Oxford Harry Potter Locations Walking Tour by Alumni™
Description
Enjoy a 90-minute walking tour through the magical world of Harry Potter, right here in Oxford. Led by a University of Oxford alumnus or current student, this tour is perfect for fans who want to follow in the footsteps of their favourite characters. You’ll visit the bookshop where J.K. Rowling first presented her books, see where Emma Watson not only acted but also studied, and pass by familiar faces like Nearly Headless Nick. You'll recognise the arches and gothic pinnacles seen in the films — some around the famous Divinity School, others hidden in plain sight throughout the city. The highlight of the tour is a visit to New College, one of Oxford’s most beautiful colleges, where you’ll find the very tree under which Draco Malfoy was turned into a ferret. From quiet cloisters to scenes straight out of the wizarding world, this is a must for anyone who’s ever dreamed of Hogwarts.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Important: meet the guide OUTSIDE the address, not inside. The location is not part of our business. The meeting point is the RED PILLAR MAILBOX in front of 11 Broad Street. Your guide wears a royal blue item of clothing with a heraldic shield—this may be a jacket, cap, beanie, scarf, or polo shirt.
Learn about the connections the movie industry has to the University of Oxford and which actors have grown up in the city. You may be surprised quite how many iconic scenes and Hollywood actors have connections here!
Get an introduction to the University of Oxford, and understand how closely linked Harry Potter is to both the university and the city as a whole
Outside a library with a long history, see the likely inspiration for Nearly Headless Nick, everyone’s favourite ghost! Also hear about the scenes shot inside and around the Bodleian, both for Harry Potter and other Hollywood films.
A site which has featured in multiple famous movies, the Radcliffe Square is surrounded by historic buildings and is very much at the heart of the city.
Enter New College, one of the most iconic film sites for the Harry Potter films. A certain ferret gymnastics display took place in the cloisters here!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair users are welcome on the tour. Please note that one small area is inaccessible, though it only accounts for a few minutes of the route. Some parts of New College may also be difficult to access. We advise caution due to uneven surfaces, curbs, and potential trip hazards. Please also be mindful of vehicles and bicycles, particularly in busy areas.
- Not recommended for travellers who cannot complete a 90-minute walk
Reviews(128)
Our tour guide Ash was excellent and engaged everyone from age 5 to 50+ with Harry Potter detour as part of city of Oxford and university.
We loved it! Our guide was Scarlett, she told all the stories with a lot of passion and in a very complete way, plus she made all the information very enjoyable by making us participate. She also gave many details about the filming of the Harry Potter movies, pointing out the architectural elements that appear in the movies. She also extended the tour to show us a couple more things she wanted us to see. One of the best tours we have done 🫶🏻
Charlotte was absolutely fantastic!!! Great guide!!! Knows a lot!!! Very very friendly!!! Very good for all ages!!!
Evelyn was knowledgeable and patient with lots of questions, lovely tour
Our guide was really good, being a student there he knew all of the secrets! He was fun and interesting to listen to the tour was laid-back and casual. Yet we got to see everything we wanted to see. I appreciated the pace of this tour and the flexibility.
Adam was a lovely guide, really informative and knowledgeable. There was a good balance between information about life at Oxford and the history of the university as well as all the Harry Potter information.
We had an absolutely amazing time on this tour, and it was all thanks to our incredible guide, Ashima! She was extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and friendly throughout the entire experience. Her deep understanding of Oxford's rich history, combined with her extensive knowledge of all things Harry Potter, made the tour deeply engaging. What truly set this experience apart were the fun and interactive quizzes she prepared for us; they kept us entertained and made the whole journey so much more lively and memorable. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. If you are planning a visit, definitely look for Ashima-she made our trip truly unforgettable! Thank you so much!
Scarlett was a fantastic tour guide. She tailored our tour to our interests and made the most out of our time. We really enjoyed it!
I took the University tour earlier the same day and it was substantially similar. I would say about 75% of the tour we had already visited in the University tour in the morning. The highlight of the Harry Potter tour should be the entrance to New College where you are supposed to see filming locations, but, it was closed the day of our tour without notice, therefore we ended up not living the Harry Potter experience. Our tour guide Caitlin, was not adviced of the college being closed either, so this was not her fault, nor the tour company, since que college made the decision without previous notice. Although we didn't get to see the college as it was a expected, Caitilin did a great job trying the save the day and giving us a lot of information about the movie filming locations. I wrote directly to Alumni tour customer service and they were prompt on their response and provided me with a solution where we all were in agreement, this was very satisfying to have such an excellent service, not only from Caitlin, but for the tour management as well. Rest assured they will provide a solution in case something can't go as planned. I would suggest to evaluate taking both University and Harry Potter tours.
We had an excellent time with our guide Scarlett. She knew so much about all the different colleges their histories and Harry Potter. The places we went were interesting and well worth the visit. At the end of the tour Scarlett also gave us local reccommendations on food and activities.
