Est. 1985

The World of Harry Potter

  • View from Lion Bridge of Alnwick Castle ©Alnwick Castle

    Alnwick Castle Hogwarts Harry Potter England
  • Broomstick training at Alnwick Castle ©Alnwick Castle

    Alnwick Castle Hogwarts England Harry Potter
  • Ariel view of Alnwick Castle ©Alnwick Castle

    Castle exterior, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
  • Panoramic Shot of London © The View from The Shard

    Panoramic Shot of London © The View from The Shard
  • Hogwarts Great Hall at Warner Brothers Studios

    Warner Brother Studio Harry Potter England
  • Diagon Alley, Warner Harry Potter tour

    Diagon Alley, Warner Harry Potter, England
  • Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucestershire

    Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucestershire
10 day tour for Groups
Price available on request

Explore the wonders of the wizarding world and leave the muggles behind as you follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter and his friends and bring the magic to life.

While sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to Kings Cross in 199, the idea of a young wizard on his way to school popped into J.K. Rowling’s head.  Over the next 7 years she outlined the plots for 7 books in the series.  The effect of these books has no doubt been truly magical; with over 500 million copies sold they have been translated into 80 languages and transformed into one of the most successful movie franchises of all times.

This enchanting tour will allow you to delve beneath the magic, to visit Hogwarts, Gringotts, Diagon Alley and more, discover the secrets behind the movies and even learn to fly a broom.

Highlights Include:

Durham Cathedral: Built in 1093, this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s ancient buildings and cloisters were the perfect  filming location. They were used as Hogwart’s classrooms and some of the most memorable scenes from the first two films.

Alnwick Castle: The second largest inhabited castle in England was used as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the first two films. It is where Harry learnt to fly and he and Ron crashed the flying Ford Anglia. Explore the castle and learn to fly a broomstick on the same grounds Harry did.

Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour: Step on to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Located at the Studios where it all began. Discover the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall and explore the Forbidden Forest, all before boarding the original Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 3/4 and wandering down Diagon Alley.

Bodleian Library: Used as a filming location in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and in subsequent films as the Hogwarts Infirmary – this is where Harry recovered from his encounter from Quirrel and you know who and where Harry and Hermione went back in time using the Time Turner in the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Lacock Abbey: Used as the interior of Hogwarts for filming significant scenes in the first two Harry Potter films and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald.  With a long history dating back  to the 13th century its interiors were used to film Hogwarts corridors, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom and the Potions Classroom.

If your interested in experienced some more of Britian’s magical places why not take a look at our Land of Myth and Magic Tour.


Dates

2024 dates available on request


Itinerary Summary

Day 1

Welcome to England

Arrive at Manchester Airport where your driver will collect you and take you via private coach to the city of Liverpool.  Enjoy a panoramic tour of the city and head through Liverpool’s Queensway Tunnel where Harry and Hagrid sped through on Sirius Black’s giant flying motorcycle while being pursued by death eaters in the Half Blood Prince.

Check into your central 4* hotel before enjoying the rest of the afternoon at your leisure. Why not spend the afternoon visiting the award winning exhibition ‘The Beatles Story.’ Home to the world’s largest collection of Beatles memorabilia, this immersive journey tell the story of how ‘four young lads from Liverpool were propelled to the dizzy heights of fame and fortune from their humble beginnings.’ Tour the museum at your own pace with a ‘Living History Audio Guide’passing through replicas of monumental locations such as The Casbah Coffee Club, Matthew Street and The Cavern Club.

Day 2

Durham and North East England

After a traditional breakfast at your hotel your driver will collect you and take you to Durham.

Your guide will meet you and take you to Durham Cathedral to wander through the ancient cloisters.  These cloisters were used for the filming of the Sorcerer’s Stone – becoming the snow covered quadrangle where Harry magically releases Hedwig from his hands.  Harry returned to the UNESCO World Heritage Site the following year in Chamber of Secrets with the incredible building providing the setting for Harry and his friends turning animals into water goblets.

Next visit the adjacent Durham Castle, originally built in 1072 under the instruction of William the Conqueror, the castle has been inhabited continuously since the 11th century and today is part of Durham University.

After checking into your central 4* hotel, the rest of the afternoon will be free to spend at your leisure exploring the wonderful local area.

Day 3

Hogwarts

After breakfast your driver and guide will collect you and take you to Alnwick Castle – used as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the first two Harry Potter films. The castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England and has been home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family, the Percys, for over 700 years.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was filmed on location here in Autumn 2000 and the following year the cast returned to film the Chamber of Secrets.

The Outer Bailey is recognisable as the area where Harry and his fellow students learned to fly with Madame Hooch and where he learnt the basics of Quidditch from Oliver Wood. The courtyards and baileys of the castle were used to film Hogwarts students and professors going about their daily activities and where Harry and Ron crashed the Weasley’s Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow.  The Lion Arch was the main passageway in and out of Hogwarts, heading towards Hagrid’s cabin and the Forbidden Forest.

Why not learn to fly in the Out Bailey with the Castle’s World Famous Broomstick Training.

After spending the day exploring the castle and learning to fly you will travel back to your hotel where the rest of the evening will be free to spend at your leisure.

Day 4

London

After breakfast at your hotel, your group will take the train to London where you will check into your 4* central hotel.  London is a wonderful city mixing royalty, history, heritage and countless cultures. London incomparable blend of influences, traditions and history made it an unmissable destination for travellers.  Britain’s biggest city has it all – and then some.

The remainder of the day will be spent at your leisure to explore the capital. Why not ask us to organise a sightseeing bus ticket for you to see all the main sites of the city, or travel down the Thames on a boat cruise.

Day 5

Harry Potter in London

After breakfast at your hotel your driver and guide will meet you and take you in a Harry Potter journey around London.  Visit filming locations and discover the inspiration behind the sites and the stories as your guide brings the magic to life.

Visit King’s Cross Station and have your picture taken at the barrier to Platform 9 3/4, see St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, London Bridge and many more.  See where the Knight Buss squeezed through the oncoming double decker bus in Prisoner of Azkaban, walk in the footsteps of Hagrid and Harry as they entered the Leaky Cauldron for Diagon Alley, see the locations of Gringotts Bank, the bridge destroyed by the death eaters at the start of the Half Blood Prince, Grimmauld Place and the street entrance to the Ministry of Magic.

Return to your hotel (and the Muggle World) to spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Day 6

Warner Bros Studios

After breakfast your driver will collect you for your trip to the Warner Brothers Studios.

Walk in the footsteps of Harry and his friends and explore the wonders of the Wizarding World. Step onto the breathtaking sets and take a glimpse behind the scenes of everyone’s favourite wizard from the Harry Potter films. Walk through the doors of the Great Hall where the sorting hat famously sorts its students into their houses. Stroll though the Forbidden Forest, stop for a photo with the Hogwarts Express, wander down the cobbles of Diagon Alley behind the Leaky Cauldron and see Gringotts, Mr Mulpepper’s Apothecary and Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

You will also go behind the scenes and explore the wardrobes of your favourite characters including Quidditch robes worn by Harry and the magnificent Yule Ball dresses. Peer into the Potions classroom where over 950 potion jars are filled with unique props and discover Professor Dumbledore’s office – be sure to take a peek at the Pensieve.

Return to your hotel where the rest of the evening will be spent at your leisure.

Day 7

Windsor

After breakfast you will head to Windsor Castle and Windsor’s Great Park where Harry, Ron and Hermione took refuge in the woods during the Deathly Hallows.

Enjoy a tour of the oldest occupied castle in the world and official residence of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Discover 900 years of British heritage as you visit the castles luxurious State Apartments, adorned with priceless, historical artworks, step inside the stunning St. George’s Chapel; burial place of Henry VIII and view Queen Mary’s incredibly ornate dolls house. Summer visitors can enjoy the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony.

After some free time exploring the spectacular caste, your journey will then continue onto Oxford, stopping in the town of Bracknell – filming location for Privet Drive.

Check into your 4* central hotel and spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Day 8

Oxford and Blenheim Palace

After a traditional breakfast at your hotel, your magical journey will take you to Oxford; the ‘City of Dreaming Spires.’ You will start by exploring Christ Church Castle which provided the location for many Harry Potter scenes.

The staircase leads up to the Tudor Great Dining Hall which was used as an inspiration for the great Hogwarts Dining Hall.  The hallways of Christ Church were also used to film the scenes Hermione shows Harry the Quidditch trophy his father won.

You will also visit Bodleian Library – where Duke Humfrey’s library was used as the restricted book section of Humfrey’s while Divinity School was used as Hogwarts Infirmary after Harry’s encounter with you know who.

After an independent lunch, your group will then travel to Blenheim Palace – birthplace of the ‘Greatest Briton of all time’ – Winston Churchill. Presented as a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill in 1704, it is the only non royal house in the country to hold the title of palace and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. Explore the incredible palace and surrounding landscaped gardens before heading back to your hotel to spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Day 9

Gloucester and Lacock

After a traditional breakfast at your hotel, your group will continue your Harry Potter journey onto Gloucester.

Many of the scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed in Gloucester Cathedral including Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, the corridor where the fateful words ‘The Chamber of Secrets has been opened’ first appeared and where Harry and Ron hid from the troll in Sorcerer’s Stone. Enjoy a tour of the cathedral and hear about some of the special effects and tricks used to transform the magnificent cloisters into the corridors of Hogwarts.

After some free time for lunch tour group will continue onto Lacock Abbey, whose interior was used as Hogwarts for a number of scenes in the first two films.  The cloisters served as Hogwarts Corridors on many occasions including the Potions Classroom, Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom and the room where Harry discovered the Mirror of Erised.

Your group will then travel back to London to spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Day 10

Home Time

After a traditional breakfast, your transfer will collect you and take you to the airport for you to continue your journey home.


This tour is suitable for groups from 20 persons

For individual travellers a tailor made tour can be created using a driver/guide – please contact us for prices.


ALL OUR RATES ARE NETT (NON COMMISSIONABLE). Price is per person based on 20 persons sharing twin/double rooms. Single supplement on request. Offer is subject to availability. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only. Our website policy is to use only copyright free images or images which have been authorised to us for free use by the owner. If you consider an image to be unauthorised or to be your property, please contact us immediately and if invalid we will have the image removed. If your image requires crediting or is missing a copyright statement then we will be pleased to add this to the webpage, contact us at info@greatdays.co.uk

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