The Harry Potter Warner Brother Studio Tour is a must-do for any Hatty Potter fan while visiting London. I grew up with Harry Potter, The Sorcerer’s Stone was the first novel I ever read and I was completely hooked. This was around 2002 so I was a little behind, but I quickly devoured the next three books and loved the movies just as much. My mom, sister, and I re-read all the books before every book release and re-watched all the movies before every movie release. I felt like I was growing up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione; and it was something I bonded with my mom and sister about as well.
Harry Potter was and is so important in my life. It caused a life-long love of reading. Reading those books, I could escape into a magical world where kids my age could do magic, ride Hippogriffs, fight dragons, even save the world. I remember being devastated when the final movie came out when I was in high school – it felt like the end of an era. But doing the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour felt like that magic was alive again! Which is why it’s so important for me to share my experience with others, so that you too can experience the magic again. So without further adieu, let me tell you how you can experience the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour – a truly magical day trip from London.
How to Purchase Tickets for the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour
There are many places to purchase tickets for the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour while you’re in London. But first – purchase your tickets in advance! Like as soon as you confirm your trip to London and are sure you have time for this day trip: buy the tickets! They do sell out, but you can buy them from multiple tour services as well. Headout, Viator, and Get Your Guide all have ticket options, plus many, many more.
Tickets directly from Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London cost around 47 pounds per adult, with family deals as well. You can check these ticket prices here. Tickets from third-party sellers are generally more expensive (I bought my tickets from Headout and they were around 89 pounds), but they usually include transportation to and from the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour just outside of London. Which brings me to my next point…
How to Get to the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour
The Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour isn’t actually in London. I know, deceiving, right? The studio is actually located in Leavesden, England – near Watford. Meaning the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour is about a 45 minute to an hour drive from London city center. Lucky for you, most third party companies that sell tickets to Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London include transportation. I got my tickets through Headout and simply went to the tour office near Victoria Station and boarded the bus. The details of the tour claimed they would air the Harry Potter movies on the drive to and from the studio but unfortunately they didn’t on my trip. However, it was a convenient way to get to and from the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour and I had plenty of time before the bus headed back to London.
https://thetravellingbarnacle.com/best-things-to-do-in-one-weekend-in-londonWhile you can’t take the Hogwarts Express to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour outside London, you can pretty easily take a train to the tour. You can take a train from Euston Station to Watford Junction (the closest station to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour). From there, there’s a shuttle that runs from the station to the studio itself. To make the train ride even more convenient: you can use your Oyster Card to take the train to the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London. Check out my post on things to do in London to see why you definitely need to get an Oyster Card on your trip!
Why Visit Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London: Relive the Magic
As I said before, the Harry Potter Warner Brother Studios Tour London was breathtaking. It renewed my love and excitement for all things Harry Potter. The tour begins in the Great Hall, which was incredible. From there you move into a more open area where you get to visit the Gryffindor common room, the Potions Classroom, and (my personal favorite) Dumbledore’s office, among others. I don’t want to spoil this experience too much but I will share some of my many photos to give you a taste of it.
Why Visit Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London: See the Behind the Scenes Movie Magic
I was amazed at some of the props I got to see on the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London. I thought most of the creatures in the Harry Potter movies were just CGI and other visual effects. On this tour I quickly realized this wasn’t the case at all. There’s a whole section of the tour devoted to explaining and also demonstrating how the combination of visual effect and special effects works to create the magical world of Harry Potter we all know and love. This included how Quidditch came together, as well as getting to see the famous flying Ford Anglia up close. However, I think my favorite props were in the Forbidden Forest. Between Aragog, the centaur, and even Buckbeak (hippogriffs were always one of my favorite magical creatures) it was amazing.
At the beginning of your tour, you’re given an audio guide, so as you explore you also get to watch videos explaining some of the movie magic behind the props you’re seeing. I was so surprised how much I learned about the making of these movies. Later in the tour I got to see even more incredible props, production art and models and so much more.
Why Visit Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London: Visit Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley was always so alluring and mesmerizing to me as a kid. Other than Hogwarts – definitely the number one place I’d want to visit in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London made that dream a reality when I got to walk down Diagon Alley. I haven’t been to Diagon Alley at Harry Potter World so I don’t have a comparison but I loved this Diagon Alley. Please feel free to let me know in the comments how the Universal one compares!
Why Visit Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London: Visit Where it All Started - Number 4 Privet Drive
But before that – try some Butterbeer! While the food at Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London was nothing to rave about (it wasn’t bad either but was definitely pricier than it was worth), I was so excited to try Butterbeer! Plus it’s a good way to get a souvenir as you get to keep the cup! From there you go outside where you get to see the Knight Bus, Number 4 Privet Drive, the Potters’ Cottage, and the covered bridge at Hogwarts that made it’s first appearance in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This section was one of my favorite parts of the tour and it was nice to get outside for a bit – despite the dreary February weather.
Why Visit Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London: Get Your Own Wand!
Or some other magical souvenirs! The Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour experience ends with a pretty awesome gift shop. You can find everything from chocolate frogs to robes to wands! I personally didn’t get anything much here (except a magnet because I collect them when I travel), because I only brought a backpack with me to London and didn’t have a lot of space. But I definitely recommend getting something here to remember your magical experience!
Some Final Tips for Visiting Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London:
- Consider the weather. While most of the tour is inside, there is the small outdoor portion. There’s a coat check at the beginning of the tour. I recommend bringing a light jacket, I was stuck in a big winter coat the whole tour.
- If you’re going to take the train – buy an Oyster card! You can use this on public transportation throughout London, it’ll save you money and hassle.
- Don’t spend the tour trying to take the perfect picture. It’s crowded and you’ll just get frustrated and enjoy your time less. Sorry, not going to get a picture in the Mirror of Erised without a ton of other people in the reflection.
- Don’t rush! I was worried about not having time on my tour and actually ended up finishing it EARLY. So I took the time to double back and more fully appreciate things and snap some extra pictures.
I hope this post helps you to realize there’s no more magical day trip from London than the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour! Have you been on the tour? Let me know in the comments if there’s something I missed or what your favorite part of the tour is! Or let me know your favorite Harry Potter memory!
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I really regret not doing this tour when I visited London. Next time for sure, it looks like so much fun!
It really was! I’m so glad I devoted a day to doing it. There’s just so much to do in London, it can be so hard to decide on what to see in a limited time!
Somehow I still haven’t managed to go and actually visit the HP Studios. Been meaning to for a while… maybe this year I’ll finally manage.
Great tips and presentation! Although I was living in London and the UK I have not seen it. I think the location did not suit me so much. Instead, on a trip to Oxford, I visited Christ Church College where many Harry Potter scenes took place You may have heard of it
I have heard of it, I would love to visit there on my next trip. There are some truly amazing day trips from London!
I loved reading this. I’m a Potter head and as yet never visited the studios. I live about 2 hours drive away as well. Definitely this year 😁
You should definitely go! It’s incredible. Also super jealous that you live 2 hours from London 🙂