This October, our editor Emma Purcell visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter to experience its renowned accessibility features and seasonal events.
Here, she shares her personal review of the visit – including her first audio-described tactile tour and the spellbinding Dark Arts experience.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour several times before, and each trip has been magical in its own way. But my visit on 14 October 2025 was something truly special – it was my first time experiencing the official audio-described tactile tour.
As a blind wheelchair user, I already knew the venue was brilliantly accessible, but this time, the tour gave me an even deeper connection to the world of Harry Potter. The combination of touch, sound, and storytelling brought the sets, props, and characters to life in a way I’ll never forget.
Exploring a more inclusive wizarding world
The Studio Tour has worked hard in recent years to make its magic more accessible to everyone, especially for visitors with sight loss.
Thanks to a partnership with the charity Guide Dogs, it now offers official audio-described tactile tours, allowing guests to explore key props, sets, and costumes through touch while listening to rich, descriptive storytelling from trained staff.
As part of this inclusive approach, the Studio also welcomes assistance dogs throughout the attraction and has trained its interactors and guides to confidently support visitors with visual impairments. That meant that from the moment I arrived, I knew I was in good hands.
I attended with a friend who, like me, uses a wheelchair. Together, along with my friend’s husband and our PAs, we were greeted warmly at the reception and immediately made to feel at ease. Staff were on hand to guide us through every stage of the experience, and the accessible facilities were perfect — from wheelchair access to accessible toilets and clear, open routes between sets.
This time, though, my visit was even more immersive. I had a one-to-one audio-described tactile tour, led by an incredible interactor named Nicole. She was, quite simply, fantastic, giving me detailed descriptions of everything and sharing so much interesting information about the world of Harry Potter. She was extremely friendly, enthusiastic, and so helpful throughout.”
Nicole’s detailed, thoughtful descriptions helped me picture each space vividly in my mind, while her guidance encouraged me to explore props and sets through touch — something that brought the whole experience to life in a completely new way.
I was also amazed by the amount of information and facts she knew about the filming of Harry Potter. I was particularly stunned to hear about the amount of special effects that were genuinely done in real life and not just done using CGI – for example, the night bus literally travelling through London, Hagrid’s hut set on fire and using a life-size Jack-in-the-Box clown boggart.
I would like to personally and publicly thank Nicole for her amazing work and her incredible support throughout the four-hour tour.
Experiencing the magic through touch: my tactile tour
Rolling up to the Great Hall, I began by feeling the huge wooden doors—their weight in the hinges and the cool metal of the door handle – before moving on to textures that told stories of their own.
I handled fabrics from costumes and room sets, tracing floaty layers from the Divination classroom and the rough, eerie weave of the Dementor costumes.
I explored multiple wands, including those belonging to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Bellatrix, Voldemort, and the Elder Wand, before bracing myself to touch Aragog’s spider leg, hairy, ridged and unsettling under my hand.
In the Gringotts vaults, I got to touch Bellatrix Lestrange’s treasures, picking out the contours of the Hufflepuff Cup, small and precious among gleaming props.
I examined goblin hands, following the bony knuckles, thick nails, and sharp teeth that made their faces so distinctive.
A gentler moment came with Professor Sprout’s hat, scattered with snails and flowers I could find by touch like landmarks on a map.
And, for pure mischievous delight, I even discovered the slugs Ron Weasley vomited, squishy replicas that made everyone laugh.
Each tactile stop built a vivid mental picture, turning what I could not see into something I could know through my hands.
Delving into darkness: the Dark Arts feature
One of the main reasons I chose to visit the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London this time of year was to immerse myself in the Dark Arts experience — a limited seasonal feature that transforms the familiar sets of Hogwarts into something thrillingly sinister.
From the moment I entered the Great Hall, I could sense the change in atmosphere. Over a hundred floating pumpkins hung overhead, their carved faces glowing faintly in the dim light, while the flicker of candle flames and the echo of distant footsteps created a deliciously eerie tension.
Throughout the tour, I could feel the world of Dark Arts surrounding me. Death Eaters moved through the sets — from the Leaky Cauldron and Dumbledore’s office to Hagrid’s hut, the Hogwarts Express and Diagon Ally – their presence felt in the rustle of cloaks, the low hum of whispered spells and the feeling of intense heat of fireballs.
I tried my hand at wand combat, guided through spell motions that made me feel like I was duelling in the heart of Hogwarts.
Even in the Forbidden Forest, I could sense Dementors drifting nearby, and every sound, texture, and movement deepened the suspense.
Experiencing the Dark Arts firsthand made my October visit feel truly magical — and a little haunting in the best way.
We’d love to hear from others who’ve visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. How was your experience of accessibility and inclusion there? Did you try the audio-described tactile tour or visit during the Dark Arts season? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments box, on social media or contact us to share your personal story.