Have you fallen for the stories of Harry Potter and his wizarding world? Or have you just been enthralled by the film adaptation of the seven-part Potter saga? Either way, when you visit London, don't miss the Warner Bros film studios, where much of the filming of all the Harry Potter episodes took place.

The Harry Potter films were filmed in a variety of studios, but Warner Bros, located in the town of Leavesden in the northwest suburbs of London, is by far the largest. After 10 years, they have been the location for the largest number of scenes across all the films.

What to look forward to and how long will you be here?

After the end of filming on the last episode (Deathly Hallows), the filmmakers decided to keep the film studios and turn them into a huge exposition of the wizarding world.

You can walk around the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, visit the Weasleys or Dursleys, or enjoy the hustle and bustle of Cross Street.

Allow at least 3 hours of pure time for the whole visit, but it's not unusual for the most enthusiastic to stay all day.

1. Entrance and start of the Tour

First, you'll stand in the usually fast-moving queue where, on presentation of ID (passport or ordinary ID), you'll collect your pre-purchased tickets online via the official website wbstudiotour.co.uk/tickets from the ticket office.

After that, you'll find a large lobby with a restaurant and a wall of photos of the cast. Here you'll stand in another shorter queue, as they let you into the main area in smaller groups so that the experience is as good as possible and you don't have to crowd too much in the studios themselves.

While waiting in line, you can get a glimpse of the Weasley or Dursley family home, where Harry stayed for many years.

2. Hogwarts interiors

Before you enter the main studios, you'll find a small room with screenings of the best parts of the films, but then we're straight into the big time.

You'll enter the first hall directly into the Great Hall with four desks from all Hogwarts colleges, only to visit the Defence Against the Dark Arts cabinet, Snape's Potions cabinet or even the Quidditch pitch.

Cabinet of Potions

3. The Forbidden Forest and the Hogwarts Express

In the third part of the tour, you will visit outside Hogwarts Castle itself, but you will still stay in the interior studies.

You'll walk through the dark Forbidden Forest, visit Platform 9 and three quarters, and take a photo with the shiny red and black Hogwarts Express locomotive.

Hogwarts Express

Platform 9 3/4

4. Exteriors

Part four takes you to scenes that were filmed outdoors. Here you can touch Weasley's flying car, Hagrid's motorbike or walk across the wooden bridge connecting the outside world to Hogwarts.

In the adjacent restaurant, don't miss the typical drink of the wizarding world - butter lager!

Flying car

5. Cross Street and Gringott's Bank

We are coming to the end, which takes us to wizarding London. You'll stroll along the famous Cross Street, full of shops selling all sorts of wizarding equipment, and peek into the monumental studios where the polished interiors of Gringotts Bank were filmed.

Then, in the smaller lobby, you'll see an exhibition of all the magic wands and other costumes used in the films. Many of them are interactive and you can try them on yourself.

Cross Street

6. Hogwarts model and gift shop

At the very end of the tour, the highlight of the tour awaits you. A huge, complete model of Hogwarts, the castle that houses the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Before leaving the studios, you'll pass a large shop with all sorts of Potter memorabilia. It's no secret that this is where many enthusiasts stay the longest of all places.

Admission and prices

You must always purchase your Harry Potter Warner Bros studios tickets online. They are not available on site.

The only official website to buy tickets is this one: wbstudiotour.co.uk/tickets.

Book your tickets at least 2-3 months in advance!

There are limited numbers of people in the studios and although you can get tickets at the last minute, it is definitely not a good idea to rely on this.

Current ticket prices:

Adults (over 16) - 56 gbp
Children (5-15 years) - 45 gbp
family admission (2 adults + 2 children) - 180 gbp
children under 4 years - free

Opening hours vary according to specific days and seasons and can be found clearly on the official website.

How to get to the studios?

There are several ways to get to the Harry Potter Studios from central London.

Train + Shuttle Bus

The cheapest way to get to Warner Bros Studios is to take the train to Watford Junction and then a special shuttle bus from the station.

Trains run from Euston station in central London
For the same price, you can take London Northwestern Railways (approx. 22 minutes) or London Overground (48 minutes)
Trains run approximately once every 5 to 20 minutes
The price of a one-way ticket is 13,40 gbp and can be bought from a machine at the station or online via thetrainline.com, where you can also find exact timetables

In front of the station, watch for the signs for the "Warner Bros Studios Shuttle".

Buses run throughout the studios' opening hours to get you to and from the first tour and the last tour, at least every half hour. They also run more frequently if there is increased demand, especially in the morning and evening. The shuttle bus is free, but you must show your purchased ticket to the studios.

The bus journey from Watford Junction station to the studios takes about 10 minutes.

Details of the shuttle bus can be found on the official website: wbstudiotour.co.uk/getting-here.

Direct bus from central London

If you don't want to change buses on your way out of London, Warner Bros Studios in partnership with Golden Tours also runs a direct bus service that departs from Victoria, Baker Street and King's Cross stations.

The cost of a return ticket is 49 gbp, which is almost twice as much as taking the train and shuttle bus from the station for free. Buses run every hour and the journey takes about an hour.

You must show your purchased Warner Bros studios ticket (see above) in addition to your bus ticket when you board.

For details, ticket purchase and timetables, visit wbstudiotour.gttickets.com/en.

Accommodation near the studios

If you're excited for your first morning entry and don't want to risk complications travelling from central London, we recommend staying near Watford Junction station, where free shuttle buses run for ticket holders.

For example, the following hotels are right next to the station: