1-Day Harry Potter Tour (London)

 Our London tour concentrate on sites used in all of the Harry Potter films and includes a visit to London Zoo. This is an ideal tour to see other famed London icons during the day as all are passed at some point on our travels. Our itinerary also gets tour participants into less well-known areas of the city. The tour features the following film locations; Gringotts Wizzarding Bank, the entrance to the ‘Leaky Cauldron’, the reptile house at London Zoo where young Harry first learns of his ability to speak to snakes, King's Cross Station Platform 9 ¾ , the ‘Night Bus’ and ‘London School of Wizardy’ scenes at Southwark and more. We also recommend that various activities attractive to the younger tourist such as climbing the 212ft high Great Fire Monument and the Toy Museum are considered as optional extras. In addition, we’ll see the house where ‘Peter Pan’ was written and a statue of ‘Peter’ himself. Let’s not forget the many famous London sights we’ll see during the day too! Depart 9am and return 5pm

Includes minibus and driver/guide.

1-Day Harry Potter Tour (Countryside) Oxford - 8 hrs

A magical day following in the footsteps of Harry and his friends into the heart of the English countryside. Departing London, we will pass Brompton Oratory, whose Boy Choir have sung on all the Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings Films. Our first stop today is at Virginia Water, a picturesque lake in a Royal Park, which has been used for various scenes in the first 4 films. It’s then on to the real street and house used as ‘Privet Drive’. Oxford, the old University City, is our next destination where a walking tour will introduce you to the old colleges scattered throughout the city. You’ll see the medieval hall used as Hogwarts Infirmary and the library. Then there’s Christ Church College dining hall (subject to opening), used as the model for Hogwarts Hall. We will also visit a very unusual museum with mummies, dinosaurs and shrunken heads. The latter, used in the ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’. You’ll also learn about the real stories and facts behind the Harry Potter stories and discover the inspiration for another great children’s classic , ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Let’s not forget C.S Lewis and the Tales of Narnia and the ‘Hobbits’ in Lord of the Rings!

Depart London at 08.30am ands return by 6pm. Includes transportation and services of a knowledgeable driver / guide. Please budget £4 per person for entrance fees in addition to cost below. Lunch is not included.

Oxford and Gloucester - 10-11 hrs

To add 2-3 hours - you can see the following:

Further adventures of Harry Potter and his friends were shot at the Norman Cathedral of Gloucester, a place of worship for more than 1300 years, including the Ghost scenes and talking portraits in 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' ('Sorcerer's Stone' US version). The Cathedral is also featured in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' including the scenes featuring the ghost Moaning Myrtle, and the mysterious appearance of the red writing in Hogwarts' corridors ... "The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware".

In an extra hour you can also include Lacock Abbey, where some of the classroom scenes were filmed. The beautiful village of Lacock will evoke memories in the minds of avid film buffs - it was also used in the period dramas Emma and Pride and Prejudice (open in the Summer months).

Includes minibus with driver/guide.

 

2-Day Harry Potter Tour

Day One: Leaving the ‘Muggles’ of London behind, we first venture to the lake at Virginia Water. Set in the heart of Windsor Great Park, it has been used as a location in all the films to date.  Then on to the town of Windsor itself.  Alas, time doesn’t allow us to visit the castle, the largest inhabited in the world, but you’ll certainly be aware of it as we walk around the old town, see ‘Old Father Thames’ and stop for a photo opportunity at the Long Walk, the Queen’s own entrance to the Castle. There is no ‘real’ Hogwarts school, but we’ll see arguably the most famous of all boarding schools in the land, Eton College. Prince William, Prince Harry and the world’s elite have been educated here for hundreds of years.  A short drive takes us to the Dursley’s ‘Privet Drive’, which you’ll instantly recognise. Heading across the rolling hills of the English countryside takes us to the picture-postcard stone village of Lacock, where all buildings are between 200 to 800 years old. Here we will visit Lacock Abbey. The Abbey cloisters are used as a setting for Hogwarts School. Instantly recognisable are Prof. Snape’s Potion Room, Prof. Quirrell’s classroom and where Harry and Ron looked at their reflections in the ‘Mirror of Erised’.  It’s a great place to get you in the picture!

A short drive will lead us to our overnight accommodation (three-star equivalent with en suite facilities. Evening meal and full English breakfast included)

Day Two: After a hearty cooked breakfast, we travel north to the idyllic Cotswolds region, which Tolkien used as his vision of the ‘Shire’. With the timeless villages and rolling hills you can almost imagine the Hobbits living here! We’ll visit a couple of villages on route to Oxford, home to Britain’s oldest University and the location of many more Harry Potter film scenes. A walking tour will introduce you to the old colleges scattered throughout the city and their literary connections (‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ being just a few)! In addition, see the medieval hall used as Hogwarts Infirmary, the library and Christ Church College dining hall, used as the model for Hogwarts Hall. A wonderful activity highlight of our day, and much enjoyed by adult and child alike, will be a treasure hunt in a very unusual museum with Egyptian Mummies, dinosaurs and shrunken heads, the latter, used in the ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’. On our return to London, and time permitting, we’ll take a detour to see the outside of either Leavesden or Pinewood studios, where the Potter, Star Wars and James Bond films have been set.

Depart London at 08.30am approximately and return by 6pm the following day.  Includes transportation, services of a knowledgeable driver / guide, 1 night, en-suite room with dinner and breakfast included based on a twin share room.  Entrance fees included. NB. The setting of Howarts dining room, Christchurch’s Great Hall, cannot be guaranteed to be open on all occasions as it is part of the working college.  Lacock Abbey is closed between November and February inclusive. For tours at this time we will visit the city of Gloucester and take the Harry Potter trail around the Cathedral Cloisters instead!

 

5 day  Harry Potter Tour can be done using Day 1-3 above and adding other locations used in the film are in the North of England - Alnwick Castle, Goathland Station and Durham Cathedral. They could be covered in 5 days from London and include the sights in the 2 day overnight tour above.

Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, ancestral home of the Dukes of Northumberland provided exterior shots of Hogwarts. The wonderful Quidditch match and the broomstick flying lessons were also filmed within the castle ramparts. A sign outside the castle recently read 'The exterior of Hogwarts school'.

Goathland Station in North Yorkshire built in 1865, was used as Hogsmead station. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has featured in several feature length films over the years including Brideshead Revisited and All Creatures Great and Small. Durham Cathedral, recently voted the best loved building in Britain and described by Bill Bryson as 'the best Cathedral on planet earth', provided the setting for one of Hogwarts' classrooms as well the memorable scene in which Harry walks through the cloisters with his owl, Hedwig. Please note: As some of the settings in the Cathedral are inaccessible to the public, the Cathedral is concerned to avoid any disappointment among Harry Potter fans. You are encouraged to visit this wonderful cathedral for more reasons than just Harry.