England: London Olympic Stadium Tour

 

Last updated: 01/16/2019

London's Olympic Stadium was built for the 2012 Olympics and since August 12, 2016 it is possible to take a complete tour of the stands, lawn and changing rooms. In this post, we tell the experience of taking this tour with important tips for those who are thinking about including the attraction in the itinerary.

THE LONDON OLYMPIC STADIUM

London's Olympic Stadium, also known as London Stadium, was built in the western part of the city in the neighborhood of Stratford, 10 km from the city centre, to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, in addition to being the stage for the athletics competitions. Construction began in 2008 and was completed in 2011. The official opening of the stadium took place a few weeks before the start of the Olympics.

After the Olympic calendar, the stadium has already hosted the Rugby World Cup 2015 and will host the 2017 World Championships in Athletics (August 4th to 13th), which will mark the Usain Bolt's final farewell. Since 2016, the stadium has played host to the football club's games. West Ham United FC, which plays in the Premier League, the UK's top football league. In addition to sporting events, London's Olympic Stadium also hosts other events such as music concerts. It is estimated that the stadium capacity is just over 60,000 spectators for sporting events and almost 80,000 for concerts.

At J input from the stadium there is a sidewalk with the names of important names of athletes and even Bobby Moore, the great idol of English football, captain of the winning team of the 1966 World Cup.

ECONOMY IN LONDON: ACTIVITY CARDS

For those who want to do many things and visit many paid places in London, the suggestion is to purchase one of the cards that give you direct access to attractions and ride the tourist bus, saving a lot! O THE LONDON PASS is the most famous of them. The card can be purchased in versions of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 10 days. It entitles you to admission to over 60 of London's top attractions and 1 day tour on the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. In addition, the card offers more than 20 exclusive special offers at some of the city's shops and restaurants. See the full list of included attractions in this link. Price: from £69.

Read more: What to do in London – Complete itinerary of 5 days or more

 

HOW TO BUY TOUR TICKETS

There are two ways to buy tickets to tour the stadium. It is possible to buy by Internet or personally. If you buy online, you need to select a time, but we saw that they are not very strict with the time of entry, as the tour is self-guided. In either case, look for the stadium store (it is in front of entry F).

Next to the cashiers is a small ticket office where you can buy tickets or pick up your proof of purchase. The clerk will ask if you've already booked in advance online (it's worth booking as you'll save £2). You will receive a voucher and a colored card that must be delivered at the entrance of the tour.

Leaving the store, go to the entry B. I think it's cool to give all the instructions about the entrance because I missed that when I was there. Lucky for me, an employee was going to the starting point of the tour and accompanied me to the entrance, because I would have been a little lost, since there were no signs indicating where the tour starts.

Once there, you will need to go through security (a quick search if you have a bag or backpack). Then, grab an audio guide to start the tour. There are 5 languages available, but Portuguese is not one of them (Spanish is available if you prefer). As the tour is self-guided, you can see everything at your own pace. The complete tour lasts around 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

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WHAT THE OLYMPIC STADIUM TOUR IS LIKE

When I was visiting the stadium, everything was very quiet and I could see everything without rushing. It was a sunny winter day and few people were there. Right away, after getting the audio guide, I went up the escalators and arrived at a VIP area of the stadium with a very beautiful bar/restaurant.

The area gives access to exclusive chairs, which only the luckiest (or wealthy) can afford. The view from the lawn is incredible and I was imagining how cool it would have been to watch the Olympics from that place. The audio guide provides more information about the English football idol, the player Bobby Moore, who in addition to captaining the England team from 1966, was a player for the West Ham United FC team that now manages the stadium.

Leaving this area, I climbed the stairs again to reach the “Football Academy”, where the changing rooms are. There are displayed the shirts of all the players of the team West Ham United FC A shirt number 6 it was from Bobby Moore in the past and this number has been retired. No other player can use this number.

Then, the tour takes us to the warm-up area, which was used a lot by athletes during the Olympic Games. There are athletes' uniforms and it is possible to take photos with a montage background to be purchased later. I skipped that part because I don't usually like these photo montages. It is also possible to visit the various rooms where athletes give interviews to the press after the games/events.

The highlight of the tour is the visit to the lawn. Follow the tunnel that gives access to the field to get to know the technical area and comfortable benches. The view of the stadium is incredible from the lawn and I took the opportunity to take several photos!

The tour of the Olympic Stadium is nice, but I felt a little lack of more historical items on display. I think it would be worth including a museum with some sporting items, more photos from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, videos, etc. I believe that over time, the idea is to expand the tour and make it even more interesting.

GIFT AT THE END OF THE TOUR

At the end of the tour, you will return the audio guide equipment and receive 2 vouchers. One of them entitles you to withdraw a certificate with your name that proves your presence on the London Olympic Stadium tour. The other is a 15% discount for the consumption of food and drinks at the stadium's Café.

Leaving the tour site, head back to the stadium shop and go down the stairs to the basement. There is another part of the store and the Café. There is a totem you can write your name on to print the certificate. There are two types available: one with the image of the Olympic Stadium and one for fans of the West Ham team. The day I was there, this totem was stuck and I had to ask for help to print my certificate, but in the end, everything worked out!

HOW TO GET 

• Subway: Stratford Station served by Jubilee Line (grey) and Central Line (red)
• Overground: Hackney Wick Station
• DLR (light surface train): Stratford and Pudding Mill Lane stations

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

London Olympic Stadium (London Stadium)

• Address: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST, UK
• Schedules: confirm the dates available on the official website
  • from March to October:
    • Monday to Friday and Sunday from 10:00 to 16:45 (last entry at 15:30)
    • Saturday 9:30am to 5:45pm (last entry at 4:30pm)
  • from November to February:
    • Monday to Friday and Sunday from 10:00 to 16:15 (last entry at 15:00)
    • Saturday 9:30am to 4:45pm (last entry at 3:30pm)
  • Café and Shop: open 15 minutes before the first tour and close 30 minutes after the end of the last tour
• Entrance: £17 online (book at least 1 day in advance) / £19 at the box office | buy online here
• Audio guide: offered in English, German, Spanish, French and Italian

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Read more about sports tours in London:

• Football: Tour at Wembley Stadium in London
• london tennis museum and wimbledon court tour
• Football: Museum and Tour at Chelsea Stadium in London
• Football: Museum and Tour at Arsenal Stadium in London
• A practical guide to football teams and stadiums in London