Most of the Harry Potter world is real, and a lot of it is in the UK. You can stand under a famous railway viaduct, walk the cloisters where Hogwarts corridors were filmed, and tour the studio where the sets still stand. The catch is that the locations are scattered far apart, so the trick is choosing a few and planning them well. This guide covers the main places in London, Oxford, Wiltshire, the North of England and Scotland, what to book in advance and what it roughly costs. Prices are in pounds, change often and come from the sources listed at the end, so check official sites before you go.

Start here: what is worth the time

If you only have a weekend, do the studio tour and a London walk. If you have a week and a car, add Oxford, Lacock and Durham. If you love scenery, go to the Scottish Highlands. A quick guide:

  • Best for fans who want to see the sets: the Warner Bros. Studio Tour near London
  • Best for free and easy: central London (Platform 9¾, Leadenhall Market, the Millennium Bridge) and Durham Cathedral
  • Best for scenery: the Glenfinnan Viaduct and the Scottish Highlands
  • Best for old buildings: Oxford, Lacock Abbey and Durham
  • Best for families: the studio tour, Alnwick Castle (when it's open) and Goathland station

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour, near London

This is the one place where you see the real sets, props, costumes and effects, including the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, Platform 9¾ with the Hogwarts Express, Dumbledore's office and a model of Hogwarts castle. It's in Leavesden, about 20 miles from central London.

  • Booking: it's timed entry and must be booked in advance. Tickets are not sold on the door. Book six to eight weeks ahead for peak periods and one to two weeks ahead for quieter ones
  • Price: entry only was listed from £56 per adult in a June 2026 guide. Packages with return coach transport from central London start from about £99, and a Studio Tour and Oxford day tour was listed from £165. Children aged four and under are free but still need a ticket
  • How long: most people spend three to four hours inside, so allow seven to eight hours door to door from central London
  • Getting there: the usual route is a direct train from London Euston to Watford Junction (about 15 to 20 minutes), then the studio shuttle bus (about 15 minutes), which is free with your booking confirmation
  • Opening times: the first tour is around 9:00 am in the busier months and 10:00 am in the quieter ones. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes before your slot because of security checks
  • Special periods: a 25th anniversary summer feature runs from 7 May to 7 September 2026, and Hogwarts in the Snow runs from 14 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. The snow season is the most popular, so book early
  • If you want transport sorted: there's a Warner Bros. Studio tour from London that you can book in advance
  • Tips: your phone e-ticket is enough, wear comfy shoes, bring a light jacket for the outdoor backlot and visit the Backlot Café soon after the Great Hall to avoid the longest queues. Butterbeer is sold there

Harry Potter London: a free walking route

Many London locations are free to see from the street, and you can link them into one day.

  • Platform 9¾, King's Cross: the trolley half in the wall is in the main station hall. Taking your own photo is free, and professional photos are paid. Queues can build before 9 am, so go early or late. The film scenes were actually shot between platforms 4 and 5. A VIP option with queue jump was listed at £20 (London Toolkit, 2025)
  • St Pancras International: next door, and used as the exterior of King's Cross in the films
  • Leadenhall Market: the covered Victorian market used for the Diagon Alley scenes in the first film. The opticians at Bull's Head Passage was the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Best on a weekday daytime, when the shops and bars are open
  • Millennium Bridge: the bridge attacked in the opening of Half-Blood Prince, with St Paul's Cathedral behind it
  • Borough Market and Stoney Street: the Leaky Cauldron entrance moved to Stoney Street after the first film, and Borough Market's streets were used for the Knight Bus
  • Lambeth Bridge: where the Knight Bus squeezes between two buses in Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Australia House, the Strand: the interior was used for Gringotts. It's not open to the public, but you can see the outside
  • Great Scotland Yard: the visitor entrance to the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix
  • 12 Grimmauld Place: the exterior was Claremont Square in Islington, near Angel
  • Piccadilly Circus: the escape from a bus in Deathly Hallows Part 1
  • London Zoo, Reptile House: the Parseltongue scene with the snake. A ticket is needed, so check the price first

Cecil Court and Goodwin's Court are often named as the inspiration for Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, but they weren't filmed, so treat them as a fun extra rather than a film location.

Oxford

Oxford is a short trip from London and works as a day out, or as part of a combined studio and Oxford day tour.

  • New College: the cloisters were used in Goblet of Fire, including the scene where Malfoy is turned into a ferret. A public Harry Potter tour that goes inside New College lasts about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 and was listed from around $54, so roughly £40 to £45, but check the price in pounds. New College is closed for part of 2026 and 2027, including 23 December 2026 to 4 January 2027
  • A guided option: there's a Harry Potter walking tour of Oxford that includes a college visit
  • Bodleian Divinity School: used as the Hogwarts hospital wing. On the tour you see it from outside, and an optional self-guided visit inside was listed at £3
  • Bodleian Library: you see the courtyard on the tour but the interior isn't included
  • Christ Church: linked to the Great Hall. The Great Hall in the films was a studio set, so this is more inspiration than filming location. Tours and entry are booked separately and the college advises booking ahead
  • Getting there: the Oxford Tube coach stops on the High Street near Carfax Tower, around 10 minutes' walk from Broad Street. Drivers should use a Park and Ride

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire

Lacock is a National Trust village and abbey, and its cloisters have been used for school corridor scenes and for Snape's potions classroom.

  • Opening (checked for 27 October 2026): grounds 10:00 to 17:00, cloisters 10:15 to 16:45, abbey rooms from 10:30 with last entry 15:45. The abbey rooms close for a winter clean from 1 November to 1 March, but the grounds and cloisters stay open
  • Booking: not needed. Buy on the day at reception
  • Parking: £5 a day for non-members at the Hither Way car park, free for National Trust members. The X34 bus also runs to Lacock
  • Price: adult admission is listed on the National Trust site. Check the current price for your date, because the page shows different seasonal prices

Durham Cathedral

A favourite with fans because it's free and still very atmospheric.

  • What was filmed: the cloisters were used for Hogwarts corridors and courtyard scenes in Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. The Chapter House was McGonagall's classroom
  • Cost: there's no entry fee, and the cathedral asks for a £5 donation per person if you can
  • Rules: photos are allowed but flash is not, and tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed. Don't photograph during services. The Chapter House is usually not open to the public
  • Opening times: about 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday and 8 am to 5 pm on Sunday, according to a 2025 guide, so check the cathedral website
  • Getting there: about three hours by train from London to Durham. There's no parking at the cathedral, and Park and Ride is available

Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

The castle was Hogwarts in the first two films. The outer bailey is where Harry's broomstick lesson was filmed, and the inner bailey is where the flying car crash-lands in Chamber of Secrets. Visitors can join broomstick training and film tours. The 2026 season has ended, and the castle's site doesn't list dates or prices on that page, so check opening times and ticket prices before you plan a trip for 2027. It's just north of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Goathland, North Yorkshire

Goathland station was Hogsmeade station in the first film. Filming here began on 29 September 2000, and the first scenes shot were the Hogwarts Express arriving and Harry saying goodbye to Hagrid. The castle and mountains were added digitally, so you'll see the red footbridge, station buildings, oil lamps and trolleys but not the castle.

  • Cost: visiting the station is free, and parking is about £3.50 for the day at Goathland
  • Train: North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam trains run between Pickering and Whitby. Check the timetable and fares on their website
  • Tip: go early. It's quiet before the steam train arrives
  • Extra: Goathland was also the village of Aidensfield in the TV series Heartbeat

The Scottish Highlands

The Glenfinnan Viaduct and the Jacobite steam train

The curved 21-arch viaduct is the famous Hogwarts Express crossing, and the Jacobite steam train runs from Fort William to Mallaig on the West Highland Line.

  • 2026 season (now over): the morning service ran from 1 June to 23 October and the afternoon service from 10 June to 25 September. Dates and prices for 2027 will be announced, and tickets usually go on sale in January
  • 2026 fares: adult standard £76, adult first class £116, child standard from £43, according to West Coast Railways. All tickets are day returns, there's a minimum booking fee of £3.75 and changes cost £15. First class needs at least two passengers
  • Booking: through West Coast Railways, or GetYourGuide as an authorised reseller with a separate allocation. July and August dates can sell out within days
  • Journey: about 84 miles each way. One guide gives roughly 2 hours 10 minutes each way
  • Seeing the viaduct: sit on the left side of the train for the view, according to Jacobite Trail. You don't need a ticket to watch from the hillside viewpoint, which takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk up from the Glenfinnan visitor centre car park. The train crosses for just a minute or two, so check the time and get there early
  • Base: Fort William is the usual base

Other Highland film locations

  • Loch Shiel: Hogwarts lake
  • Rannoch Moor: the Death Eaters board the train here in Deathly Hallows Part 1
  • Glen Etive: a refuge scene in Deathly Hallows Part 1
  • Glencoe: the area near the Clachaig Inn appears in scenes with Hagrid's hut in Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Steall Falls, Glen Nevis: the landscape was used in the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire. The walk is short but uneven, so wear sturdy shoes

Edinburgh: inspiration, not filming

Edinburgh is where J.K. Rowling wrote, but little was filmed there. These are fun to visit but they're connections, not film sets:

  • The Elephant House: known as the birthplace of Harry Potter
  • Victoria Street: often said to have inspired Diagon Alley
  • Greyfriars Kirkyard: gravestones with names such as Thomas Riddell and William McGonagall
  • The Balmoral Hotel: where Rowling finished Deathly Hallows

If you're based in Edinburgh and don't want to drive, there's a one-day Glenfinnan, Glencoe and Highlands tour that takes in Glencoe, the Glenfinnan Viaduct and the village of Pitlochry. The listing describes a day of scenery and landmarks and does not mention a ride on the Jacobite train, so it is a way to see the viaduct, not to travel on the steam train. Check the listing for exact stops and timings.

If you want to ride the steam train itself, there's also a 3-day Isle of Skye, Scottish Highlands and Jacobite Steam Train tour from Edinburgh. The listing says it includes the Jacobite in standard class (first class isn't available), two nights in a 3-star B&B or hotel, breakfast, coach transport, a local guide and a visit to the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre. Other food and drink and tips are not included. It was around £540 when we looked, but check whether that's per person and which room type it covers, because the price changes with the room. It costs far more than a Jacobite ticket on its own (£76 standard in 2026), so it suits people who'd rather not drive or book the pieces separately. The listing warns that the train service can be altered or cancelled at short notice and that the itinerary order may change. The Jacobite only runs in season, so check the departure dates. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure, according to the listing.

Three ways to plan it

  • A London weekend: day 1, the free walking route and King's Cross. Day 2, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Or swap day 1 for Oxford
  • A North of England road trip (about 4 to 5 days): Oxford, Lacock, Durham, Alnwick and Goathland. This is best by car and works from spring to autumn. Alnwick is only open in its season
  • A Highlands trip (3 to 4 days): train or drive to Fort William, Glenfinnan, Glencoe and Steall Falls. For the Jacobite train, book months ahead and plan around its season

What it costs: rough guide

  • Studio Tour entry from about £56 per adult, or from about £99 with coach transport from London
  • Jacobite steam train in 2026: £76 standard and £116 first class for an adult
  • Oxford public tour with New College entry: about $54 (roughly £40 to £45), plus £3 for the Divinity School if you want to go in
  • Durham Cathedral: free, £5 donation suggested
  • Goathland: free to visit, around £3.50 parking
  • Lacock Abbey: National Trust admission, plus £5 parking if you're not a member
  • London walking route: free apart from London Zoo, any tours and the Platform 9¾ photo

Before you go

Book the studio tour and any steam train first, because they sell out. Check opening times for each place, especially Alnwick, Lacock and the cathedrals, and remember that some places are working sites, so be respectful. For driving in Britain, our guides to car hire on DiscoverCars can help you compare prices.

Planning more? See all our travel guides for UK travellers.

Where this comes from

Prices and rules change, and the sources don't always agree, so this is a snapshot checked on 27 October 2026. These are the sources it draws on: