My family and I travelled around the UK in summer 2020 visiting Harry Potter sights. This was a way of having a varied holiday that all the family could engage with and enjoy. Our 12 and 9 year olds are big Harry Potter fans. Some people have asked me to share our itinerary, so I’m describing on this page where we went in case this is helpful to other people who may like to organise a similar trip.
Our itinerary was as follows:
- King’s Cross Station – Platform 9 3/4 and the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in front of which Harry and Ron took off in the Ford Anglia.
- Fort William – the Jacobite Railway (a.k.a. the Hogwarts Express)
- Edinburgh – a walking tour all about the life and work of J.K. Rowling
- Alnwick – Alnwick Castle where Harry and his friends learnt to fly in their first year
- Durham – Durham Cathedral where various scenes were filmed including Professor McGonagall’s classroom and the corridor where Fluffy was kept
- Whitby – we were going to visit Goathland Station (a.k.a. Hogsmeade Station) but we decided to hang out on the beach instead
- York – the Shambles which is reminiscent of Diagon Alley. We did a potions workshop there.
- Oxford – Christchurch College which features as Hogwarts in the films. Hogwarts dining hall is inspired by the Great Hall at Christchurch.
- Back home to London.
This is my first draft of this post. I will check some of the facts, add more detail and links to where we went when I have a bit of time. Feel free to ask me any questions in the meantime.