We are HUGE Harry Potter fans and living in London means we get to go to some incredible Harry Potter locations and experiences. We have visited a lot of great Harry Potter-themed places and want to share those with you!
Film Locations
Millennium bridge
You might remember this bridge from the opening shots of the Half-Blood Prince. In the dramatic scene, the death eaters collapse the pedestrian-only bridge whilst muggles run for their lives.
In reality, the bridge still stands and offers some stunning views of the River Thames and St Paul’s Cathedral. It connects Bankside with the City and the nearest stations to it are Blackfriars and St Pauls.
Kings Cross Station
One of the first magical locations we are introduced to in the Harry Potter series is actually set at Kings Cross Station where the Hogwarts Express departs from Platform 9¾. The station has now created a memorial to this platform where you will find a trolley embedded into the wall which is great for picture opportunities and there is also a merch store found next to it.
Reptile House at London Zoo
Remember that scene where Harry goes to the zoo with the Dursleys and talks to that snack? Well, that was filmed at the Reptile House in London Zoo.
Experiences
Harry Potter Studios
Possibly the most famous Harry Potter experience to visit in London is the Warner Brother Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter. Found in Leavesden the Warner Bro Studios is where the film series was actually set. They have rebuilt the sets to give visitors the chance to see not only how they created Harry Potter but also to give them the chance to get immersed in the magical world. Here you can walk down Diagon Alley, take a stroll through the spider (not real spiders) infested Forbidden Forest, and take a look inside the most famous rooms of Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and has been playing at the Palace Theatre in the London theatre district since 2016. This is a must-see show for all Harry Potter fans out there. The play is split into two parts and can be either watched on the same day or on separate occasions. As there are two parts it can make it quite expensive, but it is certainly worth the price!
The Cauldron
If you are looking for a more adult Harry Potter experience and want to mix cocktails with magic then The Cauldron is the perfect place to visit. Here you can have a Harry Potter-themed cocktail-making class.
The class is based around the art of concocting magic potions and involves cauldrons, magic wands, and molecular mixology (and a little alcohol). If you would still like to bring your kids, then not to worry, they also offer non-alcoholic family-friendly potion mixing sessions.
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Escape Room
If you love escape rooms then you will really enjoy the Enigma Harry Potter themed one. Here you are looked in a room, solving Harry Potter clues to try and escape in under an hour. There is a minimum of 3 players for this experience, so grab your family or friends and get involved!
Merch
House of Spells, Charing Cross Road
This shop is dedicated to selling all sorts of Harry Potter merch. Here you can buy wands, potions, clothing and much more. They also have a section for Game of Thrones merch.
House of Minalima
House of MinaLima is a fantastic gallery and store situated that is found in the heart of Soho. It is run by two Harry Potter art designed and showcases the graphic art of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films as well as other works. Here, you can also buy some beautiful Harry Potter themed merch.
Without A Paddle Travel 