Why A Harry Potter London Walking Tour Is A Must

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If you have followed my blog for a while, or know me in any way, you will be aware of my not so secret Harry Potter obsession. From my ongoing efforts to show the world that not all Slytherins are evil, to my childlike excitement at visiting Alnwick Castle – filming location of Hogwarts. So it was only fitting I would seek out a Harry Potter London walking tour on my most recent trip to the UK capital.

Why London is the perfect place for a Harry Potter tour

“But wasn’t Edinburgh the birthplace of Harry Potter?”, I hear you ask. The idea for the stories and the books themselves may have been written in Edinburgh, but London remains a big part of the Harry Potter universe.

There are places in London which were inspiration for the books, and other places that made for the ideal movie locations. Either way, London is the perfect place for a Harry Potter tour.

How much is a Harry Potter London walking tour?

Given that Harry Potter is possibly one of the most lucrative franchises ever, it should come as little surprise that people want to capitalize on it. Which means that in a city which is also so close to the official Harry Potter Studio Tour, there are also more than a few other Harry Potter tours.

A Harry Potter London walking tour can range anything from free to £20-30 per person. But while the free tours might be tempting, I’m usually of the mindset that you get what you pay for. If you’ve taken one of the free tours let me know in the comments.

The tour I took was £16 and was rated one of the best in London. The Tour for Muggles definitely lived up to expectations. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Is there much walking involved?

I know what you’re thinking – how far will you actually have to walk on this walking tour? If you’ve got very limited mobility you might find it a stretch, but for most it’s not a lot.

The total walk is about 1.5 miles over the course of the 2 hour tour. There are also a few stairs and uneven cobbled streets along the journey.

The tour is not too fast paced – there are plenty of stops with lots of fantastic facts and stories. But you might have to hustle to cross a road or two, and being London it can get busy in some areas of the tour.

What do I need to bring with me?

Nothing except your thirst for wizarding knowledge, and maybe your chosen Hogwarts House apparel. You will likely be asked your House as the tour begins and anyone without a House will be sorted with a few quick questions. Questions will be asked along the tour and points will be awarded to your Hogwarts House, which makes it even more fun.

Your tour guide will also bring a number of visual aids to help jog your memory about any movie scenes or characters involved. The only other thing you’ll need is weather appropriate clothing (this is London after all) and a comfy pair of shoes.

TOP TIP: There are no bathroom or food stops along the way – so go before you arrive and bring snacks if you can’t make it two hours without food.

Where does the walking tour go?

The Harry Potter London walking tour I took started at the absolutely gorgeous and magical looking Leadenhall Market. It concludes at Borough Market on the opposite side of the river.

We walked past the Bank of England and St. Paul’s Cathedral before crossing the River Thames at the Millennium Bridge. Then a scenic walk along the bustling Southwark area eventually led to the famous Borough Market.

Tour route disclaimer: In the past this tour has gone to other locations in London. A part of it even included a ride on the London Underground. Since COVID, the tour was altered to avoid transit and therefore took a shorter route. At some point this may change back so check in advance. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

What can I see on the Harry Potter London walking tour?

The Harry Potter London tour is part history lesson, part muggle adventure into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Whether you grew up reading the books, or have only seen the movies you’ll find the tour interesting.

The two hour tour flies like a magic broomstick, as your guide fits in as much as they can in the most fun way. Without giving it all away, here are a few of the highlights.

Leadenhall Market/Diagon Alley

The magnificently striking beauty of Leadenhall Market is the perfect place to begin this tour. As Harry Potter’s first encounter with the wizarding world was Diagon Alley, it only seems right that you start there yourself.

The market has been in operation since the 14th Century, so it’s also one of the most historic places in London. In the first Harry Potter movie, Leadenhall Market is the gateway to the wizarding shopping area in London. You will even see the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron on the tour.

TOP TIP: Don’t forget to look up and admire the ceiling in the market, a decorative addition in the late 19th Century.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Like this building isn’t already famous enough, now it has a Harry Potter connection. A beautiful spot to stop on the walking tour. Not only because of how spectacular this historic building is, but learning how it featured in the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry Potter fans will remember the spiral staircase to the Divination classroom at Hogwarts. Well, this was filmed in St. Paul’s cathedral, and is known as the Dean’s Staircase. While this Harry Potter London walking tour doesn’t take you into St. Paul’s, I recommend a visit on your own time here.

TOP TIP: The geometric staircase is not accessible unless you’re on a guided tour. These tours are free with your ticket. You can’t pre-book them so check out St. Paul’s website for times and inquire at the information desk when you arrive.

Millennium Bridge

Any fans of Harry Potter may be a little cautious about walking across the Millennium Bridge over London’s River Thames. That’s because in the sixth movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince you’ll watch the Deatheaters destroy this bridge. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to act out the moment the bridge starts buckling like we did on our tour.

The tour will give you some fun history of the bridge, including why it’s nickname is the Wobbly bridge. You’ll end up crossing it to continue onto the Southwark part of the tour.

TOP TIP: Look down as you cross the bridge for some unique chewing gum artwork.

Southwark Bridge

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry and several members of the order take a broomstick ride over London to reach Sirius Black’s house. During the flight they pass Southwark Bridge along the Thames – just a few hundred yards away from the Millennium Bridge which will be destroyed in the next film.

While not a major filming location, it is a pretty bridge and a nice place to stop for the view. Just before you reach the bridge, keep an eye out for one bollard planted in the ground that looks a little more unique than the others. It’s actually a historic cannon.

The Clink Prison

While this wasn’t a filming location, there are more than a couple of similarities between London’s oldest prison and the famous wizarding prison, Azkaban. Dating back to the mid-12th Century this is a great place to tie together some tales of medieval prison life and wizards gone bad.

Since The Clink is hidden in a rather creepy side street in Southwark, it’s not hard to picture it living in the darkest depths of the Harry Potter universe. This is a historic and interesting stop along the tour, make sure you go back to explore The Clink on your own.

Borough Market

Borough Market is not only one of the best places to visit in London (certainly one of my favorite), but it has more than one Harry Potter connection. Opposite Borough Market is the second London location of the Leaky Cauldron pub, from The Prisoner of Azkaban movie. Weirdly it’s the small flower shop that serves as the pub, not the actual pub that’s next door. Hollywood logic, I guess?!

You may also recognize the streets around Borough Market from when Harry Potter was whizzing around London on the Knight Bus. Look up to see the train tracks crossing above the narrow streets. Then maybe ask your tour guide how on Earth you might get a double or even triple decker bus through here.

Is a Harry Potter London walking tour worth the money?

As a big Harry Potter fan I would say yes. Personally, I love a walking tour, and the Tour for Muggles had more energy than many I’ve been on. Our tour guide was fantastic and kept us thoroughly entertained while we got to see some unique sights around London.

There were a couple of people on our tour who were with Harry Potter fans, but weren’t themselves. They were just as included in the tour. And while they might not have gotten some of the references, there was also enough local history to keep them interested.

If your are visiting England and looking for a Harry Potter London walking tour I can’t recommend this one enough. If you really want to score some extra house points, re-read the books and watch the movies before you go. It will help you win points for your team, and be able to visualize it all even more.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you taken a Harry Potter London walking tour before, or anywhere else in the world?