This review is about the Harry Potter Walking Tour of London, one of the walking tours, not the bus tour.
Owen was our guide on a very hot, sunny Saturday afternoon.
The start point was at Westminster Station, where one of the scenes from Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix was filmed, where Mr Weasley is struggling to use the ticket barriers while on his way to the Ministry of Magic.
Owen was very knowledgeable, giving you lots of insights and interesting titbits. He tried to involve the attendees but the group of families and young children, of around 20 were mostly tourists, were quite a quiet group, so I think Owen struggled a bit!
The only drawback was that you went to a few locations where Owen would hold up a photo of a building where the shot was filmed and then you moved on. We then jumped on the tube to relocate to another location, although a welcome rest from being on our feet, and where again you are shown another photo of when that appeared in the film.
Only once we were able to recreate a scene by taking a photo at that spot, but mostly there was a lot of walking, although you did see a lot of the city, around Westminster, St Paul's, Millennium Bridge, London Bridge, Monument, and Leadenhall Market, so quite a good sightseeing tour for tourists!
We went to the location where the Ministry of Magic was filmed, and heard how props were made or put there to make the scenes, and they were not done by CGI. So if you were expecting to see a Gentlemen's toilet entrance near the Ministry building, you would not find it there as the sign was put there for the scene, to make it look like there was one, which is cheaper than to build an actual toilet. Likewise, the doors and the phone box were props put there. Owen also gave us other interesting facts about how colours are used in films.
When we reached St Paul's, from afar, Owen gave us some interesting insight and also that the floating stairs were located inside. Also Owen mentions the phoenix sculpture on the facade of St Paul's with the motto "Resurgam" meaning "I shall rise again". The Phoenix rising was also used in the Harry Potter books.
The site where the Leaky Cauldron was located was a bit disappointing, as you have had to imagine being in that building looking out of the windows over the roof tops as Harry did.
We did learn that there was not much continuity of scenes, and Owen pointed these out. He also told us Charing Cross Road as in the films was not actually filmed at Charing Cross Road, as it being such a busy road, it would be a nightmare to close off for the film shoots.
I found the walking was a good pace to give you time to take photos, along the way, of the London sights, which the tourists amongst us were doing. I spoke to some of the tourists and Harry Potter fans along the way, and afterwards, and they did really enjoy it and they said they saw parts of London, which they probably would have not have seen on their own, and found the tour very interesting. Owen was also extremely helpful if anyone needed directions to get to King's Cross for Platform 9 and 3/4 (which was not included in the tour), or anywhere anyone needed to get to after the tour.
I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes and take some water and fruit to snack on, especially on a hot day, as there is no stops for refreshments.
It was an enjoyable afternoon, and the two and a bit hours, went by very quickly! As a Harry Potter tour for me, it was lacking, but combined with the sights of London, it was brilliant. Owen also gave us information and interesting facts too about various landmarks that we passed along the way.
Also the highlight for me was the very interesting and little known fact, given by Owen not to look up but to look down on the Millennium Bridge! Chewing gum art, minute pieces of art painted on chewing gum, that all contains a message and meaning. Amazingly 400 of them! That will be an adventure for another day, a mini gum art trail! Fascinating. read more