If you’re a Potterhead and coming to London, I’m sure Harry Potter Studios are high up on your list of possible day trips!
I’ve recently visited HPS in December, during their gorgeous Hogwarts in the Snow event. I couldn’t wait to share my opinions and findings with all of you, so here we are.
This blog post covers absolutely everything about this Harry Potter Tour – how to get there, where to buy tickets, what to see, where to eat and additional tips!
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Where are the Harry Potter Studios and how to get there?
Although it’s called Harry Potter Studios London, the studios are actually outside of London, so you won’t be able to walk or use the Tube to get there. Thankfully, it’s not that far!
The Harry Potter Studios are located in Watford, around 30 kilometers outside of London. There are several ways you can get to Watford.
Firstly, if you have a car, it will take you a little over an hour to reach the Studios. There’s lots of free parking, so that’s not something you need to worry about.
Read more >>> Best London Walking Tour
If you’re looking for a public transport option, the best way to reach the Studios is by train. This is the option we chose, and it was fairly easy to navigate. The train for Watford Junction leaves from London Euston train station and it takes 20 minutes to arrive. The return ticket is 30 euros per person.
Once you reach Watford Junction, there is a shuttle bus waiting to take you to the Studios. The bus ticket is included in the Studios ticket, so you need to show your booked ticket to the driver before entering the bus. While driving, you’ll hear the famous Harry Potter theme songs and you’ll be welcomed onboard by some of our favourite actors through video!
If you don’t feel confident going alone, you can always book a tour with transfer from London. This way you won’t have any worries! These tours with the transfer are significantly more expensive, so it’s not the best option if you’re on a budget.
Are there hotels near Harry Potter Studios?
If you’re coming to London just for the Harry Potter Studios, or you’re interested in the earliest or latest possible tours of the Studios, it might be best to stay somewhere around. There are several hotels and apartments nearby, and here are some with the best reviews!
Hagrid’s Hut – a wonderful apartment completely decorated for Harry Potter fans, definitely worth checking out!!
This 2-bed apartment – it’s affordable and walking distance from the HP Studios.
Potter’s Escape – another great apartment which houses 6 people and is walking distance from the HP Studios.
Leonardo Hotel – a gorgeous, modern hotel if you’re not the one for apartments.
Where can I buy tickets to the Harry Potter Studios?
The best and cheapest way to buy tickets for Harry Potter Studios is through their official website. And just because I say this is the cheapest way, doesn’t mean it’s cheap. The tickets cost 53£ for adults and 43£ for children. Young children under 4 can enter for free, but you still need to get them a ticket online (for 0£ on their website).
If there’s no available tickets on their website on your travel dates, check out the third person agencies which often have tickets available, but for a larger price. I’m leaving a few options below.
How long does the Harry Potter Tour take?
It can take as long as you want. The tour is huge, so it depends on how fast or slow you’re walking through the Studios. It took us 3 and a half hours to explore the tour thoroughly. My boyfriend and I are very big Harry Potter fans, so we enjoyed reading and looking at every single thing available.
We also spend 30 minutes on lunch, which we had at the Backlot Cafe somewhere half way through our tour.
So, depending on your speed and dedication to HP, it can take anywhere from 2 hours to really half a day!
Who can come on this tour?
Absolutely everyone is welcome at the Harry Potter Studios. If you’re a Potterhead who’s an adult and are thinking that HP Studios is mostly for children, you’re absolutely wrong. The majority of the visitors are actually adults. Second to them, there’s lots of families, and finally school excursions. This tour is equally interesting to both children and adults, as long as they’re a Harry Potter fan!
For anyone with a disability, Harry Potter Studios are accessible to anyone, and if you need help, there are many workers at the Studios willing to help out with anything.
Is there a fan shop at Harry Potter Studios?
There is an enormous Harry Potter Fan Shop at the Studios. The store is so vast that we spent over an hour exploring it before we even started our HP Tour. The shop has absolutely everything, from gorgeous robes and wands, jewelry, mugs, kitchen tools, various memorabilia, and even chocolate and sweets straight from the movies.
The prices are high, but it’s also a great memory to have, so find something within your budget and take it home!
Are there food and drinks available?
Food and drinks are available at 2 points. The first point is right next to the entrance to the tour. You can choose to sit at The Chocolate Frog Café or at the Food Hall. The food hall offers burgers, pizzas, and some British specials, while the Frog Café has ice cream, hot chocolate, sweets, and other hot drinks.
If you want to see the tour first, somewhere half way through the tour there’s Backlot Café, a cute food court with several meals (vegan and gluten-free available) and Butterbeer!
The prices are the same as in every theme park, pricier than usual but worth it for the ambiance!
If you buy a Butterbeer at Backlot Cafe, you get the cup as a souvenir!
Should you visit on your birthday?
Absolutely! I was there on my birthday and it was one of the best birthdays I’ve had!
Stop reading if you’re thinking of going yourself and don’t want to be spoiled!!
If it’s someone’s birthday just say so at the information point. Whoever is celebrating their birthday will get a badge of Hagrid’s Birthday cake for Harry. That means that everyone who works there will congratulate you and treat you extra, extra sweet.
On top of that, those who celebrate their birthdays are the one’s opening the gorgeous door to the Great Hall. That means that you’ll be the first one to see it completely empty and stunning! Opening the doors to the Great Hall is one of my nicest memories from that tour!
Everything you can see and explore at the Harry Potter Studios: Hogwarts in the Snow
This tour is huge and breathtaking for anyone who cares about Harry Potter. Even if you’re a casual fan who has only watched the movies, I’m sure you’ll love it.
I am not going to talk into great detail because I don’t want to spoil this experience to anyone, but I’ll go through some of the most important sections of the tour.
As I already mentioned, you can spend hours there, which means the tour is really extensive. It encompasses sets and props from all 8 movies, costume department, creature effects and various art pieces which served as drafts and outlines for some of the sets.
This Hogwarts in the Snow version is especially magical as it has tons of snow and Christmas decorations!
At the information center ask for an activity passport. You’ll get a passport-looking booklet and a task to find various stamps all over the tour. This can be an incredible free souvenir from the Studios!
THE GREAT HALL
Some of the most iconic and recognizable scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed right here! The Great Hall is a stunning set which completely takes you into the wizarding world. The first sight of this heartwarming set will leave you speechless!
The Great Hall has 2 long tables completely set for dinner, just as they had been in the movies. Along them, there’s the teacher’s table as well, including several costumes of the teachers who often sat there. As we were there for Hogwarts in the snow, the Hall was gorgeously decorated for Christmas which only added to its beauty.
SNAPE’S POTIONS CLASSROOM
As a Potterhead, this one will be very familiar to you. The incredibly realistic set includes tons of books, potions, and magical herbs. It’s even “magically” making a potion right there in front of you. The potion master himself, Severus Snape, is right there (at least his costume is)!
DUMBLEDORE’S OFFICE
One of the most stunning and unbelievable sets on the tour is Dumbledore’s office. It’s incredibly realistic and includes everything from the entrance to his magical staircase, his headmaster desk, and incredible moving portraits. This set often seems to be a fan favorite so I’m sure you’ll love it!
FORBIDDEN FOREST
The amazing set of the Forbidden Forest is a place you’ll surely remember for a long time. With an incredible entrance, once you step into it, you’ll be completely engulfed by the trees, darkness, and eerie atmosphere present in the films. Incredible creations of Aragog and Buckbeak will cause some additional excitement for sure!
PLATFORM 9 AND ¾
If you ever wanted to experience the boarding of the Hogwarts Express, this might be your favorite set. The real “Hogwarts Express” in which our famous characters filmed their scenes is now available for you to walk through. While walking you can revisit various scenes in several carriages, such as the famous dementor scene! There are also several photo points of you entering the platform for the ultimate experience!
PROFESSOR SPROUT’S GREENHOUSE
If you had a thing for Herbology while watching movies, this greenhouse might be your favorite place on this tour. Amazingly realistic, the greenhouse is a fan-favorite, because you can recreate one of the most memorable scenes from Chamber of Secrets. Enter the greenhouse and pull out a potted Mandrake – the expected screams will happily greet you!
GRINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK
My personal favorite was the set of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. The grand banking hall is exactly as it looks on the screen, and I loved walking up to the front in the same way as Hermione/Bellatrix once did. There are several goblins sitting at their desks, making this set even more mind-blowing.
The famous marble pillars and gorgeous crystal chandeliers will definitely leave you totally amazed!
DIAGON ALLEY
The most famous magical street in the world looks astonishing in person. It’s a special experience getting to walk through a street that on screen looks like truly something our of a storybook. Home to Olivander’s, the Gringotts Bank, and the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, this street will surely be one of the most loved sets on this tour.
HOGWARTS
The tour ends with a gorgeous model of Hogwarts, made for the first film. This same model was used in the movies to showcase the exterior of the castle using digital effects. Seeing Hogwarts in real life was high on my bucket list and this model really exceeded my expectations.
As we were there for Hogwarts in the snow, the whole model was coated in snow, making it even more magical than usual.
MY OPINION: WAS IT WORTH IT?
I know that this isn’t really the cheapest day trip you could have. 50 GBP for one ticket and the transport there and back come up to around 80 GBP per person. BUT! If you’re a Harry Potter fan, this could literally be one of the best days of your life.
The tour is INCREDIBLE, and the fact that you can see absolutely everything related to the filming of these movies in one place is mind-blowing. The crew at the Studios put in so much time and work into making it the best it could be and they deserve all the praise!
This was genuinely one of the best experiences of my life and in my opinion it’s worth every cent. I cannot recommend this tour enough, especially Hogwarts in the Snow. The additional Christmas decorations and snow everywhere make it even more magical than usual.
