9 Things To Do When the Making of Harry Potter Tickets Are Sold Out

In the Harry Potter books and films, the journey to Hogwarts begins when students run through a (seemingly) impenetrable brick wall at King’s Cross Station to access Platform 9 ¾. But even if you don’t have your Hogwarts letter in hand, you can still share in the experience—strike a pose with the luggage trolley that’s half-embedded in the station’s wall before visiting the adjacent Harry Potter Shop to pick up souvenirs (and Hogwarts house gear).

Just moments from King’s Cross Station is the British Library, both the country’s national library and the largest in the world in terms of its collection holdings. Visit this temple to literature and learning, and soak up its erudite ambiance as part of a wider hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city. The landmark has previously hosted exhibitions dedicated to Harry Potter, and it still keeps a number of magical items—from The History of the Phoenix to Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks—in its exhibition space.

For devoted Harry Potter fans, the next best thing to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is an enchanted walking tour of the city’s most magical corners. Dozens of itineraries are available for visiting witches and wizards, some of which can be booked last minute. Depending on the tour you choose, you can look forward to exploring filming locations, discovering literary landmarks, learning about J. K. Rowling’s life in London, and more.

London is a literary place—in addition to J. K. Rowling, authors the likes of Virginia Woolf, John Keats, and (perhaps most famously) Charles Dickens. Follow in Dickens' footsteps on a self-guided audio tour of Charles Dickens' London. Dive into another writer's life, work, and other local spots around London at your own pace, with time to linger at the spots that feel a little extra magical to you.

Harry Potter inspired generations of young and old readers alike to get lost in books. If you consider yourself a bibliophile, use your time in London as an excuse to explore the city’s top-notch independent bookstores, from Foyles on Tottenham Court Road to Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street and beyond. Or, take a literary tour of top London neighborhoods, such as Bloomsbury, with a guide to inspire your haul first. And if your own copies of the Harry Potter books have become tattered with age, now’s your excuse to pick up some shiny new editions.

Anyone who’s read the Harry Potter books will have drooled over descriptions of Honeydukes and the candies it sold, from Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans to chocolate frogs. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then opt for a sweet treat tour of the city or make your way to Hardys Original Sweetshop. With a convenient location just off Trafalgar Square, Hardys offers a huge array of candy and chocolate, including treats inspired by Harry Potter.

Out on a sightseeing tour of London? Many of the city’s top landmarks also played a starring role in the Harry Potter films, which means you should keep your eyes peeled as you explore. See Millennium Bridge (destroyed by Death Eaters in the film), visit the Reptile House at the London Zoo (where Harry discovers his gift for Parseltongue), explore Leadenhall Market (a stand-in for Diagon Alley), and more. Tailored filming location tours are another option.

One of the West End’s most popular shows in recent years, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child debuted in 2016 and the 2-part play forges a new chapter in the Harry Potter story, picking up where J. K. Rowling left off. While tickets to the show typically sell out far in advance, you can peruse the theater’s website to try and snap up any last-minute, returned tickets throughout the day, or try your luck at the Palace Theatre box office. Can’t get in? A West End theater tour may be the next best thing.

If you've got the time for a weekend trip away from London, another world awaits just a train ride away (even if it isn't the Hogwarts Express) in Edinburgh. Explore the the city and the locations that inspired several spots in the Harry Potter series on a Harry Potter-themed walking tour of the Scottish capital. From the original Diagon Alley to the cafés where J.K. Rowling wrote the series, Edinburgh is as much of a destination for Potterheads as London.