Helpful Tips for Visiting the Harry Potter Studio in London

As soon as I booked my trip to London, the first thing I did was schedule the day when I would go to the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour to explore the sets of the Wizarding World! From my experience and all my research I have been able to  put together this guide on helpful tips for visiting the Harry Potter Studio in London including what to expect, where to buy tickets, what to see, and how to get there.

Helpful Tips for Visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London

Book in Advance!

Because the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London is a popular attraction, tickets sell out very quickly. It is highly recommended that you book your tickets as far in advance as you can to ensure that you’ll get the desired time and date that you want to go. They also don’t sell tickets at the door, so you really have to make sure you book in advance.

PRO TIP #1:

Schedule your ticket time for as early as you possibly can because there is no limit on how much time you spend on the studio tour. If you book earlier, you have as much time as you want to meander, explore, and read every single little detail.

Ticket Prices

Adult (Ages 16 years and above) £31

Child (Ages 5 to 15 years) £23.50

There are also group tickets available for families

PRO TIP #2: 

Make sure to print out your booking confirmation whenever you receive it via email to make the process much smoother once you arrive. This is absolutely necessary! You will use this confirmation to print out your actual tickets at a kiosk near the main entrance (unless you opt to pick them up at the ticket window). The kiosk is super easy to use!

Location

The Harry Potter Studio Tour in London is actually just outside of London’s city center, which means you’re going to have to plan how you get there. You can get to the studio by train, bus, or car. My preferred method was car but this was because we had a hire car for our time in the UK. If you are driving or want to take a bus, you can look at some of those routes on their official website.

Use the Warner Bros Journey Tool to plan your trip via rail, car or shuttle.

PRO TIP #3

There is both an express train to Watford Junction (meaning it goes direct with no stops in between) AND a local train (meaning it stops at every station along the way). The express train will get you there in about 20 minutes, while the local train will get you there in about 1 hour.

PRO TIP #4

Bring £2.50 in CASH for your round-trip return shuttle bus ticket. Once you exit the train station, the bus will be directly to the front of the entrance in the parking lot. Since they run every so often, there may or may not be one there; but rest assured it will come and you will notice. The bus is hard to miss because of all the Harry Potter images on it.

PRO TIP #5

Plan to arrive at the Harry Potter Studio tour at least 20 minutes before your scheduled time to guarantee entry. The lines can be crazy during peak times of the year, so it’s best to be prepared!

No Food Inside

There is a cafe near the end of the tour where you can purchase a delicious butter beer (about £3) and, for adults, there is also beer and wine available.

Before and after the tour, there is a cafe and Starbucks inside the main entrance where you can also purchase food and drinks.

PRO TIP #6

If you’d rather save your money for souvenirs instead of food at the [slightly overpriced] cafe, pack yourself a little lunch or some snacks for the day. There is a large lunchroom right outside the cafe where you can sit down to eat about halfway through the studio tour. You won’t be able to eat or drink while you’re walking through the tour, but you can surely save it for later!

PRO TIP #7

Don’t worry if you’re not in front of the line to get in through the front doors of The Great Hall because the room will eventually clear out as people pass through to the next room. This is where you can begin to move at your own pace. Be patient and just hang back because the crowd will eventually go ahead. You’ll be able to capture those images without people in the background if you really want.

Get a Photo of yourself on a Broomstick

If you’re really dying for this year’s Christmas card to be on the back of a broomstick, prepare to pay a pretty penny and wait in line. My recommendation is to head straight for the green screen area once you leave the Great Hall. You will pass through a huge area with all the movie sets and props, but you’ll beat everyone to the line. Once you’re finished, go back and start from the beginning.

Souvenirs

It goes without saying that you can fairly easily break the bank inside the gift shop. Good news is you can take photos throughout the studios so, at the very least, you’ll come home with lots of memories! I personally couldn’t go without trying the Bertie Botts every flavour beans! Was pretty funny tasting the vomit one!

PRO TIP #8

Watch all the movies before you go! It will make the experience so much cooler to be able to know exactly what you’re looking at when you walk through each room.

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