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

Last updated: July 21, 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!

Jess and I have been lucky enough to visit the Harry Potter Studios a number of times over the years, and we’ve always had a great time. In this guide we’re going to go through everything you need to know to visit the Harry Potter Studios, based on our personal experiences.

We’ll include information on 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.

Table of Contents:

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 – we’ve visited nearly all the real-world filming locations across the UK as well as the studio itself!

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 July 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:

• A slightly longer tour giving you 4 hours at the studio, with departure from Kings Cross Station, London
• Another tour with departure from Victoria Coach Station in 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.

Is Food Available at the Harry Potter Studio Tour?

Yes, there are multiple options for food at the Harry Potter tour. These are as follows:

• The Chocolate Frog Cafe – serves drinks and cakes all day, found in the main lobby area
• The Food Hall – a large restaurant with various food options such as pizzas and burgers. Found in the main lobby area
• The Backlot Cafe – found half way through the Studio Tour, serving hot dogs, burgers. Also the only place to get a draft butterbeer as well as butterbeer icecream.
• The Hub Cafe – another cafe option which serves Starbucks hot and cold drinks as well as bakery snacks

There is also the option to book a Harry Potter themed afternoon tea at the Harry Potter Studio Tour when booking your studio tour tickets. This is served in a special section of the Food Hall. This is only available to holders of Studio Tour tickets.

The afternoon tea lasts up to 90 minutes and includes everything you would expect from an afternoon tea including sandwiches, sweet treats, scones, and tea or coffee.

Is there a Gift Shop at the Harry Potter Studio Tour?

There most certainly is a gift shop at the Harry Potter Studio Tour, as you would expect! In fact, there’s more than one. So, if you are planning on shopping for Harry Potter themed merchandise, you have a few options.

First, there’s a massive gift shop at the exit of the tour, which you can also visit prior to starting your tour. This shop is divided into multiple themed areas and is well worth exploring even if you don’t plan on purchasing anything as it’s so well themed.

There’s also the Railway Shop, which is found by the Platform 9 3/4 installation in the tour.

This has specific railway themed items that you won’t find anywhere else, so is worth checking out.

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. If you are visiting from London and not taking a tour, this is definitely our recommended option over taking a car as it will be quicker and easier.

Note that you can use an Oyster card to travel to Watford Junction from central London, this is as far as you can go with Oyster card.

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 to the Harry Potter Studio we took a tour from central London to compare the experience. We specifically took this tour . When we took the tour it included a short sightseeing tour of central London with a serious Harry Potter fan.

He even had a first edition copy of the book for us to see! Whilst this walking tour wasn’t specific to Harry Potter locations in London , it did include some interesting Harry Potter trivia as well as lot of information about central London sights.

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.

Regardless of whether or not you visit the Studio as part of a tour or get there on your own, the experience on site is going to be largely the same, unless you book one of the specific fully guided tours like this .

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.

Prior to entry you can also visit the information desk to rent an audio guide if you want. You can also pick up a free Harry Potter passport which you can stamp as you go round, and there’s also a cloakroom to leave any coats or small bags.

Then, join the actual line. 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 halfway 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.

The first time we visited the studio tour, the butterbeer was served in a plastic cup, which wasn’t very exciting. However, since then you now get a plastic tankard, which you get to keep as a souvenir, which is pretty cool.

We can also recommend the Butterbeer flight, which on our last visit included butterbeer, butterbeer ice-cream and a butterbeer muffin.

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 halfway 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 Ollivander’s 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 emphasize 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.

If you plan on having afternoon tea, you’ll need to add in at least an extra 90 minutes for that as well.

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 pushing your own trolley through the wall at platform 9 3/4 through to riding and summoning your own broomstick! There are also multiple photo opportunities throughout.

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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Harry Potter Tickets - Warner Bros. Studio Tour London with Return Transportation

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation from Victoria

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and Lunch for 2 - Experience Voucher

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation from Kings Cross

Full details, explore the magic behind the making of the films....

The most successful film series of all time is brought back to life at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter. Explore the magic behind the films, go behind-the-scenes and step into sets, see real costumes and marvel at ground-breaking special effects. Your price includes round-trip transport from London.

Our guide to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is a truly incredible experience, offering you the chance to explore the grand sets and sheer filmmaking magic of the Harry Potter film series.

Showcasing the best of British filmmaking, the level of detail you come across as you explore the Studio Tour is hard to believe.

See the Gryffindor™ common room, visit Dumbledore’s office, peer into Hagrid’s hut and see the incredible animatronic door to the Chamber of Secrets and much more!

• Entrance Ticket to Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter
• Roundtrip coach transportation from King's Cross or Victoria in Central London,
• Step into the Great Hall, walk down Diagon Alley™ and visit Dumbledore’s office
• See actual costumes and props from all eight Harry Potter™ film
• Free Wi-fi and Harry Potter movie playing onboard

How to Book?

There two different departure points. When booking, simply choose the time you want to catch the bus a nd begin your adventure!

• Victoria : Up to ten daily departures from Bus Stop 3, Bulleid Way, Victoria, London, SW1W 9SH. The nearest station is Victoria.
• King's Cross : Three daily departures from King's Cross Station, Pancras Road, Bus Stop T.

An ideal gift?

There is also the option to purchase a Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and Lunch for Two experience voucher operated by Virgin Experience Days. These experiences are a great idea for a present, as you don’t have to commit the recipient to a particular date – the choice is theirs! More info here .

Frequently Asked Questions for Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation

General information, how do i get tickets for harry potter tour, is warner bros. studio london worth visiting, ticket information, can you cancel tickets for harry potter tour, where is the warner bros studio london, is there parking, opening information, is the studio tour ever closed, accessibility, does the studio tour have wheelchair access, is there any strobe lighting through the tour, restrictions, are dogs allowed on the tour, can i take photos whilst on the tour, can i bring a pushchair or buggy with me, duration of visit, how long is the studio tour, warner bros. studio tour london - the making of harry potter with return transportation reviews, average 4.3 out of 5.

Todo genial, la recogida y la vuelta, autobús cómodo y personal muy amable. Siempre solucionando las dudas. Gracias por l experiencia

Trusted Customer reviewed Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation 19 Sep, 2023

Fabulous experience for all Harry Potter fans

Trusted Customer reviewed Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation 15 Oct, 2022

Fantastic day! My daughter loved it. Lots of friendly staff to help on your tour. Tour was 10/10

Trusted Customer reviewed Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation 18 Sep, 2022

Harry Potter world lived up to expectations.. A great day. Transportation ran smoothly. Only negative is some of the video screens on the tour bus were not working

Margaret Caraher reviewed Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation 26 Jul, 2022

Very impressive presentation of Harry Potter movies. All very enjoyable.

Mario Gazan reviewed Warner Bros Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter with Return Transportation 15 May, 2022

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  Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter 

Discover the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter. Our Harry Potter tours include transportation from London in luxury vehicles as well as entry tickets to the Studio Tour. Tickets get sold out very quickly, so we recommend booking our services well in advance of your travel dates

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter

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Warner bros studio tour with private hotel pickup & dropoff.

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Warner Bros Studio Tour London: Harry Potter Deluxe Tour

Harry Potter has been a part of my pop culture life for over 20 years, and I have successfully made Elizabeth a huge fan, too. I knew that going to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to see the real sets, costumes, and props from the Harry Potter movies would be a must-do on our trip to Ireland and England. The Harry Potter Studio tour is extremely popular and sells out very early. It sells out so early, in fact, that the only option left during our trip was the Harry Potter Deluxe Tour, a VIP experience at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London.

No trip to London in your future? That’s okay! Find out more about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando.

What Is The Harry Potter Deluxe Tour?

The Warner Bros. Studio London Deluxe Tour is a VIP experience that provides a different experience than the self-led tours. The Harry Potter deluxe tour gave us a private tour guide for 2 hours within the exhibits, a full meal in a private seating area, vouchers for Butterbeer or Butterbeer ice cream, a complete guidebook, 4 photos and 1 video for each ticket holder, and then access back into the tour where we could explore the exhibits more in-depth on our own. By far the best part of the Harry Potter deluxe tour was our guide, Joe. There were 10 of us in the deluxe tour group, and Joe did an excellent job of sharing fascinating anecdotes about what went on behind-the-scenes during the filming of all 8 Harry Potter movies.

The VIP Experience – Value of a Tour Guide

Each Harry Potter Deluxe Tour guide is well educated on everything associated with the filming of Harry Potter from characters, costumes, props, and sets to fun trivia. The two guides we spoke to were both huge Harry Potter fans and it really showed in how they presented the information. We learned details about the movies, and it made me appreciate everything I saw on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London even more.

Elizabeth asked a lot of questions of our tour guide, and he impressed us by knowing the answers right away. One of the most interesting things she asked Joe was how they made Madame Maxime appear so large. The answer was fascinating! The actors for Madame Maxime and Hagrid both had a body double who wore an animatronic head to make them even taller. Madame Maxime was a 7’1” basketball player, and Hagrid was a 6’10” rugby player.

The Harry Potter Deluxe Tour guides lead you through the exhibits and sets. The guides are allowed to go into the displays and even handle some of the props. This allowed us an up close look at the amazing detail in everything associated with the films. When we went to the potions classroom we could see all of the potions textbooks have lovely hard covers. While filming a scene there, the director thought it odd that all the students would have closed textbooks on the desks. Because of that director, an entire book of potions was written for the scene. On our deluxe tour our guide Joe went into the display and showed us the beautiful hand lettered potions textbook with a foreword, full textbook of chapters, and even a bibliography inside.

Thanks to our tour guide we also saw up close one of Harry Potter’s scars made for the film and Bellatrix Lestrange’s teeth. Did you know that they made thousands of the scar for Daniel Radcliffe, as one would expect of a young actor, he kept picking at them. Once they even had to re-shoot an entire scene because there was a visible fingerprint on the scar.

Here are some of my other favorite bits of trivia from the Harry Potter Studio Deluxe Tour:

• All external shots of Hogwarts were filmed with an extremely detailed model. Each miniscule brick is hand painted in the massive scale model. There are even miniature furnishings in some rooms to make them look real as the camera flies past.
• It took one of the graphic designers three months to hand draw the Marauders Map. Unfortunately, right after completion her toddler decided to color it. It then took her another four months to create an even more intricate Marauders Map which is the one we are all familiar with.
• Creating Dobby the house elf’s appearance had been difficult for the creative department. They couldn’t quite find the right inspiration. One day, a staff member brought her dog to work. The German Shepherd’s big eyes and floppy ears were perfect inspiration for the Dobby we know from the films.
• Although there are a lot of animatronics and practical effects, Dobby is all computer generated. Dobby was just a puppet on green sticks to help actors know where to look during filming. The only “real” Dobby is the one that Harry cradles in his arms after his great sacrifice.
• The beds in the boys dormitory are tiny! They only built the Gryffindor boys dormitory set once, and the beds were a only a good fit at the very beginning of filming.

Harry Potter Deluxe Tour Procedure

Once you arrive at Warner Bros. Studio you will check in for the deluxe tour. Your tour guide will then come out to greet you, escort you to security screening, and then into the lobby of the studio. We arrived early, because I did not want to chance being late. Our guide, Joe, covered the procedures and what to expect on the tour. He then told us we could look through the store and use the restroom while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive.

Our tour started right on time despite one family not being present. The Harry Potter Studio tour starts the same way for everyone whether self-guided or a deluxe tour. There is a holding room with a brief introduction on how the Harry Potter books got the green light to become films. Next you are led into a small movie theater and shown some clips from the movies. Then you move to a large set (but I won’t spoil the surprise). After this first set is where your Harry Potter Deluxe Tour really begins.

Your guide will walk you through the many exhibits. Halfway through the tour you stop to place a meal order. When we told the cafe staff about Elizabeth’s food allergy, they were able to research ingredients and provide us some options. Our only food allergy disappointment was that we could not find out if Butterbeer was safe. The formula is secret, and the only allergen information is a sheet showing safety for top allergens, a list that doesn’t include corn.

After placing your meal order, the second half of your Harry Potter Deluxe Tour begins. There is no set script for the guide, so they each provide a special flair to the tour. We learned tons of fun and interesting facts about the movies. The two-hour tour seemed to fly by, and we were disappointed for it to end.

Once the guided tour was over, we were led to a roped off dining area where our food was brought to our table. Don’t fret if you think two hours is too little time to see everything at the studio. After eating, the guide will allow you special re-entry into the tour. As a special perk of the Harry Potter Deluxe Tour your guide escorts you through a special hallway. This special access allows you to explore the Great Hall in between sets of traditional tour groups before you resume the self-guided portion of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Deluxe Tour

• Book Your Tour Early – Booking early gives you the best options for tour times. Our deluxe tour was at 3 pm, so we had limited time to spend exploring on our own after the guided portion was over. A morning deluxe tour would give you more time for the self-guided portion.
• Arrive To Warner Bros. Studio London early – The Harry Potter Deluxe Tour will begin on time, with or without you
• Use Your Photo Vouchers – There are 1 video and 3 professional photo opportunities in the studio tour. Your vouchers allow each person 4 digital/printed photos and 1 video. Have fun taking goofy pictures! We laughed so hard when each of us was making our flying broomstick videos.
• Redeem The Voucher For Butterbeer – The Harry Potter Deluxe Tour voucher entitles each person a Butterbeer or Butterbeer ice cream in a souvenir plastic cup or dish. We tried both. The Butterbeer tastes exactly like the traditional drink at Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando . The ice cream was a thumbs-down in our family, but I know some people like it.
• Get Your Guidebook – As part of your Harry Potter Deluxe Studio Tour you receive a souvenir glossy, color guidebook with tons of fun facts about the movies.

Getting to Warner Bros. Studios London

Warner Bros. Studio is located in Leavesden which is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) outside London. If you are comfortable with city public transportation in general this is an easy trip to navigate. You will need to take the West Midland Rail train from Euston Station in London to Watford Junction. Once you arrive in Watford Junction you exit the train station and follow the signs to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London shuttle bus. This air-conditioned double decker bus cost us £2.50 per person for a round trip and brought us directly to the studio.

Find out more from Warner Bros. Studio London about transportation , including self-park options.

Final Thoughts

Although more than I had originally budgeted, I left our Harry Potter Studio Deluxe Tour feeling extremely glad we booked it. Having a private guide to share their knowledge and answer our questions was invaluable. I got much more out of the tour by having our expert guide, relative to just perusing displays ourselves. After adding in the cost of drinks, meals, a souvenir guide, and photos to the general admission tour price the Harry Potter Deluxe Tour was a better value than it first seemed.

The fascinating details and stories our guide shared with us and seeing props up close was a special experience. I never dreamed I would see the Great Hall empty and stand alone by the gigantic doors into Hogwarts. The tour guide, special experiences, and the wonderful service from everyone we met made the Warner Bros. Studio London Deluxe Tour feel well worth the additional cost. Even Mr. Smart Mouse, who to my utter shame is not a Harry Potter fan, said that the tour was fabulous and made the experience more interesting for him.

Find out more specifics including current pricing for the Harry Potter Studio Deluxe Tour from the Warner Bros. Studio London website .

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More currencies, warner bros. studio harry potter tour with premium transfers from london.

Discover the magic of filmmaking on this exciting Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, responsible for bringing the Harry Potter™ books to the silver screen. Live out every Harry Potter fan's dream and get a chance to step into iconic sets from the films like the Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest, and Platform 9 ¾™, all with the convenience of return transportation on a Wifi enabled luxury coach!

Experience the best of filmmaking on this highly rated and incredibly sought-after Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.

Travel to the studios and back on a Wifi enabled luxury coach, so you can travel comfortably and not have to worry about the over 30-mile commute between the Studios and central London!

Learn about the different technologies during the green screen experience and understand how the use of animatronics and prosthetics brought the books to life.

Step into the cinematic universe of the Harry Potter series and see actual props and costumes from the eight films!

Explore iconic sets from the series, like Dumbledore's Office, Diagon Alley™, Platform 9 ¾ , and the Cupboard under the Stairs during your tour.

Entrance ticket to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

Return transfers to and from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

Luxury premium coach with WiFi

Pick-up from Russell Square or Victoria Station

• Guided tour

Cancellation policy

You can cancel these tickets up to 48 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Your Experience

Experience the best of filmmaking at the warner bros. studio tour london.

Your experience includes return transportation, saving you the trouble of planning the over 30-mile commute from London to Leavesden, where the Warner Bros. Studio is located. Once you are picked up from the tour office in Central London, your adventure will begin! The Warner Bros. Studio help people celebrate the love for the cinematic experience by throwing their doors open to the public and demonstrating how the Harry Potter books were brought to movie screens the world over so vividly. Be it the original concept artwork or the humongous model of the Hogwarts castle or the green screen you'll get to fly a broomstick in front of, the Studios' expertise in the art of making incredible movies is very clear. Throughout the tour, you will get the chance to immerse yourself in the Harry Potter universe, maintained meticulously to the last detail by the Studios, be it the costumes used by the actors or the sets the movies played out in.

Explore iconic sets from the Harry Potter series

Your tour will begin in the exact spot it began for Harry; in the Cupboard under the Stairs where Harry slept before his 11th birthday. As soon as you finish watching a welcome video, you'll get to make your way to the Great Hall of Hogwarts, complete with props and costumes used during filming many meals and feasts attended by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Take in the extraordinary detail and care that went into crafting every set as you visit the Gryffindor Common Room, Dumbledore's Office, the rustic hut belonging to Hagrid™, and the incredible animatronics technology used to operate the door to the Chamber of Secrets! Perhaps the most exciting part of the tour is the permanent exhibition to the Studio Tour, the Forbidden Forest! Break all the rules and delve into the woods, home to many dark creatures from the deep and trees that are over 12 feet thick. You'll even get to control the weather conditions using the same techniques used while filming.

This tour gives people the chance to experience some of the magic that went into creating the universe that J.K. Rowling so lovingly committed to the page and it is undoubtedly the perfect escape for Harry Potter fans of all ages!

With wifi enabled, luxury coach providing comfortable return transfers, and the promise of visiting one of the most popular studios in the world, this tour is one of the highest-rated and sought-after experiences in London and is a favorite of families with young children especially. Book now to secure the most convenient date and time for your visit!

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Warner bros. studio london, know before you go.

• Please click here for the detailed timings and boarding points.

You will receive an email confirmation with your Warner Bros. Studio Tour London with Superior Coach mobile ticket shortly.

Please display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point before boarding the bus.

If you have purchased reduced price tickets, please carry your valid photo ID proof for verification. Students must show their valid Student IDs.

Kindly ensure that you arrive 10-15 minutes before the start time of your tour to avoid any delays.

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Please check your final voucher for the meeting point details and specific instructions.

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A Magical Guide to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London: Everything You Need to Know

Last Updated: February 16, 2022

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Fact: In my entire life, I’ve only cried once at a tourist attraction.

And judge me all you want, but this cryfest happened at a Harry Potter studio tour.

… Allow me to explain myself.

Like most children born in the 90s, much of my youth was spent daydreaming about the arrival of my Hogwart’s acceptance letter. As this dream dwindled with the hardships of adulting, I instead took comfort in carbs and magical movie marathons.

But, it didn’t take much for these childhood dreams to resurface. A trip to London was all it took to re-open the floodgates (literally).

Let me tell you: for a Harry Potter fan, there is no attraction on this Earth more overwhelming and amazing than the  Warner Bros Studio Tour London, (AKA London’s Harry Potter set tour), which brings you through the filming site for all 8 movies in the Harry Potter franchise.

In addition to sets, you’re also shown countless props, the best gift shop in the world, and even a chance to taste butter beer for yourself. Come on now, is it at all a surprise that I bawled when I got to the end?

Read onwards for important info to know about the tour, some tips to keep in mind and of course, a recap of the experience (with plenty of photos!) Be careful for this section, as spoilers are abound!

PS: Check out my full list of Harry Potter themed attractions and experiences in London for more nerdy goodness.

Basic information to know about the Harry Potter Set Tour

If you’re interested in booking the epic Warner Bros Studio Tour in London for yourself, then here are some basic must-knows.

Harry Potter Studio Tour Tickets Info:

I first visited this attraction in 2014 and it was a hot mess then, and has only grown in popularity in the past few years.

If this Harry Potter set tour is a must-do for you, then make sure you book your tickets WELL in advance or you risk not being able to go!

Luckily, even when tickets are sold out on the main site, there are tours you can book online that will have tickets available for sold out dates.

Sometimes, booking with a tour is worthwhile because you not only guarantee your tickets, you also get the convenience of private transport there, which is nice and much less stressful than using public transport yourself.

Here is a breakdown of different Harry Potter Studio tour options that include transport. For your convenience, I also lay out their costs and what they have to offer:

Tickets can also be purchased online from the studio itself  here.

How to Get to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London:

Despite its name, the Warner Bros Studio London is actually located in Leavesden, which is northwest of London.

While booking a tour/private transport is the easiest and most convenient way to get there, it is still quite painless to reach via public transit, as a shuttle bus runs from Watford Junction railway station.

To get to the Watford Junction station, you need to make use of London’s overground system.

Not sure about the best route to get there? Check out this handy trip planner .  The tour’s website recommends that you arrive at Watford Junction 45 minutes prior to your tour time.  

Remember to bring change, as the cost for the shuttle bus is 2 pounds each way.

NOTE : Leave a lot of leeway for you to get there. We definitely got lost a few times due to the transfers, and were stressed to the max! For a more stress-free experience, consider prebooking a tour that comes with transport. Here’s one for under $100USD.

Tips for Doing the Harry Potter Set Tour Like a Pro

Having addressed the basics, here are some tips you should keep in mind when planning your visit:

1. Check on the Warner Bros Studio Tour website for special events

The studio tour often has special weeks during which there are specialized displays or demonstrations.

If you have quite some time in London, I suggest looking up when special events are happening and to plan accordingly.

I was luckily around for the beginning of Wand Week, so I got to see wandmakers do their thing and I even got to pose with some Death Eaters. Super cool!

2. Allow extra time for travel

Especially if you are new to London, trying to navigate the transit there can take time, so give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the studio.

That being said, do not hyperventilate if your ticketed time is fast approaching. While the reservation system does assign you a time, they won’t turn you away if you are a bit late.

3. Don’t forget to print your Warner Bros Studio Tour ticket

This will make the whole process smoother.

One girl that came with us didn’t print hers and upon arrival, she realized that her order never actually went through.

Luckily, even though they claim there is no box office at the attraction, she was able to purchase a ticket there, but do book in advance to save yourself the trouble.

4. Set yourself a budget for magical souvenirs

Trust me, when you enter the Harry Potter Studio Tour Shop for the first time, you will lose all sense of self control.

You will suddenly want all these things that you would never need.

Legit wizard robe? Okay!

Replica wand? Yes please.

There are so many amazingly crafted souvenirs for sale that you will easily empty your wallet.

For budget-conscious backpackers (like me) or large families with crying children, setting a budget beforehand is a must.

5. Grab yourself a free Warner Bros Studio Tour London passport

At some point during the tour, you might notice children getting awesome embossed stamps on a Harry Potter passport.

Uh, yeah, those are actually not just for kids!

I shamelessly (and sweetly) asked a staff member for one, and they kindly obliged.

Getting the stamps is fun and having a Harry Potter passport is pretty much the best souvenir ever.

6. Be sure to check out other Harry Potter filming locations around the UK too

If you’ve made it all the way to Leavesden, you’re actually pretty close to a variety of other Harry Potter filming locations!

While this set tour is of course incredible, there are dozens of other real-life filming locations scattered around the UK that you can visit for yourself. Click here for a full list.

Harry Potter Set Tour Recap with Photos

With those tips out of the way, I’d love to show you some photos and a brief overview of the experience from my visit in 2014. Note that they have added a lot since then, but still…

WARNING: spoilers, spoilers, spoilers. 

Some would say that the best way to experience this tour is by seeing everything first hand, but if you are curious to see photos and more, feel free to scroll further.

Your magical experience begins as soon as you walk into the building. All around the lobby are canvases with various Harry Potter characters, as well as props and other cool artifacts hanging off the walls.

Even the task of waiting in line (typically the most mundane thing ever) is a joy for this tour.

The queue moves very quickly and there is plenty for you to nerd out about as you wait.

Most notably, Harry’s  cupboard under the stairs , is right next to the queuing area, ensuring that you get a perfect view of this iconic set.

You’ll notice that groups are taken in based on their spot in line, rather than their timed reservation.

This is why there is some flexibility when it comes to your arrival time.

If you’re a few minutes late, no worries, just hop in the queue and you will make it in all-the-same.  

The tour begins with a brief video introduction to the franchise, followed by a preshow featuring Rupert, Daniel and Emma themselves.

As this preshow concludes, the screen reveals the doors to the  Great Hall!  During my tour, they invited any birthday kids to come up and help open the doors.

After  seriously  wishing it was my birthday, I bitterly watched two ecstatic kids live out their childhood dreams, revealing the first stop of the tour, the amazing…

1. Great Hall!

This is the the only part of the tour where your time will be limited, as they let tour groups in every few minutes.

As such, if you want photos, be sure to snap them  quickly !

Being in this room is an unreal feeling. In addition to the long tables, cutlery and elaborate set pieces, you also get to view costumes from students in each house, and important Hogwarts faculty as well!

2. The Big Room

After your time in the Great Hall, you are brought into the  Big Room , which houses a variety of sets, props and costumes.

Here, you are given free reign to explore for yourself and gawk at all the amazing pieces the room contains!

Highlights for me were definitely the  Potions classroom  (complete with a Snape costume on display),  the Gryffindor Common Room  and  the Weasley House .

Many of the sets also have interactive buttons where you can make objects move by pressing them.

This was especially cool in the Weasley kitchen, where the touch of a button could make an iron move on its own, make vegetables chop themselves, etc. Super neat!

For those seeking a sweet photo opp, there are several green screen opportunities to ride a broom as a Quidditch player and more! I didn’t wait in line for this bit, but it definitely looked like a lot of fun! Here are some photos from the Big Room:

3. The Backlot

After perusing the Big Room, you are brought outside to the  Backlot , home to a variety of sets including Harry’s  Privet Drive home , the  Hogwarts Bridge , the  Knight Bus  and of course,  the concession stands!  

It’s at this point in the tour that you can live out your childhood fantasy of sipping a nice, cold  butterbeer.  

Be sure to explore the bridge before you purchase a butterbeer, as no food or drink is allowed on that set. 

Now, while public opinion seems to be split on the taste of butterbeer, I have to say that  I. loved. every. single. sip.  

It’s very possible that I was blinded by the magic of my surroundings, but I would argue that it’s worth a try regardless!

NOTE: If you want to purchase a souvenir cup, remember to bring a bag or something to wrap it in, as that stuff can get mighty sticky. Here’s a sample of the cool things you’ll see in the backlot!

4. Art Department, Creature Effects and Diagon Alley

When you’re ready to go back inside, countless wonders from the  creature effects & art department  await you. Here, you really get to appreciate the depth of work put into creating a whole magical world.

I was really wowed by everything.

In this area, you will see masks, wigs, models and more of your favourite magical creatures.

In this second half of the tour as well, you get to walk through Diagon Alley. The details and work in the set will absolutely blow you away. The shops look so real, you’ll be tempted to go knocking on their doors.

5. Hogwarts Castle Model

And lastly, the grand finale of the Harry Potter set tour… The model of Hogwarts!

This one here is a real showstopper.

A walkway surrounding the model allows you to view it from all angles, taking in the fine details of this wonderful school.

For many Harry Potter fans, seeing the castle like this is a dream come true. Now, if only it were real!

At the end of the tour, just before the entrance of the Harry Potter Studio Tour Shop, you will see this wonderfully beautiful quote appear on the screen:

It was at this point that  I began to bawl.  I couldn’t help it!

Everything that I loved about the series had been shown to me in the past few hours, and for that short period of time, I got to live out my dream of seeing the magical world that made my childhood.

Messy and gross, I walked into the gift shop, which was a massive treasure trove of things you never knew you wanted or needed. Wands for every character? I’ll take 100.

And there you have it,  the most magical experience ever . One day, I  will   visit the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but until then, I think this tour has given me enough happy & geeky memories to last. …. At least for the next little while.

Any more questions about visiting the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London?

 Over to you – have you ever been to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London? IF NOT, THEN WTF ARE YOU WAITING FOR? No jk, uh I meant to ask, which part would you most look forward to?!

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7 thoughts on “A Magical Guide to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London: Everything You Need to Know”

Enjoyed every bit of your blog article.Much thanks again. Really Cool.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

bookmarked!!, I like your blog!

thanks Jane!! 😀

Hi Christina! I’m going to be traveling alone to London this week, would the Harry Potter tour be fun for a solo traveler? Also, I was considering buying a groupon for a night tour, but the picture of you holding the butter beer appears to be outside? I guess we would be missing this part of the tour if I went at night then eh?

hi Lisa, I hope this comment isn’t too late! but YES YES YES the tour would 100% still be fun as a solo traveler (provided that you like Harry Potter haha). I didn’t realize they had a special night tour, but the butterbeer was outside in a special lot where they had lots of big props and set pieces (it’s part of the tour) so I can’t imagine they would leave it out for any reason. I have my fingers crossed for you!

Thank you for this article and the pics. I always need to take a peek of the atmosphere beforehand since I’m going solo. I hope they will let me use my selfie stick inside.

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Warner Bros.? Paramount? Universal? How to choose the best Hollywood studio tour for you

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When it comes to L.A. outings, the movie studio tour can be easy for locals to overlook. After all, surrounded by Hollywood productions, the entire city can feel like a stage. And if you’ve been on backlots or know people who work in the film and television industries, the magic of the moving picture may already be demystified.

And yet there’s still much to adore about an afternoon jaunt through a filmmaking campus.

In a city that’s too often unjustly stereotyped as favoring the new, the Hollywood studio reminds us of how much history — and, specifically, pop-culture myth-making — is rooted in and around Los Angeles. There in these spaces, you might see a spot where James Dean once stood, roll past the “Psycho” house, step into a partly dressed soundstage or walk through a sound-making Foley factory. Our studios remain working palaces dedicated to crafting dreams.

That all may sound romanticized — the reality of “ making it ” in Hollywood is increasingly challenging, and the studio itself is threatened by a global, digital and consolidating production industry — but it’s only meant to note what’s at risk.

For me, the studio tour was once a go-to destination when out-of-towners came to visit. These days, I like to revisit one every few years, just as a reminder to remain uncynical and to marvel at the talent and cinematic art that this region has invented. And each tour has a slightly different flavor. Whether it’s animation history you crave or museum-like installations, there’s a tour for every kind of film buff.

Universal Studios

Best for: Seekers of thrills and cinematic magic

It’s not an exaggeration to say that if there was no tram tour on the Universal Studios lot, there would be no Universal Studios theme park. Sixty years ago, the backlot tram tour began as a way, in part, to increase commissary sales as tourists liked the opportunity to dine on the lot. Quickly, however, those running the tour had a realization that every studio trek has to confront: looking at giant soundstages or deserted sets is fun for only so long.

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Thus, Universal Studios pioneered the concept of melding the tour with various attractions — cinematic illusions such as a flash flood, a runaway train or, in the late ’80s, an earthquake simulator. Today, the tram tour — now officially designated as the World-Famous Studio Tour — is but one part of a larger theme park, designed to show us mini-attractions such as an encounter with a shark from “Jaws” or a 3-D ride alongside King Kong. Yes, there are backlot sets, including instantly recognizable locations from “Back to the Future,” “Pyscho,” “Desperate Housewives” and, most recently, “Nope.” But this 60-minute journey is more than a behind-the-scenes look. Instead, the focus is on the emotion and excitement of movie-making mirages.

There is even a lesser known VIP option to exploring the park. Expect to spend around $400 per person for it, but the perks include a longer tour with the ability to walk around the sets, venture into a prop house and likely set foot on a soundstage.

Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza. The tram tour is included with theme park admission, which varies per day but ranges from $109 to $149 per person. For more information , visit universalstudioshollywood.com .

Warner Bros.

Best for: Fans of interactive exhibits, Central Perk selfies and everything “Harry Potter”

Warner Bros. has always had a showman’s approach to its studio tour, opening its gates to the public in the mid-’60s to herald the arrival of “The Great Race” with cars, props and a behind-the-scenes featurette to accompany a backlot venture. It’s a mindset that continues today, as the Warner Bros. Studio Tour aims to walk the line between pure history and entertainment, with numerous recent expansions into interactive installations. Come for the tour, stay for a potion-making mini-game to celebrate the “Harry Potter” franchise or the ability to pose with multiple Batmobiles.

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The standard tour offers about a 60-minute tram outing. Expect to stop and walk among its suburban town, where guides will point out filming locations from “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Cool Hand Luke” and more, as well as to see the wilds of San Fernando Valley, including a forest area that’s been used in the likes of “Jurassic Park,” “True Blood” and “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” There’s also a Turner Classic Movies-themed tour , if you lean more toward cinematic classics such as “Casablanca” and “Rebel Without a Cause.”

But what truly separates Warner Bros. from its competitors is recent investments in a re-creation of the “Friends” Central Perk Café — yes, you can dine there — and its surrounding museum-like exhibits. Interactive tables will allow you to explore the actors of Warner Bros. past and present, while special effects stations can add or subtract digital accouterments with the movement of a knob. There’s up-sell green screen photo ops, short films and demonstrations of motion-capture technology. A secondary stop pulls from tricks from the theme park industry, with photo ops pegged to DC superhero films and the “Potter” franchise, including the ability to be assigned a personality by the latter’s wizardly Sorting Hat.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour, 3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank. The standard tour starts at $73 ; Southern California residents receive a $12 discount through Dec. 17 , with deluxe and VIP offerings providing additional exploration of the studio’s backlot. For more information , visit wbstudiotour.com.

Walt Disney Studios

Best for: Disney history buffs and animation lovers

If Disneyland idealizes American stories and Western takes on classic fairy tales, then a trip to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank grounds them in a bit more reality. But it is still Disney, so expect a little bit of folkloric mythologizing, especially when it comes to company founder Walt Disney.

A centerpiece of the 2½-hour tour — open only to members of the Disney fan club D23, including those with a free membership — is the meticulous restoration of Disney’s five-room office suite. It’s a treasure trove of items belonging to Disney — or re-creations of them, such as a reproduction of the special Oscar he won for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” with a normal-sized statuette and seven smaller ones. Marvel, too, at the Disneyland master plan, with nods to what were then recently completed projects such as It’s a Small World. The office is preserved as it would have looked at the time of Disney’s death in 1966. (Note: At the time of publication, the office was due for renovation in late 2024.)

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Additionally, no other tour is as dedicated to the art of animation as this one. No real surprise, of course, but guests will visit the original animation building — where “Cinderella” and “Lady and the Tramp,” among many others, were created — and learn about Disney’s many advancements to the medium. Discover, too, the unique construction of the lot, and clever efforts to conceal precious hand-drawn animation cels from the sun. The tour also includes a stop at the Walt Disney Archives, the working research lab dedicated to preserving all things Disney.

The Walt Disney Studios Official Tour, 500 S . Buena Vista St., Burbank. D23 members are allowed to purchase two tickets; ticket cost varies by membership level but starts at $79. For more information , visit d23.com/upcoming-events.

Sony Pictures

Best for: Game show devotees and a vision of Oz

The Times first wrote about a tour of the famed MGM Studios lot in the late ’60s. Times, culture and ownership have changed, and the now Sony Pictures Studio Tour no longer, for instance, provides a look at Esther Williams’ private swimming pool. Today, it begins with a re-creation of the “Seinfeld” set and props from the “Men in Black” films. The Culver City lot still offers the occasional nod to its past, via architectural allusions to MGM’s history or artist Tony Tasset’s 94-foot, 2012-constructed rainbow that references “The Wizard of Oz,” which was filmed at the locale.

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A signature of the modern Sony Pictures tour is a stop on the sets of venerable game shows such as “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” provided they’re not in the midst of filming. But even if they are, you’ll still have the opportunity to stand before a green screen and take home a “Jeopardy!” picture as a memento.

You’ll also likely get a look at various working aspects of the studio. On the day I visited, we strolled through the sound production offices to see how Foley artists operate. Imagine a darkened, cramped room that looks like someone’s garage filled with old clothes, crusty leaves, an assortment of footwear and broken machinery.

It was a brief chance to play, as guests stepped among different floor types to create various sounds. We also spent a moment in an overdub room, mimicking the creation of white noise from a crowd.

“Breaking Bad” and Ghostbusters” fans will snare a look at vehicles used in productions. For a different perspective, schedule one of Sony’s evening tours.

Sony Pictures, 3990 Overland Ave ., Culver City. Tours start at $55. For more information, visit sonypicturesstudiostours.com.

Paramount Pictures

Best for: Those looking for Hollywood nostalgia

Paramount dispenses with the slickness and some of the how-to’s of other tours, focusing instead on its historic Hollywood locale on Melrose Avenue. A sense of grandeur permeates the lot, thanks in large part to the ornate archway of the Bronson Gate — which was a filming location for “Sunset Boulevard.” On Paramount’s standard tour, you’ll learn how Alfred Hitchcock nearly destroyed a soundstage to film “Rear Window,” and glimpse the lot’s expansive “blue sky tank,” which can create oceanic illusions. On the day I visited, we explored a soundstage dressed for Taylor Tomlinson’s “After Midnight,” and paused to watch crews ready the lot’s New York streets for filming.

At a prop warehouse specifically geared for the tour, one can step on a transporter from “Star Trek Beyond.” Also present: costumes for the “Halo” series, a full-scale Bumblebee from the “Transformers” films and mushrooms and an “egg mobile” from the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movies. This is more of a gallery-like setup than it is a venture into a working prop house.

The two-hour Paramount tour is relatively intimate, featuring a small group and a tour guide armed with an iPad. Higher-priced options offer a look into more operational archival areas of the lot, but as it stands, it’s primarily a chance to see a historic Hollywood lot, one potentially on the verge of significant change .

Paramount Pictures, 5515 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Tour start at $65. For more information, visit paramountstudiotour.com.

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Todd Martens is a features columnist at the Los Angeles Times who writes about theme parks and West Coast Experiences, among other topics. Martens joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007 and has covered a mix of interactive entertainment as its game critic and pop music as a reporter and editor. Previously, he reported on the music business for Billboard Magazine. Martens has contributed to numerous books, including “The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time.” He continues to torture himself by rooting for the Chicago Cubs and, while he likes dogs, he is more of a cat person.

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