Platform 9¾ — King's CrossThe most iconic HP spot in London. A luggage trolley disappearing into the wall, a Harry Potter shop alongside, and a scarf + wand for photos. Come early on a weekday to keep the wait short. Filming used platforms 4 and 5, renumbered 9 and 10 for the shoot.
St Pancras Renaissance HotelThe spectacular Gothic facade of St Pancras was used as the exterior of King's Cross in Chamber of Secrets — and it's where the flying Ford Anglia is parked. The hotel has appeared in over a dozen films requiring 'lavish gothic creepiness'. Free to photograph from outside; the grand lobby bar is open to all.
Reptile House — London ZooThe interior of the Reptile House at London Zoo was where 10-year-old Harry first discovers he can speak Parseltongue, accidentally setting a Burmese python loose on Dudley. A plaque beside the enclosure commemorates the event. Requires zoo entry ticket.
Leadenhall Market — Diagon AlleyThis stunning Victorian covered market with ornate painted ceilings was Diagon Alley in Philosopher's Stone. The entrance to the Leaky Cauldron is in Bull's Head Passage — it's now an optician's. Free to visit any time. Look up at the ceiling and you'll immediately recognise it.
7 Stoney Street, Borough MarketAdditional scenes for the Leaky Cauldron were shot on this cobbled street beside Borough Market. The atmospheric Victorian railway arches and market buildings made it a perfect stand-in for a hidden wizarding pub. Borough Market itself is worth the visit.
Australia House — Gringotts BankThe grand Edwardian interior of Australia House on the Strand served as Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Philosopher's Stone. The building is only open to those with Australian visa business, but the imposing exterior on the corner of the Strand and Aldwych is free to admire.
St Paul's Cathedral — Divination StaircaseThe geometric exterior staircase of St Paul's Cathedral appears as the staircase leading up to Professor Trelawney's Divination classroom. Free to see from outside; entry fee for inside. The views from the Golden Gallery at the top are spectacular.
Millennium Bridge — Death Eater AttackThis sleek pedestrian bridge across the Thames was memorably destroyed by Death Eaters in the opening of Half-Blood Prince. Free to walk across any time. Fun fact: the real bridge wobbled so badly when it opened in 2000 it had to be closed for two years — earning it the nickname 'the wobbly bridge'.
Tower Bridge & Thames — Order of the PhoenixThe Order of the Phoenix swoop across the Thames on broomsticks over Tower Bridge in a memorable sequence. The bridge and river are free to visit; Tower Bridge itself has a paid exhibition with the famous glass walkway.
Westminster Tube Station — Ministry of MagicHarry and Arthur Weasley pass through Westminster Underground station on their way to Harry's Ministry of Magic hearing in Order of the Phoenix. One of the deepest and most dramatic stations on the London Underground — the escalators and tubes make it feel genuinely otherworldly.
Great Scotland Yard — Ministry of Magic EntranceThe junction of Scotland Place and Great Scotland Yard is where Harry and Mr Weasley enter the red phone box to descend into the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix. No phone box exists here in real life — it was a prop brought in for filming and removed afterwards.
Piccadilly Circus — Deathly Hallows ChaseAfter Death Eaters crash Bill and Fleur's wedding in Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry, Ron and Hermione Disapparate to Piccadilly Circus and sprint through the West End. The neon-lit chaos of Piccadilly makes perfect sense as a hiding spot in plain sight.
Claremont Square — 12 Grimmauld PlaceThis elegant Georgian square in Islington stood in for Grimmauld Place, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. The houses look exactly as in the films. The square's unusual shape comes from an 18th-century water reservoir that was later covered over — fittingly wizardly.
Lambeth Bridge — The Knight BusThe distinctive red Lambeth Bridge appears in Prisoner of Azkaban when the Knight Bus hurtles through London and squeezes between two double-decker buses. A quieter crossing than Tower Bridge, with great views of the Houses of Parliament.
Warner Bros. Studio TourThe entire filming studio where all 8 movies were made — original Great Hall, Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts model, dragon skeletons, props, costumes and butterbeer. Budget 4 hours minimum. 30 minutes from London Euston by train + shuttle to Watford. Book months ahead: tickets sell out and cannot be bought at the door.