London: Harry Potter Pub Tour & Cast Filming Locations

The Pubs Where Harry Potter Was Actually Written

You walk between five or six real London pubs connected to Harry Potter's books, films, and cast, guided by someone who knows the lesser-known stories behind each stop. You'll see where Rowling wrote, where actors drank, and landmarks that inspired fictional locations. The tour avoids the crowded theme-park version and instead traces the real London that fed the imagination. You end with a drink and the kind of stories that make you laugh and think about the people who made it all happen.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Harry Potter pubs and landmarks

• Visit hidden Harry Potter landmarks
• See pubs linked to books and films
• Learn about actors and J.K. Rowling
• Walk through forbidden wizarding passageways
• Stand where Harry Potter was discovered
• Drink at historic wizarding pubs
• Discover stories behind the wizarding world

The Experience

The tour starts at a pub in central London where J.K. Rowling sat with her notebooks, and from there you move through a handful of others: each one tied to the books, the films, or the actors who played the characters. Your guide knows the stories behind each stop: which pub inspired the Leaky Cauldron, which one Dumbledore's actor Richard Harris actually frequented (and where he got into a fistfight, apparently), which boozer was Ron Weasley's favorite in the West End. It's not the polished Potter tour you'd expect. It's the forgotten corners, the real London that fed the imagination.

You'll walk through hidden passageways and side streets most visitors never find, stopping at landmarks that connect to the cast, the writer, or the story itself. The guide points out details. A corner where a scene was filmed, a building that inspired a location in the books, a pub where the actors used to gather between takes. The pace is slow enough to absorb it, fast enough that you're not standing around. You're moving through London as it actually is, not as a theme park version of itself. There's humor in it too: the taboo stories, the outrageous bits of the wizarding world that made it into print, the real people behind the fictional ones.

The whole thing takes a few hours and includes a knowledgeable guide who's done this enough times to answer the questions that come up naturally as you walk. Public transport is nearby if you need it, and the route is manageable for most fitness levels. You'll end up in a pub, drink in hand, having walked in the footsteps of actors and stood where the bespectacled hero was discovered, which is the kind of detail that sticks with you longer than any official attraction.

What’s included

• A knowledgeable veteran guide who leads you through hidden London landmarks and real pubs connected to Harry Potter.
• access to several pubs where the cast drank and locations that inspired the books and films.
• stories about the actors, the writer, and the lesser-known side of the wizarding world.

Days and timesDaily · 14:00

AgesAges 18+ · Under 18 — No ticket type: can't be added to a booking

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends elsewhereMeeting point, per the operator: “Your guide will be waiting outside of the building, holding an open umbrella. The Now Building is a public atrium with LED screens inside and out.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Experience Local Ltd

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the real London behind Harry Potter rather than a studio tour. You'll walk where the cast actually went and learn the stories that don't make it into the official version, guided by someone who knows the forgotten corners.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

39 verified traveler reviews

5 ★39

4 ★0

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

How long is the Harry Potter pub tour in London?

The tour lasts a few hours, moving at a walking pace between pubs and landmarks across central London.

What pubs are included on the tour?

You'll visit several real pubs tied to the books, films, or cast, including one that resembles the Leaky Cauldron and pubs where actors like Richard Harris and the cast members used to drink.

Is a drink included in the price?

The tour includes a knowledgeable guide and access to the pubs. Drinks are typically purchased separately at each stop.

Can I do this tour if I'm not very fit?

Yes, the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels and follows walking routes through London with public transport nearby if needed.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed on the tour.

Will I learn about the films and the books?

The tour covers both. You'll hear stories about the books, the films, the cast who acted in them, and J.K. Rowling herself.