I am always up for an adventure. ALWAYS (if you get that reference then you are definitely in the right place). If you don’t…then you my dear muggle and I … cannot be friends. Ok, just joking, but seriously…it’s time for you to experience the magical wizarding world of Harry Potter. And taking a walk around London on a dedicated Harry Potter walking tour is one fantastic way to do that.
I booked my experience with ‘Tour for Muggles’ and thought it was fabulous. The company only hires actors as the guides…. and you can definitely tell. Our guide (Alex Scamander) was amazing. Very knowledgeable, approachable, entertaining, theatrical, charismatic and accommodating to all people on the tour. He is even happy to take photos for you if you are travelling solo!
Tour for Muggles used to be able to show still shots from the films at different spots along the way but sadly Warner Bros. has now banned this. Still, our guide made do with other related images.
He was also able to provide information on the actors and actresses from the series, as well as extra historical knowledge about London and famous personalities such as Charles Dickens which I thought was a cool bonus.
So let’s get into the details of the actual tour:
Meeting Point
You meet the group and your dedicated Potter guide at Leadenhall market (outside the Pizza Express, Reiss and Lamb Tavern). Very easy location to find which is always helpful when taking a group tour. I hate it when the meeting point is a little obscure (it can make for a stressful morning)..but you certainly don’t need to worry about that with this tour.
This is easily accessed by public transport and on foot. Head to either Monument or Bank Undergroud Stations and it is a short walk from there. Enter Leadenhall market from the little entrance off Leadernhall street (Whittington Avenue) but you can’t miss it. It has a sign above the entrance saying ‘Leadenhall Market’.
Sites/Stops
You will get to experience a range of sites around the east end of London:
- Diagon Alley (Leadenhall Market)
- Leaky Cauldron (from the Philosopher’s Stone )
- Buildings used to inspire Gringotts
- Boat that resembles the one from Durmstrang (Goblet of Fire)
- Millenium Bridge (Half Blood Prince)
- Other Leaky Cauldron with the KNIGHT Bus (Prisoner of Azkaban)
Remember you won’t get to see ALL the film sites around London as some of them are quite spread out. So adjust your expectations accordingly. This tour will focus on the East End of London and what can be achieved on foot in two hours (without using the tube).
Duration
The tour lasts for roughly two hours and our guide was excellent at sticking to time and getting us to the end without things dragging on…so you can go and enjoy the rest of your day in London 🙂
End point
The tour concludes at Borough Markets which is perfect if you have worked up an appetite with the walking you have done. Spend some time having a wander and grab a bit of lunch from one of the many stalls/stores there.
From there, London Bridge Underground station (Jubilee Line) is a 3 minute/350 metre walk and Borough Underground station (Northern Line) is a 7 minute (650 metre) walk.
Other things to note
1. Bring Comfy shoes. I feel like this is obvious, but you will be walking around on your feet for two hours with no real chance to sit down.
2. Keep your camera at the ready (I prefer to have mine hanging around my neck so I don’t have ti slow down and stop to get it out of my bag every time I want to take a photo. AND- remember sometimes for some of the stops and sites it can be really hard to line up a good shot. So just live in the moment and soak up the experience and immerse yourself in the day and all of the wonderful information provided to you by your guide. I learned to not care so much about the ‘perfect instagram or blog shot’ and just decided to let go and really enjoy myself. It was quite refreshing.
3. Be at the meeting spot 10 min early (and remember to check any issues with the tube lines the day before).
4. Some other Harry Potter sites you may want to check out on your own (plot the locations below straight into Google Maps):
- Platform 9 3/4 (Kings Cross Station). There is a special photo opportunity set up with a gift store next to it. You cannot access the actual platforms as seen in the films).
- Ministry of Magic Entrance from Order of the Phoenix (Great Scotland Yard and Scotland Place).
- 12 Grimmauld Place (Lincoln’s Inn Fields).
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and loved our amazing tour guide (Alex Scamander). He really MADE the whole experience for us. I think it is so cool that each of the guides takes on a surname from the series (to maintain authenticity and work in with the overall theme of the day). I hope that any Harry Potter fans out there get to experience this next time you are in London!
As always, all opinions expressed are entirely my own and my deepest thank you to Tour for Muggles for giving me such a wonderful experience into the Wizarding World of London.
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