To say that Harry Potter is a major part of my life would be quite the understatement. Ever since I first picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, my life quickly began to revolve around the book series. As I got older, that extended to one of my favorite things to do— travel the world.Â
Of course, as the Harry Potter series took over the world and the movies were released, multiple locations around the world became hot tourist spots for fans of the novels. I have visited many of the locations, however I still have many more on my bucket list. I’ve compiled a list of must-visits and other advice for Potterheads who may want to travel to these locations one day.Â
The Wizarding World of Harry PotterÂ
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure that you have heard about Universal Studios’ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I have been very fortunate to have been able to visit this amusement park multiple times in my life and it is always such an amazing place to go for vacation.Â
The full themed area spans both parks that make up the amusement park, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, with recreations of the Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade village, Three Broomsticks, Diagon Alley, Gringotts Bank, with a total of four themed rides. Now, admittedly, the first time that I visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was not a fan of the series and had no idea what any of it meant. However, the first time I visited after becoming a fan in 2017, I was moved to tears by how perfect the place is. Stepping into Diagon Alley for the first time truly felt like I was walking into these books and movies that had become a huge part of my life. Universal Studios put in the work to make sure that every single detail was perfect and exact to the movies.Â
Something that I will always remember is how while you’re entering Diagon Alley, which is tucked away behind the Leaky Cauldron, hidden speakers play sounds of bricks moving, imitating the experience that Harry has when he first goes to Diagon Alley. Another part that I really love about the park is the employees that take the time to continue the magic. When I first entered Ollivander’s to buy a wand, the employees treated me like I was a young wizard getting their first wand. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.Â
That is why I truly feel like if they get the opportunity, every single Harry Potter fan should visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry PotterÂ
The next location on my list has got to be the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. This place is so crazy cool, I cannot recommend it enough. If you are a Harry Potter fan and this isn’t on your bucket list, are you even a Harry Potter fan?Â
For those who might not know, the Studio Tour, which opened in 2012, is a walk through exhibition of real props and sets that were used to film the Harry Potter movies. While visiting, visitors can see sets like Number 4 Privet Drive, The Hogwarts Express, the Great Hall, the Gryffindor Common Room, etc.You also get to see props such as broomsticks, wands, costumes, as well as how some magical elements were created like Dobby, Hagrid’s massive height, and other technological feats. Literally walking through the studio tour, I felt more connected to the films and the actors more than ever before.
 When I was lucky enough to visit in 2019, I seriously spent around five hours just exploring and taking everything in, which definitely tired out my family, but they knew how much it meant to me so thankfully they did not rush me.If you’ve ever seen the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter special on MAX, the Studio Tour is where they filmed that.Â
Once again, I truly hope that one day all Harry Potter fans are able to experience visiting the Studio Tour. I have kept a lot of souvenirs from my visit, including a piece of paper that is meant to replicate the one that shot out of the Goblet of Fire with Harry’s name on it, that I saw shoot out of the prop Goblet of Fire. I hold the Studio Tour very dear to my heart and I will definitely visit it again one day.Â
King’s Cross Station and Platform 9 ÂľÂ
Another London location that deserves a spot on this list is definitely King’s Cross Station, which houses the very important, Platform 9 Âľ. When I first read the books, I thought that King’s Cross was just as fictional as Hogsmeade or Hogwarts itself, but once I learned that it was real, I knew I had to go.Â
 It does not look the same as it does in the movies, and of course there is no actual Platform 9 ¾, but since the extreme popularity of the series, King’s Cross has added The Harry Potter Shops and a photo op of a Platform 9 ¾ sign along with a trolley half-embedded in the wall for all fans that visit the train station.
This is a small section of the larger train station but I do think that it is a wonderful place for Harry Potter fans to visit. When I got the amazing opportunity to visit King’s Cross and Platform 9 ¾ , I was amazed by how necessary it was for me to see it in person. I immediately felt like I was a part of the Wizarding World and while I did not make any attempt to run into the wall and hopefully end up on a real Platform 9 ¾, it felt so good to take a photo pretending like I was. The conjoining shop sells licensed Harry Potter merchandise, everything from wands and robes to chocolate frogs and keychains, which I did indulge in. I also loved how the employees kept up the act to make it feel even more real. While taking my photo with the trolley, an employee gave me a Hogwarts scarf —you get to choose your house of course— and then they threw it up in the air so that in the photo, it does look like you’re running into the wall (unfortunately I cannot find said photo).
If you ever want to visit a real place that is important to the books and movies, I highly recommend visiting King’s Cross Station and Platform 9 Âľ. I love this one so much that when I studied abroad in London, I would frequently visit King’s Cross just to go into the Harry Potter shop and see the trolley.
The Jacobite Steam TrainÂ
From Platform 9 Âľ to the Hogwarts Express itself, The Jacobite Steam Train is the real life train that portrayed the outside of the Hogwarts Express in the movies. To be completely honest, I have not been on the Jacobite Train nor have I witnessed it passing over the famous bridge that is seen in the films, but these are two things that Harry Potter fans can do,both currently things that are on my own bucket list.Â
The Jacobite Train runs from April to October following the West Highland Line in the Scottish Highlands, from Fort William Station and Mallaig Station. The entire train ride from point A to point B takes two hours, stoping at each station for two hours, with the complete round trip taking six hours. However, if you would still like to ride the line during the winter months, you can— the journey is just as scenic, however it would not be on the Jacobite Train. Adult tickets cost £98 in First Class or £65 in Standard Class. Children’s tickets are available up to 16 years old and cost £64 in First Class or £36 in Standard Class. The Jacobite Train only offers tickets for a round trip, it does not offer one-way tickets.
However, if you do not want to ride the actual train and just want to see it pass the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, the bridge that is included in many of the Harry Potter films, you can do that. Watching the train pass the bridge can be quite difficult. To visit the Viaduct, there is a car park and signs that help visitors get the best view of the train, however, in the summer months it can fill up fast and closes once at capacity. This means that if you want the best shot at seeing the train during this time, you should plan to arrive 1-2 hours before the train is scheduled to pass. It is easier in the fall, so if you want it to be less hassle, I recommend going then. It costs £3.50 to park in the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre, but you can also get their via public transport. The best time to photograph the Jacobite Train is as it passes west-bound (towards Mallaig) over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is around 10:45 and 13:15. This will give you the best view of the steam train on the bridge from the hillside.
Like I said, I have not visited this location, but I hope to one day get the opportunity to both ride the Jacobite Train and also see it pass the Glenfinnan Viaduct.Â
Greyfriars KirkyardÂ
The last location on my list is also one of the creepiest— Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. This graveyard was where J.K. Rowling got many names for her characters from the graves that are housed here. Visiting this graveyard can help visitors feel like they are walking in the same steps as Rowling as she was writing the series and feel connected to that part of the writing process—at least that’s how I felt.Â
Visiting Greyfriars Kirkyard is actually very easy and you can go whenever you want as it is open 24 hours a day. It is located in Old Town Edinburgh attached to Greyfriars Kirk, which is a Parish church. Of course, the number one rule to follow when visiting Greyfriars Kirkyard is to be respectful. While it is a tourist attraction, it is first and foremost the resting place of many individuals. Therefore visitors must follow certain rules including: walking on paths only and not on graves, no littering, and no writing on graves. When I visited Greyfriars Kirkyard, I decided not to go with a tour guide and just explore around by myself. This is great if you don’t have a certain time allotted for your visitation, but if you are more type A than I am and like to have schedules, you can certainly book a tour which will show you around the Kirkyard and give you facts about its history, as well as point out the graves in which Rowling took inspiration. This is the only reason that I would’ve liked to have a guide because finding the specific graves is a bit difficult, but you can definitely do it on your own. The names that you need to keep a look out for are: Sirius Black, Robert Potter, William McGonagall, and Thomas Riddell(the photo below is of his gravestone).Â
I really enjoyed my time visiting Greyfriars Kirkyard. I went in February, so it wasn’t super packed and was very peaceful. However, some reviews of the area have said that it tends to get busier in the summer months, so plan accordingly.Â
Those are my top five tourist attractions that I believe every Harry Potter fan should visit. Of course, there are dozens more across the world which are all beautiful and deserving of a visit. My hope for this article is to give some insight to other Harry Potter fans so that they are able to experience the magic the same way that I have. There is truly no other feeling like it.