Out of Norm Travels - Harry Potter mania in London

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[Note. This is me reminiscing about my past travels as I am not sure when I will be able to start traveling anytime soon. ] 

Harry Potter Themed Activities in London

Here is my recommended list of Harry Potter themed activities when in London: 

1. 'Tour for Muggles' 

http://www.tourformuggles.com; June 2018

Photos taken at the Tour for Muggles 

An appropriately themed tour, 'Tour for Muggles' is one filled with Harry Potter snippets. I am "Muggle", and referred as such in the wizarding world as I am a non-magic person.  

We dived into Harry Potter land at Borough Market at London bridge. As every Potter-fan knows, Borough market is a must visit for many scenes of the Potter series. It is after all, the location of the Leaky Cauldron in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'! At the corner outside Borough Market is the replica of a skeleton in a cage which, according to Gibbit folklore, was something used to house criminals. 

The guide peppered the Muggle tour with explanations of the terms used in Potter world. One is 'Hogwarts', which referred to healing plants. Another is 'Dumbledore' that meant Bumblebee in old English, for humming like a bee. A walk to the Millennium bridge along River Thames was necessary as it's the wobbly bridge in the 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince'. The actual bridge opened with much fanfare before 2000 but closed shortly as it wobbled too much! Although the bridge reopened after repairs, its wobbly story remained in Potter memory. It appeared that this wobbly story remains a story only known to Londoners. 

The nearby Sir Drake's 16th century ship inspired the ship in 'Goblet's fire'. Rumor has it that Sir Drake was a believer of magic and was also part of a quest searching for the philosopher stone (aka elixir of life). The Muggles tour was peppered with Potter theories, such as the significance of numbers in Potter series. For example, I did not know that the number dialed at the Ministry of Magic was '62442' and spelled 'magic based on the old phone numbering system. 

It was definitely a sad moment when we ended the Muggles tour at the place that inspired Dragon alley. 'Tour with Muggles' was a wonderful magical fantasy filled tour. I do not want to reveal too many secrets about the 'Tour with Muggles' but here's the last one I promise! 'Every wand that you see in any of the films was created on-site and no two wands are alike…not even the Weasley twins!'

2. London – 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' at the Palace Theatre 

https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/uk/; June 2018 

I remembered giggling like a little girl when I got my tickets for the 2 parts of this much coveted show back in 2018. J.K Rowling and Jack Thorne wrote the plays as a sequel to the previous Harry Potter books and films. It is a story of Harry Potter and his family some 19 years later with the story focusing on his second son, Albus Severus. The effects, the cast and the staging blew me away and I was immersed in the unforgettable magical land with many 'Wow' moments.

Harry Potter with the Cursed Child 
Palace Theatre 


3. 'House of Minalima' - Harry Potter themed Shop 

https://minalima.com/; June 2018 

Art on Display at House of Minalima


House of Minalima - Merchandise
Have a pop over to the very special 'House of Minalima' before or after watching the show. Need 3 reasons? Well, first, this shop is literally behind the Palace Theatre. Secondly, the shop owners are Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, the creators and designers of Harry Potter art! Last but not least, the museum is free and I was trigger happy to my heart's content. It is truly a beautiful place filled with magical wonders! 

House of Minalima - Display Showcase 


4. Warner Brothers Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter 

https://www.goldentours.com/warner-bros-harry-potter-studio-tour-london; Nov 2016


Warner Brothers Studio Tour London -  Diagon Alley
Warner Brothers Studio Tour - Hogwarts Railways 

I had a fuss-free travel to the 'Warner Brothers Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter'. It was because I made a round trip booking with 'Golden Tours' instead of taking a complicated transport to this place is outside of central London. After booking the tour with the operator, all I had to do was to turn up at the bus pick up point at King's Cross to get whisked away to a world of Harry Potter.  This was located at the Studios where all 8 films were produced and occupied 3+ hours of that morning. I had, of course, included the mandatory butter beer into my package. The entire place was filled with a huge number of authentic sets and props. My personal favorites and most unforgettable set-ups were those at Great Hall and Hogwarts with gorgeous Christmas decorations.

Warner Brothers Studio Tour London
Warner Brothers Studio Tour London -  Great Hall 
Great Hall at Warner Brothers Studio Tour London

5. Wizard Sleeping Quarters at the Georgian House Hotel

https://georgianhousehotel.co.uk/wizard-experiences#dream 

For those who want to immerse themselves into the experience including their sleeping quarters, you can also consider booking a stay at the Wizard Chambers of the Georgian House Hotel. I have not had the privilege of staying here but from the TripAdvisor reviews, it is well worth the money!

Final set of Harry Potter trivia/ theories... I promise! 

  • the real-life Scotland Yard was the Ministry of Magic ;) 
  • a theory relating to the number '7' that is supposedly the most powerful number in magic. Coincidentally, or not, there were 7 Harry Potter books and 7 dragons in all 7 books with the last dragon in the 7th book (it was mentioned but it was not shown).    

Till the next time, onto the world and beyond!  


Location: London, UK

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