A magical, Instagrammable journey through the wizarding world

Hello witches, wizards, and muggles! Wands at the ready because today I’m taking you on a full Harry Potter walking tour across London. This self-guided day out will whisk you from King’s Cross and St Pancras to Leadenhall Market, across the Millennium Bridge, and into Westminster, with plenty of magical alleyways and Potter-esque pubs in between.

I did this route in one day with my fellow witch (and walking buddy), clocking up 21,000 steps. So bring flat shoes, snacks, and maybe a Butterbeer for energy.

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King’s Cross Station & Platform 9¾

A Harry Potter tour HAS to include King’s Cross. This is where Harry and his friends board the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾.

• There’s an official trolley photo spot (best early in the morning to skip the queues). I would imagine at peak times it could be up to an hour so make sure you leave plenty of time.

• The King’s Cross website says the trolley is always out for photos. But from my experience, the trolley was rolled out at the same time as the official photographer arrives (times vary throughout the year).

• You can borrow a scarf from any Hogwarts house and strike your chosen pose.

• Photos are £15–25 if you buy them, but you can also snap your own.

• Please watch my video above if you’d like to see the whole process in action!

🤫 If you don’t have time to queue, head to the front of the station near the exit ticket barriers as I love these archways for Harry Potter vibes which are super quiet.

The real Platform 9 and 3/4

👉 Top tip: The real filming platform used in the movies is actually between platforms 5 and 6. You’ll need a train ticket to see it, but it’s worth it for die-hard fans.

Harry Potter Shop

Don’t miss the Harry Potter shop inside the station — it feels like a mini Diagon Alley, complete with wands at Ollivanders, Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, and even Hedwig toys.

Harry Potter King’s Cross Bridge

📷 Top tip – the bridge that appears in Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone where Harry is with Hagrid, doesn’t seem to exist anymore.  But this walkway above Platform 9 and 3/4 is so photogenic, it is worth a shot!

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St Pancras International & the Renaissance Hotel

Just next door, St Pancras International stood in for the exterior King’s Cross in the films. Its gothic clock tower and red-brick exterior are stunning.

You’ll remember the Weasley’s having a very advantageous car parking space right out of the front in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Ron and Harry fly off over the station in their blue car swooping right past the clock tower.

You can easily get a great photo at the front of the station since there is a wide drop off place for cars just outside the hotel.

The Renaissance Hotel inside is equally magical, with sweeping staircases, stained glass, and rich details that feel straight out of Hogwarts. Spice Girls fans will also recognise the staircase from their Wannabe music video (iconic).

You can book to stay in the Renaissance Hotel which is now called St Pancras London, The Autograph Collection here (AD Aff Link).

Booking Office 1869 at St Pancras London

Within the hotel, there’s an incredibly on-theme bar for Harry Potter with dark wood, Gryffindor burgundy and punches of Slytherin green. A perfect place to relax and look at your King’s Cross photos over a coffee.

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Optional Detour: Grimmauld Place

A 15-minute walk from King’s Cross brings you to Claremont Square, the inspiration for 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family’s house in The Order of the Phoenix. The film version was built in the studio, but this spot still has that secretive, hidden-in-plain-sight energy.

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Leadenhall Market

This colourful Victorian market appears in The Philosopher’s Stone as part of Diagon Alley. Look for Bull’s Head Passage, where the blue shopfront once served as the Leaky Cauldron entrance (today it’s Two Eyes Coffee shop – order a “Polyjuice Potion” if you dare).

With its cobbled paths, red and green paintwork (sooo Gryffindor and Slytherin coded), and golden light streaming through the roof, Leadenhall Market is one of the most Instagrammable places in London. Arrive early to beat the crowds.

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Millennium Bridge & the Thames

The Millennium Bridge was destroyed by Death Eaters in The Half-Blood Prince. In real life, it’s a reflective, steel footbridge connecting St Paul’s Cathedral to Tate Modern, and one of the best places to soak up London views.

Look down the Thames and you’ll remember Order of the Phoenix, when Harry and the Order soar past Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, and the Houses of Parliament. One of the best ways to explore this view is by boat – you can look for special guided trips or jump on and off the Uber River Boat.

Click here to browse boat trips on the River Thames (AD Aff Link).

If you’re interested in going inside the famous Tower Bridge glass walkway, click here to find out more from my visit!.

It’s free to walk over Tower Bridge but to go inside and across the famous walkway, click here (AD AFF).

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Borough Market & Stoney Street (Optional Extra)

In The Prisoner of Azkaban, the Knight Bus screeches to a halt on Stoney Street, outside the Market Porter pub,  a stand-in for the Leaky Cauldron. This is a great place to stop for food, coffee, and magical atmosphere.

Borough Market is also a filming location used in the Bridget Jones movies. You can read about the London locations used in Bridget Jones here.

Borough High Street itself also appears to feature in the new Harry Potter TV series as Harry and Hagrid have been snapped filming there!

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Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub

Hidden down a narrow alley off Fleet Street, this centuries-old pub feels straight out of the wizarding world. Low ceilings, creaky staircases, and candlelit rooms give it total Leaky Cauldron vibes.

It’s also a spot where you half expect the pictures on the walls to start moving like in Dumbledore’s office. Mischief managed.

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Gringotts Bank – Australia House

On the Strand, you’ll find Australia House, which doubled as the interior of Gringotts Wizarding Bank before the sets were built at the studio. You can’t go inside, but peek through the doors for a glimpse of the grand marble hall.

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Covent Garden, Cecil Court & Goodwin’s Court

While not official filming locations, these atmospheric alleyways are pure Potter energy:

• Cecil Court is lined with bookshops and antique stores, often thought to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley.

• Goodwin’s Court is a narrow lane of Georgian houses and gas lamps, giving full Knockturn Alley vibes.

Both are a short stroll from Covent Garden’s shops, cafes and London Transport Museum.

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Leicester Square & Piccadilly Circus

In Leicester Square you’ll find:

• The Harry Potter statue of Harry mid-Quidditch.

• The Palace Theatre, home of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Nearby Piccadilly Circus is where Harry, Ron, and Hermione narrowly avoid a bus in The Deathly Hallows Part One. It’s as busy in real life as it looks on screen — a great place for those iconic red bus and black cab shots.

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Gordon’s Wine Bar

London’s oldest wine bar has candlelit vaults and old newspaper-lined walls — like stepping into a hidden corner of the Leaky Cauldron. Perfect for cheese plates, wine (or butterbeer in spirit), and a magical pause before your final stops.

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Westminster & the Ministry of Magic

• Great Scotland Yard: Seen in The Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows Part One. The red telephone box that serves as the Ministry entrance was sadly just a prop (petition to install a real one, your honour!).

• Westminster Bridge: Crossed by both the Knight Bus and Harry himself, with Parliament as the backdrop.

• Westminster Station: Where Mr Weasley struggles with his Oyster card — fun fact, Daniel Radcliffe didn’t know how to use one either, so he waved it at the wrong place. Classic.

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Why I Made This Tour

I’ve loved Harry Potter for as long as I can remember. I even wrote my English dissertation on the books, and articles for my student paper too. Now that I call London home, I adore exploring its magical and Instagrammable places.

This blog (and my YouTube channel) is my love letter to London – its stories, its history, and the way it always feels like stepping into another world. If you love that too, then you’re in the right place.

I solemnly swear that this walking tour will leave you spellbound. 🪄✨

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