Last updated on March 5th, 2024 at 03:53 pm
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Gloucester is a small city in the southwest of England; whether you are a Harry Potter fan wanting to check all the Harry Potter locations or simply an amateur of quaint places, you must take a day trip to Gloucester!
If you clicked on this post, you are probably planning your day trip to this charming city, looking for a “one day in Gloucester itinerary” and wondering what to do there if you only have one day!
(If not, it may convince you to add Gloucester to your travel bucket list!)
Well, I covered you with my one-day trip itinerary to Gloucester. As the title suggests, it’s a bit Harry Potter-themed as I am a huge Harry Potter fan (Any Potterhead here?); nonetheless, there’s still some non-Harry Potter-oriented activity and sight in my itinerary!
One Day In Gloucester Itinerary: Day Trip Itinerary
If you clicked thinking this is about Gloucester, MA, it’s not. This blog post is about Gloucester in the UK! This is all about one day in Gloucester, England.
What is Gloucester Famous For?
Gloucester is renowned for its historic cathedral, which boasts stunning Gothic architecture and houses the tomb of King Edward II.
Gloucester is famous for its role as a backdrop in various film and television productions, including scenes from the Harry Potter series filmed at Gloucester Cathedral.
![Gloucester Cathedral Harry Potter](https://i0.wp.com/cptlyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_6796.jpg?fit=1440%2C960&ssl=1)
Back in January, I took a short trip to Bristol, which at this point is pretty much a yearly tradition of mine, and within that short trip, I took a few day trips, including a day trip to Gloucester (the other one was a day trip to Cardiff)! Gloucester is only an hour by train away from Bristol. It was the perfect opportunity to visit!
My day trip to Gloucester started around 10 am after catching a train from Bristol to this quaint city. The journey to Gloucester is pretty effortless; the station is close to the town. Only a few minutes walk away from it.
So, here is what to do in Gloucester in one day:
I usually try to fill up my day trip with five things (as I did on my day trip to Cardiff, Wales) as I find it to be a fair number (depending on the activities) that leaves you enough time to appreciate what you’re doing. At the same time, you discover the city, so you’re not in a rush.
This day trip to Gloucester was part of my five-day trip around the South-West of the UK; if you want to know more about my itinerary, check it out!
Now that we have covered the basics, here are the best things to do in Gloucester if you only have one day to spend in the city.
Go admire Gloucester Cathedral or have your own “Gloucester Cathedral Harry Potter Tour.”
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Gloucester Cathedral is one of the prominent landmarks that makes Gloucester famous, so it is a must-see. If you’re a Harry Potter fan looking to see the filming locations in real, you must have Gloucester Cathedral on your bucket list!
This was my first activity of the day, and I am not going to lie; it was also one of the main reasons I chose to visit Gloucester, as I wanted to see the Cathedral.
To take photos in the Cathedral, you must pay a £3 permit; those fees help with the Cathedral maintenance as the entrance is free. Of course, you can also donate as well if you’d like.
I believe £3 is a small price to pay to take photos of such a beautiful Cathedral and a great piece of history of the city, so don’t be one of those visitors that take photos without this permit…
When the filming happened, it turned this place into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry corridors, so it’s a dream place to visit for any muggles wishing to step into this world!
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Harry Potter shooting locations at Gloucester’s Cathedral:
If you were wondering, “What parts of Harry Potter were filmed in Gloucester Cathedral?” here is the answer to this burning question!
The Cathedral of Gloucester appeared in three Harry Potter movies: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
- The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir BEWARE! Every Harry Potter knows this sentence from the second movie,
- The Lavatorium ( it’s also the actual name of this spot in the Cathedral) is the place.
![One Day In Gloucester Itinerary](https://i0.wp.com/cptlyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_6826.jpg?fit=1440%2C960&ssl=1)
Now that we are done with the Harry Potter part of the Gloucester Cathedral let’s move on to the Cathedral itself.
A little exhibit on the first floor of the Cathedral shows you how life used to be in Gloucestershire back in the Middle Ages. You can try old costumes (it’s fun even as a solo traveller!) and learn more about the Cathedral and its mechanics.
You can also find the remnants of St. Oswald Priory if you’d like to see them! It’s only a few minutes away, and while remaining might not seem super interesting, it’s fun to imagine what the place could have been like based on what’s left!
And hey, the front of the Gloucester Cathedral makes a gorgeous backdrop if you want to snap a photo of yourself! Even if you’re an awkward bean like me and struggle to shoot yourself when you travel solo!
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Immerse yourself into “The World Of Beatrix Potter.”
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Located in a side alley of the street of Gloucester is the shop/museum of “The World of Beatrix Potter”. Author of the famous book Child “Peter Rabbit”, you can immerse yourself into the fantastic world of Beatrix Potter by visiting this adorable book shop where you can buy books and some collector figurines and objects.
The shop is adorable and has a beautiful museum upstairs that you can visit; it’s an excellent activity for kids and adults alike!
There are plenty of charming streets and alleys if you wander around to taste this quaint city; as I always say – and many people – the best way to discover is to get lost and explore it without explicitly having a purpose or a destination! It’s fun, I promised!
You know what you could stumble upon an antique shop, a cute café, and so on! I mean, look how adorable this street is.
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Unfortunately, I don’t have any recommendations for lunch as I ate a sandwich on the go to save some money here; plus, I am not going to lie; when I travel alone, I still have a little hard time eating alone in a restaurant. Cafés are fine but restaurants, I’m not there yet. And I feel like it’s probably the case for many solo travellers!
Greyfriars Gloucester & St Mary de Crypt
![Gloucester in one day](https://i0.wp.com/cptlyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_7838.jpg?fit=1440%2C1080&ssl=1)
Greyfriars Gloucester:
The remains of the Greyfriars of Gloucester were a medical house back in 1213; it was later rebuilt to be demolished.
St Mary de Crypt:
St Mary de Crypt is a small Anglican church from 1140.
St Michael’s Tower, Gloucester
St Michael’s Tower is located close to the Blackfriar and next to Gloucester Museum; they built the tower in 1465, where the tower stands as the crossing point of the city’s four main streets! You can spot several exciting features on the lookout if you look more closely.
While you can’t visit the inside of St Michael’s Tower, it is still an important landmark of Gloucester and reasonably easy to spot if you see the city’s centre.
Gloucester Docks
![One Day In Gloucester Itinerary](https://i0.wp.com/cptlyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_6842.jpg?fit=1440%2C960&ssl=1)
Gloucester Docks is the perfect place to take a stroll after lunch. All I did there was walk around as my day was ending, and I was pretty tired, but this made me appreciate this city’s charm and glimpse how it works out! For example, it was a bit rainy; however, that didn’t stop me from strolling around.
Something worth mentioning for many of you is that the Gloucester Brewery is close to the Gloucester Docks!
If you’re interested, you can also visit the National Waterways Museum or the Soldiers of Gloucestershire museum if you’re keener on history than the way of waters!
Gloucester Tips: You can download the Gloucester Walking Tours App to tour the city. This app offers you a bunch of different city-themed tours! I found it super cool after downloading it when I saw it in the city!
This concludes my mini Gloucester travel guide for a one-day trip, so now you know what to do in one day in Gloucester! If you’re looking for a lovely day out in England, do not hesitate to spend a day trip to Gloucester, whether travelling as a family, with friends, as a Potterhead or even as a solo traveller!
If you’re staying in the Bristol area, you might want to check out those best day trips from Bristol for more travel inspiration in the South-West of the UK.
Here are some excellent activities to do in Gloucestershire if you have more than one day to explore the area!
Also, follow me on Instagram to check out my travel adventures around Europe and more lifestyle content @cpt_lyne!
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One Day In Gloucester Itinerary, 5 Things to do
![Take a day trip to Gloucester to explore the stunning cathedral of Gloucester to step into the wizarding world of Harry Potter! This british cathedral was one of the shooting locations. Besides this quaint town is the perfect day trip in the U.K! #ukdaytrip #travelingguide #europedestinations](https://cptlyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Copie-de-Copie-de-Copie-de-Copie-de-25-1.png)
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✈ Best Travel Ressources To Plan Your Next Trip
If you need help planning your next trip, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! Here are my favourite websites and apps to plan a trip!
✈ How To Find Flights?
My favourite website for booking flights is Skyscanner; it is a good comparator for finding the cheapest flights.
Google Flight is also a good help when it comes to comparing flights.
✈ Where To Book Accommodations?
The best sites to book accommodations are Booking.com or Expedia. They both allow you to collect points for a discount; it’s worth comparing the two as they often have different pricing for the same hotels.
Another perk of Booking.com and Expedia is that you can sometimes get bundle deals for flights and accommodations, which can help you save a lot of money.
✈ Best Sites To Book Activities
My go-to website when I need to book an activity is GetYourGuide when I can’t get a ticket directly on the website or if it’s easier to go through them.
I always check if the price is the same, though, as the whole point is for it to be easier but not more expensive.
You can also check out Klook if you need to book more than just activities and would like to get everything from the same website—(i.e. transport cards, car rental, hotel…).
✈ Other helpful travel resources
– Radical Storage: If you need a place to keep your luggage for an extended period when you travel, I recommend using them. It was a great help when we needed a place to keep our luggage safely while we left the city for a few days.
– TheTrainline: If you love to travel by train like me, then TheTrainline needs to be your go-to website for train travel in Europe. It is very reliant and easy to use.
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Disclaimer: This resources box contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you book anything through my links at no additional cost. These links help me support the blog and generate more content. Happy travels!
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Polly says
I love Harry Potter. I have been to the Durham Cathedral which is also used as a shooting location for some parts of Harry Potter but the Gloucester Cathedral looks amazing! Great Itinerary!
Nana Esi says
Gloucester looks well preserved. It’s such a beauty
John Confidus says
Incredibly beautiful architecture! The castle is impressive and bewitching! I definitely want to visit Gloucester with my daughter!
Kelly says
The Cathedral is beautiful! Definitely want to come and live out my Harry Potter dreams here one day 🙂