Uber Reveals Top 15 Most-Visited “Harry Potter” Locations
As we approach Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling’s birthday on July 31, there are many ways to celebrate. One unexpected celebrator is ride-sharing company Uber, which marked the occasion by revealing the 15 most-visited Harry Potter locations. The list mainly includes filming locations but also a couple of other wizarding world- and J.K. Rowling-related points of interest.
According to Uber, tourists took over 200,000 trips to Harry Potter sites in the United Kingdom last year. In anticipation of July 31, Uber revealed which particular sites were the most popular for Harry Potter fans using its service. Unsurprisingly, the iconic Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross station topped the list. The gateway from the Muggle world to the Hogwarts Express was followed by Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Leadenhall Market (which represents the area of London near Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), the London Zoo (where Harry speaks Parseltongue to the boa constrictor), and the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh (where J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
Here is the complete list of the top 15 Harry Potter-inspired locations in the UK:
- Platform 9 3/4, King’s Cross station, London
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Leavesden
- Leadenhall Market, London
- London Zoo
- Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
- Durham Cathedral
- Claremont Square, London
- Spoon Cafe, Edinburgh
- Gloucester Cathedral
- Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
- Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire
- Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
- Bodleian Library, Oxford
- Christ Church College, Oxford
- Hardwick Hall, Nottingham
These spots are primarily filming locations and give visitors a chance to see the real-life versions of Hogwarts, Grimmauld Place, Malfoy Manor, and the forest where the trio hid while chasing Horcruxes. Additionally, Spoon Cafe was the location where Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Christ Church College served as the inspiration for Hogwarts’ Great Hall in the films.
Which Potter locations would you visit – whether it be by Uber, train, Floo Network, or otherwise?
