Harry Potter Studio Tour London - Day Trip

The making of Harry Potter - Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is a must-see for any Harry Potter fan.

Opening times and admission

Open from 9.30 am to 8 pm from Monday to Thursday and 8.30 am to 10 pm from Friday to Sunday.

Tickets start from £56 and need to be booked in advance.

How to get there

A shuttle bus to and from Watford Junction is included in the price of the entry ticket. The buses run every half an hour, starting at 9.20. The journey takes around 15 minutes.

If you book the ticket via Klook or Get Your Guide, different pick-up points will be available, so please check with the specific company.

The nearest railway station is Watford Junction.

If driving there, free parking is available

Address: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, WD25 7LR

As we got there, the first stop was the restaurant, as we skipped breakfast and needed enough fuel to get through the tour.

I can't review anything else, but their pizzas were surprisingly good and exactly what we needed before starting.

After our little break, we queued for about 5 minutes to join the tour. To begin with, we went through a room which had a few props and many posters for the Harry Potter movies from different countries.

After this little bit, we queued for another 5-10 minutes until we could enter a projection/welcome area.

From there, the door to the Great Hall was opened and the actual tour started.

As you exit the Great Hall, you can see some of the original props and costumes used for the movies.

The Griffindor Dormitory and Common Room, the Slytherin Common Room, and Dumbledore's Office follow.

The next areas are the Potions Classroom, Hagrid's Hut and kitchen in the Burrow, just to name a few.

After all of this, you will arrive at the Forbidden Forest.

The next stop is the Hogwarts Express which you can enter and see a few of the props used in the various scenes which took place there.

After quite a significant amount of reading information and seeing more props than I could imagine, it was time for a break. Luckily, after the Hogwarts Express, you have a few cafes to choose from, one of which offers butterbeer.

I was a way bigger fan of the ice cream than of the butterbeer. The ice cream was simply delicious but the butterbeer was just way too sweet and sickly for me. If you're a souvenir fan, you'll be happy to know that both of these come in a little souvenir cup or dish which you get to keep (there is a little space outside with sinks where you can clean them).

The outside area has, among others, the Knight Bus, Professor Sprout's Greenhouse and Privet Drive.

As you go back in, Gringotts Wizarding Bank in all its splendour is there, as well as a little projection/video, followed by Diagon Alley. After this, a full section is dedicated to the making of the props and special effects, all, absolutely fascinating.

There are dedicated areas where you can interact with some of the props and sets, and there are many photo ops (most of them available for a fee), but overall, most of the sets, costumes and objects are for display only.

How long does it take to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour London?

I would say at least 3 and a half hours if you want to see everything this magical place has to offer and ideally try and get there in the first part of the day.

Due to it being just outside London, I would say to reserve around half a day for visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour London if you include travelling to and from there (if your journey starts in London), and any time you might spend at the gift shop.

I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes, as there is quite a bit of walking to do, and, depending on the season, you might want to have a jacket with you, as there is an outside area to visit.

Overall, I had a great time, and after this experience, I am very much tempted to book another visit during the winter for 'Hogwarts in the Snow' (15 Nov to 18 Jan) when the Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley and the Gryffindor common room are all dressed for Christmas.

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you

Have you ever been there? If so, I would love to hear about your visit there, in the comment section below.

If you like this post or found it useful or entertaining, please click on the little heart below.

I hope life is treating you well.

Take care.