Harry Potter in Oxford Tour: Divinity School entry, private guide

The Divinity School is where they filmed the infirmary and dance scenes, and you get inside with the guide.

A private guided walking tour of Oxford that traces Harry Potter filming locations across the university's colleges and streets, led by a guide who adapts the route to what your group wants to explore. Entry to the Divinity School film site at the Bodleian Library is included. You can wear wizard robes for photos there. The tour runs 90 to 120 minutes and covers sites like the Bridge of Sighs, Radcliffe Camera, Sheldonian Theatre, and the colleges where J.K. Rowling applied to study. On dates when the Divinity School is closed, entry to New College replaces it at an additional cost of £10 per person.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Bodleian Library30m
2. Radcliffe Camera5m
3. Bridge of Sighs5m
4. Sheldonian Theatre5m
5. Oxford Covered Market10m
6. Balliol Collegepass by
7. Trinity Collegepass by
8. All Souls Collegepass by

Harry Potter and Oxford University tour

• Enter Divinity School film site
• Visit Bodleian Library exterior
• Pass by Radcliffe Camera
• Visit small group entry church
• See Bridge of Sighs
• See Sheldonian Theatre
• Discuss New College filming location
• Visit tavern pub like Three Broomsticks
• Stop at various colleges for stories and photos
• Visit Oxford Covered Market for chocolate cakes

The experience

The tour starts at a meeting point in Oxford city centre and moves through the university's oldest colleges and public spaces on foot. Your private guide (who knows the Potter films and Oxford's history) builds the day around what interests your group: some people want to hunt for filming locations, others want to learn how studying at Oxford compares to Hogwarts, and the guide shifts the pace and focus to match. You'll stop at the Bridge of Sighs (which appears in X-Men and The Mummy as well as Potter films), pass the Radcliffe Camera, and walk past the Sheldonian Theatre. At each college (Trinity, Balliol, All Souls) the guide tells you the stories tied to the films and to Oxford's writers: where Tolkien studied, where J.K. Rowling applied, where Adam Smith and Jane Austen's family went.

The Divinity School entry is the centerpiece. This is the medieval room where the infirmary and dance scenes were filmed, and it's included in your ticket (worth £3 per person). The guide carries wizard robes so your group can wear them for photos inside. The medieval library upstairs is off-limits to guides, but if anyone in your group is over 11, you can buy separate entry to Duke Humfrey's Library directly from the Bodleian and visit it on your own time. You'll also hunt for Harry Potter chocolate cakes at the Oxford Covered Market, and stop at a pub that looks like the Three Broomsticks: the actual filming location for Hagrid's scenes.

The tour is private, which means your group sets the rhythm and the guide doesn't have to rush between strangers' interests. If you want the tour in a language other than English, request it at least two days ahead. Arrive five minutes early at the meeting point. If you're driving, plan to reach Oxford an hour before your start time, as parking is tight and the park-and-ride buses on the town edges run every 15 to 30 minutes into the centre.

What’s included

• Entry to the Divinity School film site at the Bodleian Library (worth £3 per person).
• wizard robes to wear for photos.
• a private guide who tailors the route to your group's interests and speaks English or your requested language.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private group English10:45, 12:45 and 15:00English-language tour

Request for a tour in a foreign languageGuide in 8 languages · 10:45, 12:45 and 15:00Tours in a language other than English require a minimum of 4 tickets and at least 2 days' notice to book.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:45, 12:45 and 15:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, Russian and Ukrainian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Visit Oxford Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if your group wants to move at its own pace and have the guide focus on what interests you most, whether that's the filming locations, Oxford's academic history, or both. The private format means no waiting for strangers or rushing through stops, and the guide adapts the day as you go.

Traveler reviews

4.88★★★★★★★★★★

16 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Ukrainian and Dutch.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What exactly is the Divinity School and why is it in the Harry Potter films?

The Divinity School is a medieval room at the Bodleian Library where the infirmary and dance scenes were filmed. It's the room where Harry and the other students gather in the films, and your entry is included in the tour price so you can stand where those scenes were shot and wear wizard robes for photos.

Can I visit Duke Humfrey's medieval library at the Bodleian during the tour?

Duke Humfrey's Library is not included in the tour, and guides cannot enter it. However, if anyone in your group is over 11, you can buy separate entry directly from the Bodleian Library website and visit it on your own time before or after the tour.

Does the tour include entry to New College or Christ Church?

New College is not included in the standard tour price. On dates when the Divinity School is closed, entry to New College replaces it for an additional £10 per person. Christ Church is run as a separate tour starting July 5th. You can ask your guide on the day if it's possible to pay for New College entry yourself and visit during the tour, or you can visit after the tour ends.

What colleges does the tour pass, and why do they matter to Harry Potter or Oxford?

The tour passes Trinity, Balliol, All Souls, and others. Balliol is where Adam Smith and Jane Austen's family studied; Trinity and All Souls are famous sights included on all the operator's tours; New College is where Malfoy gets turned into a ferret in the films. The guide stops at each to tell the stories and take photos, tailored to what your group wants to know.

How long does the tour take, and what should I know about arriving on time?

The tour runs 90 to 120 minutes. Arrive five minutes early at the meeting point. If you're more than five minutes late, you'll likely forfeit your booking because the guide and other customers will have moved on. If you're driving, allow an extra 30 to 60 minutes and plan to park at a park-and-ride on the town edge, then take the bus into the centre.