Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Adrienne
I was a huge fan of the Harry Potter books growing up, and at the time of our recent London visit I had just finished reading the fifth book aloud to my 8 year old daughter, so a visit to the Harry Potter studios outside London was one of the things we were most eagerly anticipating doing on our trip. All eight Harry Potter movies were filmed in part on soundstages at Warner Brothers Studios in Watford (suburban London) and the studio has left the sets largely intact and now sells tickets to visit them, alongside displays of props, costumes and memorabilia from the now-iconic movies.
I’ve done studio tours before in Los Angeles so I had some idea of what to expect, but this was grander and more immersive than I could have imagined and it really felt like were stepping into Harry Potter’s universe. Our day here was one of the biggest highlights of our visit to London for both my daughter and me and I can’t recommend it enough for any kid or adult HP fan.
Tickets and Getting To Warner Bros. Studios
The cheapest option for tickets is getting them directly from Warner Bros. Studios’ website, but these can sell out well in advance, even a month or more in advance during peak season. If you’re looking for last minute tickets, Viator is usually a good source. These tickets often include transportation by bus from central London, which you can also add to tickets purchased directly from the WB website.
The studio operates a free shuttle bus to and from the Watford Junction train station, but you will need to get yourself to Watford unless you book a tour that includes transportation. Fast trains that only take about 20 minutes run several times an hour from Euston Station to Watford. There’s also a slower and cheaper Overground train (which we ended up having to take home because the fast train operations were interrupted by the heat).
Plan to allow the better part of a day for this tour, especially with travel time to and from central London. We spent about 5 hours here, although we added an optional afternoon tea (described in more detail below) that took about an hour. Except for a small outdoor area, the studio tour is all inside and the building has powerful air conditioning, so this is a great thing to do if you’re visiting London during a heatwave, as we did.
Harry Potter Studio Tour Experience
After a quick video greeting from some famous faces, you kick off your tour by stepping into the Great Hall of Hogwarts, decorated in full Gryffindor paraphernalia in celebration of their House Cup victory. You briefly hear from a tour guide here, and then the rest of the experience is self-paced. The photo really doesn’t do it justice – walking into this room was jaw-dropping and it really feels like you’re at Hogwarts.
From here, you continue through multiple rooms filled with sets, costumes and props from the movies, including memorable sets like the Potions classroom and the Gryffindor dormitories, the wands used by major characters, Quidditch robes, the Triwizard Cup and the Yule ball outfits.
There are also Quidditch demonstrations and an opportunity to take green screen photos (available for purchase) of yourself trying to catch the Golden Snitch.
You can walk through a Forbidden Forest set, which feels creepily realistic, with smoke, noise and Aragog the giant spider hanging above you.
About halfway through the tour you wrap up the first building with the famous Hogwarts Express – which you can step inside – and a photo op with “Platform 9 and 3/4” (so there’s no need to queue at King’s Cross Station for the same photo). There’s also an area near the Hogwarts Express where you can sit down and make a chocolate frog card, which was a nice break from all the standing and walking.
After this, you have the opportunity to grab food or Butterbeer from a quick service cafe (more details on dining at the studio below) before heading to the exterior sets, which include vehicles such as the Knight Bus and Mr. Weasley’s flying car, along with Number Four Privet Drive and the Herbology greenhouse, where you can pull out your own mandrake.
The second half of the tour was a little less interesting to us; partly because it focuses more on the later books and movies we weren’t as familiar with and partly because there were more details about the movie-making process that may go over a younger child’s head. We passed through the second indoor section more quickly than the first, but there are still some iconic sets here, including the life-sized chess pieces from the first movie, and the Gringotts set (before and after the havoc caused by the trio’s escape).
The tour wraps up on the set of the famous Diagon Alley and with the 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts Castle that was used for exterior CGI shots. The detail on the castle is incredible.
Of course, no tour like this would be complete without the opportunity to shop for souvenirs, and there’s a giant store at the end with separate themed areas selling the beloved characters’ signature wands, robes, magical sweet treats, and so on. It’s pretty cute, and you really feel like you’re on Diagon Alley going between the different shops. If you’re bringing kids, I would definitely recommend having them save up some allowance or birthday money to spend here.
Dining at the Harry Potter Studios: A Special Afternoon Tea
I booked afternoon tea here as a treat for me and my daughter. They recommend allowing 1.5 hours for this and won’t let you book your tea and tour tickets closer together than that, although they let us into the tour early once we’d finished our tea. My expectations for the food and drink were modest, but it actually ended up being one of our best afternoon tea experiences in London. The prices are quite reasonable, especially for the children’s tea, which is currently only £16. The tea was delightfully themed and had many nods to memorable things from the HP universe, including a potted “mandrake” on Oreo crumb soil, a quail “dragon” egg, hot chocolate topped with a chocolate frog, a Butterbeer scone and of course a Golden Snitch dessert. Everything tasted very good and the ambiance was pretty nice, with the dining area decorated like the Great Hall of Hogwarts with floating candles. I liked doing it before the tour because it fueled us up for all the walking and it was another way to build excitement for all that was to come. You do need to pre-book this experience (and the dinner and breakfast packages they offer in the same area); they’re not available to add on-site.
Other dining options include the Backlot Cafe and Butterbeer Bar, which you visit at about the mid-point of the tour with a view of the exterior sets, and the Food Hall, Frog Cafe and Dragon Roasted Cafe in the entry/exit area. All of these dining options are quick service and don’t require any advance reservations.
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