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Emirates Stadium Tour (London) – Arsenal London’s Home Pitch

Florian Buechting Entertain & Relax No Comments

Emirates Stadium Tour (London)

37 GBP (incl. museum)
Emirates Stadium Tour (London)
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Self-guided concept with good audio guide
  • Good selection of spots in the stadium

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Rather high price

One of the most legendary soccer events in my (always a bit broken) 1. FC Köln (Cologne) sports heart was the team’s 2017 Europa League away match at Arsenal London. Even though my home town club warned the London authorities multiple times, these just could not believe that some 20,000 spectators from Germany will storm the British capital for an away match. Thus, during one of my last visits to London, it was definitely time to visit the place, where this magical event was taking place. I took the Arsenal London or Emirates Stadium Tour. Without telling too much: the absolute fail of the London organizers on that 14th September 2017 was not mentioned during my experience.

 

 

Emirates Stadium (Tour) – Location & Admission

Emirates Stadium is located rather in North of Central London. It is quite nicely located and connected by public transport. The most straight-forward way to get there is Arsenal station by the Piccadilly Line. Other options are Holloway Road (Piccadilly Line) or the rail station Drayton Park. Like many London stadiums, the ground is rather embedded into a residential area, so that I would not absolutely recommend trying to get there by car.

I did the “classic” Stadium Tour. At my time of visit, the admission for that was significantly lower and did not, but nowadays, adult admission is 37 GBP. There are also other experiences like the Matchday Tour or the pricey VIP Legend Experience. The Stadium Tour also includes the visit to the Arsenal Museum. The tour is self-guided. You can visit from 9:30 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday, and 10:00 to 16:00 on Sundays. There may be restrictions due to matches and events. Last admission is one hour before the doors are closing. It is possible doing the tour in 60 minutes, but I would go for a little more time for your visit. At the time of my visit, you could exclude the museum – which does not seem to be possible any more. You can visit the museum without the stadium tour, though (10 GBP).

 

Emirates Stadium – The Tour

The tour begins at the Arsenal London fan store (where it also ends for obvious reasons). As said before, you explore the stadium on your own. However, you get an audio guide, which is also featuring a camera, so that you can point on some of the items and get additional information. The audio guide is available in several languages, including British sign language and Japanese. The directions of the tour are clearly signed. You just start the tour, when you pass the gates to the stadium tour. This is very convenient and means you can do the tour at your own pace. Nonetheless, there are some popular areas, which are a bit of packed.

After passing through the tunnel where the teams arrive, one of the first stops of my visit has been the Directors Lounge, one of the key hospitality areas of Emirates Stadium. You cannot visit the tables, but can take a walk out to the balcony and enjoy the view of the arena. The 2006-opened stadium has a capacity of some 60,000 spectators. Another lounge you are visiting soon thereafter is the Diamond Club

 

Ground Level

Being in the upper ranks first, you then head down to ground level. You already see a glimpse of the players’ tunnel to the lawn, but first have a look into the Arsenal locker room. This is, of course, a highlight of the tour. Several Arsenal legends’ jersey are hanging at the lockers of the London team. You can also have a look into the facilities of the locker room. Unfortunately, you just have a brief view of the visiting team’s retreat.

Then you walk through the players’ tunnel into the heart of Emirates stadium. You may also take a seat on one of the benches (which is likely the most popular spot on the whole tour). Obviously, you may not step on the lawn itself. Rather close to that, one of the next stops is the media center and press room. This is one of the last stops of your self-guided tour through the stadium.

 

Emirates Stadium Tour – Services

The staff was very helpful, the directions were nonetheless clear anyway. At the end of the tour, you can of course buy some Arsenal London souvenirs in the club’s large souvenir store.

 

Emirates Stadium Tour – My View

In general, I really loved the concept of the self-guided tour. You can do things at your pace. Of course, this also means that some spots in the stadium are hidden to visitors, e.g. the commentary booths and press area in the upper levels of the stadium. You also don’t have the chance to visit the “ordinary” stands. Nonetheless, visiting Emirates Stadium on the Arsenal London Tour is a really nice experience. The price is rather high, though.

 

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