So, I know that it goes without saying, that Harry Potter is a massive success, not only in the States, but globally. Luckily, Harry Potter was born in the U.K. and naturally a lot of the setting and locations are centered around the U.K. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t absolutely in love with the entire series, so naturally I wanted to see these sites for myself!

So, on Sunday, my friend Taylor and I did! We went on a guided Harry Potter Tour around London.

Our first stop took us to Leadenhall Market, which is the famous site of the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron. We were able to retrace Harry and Hagrid’s steps as they first introduced us to the magical world.

Our next stop took us to Millennium Bridge, where the infamous Death Eaters destroyed the bridge in Central London. Fortunately no muggles were harmed in the making of the film!

We also visited Kings Cross Station, where Harry and his friends embark for Hogwarts. We were able to see the platform in which Harry and Ron try to run into, when Dobby blocks the platform. Unfortunately Platform 9 3/4 doesn’t actually exist in the railway, the actual platform they used for filming was near platform 5. Platform 9 3/4 does however exist in the main station. Once there, avid fans get to queue up for a photo with the platform sign and a trolly halfway between the barrier! Naturally we donned our house scarves and snapped a few pics!

The last stop, and the best one by far, was a tour of The Warner Bros. Studio Tour, The Making Of Harry Potter.

On the massive tour, we were able to see amazing props and actual movie sets! We were able to walk around the Great Hall and see character dummies dressed in the real and authentic costumes! The Forbidden Forest was crawling with massive spiders and the real Aragog! The Gryffindor Common room was just as real and inviting as in the movies, Malfoy Manor was, however, not! We were able to step foot inside of Snape’s Potions classroom and actually make a bit of potions ourselves! Perhaps the best part was walking the streets of the actual Diagon Alley. The shops looked incredible, like the sets haven’t been touched since the last day of filming. At the end of the tour, a massive replica of Hogwarts is on display. This replica was used for aerial shots of the grounds. 

The gift shop is well equipped for even the most loyal fan. It has massive displays for every house, so there is ample opportunities to represent your house colors! And, if you’re like me, you can buy an actual Olivander’s replica wands, which is pretty spectacular!

London is such a fantastic place to visit if you love all things Harry Potter! There are so many inspired shops and places to visit here. There are still so many sites I have yet to explore! One fandom down, a few more to go!

Cheers!