Nach Ort oder Aktivität suchen

A Ravenclaw's Perfect Day in London

Here’s how to plan an enchanting day in London for the most studious and cultured members of the wizarding world.

Ravenclaw-friendly attractions in London
Hi, I'm Claire!

Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover's Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.

“Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw / If you’ve a ready mind / Where those of wit and learning / Will always find their kind.” Take the Sorting Hat’s word for it—Ravenclaws aren’t only Hogwarts’ resident intellectuals, they’re also a band of curious and singular eccentrics who value standing out from the crowd (think Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw through and through).

Luckily, London offers a wealth of worthy stops for those of an erudite and alternative disposition who’ve already enjoyed a Harry Potter Studio Tour or explored London like a muggle. From atmospheric bookstores with an occult edge to world-class museums and historic pubs known for their literary associations, here’s how to tease your brain and expand your horizons, all while exploring this most magical of cities.

Start your day with a bookshop browse

Cecil Court, nicknamed Booksellers’ Row, in London.
Cecil Court is a must-visit for bookish Ravenclaws.Bildquelle: William Barton / Shutterstock

Ravenclaws are obviously avid readers.

Just steps from the tumult of Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square lies a peculiar little street that’s said to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley. The pedestrianized Cecil Court (nicknamed Booksellers’ Row)—with its Victorian buildings, second-hand bookshops, quirky antique stores, and vendors of curios—is the perfect place for any visiting Ravenclaw to begin their day in London. Save time to explore the 2-story Watkins Books, where you can browse a range of spiritual and esoteric titles (and stock up on crystals, tarot decks, jewelry, and other supernatural talismans at the same time).

Plan mid-morning at the museum(s)

Visitors tour the British Museum.
London's many museums make it a dream destination for Ravenclaws.Bildquelle: Annapurna Mellor / Viator

There’s always time for learning where Ravenclaws are concerned.

Clever and ever-questioning, Ravenclaws never turn down the opportunity to learn or discover something new. Thankfully, London—home to more than 170 museums—is the perfect place to plan a cultural immersion. From tours that explore art museums such as the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Tate Modern to trips to view the fantastic beasts of the Natural History Museum, there’s no shortage of galleries and exhibitions to provoke your wonder. Don’t skip the stately halls of the British Museum or the miniscule and mysterious Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, either.

Divine your fortune during afternoon tea

Afternoon tea in London.
Make like Trelawney and enjoy an afternoon tea in London.Bildquelle: Ksenija Toyechkina / Shutterstock

Take a (tea) leaf out of famed Ravenclaw Sybill Trelawney’s book.

Sybill Trelawney, Hogwarts’ resident Divination Professor, is a well-known Ravenclaw—and given how often she prompts students to look for omens in their tea leaves, it’s only right to enjoy a traditionally British afternoon tea as a post-museum refresher. So, enjoy all the bubbly, scones, sandwiches, and sweets that you can scarf down between fortune-telling sessions, whether you pair your tea break with a trip to a royal palace or decide to clink cups aboard a double-decker bus.

Head to the pub for literature and libations

People enjoy a beer at a pub in London.
Ravenclaws excel at lively pub debates over a pint.Bildquelle: Annapurna Mellor / Viator

What better place to enjoy a Ravenclaw’s natural wit and wisdom.

Are you a true Ravenclaw if you don’t go in for intellectual debates over a drink or two? London’s historical pubs make fittingly evocative backdrops to such heady pursuits (and are the next best thing to visiting the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade—even if they don’t serve butterbeer), while a literary pub crawl lets you follow in the footsteps of luminaries such as Dickens and Orwell. For another dose of learning, complement your pub crawl with an audio tour of well-heeled Bloomsbury, the London neighborhood that was once frequented by writers including Virginia Woolf, Dylan Thomas, T. S. Eliot, and W. B. Yeats.

Search for treasure on an evening scavenger hunt

People go on a scavenger hunt in London.
Don't forget to explore London after dark.Bildquelle: Anthony Cruz / Viator

Put that creative mind to good use.

It’s lucky that Ravenclaws’ sharp minds aren’t dulled by a pint or two—after the sun sets, London turns positively moody, and it’s worth planning a final excursion to see the city at its most atmospheric. A scavenger hunt is just the thing for those who are always in pursuit of truth and learning—from a self-guided treasure hunt through the neighborhoods of Central London to a Harry Potter–themed exploration game, wrap up your time in the British capital with as much adventure as can be. It’s the Ravenclaw way, after all.

Explore more "Harry Potter" experiences around the world

1 / 6
de
1cc28594-ac03-4255-af5e-fc3ef85833e2
article
Erleben Sie mehr mit Viator
1 Website, über 300.000 unvergessliche Reiseerlebnisse – direkt in Ihren Posteingang
Informiert bleiben