Harry Potter itinerary

Few books have changed the way people travel like the Harry Potter series. Every year millions of children, and adults, come to the UK to look for Platform 9¾, sit in the hall that inspired Hogwarts' Great Hall, walk the cloisters where Harry set his owl free and watch the Hogwarts Express cross a Highland viaduct. This nine-day itinerary brings together the most famous film locations and the places linked to the life of J.K. Rowling, from London to Oxford, from the village of Lacock to the Yorkshire moors, from Alnwick Castle to Edinburgh and on to Glenfinnan.

It is a family-friendly trip, done partly by train and partly by car. Many of the places are also masterpieces of medieval architecture: cathedrals, colleges and castles that are worth seeing even if you have never read the books.

Day 1: wizarding London

Start at King's Cross station, where, in the concourse near platforms 9 and 10, a luggage trolley seems to disappear into the wall: this is Platform 9¾, with a themed shop and a long queue for photos with your house scarf. From there head to Leadenhall Market, the Victorian covered market in the City that served as Diagon Alley in the first film: in Bull's Head Passage, the shop with the blue door was the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

In the afternoon cross the Millennium Bridge, the footbridge over the Thames that the Death Eaters destroy at the start of Half-Blood Prince, and pass Australia House on the Strand, whose marble halls became Gringotts, the goblin bank. Families can end the day at London Zoo, in the reptile house where Harry first talks to a snake, or see the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, running for years at the Palace Theatre.

Where to stay: in London, for two nights. See where to stay in London.

Day 2: the Warner Bros. Studio Tour

The whole day is for the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, The Making of Harry Potter, at Leavesden, in the studios where all eight films were made. Take the train from Euston to Watford Junction (about 20 minutes) and then the shuttle bus. You walk into the real Great Hall, stroll down Diagon Alley and Privet Drive, board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾, visit Gringotts and discover the giant model of Hogwarts castle used for exterior shots. There are costumes, wands, animatronic creatures and the chance to fly a broomstick in front of a green screen. Allow at least four or five hours, and try the butterbeer.

Day 3: Oxford

By train from Paddington, Oxford is an hour away. At Christ Church climb the fan-vaulted staircase where Professor McGonagall welcomes the first-years, and enter the dining hall that inspired Hogwarts' Great Hall, later recreated in the studios. At the Bodleian Library, the Gothic Divinity School was the Hogwarts hospital wing, and Duke Humfrey's Library, visited only on the longer guided tours, was the school library, including the Restricted Section. In the cloister of New College, under a large tree, Malfoy is turned into a ferret in Goblet of Fire.

Where to stay: in Oxford, for two nights; the next day pick up a hire car.

Day 4: Gloucester and Lacock

In the morning drive to Gloucester (about an hour): the cathedral cloisters, with the earliest fan vaulting in history, were the corridors of Hogwarts in three films, where the message in blood appears on the wall and where water floods out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

In the afternoon continue to Lacock (about an hour): the National Trust village is Godric's Hollow in Deathly Hallows, with the house of Harry's parents, and Slughorn's house in Half-Blood Prince. In Lacock Abbey, the cloisters and rooms were several Hogwarts classrooms, and this is where you find the room of the Mirror of Erised.

In the evening drive back to Oxford (about an hour) and return the car.

Day 5: York and Goathland

From Oxford take the train back to London and from King's Cross reach York in under two hours: about three and a half hours' travel in all. The Shambles, the medieval lane full of magic shops, is one of the places fans associate with Diagon Alley. Then head for Goathland, on the North York Moors, whose period station was Hogsmeade station in the first film. It is best seen arriving on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train between Pickering and Whitby: from York reach Pickering by bus or car and continue on the heritage line.

Where to stay: in York or Whitby.

Day 6: Durham and Alnwick

From York the train reaches Durham in 45 minutes. UNESCO-listed Durham Cathedral was Hogwarts in the first two films: in the cloister Harry walks with Hedwig the owl on his arm, and Professor McGonagall's lesson takes place in the chapter house. In the afternoon reach Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, home of the Dukes of Northumberland, where the first flying lesson with Madam Hooch was filmed and where Harry plays his first Quidditch match. The castle still runs broomstick flying lessons for children, with teachers in costume. Next door, the Alnwick Garden has a poison garden.

Where to stay: in Alnwick or straight on to Edinburgh, two hours by train from Alnmouth.

Day 7: Edinburgh, J.K. Rowling's city

J.K. Rowling was living in Edinburgh when she wrote the first books, often sitting in cafés. The most famous, The Elephant House, with windows facing the castle, was closed for a long time after a fire in 2021: check whether it has reopened. In Greyfriars Kirkyard people seek out the grave of a certain Thomas Riddell and other names that recall characters in the books. Victoria Street, the curving, colourful street down to the Grassmarket, is considered one of the inspirations for Diagon Alley, and George Heriot's School, with its towers, is often pointed out as a model for Hogwarts. In 2007 Rowling finished writing Deathly Hallows in a suite at the Balmoral Hotel, which now bears her name.

Where to stay: in Edinburgh.

Day 8: into the Highlands

Hire a car and set off for Fort William (about three and a half hours), via Glencoe: the outdoor scenes of Prisoner of Azkaban, around Hagrid's hut, were shot in this glen. Alternatively, take the train from Glasgow on the West Highland Line, one of the most beautiful railways in the world.

Where to stay: in Fort William, for two nights.

Day 9: Glenfinnan and the Hogwarts Express

The Glenfinnan Viaduct, with its twenty-one concrete arches above the glen, is the bridge the Hogwarts Express crosses in the films. In summer a real steam train, the Jacobite, runs over it between Fort William and Mallaig: you can travel on board, booking well ahead, or climb to the viewpoint above the viaduct and wait for the train, which slows down for photos. The loch below, Loch Shiel, was Hogwarts' Black Lake, and an islet in nearby Loch Eilt was the site of Dumbledore's grave.

Return from Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper overnight train to London, or by car to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

How much it costs

To save money: many places are free or nearly so, such as Platform 9¾, Leadenhall Market, the Millennium Bridge, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Victoria Street and the Glenfinnan viewpoint. Children pay less almost everywhere, and the Family Railcard cuts train fares.

Practical information

• Book months ahead: the Studio Tour, the Jacobite train and the play sell out fast, especially in British school holidays.
• Opening times: Christ Church sometimes closes its dining hall for students' meals; check times the day before. Alnwick is open from spring to October.
• Jacobite train: runs from April to October, usually with one or two trains a day; from the Glenfinnan viewpoint it passes around mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
• With children: the Studio Tour and Alnwick are the favourite stops; Oxford and Durham appeal more to teenagers who have read the books.
• Documents: passport and ETA, see documents and ETA.

What to read and watch

Your travelling companions are of course the seven books, starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; younger children will love the illustrated editions. To discover how the sets were built, the books about the making of the films make a great gift before departure. Rewatch Philosopher's Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban before you go: they are the films with the most recognisable locations.

Final tips

• Pace: if you are short of time, London, the Studio Tour and Oxford fit into four days.
• Combinations: from Scotland you can easily link up with our Scottish castles itinerary.
• A tip: arrive at the Glenfinnan viewpoint at least an hour before the train: the path is short but the best spots fill up quickly.

See also our other UK itineraries.

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