How To Get To The Harry Potter Studios From Central London
The studios are not in London itself, so you need to sort out transportation from Central London to the city of Watford where the Harry Potter studio is located.
See the location on the map below:
So how do you get from Central London to Harry Potter Studios?
The trip can be done be by train from Euston Station to Watford Junction and then you have to proceed with a shuttle bus to the Harry Potter studios.
However, there is a simpler alternative which is to buy tickets for the Harry Potter studios with GYG, where transport from London to the exhibition is included in the price.
Take Your Time At The Model Of Hogwarts
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has a huge model of Hogwarts that was actually used during filming for sweeping exterior shots. Elevated walkways allow you to see the model from all angles and heights, making for a truly breathtaking experience. The room the model is housed in constantly fades from day into night and back again, so take your time and admire this work of art in all its glory.
If youre visiting around Christmas, youll get an additional snowy treat.
Plan your visit: There are two options for you to get to Harry Potter Studio Tour. The first is via public transport and the second is via a tour operator. You can find all the details on how to get there at the bottom of this post.
Explore Iconic Sets From The Harry Potter Series
Your tour will begin in the exact spot it began for Harry in the Cupboard under the Stairs where Harry slept before his 11th birthday. As soon as you finish watching a welcome video, you’ll get to make your way to the Great Hall of Hogwarts, complete with props and costumes used during filming many meals and feasts attended by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Take in the extraordinary detail and care that went into crafting every set as you visit the Gryffindor Common Room, Dumbledore’s Office, the rustic hut belonging to Hagrid, and the incredible animatronics technology used to operate the door to the Chamber of Secrets! Perhaps the most exciting part of the tour is the permanent exhibition to the Studio Tour, the Forbidden Forest! Break all the rules and delve into the woods, home to many dark creatures from the deep and trees that are over 12 feet thick. You’ll even get to control the weather conditions using the same techniques used while filming.
This tour gives people the chance to experience some of the magic that went into creating the universe that J.K. Rowling so lovingly committed to the page and it is undoubtedly the perfect escape for Harry Potter fans of all ages!
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See How Special Effects Were Created
Moviemaking tips and tricks are revealed in exhibitions dedicated to some of the most memorable Harry Potter special and visual effects. Learn how the Chamber of Secrets door was created and functions, see the Invisibility Cloak and look at the Whomping Willow that ‘whomped’ Mr. Weasley’s flying car in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The incredible part of your adventure into this Harry Potter World is that you can get on a broomstick and fly just like the actors did.
Where To Buy Harry Potter Studio Tour Tickets
If you are making your own way to the Harry Potter studios, you have to buy your ticket in advance from the official website. You cannot turn up without a ticket, and tickets are not for sale on site.
Tickets go on sale well in advance, but despite the site having capacity for up to 6,000 people a day, they tend to sell out far in advance, so you will want to plan as far ahead as possible.
The summer months, weekends, and school holidays are the busiest days of the year for the Studio so we recommend that you book as far in advance as you can if you are visiting over those periods.
Weekdays often have better availability, so if you are flexible, look at different days of the week to maximise your chances of getting a ticket.
Tickets are for timed entry, which helps the studios manage visitor numbers throughout the day. Whilst there is no limit to how long you can stay after you enter, you do need to enter the attraction at the time you book. There is a little bit of flexibility in this, but its best not to show up hours later than your time to avoid disappointment.
The WB Studios Tour folks recommend you arrive at the site at least 20 minutes before your ticket time so you can go through the security checks.
If you cant buy a ticket from the official site, dont worry, you still have lots of options.
Deluxe Tours can be booked directly with the Studios, subject to availability, on the official site here.
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Central London Watford Junction
Watford Junction Railway Station is the closest that public transport from Central London will get you to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. You will find it marked on the London Underground map in the top left.
There are various permutations you can get to Watford Junction from the London area but from Central London the fastest and simplest option are trains running from Euston Railway Station.
There are two types of train that travel between Euston and Watford Junction. The trains that are part of the London Overground whose trains stop at every station that take around 50 minutes and the trains that belong to the national railways where Watford Junction is often the first stop and trip duration being 15-20 minutes.
Tickets are interchangeable between the two types of trains so you can use tickets issued by the railways or use the Oyster Cards, Travelcards and other fare payment options you use on the London Underground and buses.
This makes things very complicated choosing whether you buy train tickets from the national railways or use Oyster Cards or Travelcards like you use on the London Underground, .
If you have an Oyster Card, the default transport pass in London, you can use that to pay for the fare to Watford Junction.
If you have a Travelcard it is very unlikely you have bought a Travelcard to include the Watford Junction travel zone, the majority of leisure visitors will only have a zone 1-2 Travelcard.
Walking To The Harry Potter Studio
Travel Time: 50 minutes
Closest Stop: Watford Junction
Although walking around London is a great way to explore the city, the travel time to the Harry Potter Studio from Watford station will take you approximately 50 minutes. We recommend choosing public transport or driving down to the studio. However, if youre not too far away from Watford Junction, you can explore the area and then take a shuttle bus to the studio.
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Harry Potter Studio Tour: Types Of Tours
- Harry Potter Studio Tour with Transportation
On a fantastic full-day tour from central London to the Warner Brothers Studio, go behind the scenes of the Harry Potter franchise sets and walk in the footsteps of the favorite characters and the iconic actors that played them. With comfortable transfers from Central London in a premium coach, full of convenient features and wi-fi access, you can arrive at Warner Bros. Studio tours in luxury and comfort.
- Harry Potter Film Studio Tour
Take a stroll through Londons streets and visit some of the most iconic film locations from the Harry Potter Films, the eight-part series that has inspired generation after generation to read and dream. .
- Warner Bros studio tour & Oxford Day Tour from London
After a magical day at the Warner Bros. Studio TourThe Making of Harry Potter, travel to Oxford for a visit to the University of Oxford. Admission to the Harry Potter studio tour and a professional guided educational and engaging walk in Oxford are included in the full-day trip.
Best Harry Potter Tours In London
If you fancy leaving reality for a few hours and indulging in one of the best Harry Potter tours in London, who are we to argue? In fact, we think its a great idea and have put together a list of the best places to go on a wizardry extravaganza across the capital of England.
From first-hand studio experiences to free tours and everything in between, this is your comprehensive guide to the best Harry Potter tours in London.
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Harry Potter Bus Tour In London
Go on a sightseeing bus tour of London, which differs from the classic bus tours by focusing on Harry Potter related sights.
On this bus tour you will go past the following Harry Potter related sights
- The entrance to the Ministry of Magic
- Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross station, where you can try to push through the wall
- The house that was used as headquarters for the Order of The Phoenix
- The building that was used as Gringotts Bank
The bus journey takes just under 3 hours and cost £27 for adults and £20 for children.
Here is a good way to see a lot of London, but with a focus on the Harry Potter attractions.
You can book tickets from home at GetYourGuide here.
Harry Potter Studios Tour London: Your Experience
A tour of the Harry Potter Studios is the perfect escape from the muggle world. Sip on some delicious butterbeer and grab a wand before heading to explore the beautiful sets of locations like the Great Hall, Platform 9 ¾ and Dumbledores office, along with getting an up-close, personal look at props, popular character costumes and creation of magical creatures like Buckbeak the hippogriff. Each location is designed to bring iconic moments from the movies to life — a thrill for every true fan.
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Shuttle Departing From Victoria & Baker Street
Shuttle bus transfer to Harry Potter Studios from London Victoria or Baker Street
Adult from £41, child 2-17 from £37
⢠Up to 10 shuttles per day ⢠Pick up from Victoria or Baker Street. ⢠Return luxury air-conditioned bus transportation from London with free Wi-Fi ⢠Bus only – purchase Harry Potter Studio tickets separately
Experience The Best Of Filmmaking At The Warner Bros Studio Tour London
Your experience includes return transportation, saving you the trouble of planning the over 30-mile commute from London to Leavesden, where the Warner Bros. Studio is located. Once you are picked up from the tour office in Central London, your adventure will begin! The Warner Bros. Studio help people celebrate the love for the cinematic experience by throwing their doors open to the public and demonstrating how the Harry Potter books were brought to movie screens the world over so vividly. Be it the original concept artwork or the humongous model of the Hogwarts castle or the green screen you’ll get to fly a broomstick in front of, the Studios’ expertise in the art of making incredible movies is very clear. Throughout the tour, you will get the chance to immerse yourself in the Harry Potter universe, maintained meticulously to the last detail by the Studios, be it the costumes used by the actors or the sets the movies played out in.
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You can learn all about the detail thatwent into creating props, such as wands, masks and magical items. Theres evena scale replica of Hogwarts castle! Find out the CGI secrets used to createmagical creatures such as dragons and unicorns, try a taste of butterbeer andhave a walk around Number 4 Privet Drive to see where it all began. Not tomention, take some photos on the Hogwarts Express and perhaps pick up aChocolate Frog or some Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans in the gift shop!
Kids and adults alike will love Warner Bros. Studios and leave with a new love and appreciation for the Harry Potter books and films which changed the lives of children and brought magic to everyone. You can enjoy your stay in budget hotels in Kensington, London while enjoying your trip to Warner Bros. Studio that will not break the bank.
What to see
There are so many exciting things to see at the Harry Potter its hard to choose just a few. Luckily, youll get a full 4.5 hours to explore and make the most of the tour. When you arrive, youll get to see the stunning Great Hall with glittering, floating candles and the house tables just like in the movies. If youre visiting over Halloween, there will be spooky ghosts and floating pumpkins, and you can see the Gryffindor common rooms, Potions classroom and even Dumbledores office!
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Getting there
Catching The Harry Potter Shuttle Bus Leaving From Watford Junction
Harry Potter Shuttle bus leaving Watford Station
An official shuttle bus runs around every 20 minutes between the bus station in front of Watford Junction Railway Station to the studios, about a 15-minute journey.
In 2022, the ticket price is £3.00 return. You cannot use an Oyster Card on this bus. Due to the pandemic, you can currently only pay by contactless methods.
Plan to arrive at Watford Junction 45 minutes before the time stated on your ticket and have your ticket or booking confirmation ready when boarding the shuttle bus. You will not be able to board the bus without a Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter entrance ticket.
Buses run every 20 minutes from 9.20am .
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How Long Does The Harry Potter Studio Tour Take
The regular tour itself is self-guided, other than an introduction at the beginning, so you can take as long as you like to wander the studios.
The average length of a visit is around three and a half hours, and that is what the studio estimates most people will take and forecast their capacity around.
This is also about the amount of time that most tour companies will give you, although some offer a bit more time on site, so if you think you will need more time, be sure to pick a tour company that offers more time.
Public Transport Fares From Central London To/from Warner Bros Studio Tour London 2022
Midland trains are faster than overground trains
As said in the introduction you can either buy separate train tickets for your journey between Euston and Watford Junction or you can use Oyster Cards or credit/debit cards that support contactless payment – which many people will be using for their travel within London.
It can be very complex which option is best for you. If you are comfortable with understanding the comparisons between Oyster and national rail tickets you will be able to make the right choice for your needs.
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Social Distancing And Limited Contact
- To limit physical contact, the cloakroom and left luggage facilities will be unavailable.
- Our toilet facilities will be open with additional hygiene measures in place.
- From arrival at the Studio Tour, you will notice additional signage and floor markings to promote social distancing. Please follow these markings to allow all visitors to navigate the Studio Tour safely. The Studio Tour will operate as a one-way system.
- To maintain social distancing, the Hogwarts Express train carriage and inside of Privet Drive will be closed.
- To further limit contact, the Studio Tours shops and cafés will only accept cashless or contactless payment options such as credit and debit cards or mobile payments.
Harry Potter Studio Opening Times
You will definitely want to check the website for up-to-date opening times, but generally throughout the year the studio is open from 8.30am through to 10pm. More specifically:
- Doors open at 8.30am
- First tour starts at 9am
- Final tour starts at 6.30pm
- Studio closes at 10pm
These times do vary by day. In terms of dates, the Studio is open every day of the week. There are some exceptions, it is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day .
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Are There Any Other Similar Tour Options To The Harry Potter Studio London
If you can’t book a studio tour from London, try finding a tour that departs from Birmingham instead.
However, it’s worth noting that Harry Potter Studio London is not the only place that brings Hogwarts and the wizarding world to life.
In London, you can also choose from several different Harry Potter location tours. They take you in such sights as Platform 9¾, Leadenhall Market and the bridge where the Knight Bus squeezes between two double-decker buses in The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Moreover, there are Harry Potter guided tours in Oxford that visit locations seen in the movies or that served as inspiration for them. They include the Dining Hall, Christ Church College that was founded by King Henry VIII and inspired the Great Hall in the wizarding series. Moreover, the Bodley Tower Staircase was seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, where Professor McGonagall meets Harry, Ron and Hermione for the first time.
Into The Forbidden Forest
Defy Professor Dumbledores orders and follow Harry, Ron and Hermiones footsteps into the Forbidden Forest. Home to Buckbeak the Hippogriff, Aragog the Acromantula and 19 trees, each with a diameter of over 12 feet, visitors are invited to walk beneath the giant entwined roots and discover how to control the weather using the same techniques used during filming.
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