Item
Studio Tour + Breakfast at the Hogwarts Table (×2)
inbox, search “Studio Tour”
Day 17 of 18 · London
Breakfast in the Great Hall, then the farewell dinner.
Breakfast at the Hogwarts Table · Warner Bros. Studio Tour · dinner at The Ivy
☼ 55°F / 46°FCloudWear: Comfortable shoes and a warm layer for the Studio Tour's outdoor backlot; something smart-ish for The Ivy.
English school half-term · more families about
The last full day starts early: breakfast at the Hogwarts Table long tables out at Leavesden at 08:45, then the Making of Harry Potter tour, back for a laundry run so nothing dirty flies home, then the farewell dinner at Julian's pick, The Ivy. Pack before bed.
Today’s shape, roughly
Optional, before the day starts. A 1-hour gym session or a run (nearest option is on the London page), and an afternoon nap block is built into the schedule below, take it on the long days.
01Morning
06:45
Early start. Victoria line to Euston, then Euston to Watford Junction (London Overground / London Northwestern Railway, ~20 min) and the Studio Tour shuttle bus outside the station (~15 min). Be at the studio by 08:30.
It is half-term week and the breakfast slot is fixed at 08:45, so leave a train earlier than you think you need. Nothing to buy in advance for either leg: the Euston–Watford Junction train takes the same contactless card or phone as everywhere else in London, tap in and out, Watford Junction is inside the TfL pay-as-you-go/Oyster area even though it sits past the normal zones. The one thing to know: because it is beyond zone 9, this specific day’s contactless cap runs higher than the usual ~£8.90 (more like £18-20pp off-peak), not a problem, just don’t expect the usual number on the statement. And the Studio Tour shuttle bus itself is free, included with the entry ticket (confirmed on wbstudiotour.co.uk), so skip the old plan to buy a return, just get on it. Watford Junction
08:45
Breakfast at the Hogwarts Table. A cooked breakfast at the long tables from the Great Hall set, before the crowds, with a butterbeer and a souvenir guidebook each.
10:00
Warner Bros. Studio Tour, The Making of Harry Potter (tour start 10:00 to 10:30). Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts Express on Platform 9¾, Dumbledore's office, the model castle, the Forbidden Forest. Self-paced, allow 3.5 to 4 hours.
02Afternoon
14:30
Shuttle back to Watford Junction, train to Euston, tube back. In the room by ~16:00.
16:00
Drop bags, then straight back out for the trip's last laundry stop: Pimlico Launderette, 3 Westmoreland Terrace SW1V 4AG, a ~18-minute walk from the hotel (0.8 mi / 1.3 km each way). Mon-Sat 8:00-19:00 (last wash 18:00 small machines, 17:30 large), +44 7391 001142 (call or WhatsApp). Wash and dry back to back, then the walk back to pack the bulk of the bag so tomorrow is just toothbrush and go.
About two hours all in: ~18 min each way (36 min round trip) plus a 30-40 min wash and a 30-40 min dry running back to back. Leave the hotel by 16:15 to be inside well before the 17:30 cutoff for the bigger machines. Nothing dirty gets packed for the flight home tomorrow. Hotel laundry/valet is the backup if it's ever closed, but self-service runs roughly £15-20 total for both of you versus $80-150+ for a two-person valet load.
03Evening
19:30
Farewell dinner at The Ivy, the original on West Street, Covent Garden, green awnings, Julian's must-do. Go for the room and the classics. Then finish packing; the airport start is early. Original Ivy West Street (not an Ivy Collection branch). The table is held in Le Andra's OpenTable. Le Andra's exact OpenTable invite is in the trip Drive folder; it does not establish that John accepted the invite.
The table
Lunch~$20
Something light on the backlot, or wait for town
house pick You will have had a full cooked breakfast at 08:45 and the butterbeer is already done, so lunch is optional. The Food Hall is quick if you want something; otherwise hold out and eat back in town mid-afternoon.
Order: A snack or a light plate, or nothing. Save the appetite for The Ivy.
Dinner~$95
The Ivy, West Street (the original)
Julian booked Book the original on West Street (there are dozens of “Ivy” spin-offs now, this is not one). Go for the room and the classics, not to be adventurous. The right place for a last night.
Order: Shepherd's pie, their own head chef calls it the closest thing they have to a signature, ask what they're known for and this is the answer. Steak tartare or the haddock and chips as the other classics, the chocolate bombe (they pour hot sauce over it tableside) to finish. The Chaplin Highball (sloe gin, apricot, lime) is a good fruity pick for John; no tequila cocktail on their list, so lean into the wine list instead, it's a strong one, for a proper farewell-dinner pour.
Tickets and bookings
inbox, search “Studio Tour”
Item
Studio Tour shuttle bus, Watford Junction return (×2)
Confirmed on the official site: this journey is included as part of the Studio Tour entry ticket. Nothing to book or pay for, just get on it at Watford Junction.
Item
The Ivy West Street, farewell dinner (2)
inbox, search “The Ivy”
Today's voucher: Studio Tour e-tickets (Google Drive). Other confirmations remain in the private trip Drive folder. Only travelers with access can open linked files; no ticket contents are embedded here.
Before you leave the door
Insider edge
Booked, with the Breakfast at the Hogwarts Table package: an 08:45 sitting at the long tables before the tour, then tour start 10:00 to 10:30. Oct 29 is inside English school half-term, its single busiest week, so the early start is a gift, you eat and walk in before the coach crowds land, and you are back with the whole evening free.
House pickAvoid this
A taxi or a tour-company coach to Leavesden, £100+ each way. The Euston train is the whole cost, the shuttle from Watford Junction is free with the ticket, and it's just as fast.
House pickBackup move
Miss the 08:45 breakfast (train trouble, a slow shuttle) and the studio will usually still seat you at the tail of the sitting or slot you into the tour, ask at the desk with the booking ref. The tour entry stands regardless of the breakfast. Keep the evening as is.
House pickIdeal window
The original Ivy on West Street is booked for two at 19:30. Le Andra holds the OpenTable reservation; the exact invite is linked above.
JulianIf time, or if a deal lands
| Option | Added | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fortnum & Mason afternoon tea | +$220 | a slower last afternoon instead of Leavesden; a full meal at ~£82pp, then a lighter dinner |
| Sky Garden, free | +$0 | book a slot; the free rooftop view, a drink at the bar |
What today runs
Estimates. Swap in the real figure as you go.
| Studio Tour + Breakfast at the Hogwarts Table (×2) | $343 |
| Contactless, Euston-Watford Junction return + local taps (×2, day cap runs higher than usual past zone 9, shuttle is free) | $50 |
| Lunch, light, on the backlot or in town | $20 |
| Laundry, Pimlico Launderette (wash + dry, ×2) | $16 |
| Farewell dinner, The Ivy, West Street (×2) | $95 |
| Today, London | $524 |
Flights and the places to stay are on the costs page, not counted here.
How it went
Written after the day: what you did, what you loved, what you'd skip, the photographs, a voice note or two. It fills in here and in the album.