First thing we did in London was visit Shakespeare's Globe and do a tour. We did not book, we showed up around 10 and were able to get tickets for the 10:30 tour. It costs £13.50 for an adult ticket, £11.00 for a student (they didn't check my ID). Something to remember about the tours is that in summer there is usually an afternoon performance, or in Friday's case a dress rehearsal, so tours are not available then. Check out the website for further information on tour times and dates. As for showtimes, Shakespeare's Globe does not exclusively show Shakespeare's work. Tickets usually need to be purchased well in advance, the theatre holds 1500 people including 700 £5 tickets for the "groundlings" (standing around the stage). In Shakespeare's time they would pack up to 3000 people in for performances! The summer season runs from April 23rd (Shakespeare's birthday) until October.
After our Globe tour we had a drink at the Swan before walking across the Millennium bridge. Then we spent a few hours exploring the Tower of London. We had an amazing pub lunch in Covent Garden before heading back to our hotel to get ready for the theatre that evening.
We went to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. The production was formerly held at the Apollo Theatre until the roof collapsed in December 2013 during a performance. Graham Butler's portrayal of Christopher, a 15 year old boy with Aspergers syndrome, is truly exceptional. Tickets should be booked in advance to guarantee a place. We booked a month prior and all of the "cheap seats" were sold out.
We finished off the evening with dinner at Jamie's Italian. Yum!
Saturday began with shopping at Harrods and a sundae at their ice cream parlor. We then tubed down to Oxford Circus and hit up the shops before our 6:15 reservation at Jamie's Fifteen.
Sunday was Warner Brothers Studio Tour day! I have been a fan of Harry Potter since the first book came out in 1997. Was so so excited to do the Studio Tour at Leavesden. First and most important piece of advice is book your tickets well in advance! We booked 2 months prior to our visit. They do not sell tickets there and they usually sell out ahead of time. The standard adult ticket costs £31.00, we paid a few pounds extra for the digital guide and souvenir book which was well worth it.
Getting out to Leavesden is a bit of a mission, allow yourself around two hours depending on where in London you are staying. There are trains to Watford Junction from Euston Station. Because we were staying at Tottenham Court Road and part of the tube line was closed we had to change once or twice to get there. We took the slow train to Watford Junction that stops several times, it took just under an hour. There is a direct train that takes only 20 or so minutes, but there were service interruptions that morning. We took the direct train back to London though. Coincidentally (or not) both trains left from Platform 9. Once at Watford Junction the Harry Potter Bus picks you up and takes you out to Leavesden. It costs £2 return for the bus, so make sure you have change! The trip on the bus is around 15 minutes. They run every 20 minutes/30 minutes on Sundays. We left Euston Station at 9:14 and arrived at Warner Brothers Studios at 10:30, to give you an idea of how long it takes. Alternatively Golden Tours do a return trip from Victoria Station including entry fee.
The tour itself is phenomenal. It is a real must for die hard Harry Potter fans. Seeing the sets, props and costumes was really magical. We had Butterbeer which costs around £5 with a souvenir cup. Leavesden is one of only 3 places in the world that sell Butterbeer (the others being Japan and Florida, USA) so it's definitely worth trying! The gift shop had some really cool and authentic souvenirs but be aware that it is pricey. I considered getting a Marauders Map but couldn't justify it at £29.99. Under £10.00 souvenirs include cups and mugs, some books, magnets, keychains etc. There is way more selection than at the Kings Cross Station store. Wands and scarves are around £24 for those of you still waiting for your letter from Hogwarts ;) We spent a little over 4 hours in the tour, we took our time and saw everything, but I could have stayed longer! Definitely allow a full day for it if you don't want to be rushed.
When we returned to London we had an early dinner on Carnaby Street. There were lots of cool boutiques and pubs around this area. After dinner we took the Gatwick Express out to Gatwick Airport where we had a hotel room booked for the night. We flew out at 6:30 am so staying steps away from the security gate meant we got a little bit of extra sleep.
I am off to Zurich tomorrow for 2 nights to catch up with a friend of mine who is over from the States. Next week I am Oktoberfest bound!
Happy wandering x
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