Introduction:
Did you know that there is a Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour not far from London? Well, I didn’t before we were booking our trip to London. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is a fantastic exhibit of The Making of Harry Potter. You will be able to experience original sets, creatures made with animatronics (moving) and some special effects. Also, there is live theatre performances, which are short, but still, it’s a nice plus.
I was kind of excited of seeing actual movie sets and in general what I would be able to see there. I did not do any research at all about the content of the tour, because I wanted to be surprised by the tour. My other half on the other hand was super excited as a Harry Potter fan, which was great to watch as she tried to explain everything about Harry Potter to me.
The studio tour has different themes depending on the season. During our visit they had Dark Arts (Halloween kind of theme). From 16th of November, they will have Hogwarts in the snow. Read more about the different themes here. Just to be specific about the studio tour, this is not a guided tour, but you are not continuously allowed to walk freely, so it’s kind of a semi-guided tour I would say.
I would say that this tour has a big significance for all the Harry Potter fans out there in the UK or the rest of the world. But do not worry if you are not a Harry Potter fan, it will not bore you. Although it helps if you have seen at least a few Harry Potter movies to understand some of the content on the tour. Bear in mind that this is a popular tour, but you should be able to manage any problems as long as you follow my tips in this post. For other savings tips check out my post on 56 cheap travel tips.
Tickets
Luckily, we managed to get tickets to the tour before our arrival to London although it was close that we would have been left without tickets due to the fact that they sell out really fast. But we managed to get tickets through a third-party provider (GetYourGuide) that also included a Thames River Tour (24h ticket). We used the Thames River tickets on another day.
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There are a lot of other third-party ticket providers, so if you buy tickets to the tour from a third party and not directly from Warner Bros. make sure it is a trustworthy provider. I have found that GetYourGuide is a very reliable place to buy tickets from. We ended up paying about 92€ (76 pounds) per ticket, so 184€ (152 pounds) in total and these were only entry tickets. No transportation from or to London.
The cheapest entry tickets are provided by Warner Bros. Studio Tour London on their website, starting from 67€ (56 pounds), but they go fast so book them in advance if you are able to. We were unfortunately not able to book them early since our trip to London was basically booked only a few weeks in advance. At the moment the next available tickets (only few left) through Warner Bros. Studio Tour London are in the middle of January, so you might have to book your tickets at least two months ahead. That is, if you want the cheapest tickets or packages with bus transfers.
Getting There:
Since the studio tour is in Watford it is not really within walking distance from London. There are several ways how you can get to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London from the London City center. Here are some ways:
- By train + shuttle bus (cheapest)
- Bus transfers (buy separately or a package that includes both entry ticket and transfers)
- Own/ Rent car (there is a big parking area at the studio that is free of charge)
- Taxi/ Private transfer (probably the most expensive alternative)
We took the underground to London Euston Station and from there we took the West Midlands Railway train to Watford Junction Railway Station. The train ride took about 20 minutes. Next to the train station there is a bus stop area and there are also some signs showing your way towards the shuttle busses so do not worry, there is some guidance so you should not get lost. The only thing you need to get on the shuttle bus is an entry ticket or in our case the voucher we bought from GetYourGuide and show it to the driver.
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At first, I thought that this would be much more difficult than the bus transfers, but I think this was way easier than I initially thought. So, if you want to save some money and enjoy nice Harry Potter commentary during your shuttle bus ride then this is the best option by far in my mind. The shuttle bus ride only took about 15 minutes (between Watford Junction Railway Station and Warner Bros. Studio Tour), but on our way back due to rush hour traffic it took maybe 20-25 minutes. We never had to wait for the bus. They were always on the bus stop waiting, which was very convenient.
Entrance and First Impressions:
Before you even got to the entrance the atmosphere in the shuttle bus on our way to the studio was great. Once we got to the studio some rushed towards the entrance. We stayed to take some picture by the huge wands that was on display outside. They also had big chess pieces outside the entrance. The entrance was like one I think you could see at an amusement park like Disneyland.
Before we could go to the entrance, we had to change our GetYourGuide vouchers to real entry tickets. So, we did that next to the entrance (on the left side of the first picture). I had with me a printed ticket, but you should be able to get your tickets with showing a mobile voucher, but if it is possible I recommend having a printed copy with you (just in case). It did not take long to get the tickets and after the tickets were scanned at the entrance you are required to go through an airport style security check. They will check your bags, but it shouldn’t take a long time.
There is a cloakroom by the entrance, but the que wasn’t moving, because they only had one employee working there so we decided to keep our jackets with us, which was quite good since there was good air conditioning in the studio tour. The staff was polite and helpful. Before you get to the area where the studio tour starts you can enjoy the café and the facilities but remember that you should be on time when your tour time begins. You will also have the possibility to enjoy the café and the shop etc. after your tour ends. To help you out here is a map of the studio tour.
The Great Hall:
The Great Hall was the first big wow factor during the tour. Before you get to the Great Hall you are gathered in a big group. So, it is really difficult to get any photos of the Great Hall without dozens of other visitors. That’s why I only have one here of the pumpkins hanging from the celing. Since I am not a big Harry Potter fan, I will not be explaining every little detail about it at what it is about. But I will give you an idea about what you will see.
First, this hall is a big one, with long tables that have partly real food and partly fake food. I could not tell which was real and what was fake. That’s how good they were made. There are some manekins of Harry Potter characters in the hall and the pumpkins gave a good Halloween vibe, since our visit was during Halloween week. The only downside was that it was a bit crowded.
Iconic Sets and Props:
After the Great Hall we continued the tour and got to see some theater performance by Death Eaters and Dementors. I thought it was great to see some theater performance, because we were thinking that we could have gone to see the Harry Potter & the Cursed Child theater performance in London, but we were too late since the tickets were already so high and almost sold out. After the short performances you could take pictures with the performers and at several locations across the studio tour. I highly recommend to enhance your experience with a free photo!
Along the tour you can see recreations of sets you have seen in the Harry Potter movies that are made to the smallest details. I think the attention to the details was good along the whole tour. Other things you will see is the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 3/4, Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, and Diagon Alley. You will see lots of manekins, wands and other sets aswell, but I do not want to give too many spoilers. One of my favorites though was the stunning Gringotts Wizarding Bank. A bank with a truly spectacular appearance!
Interactive Exhibits and Activities:
You will have the possibility of a green screen experience where you get to fly on a broomstick, and they will make a video of it for you to purchase later on. We did not experience this, but it was fun to watch others fake flying while sitting on a broomstick and pretending to fly through London.
During the Dark Arts theme some eager wand users could get the possibility to try their magic against the Dark Eaters. It was more like a theatrical performance, but a thing that includes in the ticket price and everyone can participate. At the end where you have the costume designs (of goblins etc.) you can see how you can make Dobby move interactively. Fun for kids, but also for adults.
The Forbidden Forest and Platform 9¾:
When you enter the Forbidden Forest there is a spooky gate and the forest has a lot of smoke and spider webs on the ceilings and trees. Once you move deeper into the forest you can meet the interactive spiders (including Aragog) and Dementors. The staff was yet again explaining what is happening when the spiders and Dementors are moving and how the visitors can participate in defeating them. You will also see Buckbeak which is interactive, but it didn’t move as much as I hoped for.
The Hogwarts Express and Platform 9¾ was one of the most impressive and anticipated things during the tour. The lokomotiv looked great and just like in the movies with some smoke coming from the chimney. There was a shop right across the train. You could also take a step onboard. In the trains cabins they have staged every compartment like they have been in the movies. You will also have a possibility for a green screen experience here and have your picture taken onboard the Hogwarts Express, just like you would be in a Harry Potter movie on your way to Hogwarts. We did not participate in this experience either.
Shopping and Dining:
Now about shopping and dining a bit closer. There are several cafés and shops you can visit, and the names are well thought of, inspired by the Harry Potter movies. After the entrance, but before you enter the studio tour you have the Chocolate Frog Café that serves hot chocolate, coffee, ice cream, milkshakes, and small cakes. Also, you have the Food Hall. They have both the breakfast and lunch menu. Or try the Hub Café for a Starbucks like experience.
During the studio tour, you have the chance to visit the Backlot café, which is in the middle of the tour. They also have a breakfast and lunch menu. Try the Butterbeer (it is very sweet, like drinking candy)! We shared a Butterbeer and loaded chilli fries, which cost us about 17€ (14 pounds). To read more about the food and drink options and the different cafés menus go here.
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour has three shops onsite:
- The Studio Shop (before and after the tour)
- The Forbidden Forest Shop (after the forbidden forest)
- The Railway Shop (next to or across the Hogwarts Express)
Like all theme park shops these shops were expensive, but money is probably no obstacle for true fans. We only bought a 9 3/4 lollipop and a hair clip for my better half. They cost about 10€ (8 pounds). Be prepared to que for a while, since there will be a lot of enthusiastic fans buying things like capes, wands, candy, stuffed animals etc.
Conclusion of Harry Potter Studio Tour:
The staff was great at trying to make the experience the best possible and for the visitors to feel like they were in the Harry Potter movies. I tried to share the best tips I learned from my experience, so you can utilize the tips that are most useful in making your experience the best possible while not spending so much money. So if I were to do this trip all over again, I would do the following:
- Book entry tickets through Warner Bros. Studio Tour London in advance (approx. 3 months in advance).
- Wear comfortable shoes. We spent about 5 hours at the studio tour. The usual time spent by visitors is about 3,5 hours.
- Use public transportation methods (underground + train + shuttle bus) since it was the cheapest and you have no limited amount of time to spend at the studio tour. The bus transfer packages usually only allow you to stay up to 4 hours at the studio tour.
- Be on time and preferably in the first two tour groups.
- To get the best pictures try to be among the first to get through to the next area and/ or take your time to wait for the biggest mass of visitors to get past.
- Get one small Butterbeer (Non-alcoholic drink reminiscent of shortbread & butterscotch) and share it, since the butterbeer is way too sweet.
- Don’t know if you want souvenirs or not? Don’t worry there are plenty of Harry Potter souvenirs sold in different shops in London. There is in fact a Harry Potter shop at Kings Cross Station.
I think that for me, who is not a Harry Potter fan, this studio tour is not a must. It can though be fun to see how movies are made and the beautiful sets that they have recreated at the studio. It is quite spectacular. For true Harry Potter fans I would say it is definitely a must. Go there, spend time there, enjoy the experience!
Have you been to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or if you have additional tips to share.
Go see more pictures from the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour on Instagram and please follow to stay updated with new content. Next week I will be posting about our stay at Hotel Saint in London.
This post has been enhanced using AI for text improvement.