A guide to Harry Potter’s London

The Eurostar train station can be seen in the second film (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)  when Harry and the Weasleys land in front of the station in the flying Ford Anglia.

Get a photo at the brick wall leading to Platform 9 ¾ where Harry, Ron and Hermione go to catch the Hogwarts Express. Muggles can have their photos taken in front of the wall wearing their choice of house scarf (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw  or Hufflepuff) as they hang on to the baggage trolley and wave a magic wand, wizard-style.  Be prepared, queues can be long at weekends and during school holidays so you may want to bring one of the books along with you to brush up on your spell casting.  The Harry Potter shop is also in the station if you want to pick up some souvenirs afterwards.

The brightly-coloured arches of this Victorian covered market were the setting for some of the outdoor scenes of Diagon Alley. If you walk towards Bull’s Head Passage you’ll see the door of the famous Leaky Cauldron pub, used by wizards as the entrance to the magic street from the world of Muggles.

Gracechurch St, London EC3V 1LT

The ultra-modern Millennium Bridge connects the Tate Modern with St Paul’s Cathedral. It appears in the first few minutes of the 6th film, when we see it being destroyed by the Death Eaters along with hundreds of Muggles. 

Thames Embankment, London SE1 9JE

At the beginning of the Prisoner of Azkaban (the 3rd film), Harry runs away from the Dursley house and takes the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron (set in Borough Market for this film). Once you’ve taken a few photos of the film location (at 7A Stoney Street) head for the market hall and try something delicious from the food stalls there.

8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL

In The Order of the Phoenix (the 5th film), Harry and Arthur Weasley go to the Ministry of Magic via an iconic red telephone box  (The magic door takes them straight to the Ministry). The phone box was created for the film so you won’t see it, but you’ll recognize the Ministry building on the corner of Great Scotland Yard street and Scotland Place.

Do you remember the stone spiral staircase leading up to Professor Trelawney’s divination class? You can walk up those very same stairs in the south tower at St Paul’s Cathedral. Potter fan or not, it’s worth a visit for the stunning architecture alone. Entrance to the Cathedral costs £18 for an adult and £8 for a child.

St. Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD

If you’re planning a trip to London zoo during your stay, drop into the Reptile House. It may look familiar as it’s where they shot the scene in the 1st film where Harry discovers for the first time that he speaks Parseltongue and can talk to snakes (before he discovers his  magical powers).

London NW1 4RY