You can follow Harry Potter around London for free: the trolley photo spot at Platform 9¾ in King's Cross station, the Leaky Cauldron doorway in Leadenhall Market, the Millennium Bridge, Westminster Underground station and several other places seen in the films are all public spaces you can visit on a one-day walk.
Most of the Harry Potter films were shot on studio sets at Leavesden, outside London, but the film-makers also used real streets, stations and bridges in the city. Some are instantly recognisable, such as the red-brick front of St Pancras station. Others, like a blue door in a narrow City passage, only make sense once you know where to look.
This page is a self-guided route through the best of them, in an order that saves walking. It also flags the places that have changed since filming, such as the old Reptile House at London Zoo, which is no longer open as a reptile house. Everything here is free to see from the outside, apart from the zoo and the stage play.
The route in brief
- Start
- King's Cross St Pancras station
- Finish
- Westminster and Lambeth Bridge
- Time
- A relaxed half-day to a full day, depending on stops
- Cost
- Free to walk; only public transport, food and any souvenirs cost money
- Best days
- Weekdays for Platform 9¾; weekends for a quiet Leadenhall Market
- Transport
- Northern line to Bank, then walking, with an optional Tube hop at the end
King's Cross: the Platform 9¾ trolley and the real platforms
In the stories, the Hogwarts Express leaves from Platform 9¾ at King's Cross, reached by running at the wall between platforms nine and ten. In the real station there is a photo spot with a luggage trolley that appears to vanish into a brick wall. It sits just outside the Harry Potter Shop King's Cross, inside the station.
Shop staff take photos of you at the trolley, which you can buy afterwards if you like them. The shop also says you are welcome to take your own photos. Shop hours were Monday to Saturday 8am to 10pm and Sunday 9am to 8pm in September 2026, so check the Harry Potter Shop King's Cross page before an early or late visit.
The trolley is a photo set, not a filming location. According to London & Partners, the city's official visitor organisation, the scenes of Harry going to the platform were filmed at platforms four and five of the real station. The station is busy with passengers, so be quick and keep out of the way of people catching trains.
The trolley queue is shortest early on a weekday. At weekends and in school holidays the line for the Platform 9¾ photo can be long, and the shop gets crowded. Arrive soon after the shop opens and you may walk straight up, then save the shopping for later.
St Pancras and the flying car
Step outside and look across the road at the Gothic front of St Pancras International. London & Partners says this exterior appears in Chamber of Secrets, when Harry and Ron park the Weasleys' flying Ford Anglia nearby and then fly off over the station after missing the train. It is the most photogenic building in the area, and it is free to walk into the station for a look at the great roof. Our guide to King's Cross and its surroundings covers the canalside and food nearby.
Photo: WFan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized
Leadenhall Market: the way into Diagon Alley
From King's Cross, take the Northern line (Bank branch) to Bank. Leadenhall Market is about six minutes' walk away, or four minutes from Monument.
Leadenhall is a covered Victorian market in the City of London, the historic financial district, with an ornate glass-and-iron roof, cobbled lanes and old shopfronts. The market itself says part of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was filmed here, representing the area that leads to the Leaky Cauldron, the pub that hides the entrance to Diagon Alley. Hagrid walks Harry through these lanes in the film.
The doorway used as the Leaky Cauldron's entrance is in Bull's Head Passage, a small alley off the market: a blue door that belonged to an optician's shop, according to London & Partners. It is easy to walk past, so look for the crowd taking photos.
The public areas of the market are open 24 hours a day, although shop and restaurant hours vary. In September 2026 there was scaffolding up for maintenance, but the market was fully open. Leadenhall is a working business area, so weekday lunchtimes are busy with office workers and weekends can be very quiet, with some shops closed.
The Millennium Bridge that the Death Eaters destroyed
Walk west from Leadenhall through the City to St Paul's Cathedral, which takes roughly 20 minutes. Behind the cathedral, the steel Millennium Bridge crosses the Thames to Tate Modern. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Death Eaters twist and destroy the bridge in the opening scenes.
The bridge is for pedestrians only and is free to cross. The view from the middle, with St Paul's Cathedral behind you and the modern towers of the City to the east, is one of the best on the river. London & Partners also points out small paintings on the bridge's walking surface by the artist Ben Wilson, which children enjoy looking for.
On the south side is Tate Modern, which is free, has toilets and a café, and makes a sensible rest stop halfway through the day. Our walking guide to London's bridges explains the other crossings you can see from here.
Tower Bridge from the air
In Order of the Phoenix, Harry and the Order fly along the Thames on broomsticks and pass Tower Bridge. It is a scene rather than a place you can stand in, but if you have time, a detour east along the river gives you the view.
Australia House: the inside of Gringotts
London & Partners says Australia House, on the Strand, was used for the interior of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. The building is the Australian High Commission, a working diplomatic office, so you see it from the street. The grand banking hall itself is not open to casual visitors.
From St Paul's, the walk to the Strand along Fleet Street takes around 20 minutes. If you want to see a Gringotts interior properly, the full studio set is part of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour at Leavesden, which also has Diagon Alley, the Great Hall and the Hogwarts Express.
Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus
Continue west along the Strand towards Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square, about 15 minutes on foot. Leicester Square has a free trail of bronze film statues called Scenes in the Square, and one of them shows Harry on his broomstick. It is a fun photo stop for children, alongside characters such as Paddington and Mr Bean.
A few minutes further on is Piccadilly Circus. In Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry, Ron and Hermione arrive here after escaping from Bill and Fleur's wedding when Death Eaters attack. It is one of the busiest spots in the West End, so hold on to children and keep your phone in a safe place.
The play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus, has hosted the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for years. The two-part version gave its final performances on 20 September 2026. A one-part production opens on 9 October 2026, so there is nothing to see at the Palace between those dates. Seats sell out, so book ahead; our guide to West End theatre explains how theatre booking works in London.
Westminster station and Lambeth Bridge
From Piccadilly Circus, walk down through Trafalgar Square and Whitehall to Westminster in about 20 minutes, or take the Jubilee line from Green Park. The Tube station at Westminster appears in Order of the Phoenix, when Arthur Weasley takes Harry by Underground to his hearing at the Ministry of Magic. London & Partners says the station was closed for a whole day for filming.
It is a real, busy station on the Jubilee, District and Circle lines, so enjoy the concrete-and-steel interior as you pass through rather than stopping on platforms. Outside you are next to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the heart of Westminster.
Walk south along the river for about 10 minutes to Lambeth Bridge, the red bridge beside the gardens of Parliament. In Prisoner of Azkaban, the purple Knight Bus squeezes between two double-decker buses on this bridge. It is an ordinary road bridge today, with a pavement on both sides, and a quiet place to end the walk.
| Stop | Film | What you can see | Nearest station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform 9¾ trolley, King's Cross | All films (Hogwarts Express) | Photo set by the Harry Potter Shop | King's Cross St Pancras |
| St Pancras exterior | Chamber of Secrets | Station front and courtyard | King's Cross St Pancras |
| Leadenhall Market and Bull's Head Passage | Philosopher's Stone | Market lanes; Leaky Cauldron door | Monument or Bank |
| Millennium Bridge | Half-Blood Prince | Footbridge over the Thames | St Paul's or Blackfriars |
| Australia House | Gringotts interior | Outside only | Temple or Holborn |
| Piccadilly Circus | Deathly Hallows Part 1 | The junction and screens | Piccadilly Circus |
| Westminster station | Order of the Phoenix | Station interior | Westminster |
| Lambeth Bridge | Prisoner of Azkaban | Road bridge with pavements | Westminster |
London Zoo and the snake scene: what has changed
In the first film, Harry talks to a python behind glass and then makes the glass disappear so that his cousin Dudley falls into the tank. This was filmed in the Reptile House at ZSL London Zoo in Regent's Park. Many older guides still send fans there, and some official tourism pages still describe the Reptile House as you would find it in the film.
The Reptile House from the film is now a children's play space. ZSL says the historic 1926 Reptile House closed to the public in 2023. Its reptiles and amphibians moved to a new habitat nearby, and the old building is now ZooTown, an indoor role-play area for children up to about eight, which needs a separate £1 timed ticket on top of zoo admission. You can still see the building, but not the snake tank as it looked on screen.
If you have younger children, the zoo is still a good day out, just not a quick Harry Potter photo stop. Allow several hours and a full-price ticket, and read our zoo guide before you go.
Walking, transport and timing tips
The full route from King's Cross to Lambeth Bridge involves one Tube journey and several walks of 15 to 20 minutes. That is manageable for most families, and London is often quicker on foot than people expect; our guide to walking in London explains when to walk and when to ride. Pay for the Tube with the same contactless card or Oyster all day and the daily cap limits your spending; see how Oyster and contactless fares work.
- Start early. King's Cross is calmest in the morning, and the whole route fits comfortably into a day.
- Pick your Leadenhall day. Weekdays are lively but busy with office workers. Weekends are quieter for photos, but some shops are closed.
- Plan a lunch stop. The area around Tate Modern and the South Bank has plenty of places to eat, roughly halfway along the route.
- Shorten it for small children. King's Cross, Leadenhall and the Millennium Bridge make a good three-stop morning on their own.
If you would rather have someone else do the storytelling, several companies run guided Harry Potter walks and bus tours. Our overview of walking tours in London explains what to look for when you compare them.
Beyond London: Oxford and the studio sets
Some of the most famous Hogwarts interiors were not filmed in London at all. London & Partners lists Oxford's Bodleian Library and Christ Church college among the places linked with the films, and a day trip to Oxford takes about an hour by train from Paddington. For the actual sets, props and costumes, the Studio Tour at Leavesden is the place to go, and it is worth combining with a morning at King's Cross because both use trains from the same part of London.
For more ideas that suit families, from farms and playgrounds to river trips, see our guide to London with children.
Frequently asked questions
Is Platform 9¾ at King's Cross free to visit?
Yes. The trolley photo spot is inside King's Cross station next to the Harry Potter Shop, and the shop says you are welcome to take your own photos. Staff also take professional photos, which cost money if you decide to buy them.
Where is the Leaky Cauldron in London?
The doorway used as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in the first film is in Bull's Head Passage, a small alley in Leadenhall Market in the City of London. The nearest stations are Monument and Bank, a few minutes' walk away.
Can you see the Harry Potter snake tank at London Zoo?
Not any more. The Reptile House where the scene was filmed closed to the public in 2023 and is now ZooTown, an indoor play area for young children. The zoo's reptiles now live in a newer habitat called the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians.
How long does a Harry Potter walking tour of London take?
The self-guided route on this page, from King's Cross to Lambeth Bridge, takes a relaxed half-day to a full day with stops for photos and food. Organised guided walks are usually shorter and cover fewer places.
Which bridge is destroyed in Harry Potter?
The Millennium Bridge, the steel footbridge between St Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern, is destroyed by Death Eaters at the start of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The real bridge is open to pedestrians every day and free to cross.
Sources
- Harry Potter Shop - Harry Potter Shop King's Cross (checked September 2026)
- Leadenhall Market - History (checked September 2026)
- Leadenhall Market - Visit (checked September 2026)
- London & Partners (visitlondon.com) - Harry Potter things to do in London, Internet Archive copy of 16 January 2026 (checked September 2026)
- ZSL London Zoo - Reptile House history (checked September 2026)
- ZSL London Zoo - ZooTown (checked September 2026)
- Leicester Square - Scenes in the Square (checked September 2026)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Official site (checked September 2026)