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Home / Travel

UK: A wizard holiday

Spy.co.nz
9 Apr, 2017 12:00 AM3 mins to read

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Hogwarts Castle exterior at Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Photo / Universal Studios Hollywood/David Sprague

Hogwarts Castle exterior at Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Photo / Universal Studios Hollywood/David Sprague

If you’re taking the kids to the UK for the school holidays, make it magical with a visit to one of these Harry Potter locations.

Harry on the train

Join the queues at

King's Cross station

to recreate the moment Harry Potter charged through Platform 9¾ to get the Hogwarts Express. Each day scores of tourists line up at the fake portal to have their photo taken as they "push" their luggage trolley through the brick wall. The attraction has had a permanent position at King's Cross since March 2012 and is conveniently located next to a

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Harry Potter

shop. Take your own photo for free, or get a staff member to commemorate the moment for you - but be prepared to pay tourist prices for that.

Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross Station. Photo / Getty Images
Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross Station. Photo / Getty Images

Head to the Scottish town of Glenfinnan and ride on the famous viaduct shown in Hogwarts Express scenes. You can take a

Jacobite steam train from Fort William

to Mallaig during summer months, or regular trains throughout the year. The rail journey is said to be among the finest in the world.

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Steam train on famous Glenfinnan viaduct, Scotland. Photo / 123RF
Steam train on famous Glenfinnan viaduct, Scotland. Photo / 123RF

Harry in the studio

Original sets, props and costumes have all been preserved at the

Warner Bros studio

where the films were made. Explore the soundstages, ride a broomstick, watch the animatronic creatures, and go where no Hogwarts student was allowed with the new permanent expansion dedicated to the Forbidden Forest. You can also wander down Diagon Alley and stop off for a glass of Butterbeer. Visiting later in the year? Time your trip to see

Death Eaters

Discover more

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17 Jan 04:00 AM
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Room check: Castle Hotel, England

22 Feb 12:30 AM
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London's best historic pubs

06 Mar 02:20 AM
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Free things to do in London

24 Mar 10:00 PM

at the Dark Arts exhibition (October 1-November 12), or marvel at the Christmas trees lining the Great Hall and Gryffindor common room for Hogwarts in the Snow (November 18-February 4).

Harry at the theatre

Up for 11 nominations at tomorrow's Laurence Olivier awards, theatre production

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

is an adaptation of an original story by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne (writer of TV series

This Is England

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) and John Tiffany (who directed a Broadway production of

The Glass Menagerie

).

The Cursed Child

is regarded as the eighth story in the

Harry Potter

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series. Playing at the Palace Theatre, London, a new release of tickets is available this month.

Harry Potter Theatre Show.
Harry Potter Theatre Show.

Harry on a walk

On Harry Potter walking tours, guides share facts about the books and movies while stopping by many of the Harry Potter film locations.

Harry at church

The cloisters and chapter house of Durham Cathedral, one of the UK's finest examples of Norman architecture, were seen in the first two Harry Potter films, and can be visited by the public daily.

At

Gloucester Cathedral

adults will be awed by the beautiful building that dates back more than 1300 years, and kids will recognise its corridors and cloisters from scenes from the first two movies.

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Harry at university

Oxford University is well worth a visit on any trip to England thanks to its impressive history - it's the oldest university in the English-speaking world and famed graduates include Oscar Wilde, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. But it's even more of a drawcard for Harry Potter fans - its famous Bodleian Library, Christ Church College, the Divinity School, and more, have all been used in HP films.

Refresh your memory on all things Harry Potter - each film is screening in chronological order from 11am on Friday 14-Saturday, April 15 on Sky Movies' Harry Potter pop-up channel.

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