One entrance to Diagon Alley can be reached on foot by passing through The Leaky Cauldron. The inn, invisible to Muggles, lies somewhere along the London thoroughfare Charing Cross Road.

The Apothecary sells potions and potion ingredients. The shop is "fascinating" despite its very bad smell — a mixture of bad eggs and rotten cabbage. The inside includes barrels of slimy stuff on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots and bright powders on the shelves; and bundles of feathers, strings of fangs and snarled claws hanging from the ceiling.

The headquarters of the Daily Prophet are located in here in this building. Owls can be seen flooding daily into this building from comments of their readers. As well as out to deliver their paper.

Eeylops Owl Emporium sells owls and supplies such as owl treats. The inside is dark and full of a low, soft hooting, rustling and the flickering of "jewel-bright eyes." Among the types of owls sold are Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy.

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour is a shop that sells ice-cream. The Parlour is a small shop with places to sit down inside, and a small area outside with a bunch of tables and chairs. Inside, there can be found lots of colourful ice-cream on display.

Flourish & Blotts sells a great variety of magic-related books, including textbooks for Hogwarts courses and other books of general magical interest.

Gringotts is the only known bank of the wizarding world and it is operated primarily by goblins. A snowy white building, near the intersection of Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley, Gringotts towers over all neighbouring shops. The main floor is paved with marble and has long counters stretching along its length. Within, Wizards and witches keep their money and other valuables in vaults that are protected by very complex and strong security measures.

Knockturn Alley is a location leading off of the more savory Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley is a dark and seedy alleyway in London to which muggles have no access, and which is frequented largely by Dark Wizards. Many of the shops in Knockturn Alley are devoted to the Dark Arts; the largest is Borgin & Burkes, which sells sinister and dangerous objects.

The Magical Menagerie is a magical creature shop that, besides selling magical creatures, also offers advice on animal care and health. The shop is very cramped, noisy and smelly, due to every inch being covered with cages.

Madam Malkin's is a clothing shop. It sells robes and other clothing, including the standard Hogwarts-required plain black work robes, and dress robes.

Ollivander’s Wand Shop is a fine wands shop that can be described as narrow and shabby. Within, there are countless narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling and a spindly legged chair.