Is the Harry Potter Studio Tour the best day out in the UK?

Is Harry Potter Studio Tour the most exciting thing you can do in the UK? We’ve been wanting a to visit for a while as we’re all huge fans of the Harry Potter books and movies in this household so we decided to take the plunge this half term and see what all the fuss is about. Come along with us and see if the studio tour might be something your family would like to do!

First and foremost we found that we had to book tickets way in advance of when we wanted them, especially as we wanted to visit during the kids holidays. In actual fact we booked our tickets around 6 months in advance, however this did ensure that we got a really good arrival time and the dates that we wanted.

As we were travelling down from Yorkshire (it’s around a 2 & 1/2 hour trip) and our entry time at the Studios was 10:30am we decided that it would be best to stay over nearby the night before. We found that the Watford Central Premier Inn was around a 15 minute drive from the studios so we booked a one night stay and breakfast the following morning.

On our way down to Watford we stopped of in St Albans which is around 20 minutes from the hotel. St Albans is a smaller cathedral city in Hertfordshire. We were pleasantly surprised by the city, it’s very green and leafy and we felt really safe walking around the area.

Top Tip!

The parking at London Road Car Park was decent value at £4.50 for 3 hours and was in a great location to access the city centre and cathedral.

The family enjoyed doing a little shopping (a visit to Lush was necessary where the staff were very friendly and a bath-bomb was duly purchased!). After shopping we stopped off for a snack at Cafe Nero on the high street which had a good vibe and delicious flat whites as usual. Then a leisurely visit to Waterstones, an absolute essential whenever we visit a new town or city. After the obligatory book purchases (book reviews coming soon…) we decided to check to the city’s cathedral.

The cathedral at St Albans is truly beautiful. It is around 1700 years old and has origins from the Roman period; it has the longest nave of any church in Britain at around 85 metres. Interesting fact the original ‘Hot Cross Bun’ is believed have originated at St Alban’s Cathedral. Defiantly worth a visit is you’re interested in history or architecture.

On arrival at the Premier Inn we were promptly checked in and our allocated room was, as usual, clean and tidy. The Watford Central Premier Inn is around a 15 minute drive from the Harry Potter Studios so an ideal base. There is also plenty of parking at the hotel with only a small £8 fee (as at May 2025).

Just a short walk from the hotel is the Atria Shopping Centre which was useful to pass the time until bedtime!

We tried out the Hollywood Bowl which was in the shopping centre, it was great fun and we even had a go in the arcade for a while. After that we popped to Pizza Express for dinner – yummy!

Harry Potter Studio Tour

The following morning we were booked in to the Harry Potter Studio Tour at 10:30am. It’s recommended to arrived around 20 minutes early to make sure that you can get in on time in case there’s queue.

The studio is around a 15 minute drive from the hotel, you can also get the Harry Potter shuttle bus from Watford Gap. As we had the car we drove across, parking was free and plentiful.

When we arrived we followed the signs to the entrance which was only a short walk away. We did walk past the bus stop for the shuttle which was really close to the doors. There are a few things to look at on the way from the car park too. There was a queue forming outside and a bag and scanner security check, however the queue went down quickly and was well managed.

On entry to the studios we had to scan our tickets so make sure you have them ready.

Top Tip!

As you walk through the doors after security, definitely pick up a Harry Potter Passport for the kids (they’re free), you can collect stamps as you walk around; its good fun and enhances the experience.

In the main atrium there were a number of displays to see, a cafe and the usual facilities. It was nicely laid out and big enough to accommodation plenty of people.

Moving on from the Atrium you have to queue up to enter the main tour. We did have our tickets checked again here, so have them ready. Once through you watch two informative videos and then it’s on to the studios themselves.

The tour is split into three sections, the first section is a studio with lots of different sets including Hagrid’s hut and the potions labs, both of which were excellent! We were also at the studio during the half-term special event which centred around The Tri-Wizard Tournament. During this section there were a couple of ‘paid for’ photo opportunities, we did try one out (to sit on it is free) however the photos were super expensive so we didn’t buy any.

Following the photo section you move through to the main restaurant and an outdoor section which again has a lot of sets to see and interact with, including 4 Privet Drive. We checked the menu out in the restaurant and it had the usual selection of fast food and drinks that you might expect. The food was, however, quite expensive. Butterbeer could be purchased here as well and was about £7.45 for a drink! (as at May 2025).

After the outdoor area you move into the third and final section which did have some really good sets (looking at you Diagon Alley) and also had some interesting displays all about how the special effects and costumes were made which were really interesting!

As usual the tour finished in the gift shop which had some really lovely products and so much choice; you could even get your hands on a full Hogwarts school uniform and cloak. We thought the the price point was not too bad in comparison to the restaurant. Our daughter purchased a few items including a t-shirt for £28, a bag for £6 and a keyring for £6.95.

In conclusion, I think that you will find the Harry Potter Studio Tour really interesting if you are a huge potter-head and in particular if you love the movies. I, as a book fan, found it interesting but my daughter who is a massive fan of the movies absolutely loved the tour and took tonnes of photos.

I do think that the cost of the tickets is quite high (they worked out at around £50 each on average) but I’m glad we’ve experienced this as a family.

Top Tip!

If you decide not to eat at the restaurant drive to Tim Horton’s after you leave which is about 5 minutes away. Delicious donuts!

If you fancy something closer to home why not check out the best Yorkshire has to offer here?