If you're a Harry Potter fan, or like us, part of what we call the "Harry Potter Generation," you've probably considered visiting the Warner Bros. studios in London.
Today we'll tell you everything you need to know about the studios before you go, in great detail. We've prepared a video with all the detailed information, so if you want to go faster, we'll leave it HERE .
I remember being 14 years old, Harry Potter was in full swing, the films came out annually, and we still didn't know how the finale would end, as the final book hadn't even been published yet. I was absolutely in love with the saga; it was my refuge and the place where I felt understood (like so many thousands of this and other generations), and I admired Emma Watson. I daydreamed all day imagining that I too was an actress and was in a film studio instead of those tedious classrooms. Although today I'm grateful to have spent my childhood in a school classroom (and how lucky I am for that!), for me, the magic of cinema remains unique and has never ceased to captivate me. Hence, one of the best birthday gifts I've ever received was a ticket to the Harry Potter studios. Just how special it was, it was already promising. It didn't disappoint.
One of the most special moments was seeing the sweater Hermione wore in the first film on display, identical to the one I had (and which I obviously always wanted to wear from then on). I was transported back to that movie theater in Barcelona where, at age 9, I first met Harry Potter. Without even knowing it, I began to build the person I would become, and to fall in love with the city that would make her dream and fight for her dreams.
TICKETS . The big question: where and when to buy your tickets. There are many types of tickets. We recommend the simplest, which includes only studio access. Here's the link for the tickets .
Many tickets are also sold with transportation to the studios. We believe they do this to get extra on transfers, so they sell you the "zero hassle" option so you decide to buy transportation and a ticket for almost double what it's actually worth (getting to the studios is very easy, we'll explain more about that later).
The only problem is that tickets sell out way in advance, so if you run out on the official website, you'll find much more expensive tickets elsewhere or at other agencies (if that happens to you, we'll leave you the best link to buy tickets if they're sold out on the official website we'll leave you the best link to buy tickets if they're sold out on the official website .
The early bird catches the worm, so if you want the best deal, book your ticket early. During peak season, tickets sell out up to six months in advance.
A question we get asked a lot when they come on tours and don't have tickets is whether it's worth it to arrive at the studios without a ticket and ask for last-minute tickets. We asked three different people at the studios, and they all told us the same thing: don't do it. As you can imagine, there aren't many leftover tickets, so it makes things very difficult for them if people show up at the ticket window without tickets. Chances are you've spent money on transportation and almost three hours of your time wandering around, for nothing. If you didn't get tickets, you'll have to return to London. We'll always be waiting for you.
HOW DO I GET THERE? Okay, Sandra, I already have my ticket, just like you told me, without transportation, from the website. Now, how do I get there?
The fastest way is by train. It departs from Euston Station, right next to King's Cross (if you've listened to our podcast episode about Harry Potter, you'll have already learned that JK Rowling had this station in mind when describing King's Cross in the books).
Here we leave you our favorite website to book your train ticket .
Depending on which area of London you're in, you can also take the Overground . The Overground is a subway line, but it runs on the outside (like a train) instead of underground. It doesn't go through central London, but in this case, it'll be great, since you're even going beyond London's Zone 6. In fact, technically, the studios are on the outskirts of London. But don't listen to me; the point is, with how well-connected this city is, you don't even need to know where the studios are.
Since knowledge takes up no space, and in case you're curious, we'll tell you they're in Leavesden (a place steeped in history and very old, by the way, but that's another story). Your goal, however, is this: Watford Junction .
The journey will take you about 25 minutes.
If you have any questions about public transport in London, here's a video .
So, you know, train or overground to Watford Junction. And what happens when you get there?
You'll most likely get off the train with a lot of people going to the same place as you. In fact, there are signs at the station advising you to get off there if you're going to the studios. It's really all so intuitive that there are no problems or mistakes; no one can beat the English when it comes to organization and practicality.
When you leave the station, right outside the door, you'll see a bus stop with buses with huge Harry Potter letters. Just hop on that bus, and be careful because it's completely free . Show your ticket and you're off.
The only downside is that it's not the Knight Bus. But don't be too disappointed, because it takes you along a beautiful path, while a video shows you everything you'll see and prepares you for your visit. And that's when the adventure begins.
To return to London, you have to do exactly the same thing, but in reverse. And don't worry, because the bus services last until the studios are empty, meaning that if they close, you can hop on a bus back. There are trains back to London.
WHAT TO EXPECT? Okay, we've gotten through the tedious and boring part. Get your wand out because now comes the real deal.
You often ask what's in the studios and what the difference is between them and the ones in Orlando. Well, these studios are a movie set. It's literally the place where the entire film crew and actors went every day to work on the films. That's where they worked tirelessly for 10 years to create the true magic of Harry Potter. In other words, the place we all dreamed of going to as kids.
It's not an amusement park, nor is it a place to get your adrenaline pumping. It's more like a holy place for fans of the series.
This film set wasn't meant to be maintained, as is generally the case with all films. They recreate it, build it, and then dismantle it, and the studio takes it over for another film. I honestly can't imagine how much it must cost to dismantle it. Honestly, until you see with your own eyes the hours and hours of work that go into it, you don't fully believe it. Obviously, it's not in vain, and it doesn't have any other purpose, nor would there be space in the world to keep all these sets set up, so they create it for filming and then dismantle everything.
The success of the Harry Potter films was such that they decided to use all the material they had and turn these studios into a museum.
What does this mean exactly? Well, you'll see thousands of objects ( props , as they are called in English) and material used during the films, and even entire film sets. They've prepared a tour with a little bit of everything so you can learn, reveal all the secrets, and see a summary of those 10 years of work. This means that not all the sets are the "real" ones.
Some, like Diagon Alley or the Great Hall, are. The reason for this is pretty obvious. They needed these sets for every film, so they set them up and left them up. Others, like the Ministry of Magic (which Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe says is the most impressive he's ever seen), were taken down, and now they've put a small portion of it on display so you can imagine. Some are reused multiple times for different purposes, and some will be right next to each other while filming. For example, (I'm making this up), it's said that on one side was Dumbledore's office, and on the other, the Malfoys' dining room... the magic of movies!
The tour is enormous; you could easily spend about four hours inside these studios, and it's easy to imagine these actors with golf carts going from one side of the studio to the other.
They also show you the work of the entire team behind the scenes: carpenters, electricians, cameramen, focus pullers, makeup artists, hairstylists, special effects artists, inventors, painters, and so on—authentic artists who create wonders. They also show you wigs, machines designed specifically for the films, and fake masks (like Mrs. Doubtfire's) for thousands of characters.
Our favorite thing was a kind of backpack with Hagrid's face on it, so realistic it was almost shocking to see! The extra had to put it on top of him to make him look much bigger. In the books, Hagrid is 3 meters tall, but in the movies, despite all their efforts, they could make him look at most 2.5 meters tall. It's not that easy!
Other interesting things we discovered and liked were the decorative details. For example, in Dumbledore's office, you can see a thousand books in the background. They're old telephone directories (obviously, no one uses them anymore) covered in leather to give the antique look. Or the more than 350 paintings seen throughout the films at Hogwarts, which were hand-painted. Many members of the film crew posed to have them painted live and appear in one of the paintings during the films.
You'll have the opportunity to take photos , some of which mimic the techniques they use to create in-camera effects. However, there are a couple of photographs you'll have to pay for. For example, you can record a video of yourself flying on a broomstick in front of the iconic Green Chroma key, and the price of that video is 16 pounds.
And there's not one, not two, but four strollers to take photos as if you were entering platform 9 and ¾ of King's Cross (these are free).
In short, a tour that offers a lot and that you will enjoy to the fullest if you are a true magician.
RECOMMENDATIONS . You already know how to get there and what you'll see there, but we still have some tips, notes, recommendations, or whatever you want to call them, that might be helpful.
- Keep in mind that everything is in English . Yes, we don't understand why, but everything is only in English. It's not really a huge problem because you can easily translate the texts, and it's more about seeing than hearing. But all the staff working there, who know absolutely everything about the films, speak English. Likewise, the way you enter the studios (which is a surprise) includes content only... in English. You're in luck; we're also sharing many of the instructions they'll give you in this post ;).
- You can take photos of ALMOST everything . Except for the first 10 minutes, during which you're not allowed to take any photos (or they politely ask you not to, as they're English). You can photograph and record the rest of the tour as much as you like. Even so, try not to reveal too many secrets to your friends or acquaintances who come to visit the studios; we firmly believe that magic needs a sense of surprise.
- Bring your own food . Halfway through the tour, you'll come to a dining hall with a restaurant. The restaurant's food is of fairly poor quality and quite expensive. So, if you're craving a good meal, bring your own food, even if it's just a sandwich, a bottle of water, and some nuts. Plus, you'll avoid waiting in line. They move quickly, but in peak season, no matter how fast they go, it's still too much "wasted" time. If you'd like to try the Butterbeer, go for it yourself... for us, there's no doubt about it, it's awful! However, keep in mind that you won't be allowed to eat or drink (excluding water, of course) during the tour, only in this restaurant or the one at the entrance.
- Cloakroom use . When you arrive at the studios, you'll be offered a free cloakroom service. You can leave whatever you want there, but keep in mind that a portion (albeit a small one) of the tour is outdoors, so if you're visiting the studios during the colder months, you won't need a coat. We didn't leave it; in fact, even if it's indoors, it was also helpful for us. Obviously, it's up to you, but keep this in mind. The same goes for bringing your own food. You'll need to bring it with you, as you'll only return to the cloakroom after completing the entire tour.
- Keep in mind that what's seen is seen . The tour is designed to be one-way, so enjoy everything you see because you'll leave it behind and won't be able to return.
- You don't have to be ultra-punctual . Obviously, I'm not saying you can arrive three hours late, but they're quite flexible. As long as you have a ticket and are more or less within your time slot, you'll be fine. In fact, chances are, between arriving, using the bathroom, getting a coffee, and joining the tour ticket queue, you'll end up getting in later. This means that if, for whatever reason, your train is delayed, the bus doesn't arrive, or you make any mistakes in your timing, you won't have to worry because they'll let you in.
- Don't buy a ticket with transport . I think this has been made clear, but just in case, or in case you've skipped straight to this section. It's very easy to get to the studios, so don't overpay. Buy a single ticket and get to the studios yourself by train. The round-trip train fare is around 20 pounds, and you can pay easily by swiping your credit or debit card at the station turnstile or using your Oyster card (if you have any questions about transport, we have the "Quick Guide to London Transport" reel on our Instagram that will answer all your questions).
- Don't go to the studios without a ticket . Again, in case it wasn't clear, you have virtually no chance of getting there and entering the studios at the last minute. So don't waste your time in London trying to get a ticket at the ticket window.
- Don't be afraid to go in costume . Many people ask us if it's crazy to go in costume, and we assure you it's NOT. Many people go in costume, and you can even bring a wand or a scarf so you can take photos like a true professional. If you go in costume, you won't be alone.
- And finally, a warning . On the tour, you'll find tons of effects, sounds, smoke, and lights, and the shows are constantly changing , but they'll put on short shows with actors simulating Death Eaters. Touching them is prohibited, and they won't do it with you, but if you're going with fearful little ones (like I was), explain what they're about to see. In fact, the whole point of the studios is discovering the magic behind all those effects, so it's ideal for overcoming that "fear." Likewise, if for whatever reason you're really scared of something (spiders, for example), let a member of the team know, and they'll help you avoid areas where you might see something that might make you suffer. The whole team is really great. They love their jobs and will help you with everything.
And since we love curiosities, we'll leave you with two:
- These studios were created during World War II, in 1940, and were actually built as airfields, where they built and stored airplanes and light aircraft for the war effort. In the 1990s, given their size, they were converted into studios for the James Bond films. They used these studios because none were left, and they needed a new one. Their fate was sealed in 2001 when Harry Potter arrived.
- Technically, these studios aren't in London, but in Hertfordshire. If you're a literary fan, you'll be familiar with this name, as the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice lives in Hertfordshire (but it takes them half a day by carriage to get to London, not the 40 minutes it will take you).
With all this, I think you're more than ready for this very special and magical visit. But, most importantly, remember that you're there to have a good time, and, as we say on our tours, magic exists if you know how to see it. The magic belongs to you and the thousands of fans who come here every day, so enjoy it and your visit to this wonderful place.
If you're still hungry for more, our Harry Potter tours are as magical as the studios , because we're top-notch Hogwarts students. We visit filming locations and share with you a thousand details and secrets about the saga and London's iconic and filming locations.
You can book a private tour:https://www.julietsbridge.com/products/the-harry-potter-london-tour
or sign up for our Free Tour: https://www.julietsbridge.com/products/free-tour-harry-potter
We look forward to meeting you.
Until then,
Mischief done
👩🏻🦰
