Since it first hit the big screen in 2001 with ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’, the Harry Potter film trilogy has gone on to become one of the most successful movie franchises of all time.
Fortunately for Potterheads, many of the movies’ most iconic scenes were filmed on-site right here in London – and you can easily visit (almost) all of them!
So, without any further ado, follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous wizard by visiting these 11 Harry Potter film locations.
Leadenhall Market (Diagon Alley)
Harry’s introduction to the world of witchcraft and wizardry took place in Diagon Alley. If you want to see the set of the Leaky Cauldron pub, head to Leadenhall Market. Don’t be disappointed to find the pub is actually a flower shop.
Kings Cross Station (Platform 9¾)
Potterhead or not, you must be familiar with Platform 9¾, which is clearly signposted in Kings Cross Station. This is probably the most popular Harry Potter film location with selfie addicts. Just don’t run full pelt at the wall. You’ll likely end up in a hospital rather than an alternate world.
Great Scotland Yard (Ministry of Magic)
In the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley enter the Ministry of Magic by walking through a magical phone box. Unfortunately, that phone box doesn’t exist. But the building in which the shots were filmed is very real. Walk in the footsteps of your favourite wizard by heading to Great Scotland Yard from Westminster tube station.
Australia House (Gringotts Wizarding Bank)
Ordinary Muggles might visit Australia House to apply for an Australian visa. To the wizards in the world of Harry Potter, Australia House is a bank. You won’t find hidden railroads to bank vaults, but you will be amazed by the grandeur of this architectural masterpiece.
London Zoo
In the first Harry Potter film, the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry frees a Burmese python from a reptile house after conversing with it in Parseltongue. That reptile house belongs to London Zoo. Today, there’s a special board displayed where the scene was filmed.
Lincoln’s Inn Fields (12 Grimmauld Place)
You probably know 12 Grimmauld Place as the ancestral home of Sirius Black. In the books and films, this house is hidden from view by magical spells. In reality, it’s just a short walk from Holborn tube station (and it’s mostly occupied by solicitors rather than wizards).
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is the most iconic bridge on the River Thames. But it’s also a hotspot for Potterheads. You can see Harry zoom past it on his broom in the Order of the Phoenix.
Piccadilly Circus
Remember the scene from the Deathly Hallows where our three magical heroes narrowly missed being hit by a bus? That took place right outside of Piccadilly Circus, which is often likened to New York’s Times Square.
Millennium Bridge
The next bridge on our list was famously destroyed by Fenrir Greyback and a group of Deather Eaters in the opening scenes of ‘The Half-Blood Prince’; a scene that became one of the most iconic and memorable of the entire film series.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Want to see the Divination Staircase from the Harry Potter films? As luck would have it, it’s located inside St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of London’s most iconic landmarks.
Number 10 Downing Street
Sometimes, wizards must talk to Muggles in the name of politics. How? By using a secret portal in Number 10 Downing Street that allows for meetings between the Prime Minister and the Minister for Magic.
If you’d like to experience some of these fantastic sites for yourself, make sure you check out our Harry Potter film locations walking tour – the only tour for true Potterheads. And if you want to fully experience the wizard’s world, join our Harry Potter Studio Tour!
