10 Things to do in London taken straight from the Movies and TV

When we went to London England last fall part of what we wanted to experience was the traditional London touristy stuff like Castles and museums, to try some traditional fish and chips and visit London pubs. But some of the other things we wanted to see were straight from our favourite movies and TV shows. These are the 10 Things to do in London taken straight from the Movies and Tv.

Millenium Bridge – for me this landmark stands out because of Harry Potter. We see it destroyed by Death Eaters in the Half Blood Prince but for us regular muggles it is a great walking bridge to get from the south bank across to St. Pauls Cathedral.

Temple Church – Davinci Code really brought this church into the modern day limelight. This area of London should be explored just because it is secluded and really beautiful. But the church itself is interesting too. Make sure you have cash to visit as it is not covered by the London Pass and they don’t take credit. Note that Temple London might soon be famous for being part of the new season of Jack Ryan as they were filming whilst we were touring around.

Travel Book Shop – This one is a bit confusing so bear with me. The Travel Book Shop that inspired the film Notting Hill used to be at the location above. However it closed down in 2011. But this isn’t actually the location where they filmed the movie. They actually rebuilt the Travel Book Shop at a different store the area. Still I am pretty sure you like me are quoting that line. I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy …

Earl’s Court – To be honest we didn’t really check anything out in this neighbourhood. The only reason we went on the tube this far was to check out the Tardis. If you are a Doctor Who fan you can get your photo op steps from Earl’s Court station.

Leadenhall Market – This area of London doubles as the entrance to Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. Even if you aren’t a Harry Potter fan you should wander through this area to see the ornateness of everything. This market dates back to the 14th century! There are shops here but no Olivanders.

St. Lukes Mews – to be honest I went here because this alley is instafamous. But turns out it is actually famous for being where that Love Actually scene was filmed. You know the one with all the cue cards and declarations of love.

Kings Cross Station – Every Harry Potter fan has to make the pilgrimage to Kings Cross Station to check out platform 9 3/4. Be sure to get there earlier in the day as the line ups can be very long. Not just for your photo op but also for the Harry Potter gift shop. We went there mid day and the line ups literally went around the shop and we would have waited at least an hour to take a picture if we wanted to be in the picture. However you can quickly snap between people easily enough.

Westminster Abbey – Remember in Davinci Code when Robert Langdon and Sophie were searching for the Knight A. Pope interred? Well they found him at Westminster Abbey. This church was amazing and there were so many famous people buried here just wandering the church and reading the names is pretty fascinating. Kings and Queens, famous scientists and writers are all laid to rest at this Abbey.

The Shard – The Shard has become synonymous with the London Skyline, just like the other unique office buildings, The Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie, the Cheese Grater. But the Shard is the one I remember from Doctor Who, in that episode where the Doctor rides up the side of the Shard on a motorcycle. If you are not a Doctor Who fan go for the fantastic views you get from the top. Going up to the View from the Shard is included in the London Card.

St. Paul’s Cathedral – The spiral stair cases that take you up and down from the dome also double as the staircase from Professor Trelawney’s class in Harry Potter. Other films have had scenes here too like Mission Impossible Fallout, Thor; The Dark World and even Sherlock Holmes. Visit this church from the views from the top of the dome. The London Card got us in here without the LONG line ups.

Read More: Everywhere we ate in London

And there you have it 10 things to do in London that are straight from your favourite movies and TV shows. You can see that many of our picks were from Harry Potter, Doctor Who and Davinci Code but you could pick different sights from Lucky Man, Sherlock, or countless other British dramas. Is there a place in London you want to visit inspired by your favourite films?