In the Footsteps of Harry Potter 11 Day Tour

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in Edinburgh

Arrive at the Glasgow Airport in Edinburgh. Meet your guide and transfer to your hotel in Glasgow. Overnight in the Glasgow area.

Day 2 – Harry Potter in Glencoe

This morning depart Glasgow for Glencoe, passing beautiful Loch Lomond. Filming for the third Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” took place on location in Glencoe in May and June 2003. Three sets were built near the bottom of Clachaig Gully, just across the road from the Clachaig Inn. The sets took advantage of the fantastic scenery, overlooking the Signal Rock forest and rugged hills of the glen. Filming continued for a period of several weeks and most of the stars were seen on set during the filming. The sets have now been removed and the hillsides returned to their natural state, leaving behind little evidence of the excitement that descended upon this quiet corner of the glen for a few weeks. You can enjoy a photo stop at Glencoe and visit the Glencoe Visitor Centre.

Dinner and overnight in the Fort William area.

Day 3 – Harry Potter in Glenfinnan

The flying car sequence in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” was filmed at Glenfinnan Railway Viaduct, 20 miles or so west of Fort William. This morning take the famous Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig (about 2 hours); when crossing the viaduct, imagine Harry and the flying car following your train! Once in Mallaig, take a ferry to Isle of Skye and continue your journey toward Inverness across the Skye Bridge. On the way to Inverness visit Loch Ness, a striking 38 km loch in the Great Glen. Up to 213m deep, the loch contains the largest volume of fresh water of any lake in the British Isles and is famous worldwide for its mysterious inhabitant, the Loch Ness Monster.

Dinner and overnight in the Inverness area.

Day 4 – Perthshire and Edinburgh, home of author J. K. Rowling.

This morning depart Inverness for Edinburgh. On the way to Edinburgh, visit Blair Castle, a white turreted baronial castle and the traditional seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. The present Duke of Atholl maintains the only private army in Europe, the Atholl Highlanders. Continue to Edinburgh, where J. K. Rowling has had a home since 1994, and where she created Harry Potter’s world.

Overnight in the Edinburgh area.

Day 5 – Edinburgh

This morning start with a city tour of Edinburgh, where you will appreciate the contrast between the 18th century Georgian "New Town" and the medieval "Old Town." The Royal Mile is the backbone of the old quarter, running from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to Edinburgh Castle.

Visit Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city from its 400-foot rock perch. See the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny, now back in Scotland where it belongs. You can also visit the private apartments of Mary Stuart and St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in the city dating back to the 11th century. Was the castle’s Great Hall, with hammer-beam ceiling and stained-glass windows, the inspiration for Hogwarts’ great dining hall? Or did the inspiration come from the long sanctuary of the nearby rib-domed St Giles’ Cathedral?

You will pass Fettes College, which is believed to be the inspiration for Hogwarts with its gothic gargoyles. You can also see the Elephant House, where J K Rowling spent many hours writing the story of Harry Potter. The afternoon is free for you to explore Edinburgh at your leisure. You can visit one of the many art galleries or museums in the city centre or take advantage of the cosmopolitan shops in Princes Street and the more traditional shops on the Royal Mile.

Overnight in the Edinburgh area.

Day 6 – Harry Potter at Alnwick Castle

Depart Edinburgh for Alnwick Castle. The second largest inhabited castle in England after Windsor Castle, it is the home of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland. The castle grounds were used as the location for some of Hogwarts’ exteriors, for example the scene where Harry and his classmates have their first flying lesson with broomsticks.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was realized on film in a bewildering number of locations throughout the UK. One of the most spectacular is Durham Cathedral, one of the UK’s finest Norman buildings. Durham’s elegant cloisters became the snow-covered quadrangle, where Harry sets the owl flying in the first film and where Ron’s slug vomits in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” The cathedral chapter house is the venue for Professor McGonagall’s class teaching the young wizards to turn animals into water goblets

Depart Alnwick Castle for York, the North’s spiritual capital for 2000 years; York is central to Britain’s colorful history. York is a year-round destination offering a lively café bar and restaurant culture, and vibrant entertainment and festivals.

Overnight at York Hotel.

Day 7 – Harry Potter at Gloucester Cathedral

This morning depart York for Gloucester in the Cotswolds and visit Gloucester Cathedral in the afternoon. Dating back over 900 years, the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral are regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural features in Britain. They form the backdrop for several ghost, action, and Hogwarts scenes. The cloisters and immediate area were used for filming the Gryffindor house secret entrance, where pupils are required to say the password Caput Draconis to enter. The Chapter House was also used for the dormitory room. The ghost scenes, Moaning Myrtle, talking paintings, and the eerie writing on the wall scene were also filmed here.

The real pupils of King’s School, Gloucester, walk the cloister every day to chapel and some were chosen to appear as extras and can be seen leaving the cloisters to enter the cloister garden. The memorable troll scene was also shot here.

Later in the day visit The International Centre for Birds of Prey in Newent, where you can learn more about the owls used by Hogwarts students.

Overnight in the Gloucester area.

Day 8 – Harry Potter at Lacock Abbey and in Oxford

Depart Cotswolds for Lacock Abbey this morning. The 13th century Abbey was founded in 1232 and has spectacular medieval cloisters, a chapter house, and sacristy. Extensive filming was undertaken here, including the Mrs Norris cat scenes; Professor Snape’ s laboratory in the sacristy; many of the scenes from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”; and the scene where Harry first saw his mother and father in the Mirror of Erised.

In the afternoon, head to Oxford, home to over 39 colleges and universities including Christ Church College, one of the highlights of this tour. The dining hall at Christ Church was the inspiration for Hogwarts Great Hall. Visit Hogwarts infirmary, which doubled up for Yule ball practice; walk the corridors and stand by the tree that Malfoy fell out of when Mad-Eye Moody turned him into a ferret. The beautiful vaulted staircases were featured in various scenes, including when Professor McGonagall greeted the First Year students in “Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’’; and in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” when Filtch catches them arriving late. Other university buildings were used to recreate the library, infirmary, and grand entrances of Hogwarts.

Tour continues to London.

Overnight in London.

Day 9 – Harry Potter in London

Depart this morning for a half day Harry Potter tour. Your first stop in London will be Kings Cross Station, where in the films Harry catches the steam train Hogwarts Express. This central London station was built as the Great Northern Railway’s London terminus in 1851-2. In the films, the steam train leaves from Platform 9¾ and takes the students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

Have a photograph taken standing beneath the mystical Platform 9¾ sign, but please don’t try and run through the wall unless you are a witch or a wizard! Trains depart King’s Cross destined for the north-east of England and Scotland (where Hogwarts is thought to be), but it’s actually Platform 4 with its glass canopied roof that represents the magical platform where the Hogwarts Express departs. Visit Leadenhall Market and the street used in the lead-up scenes to Diagon Alley. Visit the area where Harry and Ron stole the flying car, and the Leaky Cauldron where Harry is dropped off by the Knight Bus.

Take in some further filming locations, including the famous landmark Piccadilly Circus, where one of the most memorable scenes in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I” takes place. You will also view Whitehall, recognised as the ‘Ministry of Magic’ in the new film; the Millennium Bridge, which is the location for the opening scene of the dramatic sequence of the bridge collapsing in ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ plus the London Eye, a and mark seen in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’.

Overnight at London hotel.

Day 10 Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour – NEW

Continental breakfast at the hotel.

Opened Spring 2012 at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, the production home of the Harry Potter films for over ten years, is studio tour – The Making of Harry Potter. This unique three hour walking tour will give visitors the chance to go behind the scenes of the most successful film series of all time to see the authentic sets, costumes, props and effects used in the production of all eight Harry Potter movies.

Depart London for Warner Bros Studios Leavesden to enjoy the tour (subject to availability/opening). In the afternoon you return to London.

Overnight in London hotel.

Day 11 Departure

Continental breakfast at the hotel.

Today you depart London for your journey home.

Pricing:

From $4,350 Per Person.