Our pick of the best Harry Potter locations in London
Date post added: 21st October 2026
Back in 1997, JK Rowling published her now legendary book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Then in 2001, the cinematic version hit the big screen. And now, nearly 30 years later, there’s a major new HBO TV series coming to your screen very soon. Enthusiasm for Harry Potter and his world of wizardry remains high.
As you walk around London, there are many locations that you may recognise from the Harry Potter stories. If you know where to look, you can find The Leaky Cauldron, Gringott’s Bank and even Diagon Alley.
We spoke to London Walks guide, Andy for his insights. Harry Potter’s a character close to his heart. His son was set to play the young Harry in the West End play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But Covid struck and dashed his theatrical chances.
Instead, Andy shares his expert insights on our Harry Potter walking tour around the Harry Potter London locations. You can follow in the footsteps of the Hogwarts school pals, in the company of our fascinating guides – Andy, Citlalli or David M.
Here you’ll discover the spots that featured as Harry Potter film and TV show locations, those that inspired the book, and those that are perfect backdrops for some Hogwarts-style selfies.
Harry Potter themed locations in Central London
“Harry Potter Book and Wand.jpg” by Wikimedia Commons Contributor is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Over on the Soho/ Covent Garden border, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on at the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. It’s certainly not new, but it’s getting a major revamp. From this October, two become one. This theatre show has been playing as two parts since 2016, but it’s being condensed into a single play. It’s set 19 years after the Deathly Hallows events and shows you what grown up Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione are up to.
Fancy a wizarding afternoon tea or overnight stay? The Georgian House Hotel in Pimlico offers just that. Enjoy a bewitching selection of teatime treats, complete with a wizard potion. Or stay the night in the themed Wizard or Enchanted Chambers surrounded by cauldrons, stained glass windows and gothic arches, much like Hogwarts itself.
Harry Potter TV series locations
The gripping Harry Potter stories are being reimagined for a new TV drama series. Each series will be an adaptation of one of the books. The first season – Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone – is scheduled to air in December 2026.
A word of caution. The TV locations that we list here aren’t all entirely confirmed. Cast and crew members have been spotted in said places. As with the Harry Potter films, a large proportion of the scenes are filmed at Warner Bros Studios, just outside London in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. But, other scenes take place around the UK in places like Devon, Cornwall, Windsor and London.
Borough
The most excellent area of Borough on the south side of London Bridge is no stranger to film crews. Bridget Jones’ house was there for starters. The HBO Harry Potter crew has been sighted around Borough Market and Borough High Street in Southwark. That includes The Blue Maid pub in Borough – could it be the new Leaky Cauldron?
Embankment
It’s hard for the gigantic Hagrid to be discreet and go unnoticed. The actors playing the new Harry and Hagrid have been seen filming at Embankment tube station.
London Zoo
Given that the first series of the TV drama is Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, it must include that memorable scene in the Reptile House. The new cast playing the Dursleys have been spotted filming in that incredible Reptile House as well as at the penguin enclosure.
Kings Cross Station
This is such an important part of the Harry Potter story. Sure enough, the actors playing The Weasleys were seen filming at Kings Cross station. It’s where Harry first meets Ron and his family as they head to Hogwarts for the first time. So it’s no big surprise that Kings Cross station’s a filming location for the new TV show.
Windsor
Windsor Great Park is a grand and impressive location in real life. It’s well worth the train journey from London Waterloo. But if you need another reason, it’s said to be the filming location for Hogsmeade station.
15 of the best Harry Potter film locations in London
Leadenhall Market, City of London
42 Bulls Head Passage (currently an optician’s) in spectacular Leadenhall Market is the site of the Leaky Cauldron pub in the first Harry Potter film. In the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, another location was used. Head across London Bridge to 7 Stoney Lane in Borough Market, next door to the Market Porter Pub and underneath the railway bridge. That was the site of the Leaky Cauldron in the later film. Sadly, they don’t serve butterbeer.
Ball Court, off Cornhill
“The George and Vulture, Castle Court – City Of London.” by Jin Linwood is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Head for The George and Vulture. Next door in St Michael’s Alley, is The Jamaican Wine House, a decorative late-19th century pub. It looks just like Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley. That’s the shopping district for witches and wizards wanting to pick up a new broomstick or school supplies from the bookshop.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
“St Paul’s Cathedral” by Garry Knight is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
There’s so much history in St Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s baroque masterpiece. But did you know that it was a Hogwarts location too? The Divination Staircase in the North Tower of Hogwarts is actually the stunning geometric staircase in the South West Tower of St Paul’s Cathedral in real life. Look out for it in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Prisoner of Azkaban.
The Millennium Bridge
The fantastic opening credits scene in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince shows the Death Eaters appear out of a storm which has morphed into the shape of a skull above Tower Bridge. Staff from City Hall look on, transfixed by a scene that’s almost beyond comprehension. Voldemort’s death eaters fly over Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column and Charing Cross Road before disappearing into Diagon Alley, kidnapping Olivander the wandmaker. Finally, we see them destroy the Millennium Bridge which collapses spectacularly into the River Thames below.
Lambeth Bridge
“London, Lambeth Bridge” by Colin Smith is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Australia House (nearest tube, Temple)
The main entrance hall to the Australian High Commission on the Strand served as Gringott’s Bank for scenes in the first film, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone with Harry and Hagrid. Alas, it’s not open for you to admire the grand interior. You’ll have to see it in your mind’s eye – look beyond those walls to the goblin-mayhem happening at the wizarding bank inside.
Andy thinks the inspiration for Gringotts Wizarding Bank may actually have been The Bank of England in Threadneedle Street. It’s ‘a snowy white building burnished with bronze doors’ that went down as much as it went up. It was also staffed by goblins (and some would say it still is).
Westminster Tube Station
“Westminster station entrance 2020.jpg” by The wub is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Mr. Weasley (Ron’s dad) and Harry have to navigate the tube when visiting the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. ‘Train’s underground, genius, these muggles’.
In reality, Westminster Station had to be closed for 24 hours so filming could take place. Public toilets had to be constructed too. Imagine the real-life grumbling muggle commuters who were inconvenienced that day.
Great Scotland Yard
“Great Scotland Yard SW1” by Alan Fagen is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
If you’re looking for the guest entrance that Harry and Arthur Weasley used to get inside, you’ll be disappointed. The phone box that they entered was just a prop and isn’t there now.
Scotland Yard appears a second time on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 just before Harry, Ron and Hermione use polyjuice potion to enter the Ministry undetected.
Horse Guards Avenue
The underground toilets in Whitehall were another remarkable location in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It’s the bit where Harry, Hermione and Ron go to the Ministry of Magic to steal the locket that Dolores Umbridge has in her possession.
It’s an amazing example of merging the reality of the location with a bit of movie magic. You’ll notice that the statue in the scene exists in reality, but the Gentlemen sign doesn’t.
Cecil Court
Leadenhall Market and Borough Market may not have been the only locations for Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley. The more likely inspiration, and most often cited, is Cecil Court. It’s a charming street next to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End (near Leicester Square tube station). You’ll find shops selling theatrical memorabilia, maps, first edition children’s books and even magic stuff.
Diagon Alley could also be Goodwin’s Court, across the road. It’s hidden away in bustling Covent Garden. The south side of the court dates back to the 17th century. Andy’s insider tip is that there’s a great Italian restaurant called Giovanni’s there too.
Piccadilly Circus
“Piccadilly Circus” by Martin Kraft is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
On the run from Death Eaters at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Harry, Ron and Hermione apparate straight to the West End of London. In the books, they arrive at Tottenham Court Road and go to a nearby restaurant. For the Deathly Hallows Part I film however, the trio turn up right in front of a passing No. 19 bus in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. They arrive at night with Piccadilly’s world-famous electric lights on display, which lend a little magic of their own to this popular London destination!
Just off Piccadilly Circus, up Shaftesbury Avenue, you can spot a row of stone pillars that the trio walk past as Hermione explains where they are to the boys. Somewhere along this road is the cafe where the trio stopped to have a rest and ended up in a violent duel with Death Eaters. It’s not what you expect to accompany your cuppa is it?
London Zoo, Regent’s Park
“London Zoo – Reptile House” by William Hook is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry goes to the zoo for his cousin Dudley’s 11th birthday. In the Reptile House, he sets a Burmese python free and discovers his knowledge of parseltongue.
Is the original Reptile House from Harry Potter still at London Zoo? That Reptile House dates all the way back to 1926 (way before the Harry crew filmed there) and it’s still standing now. Whilst Harry spoke to a Burmese python there, it’s actually home to the Black Mamba snake. We’ll allow them a little creative licence though.
Palmers Green, Green Lanes
The Knight Bus comes to a sudden stop to let an old lady with a zimmer frame cross over the road right here. This scene was in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
King’s Cross Station
No Harry Potter guide would be complete without mentioning King’s Cross, the home of platform 9 ¾ and the gateway to Hogwarts. You can’t actually get on the Hogwarts Express. However, you can have your photo taken pushing a trolley through the wall, but you’ll probably have to queue with many other Harry Potterheads for the pleasure. And of course you visit the Harry Potter shop to stock up on wands, school scarves and all sorts of Hogwarts paraphernalia.
Islington
Just up the road from Kings Cross station, you’ll find Sirius Black’s family home and the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. 12 Grimmauld Place is actually a house on Claremont Square – a pretty, quiet street in Islington.
St Pancras Station
This is where Harry took off in the Ford Anglia car. Remember that classic scene?
St Pancras is a King’s Cross station stunt double in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. How so? Well the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is prettier than King’s Cross station and filmmakers thought it looked better than the real thing! So exterior shots of King’s Cross station in the film are actually St Pancras station.
Are there other locations around the UK where the Harry Potter movies were filmed?
“Entrance of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (2025).jpg” by S. Perquin is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Pickett Post Close, Bracknell, Berkshire
This unassuming three bedroom semi in a suburban cul-de-sac has a surprising alter-ego. It’s also known as 4 Privet Drive, Surrey – Harry’s Potter’s home – and it’s complete with a cupboard under the stairs.
Christ Church College, Oxford
The ‘City of Spires’, Oxford University was another location for the films. The renowned Christ Church College dates back to 1546 and its sweeping staircases and historic hallways were used as various parts of Hogwarts.
Warner Bros Studio Tour London
The Harry Potter studio tour may be branded London, but it’s actually in Leavesden, Watford. Take a train from Euston (by rights it should be King’s Cross of course) to step inside the captivating wizarding world. This is the studio where all of the Harry Potter films, and the new TV show, were made.
It’s a truly special experience for Harry Potter fans. You can see actual sets, costumes and props. Walk down Diagon Alley, through the Forbidden Forest or drink a butterbeer. Set foot in the Great Hall, enter Dumbledore’s office, gaze at Gringotts Bank and picture yourself as part of the Hogwarts family. They have seasonal themes throughout the year like Hogwarts in the Snow or the Dark Arts.
The Elephant House, Edinburgh
It’s not a film location, but it is an important part of Harry Potter history. This cosy cafe on the George IV bridge was where JK Rowling wrote the novel. It proudly claims to be the ‘birthplace of Harry Potter.’ She didn’t write here exclusively, so some argue that claim. But it’s a lovely place to enjoy a cuppa and a view of Edinburgh castle.
FAQs
How can I visit Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station?
We hate to break it to you, but that platform only exists for those entering Hogwarts. You do have a couple of photo opportunities to reenact pushing a luggage trolley through the wall though. The first one is at King’s Cross Station, beside the Harry Potter Shop. Expect to queue.
The closest experience to visiting Platform 9¾ is at the Warner Bros Studio Tour where you can see the Hogwarts Express as well as posing by the luggage trolley.
Where can I find free Harry Potter sites in London?
Muggles rejoice! There are many places in London linked to Harry Potter that you can visit free. For example, you can wander freely around King’s Cross station and outside St Pancras station. You can follow in Harry, Ron and Hermione’s footsteps in Borough, Leadenhall Market, Piccadilly Circus and the various locations around Westminster listed above. You can even have a photo next to the bronze statue of Harry in Leicester Square. You could also browse the enormous new Harry Potter shop on Oxford Street at no cost, but good luck with avoiding temptation there!
Which is the best Harry Potter experience in London?
It’s a little way outside London, but the Warner Bros Studio Tour near Watford is a truly memorable experience for Harry Potter fans. In central London, our Harry Potter walking tour is pure magic too. One of our guides is an actual magician! We pack so much into two hours – unmissable film locations, fascinating tales, scintillating storytelling and a few historical quirks.
Is there a London Harry Potter walking tour around the Harry Potter locations in London?
You’re in luck. You don’t have to navigate the myriad Harry Potter locations on your own. Let one of our expert guides show you the magic places around London. They may be mere muggles, but they really know their stuff. And they’ll bring behind-the-scenes stories to life for you.
Join our Harry Potter Walking Tour on Saturday mornings, starting from Bank tube station.
Harry Potter: “Can we find all this in London?”
Hagrid: “If yeh know where to go.”
Pippa Jackson
Pippa is a word nerd and content aficionado with a background of working in TV on both sides of the globe. She loves to discover and share the diverse and wonderful stories of her much-loved London. When she’s not writing blogs and articles, you’ll find her walking beside the Thames or even paddleboarding on it (in the finest of conditions only!) or enjoying a coffee in the sunshine with a good book.
David Tucker
David – the Seigneur of this favoured realm – broods over words, breeds enthusiasms and is “unmanageable.”* He’s a balterer, literary historian, university lecturer, journalist, logophile and lifelong thanatophobe. For good measure, he’s the doyen of London guides.