Today I want to share my guide to the best Harry Potter filming sites in London with you. The UK capital was used as a backdrop for many scenes in the movies. Whether you want to see Platform 9 3/4, the Ministry of Magic, or Diagon Alley, you can find it in London. My list of film locations will show you famous spots where the actors who played Harry, Ron, Hermione, and others brought the characters from J.K. Rowling’s novels to life. I’ve included a map of where you can find them, too.
Harry Potter Film Sites in London
From the awe-inspiring interior of Leadenhall Market to the bridges spanning the Thames, London has an abundance of Harry Potter filming sites to see.
Taking them in them is a fun way to experience the magic of the movies in person. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, they’re amazing to discover.
If you want to explore all of them (and more) in one day, my free self-guided Harry Potter walk is a great way to delve into the wizarding world and witness the major landmarks and tucked-away spaces that feature in the movies.
If you prefer a guided tour, there are a number of great Harry Potter walking tours you can take in London. You can see options and book one here.
You can also take a trip to the Warner Bros Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter to see where the films were made. I’ve done it before, and I really enjoyed the experience. The sets are amazing to see in real life, and it’s an easy day trip from London without a car. You can book a tour here.
If you haven’t watched the movies, you can get them on Amazon here. Even if you’ve seen them, it’s worth reviewing as many as you can before you visit so they’re fresh in your mind when you get to the sites.
Filming Locations
I’ll group my list of sites geographically so you can go to the places that are near you if you’re limited on time. The map below can help with that as well.
Westminster, Whitehall, and Lambeth
Since it’s a popular area to visit and a lot of people end up here at some point while they’re in London, I’ll start my list with the Harry Potter film sites in Westminster.
The tube station by Parliament Square featured in the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It’s where Harry and Arthur Weasley pass through the barriers before heading to Harry’s hearing at the Ministry of Magic.
Right up the road from Westminster station is Whitehall. It’s where you’ll find Horse Guards Avenue. This street was used as the filming location for the staff entrance of the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Not far away, Great Scotland Yard stood in for the visitors’ entrance to the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
In the other direction from Westminster station, Lambeth Bridge was used as a filming location for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The purple triple-decker Knight Bus squeezes through a narrow gap between two London buses here before zooming around London.
Trafalgar Square & Piccadilly Circus
Next on my list are Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. The former is where the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 took place. Stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson walked down the red carpet here.
To the east of Trafalgar Square, you’ll come across the striking facade of Australia House, a Grade II-listed building. Scenes from Gringotts Wizarding Bank were filmed inside.
To the northwest of Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus is where Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparate after escaping the attack on Bill and Fleur’s wedding in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. They jump out of the way to avoid being struck down by a bus.
London Zoo
Up in Regent’s Park, the zoo is another famous Harry Potter film site in London. Harry and the Dursleys come here in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. While exploring, Harry talks to a Burmese python in a language called Parseltongue.
In the film adaptation, the scene is shot in the Reptile House. While the actual enclosure where it was filmed is home to a black mamba, the scene is still pivotal in that it’s where Harry first discovers his unique ability to communicate with snakes.
City of London
You’ll find more famous Harry Potter filming locations in the City of London. The most beloved is Leadenhall Market. This Victorian covered market was used as Diagon Alley in the screen adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. An optician’s shop in the market’s Bull’s Head Passage was the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron pub.
St Paul’s Cathedral is another well-known Harry Potter filming location in London. The interior of the iconic church stood in for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The spiral staircase the students take to get to Professor Trelawney’s Divination class is really the Dean’s Staircase in the church (also referred to as the Geometric Staircase). If you want to step inside to see it, you can book tickets to St Paul’s Cathedral here.
To the south of St Paul’s Cathedral you’ll come across the Millennium Bridge. It was used as Brockdale Bridge in the opening scenes of the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. A band of Death Eaters targets the bridge as they wreak destruction on London.
Clerkenwell
Not far from the City, Clerkenwell is home to another famous filming location from the Harry Potter movies. Just off Amwell Street, a house in Claremont Square stood in for 12 Grimmauld Place in the movies Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
12 Grimmauld Place was the ancestral home of the family of Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black. The house also served as the headquarters of the Order of Phoenix.
It was invisible to muggles and wizards alike due to the Fidelius Charm, a spell that concealed its location from all but those who knew about it.
King’s Cross
Just down Pentonville Road from Claremont Square is King’s Cross. There’s another cluster of Harry Potter filming sites in this part of London. The most famous of them is King’s Cross station.
The barrier between platforms 9 and 10 is home to a disappearing luggage trolley and a sign that says “Platform 9 3/4”. It marks the spot where Harry and his classmates enter the wizarding world to take the Hogwarts Express train to school.
While you can’t access the platforms without a ticket, there’s a luggage trolley on one wall of the public area of the station. It’s great for photos, and there’s a Harry Potter souvenir shop adjacent to it.
Right next door, the stunning facade of St Pancras station was used as a backdrop for a scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry and Ron can’t get to Platform 9 3/4, so they fly a Ford Anglia to Hogwarts instead. As they take off at the beginning of their journey, the facade of St Pancras can be seen in the background.
Borough
South of the Thames, the beloved Borough Market is another Harry Potter film site in London. This famous food market stood in for the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The facade that starred in the movie is that of Chez Michele, a (now closed) flower shop.
London Bridge
Just east of Borough Market, there are additional filming locations along the Thames in London Bridge. One is the HMS Belfasta navy warship that made a brief cameo in the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
As Harry and other members of the order fly on broomsticks from 4 Privet Drive to 12 Grimmauld Place, they soar over the river in London. En route, they zoom past the historic ship.
To the east of the HMS Belfast is Tower Bridge. This famous Victorian number featured in the same scene from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix where Harry and his companions fly over the river.
Harry Potter Filming Locations Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive map of all the Harry Potter film sites I mentioned in this blog post. You can find it here. If you click on the pins, you’ll see my relevant blog posts about each one. They can help you plan a magical sightseeing excursion.
Harry Potter Sites
I hope my list of Harry Potter filming locations in London has made you look forward to seeing places from the movies in real life. It’s a great way to discover the city and experience Harry’s magical world firsthand.
If you want more ideas, you can take a look at my guides to Harry Potter sites in London, famous filming locations in London, and magical places to visit in the UK. There are lots more exciting destinations to discover.
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