London: London Stadium Tour

London Stadium is more than West Ham’s home ground. It is also the place where the 2012 Olympics played out, where major athletics events took place, and where rugby, baseball, concerts, and football have all shared the same huge venue. The most memorable part is the player tunnel to pitch-side walk, which gives you the same route used on match days.

I like the mix of football and Olympic history, especially since it gives non-football fans a reason to come along. I also like the practical access: you can sit in the dugout, see the changing rooms, look across the pitch from the seating, and try the indoor running track. The main drawback is that the visit is fairly short at 75 minutes, and the quality of the day depends partly on how well the group behaves and how lively your guide is.

Key points

• Follow the player route: Walk through the tunnel, toward the dugout and pitch side.
• Two sporting identities: Learn how one venue moved from Olympic athletics to West Ham football.
• Try the indoor track: Take a short run where Olympic-style athletics training takes place.
• Meet the stadium guides: Past tours have featured friendly hosts including Joe, Craig, Graham, Greig, and Scott.
• Good for mixed groups: Football fans get club access, while others get Olympic, concert, rugby, and stadium history.
• Useful timing: The guided visit lasts 75 minutes and includes a discount at the coffee shop before or after the tour.

London Stadium beyond match day

The clever thing about this tour is that it does not treat London Stadium as only a football ground. You get the West Ham story, but you also learn why the building matters to London as a major sports and events venue.

The stadium opened in 2011, in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. Since then, its calendar has reached well beyond football. Athletics medals were won here, rugby matches were played here, and large summer concerts brought music fans into the same seating bowl. Baseball has also formed part of the venue’s story.

That wider background matters. If you are a committed West Ham supporter, you get the club side of the building without missing its Olympic identity. If you are coming with someone who does not follow football, the athletics and events material gives the visit a second point of interest.

Your guide leads the group through this story with interactive exhibits and multimedia devices. The technology is useful because a modern stadium can otherwise feel like a very large set of corridors and seats. The devices help connect the spaces you see with the events that took place there.

Starting at the Stadium Store ticket office

You check in at the ticket office in the lower level of the Stadium Store. Give yourself enough time to find this precise meeting point, especially if you are unfamiliar with the building.

The store adds a natural beginning or ending to the visit. It carries West Ham merchandise, and one parent from Australia found that buying a jersey and training shirt added to the day for his son. Stock can vary, though. The same visitor could not find the training tracksuit trousers he wanted, so do not assume every item will be available.

The tour costs $29 per person. That is reasonable if you value access to areas normally closed during a match, rather than simply wanting to see the stadium from the public seating. For a football fan, the changing rooms, tunnel, dugout, and pitch-side stop make the price easier to justify. For a non-football visitor, the value depends more on your interest in the Olympics, stadium design, concerts, and major sporting events.

A coffee shop discount is included before or after the tour. It is a small benefit, but handy if you arrive early or want a drink once the walking is over.

The tunnel walk to the pitch

The player tunnel is the emotional center of the visit. You walk the route that players use on match days, moving from the inner stadium spaces toward the pitch.

This section works because it changes your sense of scale. From the seating bowl, a stadium can feel like an abstract shell. In the tunnel, the venue becomes a working place, with a clear path from preparation to performance.

At pitch side, you get close enough to understand the relationship between the players and the crowd. You can look back toward the seating and see how the view changes from ground level. You may also notice how different this perspective feels from sitting high in the stands during a match.

The tour does not promise a live match-day atmosphere, and there may be no players present. What you get instead is access to the route and spaces that shape the match experience. That is a quieter but more personal way to understand the stadium.

Sitting in the dugout and visiting the changing rooms

The dugout is another strong stop. You can sit where players and staff prepare during a match, then consider how different the same seats feel when the stadium is full and noisy.

For West Ham supporters, this is likely to be one of the most satisfying parts of the tour. It connects the famous names of the club with a physical place. You are not merely looking at a display about football. You are sitting in one of the working areas used during matches.

The changing rooms add a more private side to the visit. You can see where players prepare before going out and return after the game. Access to these rooms is one of the main reasons to choose a stadium tour rather than a standard visit to a football museum.

Keep your expectations sensible. The tour is not described as a full trophy exhibition, and one football fan was disappointed not to see the European Conference League trophy or even a replica. If trophies are your main reason for booking, this may not be the right experience. The focus is on the building, the route through it, and its many sporting uses.

Olympic memories and the indoor running track

The Olympic side of London Stadium gives the tour broader appeal. You hear about the 2012 Games and follow the story of a venue built for one of London’s biggest sporting occasions.

The indoor running track is a particularly nice touch. You get the chance to take a short run on the track and follow, in a small way, the path of elite athletes. It is not an athletics competition or a training session, but it gives you a physical connection to the sports that came before West Ham’s move into the ground.

This part is valuable for families and mixed groups. A child who has little interest in football may respond better to the idea of running on an athletics track. Adults interested in the Olympics get a clear reason to pay attention during the stadium history section.

The tour also covers rugby, baseball, and concerts. That variety helps explain the venue’s changing role. London Stadium was designed to serve large events, so the guide’s explanation of its different uses adds context to what you are seeing.

Multimedia exhibits and the guide’s role

The guide makes a real difference here. The route itself is worthwhile, but the building’s history is much easier to follow when someone explains how each area has been used.

Past visitors have singled out guides including Joe, Craig, Graham, Greig, and Scott for their humor, friendly manner, and clear explanations. Graham was praised for making the tour fun, while Joe was described as both informative and good-humored. Greig and Craig also received strong marks for explaining the stadium well.

That pattern tells you what to expect from the better-led tours: less formal lecture, more useful storytelling. A good guide can move between West Ham facts, Olympic moments, athletics, concerts, and practical details without losing the group.

The multimedia devices give the tour another layer. You can use them alongside the guide to expand the information presented around the stadium. This is useful if you want more than a quick photo stop, though people who prefer a completely quiet, self-guided visit may find the group format less flexible.

Views from the stands and pitch-side scale

The seating area lets you study the stadium as a spectator. From here, you understand the distance between the upper levels and the pitch, the size of the bowl, and the way the venue must change for different events.

The views are one of the simple pleasures of the tour. You can look down toward the pitch, then compare that with the much closer view from the dugout and pitch side. The contrast makes the stadium feel less like one enormous room and more like a collection of distinct working zones.

The tour can also be a good introduction if you have tickets for a future West Ham match. You will already know the route through some of the building and have a better sense of how the public seating relates to the field.

Do not expect every section of the stadium to be open at all times. The information provided confirms access to key areas such as the tunnel, changing rooms, dugout, stands, and pitch side, but stadium operations can affect what is available on a particular day.

A friendly pace, with one family-related caution

The 75-minute length is well judged. It is long enough to cover the major stops without turning into a half-day commitment, and several people found the pace relaxed rather than rushed.

That makes the tour easy to fit into a London schedule. You can pair it with other plans in the same day without giving up a large block of time. Still, the walking route has several stops, so wear comfortable shoes and be ready to move through different parts of the stadium.

One recent visit was spoiled by unruly children whose parents did not intervene. That is not a problem with the stadium itself, but it is a fair reminder that this is a shared guided experience. The tour suits families, yet the quality of the group can affect how much you hear. An adults-only option would appeal to some people, but no such option is listed here.

If you are traveling with children, set expectations before you arrive. The tunnel, dugout, track, and pitch-side areas are exciting, but the guide’s explanations are an important part of the tour. Children who can listen between the activity stops will get much more from it.

Accessibility, identification, and booking flexibility

The tour is wheelchair accessible, which makes the 75-minute guided route available to a wider range of visitors. The experience is conducted in English, so you should be comfortable following an English-speaking guide.

Bring a passport or ID card. Children also need identification, and the same applies to child, student, concession, and carer tickets. This is easy to overlook, so check that you have the required documents before leaving for the stadium.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option is useful if your London schedule is still moving around, since you can hold a place without paying immediately.

Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want. The exact time matters if you are planning the tour around a football match, another stadium event, or a meal.

Who will get the most from the $29 price

I would recommend this most strongly to West Ham supporters, Olympic fans, sports-minded families, and anyone who enjoys seeing the working areas behind a major venue.

It is also a good choice for a mixed group. A serious football fan can focus on the changing rooms, tunnel, dugout, and club story. Someone less interested in football can follow the Olympic athletics, rugby, baseball, concert, and stadium-design material.

The value is weaker if you only want a quick photograph of the pitch. You spend 75 minutes moving through the stadium and listening to a guide, so the price makes sense when you want context and behind-the-scenes access.

Long-time West Ham fans should not assume they already know everything. One supporter who had followed the club for years still learned new facts during the tour. That is a useful sign that the experience is not only for first-time visitors.

Should you book the London Stadium Tour?

Book it if you want to walk through the player tunnel, sit in the dugout, see the changing rooms, and connect West Ham’s home ground with its Olympic past. The strong guides, especially hosts such as Joe, Craig, Graham, Greig, and Scott, can make the difference between a basic walk around a stadium and an entertaining history lesson.

I would be more cautious if your main goal is a trophy display. The tour does not promise a dedicated trophy collection, and one football fan specifically missed seeing the European Conference League trophy.

For $29 and 75 minutes, this is a good-value behind-the-scenes visit, particularly for West Ham fans and sports fans who want more than a match-day seat. Go for the access and the stories, not for a museum-style collection of silverware.

FAQ

How long does the London Stadium Tour last?

The guided tour lasts 75 minutes.

How much does the London Stadium Tour cost?

The listed price is $29 per person.

Where do I check in for the tour?

Check in at the ticket office in the lower level of the Stadium Store.

Is the tour conducted in English?

Yes. The tour includes a live English-speaking guide.

What areas of London Stadium can I visit?

The route includes the player tunnel, pitch side, dugout, changing rooms, and stadium seating. It also includes information about the stadium’s sporting and concert history.

Can I run on the track during the tour?

The tour includes a chance to take a run on the indoor running track.

Is London Stadium Tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is wheelchair accessible.

Do children need identification?

Yes. Bring a passport or ID card for children. Identification is also required for child, student, concession, and carer tickets.