tour, numbering some 20 fans, snakes through Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery where some gravestones bear names similar to several characters, although Rowling - much criticised for her views on transgender rights - has not admitted any link.

American Kate Merson, 43, works in Edinburgh and is on the walk with her husband and two children, seeking to satisfy her nine-year-old's obsession with Potter - and her desire to explore the magical world of Hogwarts.

'Busier and crazier'

Rowling wrote seven Potter books which were published between 1997 and 2007, spawning eight blockbuster movies in a multi-billion-dollar global phenomenon.

Fans remain captivated by Edinburgh, whose sights and scenes were the inspiration for fantastical characters and locations.

"It's only gotten busier and busier and crazier and crazier. There's more people coming in - who are all asking for tours as well," said Thorne, 33.

His "Potter Trail" lasts one-and-a-half hours and takes several dozen tourists across the city's pretty streets. His recommended tour donation is £20 (RM119) per person.

Thorne's popular guided walk ends on the colourful Instagram-friendly Victoria Street ... in front of two heaving Potter merchandise shops thronged by muggles, or non-wizards.

Briya Maru, a 27-year-old Indian who lives in Toronto, queues in the driving rain in front of one of the shops, waiting to splurge cash on Potter souvenirs.

"It was symbolic for me to get them from here, the Harry Potter city," said Maru , adding she was searching for "exclusive" artefacts.

Manager Monica Alsina says business is brisk at her 'Enchanted Galaxy' shop, where punters can buy a "magic wand" for £40 (RM239) and the most expensive item - a limited-edition character sculpture - costs £650 (RM3,878).

'Tourism engine'

"The shop has been doing great. Harry Potter is just getting more and more popular," said Alsina.

There have been no new books or films - but the "Potterverse" has in recent years expanded to include a hit video game, a play in London's West End and the Fantastic Beasts film franchise, while a television series is also in the works.

"Harry Potter is a fantastic engine for tourism in Scotland," said Jenni Steele, spokeswoman for tourism agency VisitScotland.

Fans of the extremely popular franchise also flock to filming destinations in England, including London and surrounding areas, the Cotswolds and York.

Devotees also tend to visit "The Making of Harry Potter" film-studio park, which has attracted 19 million visitors since it opened in 2012.

Tickets for the attraction close to London cost a minimum of £53 (RM316) each and total revenues have already passed one billion dollars (approximately RM4.7bil).

But in recent years, Pottermania has been overshadowed by Rowling's views, including her belief that biological sex is immutable. She denies being transphobic.

In Edinburgh, her views have been difficult for some.

"It's been a tough time to be a Harry Potter fan as a result of her comments, chiefly because one of the reasons why the wizarding world meant so much to so many people is because Harry was seen as being an outsider," said Thorne.

"For people who really felt that, Harry Potter was a form of escapism for them, a place where they could feel accepted -- it does feel like a betrayal."

Yet the best-selling franchise continues to generate huge sales.

"Adults who grew up with it now show it to their children. It's a fandom that only gets bigger," said Alsina. - AFP

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Tags / Keywords: Harry Potter , tour , tourism , Edinburgh , book series

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