Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels, written by J. K. Rowling, and made into a series of eight films from 2001 to 2011.
Understand
The Harry Potter stories are set in a fictionalised version of the United Kingdom in the late 20th century, where some locations are inaccessible or invisible to muggles (people without magical abilities). Most of the towns and villages featured in the series, including muggle settlements, were created by Rowling, but are generally either based on real places or are archetypical of a particular region.
It is possible to visit many of the places that inspired the books. The series was filmed in a variety of locations around the UK at the behest of J.K. Rowling.
Starting from 2016, a new prequel film series entitled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is being made, with Rowling making her screenwriting debut for the series. The first film in the series went on to win an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, achieving what had eluded all eight films in the original series (which received a total of 12 Oscar nominations, but never won).
Get in
United Kingdom
At J. K. Rowling's insistence, the original eight films were produced almost entirely in the United Kingdom.
By plane
- 🌍 Heathrow Airport (LHR IATA). The largest airport in the UK and serves many international destinations through its four terminals.
Many buses, trains, coaches and car rental facilities make it a convenient starting place for exploring Britain, particularly for visiting attractions in the London area such as Warner Bros. Studio Tour and King's Cross station. In addition, Oxford is only about 50 miles (80 km) west of Heathrow.
- 🌍 Edinburgh Airport (EDI IATA). Well-connected to the city centre via bus and tram to visit the inspirational places J. K. Rowling used when writing the original seven books.
Most Scottish locations are in northern Scotland with Glasgow being the nearest major airport with car rental facilities.
- 🌍 Glasgow Airport (GLA IATA).
By train
London St Pancras International has the Eurostar from Paris Gare Du Nord.
London Victoria is on the London Underground Victoria VIC line to King's Cross St. Pancras (for both train stations). About 100 yards from the station is the Victoria Coach Station which offers a coach to just about every city in Britain.
London King's Cross has connections from Heathrow Airport via the London Underground Piccadilly PIC line. There is also a direct 3-hour train to Durham.
Watford Junction is on the London Overground line to Willesden Junction and London Euston.
Oxford has connections from London Marylebone.
Ireland
- See the Cliffs of Moher listing below.
As of 2023, the only location in Ireland that was used for the Harry Potter films was the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast between Galway and Limerick.
- 🌍 Dublin Airport (DUB IATA). Main airport for the Republic of Ireland with domestic and international destinations.
Themed attractions
| “ | You're a wizard, Harry. | ” |
—Rubeus Hagrid | ||
All these themed locations are home to souvenir shops where you can purchase Harry Potter memorabilia. These are also the only four locations where you can drink a real-world version of butterbeer, a drink that is featured in the books and movies. Unlike the book version, real butterbeer is not alcoholic.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour
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- 🌍 Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Watford, near London, England, WD25 7LR. Leavesden is a former aircraft factory that was converted into a film studio. All of the Harry Potter films were made here, starting in 2000. Many of the original film sets and props were stored and can now be viewed as part of the exhibition. Prebooking tickets from the website is essential! From £53.50.
Prebooking tickets on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour website is vital as this is a very popular attraction.
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour can be easily reached from the 🌍 Watford Junction OGD 
and 🌍 London Victoria CIR DIS VIC train stations with regular shuttle coaches. During the ride, there is an introductory video from Tom Felton who portrayed Draco Malfoy in the films.
You see the different sets, costumes and props at your own pace. You can grab a passport and find each of the embossed stamps and also find all the hidden golden snitches.
On-site catering is overpriced, so it's a good idea to have lunch before visiting. Do try a sweet non-alcoholic butterbeer before visiting the external sets including the Dursleys' house at 4 Privet Drive and the Knight Bus.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios
Themed areas at Universal Studios parks:
Orlando is the purported "theme park capital of the world" and a popular tourist city in Florida. It can be reached via most US airlines to 🌍 Orlando International Airport (MCO IATA).
Film locations
Scotland
- For the Edinburgh sites, see Edinburgh inspiration.
All of these sites are in northern Scotland with the nearest major city being Glasgow. It is recommended to fly into Glasgow Airport and hire a car to reach these.
- 🌍 Glenfinnan Viaduct, West Highlands. A large railway viaduct on the West Highland Line, crossed by the Hogwarts Express train in several films. During the summer you can travel on The Jacobite, a similar style of steam train which runs from Fort William to Mallaig.
- 🌍 Glen Nevis, Near Fort William. Impressive scenery including Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, used as the backdrop for several Quidditch games.
- 🌍 Glencoe. A backdrop for several scenes, including Hagrid's Hut, the set was built on the hillside close to the Clachaig Inn.
- 🌍 Black Rock Gorge, Evanton, near Dingwall. A narrow, steep-sided gorge, appears in the Goblet of Fire.
England
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Hogsmeade train from King's Cross Each year on the 1st of September at 11 am, there is a fictitious announcement and listing on the departure board at London King's Cross for the Hogwarts Express train to Hogsmeade. It gets very busy though. |
London
Both train stations are in the north London borough of Camden and are well-connected by the London Underground and buses. On the London Underground, the station is jointly referred to as King's Cross St. Pancras CIR H&C MET NOR PIC VIC .
- 🌍 King's Cross Railway Station, Euston Rd, Camden, London, N1 9AL (London), ☏ +44 20 7431-4001, info@cp-plus.co.uk. The station where Harry and his friends boarded the train to Hogwarts. Of course, platform 9 ¾ doesn't actually exist and the filming was actually done between platforms 4 and 5, as the real platforms 9 and 10 are separated by tracks. The magical entrance to platform 9 ¾ has been recreated at the station entrance for fans to have their photos taken, but figure on spending at least 2 hours in the queue with throngs of other fans. A Harry Potter souvenir shop is also located in the station for fans to purchase memorabilia. Free.
- 🌍 St Pancras Railway Station, Euston Rd, Camden, London, N1 9AL. The exterior shots of King's Cross in the film were filmed using the adjacent St Pancras station, which is far more elaborate and impressive than the relatively plain King's Cross.
Take a Northern line train on the London Underground to London Waterloo BAK JUB NOR W&C to see the Millennium Bridge and then go further south towards Guildford and Woking in Surrey to see Surbiton.
- 🌍 Millennium Bridge, City of London/Southbank, London, SE1 9JE (Next to Tate Modern). Pedestrian bridge across the River Thames. In Half-Blood Prince, it is attacked by Death Eaters and collapses. Free.
- 🌍 Surbiton Station, South London. While the film hardly shows its best side, this art-deco South London station was used to film the opening scene where Harry meets Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince. Free.
Oxford
Oxford is a popular destination for students and tourists alike. As such it's well-connected by public transport, especially from London.
By train: You can reach 🌍 Oxford train station in the city centre via London Paddington.
By coach: There is the Oxford Tube from London Victoria to 🌍 Gloucester Green bus station in the centre of Oxford.
Oxford has a small city centre and most attractions (both Harry Potter-related and not) are within walking distance.
- 🌍 Christ Church, University of Oxford, St Aldate's, Oxford OX1 1DP (Oxford), ☏ +44 1865 276492, tourism@chch.ox.ac.uk. One of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, founded in 1546. The staircase in front of the Hall was used as a filming location for the staircase leading to the Great Hall of Hogwarts in the films. While not actually used for the filming, the Hall itself served as the inspiration for the design of the Great Hall of Hogwarts set for the films. £7.
- 🌍 New College, University of Oxford, Holywell St, Oxford OX1 3BN (Oxford), ☏ +44 1865 279253 (summer), +44 1865 279555 (winter). 11am - 5pm. Despite its name, the New College is actually one of the older constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and was founded in 1379. The cloisters of the college were used to film some of the Hogwarts cloisters scenes in the movies. £4.
West Country
J. K. Rowling grew up in the West Country and her work is heavily influenced by the region. The Dursley family, Harry's Muggle relatives, are named after the town of Dursley in Gloucestershire. Rubeus Hagrid's distinctive West Country accent was inspired by a biker Rowling met in a pub and John Nettleship, her chemistry teacher at Wyedean School was the main inspiration for Professor Snape.
- 🌍 Coppett Hill, Goodrich, Herefordshire. Forest of Dean filming location for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 when Harry, Ron and Hermione go hunting for horcruxes.
Gloucester can be reached directly by train from London Paddington or coach from London Victoria. The cathedral is within walking distance of the city centre.
- 🌍 Gloucester Cathedral (Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity), 12 College Green, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL1 2LX, ☏ +44 1452 528095, reception@gloucestercathedral.org.uk. Completed in 1499, this Gothic building has a beautiful design and heritage. It was used for filming several of the Harry Potter movies. Free.
Chippenham can also be reached by train from London Paddington or Bristol Temple Meads. Or you can take junction 17 from the M1 motorway.
- 🌍 Lacock Abbey, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 2LG (3 miles south of Chippenham). A former Augustinian nunnery run by the National Trust in the county of Wiltshire. The cloisters were used for the filming of some of the Hogwarts cloisters scenes in the movies. Some of the rooms were also used to film some of the Hogwarts classroom scenes. Free.
North Yorkshire
- 🌍 Goathland Station, North York Moors. A station on the preserved North Yorkshire Moors Railway, appears as Hogsmeade station.
Malham is a very rural small village and is tricky to get to.
By road: You can drive in the rural roads by car.
By foot: Malham is on the famous Pennine Way walking route.
- 🌍 Malham Cove, Malham. Several scenes in the first Deathly Hallow film were shot on the limestone pavement here. Free.
Northern England
Alnwick (pronounced Annick) is only about 30 mi (48 km) away from the Scottish border at Berwick-upon-Tweed, so you can take a train down to Alnmouth from Edinburgh Waverley station and then a bus to visit.
- 🌍 Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland. Used as exteriors for Hogwarts School in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. One memorable scene in this location was Harry Potter and Draco Falfoy's confrontation during Madame Hooch's first flying lesson.
Durham is a cathedral city with many direct connections. The cathedral itself is a short walk from the train station on the meander of the River Wear.
By train: Durham can be reached directly by a 3-hour train from London King's Cross.
By coach: There is also a National Express bus from London Victoria if you need to pay less and are willing to travel a full 7 hours straight. You could watch 2 of the Harry Potter films back-to-back in that time.
- 🌍 Durham Cathedral, Durham, County Durham. M-Sa 7AM-6PM, Su to 5:30PM, late Jul-Aug daily til 8PM. Durham cathedral was used to film some of the exterior shots, cloisters and Transfiguration class in the first two movies. Suggested donation £3.
East Midlands
Chesterfield is a large town in the East Midlands. Hardwick Hall is a National Trust property between Chesterfield and Mansfield and requires a car to get there.
- 🌍 Hardwick Hall, Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S44 5QJ. Used for the exterior shots for Malfoy Manor in the Deathly Hallows films, albeit in a digitally altered form. £18.70 adult, £9.40 child (October 2023).
Wales
Freshwater West is rural and the best way to reach there seems to be by car. There are two car parks though they can be very busy during surfing season.
- 🌍 Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, Wales (about 8 miles west of Pembroke). The beach that stood in for the "Cornish" beach where Dobby transported Harry and his friends to escape from Malfoy Manor in the first Deathly Hallows, where Dobby died in Harry's arms and was later buried. Free.
Ireland
The Cliffs of Moher are in a rural spot by the town of Doolin between Galway and Limerick. You can drive the N67 road to the cliffs or take the 350 bus which runs 6 times a day from Galway.
Galway itself no longer has an airport, but there are frequent trains and buses from Dublin.
Alternatively, there are coach tours which take you directly to the Cliffs of Moher and back again.
- 🌍 Cliffs of Moher. In Half-Blood Prince the cliffs are shown as the location of the horcrux cave.
Edinburgh inspiration
J.K. Rowling lived in Edinburgh while writing many of the books, and several locations in the city may have provided inspiration, especially around the historic Old Town.
All of these inspirational places are within walking distance of Edinburgh Waverley train station.
- 🌍 The Elephant House, 21 George IV Bridge. This cafe claims to be the "birthplace of Harry Potter". Rowling wrote many of the early books here.
- 🌍 Spoon Café Bistro, 6A Nicolson Street, EH8 9DH. Previously Nicolson's Cafe, another location where Rowling wrote the first book.
- 🌍 The Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, ☏ +44 131 556-2414, reservations.balmoral@roccofortehotels.com. Luxury hotel, overlooking Waverley Station. Rowling stayed here in 2007 while writing Deathly Hallows, the last book in the series. It is possible to stay in that room, number 552, now named the "J.K. Rowling Suite".
- 🌍 Greyfriars Kirkyard (Off the Southwest corner of George IV Bridge, close to the National Museum). Historic graveyard and church, close to The Elephant House cafe. It contains the grave of Thomas Riddell, which may have provided the name of Voldemort. Nearby is the grave of the poet William McGonagall, whom Professor Minerva McGonagall was named after. Also famous for the story of Greyfriars Bobby.
- 🌍 George Heriot's School, Lauriston Place, ☏ +44 131 229-7263, enquiries@george-heriots.com. Prestigious private school in the city centre, may have been an inspiration for Hogwarts. The Gothic-style building has several impressive towers. It is not open to the public but can be viewed from Lauriston Place or Greyfriar's Kirkyard.
- 🌍 Victoria Street (Between George IV Bridge and the Grassmarket). A curved cobbled street, with tall buildings and a variety of colourful shops, cafes and pubs. It may be the basis for Diagon Alley.
- 🌍 J. K. Rowling Handprints (City Chambers quadrangle, off the Royal Mile). In 2008, Rowling was presented with the Edinburgh Award, from the city council. In honour of this, a cast was taken of her handprints, and set in stone in front of the city chambers.
Theatre
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part play performed at the Palace Theatre in London and the Lyric Theatre in New York. There are also performances in Hamburg and Tokyo.
The play is a direct sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now as an adult and a father, Harry Potter grapples with the challenges of parenthood and the legacy of his past.
The play is split into 2 parts which can be watched back-to-back or booked over separate days. Each part has a 20-minute intermission:
The first part: 2 hours and 40 minutes
The second part: 2 hours and 35 minutes
There is exclusive merchandise for sale, you can also buy a copy of the playscript from any major bookstore.
- 🌍 Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1 (Tube: Leicester Square PIC NOR ). Centrally located in London's famous Leicester Square with the nearby Odeon cinema where the Harry Potter film premieres happened. Palace Theatre can easily be reached from King's Cross St. Pancras taking about 25 minutes.
- 🌍 Lyric Theatre, 214 W 43rd St, New York, NY 10036, United States, ☏ +1 855-551-9777.
- 🌍 Mehr! Theater, Banksstraße 28, 20097 Hamburg, Germany, ☏ +49 180 6 934934.
- 🌍 Akasaka ACT Theater, 5 Chome−3−2, Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo, Japan, ☏ +81 3-3589-2277.
Buy
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour and Universal Studios attractions have gift shops. There are also these two stores in London:
- 🌍 MinaLima, 157 Wardour Street, Soho, London (Tube: Tottenham Court Road CEN NOR ELI ), ☏ +44 20 3214-0000, house@minalima.com. A shop and gallery showcasing the work of the designers who create the letters, signs, newspapers, and many other props and graphics in the Harry Potter movies. Lots of prints and souvenirs are available for purchase.
- The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾, Kings Cross Station, London (Tube: King's Cross St. Pancras CIR H&C MET NOR PIC VIC ). Buy yourself a wand, house robes, and plushy owl, before getting your picture taken pushing a trolley laden with trunks through the solid brick wall which hides the Hogwarts Express. Muggle money is accepted, though the exchange rate means extortionate price tags.
Learn
Parseltongue, the language spoken by the various characters when talking to snakes, is, perhaps surprisingly, not just gibberish but an actual language that was constructed by University of Cambridge linguistics professor Francis Nolan for the films. Given the limited amount of Parseltongue dialogue in the film, the vocabulary is, of course limited, but there are nevertheless several Harry Potter fan groups who have dedicated significant resources towards learning and studying the language, and several online translators to Parseltongue are available. As snakes do not know how to write, there is, of course, no written language for Parseltongue.
See also
J. K. Rowling maintains the Pottermore website dedicated to the Harry Potter universe with several fun activities to keep fans occupied.