Touring football stadiums is a thrilling thing to do, even if you have little to no interest in football as a sport. Even if you ignore the fact that many places host more than just football matches, being able to go behind-the-scenes in some of the most impressive sporting venues in the world is a privilege. Wembley Stadium is the top football ground in the country, hosting the likes of the FA Cup final as well as England matches.
Whether your club gets to play there regularly because it is one of the best in the business, it is little more than a dream for them or you don’t even have a club, touring Wembley Stadium is something of a must. Afterall how often do you get to look around a stadium that cost the best part of a billion pounds.
What a Tour Entails
If you would like to do a tour of Wembley Stadium then one of the first questions that you’re going to have is what, exactly, it will entail. Tours last for around an hour and a half, taking you to all sorts of parts of the ground that you would otherwise need to become a professional sports person or a mega pop star in order to be able to see.
As soon as you arrive at the stadium for your tour you will be handed a Multi Media Guide, which will allow you to start the initial part of the tour at your own pace. You can also have a look around the Crossbar Exhibition, which has objects on display that date back to 1924.
Went for a tour of Wembley Stadium and got to sit in the best seats (just with nothing on the pitch 😆)
— Kip Heath (@kipheath.bsky.social) 2024-11-23T18:59:01.759Z
The Walk of Legends takes you on a trip down memory lane, with artefacts and memorabilia from some of the biggest sporting and music events that the stadium has played host to. The fact that the Wembley Stadium that stands there now isn’t the same as the one where the 1966 World Cup was played isn’t a factor, with memories from both eras of the stadium on display for you to see.
You will then get a five minute warning when it is time to go and meet up with your guide, who will share extensive knowledge about both versions of Wembley, as well as answer any of the questions you might want to ask.
Our PE team and literacy team linked together to create a fantastic cross curriculum link for our gifted and talented writers in year 5/6. 25 pupils went on a stadium tour of Wembley, with the aim to inspire and teach them about a career in sports journalism. pic.twitter.com/YY3AObrn1B
— Wigmore Primary PE (@WigmorePe) November 20, 2024
In terms of where you get to go, it will depend on which version of the tour you have signed up to do. Most of them will allow you to head down the Players’ Tunnel and walk along the side of the pitch, sitting in the chair that the England manager will use for matches. You can also climb the 107 steps that trophy winners head up in order to get to the Royal Box, which is where the winning captain of cup finals will head in order to lift the trophy.
Inside the stadium itself you’ll be able to see inside the dressing rooms as well as go into the Press Conference Room. You can take a wealth of photos in all sorts of interesting spots around the place.
Variations on a Theme
There are different types of tour that you can take of Wembley, which is worth bearing in mind. There is, for example, a VIP Matchday Tour, which will include a ticket for the game, a gift pack and an opportunity to watch the teams warmup from the side of the field ahead of the match getting underway.
You might also get the chance to speak to players ahead of kick-off and even take a walk out and stand in the centre circle. The Mini Tour is one that allows you to soak up the atmosphere of the ground and see certain places but not get to see other ones.
Mini Tours are usually in place when there is a major event taking place at Wembley Stadium, which means that a trip to the Mixed Zone, a look in the Press Conference Room and access pitchside are not on offer. Similarly the dressing rooms are usually out of bounds when it is a Mini Tour that is on offer.
Of course, because of this you will find that Mini Tours are cheaper than normal ones and VIP Matchday Tours, which is why those of you that are budget-conscious might want to look at a Mini Tour as a possibility.
Getting to Wembley
If you’ve decided that you want to go on a tour of Wembley Stadium then you might want to know how to get there. The good news is that there are numerous ways to get to Wembley, which is perhaps not all that much of a surprise when you consider the fact that it hosts as many as 90,000 football fans for the biggest matches and even more people than that when major pop concerts are held at the ground.
If you want to get the tube then you’ll be heading to Wembley Park or Wembley Stadium, both of which are about ten minutes away, or Wembley Central, which is around 25 minutes from the stadium on foot.
@joannehathaway800 Recommend this tour it’s brilliant #englandfootball #wembley #wembleystadium #fyp #footballfan
If you’re driving then you can park in the Official Wembley Stadium Car Park, but you will need to reserve a car parking space beforehand. You can take the 83, 92 and 182 to get to Wembley Stadium on the bus, or take other buses to Wembley Central and Wembley Park Station, which are both relatively short walks away.
Wembley Stadium itself is disabled accessible, with lifts available instead of stairs where applicable and accessible toilets on offer for those that need to use them.