Every Harry Potter fan has dreamed of one day walking through the doors of Hogwarts into the Great Hall. Thanks to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, you can do just that…on the original movie set.
What is the Harry Potter Studio Tour?
The Harry Potter movies were a huge undertaking that spanned years of work. The books were still being written while the movies were being made…so the crew saved back important set pieces in case they were needed later on. After the movies became a global phenomenon, the question of what to do with a soundstage full of sets and props seemed clear…open them to the public!
Location
The studio is located in Leavesden about 20 miles outside of London. Probably the best way for tourists to reach the attraction is a combination of train and shuttle bus. You can take a direct train from London’s Euston station to Watford Junction…then hop the dedicated shuttle bus to the studio. Oyster cards are valid for the train portion of the trip and the shuttle bus will cost you an additional 2.50 GBP per person (cash only).
If you’re not up to getting there on your own (though it’s easy, I promise!), you can schedule a direct bus from London through a tour operator. Golden Tours is the preferred partner of the studio and offers options for transport only or transport/ticket packages.
Tickets
You *must* purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are not sold at the door and you will not be allowed in without a valid ticket. Tickets can be purchased on the Warner Bros website and these do sell out, oftentimes weeks in advance! Make sure you plan ahead! To help with crowd control, your ticket will be valid for a specific timed entry window.
Tour
The tour is a self-paced walk through several large sound studios housing many of the original sets, props, and costumes from the Harry Potter movies. You can explore Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Platform 9 3/4, the Forbidden Forest, Gringotts Bank, and more! The average length of a visit is 3.5 hours, however you’re welcome to spend as long as you’d like…there are no time limits for your visit (other than the attraction’s opening/closing hours). When I visited, I spent about double the average visit length and still didn’t see everything!
Make sure you wear comfy walking shoes and limit the items you’re carrying. The tour involves a fair amount of walking with limited places to sit down.
You can also add a digital guide to your tour to provide additional information, behind the scenes footage, etc. I opted to skip this and was pleased to find there was plenty of signage on the tour.
Food
There is a café located half way through the tour. When I visited, I was pleasantly surprised to find the food decent with a large number of vegetarian options. But the highlight is, of course, Butterbeer! You can find it here in both drink and ice-cream form.
What if my day is sold out?!?!?!
If the day you want is sold out, you can sometimes obtain tickets through a tour group at a premium price. Golden Tours is the preferred partner of the studio and offers packages on their website.
