A few years ago, I visited the Harry Potter Studios London with my Dad as a joint birthday gift.
We flew from Edinburgh to London for the weekend and visited the Harry Potter Warner Brother Studios for the day. (We spent the Sunday lying in Hyde Park and doing some of the main London Attractions.
Although the trip was in 2017 (so please excuse the grainier than normal pictures!), I was recently asked for tips on how to visit. So I’m answering all the things you need to know for a successful day trip to the Harry Potter Studios in London.
- What Is It?
- How To Get Tickets?
- Who’s it for?
- When To Go?
- How Long To Spend There?
- What To Take?
- How To Get There?
- Where To Stay?
Read on for all the answers to these questions and more…
What Is It?
For anyone who’s made it this far on my blog and isn’t aware of the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios Tour in London, let me give you an overview.
The Studios are the actual location where many of the Harry Potter films were created. It wasn’t built as a theme park or tourist attraction (although it now sort of is), it was truly where Harry Potter films came to life.
Although a lot of the film scenes were shot at locations across the UK, a large portion of them were filmed on set in the Studios, or had CGI and special effects added in to them at this spot too.
The Harry Potter Studios Tour invites you to walk around the now unused sets, see the props and costumes that appeared in the films and ever learn how the animations and special effects came to be.
How To Get Harry Potter Studios Tickets?
Before you go, it’s essential that you book tickets. Harry Potter Studios tickets often sell out weeks (or months) in advance, so try to plan ahead as far as possible. From time to time, extra tickets are released on the day or the day before, so don’t lose hope if you’re looking to visit the Warner Bros Studios last minute.
Tickets start at £37 per child (5-15 years) and £45 for adults (2019 prices). There are also family packages to knock the cost down a little.
My Dad and I bought the regular tickets, however there are options to upgrade from the standard experience to:
- Behind the Seams Tour (£65) (Additional 1 Hour Costume Tour).
- Deluxe Tour (£225) (VIP Treatment including a 2 hour tour & souvenir book)
Who Is It For?
Everyone. No, I’m not paid to say this, but genuinely, this is a London Attraction for everyone. The Harry Potter Studios are magical, and an absolute must for Harry Potter fans of all ages. But it’s also suitable to those who aren’t Potter maniacs.
Not only do you get to see behind the scenes of the Magical Wizarding World, you learn some incredible things about how films are made in general. Even if you aren’t a Potter Wiz (see what I did there?), it’s still worth a day trip if you’re in London.
When To Go?
The Studios are open all year round (except for a few days at Christmas). The majority of it is inside, so the season doesn’t matter, but daylight hours do.
If possible, visit the Harry Potter Studios a morning or lunch time entry slot. This gives you the best chance of it being bright and sunny outside when you hit the midway point. This is the part that goes outside. There’s the big double decker bus and a few other outdoor attractions that make for fun pictures.
How Long To Spend There?
The Harry Potter Studios are a little outside London, so you definitely should give yourself almost a full day to get there from the centre of London and to do it justice.
In total, you should estimate about 3 – 4 hours to walk around the Harry Potter Studios tour.
Beyond the first 15 minutes or so of introduction video and grand entrance, the rest of the Warner Bros Studios are yours to explore are your leisure. It’s up to you if you want to read every sign and take a million pictures, or just stroll through. But, my advice, take it all in. The more you look, the more magic you discover.
What To Take?
- A Camera – To my memory, there’s nothing restricted from taking photos.
- Comfy shoes – It’s quite a lot of walking.
- Snacks! – There is also a cafe about half way through with butter beer, but it’s expensive & halfway is still quite a long walk away.
- Rain Jacket – There is a small outside bit, this is Britain after all.
- Money – Yes, you’ll buy your tickets in advance. But I challenge you to walk past that butter beer stall & through the gift shop without wanting at least one memento.
How To Get There?
Although it’s often referred to as the ‘Harry Potter Studios London’, the actual location is a little outside the centre, in Watford. However, it’s still easy to reach from Central London in around 1 hour. Euston to Watford is about 25 mins on a very frequent train and there is a shuttle bus from Watford Junction Train Station to the Studios.
- Euston -> Watford Junction (Train)
- Watford Junction to Harry Potter Studios London (Shuttle)
To my absolute delight, the train from Euston to Watford junction left at plaform 9 & 10, so we truly did catch to train to Hogwarts!
If you’re driving, according to their website; “The Studio Tour is located 20 miles north-west of London and less than three miles from the M1 and M25 motorways.”
Full details for getting there on every mode of transport can be found here.
Where To Stay?
If you plan to make a weekend of it in London, I would recommend staying near Euston or Kings Cross. I looked at staying in Watford, but it makes the airport connections a pain & also visiting London on your 2nd day a challenge. Overall felt better to stay central and have the one journey out and back to Watford for the main event
We stayed in Clink Hostel, in a private room. Especially where accommodation is so expensive, staying in hostels is a really great way to find cheaper accommodation options. Clink Hostel was really nice and clean, breakfast was included and it’s an easy walk from the Gatwick Express connection and Harry Potter train.
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