15 Magical, Must-See Harry Potter Locations in London

In some ways, London is the epicenter for all things Harry Potter in the muggle world. In London, you can visit Platform 9¾ and dream of making your own journey to Hogwarts. From London, you can set out on a Harry Potter tour across the U.K. or to the Harry Potter studio tour. London is home to great Harry Potter walking tours and afternoon teas and tons of film locations from all eight of the Harry Potter movies.

If you’re planning a trip to London and want to see some of these film locations for yourself, here they are. You can see them as part of a guided walking tour – or try and see them all yourself on a self-guided walking tour – which I’ve put a suggested itinerary for at the end of the post! I’ve also ordered the locations in this post based on that itinerary, so you can follow along as you read. (Open the map in its own tab by clicking here.)

Visiting these Harry Potter locations in London will help you have a magical trip to the British capital. Enjoy!

This post was originally published in December 2020, and was updated most recently in August 2023.

1. Lambeth Bridge

• Movie: Prisoner of Azkaban
• Scene: When the Knight Bus squeezes between buses while crossing the Thames

London’s got loads of bridges across the Thames; the first one to make an appearance in a Harry Potter film is Lambeth Bridge in West London. When Harry rides the triple-decker Knight Bus from 4 Privet Drive to the Leaky Cauldron, the bus gets squeezed between two of London’s red double-deckers… That moment happens on Lambeth Bridge!

Lambeth Bridge photos by Louise Ireland via Flickr

2. & 3. Tower Bridge & Palace of Westminster

• Movie: Order of the Phoenix
• Scene: During Harry’s flight with the Order through London

Both Tower Bridge and the Palace of Westminster are iconic London sights… and they’re impossible to miss in the opening scenes of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Harry flies into London with the Order as his guard. These scenes aren’t in the book, but they make for a great adventure to open the movie!

4. Great Scotland Place

• Movie: Order of the Phoenix, Deathly Hallows, Part I
• Scene: Where Harry and Mr. Weasley enter the Ministry of Magic

The white stone buildings of Great Scotland Yard are iconic London architecture; they’re also why the nearby street is called Whitehall. The film crews used this area of London to film several important scenes, in part because it’s a little off-the-beaten path for tourists exploring the area.

In particular, the intersection of Great Scotland Yard and Scotland Place is where Mr. Weasly and Harry enter the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix. It’s also where Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into the Ministry in Deathly Hallows, Part I. You can stand on the corner where the iconic red phone booth is in the films – but it’s not there today.

5. & 6. Piccadilly Circus & Shaftesbury Ave

• Movie: Deathly Hallows, Part I
• Scene: When Hermione apparates in London with Ron and Harry while fleeing the Death Eaters

As you might recall, Hermione saves the day (again and again!) in the beginning of Deathly Hallows, Part I when she apparates with Harry and Ron from the wedding at the Burrow. She brings them to the bustling Piccadilly Circus with its flashy billboards and iconic Cupid Statue. The group then continues up Shaftsbury Avenue as they look for a safe place to escape the Death Eaters.

Pretty much any day you visit this film location, you’ll find crowds of tourists, souvenir shops, and tons of bright red buses trundling through the area.

7. Australia House

• Movie: Multiple
• Scene: The interior shots of Gringotts Wizarding Bank

Australia House, more formally known as The High Commission of Australia in London, is the diplomatic building for Australia’s ambassador to the U.K. Inside, you might be surprised though: it will feel like you’ve stepped into Gringotts Wizarding Bank with all of the beautiful marble and gold elements. (In fact, the grand entryway of Australia House was the Gringotts Bank film location!)

Unfortunately, though, Australia House is not open to the public (unless you are an Australian!) so you’ll just have to admire it from the outside if you visit this Harry Potter film location in London.

8. Millennium Bridge

• Movie: Half-Blood Prince
• Scene: When Death Eaters attack the bridge in London

Millennium Bridge is London’s most iconic bridge – and it’s also the most iconic disaster filmed in the Harry Potter series. (And it’s the most expensive scene in the entire eight-movie franchise!) When the Death Eaters kidnap Ollivander at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, they then attack Millennium Bridge, causing it to fall into the Thames below.

No need to worry though: if you cross the bridge today, it’s totally structurally sound!

9. Borough Market

• Movie: Prisoner of Azkaban
• Scene: The exterior of the Leaky Cauldron after Harry gets off the Knight bus

On my most recent trip to London, I was in Borough Market and learned that a fun little taco shop actually served as the exterior for shots of the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry gets off the Knight Bus. It’s hard to tell if you see it now in real life, but keep an eye out the next time you watch the movie and then visit my favorite London market!

10. Leadenhall Market

• Movie: Sorcerer’s Stone
• Scene: Harry’s first visit to Diagon Alley

I had never visited Leadenhall Market before my most recent trip to London when I stumbled upon this gorgeous indoor arcade with stores and restaurants. (I also happened to discover it right before Christmas, and the giant tree and wreaths and boughs were even more magical than usual!)

In the films, Leadenhall Market served as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s by far my favorite of the Harry Potter locations in London, and I recommend it even for non-Harry Potter fans.

11. Claremont Square

• Movie: Order of the Phoenix
• Scene: The exterior of No. 12 Grimmauld Place

There’s been some debate about where in London No. 12 Grimmauld Place might be located – apparently, J.K. Rowling has said that in the magical world, it is located in the London borough of Islington. That’s convenient, as it’s also where you can find the film location for No. 12 Grimmauld Place!

Claremont Square is generally an unassuming beautiful British residential square in Islington; it’s also the official Grimmauld Place Harry Potter film location in London! You can walk around the square, admire the homes, and try to spot if any numbers are missing.

12. & 13. St. Pancras & King’s Cross Station

• Movie: Sorcerer’s Stone
• Scene: When Harry first visits Platform 9¾

As a Harry Potter fan, you probably want to visit King’s Cross Station for multiple reasons. First, it’s the setting of Platform 9¾ which is absolutely worth seeing. Second, it’s an iconic Harry Potter film location in London from Sorcerer’s Stone when Hagrid leaves Harry to find his own way to Platform 9¾. (They actually enter through St. Pancras station, and film in St. Pancras station as well.)

14. The London Zoo

• Movie: Sorcerer’s Stone
• Scene: The Reptile House, where Harry speaks with the Boa Constrictor

Most of the Harry Potter films were filmed at the WB Studios in Leavesden (where you can now do the Harry Potter studio tour). The first – and highly iconic – non-studio Harry Potter film location in London was shot at the Reptile House in the London Zoo.

Inside, Harry meets a boa constrictor and speaks to it in Parseltongue; while you probably won’t have any chats with snakes there are plenty of other amphibians and serpents to see.

15. The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour

• Movie: All of them!
• Scene: (Almost) All of them!

You already know I love the Harry Potter studio tour in Leavesden, The Making of Harry Potter. It’s somewhere you can easily spend an entire day, and see many of the filming sets, costumes, and props used in all eight of the Harry Potter films.

I recommend planning a whole day to do the studio tour, so you can really enjoy it. Check out my guide for how to make sure you have the most magical experience possible.

How to Do a Self-Guided London Film Locations Tour

If you want to see all of these Harry Potter locations in London, here’s a self-guided walking tour route (with a short tube ride) to make it happen. This ambitious route comes in at 8 miles; lace up your most comfy shoes!

1. Start at Pimlico Station. Walk to the Thames, turning north toward Lambeth Bridge.
2. Cross Lambeth Bridge. Continue along the river to Westminster Bridge. Look at the Palace of Westminster.
3. Cross the Thames on Westminster Bridge and turn up Whitehall. Turn right into Great Scotland Place.
4. Continue up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square; turn left and make your way to Haymarket. Follow Haymarket to Piccadilly Circus.
5. Turn up Shaftsbury Avenue and follow it to Charing Cross.
6. Turn south down Charing Cross, then turn east on Strand and follow it to Australia House.
7. Go south to the Thames and follow it east to Millennium Bridge.
8. Cross Millennium Bridge. Follow the Thames east to Borough Market.
9. Continue along the river to Tower Bridge. Cross the Thames again.
10. Walk along the Thames under the Tower of London. Follow Eastcheap up into the City of London. At Gracechurch turn north and follow it to Leadenhall Market.
11. Follow Bishopsgate north to London Wall. Turn west along London Wall to Moorgate and up to Moorgate Station. Take the Northern Line to Angel Station.
12. From Angel Station, go south. Turn west on Pentonville; continue to Claremont Square.
13. Follow Pentonville to King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations.
14. Walk west on Euston Road to Regent’s Park. Make your way north to the London Zoo.
15. After the zoo, walk back to Euston Road. There you can get on the tube at Regent’s Park, Great Portland Street, Warren Street, or Euston Square stations. (Or you can catch a train north to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour!)

There you have it! How to do your own Harry Potter film locations walking tour in London. If you’d prefer to visit some of these sites with a guide, I’ve got a whole list of the best Harry Potter London tours – most visit at least some of these filming locations, so check it out.

Which of these Harry Potter locations in London do you most want to visit? Let me know in the comments!