It is not an easy thing to film a whole series of films and the crew of Harry Potter had to use sets all over Britain to keep a great atmosphere for every film. Luckily you can arrange yourself a Harry Potter themed trip and go to many of the sets external shots were filmed. The rest of the sets are all fictional like Diagon Alley and they were filmed at Leavesden Film Studios.
Way to Hogwarts: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Lochaber, Scotland
This viaduct which is 100ft (30.5m) above sea level is used in many Harry Potter movies as it is the way that leads to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The railway to Hogwarts ends in Goathland train station or Hogsmeade station as it is called in the movie. You can follow the footsteps of Harry and his friends and get on the Jacobite steam train which appeared as Hogwarts Express in the movies. Or you may break the rules a little bit and head off to the area where Arthur Weasley’s loved baby-blue flying Ford Anglia was landed on.
Quidditch matches and some other activities: Glen Coe, Argyll, Scotland
The given nature of the Scottish Highlands already makes it a perfect spot for the first two Harry Potter movies. Glen Nevis is the home to the Quidditch matches and during your visit, you will also see some familiar views from the Tri-Wizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire like the Steall Falls. Even without the Harry Potter quirk, Glen Nevis is considered to be the most romantic glen in Scotland and it is a great place to visit to stay in one of its many lodges and cottages and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It provides a great entrance to the Highland, so it is also very suitable for hiking.
Shell Cottage: Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, Wales
This beautiful beach with golden sand is the home to Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour‘s Shell Cottage in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. From inside the whimsical cottage, all Harry could hear was the ebb and flow of the sea. You cannot actually see the cottage as it was taken down after the filming ended but you can still feel a similar atmosphere as Harry did.
You can also see many surfers there as the south-westerly facing spot has one of Wales’ best waves.
Professor McGonagall's classroom: Durham Cathedral, Durham, England
The famous scenes where Professor McGonagall expertly taught her student how to turn animals into water goblets all took place in Durham Cathedral’s Chapter House. Also, the Norman cathedral with its magnificent cloisters is home to the snow-covered quadrangle where Hedwig flew off from in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Not all memories that took place in this location are sweet though. Ron Weasley became a victim of the terrifying and gross slug-vomiting curse at this very location in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Hogwarts Library and Infirmary: Bodleian Library and Christ Church College, Oxford, England
Three Harry Potter movies had the chance to use the spectacular Bodleian Library of Oxford University which dates back to 1602. The medieval Duke Humfrey's Library is a part of the beatified institute and it served as Hogwarts library while the next-door building, elaborately vaulted Divinity School was being prepared to be the Hogwarts hospital. You can also walk for ten minutes and arrive at Christ Church College which includes a 16th-century stone staircase that is the first location we and all the first-year wizards got to see in Hogwarts. That exact staircase led everyone to the Great Hall in the movie.
Broomstick flying: Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, England
A very memorable scene from the first movie is the one where Madame Hooch is giving a broomstick flying lesson and this scene was filmed in the Outer Bailey of medieval Alnwick Castle. This location is still a crucial spot for every Harry Potter tour because you can see people getting broomstick training and magic shows. In addition to all these, there is a costumed guide that shares behind the scenes stories as you are walking through the castle. However, Harry Potter is not the only show Alnwick Castle appeared in. The 2014 Christmas special of Downton Abbey was also filmed there and you can join a Downton Abbey themed exhibition as well.
The Leaky Cauldron: Leadenhall Market, London, England
This location, which was once the famous wizard pub, The Leaky Cauldron, is now an optician’s in Bull’s Head Passage, Leadenhall Market. Behind that is where we can purchase all of our wizardly needs, Diagon Alley. You may not be able to find your wand there but you can still enjoy the ornate Victorian marketplace. To get the feeling a little bit more, get yourself a classic wax Barbour jacket just like one and only Ron Weasley.
Hagrid’s Hut: Glencoe, Argyl, Scotland
Hagrid’s Hut was home to many interesting events and Harry and his friends have gained a lot of memories there. Sadly, our lovely friend Hagrid’s hut is no longer present but you can still feel the atmosphere and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Platform 9¾: King’s Cross Station, London, England
Most of us have wished we could get into Platform 9¾ but sadly, we can’t. However, we can visit its original location. The entrance of King’s Cross Station is St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel and the filming location of platform 9¾ is the arched wall between platforms 4 and 5. If you prefer the feeling to the actual location, we invite you to head towards the west side of the station where you can see the entrance to platforms 9, 10, and 11. There, you can see a wall marked ‘Platform 9 ¾’. Don’t worry if you forgot your Harry Potter themed accessories as there is a shop that can provide you with many Harry Potter items. If you step outside the Neo-Gothic facade of St Pancras you will get to the place where the Weasley's magical Ford Anglia takes off.
Charming snakes: Reptile House, London Zoo, England
In the first movie, Harry goes to a zoo with his aunt and her family and in the London Zoo's Reptile House, he discovers that he has the ability to talk to snakes. Also, the actual home of the Dursley family is 12 Picket Post Close, Winkfield Row in Bracknell in case you want to get a taste of where did Harry spend his childhood. So, back to the zoo. In the movie, Harry is seen talking to a giant Burmese python, but the enclosure actually belongs to a venomous black mamba. The fact that some scenes of Harry Potter were filmed there is a cool quality of the zoo but being the world’s oldest scientific zoo, which dates all the way back to 1828, London Zoo is an amazing place to visit even without the Harry Potter scenes. You can see all kinds of different animal species, go to the butterfly paradise to get a truly magical experience, or feel the thrill of being near some big cats in the Land of the Lions.
Goblin bank Gringotts: Australia House, London, England
Australia House is an amazing construction and therefore, it is no stranger to huge cameras and crews. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, we saw the inside of Australia House used as the Gringotts which is a bank for wizards run by goblins.
Hidden halos: Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, England
There are 5 locations used for Hogwarts and 1,300-year-old Gloucester Cathedral is one of these locations with its spooky corridors. Nearly Headless Nick, Moaning Myrtle, and the troll from the first movie have all roamed the ancient cathedral. Although it is originally very old and authentic, it was not used in the movies exactly the way it is. Electrical points were disguised using panels that looked like stone walls and everything that made it look like a church was removed or concealed. For example, in the movies, you can’t see any of the stained glass figures that are originally a part of the church as they were covered with filter paper to blend with the rest of the atmosphere. However, during your visit, you can witness the ancientness of the church as you can go down a wooden door that leads to an old crypt which was haunted by monks from the old Gloucester monastery as legend has it.
Potions class: Lacock Abbey, Wiltshglenire, England
Lacock Abbey's Warming Room was the perfect place for Professor Quirrell’s Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom as it already contained a giant cauldron. However, they took a different approach for Professor Snape’s Potions Class and filmed it in the Sacristy. Harry came across the Mirror of Erised, a mirror that shows the deepest desire of the one looking at it, in the abbey’s Chapter House. Also, in real life, the abbey’s South Gallery is where William Henry Fox Talbot took the first photograph that has ever existed.
Other locations at Hogwarts: Warner Bros Studios, Leavesden, England
If you are a Harry Potter fan, Warner Bros Studios, just outside London may just be the dream place for you as there is a whole model of Hogwarts. The model is 1/24 of the filming construction and it is filled with props from the movie. They provide you a whole tour where they share some very interesting details about the movie.