If you’ve watched the Harry Potter films, you’ve probably enjoyed seeing some of the spectacular landscapes, castles, and cathedrals on screen. What you might not know is that most of these locations are real places you can visit across England, Scotland and Wales.
We’ve been to nearly all of the major Harry Potter filming locations in the UK. Some of them are spectacular places to visit in their own right, while others are more of a fun footnote on a trip you’d be making anyway. This guide covers the best locations, how to get to them, and two complete itineraries for planning your own Harry Potter UK trip.
2026 is a particularly good year for a Harry Potter pilgrimage. It marks 25 years since the first film was released, and the new HBO TV series (premiering Christmas Day 2026) has been filming at many of the same real-world locations covered in this guide, including Leavesden Studios, London Zoo, King’s Cross, and even Malham Cove in Yorkshire. This guide focuses on the original film locations, but where the new series has also filmed, I’ve noted it.
We also have a detailed guide to Harry Potter filming locations in London, a guide to visiting the Warner Bros Studio Tour, and Jess has written guides to Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland and Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh.
Table of Contents:
Where was Harry Potter Filmed?
The Harry Potter films were shot across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Many real-world locations were used for exterior and interior scenes, including castles, cathedrals, markets, train stations, and villages. The rest was filmed at the Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden, just outside London, which you can visit today on a tour.
There are filming locations in London (covered in our London guide), across the south and north of England, in Scotland, and in Wales. One of the stipulations JK Rowling attached to the film rights was that the primary cast be British, so with British locations and a British cast, the UK was the natural choice for filming.
The new HBO TV series is also filming primarily at Leavesden Studios, with location filming across the UK including Cornwall, North Yorkshire, and London.
How to Plan a Harry Potter UK Trip
Before diving into the individual locations, here are two complete itineraries for seeing the major Harry Potter filming locations across the UK. One requires a car, the other uses trains and day tours. Both are realistic one-week trips.
If you’re short on time, the three must-sees are the Warner Bros Studio Tour, the London filming locations, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands.
One Week by Car
Day 1: London. Spend a day exploring the Harry Potter filming locations in London. Use public transport rather than driving, as parking is expensive and you’ll have to pay the congestion charge. Overnight in London.
Day 2: Studio Tour and Oxford. Drive to the Harry Potter Studio Tour (about an hour from London). Plan for 3 to 4 hours there. Then drive another hour to Oxford and explore the filming locations at the university colleges. Overnight in Oxford.
Day 3: Lacock and Gloucester. Finish any Oxford sights you missed, then drive to Lacock Abbey (about 90 minutes). Explore Lacock and the Abbey for 2 to 4 hours. From Lacock, head north to Gloucester Cathedral (about an hour). Overnight near Gloucester.
Day 4: Malham and Durham. Drive north to Malham Cove in Yorkshire (about 4 hours). Walk out to the cove (about 90 minutes round trip). Then continue to Durham (another couple of hours). Overnight in Durham.
Day 5: Alnwick and Edinburgh. Explore Durham Cathedral in the morning, then drive to Alnwick Castle (about an hour north). Spend a few hours at the castle, then continue to Edinburgh (under two hours). Overnight in Edinburgh.
Day 6: Edinburgh. Spend a full day in Edinburgh exploring the locations that inspired Harry Potter. Edinburgh wasn’t a filming location, but JK Rowling wrote most of the books here and many locations in the city are believed to have inspired places in the novels. A rest day from driving is welcome at this point too. Overnight in Edinburgh.
Day 7: Glencoe and Glenfinnan. Drive to Glencoe (about 2.5 hours), explore for an hour, then head to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. If you want to see the Jacobite steam train crossing the viaduct, check the timetable and adjust your timing. Overnight in Fort William, with connections to Inverness, Glasgow or Edinburgh.
One Week by Train and Day Tours
Days 1 to 3: London. One day for the London filming locations (on foot or with a walking tour). One day for a day trip combining the Studio Tour and Oxford. One day for a day trip to Gloucester and Lacock Abbey. Then take the train to York (about 2 hours; book in advance via Trainline for the best prices).
Days 4 to 5: York. York itself has a strong Potter connection: the Shambles is widely believed to have inspired Diagon Alley. From York, take a day trip to Goathland station and the North York Moors, and consider a day trip to Durham Cathedral. Then take the train to Edinburgh (about 2 hours). See our guide to spending a weekend in York for more ideas.
Days 6 to 7: Edinburgh. Take a day trip to Alnwick Castle. Take a day trip to the Highlands including the Jacobite steam train (seasonal, book well in advance). Spend time exploring Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh, either independently or on a guided walking tour.
Harry Potter Filming Locations by Scene
If you want to quickly find where a specific scene was filmed, here’s a reference. All of these locations are covered in detail below, or in our guides to Harry Potter in London and in Scotland.
- Diagon Alley – Leadenhall Market and Borough Market, London
- Platform 9 3/4 – King’s Cross Station, London
- Gringotts Bank – Australia House, London
- Ministry of Magic – Scotland Place, London
- Hogwarts Infirmary – Divinity School, Oxford
- Hogwarts Library – Duke Humfrey’s Library, Oxford
- Hogwarts Hallways – New College and Christ Church, Oxford. Gloucester Cathedral. Durham Cathedral. Lacock Abbey.
- Hogwarts Exteriors – Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
- Broomstick Lessons – Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
- Hogwarts Classrooms – Lacock Abbey. Durham Cathedral.
- Godric’s Hollow – Lacock Village
- Harry and Hermione’s Camp – Malham Cove, North Yorkshire
- Hogsmeade Station – Goathland Station, Yorkshire
- Hogwarts Express – Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scottish Highlands
- Hagrid’s Hut – Clachaig Gully, Glencoe, Scotland
- Dobby’s Grave / Shell Cottage – Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, Wales
- Dumbledore’s Grave – Loch Eilt, Scotland
Harry Potter Filming Locations in the UK
Below are the major filming locations we’ve visited, roughly ordered from south to north. For London-specific locations, see our detailed London guide.
Leadenhall Market, London
London has more Harry Potter filming locations than any other city in the UK. We’ve put together a full guide to Harry Potter in London covering all of them, but a few deserve a mention here too.
Leadenhall Market is a beautiful covered market in the City of London, dating from the 14th century. It was used as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Specifically, an optician’s shop in Bull’s Head Passage served as the door to the pub. The ornate Victorian roof and cobbled floors make it easy to see why the film-makers chose this location.
Leadenhall Market is free to visit. The main entrance is on Gracechurch Street. You can also take a Harry Potter walking tour that covers this and many other London film locations.
King’s Cross Station, London
The Platform 9 3/4 scene is one of the most memorable in the series. In the films, Harry goes to the magical platform between platforms 9 and 10, but the actual filming took place between platforms 4 and 5.
Today there’s a trolley embedded in the wall in the main concourse, complete with a photo opportunity (staff provide house scarves and wand props). Expect to queue for 30 to 60 minutes, or buy a VIP Photo Pass for £20 to skip the line. If you’re heading to the Warner Bros Studio Tour, they have the same trolley setup there with much shorter queues.
The HBO TV series filmed at King’s Cross in August 2025, with actors playing the Weasley family spotted on the platforms.
Harry Potter Studio Tour, Leavesden
If you only do one Harry Potter activity in the UK, make it the Warner Bros Studio Tour. This is where all eight films were made, and they’ve kept a huge number of the original sets, props, and costumes. You can visit the Great Hall, walk through Diagon Alley, explore the Forbidden Forest, and see the enormous Hogwarts castle model.
The tour takes 3 to 4 hours and is largely self-guided. You must buy tickets in advance from the official website as they don’t sell them on site, and popular dates book up months ahead.
The studio is in Leavesden, just north of London. The easiest option is to book a tour from central London that includes transport. If you prefer to go independently, take the train from London Euston to Watford Junction, then the free shuttle bus.
The new HBO series is also filming at Leavesden, though the production areas are separate from the tour. See our full guide to the Studio Tour for current prices, tips, and everything else you need to know.
Oxford University, Oxford
Oxford is one of our favourite small cities in the UK. It’s an easy day trip from London, and several of the university buildings were used as Hogwarts filming locations. If you’re a fan, Oxford probably has the highest concentration of recognisable interiors outside of the Studio Tour itself.
The Divinity School, part of the Bodleian Library, was used as the Hogwarts Infirmary. Harry wakes up here after various misadventures in Philosopher’s Stone, and it’s also the room where Ron has that very reluctant dance lesson with Professor McGonagall in Goblet of Fire. The medieval interior is impressive, and the vaulted ceiling alone is worth the visit. You can visit on a guided tour; book through the Bodleian website.
Duke Humfrey’s Library, the oldest reading room in the Bodleian, appeared as the Hogwarts Library in Philosopher’s Stone. This is where Harry first uses the Invisibility Cloak to sneak into the restricted section at night. It can be visited as part of the Divinity School tour.
New College (despite the name, actually one of the oldest colleges in Oxford, founded in 1379) features in Goblet of Fire. The cloisters were used for Hogwarts corridor scenes, specifically the sequence where Harry pushes through crowds of students wearing “Potter Stinks” badges. The courtyard is where Harry gives Cedric a tip about the dragons they’ll be facing in their first task.
New College can be visited for a small fee (you pay at the entrance, and it’s a self-guided tour). Note that colleges do occasionally close for exams or other reasons. See their visitor page for current opening times.
Christ Church College was also a filming location, and is probably the one most people will recognise. The cloisters were used as Hogwarts corridors in Philosopher’s Stone, including the scene where Harry spots his father’s name on the Quidditch trophy case. The Bodley Tower staircase is where the first-year students arrive at Hogwarts and meet Professor McGonagall for the first time. It’s a grand stone staircase and looks exactly as you’d expect a Hogwarts entrance to look.
The Christ Church dining hall is worth a special mention. While no filming actually took place here, it’s widely cited as the inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts. With the long tables, high ceiling, and raised area for faculty at the far end, the resemblance is obvious the moment you walk in. Christ Church charges an entry fee; see their website for prices and times.
You can visit all these locations individually, or take a Harry Potter walking tour of Oxford that includes admission to the Divinity School and several other filming locations. From London, you can also take a full day tour combining the Studio Tour and Oxford.
Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester
Gloucester is about 2 hours from London by train, and the cathedral here is spectacular. Dating from 678, with the present building from 1089 onwards, it’s particularly known for its fan-vaulted cloisters, which featured in three Harry Potter films: Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Half Blood Prince.
In the first film, the troll’s rampage takes him through the north side of the cloisters, while the south side featured as a Gryffindor corridor and the west door served as the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. In Chamber of Secrets, the “Chamber of Secrets has been opened” message (written in blood) appears at the east end of the north walk. In Half Blood Prince, Harry was hiding near the Lavatorium when he overheard Snape talking about the Unbreakable Vow.
Gloucester Cathedral is free to visit (with a suggested £5 donation), and is open every day of the year. You can visit independently, or take a full day tour from London that includes Gloucester and Lacock.
Lacock Abbey, Lacock
Lacock is a small village in the Cotswolds that looks like something straight out of a period drama. The National Trust has preserved it beautifully, and you won’t see any satellite dishes or electricity poles. Film-makers love it: Cranford, Downton Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice have all been filmed here.
The village itself appeared in Philosopher’s Stone (as Godric’s Hollow, where Lily and James Potter lived) and in Half Blood Prince (as Budleigh Babberton, where Professor Slughorn lived). These are private homes, so please be respectful.
Lacock Abbey is the main draw. Built as a nunnery in the 13th century and converted to a house in the 16th, its cloisters were used for Hogwarts corridors in the first two films. The Sacristy served as Snape’s Potions classroom, the Warming Room was Professor Quirrell’s classroom (complete with a 16th-century cauldron that is real, not a prop), and the Chapter House was where Harry finds the Mirror of Erised.
Lacock Abbey is managed by the National Trust. The village is free to visit, but entry to the Abbey requires a ticket (free for National Trust members). You can visit independently, or take the Gloucester and Lacock day tour from London.
Malham Cove, North Yorkshire
Malham Cove is a massive limestone formation near the village of Malham in North Yorkshire. It was formed over 12,000 years ago at the end of the ice age, and the large flat area at the top was used in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, when Harry and Hermione camp for the night after Ron abandons them.
The walk from Malham village to the foot of the cove is about a mile each way, and you can climb to the top via a steep footpath (about 30 minutes each way). The views from the top are well worth it, and there are plenty more walking trails in the area if you have time, including a loop to Goredale Scar. See more on the Malhamdale community website.
Filming for the new HBO TV series was also spotted near Malham and Skipton in October 2025, so this area may feature in the new show as well.
Goathland Train Station, Yorkshire
In the North York Moors, the village of Goathland (near Whitby) is home to the train station that served as Hogsmeade station in Philosopher’s Stone. This is where the Hogwarts Express pulls in and Hagrid welcomes the first years.
Goathland station is part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and is still an active station with services running to Whitby. It’s free to visit, and you can take a ride on a steam train or the classic Pullman dining car (book in advance, not available year-round).
From York, you can visit Goathland as part of a North York Moors and Whitby day trip that includes the station. See our guide to spending two days in York for more ideas.
Durham Cathedral, Durham
Durham Cathedral dates from 1093 and is one of the most impressive cathedrals in the UK. It sits on a hilltop overlooking the city and appeared in the first two Harry Potter films.
In Philosopher’s Stone, Harry releases Hedwig in the snowy cloister, standing by the stone basin in the centre (a former monks’ washing area). In Chamber of Secrets, the same cloister is where Ron’s spell backfires and he ends up vomiting slugs. The Chapter House was used as Professor McGonagall’s classroom (you can peek through the keyhole, but it’s not open to the public).
Durham Cathedral is free to visit, with a suggested £3 donation. There’s a fee for climbing the north tower. See opening times here. Durham is on the mainline between London and Edinburgh (10 minutes from Newcastle, 50 minutes from York by train). You can also take a private tour from York.
Alnwick Castle, Alnwick
Alnwick Castle in Northumberland has appeared in everything from Downton Abbey to Transformers, and it featured in the first two Harry Potter films as well.
The Outer Bailey was where Harry and his classmates learn to fly broomsticks in Philosopher’s Stone. In Chamber of Secrets, the Inner Bailey is where Harry and Ron crash-land the flying Ford Anglia. The main gate (Lion Arch) appeared as an entrance to Hogwarts when students visit Hagrid’s Hut.
The castle offers interactive experiences, including broomstick flying lessons. We did this and had a great time. The castle is open late March to late October, 10am to 5.30pm. Tickets are cheaper if you book online in advance.
From Edinburgh, we’ve taken this day tour to Alnwick Castle that includes stops in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. We thought it was excellent value. You can also consider this tour that combines Alnwick Castle and Holy Island.
Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scottish Highlands
The Glenfinnan Viaduct is one of the most iconic images from the Harry Potter films. The Hogwarts Express crossing this curved viaduct in full steam is something every fan will recognise, and the good news is you can see it in real life.
The viaduct is in the northwest Scottish Highlands, about 30 minutes’ drive from Fort William. From the car park, it’s a 5 to 10 minute walk up the valley to the viewing point. The best views are from the slopes just past the viaduct on the left side.
Even better, the train from the films (the Jacobite steam train) is a real service running from Fort William to Mallaig from May through September. You can time your visit to watch it cross the viaduct (it arrives about 30 minutes after leaving Fort William), or you can actually ride it. Tickets sell out months in advance; book at West Coast Railways.
If you can’t get a Jacobite ticket, this tour from Edinburgh includes a train ticket along with several other filming locations. If you just want to see the viaduct without the train ride, this full day tour from Edinburgh covers Glenfinnan and Glencoe.
Glencoe, Scottish Highlands
Glencoe is one of Scotland’s most dramatic valleys and a popular destination regardless of Harry Potter. But for fans, it was the filming location for Hagrid’s Hut in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The hut was built at Clachaig Gully (just across from the Clachaig Inn), and the outdoor scenes with Buckbeak in Hagrid’s pumpkin patch were shot here.
Glencoe is about 2.5 hours from Edinburgh and 2 hours from Glasgow by car. Without a car, there are day tours from both cities. This Harry Potter tour from Edinburgh includes Glencoe, and this Rabbie’s tour is another good option. If you’re a fan of Outlander, many filming locations overlap with this area. See our guide to Outlander filming locations in Scotland. See also our guides to day trips from Glasgow.
Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Freshwater West beach on the Pembrokeshire Coast is a beautiful stretch of sand that was the setting for one of the saddest scenes in the series: Dobby’s burial at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It’s also where the exterior of Shell Cottage was built (the cottage itself was a set and no longer exists).
Dobby’s grave is easy to find. Park at the car park at the southern end of the beach, walk past the lifeguard hut, and look up to your right in the dunes. A well-marked path leads to it. The grave is a mound of stones left by fans, many with messages and drawings. The National Trust, who manage the beach, have confirmed they’re happy for the grave to remain.
The beach itself is spectacular and well worth visiting even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan. It’s popular with surfers and makes a great stop on a Wales road trip.
What Harry Potter Sites Can I Visit From London?
London makes the best base for a Harry Potter trip. Beyond the London filming locations themselves, you can easily visit the Warner Bros Studio Tour (30 minutes by train), Oxford University (about an hour), Gloucester Cathedral (about 2 hours by train), and Lacock Abbey (about 2 hours by car). Day tours from London are available for all of these.
What Harry Potter Sites Can I Visit From York?
York wasn’t a filming location, but the Shambles is widely believed to have inspired Diagon Alley, and the city makes a good base for several nearby filming locations. From York you can visit Goathland Station (Hogsmeade), Malham Cove (Harry and Hermione’s camp), and Durham Cathedral (Hogwarts corridors and classrooms). See our guide to a weekend in York for more ideas on the city itself.
What Harry Potter Sites Can I Visit From Edinburgh?
Edinburgh has a strong Harry Potter connection as the city where JK Rowling wrote most of the books, and many locations are believed to have inspired places in the novels. See our guide to Harry Potter in Edinburgh for those. From Edinburgh, you can take day trips to the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Glencoe (with the option to ride the Jacobite steam train), Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and many other filming locations in Scotland.
Map of Harry Potter Filming Locations in the UK
Here’s a map of all the filming locations covered in this guide. You can also view it on Google Maps here.
Tours of Harry Potter Filming Locations
There’s no single tour that covers all the UK filming locations, but there are plenty of good options for different parts of the country:
- A walking tour of the key London filming locations
- A full day tour combining the Studio Tour and Oxford
- A walking tour of Oxford filming locations
- A full day tour of Gloucester and Lacock from London
- A day trip from York including Goathland station
- A full day Highland tour from Edinburgh including the Jacobite train
- A day tour from Edinburgh to Alnwick Castle
- A five day tour from Edinburgh including the Jacobite Express and the Isle of Skye
Further Reading
We have plenty more to help you plan a UK trip around Harry Potter and beyond:
- Jess’s guide to Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland and Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh
- Our detailed guide to Harry Potter locations in London and the Studio Tour
- Our two week UK itinerary and one week UK road trip
- Our guides to costs of travelling the UK and tips for driving in the UK
- The DK Eyewitness London guidebook and Rick Steves’ London
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Harry Potter filmed in the UK?
The Harry Potter films were shot at locations across England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as at the Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden near London. Major filming locations include Oxford (Hogwarts classrooms and library), Gloucester Cathedral (Hogwarts corridors), Alnwick Castle in Northumberland (Hogwarts exteriors and broomstick lessons), the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland (the Hogwarts Express), and Freshwater West in Wales (Dobby’s burial). London was used for many scenes including Platform 9 3/4, Diagon Alley, and the Ministry of Magic.
Can you visit the real Hogwarts?
Hogwarts was not a single real location. Different parts of the school were filmed at multiple locations around the UK. Alnwick Castle was used for exterior shots, Oxford University colleges for classrooms and the library, Gloucester Cathedral and Durham Cathedral for corridors, and Lacock Abbey for more corridors and classrooms. You can visit all of these locations. The Warner Bros Studio Tour also has many original Hogwarts sets and an enormous model of the castle.
Is the Hogwarts Express a real train?
Yes. The train used in the films is the Jacobite steam train, which runs from Fort William to Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands from May to September. It crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is one of the most iconic images from the films. Tickets sell out months in advance, so book early.
What Harry Potter sites can I visit from London?
From London you can visit the filming locations in the city itself (Leadenhall Market, King’s Cross, Borough Market, and many more), the Warner Bros Studio Tour (30 minutes by train), Oxford University (about an hour by train or car), Gloucester Cathedral (about 2 hours by train), and Lacock Abbey (about 2 hours by car). Day tours from London are available for all of these.
What Harry Potter sites can I visit from Edinburgh?
Edinburgh itself wasn’t a filming location, but JK Rowling wrote most of the books there, and many city locations are believed to have inspired places in the novels. From Edinburgh, you can take day trips to the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Glencoe (with the option to ride the Jacobite steam train), Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, and various locations in the Scottish Highlands.
Is the new Harry Potter TV series filming at the same locations?
The new HBO Harry Potter TV series (premiering Christmas 2026) is filming primarily at Leavesden Studios, the same facility used for the original films. Location filming has also taken place at London Zoo, Borough Market, King’s Cross Station, and near Malham in North Yorkshire. New locations include Cadgwith and Kynance Cove in Cornwall, and Windsor Great Park. The series is planned to run for seven seasons, one per book.
And that’s our guide to the top Harry Potter filming locations in the UK! If you have any questions, pop them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you.
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