Perth: Optus Stadium Guided Tour

Optus Stadium’s best surprise is how much of the building you can see without attending a match. This 90-minute walk takes you from the public face of the venue into players’ change rooms, coaches’ rooms, warm-up areas, and media spaces, then up to the Sky View Lounge for broad views over the Swan River and Perth.

I like the $24 price, which is modest for a guided stadium tour, and I like the easy pace. Several guides, including Bruce, Rocco, Chris, and Lyndsey, are praised for giving people time to look around, take photos, and ask questions. The main drawback is that event-day operations can affect access, and cleaning noise has sometimes made it hard to hear the guide.

Key points

• Sky View Lounge: See the playing surface, Swan River, and Perth city from one of the stadium’s highest public vantage points.
• Players’ areas: Visit change rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, warm-up spaces, and ice-bath areas.
• Good value: At $24 per person, the tour costs less than many major Perth attractions and lasts 90 minutes.
• Strong guiding: Bruce, Rocco, Chris, Bob, and Lyndsey have all been praised for humor, clear explanations, and personal attention.
• Easy access: The tour is wheelchair and pram accessible, with seating available during parts of the walk.
• Plan around events: Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays, and some areas may be busy after a major match.

Why Optus Stadium is worth seeing from the inside

From the outside, Optus Stadium is an impressive modern venue beside the Swan River. Inside, its scale becomes easier to understand. You are not simply looking at rows of seats and a field. You are tracing the working route used by players, coaches, media crews, and event staff.

That behind-the-scenes access is the heart of the tour. The exact order can vary, but you can expect a guided walk through parts of the stadium normally closed to ticket holders. The change rooms and locker rooms give you a feel for the private side of match day. The coaches’ room and warm-up spaces show the practical side of sport, where teams prepare before appearing in front of a crowd.

I especially like that the tour is not limited to one code of sport. Optus Stadium hosts major football and cricket events, and the displays and stories connect the building with Western Australia’s sporting past. You do not need to follow Australian rules football to enjoy it. One party reported that three of four people in the group were not sports fans, yet all four found the tour interesting.

The stadium itself is also part of the attraction. Its design, construction, and facilities come up during the walk, giving you more context than a simple photo stop. The venue looks polished and carefully maintained, though one person noticed dirty areas near food outlets. That is a small point, but it is worth keeping expectations sensible: a working stadium can show signs of recent events and clean-up activity.

Starting at the OZONE below City View Cafe

Your meeting point is The OZONE, below City View Cafe and past Gate D. Look for the teardrop flags outside. Arrive at least 10 minutes before the start time so you can check in without a last-minute scramble.

City View Cafe gives you a useful place to pause before or after the tour. It is open from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays, and you can stop for coffee or a snack. The cafe is not part of the tour, so allow time for it separately if that is important to you.

The opening moments are practical rather than theatrical. You meet the English-speaking guide, receive a collectible lanyard, and set off through the venue. The lanyard is a small extra, but it gives children something tangible to take home and marks the experience as more than a standard visit to a public concourse.

The guides are a major part of the tour’s appeal. Bruce is repeatedly praised for his humor, clear communication, and ability to give people time. Rocco is described as lively and full of useful information. Chris, Bob, and Lyndsey also receive strong praise for making the walk engaging. Guide quality can vary from one departure to the next, but the pattern is clear: a good guide makes the stadium feel active and personal rather than simply large.

Change rooms, lockers, and the inner working areas

The change rooms are likely to be the most anticipated stop, especially for football and cricket followers. You see the spaces where players prepare, store their gear, and move into game mode. This is the part that a match ticket cannot provide.

You also get access to locker room and coaches’ room areas. These rooms matter because they explain how a major sporting venue functions away from the public seating bowl. The guide can connect the spaces to team routines, stadium operations, and the different groups who use them.

Some tours also include warm-up areas and ice baths. Those details help turn an abstract idea of professional sport into something physical and practical. You see where players prepare their bodies, recover, and wait before taking the field.

Access can be especially meaningful for supporters of Perth’s teams. One repeat visitor brought a grandson who follows the Dockers, while another long-time Dockers member was disappointed that not enough time was spent in the Dockers area on one particular tour. That is useful advice: if you have a strong team preference, tell the guide early and ask what access is possible that day.

The tour may not give equal time to every team area. The guide may explain that one section is similar to another, or the group may need to keep moving to stay on schedule. If your priority is a specific locker room, do not assume you will have unlimited time there.

Seeing the stadium from the field-side areas

At some point, the tour brings you close to the playing surface. The sightline is different from that of an ordinary spectator. Instead of looking down from a fixed seat, you gain a better sense of the field’s size, the surrounding tiers, and the spaces that support a major event.

This is also a good section for photographs. Bring your camera or phone because there are several designated or natural photo opportunities around the stadium. Guides have helped people take photos during the walk, which is useful if you are traveling alone or with children.

The tour is not described as a fully outdoor walk, but some portions may be affected by weather. One guide changed the order on a rainy day and took the group indoors first. That kind of adjustment helps, though you should still wear comfortable shoes and bring weather protection if conditions look poor.

The walking is manageable for most people. One family found the tour well paced, with places to sit when needed. The full experience lasts about 90 minutes, and a past visit ran closer to one and a half to two hours. Do not count on extra time, but the schedule may stretch if the guide is answering questions or the group needs a slower pace.

The Sky View Lounge and Perth’s best stadium outlook

The Sky View Lounge is one of the strongest reasons to book this tour even if you are not a devoted sports fan. From the stadium’s high vantage point, you can look across the playing surface toward the Swan River and Perth city.

This view changes the feel of the building. Down at ground level, the stadium is about rooms, corridors, seats, and equipment. From above, it becomes a broad civic space linked to the river and the city beyond it.

Take your time with photographs here. The view is more than a quick photo backdrop, and the guide may give the group a chance to look around before moving on. Clear weather will make the river and city more enjoyable, but the view still adds value on a gray day because you can study the stadium’s scale from above.

The Sky View Lounge is also a welcome pause in a tour that includes several interior areas. If you are traveling with older relatives or children, the mix of sitting and walking helps. If you want a tour built around long periods outside, this is not the right choice. Optus Stadium is the subject, and most of the value comes from access to the building itself.

Sports displays and Western Australian stories

Sports memorabilia appears along the route, linking Optus Stadium with Western Australia’s sporting past. These displays give the tour a local focus. You are not only learning how a new stadium operates. You are also seeing how it fits into the state’s sporting identity.

The guide adds much of the meaning here. A good explanation can make a display or room memorable, while a rushed presentation can leave it feeling like a corridor stop. Bruce and Rocco receive especially strong praise for mixing information with humor. That balance matters during a 90-minute walk, particularly for people who know little about Australian rules football.

You do not need to arrive with specialist knowledge. A visitor from the United Kingdom who did not know Australian rules football still found the tour interesting. The guide can explain the venue in broad terms, while dedicated fans may enjoy the details about team spaces, cricket, football, design, and construction.

The tour can also work well for families. Children may not follow every sporting detail, but access to locker rooms, field views, and unusual stadium areas gives them clear things to see. Guides have been praised for involving young children and helping them stay engaged.

Getting to Burswood and timing your visit

Optus Stadium is in Burswood, about 10 to 15 minutes by car from Perth CBD. You can reach it by taxi, bicycle, walking, ferry, bus, or train, depending on the day and your starting point.

Weekend train services on the Armadale Line stop at Stadium Station. A dedicated taxi rank sits beside Victoria Park Drive, and The Little Ferry Co. stops daily at Burswood Jetty. The hop-on, hop-off bus stops daily in Marlee Loop.

Walking and cycling are practical options if you are already near the river. More than 600 bike racks are located around Stadium Park. If you drive, parking is available in the Marlee Loop car park via Victoria Park Drive, and in the Bus Station and Camfield car parks via Roger Mackay Drive. These car parks are available only on non-major-event days.

Event planning matters. Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays, and the stadium can be busy with post-event cleaning or preparation even when the tour is running. One person found noisy equipment made it difficult to hear the guide after a weekend event. If you want the calmest possible visit, choose a day away from major matches and concerts.

Accessibility, pace, and what to bring

The full tour is wheelchair and pram accessible. This is a meaningful strength because stadium tours often involve long corridors, stairs, or awkward transitions. Optus Stadium’s route is designed to allow wheelchair access throughout, and seating is available during parts of the walk.

Still, access needs can affect group timing. One visitor felt that a guide moved too quickly for a wheelchair user, which reduced the time available in a team area. That does not cancel out the stated accessibility, but it is a reminder to arrive early, explain any needs at check-in, and ask the guide about the planned route.

Bring photo identification. A copy is accepted. Comfortable shoes are sensible because you will be walking through a large venue, even though the pace is not described as strenuous.

A camera is worth bringing, especially for the Sky View Lounge and field views. If you plan to visit City View Cafe, check the weekday opening hours of 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The cafe is a useful add-on, but do not assume it will be open on every tour day.

Is $24 good value for 90 minutes?

At $24 per person, this is a strong-value activity in Perth. You get a 90-minute guided visit, access to areas normally closed to spectators, a tour leader, the Sky View Lounge, and a collectible lanyard.

The value is highest for three types of visitor. Sports fans gain access to team areas and behind-the-scenes spaces. Families get a reasonably priced outing with plenty to look at and a manageable pace. General sightseers get a high city view and a fresh way to understand one of Perth’s major modern buildings.

The price is less compelling if you only want a seat-bowl photograph or a quick look at the field. You can see the stadium from outside without paying. The fee makes sense because of the restricted areas and the guide’s explanations, not simply because the venue is attractive.

Flexible booking also helps. You can reserve now and pay later, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund. That is useful if your Perth plans depend on weather or other bookings.

Should you book the Optus Stadium tour?

I would book this tour if you want more than a match-day view of Optus Stadium. The change rooms, coaches’ spaces, warm-up areas, and high city outlook give you access that a normal ticket cannot provide.

It is also a good choice if your group includes mixed interests. You do not have to understand Australian rules football, and the design, views, memorabilia, and working areas give non-fans plenty to enjoy. At $24, it is easy to justify as a family outing or a quieter Perth activity.

Think twice if your visit falls close to a major event, if you need guaranteed long access to one particular team area, or if loud clean-up work would be a problem. For most people, though, the price, accessible route, strong guides, and behind-the-scenes access make this one of Perth’s better-value indoor attractions.

FAQ

How long does the Optus Stadium tour last?

The tour lasts 90 minutes. Some past visits have taken longer when the guide allowed extra time for questions and photos, but you should plan around the stated 90-minute duration.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $24 per person.

Where does the Optus Stadium tour meet?

Meet at The OZONE, below City View Cafe and past Gate D. Look for the teardrop flags outside, and arrive at least 10 minutes before your start time.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Wheelchair and pram access is available throughout the tour, and seating is available during parts of the walk.

What areas can I see during the tour?

The tour includes access to change rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, warm-up areas, and the Sky View Lounge. You also see sports memorabilia and views of the field, Swan River, and Perth city.

Does the tour operate on event days and public holidays?

No. Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays. Parking is also available only on non-major-event days.