Harry Potter Tour of Britain

Okay, so I am going to put it out there, Harry Potter is one of the best films ever made in the human history... Well at least for me:) I am one of those people who takes an entire day off to do a Harry Potter marathon which it takes me back to my childhood and teen years when I could not wait to see the new film. As I have gotten older and unfortunately realised that Hogwarts is not real, I have developed an interest in the actual filming process and the locations used throughout the eight fantastic films. I am going to be honest and say that I am not really interested in the studio tours they offer here in London, because even though they give you an insight about the filming, not much exploring is going on. But instead I will do my best and try to give you some top locations here in the Britain where you can garb your backpack and find yourself in a magical journey where Harry, Hermione and Ron started theirs.

King's Cross Station

As we all know this is where it all began and ended, each year the King's Cross train station was the destination where the students board the Hogwarts Express on Platform 9 ¾. Today you can see the secret entrance to the platform when you visit this historical station. It is absolutely free and you can even take a photo with your trolley.

The Hogwarts Express

In the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron lands on the bridge with the flying Ford Anglia which the Hogwarts Express crosses, and this would be the first time we see the The Glenfinnan Viaduct. The bridge is located in the West Highland line in Scotland and you can actually take a steam locomotive journey on this bridge from May to October, proper Hogwarts style:)

Gloucester Cathedral

This place of worship for over 1300 years is also where you can meet Moaning Myrtle or Nearly Headless Nick, well if you are lucky enough:) The Cathedral’s Cloisters are used as various settings for Hogwarts' interiors and can provide some amazing Instagram photos!! The Cathedral is about 10 mins walk from the Gloucester train station, so pretty easy to get to.

Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral is another historic landmark used for the exterior and interior scenes of Hogwarts. The Durham Cathedral is one of the finest Norman buildings in the UK. If you are a true Harry Potter fan you can easily remember the Cathedral from the scenes of Ron vomiting slugs and Professor McGonagall’s class teaching the young wizards to turn animals into water goblets.

Alnwick Castle

The Castle has been mainly used for the exterior shots of the Hogwarts. You can easily remember this 700 years old landmark from Madame Hooch’s flying lesson in the first film. Unfortunately there is an entrance fee to visit the castle but it includes the broomstick lessons!!

There are still many locations you can visit in the UK and around the world if you want to explore the behind the scenes experience of Harry and his friends, and the entire city of London would be a good start. These were my favourites but I will be listing more locations to choose from. Whether you are a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw you will love this real life Harry Potter journey.

You can also buy tickets to the Westend Musical, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child while you are in London!!!!

The last but not the least, if you would like to explore many other film locations in the UK, you may check the series of A Film Lover's Guide to the UK, for films like Trainspotting and the James Bond saga.

Piccadilly Circus, London

Piccadilly Circus, London W1D 7ET, UK

London Zoo

Outer Cir, London NW1 4RY, UK

Spend a day or two walking through Seven Sisters country Park

Seven Sisters Country Park, Exceat, Seaford BN25 4AD, UK

One of greatest railways journeys in the world; Jacobite Steam Train

Fort William PH33 6EN, UK

Millenium Bridge, London

Millennium Bridge, Thames Embankment, London EC4V 3QH, UK