With summer holidays on the horizon, are you looking for ideas for family days out? Planning an excursion to London can be a real highlight for children and adults alike. With a range of activities, sights and experiences on offer, the capital makes the perfect playground for all.

Top of the list for many London-bound visitors is magical Warner Bros Studio Tour London. Just 20 minutes on the train from Euston in central London is all it takes to reach this wonderful world of wizardry.

Fans of J.K. Rowling’s books and films can take a closer look at the sets, costumes and backstage areas where all eight movies were shot. See the sorting hat, Gryffindor’s sword, Dumbledore’s circular office, the Great Hall and Diagon Alley in all their glory. Whatever your allegiances – whether your loyalties lie with Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor or Slytherin – the world of Hogwarts opens out before you. Sip on frothy Butterbeer in the canteen, take part in a Quidditch match, or marvel at the animatronics and special effects that helped create some of the most spellbinding moments in the Harry Potter films.

A ticket for a family of four, that’s two children and two adults or three children and one adult, costs £101. Individual tickets for adults are £33, and for children (ages five to fifteen) they’re £25.50. For a small extra charge, there’s the opportunity to grab a bonus package, including paperback souvenir, digital guide and tour ticket. Under-fours can experience the fantastical world of Harry Potter absolutely free! For the last three years, the Harry Potter Tour at Warner Bros. Studio has been one of the top attractions in the country – isn’t it time you and your fellow Potterheads checked it out?

Whilst you are in the London area, why not take in some other attractions? There’s the iconic London Eye Ferris wheel that turns slowly by the Thames, offering spectacular views over the city skyline; or head for Madame Tussauds in Marylebone to judge the accuracy of their waxwork interpretations of historical figures, fictional characters and celebrities.

London is a hotbed of culture, history and invention, with many museums welcoming families, and quite a lot of them offering free entry. With interactive exhibits and stimulating displays, institutions such as the Science Museum, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Natural History Museum keep families of all ages absorbed for hours.

Finally, for a true flavour of London, hop on a Routemaster double-decker bus. Open-topped bus tours take you on a whistle-stop journey around London and are a great way of taking the weight off tired feet whilst seeing the sights. Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament can all be viewed from the comfort of a bus tour, and if you fancy a closer look, it’s usually fine to hop off and on as you like.

If you are planning a family trip to indulge a serious Harry Potter habit, there’s no better time than now. Take a few days to discover the thrills of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and some of the other attractions London has to offer – it will be nothing short of magical.