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Ready to tour Harry Potter locations on a Harry Potter tour in Oxford?
You’ve come to the right place, as we’re going to explore the best 13 Harry Potter tours in Oxford – all led by expert guides who want to share their love of Harry Potter and help you skip the tourist traps.
If you’re like, just cut to the chase already, then don’t worry.
The best Harry Potter tour is this New College Oxford Harry Potter Insights.
It has over 30 amazing reviews, so there’s no going wrong.
You’d be surprised at just how many scenes in Harry Potter were filmed in Oxford, especially in and around the historic colleges.
If you want to see what your other options are, here are 10 more tours that are definitely worth your time.
So let’s get into the list of the best Harry Potter tours in Oxford so you can book it already!
PS – booking in advance is highly, highly recommended so you don’t miss out.
⏳ Don’t have time to read the whole list?
The best Oxford Harry Potter tour is this New College Oxford Harry Potter Insights tour.
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Easy Guide: Best Oxford Harry Potter Tours
| #1 PICK 🏆 | New College Oxford Harry Potter Insights Tour | 5 out of 5 Stars, 30+ reviews | ▶ Book Here! |
| #2 PICK | Harry Potter Studio Tour and Oxford Day Trip | 4.7 out of 5 stars, 2000+ reviews | ▶ Book Here! |
| #3 PICK | Harry Potter Walking Tour in Oxford | 5 out of 5 stars | ▶ Book Here! |
1. New College Oxford Harry Potter Insights
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 30+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Entry to New College.
- Entry to Divinity School (provided it’s open).
- See plenty of colleges used in the filming of Harry Potter.
- Learn how Oxford influenced JK Rowling in her writing.
This Harry Potter Oxford tour is the ideal choice for anyone based in Oxford looking for a Harry Potter themed group tour that packs in as many significant sites and film locations in its runtime as possible.
Two particular highlights of this tour include entry to the university’s New College and the Divinity School, both of which were key filming locations in the Harry Potter movies (making it one of the best Oxford University Tours for Harry Potter).
Outside of New College and the Divinity School, you’ll see all manner of grandiose buildings that cover central Oxford with a particular focus on the many, many colleges in the area.
Your guide will fill you in on how the many sites you see are relevant to Harry Potter.
They’ll also provide an array of insights into JK Rowling’s own links with Oxford.
The sheer number of sites covered and detailed insights from the guide, alongside the included entry to two sites, means this tour is for you – regardless of whether you’re a Potterhead or not.
2. Harry Potter Studio Tour and Oxford Day Trip
⭐️ RATING: 4.7 out of 5 Stars, 2000+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 11 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Pick-up and drop-off in London.
- Walking tour of Oxford.
- Entry to Warner Bros Studios.
- Free time to explore Oxford.
If you happen to be based in London and are a massive fan of Harry Potter, then check this tour out.
Your day starts with a drive out from London to Oxford.
Once in Oxford, you will take part in an hour long walking tour of the city.
During which, you will see several colleges and sites around the city used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies.
Following this, you have an hour of free time in which you can amble through Oxford’s historic streets and grab some lunch before hopping back aboard your coach.
The second part of your day consists of a trip to Warner Bros Studios.
Here, you’ll learn all about the secrets behind the magic of the filming of Harry Potter.
You’ll also get to see an assortment of sets – all instantly recognizable from the movies.
For the diehard Harry Potter fans this tour will feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven.
3. Harry Potter Walking Tour in Oxford
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours 30 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Private tour
- Entry to Divinity School
- Entry to New College
- Entry to Christ Church
You’ll get a whole lot of bang for your buck on this private walking tour as you’ll find it has entry included to three of Oxford’s colleges.
Spend the afternoon bewitched by your guide’s knowledge and the beauty of Oxford’s colleges while you explore them together.
For over three hours on your Harry Potter tour Oxford, your guide will guide you around these colleges, filling you in on their significance within the movies.
Along the way, you’ll discover all kinds of behind-the-scenes secrets and some of the more unusual trivia related to the filming of the movies.
Expect to see the room that inspired the Great Hall, the Great Hall staircase, and the Infirmary, alongside many other memorable film locations.
Take this tour for a thorough investigation of three notable Oxford colleges and their links with one of the greatest franchises in history.
4. Harry Potter Film Locations Walking Tour Led By University Alumni
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Private tour
- Guide is a university alumnus
- Entry to New College and the Divinity School. Or Christ Church College
- Trivia regarding cast members from Oxford
Expect top-tier facts, trivia, and insights on this walking tour with a university alumnus as your guide.
Since it’s a private tour you’ll have your guide’s undivided attention.
So, take advantage of the opportunity to ask a former Oxford student any questions you might have – Harry Potter related or not.
On the tour, you’ll either visit New College and the Divinity School, or just Christ Church College.
In addition to these colleges, you’ll see sites from around the university that were used in the filming of Harry Potter and other movies too.
Throughout this 90 minute tour, your guide will serve up all kinds of intriguing information regarding JK Rowling’s relationship with the university and the backgrounds regarding cast members who grew up in Oxford.
See some of Oxford University’s most striking Harry Potter locations with a guide who is an expert not just on Harry Potter but the university itself on this tour!
5. Harry Potter Walking Tour of Oxford Including New College: Oxford Harry Potter tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars, 80+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Entry to New College
- Entry to Divinity School
- Professional guide
- Harry Potter quiz
Get stuck into the fun with your group of no more than 20 on this walking tour.
For 90 minutes your guide will take you all over crucial film locations such as New College and the Divinity School.
Throughout which, your guide will test your Harry Potter credentials with a quiz!
On top of these film locations, your guide will take you to many of Oxford’s wizarding world analogues.
Check out sites such as Oxford’s equivalent to Flourish and Blotts at Blackwell’s, and The Three Broomsticks at The Bear Inn.
These stops will make you feel as if you’ve stepped straight into the wizarding world!
Your tour will end at Christ Church College where you can either buy tickets to explore inside or head back to the city centre.
You should take this tour if you’re looking to test your wits against other Potterheads while traversing some of Oxford’s best-known Harry Potter sites, as well as sites significant to Oxford itself.
6. PRIVATE Harry Potter in Oxford Tour with Entry to Divinity School
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 10+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hour 30 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Private tour.
- Entry to Divinity School.
- Learn insights about the cast and filming process.
- See locations significant in the filming of Harry Potter.
Explore several locations related to the filming of Harry Potter on this tour, including of course the unmissable Divinity School.
For an extra fee, you can add also New College to your itinerary.
Your guide will take you to a medley of other locations around Oxford too. Many of these have been featured in other movies as well as Harry Potter.
For example, you might recognize the distinctive Bridge of Sighs from The Mummy.
For the duration of your tour, your guide will provide a plethora of contextual information on how JK Rowling, the cast and the producers came to make the movies.
They’ll also let you know about Oxford’s role in the creation of other much-loved literary creations such as the Chronicles of Narnia, the Hobbit, and Alice in Wonderland.
This tour is a superb choice for any of you looking for a private tour that informs you of not just Harry Potter, but also other creations linked to Oxford.
7. Oxford Harry Potter Insights – PUBLIC tour entry to Divinity School
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars, 300+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Entry to Divinity School.
- See locations significant in the filming of Harry Potter.
- Learn about Oxford’s connections to other literary masterworks.
- Family-friendly.
I would recommend this tour to anyone who is after a tightly packed, family-friendly itinerary.
Especially since this Harry Potter tour in Oxford places a particular emphasis on the family-friendly factor.
Tour the Divinity School with your guide, catching glimpses of the area used as the infirmary and as classroom space in the movies.
Once you’re done with the Divinity School, you’ll visit a number of other unmissable landmarks in Oxford, culminating in the magnificent Sheldonian Theatre.
Along the way, your guide will fill you in on the buildings’ significance with regard to Harry Potter and their relation to other literary masterpieces that have roots or links with Oxford (think all-time greats like the Lord of the Rings).
You’ll also be made privy to all kinds of insider scoops regarding the Harry Potter cast and why JK Rowling wanted to film many scenes in Oxford.
Choose this tour if you want to learn about Harry Potter and Oxford’s literary greats in a family-friendly way.
8. Harry Potter walking tour + Entry to Christ Church
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 35+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Entry to Divinity School.
- Entry to Christ Church.
- Audio guide for Christ Church.
- Discover behind-the-scenes trivia about the actors and author.
This tour is a must-pick for anyone looking to spend part of a tour with a guide while also having time to explore independently.
Of course, you’ll check out the ever-astonishing Divinity School and learn about the ways in which it was used for the filming of Harry Potter.
Aside from the Divinity School, you’ll see several other notable landmarks, such as the Bridge of Sighs and the neo-classical Radcliffe Camera.
All the while you’ll learn about the links these various sites have with Harry Potter as well as trivia relating to the films.
Your tour will end with a one hour self-guided tour of Christ Church College, where you will find the room that inspired the Great Hall.
Audio guides are provided for this final section too, so you won’t miss out on any vital information.
This is a superb opportunity to really take your time investigating one of Oxford University’s premier colleges without a guide hurrying you along.
9. Alice in Wonderland + Harry Potter Tour with Christ Church Self Guided Entry
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 25+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours to 30 hours 20 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Entry to Christ Church.
- Entry to Divinity School.
- See locations significant in the filming of Harry Potter.
- Learn about Oxford’s role in the creation of Alice in Wonderland.
On this tour, you can expect to visit locations relevant not just to Harry Potter but also to one of Oxford’s most well-known literary creations: Alice in Wonderland.
Included is entry to the Divinity School and Christ Church. As previously mentioned these two sites were indispensable to the filming of Harry Potter, even if no actual filming took place in Christ Church’s famous Great Hall.
While exploring Christ Church, you’ll also learn about the college’s importance in the creation of Alice in Wonderland, as it was where Lewis Carroll met his inspiration for the titular character.
The guides – who will be decked out in either Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland costumes – are particularly engaging and will keep all the guests engrossed and involved throughout, no matter the group size.
You’ll love this tour if you’re a fan of not just Harry Potter but Alice in Wonderland too.
10. Private Family Tour: The Fantasy Worlds of Oxford
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours 30 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Private tour.
- Professional guide.
- Entrance to one of the colleges (the college varies depending on which ones are open).
- Free drink of tea, coffee, beer or a soft drink.
Tour number 10 is for any and all fantasy buffs, not just the Potterheads.
Embark on this private tour and see all the key spots in relation to Oxford’s links to various fantasy worlds.
Get inside the minds of authors like JRR Tolkien, C.S Lewis and Lewis Carroll as you’re taken to the very spots where they spent much of their time while working on their classic stories.
Among the included sites are the Botanical Gardens, where Tolkien and Lewis often passed time, Pembroke College where Harry Potter took his first flying lesson, and of course the Divinity School.
At some point, you will also enter one of the many colleges during your tour. Which one exactly is dependent upon what’s open to visitors on the day of your tour.
Provided you are ready to get lost in a medley of fantasy worlds you will thoroughly enjoy this tour.
11. Top 10 Oxford Highlights with Divinity School and New College
⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours 45 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Expert guide
- Entry to New College
- Entry to Divinity School
- Selection of landmarks related to both Harry Potter and other subjects
You would do well to check out this tour if you’re on the hunt for a tour that encompasses not just Harry Potter landmarks but all the best that Oxford has to offer.
In terms of Harry Potter related sites, entry to both New College and the Divinity School are included – it’s no surprise that these two made it onto this 10 Oxford Highlights Tour as they are by far two of Oxford’s best Harry Potter locations.
On top of the Harry Potter landmarks, you’ll be taken to several other classic Oxford locations that you won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
Of particular note is the twee cobblestoned Merton Street, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Grade I listed Sheldonian Theatre.
Of course, you’ll get to see plenty more though!
Take this tour if you’re hoping for a tour that includes not just top Harry Potter sites but ones that encompass all that makes Oxford great!
12. Bespoke Oxford Walking Tour with a Private Guide
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 30+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour 45 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Private Oxford Harry Potter walking tour
- Personalized to fit your interests.
- Professional Blue Badge guide.
- See all the key Harry Potter landmarks in Oxford that YOU want to see.
As we all know, it can be difficult at times to find a tour fitting your specifications exactly.
Especially if you’re a Harry Potter megafan and you’re looking for the perfect themed tour.
If this is the case, why not book a tour that specializes in providing personalized tours?
Once booked, let the guide know beforehand that you’re looking for a tour that focuses on Harry Potter.
In the Bespoke Oxford Walking Tour, you can rest easy knowing that your guide is Blue Badge Certified and won’t steer you wrong.
The tour primarily focuses on Oxford’s most significant landmarks.
You’ll see a selection of stunning buildings while learning their fascinating history.
Provided you’ve let your guide know in advance that you’re looking for a Harry Potter themed tour, you’ll also learn how the sites you visit are linked to Harry Potter!
Run by one of Oxford’s best-known tour companies, this tour is a safe bet if you desire guaranteed quality on a private bespoke tour.
13. Cotswolds and Oxford Guided Day-Trip
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars, 920+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 10 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR
- Pick-up and drop-off in London.
- Scenic Cotswold villages, set in stunning landscapes.
- Opportunity to see all of Oxford’s main sites.
- Local recommendations on best lunch spots.
This final tour, starting from London, has perhaps the most expansive itinerary of all the tours listed.
Begin your day with a coach drive out to an area of the UK renowned for its natural beauty: the Cotswolds.
Here, you’ll stop at two villages, Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury, both famed for their beauty.
After the Cotswolds, you’ll continue on to Oxford. Once there, you’ll have free time to explore the City of Dreaming Spires and discover sites used in the production of Harry Potter.
Make the most of your time in Oxford by taking advantage of your guide’s recommended local eats and walking route that will allow you to appreciate the city’s unspoiled beauty.
Arrive back in London by 6 pm after a day of discovering sites related to Harry Potter and England at its most bucolic.
Book this tour if you’re short on time while visiting England and you want to take in both Oxford and the Cotswolds before the end of your holiday.
Hey! Want to use our trusty guides to the best tours in other places across the UK? Check these out!
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- 11 Best Tours of the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh in 2023
- 5 Best London Open Top Bus Tours
- 9 Best Scottish Outlander Tours
- 9 Best Ghost Tours in Oxford
- 5 Best Bath Ghost Tours
- 9 Best Bus Tours in Edinburgh
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- 9 Best Day Trips to Oxford from London
- 7 Best Stonehenge Day Trips from London
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- 11 Best Oxford Walking Tours
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- 11 Best Private Tours in London
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UK Travel Planning Guide: the FAQs
🏥 Should I buy UK travel insurance?
Absolutely yes. Basic coverage is not expensive, and as a visitor you are NOT covered under the NHS. Compare policies and prices with Travel Insurance Master here, a big name in the travel insurance business, and cross that off your list.
🔌 Do I need travel adapters for the UK?
Yes, you do, otherwise you won’t be able to plug in your electronics/phone/lifelines. I recommend this one, which is all-in-one so you can use it in other countries.
🚗 What do I need to drive in the UK?
The first thing you need to check out if you’re planning on renting a car in the UK is this guide to driving in the UK for visitors – the roads, signs, and driving experience will likely not be what you’re used to and it’s essential to prepare yourself to stay safe and aware.
🛌 What’s the best way to book hotels in the UK?
For UK hotels, Booking is the best site as it offers free cancellation on many properties. If you want an apartment, I always recommend VRBO over AirBnb.
📳 Will my phone work in the UK?
Yes – if you set it up right. Check out my guide on making your foreign phone work in the UK to ensure that you get the type of service you need.
🚿 Can I drink the water in the UK?
Yes, UK water is great and perfectly safe. But drink out of taps in any kitchen or use water fountains. Double check before drinking out of the taps in hotel bathrooms, though, as they may be on a different system. London water is safe to drink.
