7 Harry Potter Destinations to Visit Worldwide
There’s nothing quite like reading the Harry Potter books or watching the movies and wishing you could jump into them yourselves. Nothing, that is, except immersing yourself in Harry Potter in the real world. While there are tons of places to go to experience Harry Potter, I only wanted to talk about places I’ve been to myself. Here are seven real world Harry Potter experiences that I can attest to how awesome they are.
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In no particular order…
Harry Potter London tour
The “official” tour is in London, and you can see a lot of what this wonderful tour has to offer if you watch the 20th Anniversary special of Harry Potter. I went as part of a guided bus tour group, which limits how long you can spend at the tour. If you are a big Potter fan, I recommend getting your own transportation so you can spend as much time as you’d like. I thought the time we had was plenty…until we got there. There were definitely parts I felt I had to rush a bit to make our transportation back to London. Overall, this mostly self guided tour has gorgeous sets, props, fun facts, and stunning merchandise.
Pro tip: throughout the experience you will find various merchandise shops, and the largest merchandise shop is at the end. However, I discovered the largest shop does not hold all the merchandise contained in all of the shops. Lucky for me, a staff member was able to run back and get a specific t-shirt I had wanted but assumed I could buy later. So I would suggest buying stuff as you go, or asking staff to help you at the end like I had to.
Harry Potter New York
A gorgeous store situated in Manhattan, this is more of a mini tour or theme park experience than just a store. Even the elevator is fun! Get all sorts of exclusive merchandise in this two story interactive store in NYC. This is also the only store I’ve ever seen the Harry Potter Pottery Barn merchandise in person.
Universal Hollywood
Not as grand as it’s counterpart in Orlando, this is still a fun place to visit if you can’t get to the Orlando park. However, I would highly recommend going to the Orlando park instead if you have the option.
The Shambles
A more hidden gem is the The Shambles, a charming alley of shops in York, England, that claims to have inspired Diagon Alley’s aesthetic. Not only does it feel like you’re in the movies, there is an exceptionally fun store here called The Shop That Must Not Be Named. Not only is the merchandise unique and well presented, but I was impressed and pleased with the staff, who were clearly all huge Potterheads who enjoyed interacting with customers in character. (My favorite was the guy doing a quasi Snape impression.)
Oxford
While you won’t be able to take pictures in the library, which is a bummer, Oxford college offers a fun tour that shows locations where Harry Potter was filmed, including the Bodleian Library.
Platform 9 and 3/4
An often crowded spot to take photos, this photo op in King’s Cross Station is a fun side quest. There’s also a huge Potter store nearby to get your merchandise in.
Universal Orlando
My favorite place to visit as a Potter fan is Universal Studios Orlando. Yes, you have to go to both Islands of Adventure and the original park next door, known as Universal Studios. If you don’t, you will miss half the fun and the Hogwarts express ride/experience from park to park. Because you need a one day park hopper pass at minimum, this does make Universal Orlando one of the pricier options on the list. Take a pro tip from me and visit Universal Orlando in early to mid December. You will get to see the park lit up for the holidays, the weather will be much more pleasant than normal for Florida, and the park isn’t quite as busy as late December.
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