Friday 12 September 2014

Guided Tours


In response to the fabulous interest folks all over the world have to the Harry Potter book series and movies, guided tours
involving all things Harry Potter have popped up everywhere.  A perfect tour for families and fans alike, many visitors will
come to have a greater appreciation for the filming of this famous series of movies.
Many Harry Potter guided tours begin in London where you’ll visit the London Zoo, called the Little Whinging Zoo in the book.
The scene where Harry speaks to the snake took place in the reptile house at this otherwise wonderful family attraction.
Then, it’s on to the Kings Cross Station, where Harry’s Platform 9 ¾ took Harry on the Hogwarts Express.
Many Harry Potter guided tours go straight over from the train station to the Australia House on the Strand, the building
that was transformed into Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the movie.   A short ways away is the Charing Cross Road, also known
in the movie as Diagon Alley, where Harry bought his school supplies and his wand.
While in London, Harry Potter guided tours often let you see some of the other more ordinary sites in the city. Don’t forget
to stop at the Westminster Tube Station where Harry and Mr. Weasley stop on their trip to the Ministry of Magic hearing.
Just down the road from the station is the red telephone booth near Scotland Yard that Harry used to get into the Ministry.
A most exciting stop on Harry Potter guided tours is a trip to Oxford where you’ll visit Christ Church College, the site of
many of the interior scenes of Hogwarts Academy, including the great hall, where the students of Hogwarts ate.  The Duke
Humphrey’s Library was featured as the library inside Hogwarts.  Truly, there are places all over Oxford where Harry Potter
movie scenes were filmed, including the Divinity School, which was turned into the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
On the next stop on many Harry Potter guided tours, you’ll visit Warwick Castle to see what real castle life is like and
you’ll travel to the Cathedral of Gloucester, one of the places where many interior scenes were shot, including those of
Gryffindor’s dormitory.  All of the ghost scenes and talking picture scenes were done at the cathedral as well.
Finally, you can visit the medieval village of Lacock—a favorite spot for Harry Potter guided tours.  The village inspired
the village of Gordric’s Hollow, where Harry lived with his parents.  Several scenes from Hogwarts School for Wizardry and
Magic, including Professor Snape’s classroom in the dungeon, were shot in the village.  Visitors may discover that the
village of Lacock was the location of other movies, including Pride and Prejudice.    
Many Harry Potter guided tours will offer evening sessions for tour guests to view the movies all over again and discuss
the places they’d visited that day.  As there are numerous other attractions along the way, some guided tours will fill in
the time with visits to castle ruins, quaint villages or other historic sites to give guests the full picture of what living
like Harry Potter would be like.

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