For fans of the Harry Potter film series a trip to the place where the films were made is the ultimate bucket-list destination. The films were filmed in various locations around the UK, with many Harry Potter filming destinations in London accessible for fans to visit. However, the Warner Brothers Studios were where the real magic took place. Located a short ride from London, fans of the Harry Potter films can enjoy taking a closer look at the beautiful sets that were used in the actual films, see behind-the-scenes props, and jump into an immersive world of Harry Potter.

This informative guide takes you through The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour, with tips on what to see and advice on how to get there so you won’t miss a thing.

The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour

The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour is located northwest of London in Leavesden just outside Watford town. Based on the world-famous Harry Potter book series written by JK Rowling, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is the ultimate place to visit where the filming for all eight films took place.

The expansive studio attraction has been open since March 2012 and includes the authentic sets, props and costumes used in the Harry Potter film series. The team responsible for the Studio Tour has excellently preserved the iconic props and sets from the films so fans can experience the magic and nostalgia the films created.

Tickets for the Harry Potter Studio Tour

• Buy your tickets to the Harry Potter Studio Tickets as soon as possible to ensure you secure the date you want.
• As the Harry Potter Studio Tour is located just outside of London, booking a ticket that includes transportation to and from London is advised.
• Tickets including transport and offers that combine the Harry Potter Studio Tour with other UK tourist spots such as Oxford can be bought easily online.
• Some tours may still have spots available even if tickets on the official website are sold out. I suggest consulting various tour operators to find available tickets.

Best tours to Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studios in London

How to arrive at the Harry Potter Studios

You can reach the Warner Brothers Studio by car, coach, or public transport.

• If you are driving you can find directions on the Studio website and there is plenty of parking available.
• If you are using public transport, you can take a train to Watford Junction from London Euston station, and then take the complimentary shuttle bus to the Studios Tour.
• Alternatively, you can book tickets that include a coach transfer to and from London.

Highlights of the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour

What can you see in the Studios? There is plenty to see at The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour making it the perfect place to take a Harry Potter fan.

The magic begins as you enter the building with a giant dragon model greeting guests as they arrive. You then are given a short safety briefing and introduction to the Studio Tour. The doors then open to reveal the entrance to the Great Hall, one of the Harry Potter films’ most famous and important sets.

Entering the Great Hall is spectacular with the tables set and the hall dressed just like in the films. Around the tables, the school uniform costumes for each house are displayed (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin). As you walk around you begin to feel like you are actually at Hogwarts. The teacher’s costumes including Professor Dumbledore stand proudly at the front of the hall and the tables are set for a great dinner banquet.

As you follow the tour you pass Harry’s ‘cupboard under the stairs’ bedroom, although you can only peer inside and can not enter due to the small size. You also get to peek at the sets and props used throughout the films such as the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, and a display including the wands for all the wizards and witches that appear in the films.

Highlights include Professor Snape’s Potion Classroom filled with over 950 prop potion jars and the colourful Great Yule Ball drinks fountain. As you continue through the tour there are many opportunities to immerse yourself in the magic of the Making of Harry Potter with green screen photo opportunities.

Further along the tour, you can enter the Forbidden Forest, an immersive section where you can walk past giant tree props into the deep forest. The iconic Hogwarts Express and the 9 ¾ Platform are also a great place to take photos with luggage trolley props available to pose with.

Other great sets to see on the tour include 4 Privet Drive where you can go inside and see the living room full of Hogwarts Letters to Harry suspended mid-air. You can also see the three-decker London Knight Bus, where you can jump on the back for a picture and walk along the Hogwarts Bridge as if you were a student at the school.

A great part of the tour is the grand banking hall of Gringotts Bank, adorned with three crystal chandeliers, and decorated with quills, inkwells and piles of Galleons. Here you can see life-like models of the Gringotts Goblins and look through the treasures held in the vaults. Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse is a new addition to the tour and is a great place to check how magically green-fingered you are.

The tour is filled with many behind-the-scenes exhibits that include prosthetic masks, lifelike models and technical drawings of the sets before they were made into life-size versions. It is a treasure trove of fantastic details ideal for any Harry Potter fan who wants to know how they brought the magic to life.

As the tour nears the end, visitors can wander down the famous Diagon Alley, where Harry first learned about the fantastic Wizarding World. Here you can peer into Ollivander’s wand shop, and Flourish and Blotts book shop. The tour ends with a spectacular miniature model of Hogwarts Castle before visitors proceed to the gift shop to pick up souvenirs from their visit to the Studio Tour.

The Best Things to Do at the Harry Potter Studio Tour

• Grab a Butterbeer at the Studio Tour Backlot Cafe
• Take a photo inside the Weasley’s Ford Anglia flying car or jump on Hagrid’s motorbike.
• Fly a broomstick over London at the Studio Tour Green Screen Experience.
• Visit Buckbeak, the animatronic Hippogriff in the Forbidden Forest.
• Jump on the Hogwarts Express for a photo in the train carriage.
• Come face to face with a special effects dragon in the vaults of Gringotts Bank.

Tips for the Harry Potter Studio Tour

• Arrive as early as possible to ensure you have enough time to see everything.
• Pick up a free Activity Passport when you enter and collect souvenir stamps as you walk through the tour.
• Be prepared to queue to be able to take photos with the props or in green screen areas.
• The Studio Tour caters to Additional Needs with plenty of areas for wheelchair users to enjoy and additional support available for Autistic people and their carers.
• During summer (July to September) visitors are welcomed by a Frog Choir and they can experience pulling out a Mandrake at Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse.
• For a special experience visit during Halloween: To mark Halloween, if you visit between late September and early November the Studio Tour will be decorated with pumpkins and have a spooky vibe. Death Eaters also make an appearance including interactive wand combat displays. During Halloween, adults can attend Hogwarts After Dark which includes Halloween festivities and a two-course dinner.
• From November to January each year the Studio Tour is adorned with Christmas decorations and faux snow covers some of the sets. During Christmas visitors can also book onto special Christmas experiences and enjoy a full-course Christmas dinner in The Great Hall.
• The tour can take up to three hours and even though children are welcome to attend, smaller children may struggle with the long queues to take photos.

Is the visit worth it?

If you are a fan of the Harry Potter books and specifically the Harry Potter movies you will enjoy the Studio Tour. The sets used in the movies have been carefully preserved by the crew and adapted to allow as much intersection for fans as possible. Mega-fans will enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes props and exhibits which include costumes, models and graphics that can not be seen anywhere else.

Some people may be disappointed to find out that the Studio Tour is not fully interactive and many of the sets are for display only. For example, you can not enter any of the shops on Diagon Alley and you can only view the sets from behind protective glass. With that being said the tour will be enjoyed by people who love the Harry Potter films and want to see the authentic sets. The Harry Potter Studio Tour is worth a visit at least once to be able to witness a piece of Harry Potter history for yourself.