My day visiting Harry Potter Studio Tour | London
Are you a Harry Potter fan? Then you will love this post! It’s full of knowledge straight from a fan! What to expect on arrival and what you should think about during the tour.
Recently I traveled to London to celebrate my dads birthday and spent a day at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making Of Harry Potter with my youngest brother. If you, like me, have binge watched Harry Potter on more than one occasion and include Harry Potter in the ‘‘Must watch’’ movie pile around Christmas - This is where you belong! I can guarantee that you will love it here. I can be pretty skeptic about tours like this one, but the Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter is worth every penny!
It all begins in a room where you can read about the making of the Movie Posters. You are able to view the different ideas and I found it interesting how not every country has the same Iconic Movie Poster. Did you know that? After that room you are seated in front of a big screen where they give you some information about the tour and things you need to know before you can begin wandering around by yourself. The original tour is self-guided but there are options to purchase a guided tour on their website if you’d rather want that. But besides some extra facts your guide might provide you with, I do not see the point in a guided tour here as there are screens and signs explaining objects everywhere. The first steps in to the magical land of Harry Potter are, of course, made by walking through the gates of Hogwarts and your inner fangirl will scream - trust me, I know. I can’t imagine a better way to start the tour. Walking around I could see people from all ages and the entire tour was very accommodating to everyone so don’t feel like you’re ‘‘too old’’ - is that even a thing? Pfft. One is never too old for Harry Potter.
warner bros. studio tour London | the making of harry potter
I am not going to walk you through the tour because I don’t want to ruin your special trip by giving it all away, I believe that part of the magic lies in finding out for yourself what really hides behind the doors of Hogwarts and the making of Harry Potter. What I will tell you is that you will see the real props, the real sets and if you’re patient enough to stand in line, you can even ride a broomstick and pretend that you’re playing Quidichz! The tour is surprisingly HUGE and it takes a long time to walk through and experience everything, especially if you want to be thorough, so don’t rush! Take breaks if/when you need too on one of the many benches located all around the set and bring your own water/snacks if you don’t want to buy it onsite. There are a cafe halfway through the tour where you are able to buy butterbeer(!?), snacks and other things you might crave after all the exploring but as you can expect, it’s not that cheap.
It is quite crowded, so if you want to truly enjoy your favorite prop or area, try to get ahead of everyone, or behind everyone. Once you’ve entered the 2nd room there is no time limit and you can spend as much or as little time as you’d like in the different rooms. I would also suggest not booking anything afterwards that day so that you won’t have to rush through it because you’re on a tight schedule.
Tips for the tour:
Bring your own snacks, there is a designated Picnic area during the tour where you can sit down and enjoy it.
Bring Water
Take breaks so that you don’t get tired and rush through it all- There are benches all over the tour.
Take your time at the tour, there is so much to see!
Get in front OR behind everyone to avoid the largest crowds
Good to know
You must order & purchase your tickets in advance so this is one of those things you can’t do spontaneously unfortunately! Warner Bros recommend you arrive 20 minutes before your entry time but if you would like to visit the large shop before hand, and perhaps get a drink or something to eat in the food hall I would get there earlier.
If you want to buy a souvenir or two to remember your big day, do this after, or during your tour. There will be several stops during your studio tour that offer souvenirs and some of the items sold here are only available for purchase while you’re on your tour, not in the Studio Shop.
Easiest way to get to Warner Bros studios is by Train & bus, or UBER if you don’t mind spending the extra bucks. You can also add pick-up/Drop-of when purchasing your ticket here. If you are traveling by car parking is available on site free of charge.
There is no need to print your confirmation, simply bring your ID card with you and show it on your smartphone. Easy peasy!
According to Warner Bros. Studio Tour website they say a visit lasts approx. 3.5h, but I think you can easily spend more time here if you get the chance, haha!
I hope this helps you plan your own visit and with that said, all I ask of you in case you like my blog and wants me to continue creating content is to not only pop in for a visit every now and then but to also Like, Save, Comment & share it on social media. That way I am able to see if what I’m writing is appreciated by you. That was everything for now, and until next time, take care! xo Nathalie
