Harry Potter Walking Tour of Edinburgh

See where JK Rowling lived while she wrote the Harry Potter books, and discover how the beautiful architecture of Edinburgh’s Old Town inspired the wizarding world, with insights from an expert tour guide.

Meeting at Princes Street in central Edinburgh, your tour will commence with a trip to Victoria Street, said to be Rowling’s inspiration for the magical Diagon Alley. The similarities are clear, with its quaint, colourful shops, distinctive buildings and cobbled paving, and your guide will point out the quirks and details that were recreated in the books.

 

Next the tour visits the famous Greyfriars Kirkyard, to see the spot where fans flock every year to discover the story of the “real” Tom Riddle. Here you will hear about Rowling’s inspiration for villainous Lord Voldemort, and the story of how he is buried at the graveyard. Plus, you’ll hear a few surprise facts about some of the other characters’ namesakes, too!

As you walk around the city streets, you’ll pass some of the cafes where JK Rowling sat and wrote as she brought Harry Potter’s world to life. See Edinburgh through her eyes as you sit where she sat, famously writing in painstaking longhand into her spiral notebook.

The tour continues through the Old Town of Edinburgh, famous for its historic architecture and picturesque cobbled streets.  Admire the beautiful views of the city as Rowling would have seen it herself, and hear from your guide about the aspects of the city that inspired the now world-famous tales she wrote.

The tour finishes at approximately 2.30pm at 80 High Street, Edinburgh (outside the Radisson Blu Hotel).

• Tours depart Saturdays and Sundays at 12pm
• Tour length: approx. 2.5 hours

• Tour meets at the Duke of Wellington Statue in front of the National Archive Building, Princes Street
• Tour finishes at the Radisson Blu Hotel, 80 High Street, The Royal Mile, EdinburghEH1 1TH