More about: 16 Harry Potter Locations in London: Complete Guide
If you're a big fan of the Harry Potter saga, you can make the most of your visit to the British capital by spending a different kind of day following an original route through its streets to visit the most famous locations from the films. Here are the essential places from the saga to visit on your own or with one of the many tours of Harry Potter locations in London. Grab your wizard's hat and magic wand and set off to discover the most magical side of the city!
1. King's Cross Station is Platform 9¾
One of the most famous places in the Harry Potter saga is Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station, which gave access to the platform where the Hogwarts Express departed for the famous school of magic and sorcery.
You'll find Platform 9¾ right next to the entrance to platforms 9 to 11 inside King's Cross Station. There you can take a photo with the prop trolley that appears in the film, and next to it is one of the official Harry Potter shops, where you can buy all kinds of souvenirs from the films. I recommend taking a look there because they have some really interesting things, although there are other Harry Potter shops in London that are also very cool.
- Address: Euston Rd, London N1 9AL, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, Circle, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
2. Borough Market is the Leaky Cauldron
In the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Leaky Cauldron, a tavern and inn for wizards, was located on Diagon Alley, represented at the time by Leadenhall Market. However, for the third film in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the tavern was moved to another location, Borough Market, in the premises that are now a florist's shop.
- Address: 8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, London Underground station, Jubilee and Northern lines.
3. Leadenhall Market is Diagon Alley
The Victorian architecture of Leadenhall Market was the perfect setting for Diagon Alley in the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was dedicated to the sale of magical products. It was here that young Harry had his first encounter with the world of wizardry.
- Address: Gracechurch St, London EC3V 1LT, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By tube, Monument station, Circle and District lines
4. 25 Claremont Square is the residence of Sirius Black
At number 25 Claremont Square is this Georgian-style house that represents the residence where Sirius Black lived at number 12 Grimmauld Place, which appears in the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
- Address: 25 Claremont Square
- How to get there: By tube, Angel station, Northern line.
5. The façade of St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is the entrance to King's Cross Station.
In the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the façade of St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel appears as the entrance to King's Cross Station when Harry and Ron take Mr. Weasley's flying car to get to Hogwarts in time for the first day of school.
- Address: Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, King's Cross St. Pancras station, Circle, Metropolitan, Piccadilly, Victoria, Northern and Hammersmith & City lines.
6. The Australian Embassy is the interior of Gringotts Bank
The spectacular interior of the Australian Embassy in London was used to recreate the famous impregnable bank from the wizarding world run by goblins in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was accessed via Diagon Alley. As it is a diplomatic building, visits are not permitted, but you can at least take a souvenir selfie outside.
- Address: Strand, London WC2B 4LA, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, Temple station, Circle and District lines
7. The South African Embassy is the entrance to Gringotts Bank from the outside
The curious columned façade of the South African Embassy in London was another location used to recreate Gringotts Bank in this magical universe. You'll find this striking building in Trafalgar Square, in the heart of London.
- Address: South Africa House 9 Duncannon Street Trafalgar Square London (London) WC2N 5DP United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, Charing Cross station, Bakerloo and Northern lines.
8. The terraced houses on Claremont Square are the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
In the fifth instalment of the saga, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the terraced houses that appear in the film represent the Order of the Phoenix headquarters and are located in Claremont Square. However, it is said to be inspired by London's largest public square, Lincoln's Inn Field.
- Address: Claremont Square
- How to get there: By underground, Angel station, Northern line.
9. A red telephone box is the entrance to the Ministry of Magic
In the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, one of the typical red phone boxes scattered throughout the city is the entrance for guests to the Ministry of Magic, which Harry and Mr Weasley use to get inside.
However, you won't find the phone box from the film on the streets of London as it was made especially for that film. Nevertheless, you can take a photo in any other telephone box, for example in Parliament Street. Who knows... you might discover another entrance to the Ministry of Magic.
- Address: Parliament Street.
- How to get there: By underground, Westminster station, Circle, District and Jubilee lines.
10. The reptile terrarium at London Zoo
London Zoo is located in Regent's Park, one of the royal parks of the British capital. It is in the reptile terrarium where, in the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry discovers that he can speak Parseltongue with snakes and give his nasty cousin Dudley a good scare.
- Address: Outer Circle, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, Regent's Park station, Bakerloo line.
11. Millennium Bridge
This bridge appears in the series on several occasions. It features in "The Philosopher's Stone", "The Order of the Phoenix" and "The Half-Blood Prince", but it is in the latter that it serves as the setting for a spectacular scene.
In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" , the Millennium Bridge is blown up when Voldemort's Death Eaters destroy it in retaliation against the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.
- Address: Thames Embankment, London, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, Blackfriars station, Circle and District lines.
12. Tower Bridge and London City Hall
In this same scene from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, when the Millennium Bridge is destroyed, you can also see Tower Bridge and London City Hall, Trafalgar Square and St Paul's Cathedral, among others, in the distance. A quick and somewhat calamitous overview of several of the monuments in central London.
- Address: Tower Bridge
- How to get there: By underground, London Bridge station, Jubilee and Northern lines.
13. Westminster Station
In the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when the young wizard has to go and make a statement at the Ministry of Magic, he takes the tube with Mr Weasley to Westminster Station, the closest station to the Ministry of Magic.
In the scene, Mr Weasley is amazed by the underground and how the turnstiles work. To avoid getting confused like him when using this mode of transport, don't miss this practical guide to the London Underground, which will be very helpful for getting around.
- Address: London SW1A 2JR, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By tube, Westminster station, Circle, District and Jubilee lines.
14. Piccadilly Circus
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, the trio escape from an attack by Death Eaters during a wedding and teleport to Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of London, where they are almost run over by one of the city's iconic red buses. This place is always bustling with tourists and Londoners, where they can blend in with the crowd without attracting attention.
Another action scene from ** Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1** was filmed between Piccadilly Circus and Regent's Street , in which the young wizards clash with Death Eaters in a local café.
- Address: London W1J 9HP, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By underground, Piccadilly station, Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.
15. The shop windows of Diagon Alley in Cecil Court
To recreate Diagon Alley in the films, inspiration was taken from various streets in London, one of which was Cecil Court. The colourful shop windows here, filled with curious objects and books, are somewhat reminiscent of the legendary alleyway in the Harry Potter films.
- Address: Cecil Court
- How to get there: By tube, Leicester Square station, Northern and Piccadilly lines
16. Surbiton Railway Station
After the Death Eaters attacked the Millennium Bridge in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore meets Harry at a train station in Surbiton, about 20 minutes by train from central London.
If you are in the area, it is quite interesting to see, but otherwise, I don't think it is really worth making a special trip to this location.
- Address: Victoria Rd, Surbiton KT6 4PE, United Kingdom
- How to get there: By train from London Waterloo station