UK “Harry Potter” Studio Tour: Step into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Text & Photos by /Miss kitB

One of the most anticipated highlights of my trip to London this time: the Harry Potter Studio Tour!

I thought the organizers had arranged everything for me, but when I arrived, I found out I had to book the tickets online myself! And it happened to be the weekend — there was a chance I might not get in! What the heck?! Turns out the Harry Potter Studio is not like a theme park where you can just buy a ticket at the door and walk in. It’s based on timed group entries, so you have to pre-book your entry slot online, and each time slot has a limited number of people.

Even though you enter at the same time slot, you don’t all walk through together during the tour. When you first arrive, everyone in the same time slot listens to a briefing, watches a video, and then walks through the doors into the Great Hall together. After that part of the presentation, you’re free to explore the rest of the studio at your own pace.

Luckily, I’m pretty good at thinking on my feet, and I had borrowed a WiFi egg so I could get unlimited internet access. I quickly booked the next day’s tickets on my phone, and then started figuring out how to get from London to the Warner Bros. Studios out in the suburbs.

The Harry Potter Studio is located in a place called “Watford Junction,” which is a bit of a distance from London. From YHA London St Pancras, you can walk to the nearby “London Euston” train station to catch a train there. Because there’s a specific entry time, being late means you can’t get in, so you need to calculate your travel time carefully before you go. And when you’re unfamiliar with the area, it’s best to play it safe — better to have a bit of wiggle room.

You can check train schedules and travel times online. British trains are quite systematic and punctual (at least I didn’t encounter any serious delays during my two-week trip). The train ride from London to Watford Junction takes less than 20 minutes, and you can buy your ticket at the station on the day of travel.

When I got to the station, I saw a bunch of self-service ticket machines — perfect, I hate having to deal with humans XD

Even though there are tons of train lines going to and from the station, once I got to the machine, I realized it wasn’t hard to buy the ticket I needed. A one-way ticket for the 20-minute journey is £9.5, and a round trip is £16.2 — a bit pricey, huh? Not really expensive compared to what I’d spent on other things, but still, if you plan ahead, you can save some money.

After buying the ticket, I went to the platform to check the fastest train. The train departure boards at British stations look like this — once you take a closer look, they’re actually pretty easy to understand, not as scary as they seem.

British train tickets often come in a bunch — sometimes for seat reservations, sometimes just receipts. Make sure you keep an eye on which one is the actual ticket! (On my first train trip, I just handed all my tickets to the staff and asked which one I should use to get in XD) (Talk about learning the hard way!)

After successfully arriving at “Watford Junction,” I had to transfer to a shuttle bus. As soon as you exit the train station, just look to the left — you’ll see it. The crowd of people there clearly all had the same destination — Harry Potter HQ. There was no mistaking it.

The bus runs every 20 minutes, and a round-trip ticket costs £2.0. Pretty much everyone buys a round-trip ticket. The driver will give you a small white slip of paper — keep it and show it when you board the return bus. As soon as I got on the bus, I could feel the magical journey beginning. There was even a welcome video and a studio intro playing on the bus, getting everyone in the mood and feeling excited. The ride took about 10 minutes and dropped us right at the studio entrance.

Once you arrive, you can pick up your physical tickets at the self-service kiosk at the entrance. When you book online, you get a ticket pickup number — just follow the prompts and it’s super convenient.

An overwhelming place full of wonders.

Even before you step inside, you’ll spot tons of Harry Potter movie-related items — fans will definitely go wild. On the left side of the lobby is the cafeteria (with a Starbucks), and on the right is the gift shop, mainly there for early arrivals who have to wait before their entry time.

When it’s almost time to go in, you can head to the queue.

Even while waiting in line, there’s stuff to look at (the organizers really don’t want visitors to get bored — not even for a second). On one side of the queue hall is the stairwell where Harry lived — with lots of tiny details, it really feels authentic.

In addition, the walls of the queue hall are covered with some iconic quotes and phrases.

Once you enter, you’re first led into a dark room to watch a video, hosted by a presenter who keeps the atmosphere lively. Everyone stands in line while the video — about the origins and development of the film series — plays on projection screens on both sides of the room. It’s the kind of emotional story about how imagination became reality, with all the ups and downs and teamwork involved.

After hearing an introduction to the studio and the route of the tour, you can then push open the doors to the Great Hall!

Haha, so exciting.

This is probably one of the most important sets in the Harry Potter series. So many key scenes happened at those tables, and you can get up close to admire all the intricate details — the craftsmanship is impeccable. The tables are set with sample tableware, and since my visit was near Halloween, there was also a Halloween feast setup.

Behind the tables are the uniforms of the four Hogwarts houses. The professors and headmasters are displayed at the front. After leaving the Great Hall, it’s time for free exploration. First up are some models, including the structure behind the Great Hall, props from certain iconic scenes, and costumes, makeup, and wigs.

Boys’ dormitory.

Good thing there were signs to look at, or I might not have been able to tell whose bed was whose.

So many quirky magical props — the prop department is seriously amazing! The designs and craftsmanship are truly astounding.

The Gryffindor common room.

Oh, that’s the Invisibility Cloak!

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The headmaster’s office features many astronomical instruments, portraits of former principals, and a sink that collects memories.

The chemistry lab.

The pot glows, the stirring rod moves, and then after a while it releases smoke. It’s really fun.

Records of all the animal actors are kept, along with a short training video of owls.

The giant’s house on the back hill.

That magical suitcase from the beginning of the school year, which activates with the push of a button.

Which model of broomstick would you like?

The Weasley family home—it has a super cozy feel and lots of magical gadgets to play with. Just press a button and wait for it to start up to see what happens.

The very annoying pink woman’s office.

During the visit, new Dark Magic exhibits were added, featuring some scary scenes. There’s also a new special exhibit where you can line up to touch snakes—real big pythons. Then section A comes to an end for now; time to head outdoors for some sun and fresh air.

The most important thing, of course, is to have a Butter Beer. You can choose between a regular cup or buy a souvenir plastic mug. The butter beer tastes pretty good—though it’s just a sweet yellow drink with a bit of bubbly white cream—but it’s better than I expected.

And drinking something that only exists in the fantasy world actually has a kind of joyful magic to it.

The weather outside is still so nice.

The only food available inside is hot dogs, so if you’re worried about getting hungry, bring some snacks. (I brought an apple.) Outdoor exhibits include a bus, a magical corridor, and the exteriors of some houses, as well as some photo props like flying cars and motorcycles.

After soaking up some sun, you can continue the tour by heading to Studio B.

First, you’ll see the high-tech props department—featuring the designs and electronic devices of various movie characters and monsters, detailed models, and giant moving toys. Each section here has a video introduction and interactive elements with the displays in front of the screen, making it feel magical as you watch. There’s even a little dwarf who takes you on a tour, constantly cracking jokes. It’s so much fun you won’t feel bored or want to fast-forward halfway through.

Time to go shopping for back-to-school supplies!

Each shop sells different items, but you can only window-shop.

My favorite part is the drafts, models, and paper items. The white walls are covered with intricate-looking sketches—everything starts here and gradually becomes real. The paper models are absolutely exquisite.

And just when you think the exhibition should be over and there’s nothing left to show, the entire wizarding school appears right in front of you. That moment is truly extraordinary. The person who designed this studio tour layout really knows what they’re doing—they’re great at arranging the displays. Many visitors stand here staring at the school model for a very long time. The lighting slowly shifts between morning and evening hues, and the whole experience is just super dreamy.

If you’re going to London and you love Harry Potter, you really should check this out.
This place is absolutely worth a visit.

INFO
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Address: Studio Tour Drive Leavesden WD25 7LR
Website:http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

miss kitB
A core member of the Not-So-Serious Association, also known as a “multifunctional cross-media freelance creator.” Believes boredom is the mother of creativity and happiness is life’s greatest asset. Eats breakfast every day, travels the Earth daily.
Blog:http://kitx.mysinablog.com/index.php