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Taking a Harry Potter Studio Tour in London: Everything You Need to Know

Last updated: April 9, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 24 Comments

If you’re a Harry Potter fan visiting the UK, the chances are high that you want to take the Harry Potter Studio Tour near London. This tour, of the Warner Bros. Studio where the majority of the films were shot, is a fascinating experience, and well worth doing even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan.

You can visit places like the Great Hall, the railway station, various filming locations from inside Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest, and even Diagon Alley.

As well as visiting the film sets, you will also learn all about how the films were made, see many of the props from the movies, get to participate in some green screen magic, have the opportunity to try Butterbeer, and of course, buy all the Harry Potter merchandise you can imagine!

In this guide we’re going to go through everything you need to know to visit the Harry Potter Studios, including how to get there, how to get tickets, information for making the most of your day, and lots more! Let’s get started by answering some questions you may have.

Where Was Harry Potter Filmed?

Harry Potter was filmed all across the UK, at real world locations such as Glenfinnan Viaduct, Alnwick Castle, Glencoe in Scotland and Leadenhall Market in London . See our full guide to Harry Potter filming locations in the UK for more.

The interior sets and the majority of the rest of the films were shot at the Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden, just outside London.

Where is the Harry Potter Studio Tour?

The Harry Potter Studio Tour takes place in the Warner Bros. Studio, which is found in Leavesden, England. This is around 20 miles northwest of London.

The Warner Bros. Studio is a fully working film studio, one of the largest in the UK, and many films have been shot here, including the whole Harry Potter franchise as well as some of the Star Wars,   Batman , and Mission: Impossible films.

Harry Potter Studio Opening Times

You will definitely want to check the website for up-to-date opening times, but generally throughout the year the studio is open from 8.30am through to 10pm. More specifically:

• Doors open at 8.30am
• First tour starts at 9am
• Final tour starts at 6.30pm
• Studio closes at 10pm

These times do vary by day. In terms of dates, the Studio is open every day of the week. There are some exceptions, it is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25th and 26th of December).

How Much Does the Harry Potter Studio Tour Cost?

Prices for the standard tour are as follows (correct as of April 2024).

• Adult: £53.50
• Child aged 5-15: £43
• Childer Under 4: Free
• Family: £172
• Carer: Free

For a family, this can be either 2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children.

You can also purchase more expensive tour packages, but these are the basic prices. Note that these are just entry prices, and don’t include any transport.

Is the Harry Potter Studio Tour Accessible?

The Harry Potter Studio Tour is accessible, and visitors can bring one carer free of charge with proof of entitlement.

For the studio itself, the majority of it is level and accessible for wheelchair users. There are some exceptions, such as the Hogwarts Bridge and the Knights Bus. Diagon Alley also includes an incline and cobbled streets.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are permitted but mobility scooters cannot be wider than 86cm.

Visitors with assistance dogs are welcome and water bowls can be provided. There’s also a dedicated toilet area for assistance dogs.

For visitors with a hearing impairment, induction loops can be provided. A portable iPad is also available (this must be booked in advance), which can provide a subtitled version of some of the films. It’s also possible to book a BSL tour in advance.

For more information on accessibility and any other needs you have, please visit the accessibility section of the official website.

How to Get to the Harry Potter Studio Tour

You have two major options for getting to the Harry Potter Studio Tour – you can take a tour which includes your transport, or you can make your own way there using either public transport or a car.

We’ll go through both of these options so you can make the right decision as to which is going to be best for you.

Certainly, the easiest option for getting to the Harry Potter Studios is to take a tour which includes your return transport.

These tours leave from various locations around London (and other parts of the UK), and included in the price of your tour will be pre-booked timed entry to the Studio Tour and return transport to and from a pick-up point.

Note that most tours do not include a guide inside the experience as it is largely self-guided. However, you can book a tour, such as this one , which does include a guide for the time inside the studio as well. When choosing tours, do check how long they give you at the studio. You will generally want a minimum of three hours, although you might find four hours will be more suitable if you want to experience everything.

Some options include:

• This tour  which departs from the Victoria Coach Station in London
• Another tour with departure from Victoria Coach Station in London
• A slightly longer tour giving you 4 hours at the studio, with departure from Kings Cross Station, London
• This is a fully guided tour which includes return transport and a guide throughout the experience.
• This tour of the Harry Potter studios , which includes return transport from central London hotels
• If you want to do more on your day, this tour includes a tour of Oxford as well as the Studios , with departures from Great Portland Street, London
• This tour , with one of our favorite walking tour companies Take Walks includes a short walking tour of central London (including some Harry Potter filming locations in London ), followed by round trip transport to the studio and entry to the Studio Tour for four hours. We’ve done this tour and it is a good option although does make for a full day.

As you can see, there are lots of options! We’ve got more on all of these in the section below on how to buy your tickets for the Studio Tour.

By Public Transport

From central London, it’s fairly easy to get to the Harry Potter Studios by public transport. You will take the train from Euston Station to Watford Junction.

Then you need to take a dedicated shuttle bus operated by the Studio Tour that runs from just outside Watford Junction Station (it is well sign posted), that takes you directly to the studios.

For the train, you can either buy your tickets in advance here , or you can pay on the day using a contactless or Oyster card. This will require you to tap in and tap out using the yellow card readers. Note that Oyster cards and contactless cards do not work beyond Watford Junction, so don’t go any further than this.

See our  guide to buying and using the Oyster card in London , and our  guide to paying for public transport in London  for more information on using these forms of payment for travel in and around London.

For the shuttle bus, this is included in the price of your entry ticket. To board the bus you will need to have a valid pre-purchased ticket to the Harry Potter Studios, or proof of a ticket booking confirmation (printed or on your phone).

Getting to the Harry Potter Studios by car is relatively easy. Depending on the time of day, exact departure location and traffic, the drive from central London takes around an hour to ninety minutes.

From Oxford it’s around an hour, and it’s around two hours from Birmingham. Visitors with valid pre-purchased Studio tickets can take advantage of free parking on site. Note you cannot enter the parking area without a valid ticket or booking confirmation for that day.

Where to Buy Harry Potter Studio Tour Tickets

If you are making your own way to the Harry Potter studios, you have to buy your ticket in advance from the official website . You cannot turn up without a ticket, and tickets are not for sale on site.

Tickets go on sale well in advance, but despite the site having capacity for up to 6,000 people a day, they tend to sell out far in advance, so you will want to plan as far ahead as possible.

The summer months, weekends, and school holidays are the busiest days of the year for the Studio so we recommend that you book as far in advance as you can if you are visiting over those periods.

Weekdays often have better availability, so if you are flexible, look at different days of the week to maximise your chances of getting a ticket.

Tickets are for timed entry, which helps the studios manage visitor numbers throughout the day. Whilst there is no limit to how long you can stay after you enter, you do need to enter the attraction at the time you book. There is a little bit of flexibility in this, but it’s best not to show up hours later than your time to avoid disappointment.

The WB Studios Tour folks recommend you arrive at the site at least 20 minutes before your ticket time so you can go through the security checks.

If you can’t buy a ticket from the official site, don’t worry, you still have lots of options.

First, you can opt to take a tour with a tour company, as these have a different ticket allocation system. Whilst this will be slightly more expensive, at least you will still be able to go, and it will include transport as well. See here for some of the tour options available, and here for even more !

Another option is to book a Deluxe Tour, which includes a two-hour guided tour of the studios, a photo package, a hot meal, butterbeer, souvenir guidebook and special designated parking. Following the guided tour, you are free to explore yourself. As Deluxe Tours are more expensive, they tend to have better availability.

Deluxe Tours can be booked directly with the Studios, subject to availability, on the official site here .

How Long Does the Harry Potter Studio Tour take?

The regular tour itself is self-guided, other than an introduction at the beginning, so you can take as long as you like to wander the studios.

The average length of a visit is around three and a half hours, and that is what the studio estimates most people will take and forecast their capacity around.

This is also about the amount of time that most tour companies will give you, although some offer a bit more time on site, so if you think you will need more time, be sure to pick a tour company that offers more time.

Where to Stay Near the Harry Potter Studios

The majority of visitors to the Harry Potter Studios visit from London as a day trip, and choose a hotel in London. If you go down this route, you might want to consider a hotel that makes it easier to get to the studios, be that by public transport or on one of the tours.

We’ve suggested some options below, as well as some hotels near the Studios themselves if you want to be really close.

Note that hotels in London are relatively expensive, especially those located near major attractions, and rooms aren’t always huge. However, we’ve picked what we think are a good choice for you.

We also recommend reading our guide to where to stay in London for some suggested options across all budgets.

Hotels near London Victoria train station (where most bus tours depart)

• Comfort Inn Buckingham Palace Road – great value 3* property just 5 minutes walk from London Victoria train station
• The Resident Hotel – well reviewed 4* property, five minutes from London Victoria.
• Lime Tree Hotel – A well reviewed boutique hotel, around nine minutes walk from London Victoria
• Walrus Bar and Hostel – it’s not too close to London Victoria (15-20 minutes by public transport, or a 35 minute walk), but it’s very central and is a great budget option for London in general

Hotels near Euston train station (for the train)

• YHA London St. Pancras – a good value budget option a short walk from both Euston and Kings Cross stations. Offers both private and dormitory style rooms
• Comfort Inn and Suites King Cross – a great mid-range option, with all rooms coming with a kitchenette
• Point A Hotels – comfortable, cosy rooms, part of the well rated budget-friendly Point A hotel chain
• Radisson Blu Edwardian – luxury, boutique accommodation, a short walk from Euston station

Hotels near the Harry Potter Studios

• Mercure London – one of the closest hotels to the actual studios, this would be a good option if you are driving and want to be as close as possible
• Holiday Inn Express London – right next to Watford Junction, this mid-range and well reviewed property is convenient for both trains to London, and for the studio shuttle
• Jurys Inn London Watford – another great mid-range option, just a short walk from Watford Junction train station

Our Harry Potter Studio Tour Review and Experience

Now for the fun stuff! Although, if you want your visit to be a surprise, you might want to skip this section, as you now have everything you need to know in order to visit.

Still, if you want an idea of what to expect from your visit, read on, and we’ll share our own experiences of visiting the Harry Potter Studios! We have actually visited a few times over the years, both via a tour and using our own transport, and well talk about that a bit as well.

The first time we visited the studios we came from central London, taking the train to Watford Junction and the Shuttle Bus to the studio. When we visited there was a fee for the shuttle bus, but this is now included in the price of the ticket. The train was easy, and the shuttle bus departure point was well marked just outside the train station.

We pre-booked our tickets on the official website, so with our email booking confirmation we picked up our tickets from the kiosks. They have both staffed ticket windows and automatic kiosks – both work!

Once we had our ticket, which had our entry time on it, we went through security and joined the line for entry.

On another visit we took a tour to central London to compare the experience, specifically this tour . Whilst getting to the studio ourselves was easy enough, obviously having a bus take us directly to and from the studio from central London did make things even easier. However as it wasn’t a guided tour, once we were on site the experience was the same as visiting ourselves.

All entries for the Harry Potter Studio Tour are timed, so you have to wait in line, as they let each group in all together. Still, waiting in line is made fun, as the line has the cupboard under the stairs set right next to it, meaning you can start getting excited about your upcoming adventure straight away (and start taking pictures!).

At the time of our entry, we were all ushered into a large waiting room with a series of screens around the walls and given a brief introduction as to what we might expect. We then went into a cinema where some of the key cast members shared their thoughts. Then, the cinema screen rolled away, revealing a giant wooden door before us. Here, a guide welcomed us, and prepared us for our journey.

The Great Hall and Beyond

After our introduction, the massive wooden doors we were standing in front of opened, and the Great Hall was revealed. I have to say, this was pretty amazing, to be able to step into the world of Harry Potter. The Great Hall set was used as the Great Hall for six of the films, with many scenes shot here.

It certainly felt like the most complete of the sets we visited, as it was totally immersive and all around us, and was quite an experience.

From the Great Hall we were essentially allowed to continue on our own into the first half of the tour building. This had so much to see that I won’t go into it all here.

To give you an idea though, you can do everything from practice your wand waving through to seeing the Womping Willow in action through to visiting the potions laboratory, meeting Buckbeak, hanging out on Platform 9 3/4, and wandering around the Forbidden Forest!

Food and Butterbeer

Around half way through the tour, you come to the Backlot Cafe. This serves hot and cold food, as well as that famous drink – Butterbeer! This is a non-alcoholic beverage that tastes sort of like a mix of marshmallows and popcorn. It is definitely a must-try when visiting! We can also recommend the Butterbeer icecream which is very good.

You don’t have to eat here, as there are other dining options on site, including the Studio Cafe. However, if you want to try Butterbeer, the Backlot Cafe is the place to do it.

Privet Drive and the Night Bus

Once you’ve finished your butterbeer experience, it’s time to head outside to Privet Drive! Here you can see the house where Harry grew up, as well as a number of other fairly large props and sets, including the Knight Bus and the bridge that led across the ravine outside Hogwarts.

This is the only outside part of the tour, and it isn’t a huge area, although if the weather isn’t great you might want a waterproof jacket to enjoy this part of the tour.

Gringotts Bank, Diagon Alley and the Last of the Tour

After seeing the exterior part of the tour, you enter the final part of the tour. Don’t worry though, you’re only really half way though – there’s loads to see still! From here you’re going to see a lot of the props and costumes, as well as detailed information on how these were created, and the work that went into them.

You’re also going to have the opportunity to walk through Gringotts Bank, meet a dragon, walk right down Diagon Alley, and see such locations as Ollivanders Wand Shop!

Finally, and perhaps most impressively, you come to the 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts itself. This is a massive construction that fills a whole room, and is truly spectacular. You can also watch videos to see how the model was used and digitally merged into the final films, which is very impressive.

Once you’re done with all the above, you pop out into the shop, where you can buy pretty much any Harry Potter merchandise you can imagine!

Tips for Visiting the Harry Potter Studio

Based on our experiences visiting the Harry Potter Studio in London, we’ve put together the following tips to help you plan your visit and maximise your time.

Decide how you want to visit

As described earlier in detail, you have a number of options for visiting the Harry Potter Studios, although depending on ticket availability, you might not always have every option. However, the main options are:

• Book a standard tour and plan your own transport, either by train/shuttle or car
• Book a deluxe tour and plan your own transport, either by train/shuttle or car
• Book a tour that includes transport and entry like this

Whichever you choose to go for, you will definitely have a great time!

Book your tickets in advance

We can’t emphasise this enough – tickets are not available on site – you have to book in advance . If you’re travelling independently, you can do that through the official site .

If tickets are not available through the official site for the time you want to visit, or you’d rather let someone else handle your transport, here is a good selection of tours to choose from , and here are some more options .

Plan your time

The average visit time is three and a half hours, so make sure you give yourself at least this much time on site. Don’t forget there’s food on-site as well as a massive gift shop, so you’ll want to factor time in for these activities too. Some fans can easily spend 4 or 5 hours here.

Whilst the majority of tours that include transport give you at least three hours on site, some allow for longer visits, so make sure to book the right tour for you. There is a lot to do and see on site, so more time can definitely be put to good use and you don’t want to feel rushed!

One of the best parts of visiting the Harry Potter Studios is just how interactive the experience can be. Whilst it’s certainly not a theme park, there’s a lot to do, from practicing your wand skills through to pushing your own trolley through the wall at platform 9 3/4 through to riding and summoning your own broomstick!

Some of these experiences will have a short queue, but due to the timed system for entry, these will never be too long.

Many visitors also come in full Harry Potter outfits, so don’t be afraid to dress up and get into the swing of things. You won’t be alone, and it adds to the experience for many people!

Further Reading

And that’s it for our guide to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. We hope you found it useful – we certainly had a lot of fun taking the tour and putting this post together!

As well as this post, we’ve also got a lot more content that we think you’ll find useful, both Harry Potter related, and other content to help you plan your time in London and the UK.

• Whilst this is one of the best places for Harry Potter fans to visit in the UK, it’s by no means the only Harry Potter location or activity you can take part in. Check out our guides to finding Harry Potter in London, Harry Potter in Edinburgh and Harry Potter in Scotland for more inspiration.
• We also have a complete guide to Harry Potter filming locations in the UK
• A  Two Day London Itinerary  to help you see all the highlights of London. There’s also a  1 day version  if you’re short on time, and both a  3 day  and a  six day itinerary  if you’re here for longer
• Our detailed  packing list for London , to help you prepare for your trip
• Our  guide to buying and using the London Oyster Card , and our  guide to public transport in London  to help you get around without spending too much money
• My tips for finding the  best Photography Locations in London
• Our full  review of the London Pass  to help you decide if this attractions pass can save you money on your visit to London
• The best Things to Do in Kensington , London, in case you wanted to focus more on a specific region of the city
• A review of a  one day walking tour in London , should you want a guided tour of all of London’s highlights
• Our  detailed itinerary for  two weeks in the UK , should you want to have London as the start of a bigger adventure. We also have a  one week UK itinerary  for a slightly shorter visit.
• Thoughts on taking a  day trip from London, taking in Stonehenge, Bath and the Cotswolds , our  guide to visiting Oxford for a day, and our guide to things to do in Cambridge .
• The  Eyewitness Travel Guide to London , which has all sorts of information within, including more itineraries and ideas for your trip. We also recommend the  Rick Steve’s London 2019  guide, the #1 bestseller on Amazon for UK travel guides, and always an excellent source of relevant information

And that’s it! Are you a Harry Potter wanting to take the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour? Have any questions about a visit? Let us know your thoughts or questions in the comments below!

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There are 24 comments on this post

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15th August 2023 at 8:43 am

what an amazing detailed blog. really helped me understand and plan the trip. I am booked for 1st October 5:30 as didn’t get any other day or time slot on the website,, do you think I should look at going through a tour agent to get more time in the day time or evening is fine? hoping there will be no issues in taking public transport while coming back. we will be staying in Westminster.

Laurence Norah says

15th August 2023 at 9:08 am

Thanks very much! So I think you will be fine. On the 1st October it looks like the studio tour doesn’t close until 10pm, and I would say that 4.5 hours should be more than enough. The last bus to the station leaves at 10pm, so just be sure to be on that. In terms of trains, looking at the West Midlands train timetables, the last train on a Sunday back to central London is at quarter to 1 in the morning, so I think you will be fine.

Enjoy your visit!

George says

3rd May 2023 at 7:47 am

I just finished reading your post about taking a Harry Potter studio tour and I have to say it was incredibly informative and enjoyable to read! You provided a lot of helpful information for anyone planning on taking a tour, from practical tips on transportation and timing to advice on how to make the most out of the experience.

One of the things I really appreciated about your post was how you made it clear that the tour is not just for die-hard Harry Potter fans. Even for those who have only seen the movies, the tour can be a fascinating and immersive experience. I also liked how you emphasized the importance of taking your time and really exploring each exhibit and set, rather than rushing through them.

Your post was also full of helpful details, from what to expect on the tour to how to save money on tickets. I particularly appreciated your recommendation to book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment, as well as your advice to avoid peak times if possible.

Overall, I thought your post was a fantastic resource for anyone planning on taking a Harry Potter studio tour. You provided a wealth of information and tips that will undoubtedly make the experience more enjoyable for anyone who reads your post. Thanks for sharing your insights and expertise with us!

4th May 2023 at 5:30 pm

Thanks very much George, I appreciate your feedback!

3rd April 2023 at 10:58 am

Hi there! I just read your blog post about taking a Harry Potter Studio Tour and I have to say, it’s an incredibly informative and detailed guide. I’ve been to the Studio Tour myself and I can attest to the accuracy of your tips and advice.

I particularly appreciate the way you organized your post into different sections, making it easy for readers to find the information they need. Your advice about booking tickets in advance and arriving early is spot on – it’s definitely worth taking those extra steps to avoid long lines and ensure the best possible experience.

Your photos are also amazing and really bring the tour to life. It’s wonderful to see all the different sets and props up close and your photos do a great job of capturing the intricate details that went into creating them.

Overall, I think this post is a fantastic resource for anyone planning a visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. You’ve covered everything from transportation to food to the best photo opportunities, making it a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to make the most of their visit. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us!

Highly Recommended to all.

3rd April 2023 at 11:27 am

Thanks very much, I’m glad to hear you found the post useful and you enjoyed your Harry Potter Studio Tour 🙂

Jean searle says

25th October 2021 at 11:18 pm

My family live on the wirral it would take us about 3 1/ 2 hrs to get there with the price of fuel costly then the stay overnight in the hotel with bed and breakfast. Your outstanding entry price for an adult £48 Kids price extortionate my granddaughter is 8yrs old obsessed with Harry Potter reads the books loves the films she is desperate to come on the studio tour but can’t justify you outrageous prices. And then we have to pay for fuel to travel back. I am registered disabled but not in a wheelchair. My husband is my carer we are also pensioners do you honestly expect a disabled person to pay £48 to get in while OK my carer is free surely you should have compensation for the disabled person. As it stands we have to keep letting the 8yr old down as we can’t afford your prices. Then the added extras for the bus etc. I would ask you to see if you could establish a different rate for children under 10 and the disabled pensioner please as we would bring her but out of our pension we cannot afford your cost. Hope you take into account what I have said. Underprivileged children should be catered for I know.you have to make your money but at the cost of a child. Shame on you. My granddaughter may never get to see it now.xc

26th October 2021 at 10:13 am

Thanks for your message! So to be clear, this website is not associated with the Warner Bros Studio or Harry Potter tour. It’s just a guide to visiting. If you want to reach out to them directly, you’ll need to do so via their website. Their contact information can be found here: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/contact-us/

All the best,

Dave Gaudie says

23rd July 2021 at 6:54 pm

Can I take photos throughout the tour ?

23rd July 2021 at 7:02 pm

Yep photography is permitted pretty much everywhere in the Harry Potter studio tour. There are a few exceptions – you can’t do photography in the pre-show cinema, or in the green screen areas. You also can’t use a tripod.

Have a great visit, and let me know if you have any more questions!

13th October 2019 at 4:38 am

Hello! I am so excited to have found your blog. I plan to read the entire london portion. I booked tickets to the studio for 1/1. I thought it would be a fun way to start the new year. Now I am wondering if it will be a problem to get to the studio. TfL site states train will be running on a sunday schedule. How much extra travel time should we think about? Our tix are for 1230p. We are staying by the waterloo station. Thank you for your amazing insights!

13th October 2019 at 3:25 pm

Thanks very much, I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time.

For the trains, all you’d have to do is check the timetables for a Sunday and this should give you an idea of how much time you will need 🙂 You shouldn’t have to worry too much I don’t think, 1230 should give you plenty of time to get there! Have a wonderful time!

Nurika Abdullah says

27th September 2019 at 12:33 am

Hi thank you for this it is so useful especially for first timers like me. My concern is on the age, in the studios website it says below 16 must be accompanied by adults. I am thinking of sending my 15 and 13 yr old kids on their own. Would this be possible if I take a guided tour instead? Many thanks Nurika

27th September 2019 at 7:02 pm

Unfortunately the policy is that all children must be accompanied by an adult, even on the guided tours

26th September 2019 at 7:33 am

Thank you for you site and sharing some great information!! It is just awesome!!

Would you happen to know the difference between the Studio’s VIP tour and the Fully-Guided Making of Harry Potter Tour. Looks like the Fully-Guided might have a couple more stops?

26th September 2019 at 10:49 pm

So the VIP tour (I guess you mean the Deluxe tour?) includes a few extras like butterbeer, souvenir photo, meal and guidebook. So quite a few extras. The fully guided tour includes the tour, but I believe it’s the same actual tour as the Deluxe tour, just without the extras. Of course, it also include round trip transport from London as well.

So it’s more about if you want the extras or not, or if you prefer the transport.

Have an amazing time, whichever you go for!

Dr. Abraham K. George says

2nd May 2019 at 10:15 pm

Wow! What lovely immersive writing, and lots of fine fine details. A pleasure to read. I’m so glad I stumbled on to this blog. My search is over. Have bookmarked it. Going to follow it faithfully for our first-time holiday to London + Scotland this month. The fully guided tour seems to be the best of the lot as it probably gives you the maximum time possible to spend at the studio (I hope). By the way, tickets are sold out on the official site. Thank you so much, Abraham

3rd May 2019 at 4:39 pm

Hi Abraham – my pleasure, and I hope you have a wonderful tour. For sure, the tours are very popular so they sell out far in advance on the official website, but there are a number of other ways to get a trip, so I hope you are able to visit still 🙂

27th March 2019 at 7:48 pm

Hi can i ask the extra activities you mentioned are they free or do I need to account for extra spending money Regard emma

27th March 2019 at 7:59 pm

So the activities like the wand workshop, broomstick summoning and other interactive things like that are included. The only thing you would need money for is the giftshop, or if you want to eat or try butter beer. For the green screen broomstick flying experience, where you are filmed on a broomstick against a green screen, that is an extra price as you get the experience as photos or a DVD. There are also some other opportunities to buy photos through the tour, but these are of course optional 🙂

Have a wonderful time!

Robert says

13th March 2019 at 4:51 pm

Excellent information! I’ve been to the WB Harry Potter Studios twice (2015, 2017), and you really covered everything in accurate detail.

One tiny error though it probably won’t confuse anyone: You wrote “Then you need to take a dedicated shuttle bus operated by the Studio Tour that runs from just outside Euston Station (it is well sign posted), that takes you directly to the studios.” I believe you meant “Watford Junction Station” instead of “Euston Station” in that sentence.

Thanks for your terrific work on the entire site. A colleague of mine sent me a link to it knowing I have led student/parent groups to London. I’ve enjoyed digging into it!

13th March 2019 at 5:00 pm

Thanks so much for your comment! We loved visiting and writing this post was a real pleasure 🙂 Thanks also for spotting that error – I’ve fixed it now 🙂

Thanks again!

Roslia santamaria says

28th November 2018 at 7:02 am

Thank you so much..This is very useful!!

28th November 2018 at 11:21 am

My pleasure Roslia 🙂

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Harry Potter Studio, London

About attractions in harry potter studio london.

Enter in the magical world of Harry Potter and explore how your favourite scenes were shot in the exclusive studio tour of London. Take a deep dive and discover the mystery behind the mind-boggling special effects, authentic sets, and studio secrets of the worldwide craze of Harry Potter film series. Treading on diverse attractions in Harry Potter Studio London is like revisiting the bewitching concepts, the storyline, the costumes, special effects, and much more. Walk on the original stone floor of the enthralling Hogwarts Great Hall, come across iconic animatronic creatures and create an interesting conversation while at Diagon Alley.

There are several places within the studio that will make you marvel at the sheer ingenuity of British talent, imagination, planning, and artistry. Reinforce the charm of quaint wizardry, go back in time and reminisce about which scenes were shot where, who wore which costumes, and find yourself dwelling in it. Time to relive the magic, open your charm books, and mix up the potions for the attractions in Warner Bros. Studio will not be just fun-filled but downright exploratory and adventurous.

Attractions In Harry Potter Studio

If you are a fantasy fan, then this studio tour will be a sheer delight for you. There are numerous attractions in Harry Potter Studio London to explore and experience. From the famous Great Hall to bustling Diagon Alley, one can walk through sights where their favourite scenes were shot.

This iconic yard kept changing the set based on the demand of the film. A walk to the Alley opens up a sphere of shopping with the Wizarding Shopping street. You can also stop by to admire the artistic props lined in the shop windows. View the cauldrons on offer at Potage’s after you discover up close the Broomsticks at Quality Quidditch Supplies. For those looking for more, the Hogwarts robes at Madam Malkin’s and the baby Pygmy puffs at Magical Menagerie can also be found here. Enthusiastic tourists will also see dusty wand boxes inside the Ollivanders wand shop where Harry’s wand chose him.

Out of the significant places In Harry Potter Studio, the Great Hall serves as the backdrop to some of the most memorable scenes such as the Yule Ball and the Battle of Hogwarts. The Great Hall was first built for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone in 2000 and was also used as its most important set for 6 more movies. The Great Hall is a spectacle to watch, as it contains costumes of students from each Hogwarts House with two large tables set for dinner. The Hall has some wonderfully intricate hand-crafted props for the film series including the House Points Counter and professor’s lectern.

Out of the several attractions in Harry Potter Studio London, the Gringotts Wizarding Bank is spread across 6500 sq. ft. It is touted as the biggest attraction of the tour and has props and costumes created with mind-boggling expertise. The place is a mine of discovery, for you can get a glimpse at more than 38,0000 prop objects including the Sword of Gryffindor, and Helga Hufflepuff’s cup. Gringotts has a crucial role to play in the Harry Potter film series where the trio break in to get the Horcrux and then later buzzers off on the Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon.

Hundreds of students were taken from Platform 9 ¾ to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is great to know that most of the scenes that took place on this platform were actually shot at King’s Cross Station in London. Beware of muggles while you are onboarding this entrapping journey of magic, queer, and grit. The Hogwarts Express was the first shot of the series for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and also the last shot for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - part 2.

Did you know that the Harry Potter franchise had more than 25,000 unique items of clothing? Choose your favourite Hogwarts house and put on the house colours - the original ones that were in the movie. The wide-ranging costumes keep changing as per the season of your visit. But, every visit is a revelation of the secrets of the costume and takes you closer to the conceptualization of it. The costumes will change based on the season.

The art of wizardry is incomplete without its magical potions and the verbal mambo jumbo that comes along with it. Here’s a chance to slide over to discover the fabled poly juice potion and the props kept within the potion jars here. The props are absolutely fun to explore as they range from baked animal bones and shrunken heads to herbs and other handmade items. The jars in the Potions have been exquisitely curated and designed by the famous graphic design duo MinaLima.

Out of the several attractions in Warner Bros. Studio visiting Dumbledore’s office is surely a twist in the entire trip. The office is replete with life-size portraits that make you wonder how meticulous the work is. There also are more than 900 hand-designed memory vials generated for the Pensieve and his memory cabinet. This part of the Harry Potter Studio has been designed

Buckbeak™is one of those sites in the Harry Potter Studio tour that exposes you to the marvel of its three life-size animatronic versions. Every single feather has been carefully and individually put in to make it look realistic. There is a story behind the Buchbeak’s wings. The skillful artists and technicians consulted physiologists and different veterinarians to make the wings, beaks, legs, and different proportions to look close to reality.

The Basilisk is 30 feet long and features 3-deep jaws, creating a great impactful sight to encounter. The awesome craftsmanship of the technicians, designers, and artists will make you wonder at the amazing craftsmanship. It is their hard work, concept, and inclination to create a genius that gave rise to this creature. The special effects were great enough to bring this creature to life. The other sets here also include a 1:24 scale model of the noteworthy Hogwarts Castle, Hagrid’s Hut, the Gryffindor common room, and Professor Umbridge's office at the Ministry of Magic.

The best part about the different attractions in Harry Potter Studio London is that every single destination offers a different experience. If you are up for a surprising experience and ready to face your fears, then a visit to Aragog is a must. It has a leg span of more than 18 feet and took about 15 people to manage the Animatronic Aragog on set. Every single hair strand has been fitted individually and goes a long way in ascertaining the hard work that has gone into the making.

For those who already love Harry Potter, this will be bewilderment, for those who have not followed it much, this will force them to explore it when they head back home. One of the most preferred attractions in Harry Potter Studio London is the Forbidden Forest. It is the abode of several mystically magical creatures such as the hippogriffs, the centaurs, and the Unicorns. The Forbidden Forest is a spot that is usually under the care of Rubeus Hagrid. The magnanimous set has been featured in the first, second, and final parts of the series and has 19 trees separated by a distance of 12 feet each.

Shop At The Harry Potter Studios

On your visit to attractions in Warner Bros. Studio, do not miss visiting the Harry Potter Studio Shop to choose from a diverse collection of souvenirs and memorabilia. A true Harry Potter fan would love to pick some good memories in the form of a Harry Potter keepsake to take back home. The never-ending inventory of mementos and tokens can be chosen from the Studio Shop, Forbidden Forest Shop, and the Railway shop as one of the biggest attractions in Harry Potter Studio London.

Inflame the shopaholic in you at the Studio Shop, a large shop that displays several Harry Potter items that might just make it difficult for you to choose. There are a multitude of items to be selected from including scarves, personalised t-shirts, apparel, and jewellery like Hermionie’s time turner. There are also other items such as replica wands, golden snitches, Quidditch flags, soft toys, and many more.

Do Checkout: IFS Cloud Cable Car

The theme of the Forbidden Forest Shop has been designed to represent the good, bad, and ugly of this queer and scary forest. A host of good things to take back home like Fang the dog, Buckbeak, Aragog, Hedwig-theme keychains, miniature forms of Ford Anglia, personalised t-shirts, and a lot more. The t-shirts represent some of the best scenes from the movies, while on your way out you can get a copy of the Monster Book of Monsters for class.

Before you head to the famous Hogwarts Express, take a break at the Railway shop. Before embarking on the train journey, ensure to stock up on your favourite items from the shop. You will find hordes of cool Harry Potter stuff here including apparel, mugs, and Platform 9 ¾ themed goodies. If you have a sweet tooth then don’t forget to get some lip-smacking Chocolate Frogs, Peppermint Toads, Liquorice Wands, and more!

Know Before You Visit At Harry Potter Studio

Location :The Studio Tour is located 20 miles northwest of London. It is around three miles from the M1 and M25 motorways.

Timings :The timings are from 8:30 AM to 10 PM

Last Admission : Final tour begins at 6:30 PM

Closed: March 30, November 7 to 11, and December 25 and 26

How To Reach :

Shuttle Bus from Watford Junction - If you are planning to visit Attractions in Warner bros. The studio then has regular shuttle buses that operate from Watford Junction to the Studio powered by Electricity with a journey time of around 15 minutes.

Train - The nearest railway station to visit attractions in Harry Potter Studio Tour London is Watford Junction. There are direct services from both London Euston and Birmingham New Street.

Road - If you are coming from London then you can take A41 for 3 miles and then take the 4th exit from the Hunton Bridge roundabout. Then you can get back on A41. Stay in the left lane, take the first exit and keep your left on the Y junction. Then you can take the exit at the roundabout to get there.

Was Harry Potter filmed in a real Castle?

The Alnwick Castle was used as a filming location for the Philosopher’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets but after that all was shot in a studio.

Also Explore: Things To Do In Stonehenge

Was Harry Potter actually filmed in London?

Yes, London was used as a filming location for many of the scenes from the Harry Potter movie.

Recommended Read: Stonehenge Theories

How much does it cost to go to the Harry Potter world?

To visit the various attractions in Harry Potter Studio London, you can choose from different packages online that range from 49 pounds to 65 pounds.

Can you stay overnight at Harry Potter World?

Yes, in order to not miss any attractions in Harry Potter Studio London, there is an option to stay overnight.

Do Checkout: Stonehenge Solstice

What is special about Harry Potter Studio?

It houses a great exhibit of authentic costumes, props, and sets that were used in the production of the Harry Potter films, as well as behind-the-scenes production of visual effects that are unbelievable. This detour makes it special for all the Harry Potter fans as they get to live in the world of their favourite fantasy.

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A Magical Guide to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London: Everything You Need to Know

Last Updated: February 16, 2022

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Fact: In my entire life, I’ve only cried once at a tourist attraction.

And judge me all you want, but this cryfest happened at a Harry Potter studio tour.

… Allow me to explain myself.

Like most children born in the 90s, much of my youth was spent daydreaming about the arrival of my Hogwart’s acceptance letter. As this dream dwindled with the hardships of adulting, I instead took comfort in carbs and magical movie marathons.

But, it didn’t take much for these childhood dreams to resurface. A trip to London was all it took to re-open the floodgates (literally).

Let me tell you: for a Harry Potter fan, there is no attraction on this Earth more overwhelming and amazing than the  Warner Bros Studio Tour London, (AKA London’s Harry Potter set tour), which brings you through the filming site for all 8 movies in the Harry Potter franchise.

In addition to sets, you’re also shown countless props, the best gift shop in the world, and even a chance to taste butter beer for yourself. Come on now, is it at all a surprise that I bawled when I got to the end?

Read onwards for important info to know about the tour, some tips to keep in mind and of course, a recap of the experience (with plenty of photos!) Be careful for this section, as spoilers are abound!

PS: Check out my full list of Harry Potter themed attractions and experiences in London for more nerdy goodness.

Basic information to know about the Harry Potter Set Tour

If you’re interested in booking the epic Warner Bros Studio Tour in London for yourself, then here are some basic must-knows.

Harry Potter Studio Tour Tickets Info:

I first visited this attraction in 2014 and it was a hot mess then, and has only grown in popularity in the past few years.

If this Harry Potter set tour is a must-do for you, then make sure you book your tickets WELL in advance or you risk not being able to go!

Luckily, even when tickets are sold out on the main site, there are tours you can book online that will have tickets available for sold out dates.

Sometimes, booking with a tour is worthwhile because you not only guarantee your tickets, you also get the convenience of private transport there, which is nice and much less stressful than using public transport yourself.

Here is a breakdown of different Harry Potter Studio tour options that include transport. For your convenience, I also lay out their costs and what they have to offer:

Tickets can also be purchased online from the studio itself  here.

How to Get to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London:

Despite its name, the Warner Bros Studio London is actually located in Leavesden, which is northwest of London.

While booking a tour/private transport is the easiest and most convenient way to get there, it is still quite painless to reach via public transit, as a shuttle bus runs from Watford Junction railway station.

To get to the Watford Junction station, you need to make use of London’s overground system.

Not sure about the best route to get there? Check out this handy trip planner .  The tour’s website recommends that you arrive at Watford Junction 45 minutes prior to your tour time.  

Remember to bring change, as the cost for the shuttle bus is 2 pounds each way.

NOTE : Leave a lot of leeway for you to get there. We definitely got lost a few times due to the transfers, and were stressed to the max! For a more stress-free experience, consider prebooking a tour that comes with transport. Here’s one for under $100USD.

Tips for Doing the Harry Potter Set Tour Like a Pro

Having addressed the basics, here are some tips you should keep in mind when planning your visit:

1. Check on the Warner Bros Studio Tour website for special events

The studio tour often has special weeks during which there are specialized displays or demonstrations.

If you have quite some time in London, I suggest looking up when special events are happening and to plan accordingly.

I was luckily around for the beginning of Wand Week, so I got to see wandmakers do their thing and I even got to pose with some Death Eaters. Super cool!

2. Allow extra time for travel

Especially if you are new to London, trying to navigate the transit there can take time, so give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the studio.

That being said, do not hyperventilate if your ticketed time is fast approaching. While the reservation system does assign you a time, they won’t turn you away if you are a bit late.

3. Don’t forget to print your Warner Bros Studio Tour ticket

This will make the whole process smoother.

One girl that came with us didn’t print hers and upon arrival, she realized that her order never actually went through.

Luckily, even though they claim there is no box office at the attraction, she was able to purchase a ticket there, but do book in advance to save yourself the trouble.

4. Set yourself a budget for magical souvenirs

Trust me, when you enter the Harry Potter Studio Tour Shop for the first time, you will lose all sense of self control.

You will suddenly want all these things that you would never need.

Legit wizard robe? Okay!

Replica wand? Yes please.

There are so many amazingly crafted souvenirs for sale that you will easily empty your wallet.

For budget-conscious backpackers (like me) or large families with crying children, setting a budget beforehand is a must.

5. Grab yourself a free Warner Bros Studio Tour London passport

At some point during the tour, you might notice children getting awesome embossed stamps on a Harry Potter passport.

Uh, yeah, those are actually not just for kids!

I shamelessly (and sweetly) asked a staff member for one, and they kindly obliged.

Getting the stamps is fun and having a Harry Potter passport is pretty much the best souvenir ever.

6. Be sure to check out other Harry Potter filming locations around the UK too

If you’ve made it all the way to Leavesden, you’re actually pretty close to a variety of other Harry Potter filming locations!

While this set tour is of course incredible, there are dozens of other real-life filming locations scattered around the UK that you can visit for yourself. Click here for a full list.

Harry Potter Set Tour Recap with Photos

With those tips out of the way, I’d love to show you some photos and a brief overview of the experience from my visit in 2014. Note that they have added a lot since then, but still…

WARNING: spoilers, spoilers, spoilers. 

Some would say that the best way to experience this tour is by seeing everything first hand, but if you are curious to see photos and more, feel free to scroll further.

Your magical experience begins as soon as you walk into the building. All around the lobby are canvases with various Harry Potter characters, as well as props and other cool artifacts hanging off the walls.

Even the task of waiting in line (typically the most mundane thing ever) is a joy for this tour.

The queue moves very quickly and there is plenty for you to nerd out about as you wait.

Most notably, Harry’s  cupboard under the stairs , is right next to the queuing area, ensuring that you get a perfect view of this iconic set.

You’ll notice that groups are taken in based on their spot in line, rather than their timed reservation.

This is why there is some flexibility when it comes to your arrival time.

If you’re a few minutes late, no worries, just hop in the queue and you will make it in all-the-same.  

The tour begins with a brief video introduction to the franchise, followed by a preshow featuring Rupert, Daniel and Emma themselves.

As this preshow concludes, the screen reveals the doors to the  Great Hall!  During my tour, they invited any birthday kids to come up and help open the doors.

After  seriously  wishing it was my birthday, I bitterly watched two ecstatic kids live out their childhood dreams, revealing the first stop of the tour, the amazing…

1. Great Hall!

This is the the only part of the tour where your time will be limited, as they let tour groups in every few minutes.

As such, if you want photos, be sure to snap them  quickly !

Being in this room is an unreal feeling. In addition to the long tables, cutlery and elaborate set pieces, you also get to view costumes from students in each house, and important Hogwarts faculty as well!

2. The Big Room

After your time in the Great Hall, you are brought into the  Big Room , which houses a variety of sets, props and costumes.

Here, you are given free reign to explore for yourself and gawk at all the amazing pieces the room contains!

Highlights for me were definitely the  Potions classroom  (complete with a Snape costume on display),  the Gryffindor Common Room  and  the Weasley House .

Many of the sets also have interactive buttons where you can make objects move by pressing them.

This was especially cool in the Weasley kitchen, where the touch of a button could make an iron move on its own, make vegetables chop themselves, etc. Super neat!

For those seeking a sweet photo opp, there are several green screen opportunities to ride a broom as a Quidditch player and more! I didn’t wait in line for this bit, but it definitely looked like a lot of fun! Here are some photos from the Big Room:

3. The Backlot

After perusing the Big Room, you are brought outside to the  Backlot , home to a variety of sets including Harry’s  Privet Drive home , the  Hogwarts Bridge , the  Knight Bus  and of course,  the concession stands!  

It’s at this point in the tour that you can live out your childhood fantasy of sipping a nice, cold  butterbeer.  

Be sure to explore the bridge before you purchase a butterbeer, as no food or drink is allowed on that set. 

Now, while public opinion seems to be split on the taste of butterbeer, I have to say that  I. loved. every. single. sip.  

It’s very possible that I was blinded by the magic of my surroundings, but I would argue that it’s worth a try regardless!

NOTE: If you want to purchase a souvenir cup, remember to bring a bag or something to wrap it in, as that stuff can get mighty sticky. Here’s a sample of the cool things you’ll see in the backlot!

4. Art Department, Creature Effects and Diagon Alley

When you’re ready to go back inside, countless wonders from the  creature effects & art department  await you. Here, you really get to appreciate the depth of work put into creating a whole magical world.

I was really wowed by everything.

In this area, you will see masks, wigs, models and more of your favourite magical creatures.

In this second half of the tour as well, you get to walk through Diagon Alley. The details and work in the set will absolutely blow you away. The shops look so real, you’ll be tempted to go knocking on their doors.

5. Hogwarts Castle Model

And lastly, the grand finale of the Harry Potter set tour… The model of Hogwarts!

This one here is a real showstopper.

A walkway surrounding the model allows you to view it from all angles, taking in the fine details of this wonderful school.

For many Harry Potter fans, seeing the castle like this is a dream come true. Now, if only it were real!

At the end of the tour, just before the entrance of the Harry Potter Studio Tour Shop, you will see this wonderfully beautiful quote appear on the screen:

It was at this point that  I began to bawl.  I couldn’t help it!

Everything that I loved about the series had been shown to me in the past few hours, and for that short period of time, I got to live out my dream of seeing the magical world that made my childhood.

Messy and gross, I walked into the gift shop, which was a massive treasure trove of things you never knew you wanted or needed. Wands for every character? I’ll take 100.

And there you have it,  the most magical experience ever . One day, I  will   visit the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but until then, I think this tour has given me enough happy & geeky memories to last. …. At least for the next little while.

Any more questions about visiting the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London?

 Over to you – have you ever been to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London? IF NOT, THEN WTF ARE YOU WAITING FOR? No jk, uh I meant to ask, which part would you most look forward to?!

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7 thoughts on “A Magical Guide to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London: Everything You Need to Know”

Enjoyed every bit of your blog article.Much thanks again. Really Cool.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

bookmarked!!, I like your blog!

thanks Jane!! 😀

Hi Christina! I’m going to be traveling alone to London this week, would the Harry Potter tour be fun for a solo traveler? Also, I was considering buying a groupon for a night tour, but the picture of you holding the butter beer appears to be outside? I guess we would be missing this part of the tour if I went at night then eh?

hi Lisa, I hope this comment isn’t too late! but YES YES YES the tour would 100% still be fun as a solo traveler (provided that you like Harry Potter haha). I didn’t realize they had a special night tour, but the butterbeer was outside in a special lot where they had lots of big props and set pieces (it’s part of the tour) so I can’t imagine they would leave it out for any reason. I have my fingers crossed for you!

Thank you for this article and the pics. I always need to take a peek of the atmosphere beforehand since I’m going solo. I hope they will let me use my selfie stick inside.

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9 Tips for Visiting London’s Harry Potter Studio Tour

The Harry Potter Studio Tour in London is popular with movie fans worldwide - a whole generation has grown up with the wizard in the wonky glasses, and what better way to solidify your fan status than by exploring the sets, costumes and props that made the movies so incredible. The making of Harry Potter is a fascinating thing to learn about; there were so many small details behind it and seeing these up close is spine-tingling. Here are some top tips to ensure you have the best possible day on the Harry Potter tour!

1. Watch all the movies again before you go

Even if you’ve seen them all 10 times, it can’t hurt to watch them all once more right? It’s bound to make it even more special when you see props or the set from your favorite scene right there in front of your eyes at Harry Potter Studios, London. You’ll be able to close your eyes and imagine you’re in that flying car with Ron or sat in the Great Hall with Hermione Granger!

2. Research the best time to visit the Harry Potter tour, London

Is there a particular event you want to catch, such as the Valentine’s Dinner or seeing Hogwarts in the Snow? Make sure you research the dates of anything you don’t want to miss and plan your trip to London and the Harry Potter Studios around that. If possible, work around term time too. It’ll be much quieter if you visit while most people are still in school and work, rather than during the half-term holidays or summer vacation.

3. …and book your tickets well in advance

Harry Potter studio tour tickets sell out really quickly, so avoid disappointment and ensure to book them early. They make the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for the Potterhead in your life, young or old, and it’s a chance to have a truly magical day out.

4. Ask plenty of questions during the tour

There are curators all the way around the studio tour, and on our Unique Fully Guided Warner Bros. Studio Tour London you will be accompanied by an expert, Harry Potter-loving tour guide. You’ll travel in groups of 15 people or less, and there are audio headsets available to make sure you don’t miss a thing. So, ask plenty of questions about the movies, the sets, the props, the costumes, the cast and whatever else springs to mind! Booking your Harry Potter world tickets with us guarantees a day filled with stress-free magic.

5. Grab every opportunity with both hands

There is SO much to see and do at the studio tour - it’s basically a Harry Potter museum, with learning opportunities and interaction around every corner. Fly a broomstick, pose for a photo at Platform 9 3/4, wander down Diagon Alley and imagine what you’d spend your coins on if you could - a new broomstick, perhaps, or something fun (and potentially very dangerous) from the Weasley twins’ joke shop… The studio tour is way to completely immerse yourself in all things Potter for a few hours, so really make the most of it.

6. Take all the time you need

Following on from the previous tip, make sure you take your time at the studio tour. If there is one thing in particular that you’ve been really looking forward to seeing, then spend a few extra minutes really savoring it. Always wanted to see the fancy outfits form the Yule Ball up close? Then make sure you take in every single detail. For movie buffs and Potter fans alike, the tour is something that will have your interest constantly piqued - the recommended time frame for seeing and appreciating everything is around 3 hours. Don’t rush your visit!

7. Plan your visit precisely

If you need information about accessibility, parking, opening hours, food & drink and more, look into this in advance and plan your visit so that you can make the most of it. Our guided tour takes the stress out of planning a trip, however, and allows you to sit back and relax as we travel from London to Watford via train. From Watford Junction we will take an official shuttle bus to the tour itself, traveling in true muggle style…

8. Making your studio tour even more exciting

Especially for the little ones in your midst, there are extra things you can do to enhance your tour experience even further. For example, there is a free Wizarding World app (available on Google Play and the App Store) which can be used throughout the tour. Use the app to scan Enchanted Keys in each area of the studios, and you’ll will get to see some exclusive content right there on your smartphone. It could be a quiz, a video, some secret trivia or something else entirely! Make sure you also pick up an Activity Passport - they are available free of charge, and packed with puzzles, facts and even a Golden Snitch hunt. Don’t forget, these passports can be stamped at key points throughout the studio tour.

9. Treat yourself to some souvenirs

The gift shop at the end of the tour is full of incredibly exciting official merchandise; from chocolate frogs to replica wands, Gryffindor scarves to character blankets and so much more, there is the chance to treat yourself to something fantastic. It will be the perfect way to remember your day at the Harry Potter tour, and you’ll be the envy of all your friends if you return home with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans™…

Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour is a favorite among movie fans and Potterheads traveling to London - and it’s easy to see why. With so much to see, do and learn during the tour, you will come away a Harry Potter expert!

Get in Touch

Phone number.

UK : (+44) 800 098 8019

USA and Canada : (+1) 800 358 1942

Italy : +39 06 8336 0561

France : +33 (0) 170371426

Spain : (+34) 900 838 432

Australia : (+61) 1 800 790 369

Ireland (Dublin-HQ) : +353 (0) 1 576 0535

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The best history tours of london, get to know city wonders.

A City Wonders tour is the product of meticulous research, detailed planning, and a passion for providing customers with travel experiences they will cherish forever.

With City Wonders it's not just facts, our passionate guides tell you the stories that bring the sights to life.

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From London: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London- The Making of Harry Potter Entry Ticket and Escorted Train Transfer

Step into the magical world of Harry Potter with our exclusive Warner Bros. Studio Tour London entry ticket, accompanied by a seamless and escorted train transfer from London. Immerse yourself in the enchanting sets, costumes, and props used in the making of the iconic film series for an unforgettable and spellbinding experience.

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20 tips for visiting the harry potter studios in london.

Looking for some useful tips for visiting the Harry Potter Studios in London ? We are here to help!

If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter series, a trip to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London is a must-do.

Located in Watford, the WB Harry Potter Studios are where the Harry Potter movies were filmed.

Here you will find everything that was used to make the films. This includes some of the sets (such as the Grand Hall), the props, the costumes but also many interactive attractions.

It’s important to note that this is not a theme park like you would find in Orlando. These were the actual studios and they were turned into more of an exhibition for visitors to learn more about the movies and how they were made.

So, are you ready to discover all our Harry Potter studios tips? Let’s get started!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!

🔎 Table of Contents

1. Book your tickets in advance

The Studio Tour is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions , and tickets often sell out.

There are two ways you can book tickets for the Harry Potter Studios.

The first one is to book your ticket directly on the Warner Bros studios website . This is ideal if you are booking well in advance and don’t want transport included.

The second option is to book a tour from London . This will include the entrance to the studios as well as transportation from central London.

As a general thing, it is advisable to book at least 2 or 3 months in advance if you are booking direct.

As previously mentioned, tickets sell out fast! Also, it’s important to take into consideration the season since some periods are busier than others.

The studios are open most days but they do close for a few days in November and around Christmas time so make sure to check this beforehand.

Click here to book your ticket

2. Book a tour from London if you are looking for last-minute tickets

If you’re looking for tickets last minute and none of them is available on the website, don’t worry! You can also book a tour from London that includes the entrance to the studios and transportation.

You can book these tours even if they are tickets on the website since they include transportation so they work out about the same price as paying for everything separately (Ticket, tube, train and shuttle) but they are particularly convenient when you want to score some last-minute tickets.

The fact is that we can’t always plan months or weeks in advance so if you are already in London or are going soon and really want to visit the Harry Potter studios, make sure to book one of these tours.

3. Book an early slot and arrive early to maximize your time at the Studios

When you book your ticket, you will be asked to choose a timed entrance.

The studios open at 10 AM so you can book anytime from then.

In average, visitors spend 4 hours in the studios however, you are actually free to stay as long as you want.

This means that if you want to get there at 10AM and stay until it closes in the evening, you can do so!

For this reason, I highly recommend to book an early slot (10AM, 10:30AM and 11AM are ideal).

That way, you will have loads of time to explore, take your time for lunch and will have more than enough time.

If you are a huge Harry Potter fan, this is the best tip you’ll find!

Regardless, even if you don’t want to spend more than 4 hours, you can always leave whenever you wish and will have the afternoon to enjoy your time in London.

If you take a midday slot, you will need to dedicate the entire day to the Harry Potter Studios since it will take a couple of hours to get there and back.

3. Plan your journey from London

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is located in Leavesden, which is about 30 miles from London.

While this doesn’t seem too far away, you will actually need between 1 and 2 hours to get there from central London.

There are different ways to get there but the most convenient is by taking a tour that includes transportation.

This way, you don’t have to worry about anything and will be taken straight to the studios.

If you want to do it yourself, then head to Euston station and take a train to Watford junction (you can use your Oyster card for that but it’s one of the furthest zones so the cap will be a bit high).

From Watford Junction, simply walk across to the carpark and you will see the Harry Potter buses. They are impossible to miss since they are entirely decorated.

The shuttle will take you straight to the studios and costs £6 return.

Make sure to keep your ticket for the return!

READ MORE: 20 Best Harry Potter Things to do in London

4. Consider driving (if you have a car and are not in London)

If you are not in London and have a car, driving is definitely a good way to go. You can easily get there and the area is not busy. It’s actually pretty remote.

There is free parking at the studios so that’s definitely a plus!

If you’ve been on the website, you may have seen that there is a closer carpark for £10 but the free carpark is very close. It only takes 1 minute (if even) to get to the entrance so unless you or one of your passengers can’t walk 100 yards, you can simply use the free carpark.

When you get there, follow the signs to the carpark. You will be asked to show your ticket to enter so keep it handy.

If you get there before 11 AM, it should be pretty empty too.

5. Dress appropriately

Since you will be walking around a lot, it’s advisable to dress comfortably.

The studios are air-conditioned so you might feel cold in the beginning but once you start walking, you will warm up.

It’s also important to take into consideration that there might be some rain and since some parts of the studios are outdoors, you may want to take a good jacket.

There is a fair bit of walking around so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.

Finally, I would advise you not to wear straight or short skirts since it could be uncomfortable if you are trying the Quidditch activities.

6. Wear your Harry Potter clothes and accessories!

This one is a no-brainer. If you’re dressing up for the occasion, why not go all out and wear your Harry Potter clothes and accessories?

You will fit right in and will feel like you are a part of the magic!

Also, you will be taking a lot of photos and they will look even better if you are a bit dressed up!

Rest reassured, you don’t actually need to rock your cape but don’t hesitate to wear your Hogwarts house scarf or a hat.

7. Ask loads of questions!

The staff working at the Harry Potter studios are really friendly and they love answering questions.

There are people in each room and although it may look like they are watching everything, they are actually here to answer your questions and tell you more about what you see.

Don’t hesitate to go see them and ask your questions. If you don’t have any questions, then just ask them if they have any interesting facts to share with you. They will have loads!

For example, if you are in the Gringotts Bank, they will tell you how it was built. They may also mention the Harry Potter reunion since it was filmed in the studios and Tom Felton was sitting there for parts of it.

They will also show you some hidden gems.

Basically, they have extensive knowledge and talking with them will make your experience even better.

They all speak English but a lot of people also speak other languages. Make sure to look at their badge to see which language they speak.

8. Take loads of photos!

This is another no-brainer. The Harry Potter Studios are a paradise when it comes to photo opportunities.

You will want to take loads of photos and you should not refrain.

This is your one chance to get loads of Harry Potter themed pictures!

There are so many photo spots in the studios including Platform 9 3/4, the Great Hall, the Gringotts Bank and more.

Take your time and if you need someone else to take a photo, don’t hesitate to ask one of the other visitors.

Everyone is here to enjoy the studios and nobody would run with your phone. Also, they may ask you to take a picture of them in return. Win-Win!

9. Take your time

This is probably the most important tip I can give you.

The Harry Potter studios are a lot to take in and there is so much to see!

I would advise you to not rush through it and to take your time. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you should enjoy it!

As previously mentioned, you are not being rushed for time here. You can stay as long as you want so take your time and enjoy.

If you are scared you are taking too much time and will then have to rush, here is a tip.

The restaurant is located halfway through the tour so as long as you don’t reach it, that means you haven’t done half.

Once you do, you can consider it will take you as much time to finish.

10. Get a Harry Potter passport and the stamps!

The Warner Bros studios were built in a very interactive way. They did everything they could to make sure that visitors would have fun and would bring back loads of memories

If you want, you can get a Harry Potter passport and the stamps of all the places you visit!

You can get them at the entrance or by the first stamp station.

You will find different pages with stories and games as well as a spot to get your stamps.

The stamp stations are located all around the studios. You can see where is the next one by simply turning the pages.

It’s very fun and you will enjoy looking for the stamp stations. Also, it’s free and you get to take it back home!

11. Do a Harry Potter Quiz

If you want to add a bit of fun to the experience, you could consider playing a bit and doing a Harry Potter quiz!

You can find a free Harry Potter quiz here . Get it on your phone or print it beforehand and ask your crew the questions.

This will test your knowledge of Harry Potter and will create a fun atmosphere during the visit.

12. Get food at the Harry Potter Studios or bring your own

The Harry Potter Studios have a restaurant located on the premises. This is a great opportunity to get some food and relax for a bit, especially since it’s located about halfway through the tour.

The restaurant has a wide variety of food, including vegan and vegetarian options. It’s also really affordable! Your meal should cost under £10 and can be paid cash or on card.

This is a pleasant surprise since usually restaurants are very expensive in this kind of things.

Since it’s so easy and affordable, I recommend to get food there.

However, it’s important to know that you are allowed to bring food in. If you are travelling with kids, this will be a cheaper option.

You can find picnic areas outside, just next to the knight bus and the bridge.

Please note that you will also find a Starbucks and a snack place at the entrance (once you went through the security control but before starting the tour itself).

You can fill out bottles of water as well so I would highly recommend to take a bottle beforehand.

13. Try a butterbeer

It doesn’t get any more Harry Pottery than a good butterbeer.

Butterbeer is the ultimate wizarding drink and you can’t get it in many places since the recipe is secret. The Harry Potter Studios in London are one of the rare places in the world where you can get a real butterbeer.

Getting one is a must-do! You will either love it or hate but this is not really the point. It’s just a cool thing to do and to experience at least once.

Also, if you get it in the butterbeer mug, it will be a great prop for photos!

The butterbeer bar is located right by the restaurant (Backlot Café). You can get it in a regular plastic class or in a butterbeer mug (it costs £3 more but it’s a nice souvenir).

Since it’s right by the knight bus and the Dursley house, you can take beautiful photos holding your butterbeer.

Please note that a butterbeer is alcohol-free and therefore suitable for children.

That having been said, it’s very sweet so you may want to share it with someone. You may not manage to finish it on your own.

14. Use the Harry Potter Fan Club App

The Harry Potter Fan Club App is a great way to get extra content and make the most of your visit.

Available on both Android and iOS, it includes a map of the studios, videos, photos and more.

15. Do all the green screen attractions

A lot of scenes in the Harry Potter movies were created using special effects and CGI. Amongst them, you will find all the Quidditch scenes.

Basically, and without being spoiler, the actors would ride their broom in front of a green screen and the images in the background would be added in post production.

You will find these green screen sets in the studios and not only do you get to see them, but you can also try them!

There are two of them, the Quidditch and the train carriages right by the Hogwarts Express.

As you get there, you will realise that photos are being taken and you have to pay extra to get them. While this is true, it’s important to note that you can do them and not buy the photos.

The photos are nice souvenirs but there will be no pressure to buy them.

Knowing that, you might as well make the best of the experience and get in line to play some quidditch!

This is important to note because these attractions are very good fun and super interactive. You will have such a good time doing them but yet, a lot of people skip thinking they have to pay.

You do not have to pay to do it. You simply have to pay if you want to buy the photos but once again, there is no obligation to do so.

16. Get a digital guide if you speak another language

The Harry Potter Studios are all in English and while this is not an issue for some, if English is not your first language, you may struggle with some of the explanations or even names (all names were translated differently).

For this reason, it could be a great idea to get a digital guide. They can be hired at the entrance for less than £5 and provide information and facts in many languages including French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and more.

You can book it with your ticket beforehand or simply head to the reception desk and ask for one. You will be provided a small digital screen and headphone and can go around the studios while learning even more about the world of Harry Potter.

17. Use the free Wi-Fi

The Harry Potter Studios offer free Wi-Fi which is great because it means you won’t have to use your data roaming while you’re there!

Also, the coverage is not always great in certain parts of the studios so it comes very handy to have free Wi-Fi available.

18. Use the cloakroom

Located at the entrance, the cloakroom is free of charge which is perfect if you want to leave your bag or coat.

They will be safe and sound at the cloakroom and you won’t have to lug things around.

That having been said, it can be a bit cold in certain parts of the studios and of course outside, so I wouldn’t leave everything there.

19. Watch the movies before you go

If you want to make the most of your visit, watching the Harry Potter movies is a must.

As you know, the Harry Potter Studios are entirely dedicated to the movies. This is not about the books.

Of course the movies were based on the books but the WB are very much about the movies.

If you want to learn more about the books, make sure to visit Edinburgh. It will be a much better place for that.

Knowing that you will discover everything about the movies, it would be much better if you watch them before going.

Not only will you recognise many of the sets and props but you will also understand more of the references.

It will get you excited and you will have the images very fresh in your mind which will enhance your experience.

20. Get some souvenirs

The gift shop at the studios is great and it’s definitely worth leaving with a few souvenirs.

There are many different items available, including clothes, wands, prop replicas and more.

While they are not cheap, they are definitely worth buying as they will remind you of your amazing day at the Harry Potter Studios!

You may also be interested in:

• The Ultimate Guide for visiting the Harry Potter Studios in London: tips, tricks & Review
• 20 Best Harry Potter Things to do in London
• Harry Potter in Scotland: 13 Harry Potter locations & experiences you can only have in Scotland
• Harry Potter Train in Scotland: Ultimate Guide to riding the Jacobite train in real life

Founder of Beeloved City, I am originally from France and have been living in the UK since 2016. I've travelled to 25 countries as a backpacker, travel coordinator and for holidays. I spent a year in Australia before eventually settling down in Manchester, England

Top 10 Tips for the Harry Potter Studio Tour London, and How To Get There

Planning a visit to the harry potter studio tour in london my top tips will help you make the most of your visit, and show you how to get there.

Our house is full of Harry Potter fans, so the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour in London has been on our wish list for many years. I attempted to book it on several occasions but never managed to get tickets available during school holidays. However, when the new Irish bank holiday – St Brigid’s Day, came along, myself and my daughter Alex took off to London for the night to see what we had been missing! It was the perfect gift for her as she loves all things Harry Potter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah Slattery – Travel Expert (@the_travel_expert)

I was so excited to finally find tickets available for the J.K. Rowling inspired extravaganza, that I booked them without thinking about the best way to get there. It was only when I started researching our visit that I realised that the Harry Potter Studio Tour is quite a distance from central London, and that tickets are on sale from many suppliers, and not just on the Warner Bros website – we need not have left it so long to visit after all!

I picked up many tips on how to get to Harry Potter Studios during my research, and lots more when I actually made the trip from central London as well as having been schooled by my daughter who is an expert on the j.k. rowling phenomenom. I have listed these tips below, as well some advice on how to make the most of your visit to the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour.

What to expect at the Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Despite hearing countless stories about how great the Harry Potter Studio Tour was, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it wasn’t a theme park inspired by the Harry Potter books, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer size and variety of exhibits on show.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour is a unique experience that showcases original sets, props and costumes from the 8 Harry Potter series of movies, as well as featuring animatronic creatures, visual and special effect areas, and interactive activities such as Green Screen experiences.

You will through the Great Hall and Diagon Alley in the footsteps of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, step onto the Hogwarts Express, see Harry’s bed in the Gryffindor dorm room, as well as finding out how those acceptance letters flew out of the letterbox in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone…

I absolutely loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, and never expected to get the same wow factor during the Harry Potter Studio Tour, but I did. There were countless goosebump moments and our jaws dropped many times, in fact I believe for avid Harry Potter fans, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is even more fascinating than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

1. Book tickets for the Harry Potter Studio Tour well in advance

Tickets for the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour go on sale almost a year in advance – Christmas holiday dates are on sale already! It is best to book as early as possible, at least a few months in advance, especially if you are planning on visiting at weekends or during school holidays.

Watch out for themed events throughout the year. The main attractions and exhibits will remain the same but you may see snow over Hogwarts at Christmas time, or pumpkins at Halloween – see more here .

Top Tip: Tickets are changeable for £10, so it is best to book a time in advance, you can always alter the date at a later stage.

2. Don’t panic if tickets are sold out – tour companies have an allocation of tickets

If you need to go at a specific time and tickets are sold out on the Warner Bros Studio Tour website, don’t panic! Tour companies such as Attraction Tickets , Viator , and GetYourGuide are given an allocation of tickets for this magical world with bus transportation to and from the Studios from various locations in London.

These are more expensive, but take the hassle out of getting there. The Harry Potter Studio Tour is over an hour from central London so having the bus transportation included is a massive bonus. These tickets offer good value if combining your visit with a short break in London.

Specialist travel agencies such as Keith Prowse Travel also have allocations and will book a package including flights and hotels if required.

3. Think twice about bringing toddlers

Children aged 4 and under can visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour for free – although they do require a ticket to enter. While this may be easier on your wallet, you may want to think about whether it is best to bring toddlers at all.

Everywhere is buggy / wheelchair friendly so if your child is happy to stay in a buggy then that will certainly help, however, most of the tour is walking and you could be there for five or six hours. It is not a theme park, and many of the exhibits are not interactive.

4. Allow at least 5 hours to visit the Harry Potter studio tour

The Warner Bros Studio Tour London website states that the ‘average visit lasts approximately three and a half hours’, however, we spent five hours at the Harry Potter studio tour and could have easily spent longer finding out all about Harry’s story.

We didn’t watch many of the videos or read the information beside each exhibit – if we did I think we would have needed ten hours there! Suffice to say it is impossible to see everything in one visit, and certainly not in three and a half hours. I usually spend a lot less than the ‘average time’ at a museum or tour, but not in this case.

I suggest getting there at least 30 minutes before your allotted time. You will want to take photos outside and there is plenty to see in the lobby before the tour starts. A dramatic Gringotts Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon hangs from the ceiling, and the Chocolate Frog Cafe has a huge Marauder’s Map on the wall, as well as tasty themed chocolate treats to get the tour off to a nice start.

We visited on a quiet Monday in February and did not experience any queues. However, I’m told that during school holidays there can be queues to get into the Harry Potter franchise, as well as queues for the Green Screen experience, café, toilets and shops  – this could add additional time to your visit.

5. Do your research so you don’t miss anything!

Almost all of the tour is self-guided, so make sure to do some research before you go – you don’t want to miss the top attractions on the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Watch the movies again, read blogs, watch videos on the top things to see at Harry Potter Studios and make a list so you don’t miss anything.

You will naturally pass through Diagon Alley, Platform 9¾ and Gringotts, but there are plenty of exhibits that could easily be missed in the main room, such as Professor Dumbledore’s Office and the Potions ClassRoom. Don’t miss the demonstrations where the staff explain the differences between special and visual effects, and show how certain tricks were carried out.

6. Pick up an Activity Passport and Audio Guide

At the start of the tour you will be offered a complimentary Activity Passport – if you miss this, just ask one of the staff and they will get one for you. There are 7 Golden Snitches hidden throughout the tour, and you can get your passport stamped once you find them. The passport not only acts as a nice souvenir to bring home, but also ensures you don’t miss any key areas.

You can also purchase an audio guide which has facts about the sets, props and costumes that are showcased on the tour. We purchased one but were so overwhelmed by the amount of things to see on the Harry Potter studio tour that we didn’t use it!

The Harry Potter Fan Club app is another way to enhance your visit. You can unlock secrets, videos, quizzes with Enchanted Keys that can be found in the app. Once you scan an Enchanted Key you’ll be rewarded with an exclusive piece of content related to the area of the Studio Tour you’re in.

7. Take your time in the Great Hall

The tour starts with two short videos before entering the Great Hall. You will initially be part of a large group, but once the presentation is over you will be asked to move into the next room. Once you leave the Great Hall the rest of the tour is self-guided.

I suggest waiting until everyone has left the Great Hall, so you can see it without the crowds and get some good photos too. The rest of the tour can be explored at your leisure, but once you leave the Great Hall you can’t go back to it.

8. Take time out at the Backlot Café

The Backlot Café is situated at the half-way point, and believe me you will need the rest! It serves typical fast-food fare as well as sandwiches, vegan and vegetarian options, and last but not least, butterbeer – it costs £6.95 including a souvenir tankard.

9. Bring a powerbank and a jacket

Unlike many tours of this nature, you are encouraged to take photos and videos throughout the tour – apart from a couple of exceptions at the beginning of the tour and at the green screen area. You will be constantly snapping and taking videos so a power bank is essential.

The cloakroom is free to use, but if travelling during the winter time you may wish to keep your jacket with you, or at least bring a sweater, as approximately 30 minutes of the tour is outdoors.

10. Get Green Screen photos and souvenirs at the end of the tour

The Green Screen experiences are part and parcel of the tour, where you can ride a broomstick over London and Hogwarts, or be filmed inside one of the carriages on the Hogwarts Express. There are two different experiences, one in the main room at the beginning of the tour, and one at Platform 9¾.

There are various packages available to purchase, including photos, videos or a combination of both. A souvenir shop is also located at Platform 9¾, but there are many more shops at the end of the tour.

Top Tip: Wait until the end of the tour to purchase souvenirs, videos and photos. As well as a large shopping area, there is additional kiosk at the end of the tour where you can purchase your videos and photos – this will save you carrying bags around with you for the rest of the tour.

How to get to the Harry Potter Studio Tour?

The Harry Potter Studio Tour is located outside of London in Leavesden, near Watford. If you are driving, put postcode WD25 7LR into Google Maps or your SatNav, and parking is free.

Assuming you are not driving, the best way to get to the Harry Potter Studio tour from London is by taking a train from Euston Station to Watford Junction and hopping on one the FREE Warner Bros Studios Tour shuttle buses which run every 10-30 minutes and are parked outside the train station. The last bus leaves Harry Potter studios when the tour closes.

There are regular daily trains from Euston to Watford Junction, but watch out as some are direct (15 mins ), while others take 40 minutes with many stops along the way – we found out the hard way!

Note there are two stations in Watford – it is Watford Junction you need. It should be easy to get to Euston Station if you are staying in London by using the Underground.

Top Tip: Purchase a Visitor Oyster card before you go. 

A Visitor Oyster Card is a smartcard which you can pre-load with credit (from £10 – £50) and use it like a pay as you go card. The credit never expires and if you run out of credit on your card, it’s easy to top it up and use it again. Each person (over 11) needs a separate Oyster Card.

It is valid on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, River Bus and most National Rail services in London – including the Euston to Watford Junction service , and children under 11 travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. If you are travelling with a child aged 11 – 15, you need to buy them a separate Oyster Card before you leave home, and when you arrive in London, you can ask a member of staff at tube or rail stations to add a Young Visitor discount.

Oyster cards have daily capping so you can travel as much as you like on any given day – prices vary depending on zones used. You can’t buy these in London, you need to order it online and it will be posted to your home address. Buy here.

Other ways to get to Harry Potter Studios

Buses are also available from Victoria and Kings Cross station, although these are expensive – £45 return at the time of posting. If you do wish to take the bus – the pre-purchased tickets with transportation offer better value – see tip 2 above.

Day trips to Harry Potter studios London are also a popular choice. Luton is the closest airport (17 miles) followed by Heathrow (23 miles) and taxis are readily available.

Top Tip: The cloakroom is free of charge at Harry Potter Studios and they will happily store your luggage for you. We visited London for a short break and booked the Harry Potter studio tour on our last day. We checked out of our hotel, left our luggage in the cloakroom and spent the day at the studios before flying home that evening. Taxi cost from the studios to Luton airport was £40.

I hope my Harry Potter Studio Tour travel guide will help you plan a trip there soon. Looking for more things to do in London with kids, check out this post:

Read: Top things to do in London with kids

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, facilities and attractions are subject to change. Note some of the links in this post contain affiliate links, where I receive a small commission if a booking is made, but at no additional cost to you.

FAQ’s

Does the harry potter studio tour cover all the harry potter books.

You will find something from virtually all the books. For the Harry Potter fan they will pick out things all through the tour from the Chamber of Secrets, the Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows, Goblet of Fire, The Prisoner of Azkaban, Sorcerer’s Stone, Order of the Phoenix and all the other Harry Potter books, as well as Albus Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy too. The Hogwarts legacy lives on with all the magical creatures in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. J.K. Rowling would even be proud of how the journey of Harry Potter unfolds here.

Does it have lots of things from the Harry Potter movies?

Absolutely! Whilst I can’t be sure they are the authentic props from the movies themselves, there many items in the tour from the movies including the flying Ford Anglia car which you can sit into, the Hogwarts Express, the Gryffindor Common Room set is perfectly replicated, Diagon Alley, the Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest and, of course, Platform 9¾ is there too as well as lots of others. There is something from all the Harry Potter films.

How busy does the Harry Potter Studio Tour get?

The tour is very popular and tickets can be hard to get but many suppliers sell them as well as the Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. website. The number of visitors on a daily basis is high but if you go off peak and get tickets from any of the above you’ll will enjoy all the adventures of Harry.

What was your favourite feature?

I can’t even begin to pick out a favourite from the whole Harry Potter experience, everything was so good. The entire experience manages to transport you to Harry Potter and the the fantastic beasts films. I wouldn’t know were to start to be honest!

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A Complete Harry Potter Studio Tour London Review (+8 Top Tips)

When you have a Harry Potter fan in your family, one of the best experiences you can give them is a Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Before booking our Harry Potter Studio Tour, we had so many questions.

We thought it would be helpful to write a Harry Potter Studio Tour review to help other families get the most out of their visit.

As well as giving all our top tips for a successful visit to the Harry Potter Studios, we’ve answered a few FAQs at the end.

If you want to know what to expect, when to go and how to get tickets if WB Studios have sold out on the date you want… read on…

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and book or buy something, we may earn a small commission, but this is at no extra cost to you.

These are our top tips for making the most of your Warner Bros Studio Tour.

1. Do some research on the WB Studio Tour

This may sound like a strange tip. If you like Harry Potter, you’ll love the Warner Bros Studio Tour right?

Probably, yes. But maybe not.

It is a good idea to find out a little about the tour before you go. Thinking of the Harry Potter Studios as a museum is a good start.

Once you are in that mindset, your tour of the Harry Potter Studios will make more sense.

It is somewhere you can go to explore the magic of the Harry Potter films. You get to see real costumes, sets and props used in the movies and as the tour progresses, you get to see how the films were made.

The ‘tour’ is mostly self-guided, except for a little intro at the start.

We didn’t really have any idea what to expect. Our youngest (8) was expecting a theme park!

We obviously didn’t manage his expectations very well because he wasn’t really all that enthusiastic about it. But then, he wasn’t really a Harry Potter fan either.

Once you have decided that it is most definitely for you, snap up your tickets!

2. Buy your Harry Potter Studio Tour tickets in advance

If there’s only one thing we can tell you to make your trip to the WB Studios successful, it is to buy your tickets in advance.

The WB Studios Tour is hugely popular. People come from all over the world to visit and it is busy all year round.

It is absolutely essential that you buy your Harry Potter Studio Tour London tickets well in advance.

We booked our tickets 3 months in advance. It was a Monday during school term time in November and even then, there were barely any tickets left for the day we wanted.

Tickets are around £51 per person. You can buy them on the WB Studio website here . Children Under 4 are FREE and this is very telling. It is not really suitable for children under 4.

Top Tip : If you find that tickets are sold out on the day that you want, you can check a tour company as they should have more availability.

They are more expensive but may be your only option if you can’t be flexible on dates. GetYourGuide is a good place to look.

See here to book the best rated WB Studio tour (including transportation from London).

See here to book Harry Potter Studio Tour and a private transfer

See here for a family package tour from London (2 Adults & 2 Kids).

3. Do all the free things on the Harry Potter tour

You’ve spent a lot of money on your tickets so be sure to make the most of any freebies along the tour!

• Grab a free Activity Passport which includes a fun Golden Snitch hunt, puzzles and Harry Potter trivia. The passport also includes space for souvenir stamps that can be collected at key points throughout the tour such as Platform 9 ¾ and Gringotts Bank. You can collect the Passports from a staff member at any point during the Studio Tour.
• You don’t need to pay for an audio guide when you have staff members on hand to dish all the fascinating facts. They are hugely knowledgeable and love to talk about everything Harry Potter!
• The kids will be sure to love the free wand-duelling class next to the Forbidden Forest.
• Do the extra things like attempting to pick up the broomstick while muttering ‘Wingardium Leviosa’.

4. Grab your Harry Potter merchandise before your tour

If you want to keep the costs down during your visit to the Harry Potter Studios, you should consider buying any Harry Potter merch beforehand.

Items in the store at the studios are more expensive and if you’re visiting with kids, sometimes it can be hard to say no. Buying in advance gets around this issue.

Another thing to consider if you are going to by a gift is that buying it beforehand will mean that you will have it in your photos. You obviously can’t have your wand in your photos if you wait until the end of the tour to visit the store.

There is plenty of official merchandise on Amazon which you can browse here .

If you want other gift ideas for Harry Potter fans, take a look at this post on Harry Potter themed gifts for kids .

Having just said all this….just bear in mind that some of stuff in the shop is exclusive to the Harry Potter tour and you won’t be able to get it once you leave.

A final note on this, you can also visit the Harry Potter store at Platform 9 3/4 at London’s Kings Cross Station if you are staying in London. There you will find the trolley that passes through the wall and you can have your photo taken.

It is one of the best free things to do in London with kids (who are Harry Potter fans).

5. Buying professional photos at Harry Potter Studios

If you do want to buy the professional photos, wait until the end of the tour to do so.

You can collect the tickets as you go and then buy all together once you have seen them all. This will also save you time.

Just a word of warning here. The professional photos are very expensive (£14 for a photo).

You can sometimes take your own pictures but in some places (the train ride next to the Hogwarts Express) – it seemed to be strictly monitored.

In fact, I got told off for taking a photo before the experience had even started.

6. Take your time

You have to book a timeslot when you buy your Harry Potter tickets, but once you are in, you can take as long as you like.

Actually, once you are past The Great Hall, you can take as long as you like. Up until this point, you are on a guided tour and you need to stick with your group.

After this point, you are free to wander as you please.

Spend some time chatting to the staff. This guy in the photo below was great. He pretended to be a Goblin in Gringotts Bank and fooled a few people who were rushing by. They are so knowledgeable and interesting.

People tend to rush through to try to get ahead of the pack but if you hang back, you can often get better photos without loads of people in them.

Consider buying tickets towards the end of the day so that you are one of the last to leave.

You can, of course, be the first ones in but then there will be a steady stream of visitors all day. To be in with a chance of having the place almost to yourself, it is best to go later.

Last admission is 6.30pm and by about 8pm it starts to get quieter. The Studios close at 10pm.

7. The best bits of the tour at WB Studios

People ask what the best bits about the Harry Potter Studio tour were.

This is quite subjective because everyone’s opinions will differ. These are just our favourite bits of the Harry Potter Studios Tour:

• The dragon encounter in the vault under Gringotts Bank was pretty spectacular. We won’t spoil it but it is a little scary, especially for little ones.
• Pulling a potted Mandrake in Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse (in the outside area just after the Backlot Café).
• Wandering through the Forbidden Forest – watch out for those pesky spiders!
• Making Dobby dance.
• Taking a ride on the Hogwarts Express.

Tip for Diagon Alley at Harry Potter Studio Tour London

People come in waves so if this is your favourite part, hang around and see if you can get a photo without people in it.

This was the view just a few minutes later.

8. Consider taking food with you to save time

We would recommend taking your own food. Not only does it help keep costs down but it will also save time if you are in a rush. The queues can be quite long in the cafés and you won’t want to spend a long time waiting for food.

If you prefer to buy food at the Studios, here is some information on the restaurants at Harry Potter Studios.

There are a few places to eat at the Harry Potter Studios and they are reasonably priced. You can read more about the eateries here .

• Chocolate Frog Café  – in the main lobby serves a selection of hot and cold drinks and sweet treats.
• The Food Hall – in the main lobby serves a fairly comprehensive breakfast and lunch menu.
• The Backlot Café – at the half way point of the tour serves breakfast and lunch and, of course, Butterbeer.
• The Hub Café – in the main lobby serves hot and cold drinks and baked goods.

If you are having lunch there, the kids will love the Harry Potter bus shaped sandwich boxes.

If you want to try the Butterbeer, you probably only want to get one per family. You can ONLY buy the Butterbeer at the Backlot Café which is around the half way point (after seeing the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4).

Note – Butterbeer does not taste good! Children will probably prefer the Butterbeer Ice Cream.

Here are some FAQs about visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour London

We are often asked about our Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Understandably, when you’re spending a lot of money on something, you want to make sure it is worth it. And once you’ve made the decision to go, you want to make sure you get the most out of your visit.

Here are some of the questions we get asked about the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Where are the Warner Bros Studios?

We thought we would start with this for anyone unaware that the Warner Bros Studios are actually NOT IN LONDON.

It is easy to get to the Harry Potter studios from London though.

Note that the Warner Bros Studio Tour is right next door to the Warner Bros Studios.

The address for WB Studios is :

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Studio Tour Drive Leavesden WD25 7LR.

The easiest way to reach the WB Studios from London is by train.

The closest train station to Harry Potter Studios is Watford Junction . Trains depart from London Euston and take around 20 minutes.

You can get a WB Studios shuttle bus from Watford Junction. The journey is included in your ticket price.

You can also arrange guided tours from London if you don’t want to take the train. We recommend this one.

We live very close to the studios so we drove. There is an enormous car park and parking is free.

There are also hotels nearby if you prefer to stay in the area. Here is a list of hotels near the Warner Bros Studios for families .

See here for our recommendations for hotels in London for families .

If you are staying in London with kids, there are loads of fun Harry Potter experiences in London . We also have a whole section on the blog for visiting London with kids .

Do you need to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy the Harry Potter studio tour?

One of the most frequently asked questions about the Harry Potter Studio tour is whether or not you need to like Harry Potter.

Based on our experience with one child who loves Harry Potter and the other who doesn’t, I would say it really does help to be a Harry Potter fan.

I love the Harry Potter films. Admittedly, I haven’t read the books and am told by my son that the books are better.

Either way, I would class myself as a Harry Potter fan (although not fanatical) and I enjoyed the tour.

It is an interesting experience and unless you actually dislike Harry Potter, I can’t think that you wouldn’t enjoy the tour.

How long does the Harry Potter tour take?

The Harry Potter tour lasts as long as you want it to really. You could be the first one in and the last one out.

There are parts that you cannot go back to and do again though (like the Hogwarts Dining Hall) so make sure you have completed each area fully before you move on.

Ideally you should allow at least 3 – 4 hours to do the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Is Harry Potter Studio Tour all inside?

We thought that the tour was all inside but actually, around 10% of the WB Studio tour is outside.

This is something you need to consider if you are visiting in the winter or when it is raining.

When you arrive, you have the option of storing your coats in the cloakroom but you might not want to store your coats if you think you will get cold easily.

Having said that, you will only spend around 10-15 minutes outside so weigh up the need to carry your coat around the rest of the tour.

We kept our coats but they were just lightweight puffer jackets by Mountain Warehouse . They were easy to fold down into our Osprey day bag .

What age is best for the Harry Potter Studio tour?

There is no age restriction at the Harry Potter Studio tour.

We mentioned briefly above, however, that children under 4 are free because the tour isn’t really suited to young children.

Firstly, it is best if they have a slight concept at least of Harry Potter. Secondly, there is a lot of walking involved.

If you are thinking about taking kids on the WB Studio tour, we would recommend waiting until they have seen the films or read the books before taking them.

Having said that, children aged 6+ will get something out of the visit. But then you need to think whether it is worth paying that money for them to potentially not enjoy it.

When is the best time to visit Harry Potter World London?

If at all possible, go on a weekday during term time. Easier said than done when you have school aged kids. If you have an inset day, maybe consider using it to visit the Studios.

We visited on a Monday and booked one of the last tickets of the day.

Don’t be fooled when you arrive and there is no queue for the ‘Tour Entrance’.

From here, you pass through into a holding area and it will fill up. We got so excited when we saw there was no queue (photo below).

We also visited during Hogwarts in the Snow. It is one of the things we recommend for kids to do at Christmas in London . It was so pretty seeing the sets covered in snow. You even get to see how they make the snow at the end of the tour.

If you can, time your visit to coincide with one of the special events. The best are the Dark Arts which is a great Halloween event for kids . See other places to visit at Halloween in London with kids . Hogwarts in the Snow (around Christmas) is also great.

And finally – is the Harry Potter Studio Tour London worth it?

We thought we would leave this to the end so that you have enough information to make up your own mind.

For so  many, the London Harry Potter Studio Tour is one of the best Harry Potter experiences in the UK .

Personally, we have mixed opinions.

For Harry Potter fans, yes it is worth it. For younger children, no it probably isn’t.

It is a lot of money but you can spend an entire day there if you want which makes it seem more reasonable.

We hope you found our review of the Harry Potter Studio Tour helpful. If you have any questions that we haven’t covered, please drop us a line and we’d be happy to help.

If you’re thinking of visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, don’t miss our recommendations for family-friendly hotels near Universal Orlando .

We participate in various affiliate marketing programs. Flashpacking Family is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Posted on 1st July 2021 Categories Things to do

By: Author Julianna Barnaby

Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour (+ Everything You Need to Plan Your Trip)

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Love Harry Potter? The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is an absolutely magical day out for children and adults alike. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Harry Potter. You may have noticed that I’m low-level obsessed with both the films and the books. The story that captured our imaginations 20 years ago is no less magical today.

London is filled with Harry Potter spots – whether that’s filming locations, cool graphics stores or Potter-inspired bars , there’s plenty to keep your wands busy. Even so, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is phenomenal.

I’ll admit that I put visiting the tour off for a while because I never quite got round to booking my ticket. Mistake . Now that I’ve been I can say hand on heart that it is a must for anyone who loves Harry Potter.

I’ve written this step-by-step guide to help you understand what to expect, how to book your tickets, plan your journey and have a brilliant time. No pressure then…

OK, So the Big Question is… Are the Harry Potter Studios Worth the Money?

In short – yes. The Harry Potter Studios are worth the money.

It’s pretty much impossible to talk about why you should go on the Harry Potter Studio Tour without confronting the fact that tickets are hella expensive.

£47 for adults and £38 for children over 5 is no laughing matter – particularly when you add transport and (if necessary) accommodation to that too.

Even though the tickets are expensive, I’d say that the experience is absolutely worth it – it’s been brilliantly done – so much so that I know people who’ve been back a couple of times over the years.

Want to book a tour instead? Choose from these tours from London .

Exploring the Magical World of Harry Potter at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London: What to Expect

All eight of the films were filmed in the Leavesden Studios over a period spanning more than a decade.

There’s nowhere else that you can visit where you can see so many of the places, costumes and details that made the iconic films the biggest movie series in history.

How to Get Your Hands on Harry Potter London Tickets

Buy tickets on the website.

Now, I’m not going to lie – trying to get your hands on the Harry Potter studio tickets is like trying to conjure a genuine smile from Professor Umbrige. As in, it will take all of your wits and whiles to make it happen. Unlike trying to coax a smile from Umbridge though, it will be totally worth the effort.

First of all, let me be clear. You have to buy tickets in advance – there will be no turning up on the day and hoping to strike lucky.

That shizz just doesn’t fly (as in they don’t even sell tickets on the door, so you’ll have schlepped out to Leavesden for no reason – and I’ll warn you, apart from the studio tour, Leavesden isn’t the kind of place where you go to have a lot of fun).

So, you need to plan your trip in advance. Preferably as far in advance as you possibly can.

Tickets for the Warner Brothers Harry Potter tour sell like hotcakes – and months ahead.

Don’t be all blasé like me, hopping onto the website and thinking you’ll pick one up for the next day. I was totally sucker punched when I saw that tickets were pretty much booked out for two months in advance. That’s not a typo and yes you’re reading it right. Two months.

Now, there are a couple of workarounds, which I am going to go into more detail below but that is the standard position.

So if you’re thinking about taking a trip to London and you want to get a ticket, do it the moment you book your flights. I only wish I were joking.

Book Tickets Here

Sneaky Trick Number One for Getting a Ticket to the Warner Bros Studio Tour

Book a tour – or transport inclusive ticket from a tour operator.

I have to be honest – I am prettyyyyyy disorganised a lot of the time and I’ve often found that hunting around for a tour can mean that you can nab a last minute spot when all other hope is lost.

Have a look on Get Your Guide and simply work your way through the different operators until you can find one with a ticket for the date that you want. Simple and oh so crafty * cackles uncontrollably in the manner of Bellatrix Lestrange *.

PS – I talk more about tours and transport inclusive options in the How to Get to the Harry Potter Studios Section Below.

Sneaky Trick Number Two For Getting Your Hands on Harry Potter Studio Tickets

You’ll have better luck if you can visit on a weekday outside of school holidays, but as you’re likely to be grown-ass adults with actual jobs, whether you can do that depends on exactly how much magic you’re willing to practice to get yourself a spot.

Sneaky Trick Number Three for Nabbing Those Tickets

Now I know that I said that you have next to zero chance for nabbing tickets to Harry Potter land in London without booking them at least a couple of months in advance but guess what… I lied.

Well, kind of.

You can get last-minute tickets on the website if you’re willing to be flexible and just take whatever day and time is available. I booked my tickets on Tuesday to go on the Sunday of the same week – and was pretty lucky that the tour started at 2pm so I had loads of time to make my way around.

There were only a couple of tickets for the Sunday available – and a few more for the following Monday and Tuesday… after which the earliest I could book was 2.5 months later.

It’s a big gamble – definitely not one I’d recommend taking if you’re only in the country for a short period but it is always worth checking.

Read Next: The Ultimate Guide to London’s Magical Harry Potter Spots

Tips for Making the Most of Your Time in the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour

If you’re more of an adult than me and actually book your tickets far enough in advance that you get a choice about which slot to choose rather than having to take whichever one’s available because you’re trying to find a ticket for this weekend, I have a tip.

Go as early in the day as possible – and try and avoid the last slot or two.

Much as I’d love to pretend that these are sage words I winkled out of prophecy buried in that creepy vault in the Ministry of Magic, the boring truth is there are very good reasons for this advice.

One is that the tour is untimed. Once you’re in, you’re in for however long it takes you to make your way around.

Considering that some people (ME) literally won’t rest until they’ve read / played with / googled at / photographed / posed with every tiny little bit on every single set, you can understand how later slots can get pretty busy.

The second reason I say to go as early as possible is kind of the same – you want to make sure that you have all the sweet sweet time that you need to make your way around that tour.

They suggest three to four hours but who knows, you may end up taking more (particularly if you kick back with a butterbeer in Hogsmeade).

Someone once spent over thirteen hours in the tour, which seems a liiiitttttle excessive – what were they doing? Reenacting the films? Actually, that’s a brilliant idea.  

Either way, with the earlier slots you pretty much have all the time you want. It would be a real shame to have to rush any of the experience – you paid enough to justify squeezing every last second of pleasure from your well-spent galleons.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Did you see that bit above where I said that the average person takes three to four hours walking around the studios?

Now imagine doing that in some flimsy-ass high heels that make you want to cast a spell and set your own feet on fire after half an hour and I think you’ll get my point about comfortable shoes.

Unless you have your own flying broomstick that is, in which case you can wear those heels as you zip around the tour with your cape billowing in the breeze behind you.

Dress Up (If You Want, but Why Wouldn’t You Want to…)

I have one regret about my trip to the making of Harry Potter and that is that I didn’t dress up. There were so many kids (and adults!) rocking cool Harry Potter attire that the moment I saw them, I knew that I a) wanted to be them and b) would feel so sad about it for the whole time I was there.

So dust off your capes, your house scarf, your Potter-style glasses etc with free abandon – ain’t no one going to judge you for it.

Swot Up on the Films (and the Books for Extra House Points)

This will only apply if you haven’t watched the film in a little while (in which case, who even are you?).

There are so many cool spots here but there’s no point if you can only dimly remember the films from some time a few years ago when you watched it as you did your knitting.

No. That is not good enough. You want to make sure that you’ve watched the films recently, that they’re fresh in your mind, that you recall every detail – and preferably you can do some short reenactments as you go around…

And, if you want to get extra mega-nerdy house points, breeze through the books so you can say sage things comparing the books to the films and the sets and totally blowing everyone’s minds with your crazy levels of knowledge.

Don’t Whizz Through the Great Hall too Fast – In Fact, Don’t Whizz Through Any of the Tour too Fast

The tour starts with a couple of short intros – one in a small room where you can see the cast on small screens above you and marvel at how much older they look. Then start thinking about how much older you must be too and actually get so wrapped up in this that you actually end up missing everything they say.

The second intro film is a much grander affair and in an actual cinema. Now, once you finish that second film, the doors beyond open and you’re let into the Hogwarts Dining Hall.

What do you get when you take lots and lots of very keen Harry Potter fans, lock them in a dark room and then let them loose onto one of the film’s most exciting sets?

I think mayhem is the word that you’re looking for. I had a whole family push into my photo, pretty much stampeding over me to nab a picture with a statue of Dumbledore.

No worries though, jokes on them because I just waited behind until almost all of the people had trampled their way through to the next room and quietly (and rather smugly, channeling my best Hermione knows it all face) took my pictures and had a nose around the now empty hall.

Don’t take too long though – you only have a certain period of time until the next group of people are released from the cinema room and into the frenzy.

That advice applies to all of the tour actually – unless you’re in one of the later slots you have all the time that you need to make your way around, take millions of pictures and absolutely live your best Harry Potter life.

There’s no need to rush that – if you do, you won’t have anything good to put into your pensieve.

Read Next: Mischief Managed: This is What it’s Really Like to Visit the Harry Potter Inspired Bar in London

Pick the Guides’ Brains

No, not literally. The guides in the Warner Bros studios take Harry Potter fandom to. another. level. You will bow in the face of their superior and all out geeky knowledge of the things on the set.

I totally encourage you to sidle up to one and ask a really niche question about a tiny piece of the set buried in the back of a scene, then watch as *poof* all their magical knowledge comes out. It’s BEAUTIFUL.

Do Fill in Your Making of Harry Potter Passport

You’re handed a Harry Potter Passport with your tickets. I tried to be all cool and dismissive about it – what do they think we are? Children who are going to run around getting stamps and filling in the questions in our magical books? Damned right we are.

Now is not the time to pretend that you’re in any way not excited about finding the 13 golden snitches that are hidden throughout the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour.

Finding those snitches and getting those stamps is better than that moment when everyone thinks that Harry’s dead and he bursts out of Hagrid’s arms to turn Voldemort into tiny pieces of ash. I shizz you not.

Highlights of the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London

Now that you’ve booked your tickets and are incredibly excited, I thought I’d help fuel the fire with a few sneak peeks at some of my favourite spots from the set 😀

The Great Hall

Feasts, howlers, ominous speeches – Hogwarts’ Great Hall has seen it all. It’s pretty cool to see the hall in real life (though if you’ve ever visited Christ Church in Oxford – another city with many Harry Potter filming locations , you’ll notice the strong resemblance).

I won’t let you in on all of the little secrets but you get to peek behind the scenes to find out how they created the floating candles and enchanted ceiling effects, plus there’s a cool display of the house uniforms and details on how they changed throughout the films.

The Gryffindor Dormitory

Lush velvet, wooden four poster beds – welcome to the Gryffindor Dorm. Biggest surprise? The beds are absolutely tiny as they were designed for the kids for The Philosopher’s Stone but ended up being used in all the films.

Dumbledore’s Office

So much wisdom, so little time.

The calm retreat in which many of the films’ most memorable scenes took place – Dumbledore’s Office is adorned with rows and rows of books and many portraits of former Hogwarts headmasters.

Though it brought up all the feels from that awful moment when Snape kills Dumbledore and you feel like your soul has been split in two.

The Potions Room

Press it, don’t squeeze it Hermoine. The potions room is lined with all manner of tinctures and strange ingredients – ready to be made into love potions or poisons… let’s hope it’s the first of the two!

The Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest is a real eye opener – dark, ominous and more realistic than I’d like to admit, it’s crazy walking through the forest as giant spiders descend from the ceiling, accompanied by thunder and flashes of lightning.

Malfoy Manor

The ominous tone of Malfoy Manor is set by a dummy of Charity Burbage hanging over the long table at which the death eaters sit. Who can forget the poor teacher’s death – brutally attacked by Nagini while the whole table watched.

The Ministry of Magic

Glimpses of the Ministry of Magic peep out from the giant sets – one of the largest ever created for a film. The larger-than-life Magic is Might statue stands to remind Muggles of their rightful place. Creepy.

Read Next: The House of Minalima – Step into a World of Harry Potter in Soho

Platform 9 ¾

It’s real! All aboard the Hogwarts Express! Many of the scenes on Platform 9 ¾ were actually shot in King’s Cross (one of the filming locations in London) but part of the station was reconstructed in the studio – complete with a Hogwarts Express that you can jump aboard and trolleys buried in the walls for that iconic shot of you running through to the secret platform.

Diagon Alley  

Hop into Ollivanders and get your wand at the ridiculously lifelike set for Diagon Alley . The set changed significantly throughout the progress of the films – the final version is a cross between a Victorian shopping street and a weird, wacky emporium.

Hogwarts Castle

The last stop on the Harry Potter studio tour is IMHO the best – the scale model of Hogwarts Castle. Each of the films directors changed bits on the castle to suit the mood of their film – the result? An incredible sprawling model, complete with intricately-designed details. When can we move in?

What’s The Best Way to Get to the Harry Potter Studios from London?

Where is harry potter studios.

The Harry Potter Studios are actually situated just outside of London in Leavesden, Watford. There’s not too much to do in this area besides visiting the studio tour but there’s plenty to do inside, so you can still make a day of it.

Have no fear though – no matter which part of London you’re in, the Harry Potter Studios are pretty easy to get to. I’ve outlined the easiest ways for you below…

Getting to the Harry Potter studios isn’t difficult if you have a car. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Central London and parking is free.

Like many places outside of the city, Sat Nav does tend to lose its way a little when you put in the postcode, so you’re better off entering in Warner Bros Studios Leavesden to make sure that it takes you to the right place. We don’t want any Diagonelly / Diagon Alley mix ups here.

Make sure that you have your booking confirmation to hand as you go into the car park as they need to check it before you go in.

By Bus from London

Did I mention that the studios are kind of in the middle of nowhere? Upshot is that your options for getting to them are far more limited than for places in central London.

If you’re not driving, the easiest thing to do is to buy a Bus and Entrance Package. The package covers your bus from a central London location and your ticket for the tour. Mischief managed!

There are a few different operators offering buses from different London locations – t his one does them from Victoria coach station , or browse here for other options . Most bus and tour packages cost around £85 for adults.

On a Guided Tour

This is different (and a lot more expensive) to the Bus and Ticket Combos. I’m talking fully guided tours for those who want that next-level Harry Potter knowledge and aren’t afraid to make it rain pounds and pennies in order to get it.

This guided tour includes transport from London, a fully-guided tour around the studios plus re-entry to the studios so that you can go back and explore them at your own leisure before heading with your guide back to London again.

Book your spot for £89 pounds – and no, you can’t rob Gringotts to fund the cost of the tickets.

By Train (and Bus)

In my opinion, getting to the studios by train is the most awkward option, though it isn’t too bad. You need to hop on a train from London Euston to Watford Junction (this takes about 20 minutes) and then catch a bus (£2.50 extra – cash only) from Watford Junction to the Studios (this takes about 15 minutes).

In theory, you could do the trip in 35 minutes but everyone I’ve spoken to says it takes a bit longer and there’s the hassle of having to change at Watford Junction.

I’d rather hop on one bus to do the full journey but that’s just me. You don’t need to book ahead but check train times to make sure you’re not waiting around in Euston for the next one.

Hotels Near Harry Potter Studios London

Premier inn watford north (budget).

I tend to prefer Premier Inns over Travelodges but it’s the same deal – a comfortable budget option that’s only a short distance from the studios. Check availability.

Hemel Hempstead Holiday Inn (Budget)

The Hemel Hempstead Holiday Inn is everything that you’d expect from a Holiday Inn (as in basic but clean and comfortable). The real draw is that it’s less than a ten-minute drive (seven minutes to be exact) away from the Studios – particularly perfect if you’ve got an early morning start. Check availability.

The Grove (High End)

The Grove is hella pricey but what else do you expect when you opt to stay in a gorgeous country manor house? Stylish interiors, ridiculously snuggly beds and a fabulous in-house restaurant. Totally your pick if you really want to push the boat out. Check prices and availability.

Other Hotels in Watford

I should point out that there are quite a few hotels in and around Watford Junction, where it totally makes sense to stay if you are getting the train to the station but don’t want to hurry there and back the same day.

Compare prices and availability for hotels in Watford.

Harry Potter Studio Tour London Map

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Looking for More Harry Potter Guides?

Check these out…

Harry Potter Filming Spots in London

Guide to Leadenhall Market

Soho’s Magical House of Minalima

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Best film and TV studio tours to take in 2023: from Call the Midwife to James Bond

Can’t get enough of your favourite TV show? Not to worry. We’ve compiled a list of the best behind-the-scenes tours for any obsessed movie fan

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Whether you’re a casual viewer or a full-blown Netflix binger, it’s natural to want to get more out of your favourite film or TV show. Most series leave us wanting more, and the best movies get us interested in how they were made. So, how do we cope with this feeling of longing once the credits roll?

Well, one way is to completely step into the world of your screen heroes and take a studio tour of where the show was filmed. From the renowned Warner Bros studio in north London to a local bus tour of a programme’s filming locations, there are plenty of ways to find out more about the actors in and the production of your favourite world.

Luckily, RadioTimes.com is here to show you all the best film and TV studio tours taking place across the UK, because what better place to come to than a site dedicated to TV? We’ve got you covered for everything from big-budget blockbusters to classic soap operas, with costs ranging from under £10 to over £150.

So, for a list of TV and film studio tours you might want to try in 2023, look no further.

For more top tours, take a look at the best London bus tours and great upcoming Easter trails in our best Easter activities list.

More like this

Best film and tv studio tours to take in 2023, cheapest ways to travel across the uk, top places to stay in the uk, best studio tours to take in 2023 at a glance:.

• Iconic Notting Hill: Walking Exploration Game, £8.49
• Film & TV Location Tour at the Old Royal Naval College, £13.50
• Paddington Bear Walking Tour for Four, £59
• Doctor Who Walking Tour of London for Two, £30
• Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of London for Two, £30
• Call the Midwife Tour at The Historic Dockyard Chatham for Two, £64
• Coronation Street: The Tour for Two, £70
• Emmerdale: The Village Tour for Two, £70
• Only Fools and Horses Bus Tour for Two, £70
• Liverpool Peaky Blinders Bus Tour for Two, £75
• James Bond Themed Bus Tour of London for Two, £75
• All Creatures Great and Small Locations Tour for Two, £154

Coronation Street: The Tour for Two

Step into the world of the UK’s longest-running soap opera with this walking tour of Coronation Street. Matched up with an expert guide, visitors will get an inside look at the best the Street has to offer. Highlights include a stroll past Roy’s Rolls Café, Webster’s Auto Centre and even the Rover’s Return.

Buy Coronation Street: The Tour for Two for £70 at Virgin Experience Days

For exciting things to do in London, take a look at the top London walking tours and best immersive experiences .

Emmerdale: The Village Tour for Two

After more than 50 years on screen, Emmerdale fans will be pleased to know that the village is open for visitors. During a 90-minute walking tour in Leeds, soap lovers will see where all the drama happens at this historic set. From a visit to The Woolpack to a look at David’s shop, this tour has everything.

Buy Emmerdale: The Village Tour for Two for £70 at Virgin Experience Days

Are you a thrill seeker? Then be sure to take a look at the best UK driving experiences and the best UK zombie experiences .

Call the Midwife Tour at The Historic Dockyard Chatham for Two

Doubling as the dingy streets of Poplar is the historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent. With your very own midwife as a guide, visitors can explore the streets where the nuns of Nonnatus House go to work and learn a load of behind-the-scenes titbits from the beloved BBC drama.

Buy Call the Midwife Tour at The Historic Dockyard Chatham for Two for £64 at Virgin Experience Days

Paddington Bear Walking Tour for Four

According to VisitBritain.org and the British Film Institute , 29 per cent of Brits have said a film or TV location was the main reason for selecting a holiday destination - and with plenty of iconic locations on home soil too, there are lots of options to choose from.

If, like us, you're a fan of the Paddington Bear films, head on down to London this month to visit neighbourhoods and sites which feature in the film, plus make a visit to the Paddington statue and Paddington shop.

Buy Paddington Bear Walking Tour for Four for £59 at Activity Superstore

We love Paddington Bear on the RadioTimes.com team, and have included the Paddington Bear afternoon tea bus tour on our best Mother's Day experiences list.

Only Fools and Horses Bus Tour for Two

If you’re craving a behind-the-scenes look at one of Britain’s most-loved comedies, then head over to Bristol for the Only Fools and Horses tour. The coach will take you to filming spots from over 10 episodes of the sitcom, including a look a Nelson Mandela House, Sid’s Café and the road where Batman and Robin scared off those muggers.

Buy Only Fools and Horses Bus Tour for Two for £70 at Virgin Experience Days

Liverpool Peaky Blinders Bus Tour for Two

Sadly, Peaky Blinders is not filmed in Birmingham (we understand if you feel lied to), but that doesn’t mean that fans won’t love a day out in Liverpool visiting the show’s grittiest locations. Hop on a bus tour to see the homes of Polly and Field Marshal Russell, as well as Garrison Lane and much more. Plus, visitors will hear all about the real history of the Peaky Blinders gang from an expert guide.

Buy Liverpool Peaky Blinders Bus Tour for Two for £75 at Virgin Experience Days

If you like the look of Virgin Experience Days, be sure to check out how to buy a Virgin Experience Days gift card .

All Creatures Great and Small Locations Tour for Two

Fancy a more rural day out? Then step into the country life of James Herriot with a tour of the locations from All Creatures Great and Small. On this trip, you’ll meander through the Yorkshire Dales and visit the pubs, fields and churches that inspired the show. Highlights include a lunch at The Drovers Arms and even a visit to James’s veterinary practice.

Buy All Creatures Great and Small Locations Tour for Two for £154 at Virgin Experience Days

Doctor Who Walking Tour of London for Two

The average Doctor Who fanatic will know that most of Britain’s favourite sci-fi show is filmed in Wales, specifically Cardiff - but over the past few years, the TARDIS crew has often disappeared and re-materialised for a spot of shooting in London. Who could forget the iconic shot from the classic series of Daleks trundling along Westminster Bridge, or the time the Doctor met Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre? Well now you can visit these spots too with an expert tour guide to show exactly how and where they were filmed.

Buy Doctor Who Walking Tour of London for Two for £30 at Virgin Experience Days

For more exciting things to do in the Big Smoke, be sure to take a look at the best London theatre shows , top London comedy shows and Just For Laughs London tickets .

Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of London for Two

Get clued up on this walking tour with an inside look at the great detective. This two-hour tour around London will cover the famous sites of some of Sherlock’s best brainwaves. From Jeremy Brett’s classic series to locations used by Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch, this day out promises to be an exciting puzzle - plus dress-up is encouraged.

Buy Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of London for Two for £30 at Virgin Experience Days

If you're a fan of period dramas check out our guide to the best Downton Abbey tours across the UK.

James Bond Themed Bus Tour of London for Two

Fiction meets reality on this London tour as James Bond fans will be able to take a look into the world of actual British spies. Kicking off with a visit to the real MI6 building, this coach tour treats its guests to a look at locations from Goldeneye, The World is Not Enough, and Spectre.

Buy James Bond Themed Bus Tour of London for Two for £75 at Virgin Experience Days

Want to watch your favourite films on the big screen? Here's how to get cheap cinema tickets and the best luxury cinema experiences in London .

Iconic Notting Hill: Walking Exploration Game

If you fancy more than listening and picture-taking, try out this walking exploration game set in London’s iconic Notting Hill. The home of scenes from Paddington, Love Actually and, of course, Notting Hill, visitors can learn all about the neighbourhood’s star-studded history, all the while solving tricky riddles and cracking codes.

Buy Iconic Notting Hill: Walking Exploration Game for £8.49 at Fever

Film & TV Location Tour at the Old Royal Naval College

Movie buffs will have spotted this building in the likes of Les Misérables, Cruella, The Crown, Bridgerton and much more. In just one hour, you can explore one of the most popular filming locations in the world and walk the same paths as dozens of actors and production crews. Tickets include a look inside and outside the College, where you can enjoy the gorgeous views Greenwich has to offer.

Buy Film & TV Location Tour at the Old Royal Naval College for £13.50 at Fever

In our best list of film and TV studio tours, we've included tours from various places in the UK, such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Kent, because after all, great telly isn't limited to one city, it's UK-wide! If the tour isn't on your doorstep, however, you'll need to travel there. Driving isn't usually the best option — traffic jams are enough to ruin anyone's day, and petrol isn't exactly cheap — so we'd recommend taking public transport. Here are the best and cheapest ways to travel across the UK.

By coach. National Express and Megabus are two of the top coach companies in the UK, with their services operating between a multitude of UK cities. Travelling by coach is almost always cheaper than catching a train, however, it'll take you longer.

For example, if you travelled from Nottingham to Manchester (let's say you were visiting the Coronation Street tour) via National Express, a one-way journey would cost £14.40 and take five hours five minutes. However, using the exact same time and date but with a train, it would cost £29.60 and take two hours two minutes.

• Shop coach journeys at National Express
• Shop coach journeys at Megabus

By train. If time is of the essence, and it usually is with day trips, we recommend travelling by train. Although it's more expensive than taking a coach, there are ways to keep the cost down, for example, with a Railcard. A Railcard will save you 1/3 of the train fare and, on average, a Railcard user saves £140 per year. For more top tips on how to get cheap train tickets , take a look at our guide.

Buy a Railcard at Trainline

If you're travelling to a film or TV studio tour outside of your hometown, you might want to book an overnight stay. After all, it can be tiring to make the journey there and back in one day, plus, it gives you the opportunity to explore more of the city.

For the top places to stay in the UK on a budget, we recommend taking a look at deal of the day site, Wowcher. The site boasts deals on four star hotels UK-wide, many of them coming with offers on breakfast, evening meals, and even bubbly.

Shop hotel deals at Wowcher

Check out our Going Out section for more activities to get up to around the UK, such as the best UK candlelight concerts , best UK Harry Potter experiences and tours , and best Edinburgh ghost tours .

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Travel Off Path

7 Hidden Gems To Avoid The Crowds In London: From A Local!

Posted: June 1, 2024 | Last updated: June 1, 2024

Little Venice

Added Bonus: Abbey Road Studios

Finchley Lido

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Tor Brierley

Tor has been writing for more than 20 years and has visited 25 countries (and counting!) She specializes in European and family travel and never says no to new adventures.

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The Bartlett School of Architecture

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Bartlett Tutor Nasios Varnavas & Alumna Era Savvides Win London Festival of Architecture Competition

31 May 2024

Nasios and Era’s architecture and design studio, Urban Radicals, was selected to design a trail of architectural interventions across the City of London for this year's festival, opening in June.

The competition, titled “Navigating Change: Reimagining the Square Mile”, was part of a wider brief by the London Festival of Architecture to reimagine public spaces across London in temporary and playful ways that engage the public and lead into thoughtful, longer-term change. Architects, designers and artists were invited to submit proposals for public realm interventions to be displayed during this year’s festival, taking place in June. 

Urban Radicals, design/fabrication company Millimetre and engineering company AKTII, who collaborated on the winning entry, took inspiration from the Square Mile’s 2,000-year history and its Roman roots to reinvent the concept of “Square” into a multi-faceted backdrop for public discussions, knowledge exchange, community and inclusion. 

Their intervention is called "Street Assemblies for the Square Mile". The proposal brings civic functions out of enclosed buildings into the public realm, increasing their visibility and encouraging public participation and dialogue. Together, the three companies have created four public works which will be distributed across four City of London business improvement districts (BIDs) and cultural quarters during the festival:

1. Speaker's Plinth for Aldgate BID - a series of plinths which reference the adjacent Roman Wall remains and encourage people to speak up and perform. 2. The Voicing Pod and Seed Museum for Eastern Cluster BID - a small pod for two-person podcasts on architecture, the city, social equity and material sustainability, as well as a display of seeds in pin-up format, narrating stories of migration and cultural exchange in London. 3. Roundtable for Culture Mile BID - a table for discussion, deliberation, eating and gathering together, which ties narratives of the nearby Smithfield Market and the Barbican. 4. Assembly for Fleet Street Quarter BID - a public auditorium which references a parliament and brings it to the street and to the people, for public deliberation, debate, summer screenings, performance, theatre and larger gatherings.

Founding partners Era Savvides and Nasios Varnavas launched London-based architecture and design practice Urban Radicals in 2019. The practice also includes Bartlett Architecture MArch graduate Amy Kempa. Era and Nasios are both Bartlett alumni, and Nasios is also a design tutor for Architecture MArch unit PG17 with Yeoryia Manolopoulou and Tamsin Hanke. Urban Radicals curated and designed the Cyprus Pavilion National Participation at the 17th Architecture Biennale in Venice 2021. They were named as one of the Best New Architecture Practices for 2021 by Archdaily, and were selected to be one of six Young Architects in Residence at the Architecture Foundation London for 2021-22. Last year their project "A Brick for Venice" was long-listed at the Dezeen Sustainability Awards, and displayed at the Design Museum London as part of their How to Build a Low Carbon Home exhibition.

Street Assemblies for the Square Mile will be launched in the first week of June.

More information

• Read more at The London Festival of Architecture website
• Visit Urban Radicals' website  
• Visit Millimetre's website
• Visit AKTII's website
• Find out more about Architecture MArch

Image: Poster for Street Assemblies for the Square Mile, Urban Radicals

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• Pedestrian safety on the road to net zero: cross-sectional study of collisions with electric and hybrid-electric cars in Great Britain
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4431-8822 Phil J Edwards ,
• Siobhan Moore ,
• Craig Higgins
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine , London , UK
• Correspondence to Dr Phil J Edwards, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK; phil.edwards{at}LSHTM.ac.uk

Background Plans to phase out fossil fuel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and to replace these with electric and hybrid-electric (E-HE) vehicles represent a historic step to reduce air pollution and address the climate emergency. However, there are concerns that E-HE cars are more hazardous to pedestrians, due to being quieter. We investigated and compared injury risks to pedestrians from E-HE and ICE cars in urban and rural environments.

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of pedestrians injured by cars or taxis in Great Britain. We estimated casualty rates per 100 million miles of travel by E-HE and ICE vehicles. Numerators (pedestrians) were extracted from STATS19 datasets. Denominators (car travel) were estimated by multiplying average annual mileage (using National Travel Survey datasets) by numbers of vehicles. We used Poisson regression to investigate modifying effects of environments where collisions occurred.

Results During 2013–2017, casualty rates per 100 million miles were 5.16 (95% CI 4.92 to 5.42) for E-HE vehicles and 2.40 (95%CI 2.38 to 2.41) for ICE vehicles, indicating that collisions were twice as likely (RR 2.15; 95% CI 2.05 to 2.26) with E-HE vehicles. Poisson regression found no evidence that E-HE vehicles were more dangerous in rural environments (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.74 to 1.11); but strong evidence that E-HE vehicles were three times more dangerous than ICE vehicles in urban environments (RR 2.97; 95% CI 2.41 to 3.7). Sensitivity analyses of missing data support main findings.

Conclusion E-HE cars pose greater risk to pedestrians than ICE cars in urban environments. This risk must be mitigated as governments phase out petrol and diesel cars.

• WOUNDS AND INJURIES
• CLIMATE CHANGE

Data availability statement

Data are available in a public, open-access repository. Numerator data (numbers of pedestrians injured in collisions) are publicly available from the Road Safety Data (STATS19) datasets ( https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/cb7ae6f0-4be6-4935-9277-47e5ce24a11f/road-safety-data ). Denominator data (100 million miles of car travel per year) may be estimated by multiplying average annual mileage by numbers of vehicle registrations (publicly available from Department for Transport, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/veh02-licensed-cars ). Average annual mileage for E-HE and ICE vehicles may be estimated separately for urban and rural environments using data that may obtained under special licence from the National Travel Survey datasets ( http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-Series-2000037 ).

https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-221902

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WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

Electric cars are quieter than cars with petrol or diesel engines and may pose a greater risk to pedestrians.

The US National Highway Transportation Safety Agency found that during 2000–2007 the odds of an electric or hybrid-electric car causing a pedestrian injury were 35% greater than a car with a petrol or diesel engine.

The UK Transport Research Laboratory found the pedestrian casualty rate per 10 000 registered electric or hybrid-electric vehicles during 2005–2007 in Great Britain was lower than the rate for petrol or diesel vehicles.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

In Great Britain during 2013–2017, pedestrians were twice as likely to be hit by an electric or hybrid-electric car than by a petrol or diesel car; the risks were higher in urban areas.

HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY

The greater risk to pedestrian safety posed by electric or hybrid-electric cars needs to be mitigated as governments proceed to phase out petrol and diesel cars.

Drivers of electric or hybrid-electric cars must be cautious of pedestrians who may not hear them approaching and may step into the road thinking it is safe to do so, particularly in towns and cities.

Introduction

Many governments have set targets to reach net-zero emissions to help mitigate the harms of climate change. Short-term health benefits of reduced emissions are expected from better air quality with longer-term benefits from reduced global temperatures. 1

Transition to electric and hybrid-electric (E-HE) cars

One such target is to phase out sales of new fossil fuel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and replace these with E-HE vehicles. 2 3

Pedestrian safety

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults. 4 A quarter of all road traffic deaths are of pedestrians. 5 Concerns have been raised that E-HE cars may be more hazardous to pedestrians than ICE cars, due to being quieter. 6 7 It has been hypothesised that E-HE cars pose a greater risk of injury to pedestrians in urban areas where background ambient noise levels are higher. 8 However, there has been relatively little empirical research on possible impacts of E-HE cars on pedestrian road safety. A study commissioned for the US National Highway Transportation Safety Agency based on data from 16 States found that the odds of an E-HE vehicle causing a pedestrian injury were 35% greater than an ICE vehicle. 9 In contrast, a study commissioned by the UK Department for Transport found pedestrian casualty rates from collisions with E-HE vehicles during 2005–2007 were lower than for ICE vehicles. 10 Possible reasons for these conflicting results are that the two studies used different designs and estimated different measures of relative risk—the first used a case–control design and estimated an OR, whereas the second used a cross-sectional study and estimated a rate ratio. ORs will often differ from rate ratios. 11 Other reasons include differences between the USA and the UK in the amount and quality of walking infrastructure. 12

Aim and objectives

We aimed to add to the evidence base on whether E-HE cars pose a greater injury risk to pedestrians than ICE cars by analysing road traffic injury data and travel survey data in Great Britain.

We sought to improve on the previous UK study by using distance travelled instead of number of registered vehicles as the measure of exposure in estimation of collision rates.

The objectives of this study were:

To estimate pedestrian casualty rates for E-HE and ICE vehicles and to compare these by calculating a rate ratio;

To assess whether or not the evidence supports the hypothesis that casualty rate ratios vary according to urban or rural environments. 8

Study design

This study was an analysis of differences in casualty rates of pedestrians per 100 million miles of E-HE car travel and rates per 100 million miles of ICE car travel.

This study was set in Great Britain between 2013 and 2017.

Participants

The study participants were all pedestrians reported to have been injured in a collision with a car or a taxi.

The exposure was the type of propulsion of the colliding vehicle, E-HE or ICE. E-HE vehicles were treated as a single powertrain type, regardless of the mode of operation that a hybrid vehicle was in at the time of collision (hybrid vehicles typically start in electric mode and change from battery to combustion engine at higher speeds). 13

The outcome of interest was a pedestrian casualty.

Effect modification by road environment

We used the urban–rural classification 14 of the roads on which the collisions occurred to investigate whether casualty rate ratios comparing E-HE with ICE vehicles differed between rural and urban environments.

Data sources/measurement

Numerator data (numbers of pedestrians injured in collisions) were extracted from the Road Safety Data (STATS19) datasets. 15

Denominator data (100 million miles of car travel per year) were estimated by multiplying average annual mileage by numbers of vehicle registrations. 16 Average annual mileage for E-HE and ICE vehicles was estimated separately for urban and rural environments using data obtained under special licence from the National Travel Survey (NTS) datasets. 17 We estimated average annual mileage for the years 2013–2017 because the NTS variable for the vehicle fuel type did not include ‘hybrid’ prior to 2013 and data from 2018 had not been uploaded to the UK data service due to problems with the archiving process (Andrew Kelly, Database Manager, NTS, Department for Transport, 23 March 2020, personal communication). Denominators were thus available for the years 2013–2017.

Data preparation

The datasets for collisions, casualties and vehicles from the STATS19 database were merged using a unique identification number for each collision.

Statistical methods

We calculated annual casualty rates for E-HE and ICE vehicles separately and we compared these by calculating a rate ratio. We used Poisson regression models to estimate rate ratios with 95% CIs and to investigate any modifying effects of the road environment in which the collisions occurred. For this analysis, our regression model included explanatory terms for the main effects of the road environment, plus terms for the interaction between type of propulsion and the road environment. The assumptions for Poisson regression were met in our study: we modelled count data (counts of pedestrians injured), traffic collisions were independent of each other, occurring in different places over time, and never occurring simultaneously. Data preparation, management and analyses were carried out using Microsoft Access 2019 and Stata V.16. 18

Sensitivity analysis

We conducted an extreme case analysis where all missing propulsion codes were assumed to be ICE vehicles (there were over a 100 times more ICE vehicles than E-HE vehicles on the roads in Great Britain during our study period, 16 so missing propulsion is more likely to have been ICE).

The sample size for this study included all available recorded road traffic collisions in Great Britain during the study period. We estimated that for our study to have 80% power at the 5% significance level to show a difference in casualty rates of 2 per 100 miles versus 5.5 per 100 miles, we would require 481 million miles of vehicle travel in each group (E-HE and ICE); whereas to have 90% power at the 1% significance level to show this difference, 911 million miles of vehicle travel would be required in each group. Our study includes 32 000 million miles of E-HE vehicle travel and 3 000 000 million miles of ICE vehicle travel and therefore our study was sufficiently powered to detect differences in casualty rates of these magnitudes.

Between 2013 and 2017, there were 916 713 casualties from reported road traffic collisions in Great Britain. 120 197 casualties were pedestrians. Of these pedestrians, 96 285 had been hit by a car or taxi. Most pedestrians—71 666 (74%) were hit by an ICE car or taxi. 1652 (2%) casualties were hit by an E-HE car or taxi. For 22 829 (24%) casualties, the vehicle propulsion code was missing. Most collisions occurred in urban environments and a greater proportion of the collisions with E-HE vehicles occurred in an urban environment (94%) than did collisions with ICE vehicles (88%) ( figure 1 ).

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Flow chart of pedestrian casualties in collisions with E-HE or ICE cars or taxis from reported road traffic collisions in Great Britain 2013–2017. E-HE, electric and hybrid-electric; ICE, internal combustion engine.

Main results

During the period 2013 to 2017, the average annual casualty rates of pedestrians per 100 million miles were 5.16 (95% CI 4.92 to 5.42) for E-HE vehicles and 2.40 (95% CI 2.38 to 2.41) for ICE vehicles, which indicates that collisions with pedestrians were on average twice as likely (RR 2.15 (95% CI 2.05 to 2.26), p<0.001) with E-HE vehicles as with ICE vehicles ( table 1 ).

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Pedestrian casualties due to collisions with cars or taxis from reported road traffic collisions in Great Britain 2013–2017—by vehicle propulsion type

In our extreme case analysis, the 22 829 pedestrian casualties where vehicle propulsion was missing were all assumed to have been struck by ICE vehicles. In this case, average casualty rates of pedestrians per 100 million miles were 3.16 (95% CI 3.14 to 3.18) for ICE vehicles, which would indicate that collisions with pedestrians were on average 63% more likely (RR 1.63 (95% CI 1.56 to 1.71), p<0.001) with E-HE vehicles than with ICE vehicles ( table 2 ).

Extreme case sensitivity analysis—pedestrian casualties due to collisions with cars or taxis from reported road traffic collisions in Great Britain 2013–2017 by vehicle propulsion type where 22 829 missing vehicle propulsion codes are assumed to be ICE vehicles

Relative risks according to road environment

Casualty rates were higher in urban than rural environments ( tables 3 and 4 ).

Pedestrian casualties due to collisions with cars or taxis from reported road traffic collisions in Great Britain 2013–2017—by vehicle propulsion type in urban road environments

Pedestrian casualties due to collisions with cars or taxis from reported road traffic collisions in Great Britain 2013–2017—by vehicle propulsion type in rural road environments

Urban environments

Collisions with pedestrians in urban environments were on average over two and a half times as likely (RR 2.69 (95% CI 2.56 to 2.83, p<0.001) with E-HE vehicles as with ICE vehicles ( table 3 ).

The extreme case sensitivity analysis showed collisions with pedestrians in urban environments were more likely with E-HE vehicles (RR 2.05; 95% CI 1.95 to 2.15).

Rural environments

Collisions with pedestrians in rural environments were equally likely (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.74 to 1.11) with E-HE vehicles as with ICE vehicles ( table 4 ).

The extreme case sensitivity analysis found evidence that collisions with pedestrians in rural environments were less likely with E-HE vehicles (RR 0.68; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.83).

Results of Poisson regression analysis

Our Poisson regression model results ( table 5 ) showed that pedestrian injury rates were on average 9.28 (95% CI 9.07 to 9.49) times greater in urban than in rural environments. There was no evidence that E-HE vehicles were more dangerous than ICE vehicles in rural environments (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.74 to 1.11), consistent with our finding in table 4 . There was strong evidence that E-HE vehicles were on average three times more dangerous than ICE vehicles in urban environments (RR 2.97; 95% CI 2.41 to 3.67).

Results of Poisson regression analysis of annual casualty rates of pedestrians per 100 million miles by road environment and the interaction between vehicle propulsion type and environment

Statement of principal findings

This study found that in Great Britain between 2013 and 2017, casualty rates of pedestrians due to collisions with E-HE cars and taxis were higher than those due to collisions with ICE cars and taxis. Our best estimate is that such collisions are on average twice as likely, and in urban areas E-HE vehicles are on average three times more dangerous than ICE vehicles, consistent with the theory that E-HE vehicles are less audible to pedestrians in urban areas where background ambient noise levels are higher.

Strengths and weaknesses of the study

There are several limitations to this study which are discussed below.

The data used were not very recent. However, ours is the most current analysis of E-HE vehicle collisions using the STATS19 dataset.

Before we can infer that E-HE vehicles pose a greater risk to pedestrians than ICE vehicles, we must consider whether our study is free from confounding and selection bias. Confounding occurs when the exposure and outcome share a common cause. 19 Confounders in this study would be factors that may both cause a traffic collision and also cause the exposure (use of an E-HE car). Younger, less experienced drivers (ie, ages 16–24) are more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision 20 and are also more likely to own an electric car. 21 Some of the observed increased risk of electric cars may therefore be due to younger drivers preferring electric cars. This would cause positive confounding, meaning that the true relative risk of electric cars is less than we have estimated in our study. Regarding selection bias, it is known that the STATS19 dataset does not include every road traffic casualty in Great Britain, as some non-fatal casualties are not reported to the police. 22 If casualties from collisions are reported to the police differentially according to the type of vehicle propulsion, this may have biased our results; however, there is no reason to suspect that a pedestrian struck by a petrol or diesel car is any more or less likely to report the collision to the police than one struck by an electric car.

We must also address two additional concerns as ours is a cross-sectional study: The accuracy of exposure assignment (including the potential for recall bias) and the adequacy of prevalence as a proxy for incidence. 23 First, the accuracy of exposure assignment and the potential for recall bias are not issues for this study, as the exposure (type of propulsion of the colliding vehicle, E-HE or ICE), is assigned independently of the casualties by the UK Department for Transport who link the vehicle registration number (VRN) of each colliding vehicle to vehicle data held by the UK Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA). 10 Second, we have not used prevalence as a proxy for incidence but have estimated incidence using total distance travelled by cars as the measure of exposure.

We may therefore reasonably infer from our study results that E-HE vehicles pose a greater risk to pedestrians than ICE vehicles in urban environments, and that part of the risk may be due to younger people’s preference for E-HE cars.

A major limitation of the STATS19 road safety dataset used in this study was that it did not contain a vehicle propulsion code for all vehicles in collisions with pedestrians. We excluded these vehicles from our primary analysis (a complete case analysis) and we also conducted an extreme case sensitivity analysis. We will now argue why imputation of missing vehicle propulsion codes would not have added value to this study. Vehicle propulsion data are obtained for the STATS19 dataset by the UK Department for Transport who link the VRN of each colliding vehicle recorded in STATS19 to vehicles data held by the UK DVLA. The STATS19 data on reported collisions and casualties are collected by a Police Officer when an injury road accident is reported to them; Most police officers write details of the casualties and the vehicles involved in their notebooks for transcription onto the STATS19 form later at the Police station. 24 The VRN is one of 18 items recorded on each vehicle involved in a collision. Items may occasionally be missed due to human error during this process. Where a VRN is missing, vehicle propulsion will be missing in the STATS19 dataset. The chance that any vehicle-related item is missing will be independent of any characteristics of the casualties involved and so the vehicle propulsion codes are missing completely at random (MCAR). As the missing propulsion data are very likely MCAR, the set of pedestrians with no missing data is a random sample from the source population and hence our complete case analysis for handling the missing data gives unbiased results. The extreme case sensitivity analysis we performed shows a possible result that could occur, and it demonstrates our conclusions in urban environments are robust to the missing data. Lastly, to impute the missing data would require additional variables which are related to the likelihood of a VRN being missing. Such variables were not available and therefore we do not believe a useful multiple imputation analysis could have been performed.

Strengths and weaknesses in relation to other studies

Our study uses hundreds of millions of miles of car travel as the denominators in our estimates of annual pedestrian casualty rates which is a more accurate measure of exposure to road hazards than the number of registered vehicles, which was used as the denominator in a previous study in the UK. 10 Our results differ to this previous study which found that pedestrian casualty rates from collisions with E-HE vehicles during 2005–2007 were lower than those from ICE vehicles. Our study has updated this previous analysis and shows that casualty rates due to E-HE vehicle collisions exceed those due to ICE vehicle collisions. Similarly, our study uses a more robust measure of risk (casualty rates per miles of car travel) than that used in a US study. 9 Our study results are consistent with this US study that found that the odds of an E-HE vehicle causing a pedestrian injury were 35% greater than an ICE vehicle. Brand et al 8 hypothesised, without any supporting data, that “hybrid and electric low-noise cars cause an increase in traffic collisions involving vulnerable road users in urban areas” and recommended that “further investigations have to be done with the increase of low-noise cars to prove our hypothesis right.” 8 We believe that our study is the first to provide empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis.

Meaning of the study: possible explanations and implications for clinicians and policymakers

More pedestrians are injured in Great Britain by petrol and diesel cars than by electric cars, but compared with petrol and diesel cars, electric cars pose a greater risk to pedestrians and the risk is greater in urban environments. One plausible explanation for our results is that background ambient noise levels differ between urban and rural areas, causing electric vehicles to be less audible to pedestrians in urban areas. Such differences may impact on safety because pedestrians usually hear traffic approaching and take care to avoid any collision, which is more difficult if they do not hear electric vehicles. This is consistent with audio-testing evidence in a small study of vision-impaired participants. 10 From a Public Health perspective, our results should not discourage active forms of transport beneficial to health, such as walking and cycling, rather they can be used to ensure that any potential increased traffic injury risks are understood and safeguarded against. A better transport policy response to the climate emergency might be the provision of safe, affordable, accessible and integrated public transport systems for all. 25

Unanswered questions and future research

It will be of interest to investigate the extent to which younger drivers are involved in collisions of E-HE cars with pedestrians.

If the braking distance of electric cars is longer, 26 and electric cars are heavier than their petrol and diesel counterparts, 27 these factors may increase the risks and the severity of injuries sustained by pedestrians and require investigation.

As car manufacturers continue to develop and equip new electric cars with Collision Avoidance Systems and Autonomous Emergency Braking to ensure automatic braking in cases where pedestrians or cyclists move into the path of an oncoming car, future research can repeat the analyses presented in this study to evaluate whether the risks of E-HE cars to pedestrians in urban areas have been sufficiently mitigated.

Conclusions

E-HE vehicles pose a greater risk to pedestrians than petrol and diesel powered vehicles in urban environments. This risk needs to be mitigated as governments proceed to phase out petrol and diesel cars.

Ethics statements

Patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

Ethics approval

This study involves human participants and was approved by the LSHTM MSc Research Ethics Committee (reference #16400). The study uses the anonymised records of people injured in road traffic collisions, data which are routinely collected by UK police forces. The participants are unknown to the investigators and could not be contacted.

Acknowledgments

We thank Rebecca Steinbach for her advice on analysis of National Travel Survey data, Jonathan Bartlett for his advice on missing data, and Ben Armstrong for his advice on Poisson regression. We are grateful to the reviewers and to Dr C Mary Schooling, Associate Editor, whose comments helped us improve the manuscript. We are grateful to Jim Edwards and Graham Try for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.

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• ↵ WHO factsheet on road traffic injuries . Available : https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries#:~:text=Approximately%201.19%20million%20people%20die,adults%20aged%205%E2%80%9329%20years [Accessed 14 Apr 2024 ].
• ↵ Reported road casualties great Britain, annual report . 2022 . Available : https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2022 [Accessed 14 Apr 2024 ].
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Contributors CH and PJE developed the idea for this study and supervised SM in performing the literature search, downloading, managing and analysing the data. SM wrote the first draft of the manuscript, which was the dissertation for her MSc in Public Health. PJE prepared the first draft of the manuscript for the journal. All authors assisted in editing and refining the manuscript. The corresponding author attests that all listed authors meet authorship criteria and that no others meeting the criteria have been omitted. PJE (guarantor) accepts full responsibility for the work and the conduct of the study, had access to the data and controlled the decision to publish.

Funding This study was conducted in part fulfilment of the Masters degree in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The second author was self-funded for her studies for this degree.

Competing interests None declared.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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