Hi hello, my name is Katy and I love Harry Potter. (Is anyone even shocked by this?)
I’ve read the books a bazillion times, watched the films, seen the play (twice!), visited the studios (several times!), and bought a LOT of the official merchandise. I’m a Hufflepuff and I’m proud of it!
But there is one Harry Potter thing that I’ve never got round to doing, and that’s (read the title): a Harry Potter walking tour.
Now, those of you who follow me on Instagram might remember that I worked with Airbnb last year, and I ‘m so excited to be working with them again this summer to promote their Airbnb Experiences.
Run by savvy locals, every single activity has been vetted by the pros at Airbnb. Immediately, you know you’ll get a fab quality experience and great value for money. There are Experiences in cities all across the world, and you can do everything from photography in London, to paddleboarding in Vienna, and sushi-making in Tokyo.
Here’s a sneak peek of what Charlie and I got up to on our Harry Potter walking tour Experience!
Mark, our fabulous Glaswegian tour guide, was excellent. He was very open, very funny, and very knowledgable about all things Potter. I felt like I learned so many facts about the series that never registered before. And trust me: it’s hard to find facts about Harry Potter that I don’t already know!
He met us outside the Shaftesbury Theatre, where (in his words) we started our journey on the tail end of Harry’s journey.
After a short but sharp debate about The Cursed Child, we headed off into Covent Garden to explore one of the (suspected) inspirations for Rowling’s Diagon Alley.
PS. If anyone needs inspiration for my birthday present this year: that signed copy of Philosopher’s Stone would fit in beautifully with my current collection! #hinthint
Oh hey there Diagon Alley!
This was one of the main visual inspirations for the film version of Diagon Alley. You can see that the funky paned windows and gas lamps (actual gas lamps!) are almost identical to those you see on screen in the first film.
We also paid a visit to the narrowest street in London, and had a gander at a tiny alleyway haunted by Dementors!
Next, we jumped on a tube and headed over to the other side of London.
We paused at St Paul’s Cathedral (home to the Divination staircase), then wandered across one of the most memorable and expensive scenes in the films: The Millenium Bridge.
Also known as: the Wobbly Bridge.
Also known as: the bridge that did that bendy thing when the Dementors destroyed it in Harry Potter.
Mark also introduced us to the awesome chewing gum art of Ben Wilson! Ben doodles on dried chewing gum bits stuck to the bridge, and they’re very cool. Look out for them next time you’re walking across the bridge.
It was such a fantastic experience, and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We learned a lot, we laughed a lot, AND I easily surpassed my 10K step count for the day.
So what are you waiting for? Book your Harry Potter walking tour today!
*This post is sponsored by Airbnb*
