Harry Potter Walking Tours in London

No two operators run the same route, but most walks cluster around the City, the South Bank and the West End, and most include at least one short Tube ride that you pay for. Here's what the listings name:

• Millennium Bridge. The "Wobbly Bridge" is on both Top Sights Tours Group LLC tours, the shared walk and the private one.
• The Leaky Cauldron. Its filming location appears on the Top Sights Tours Group LLC walks and the bus tour from Brit Movie Tours.
• The Ministry of Magic and Diagon Alley. The bus tour stops at the Ministry's "secret entrance." The Where Now Tours walk covers both and plays film clips at each spot.
• King's Cross and Platform 9¾. Top Sights Tours Group LLC starts there; Evan Evans Tours finishes there after up to 18 locations.
• The Leicester Square area. The Top Sights Tours Group LLC walks visit a shop that made paper props for the films.

Start and end points tell you where you'll finish up. Tour for Muggles meets at Leadenhall Market and ends at Borough Market, which is handy for lunch. See Your City starts near London Bridge and ends at the Palace Theatre.

• Walking tour (best value). 2 hours to 3 hours on foot. You see more detail, and groups are small enough to ask questions.
• Bus tour. The Brit Movie Tours tour runs 2 hours on a purple Routemaster and starts and ends at Embankment station. It costs more than most walks ($57 against $26 for Tour for Muggles), but it suits grandparents, small kids and wet days.
• Private walk. The private version from Top Sights Tours Group LLC takes up to 12 people for one price per group. That's good value for a big family, poor value for two.

The bus holds up to 36, so it's less personal than the 15- and 20-person walks. You trade intimacy for dry feet.

Pick a walk built for families rather than a long, fact-heavy one. Three stand out:

• Top Sights Tours Group LLC. Kids 13 and under join free (you still book them in), groups max out at 15, and the walk includes a stop the operator keeps secret as "a very nice treat for the kids."
• See Your City. House sorting, a trivia quiz and games with prizes, plus a souvenir, over 2 hours.
• Tour for Muggles Ltd. Actor-guides and a quiz, and the listing says it's stroller and wheelchair accessible.

Three hours is a lot for young legs. For young children, consider the bus tour or a two-hour walk, and pack snacks: the listings don't include food.

The trolley-through-the-wall photo spot is just outside the Harry Potter Shop in King's Cross Station. You don't need a ticket, and you can take your own photos. The shop's photographers will also shoot you, with prints and digital copies for sale in-store.

• Expect a queue. It's first come, first served, and the shop warns there's often a line.
• Go early, not late. The shop opens 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 8pm Sunday. At busy times the photo spot closes an hour before the shop.
• Groups over 10 should ask staff for a time slot on arrival.

Two walks build the photo into the tour: Top Sights Tours Group LLC starts at the spot, and Evan Evans Tours ends there.

The walks show you where scenes were filmed on London streets. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter shows you the sets, costumes and props. It's at Leavesden, near Watford, and runs on timed tickets you must book ahead.

Don't try to do both on the same day. A morning walk followed by an afternoon at the Studio is a long, rushed day. Do the walk first, ideally your first or second day in London, then the Studio on another day. Our Harry Potter Studio Tour guide compares the ticket-plus-transport packages, and our Studio Tour tips help you plan the day itself.