It’s amazing to watch football games in a stadium. Being part of the moment whenever a red card is shown, the underdogs win, or a critical goal is scored is exhilarating. Unfortunately, only a few people get to be a part of those moments live and in-person due to capacity limitations.
But there are ways to relive the moments that change history. Even if it is vicariously through visiting the location. That’s why stadium tours exist. You get to see the place where it all happened and imagine what it must’ve been like to be the manager and players in that moment.
In this article, we list the top 5 football stadium tours in Europe. These tours provide you with the chance to feel every exciting moment as if it were happening!
What are the Top 5 Football Stadium Tours?
- Johan Cruyff ArenA – Ajax Amsterdam
- Camp Nou – FC Barcelona
- Allianz Arena – Bayern Munich
- Santiago Bernabéu – Real Madrid
- Estádio da Luz – S.L. Benfica
1. Johan Cruyff ArenA – Ajax
Capacity: 55 000
Opened: 1996
Renamed after a Dutch footballing legend, the Johan Cruyff ArenA can be seen as a religious mark every football fan needs to visit.
When booking a stadium tour of Ajax’s home ground, you will experience the club’s history, which highlights their most iconic players, the tunnel, the field, and the locker room. You also get to see the birthplace of Total Football and the chance to relive some moments of one of the most successful clubs of the 20th century.
The tour takes about 75 minutes and it’s available every day of the week between 9:30 and 16:30.
So, what are you waiting for? Book a stadium tour of the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Since you’re already there, why not complete the experience with an Ajax football game?
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2. Camp Nou – FC Barcelona
Capacity: 99 354
Opened: 1957
FC Barcelona is one of the most loved teams of all-time. Naturally, the team offers its dedicated fans an incredible stadium tour every football player should invest in taking. It may not look like it on television, but the Camp Nou is a colosseum-sized stadium. In fact, it is the largest stadium in Europe.
If you’re a Messi fan, you get to see where he tied his shoelaces before every game with a tour of the locker rooms. You can always do a museum tour and see all the trophies that FC Barcelona has accumulated over the years, a short history on the club’s most memorable moments and a list of notable former players.
The general tickets cost about €26 and the whole tour takes about an hour and a half. It’s available mostly every day from 10 to 19, but there are some changes, so we advise you to check the schedule available on the FC Barcelona website before you plan your visit.
Since you are already in the stadium and in Barcelona, why not take advantage of the moment to see the club in action?
3. Allianz Arena – Bayern Munich
Capacity: 75 000
Opened: 2005
Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich, is comparatively younger than the other stadiums previously referenced. But the German juggernauts already have tons of stories to tell in this theatre.
During the stadium tour, you will see the history of the club, its awards, and where all the drama behind the scenes happens. There’s also some innovative media technology to keep the kids immersed in the club’s history without losing focus.
On the tour’s itinerary are visits to the main, lower, and middle tier seating areas, the area where press conferences happen, the locker rooms, and the players’ tunnel. You will also make some stops to learn about the exteriors façade.
The tour takes about 60 minutes. If you opt in for a combi-deal, which includes the stadium tour too, it costs €19 p.p. If you are looking to do the tour, choose a non-matchday. Then, between 10:00 and 17:00, you can enjoy the tour and see what it has to offer at its full level.
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4. Santiago Bernabéu – Real Madrid
Capacity: 81 044
Opened: 1947
Real Madrid is a team known all around the world. It’s one of the few teams to get love and support from fans of all kinds of nationalities. This successful team has been the home of football titans for decades now. Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Zinedine Zidane, Gareth Bale, and David Beckham are only a few of Real Madrid’s ultimate stars.
The tour and museum of this stadium should be on everyone’s bucket list. While getting to know the depths of the stadium, you can retrace the steps of your favourite Real Madrid player while visiting the dressing rooms and see the fruits of their hard work with the gigantic trophy cabinet.
Besides the interior of the stadium, the crown jewel goes to the field and to the benches, where you can still feel the frantic emotions during those hard games the team played. As for the tour itself, it takes about 90 minutes and you can finish it off with a photo montage with the players. so you and your loved ones can feel what is like to wear that white t-shirt. It only costs €12 if you opt for the basic package.
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5. Estádio da Luz – Benfica
Capacity: 64 642
Opened: 2003
Apart from being the most successful Portuguese club, S.L. Benfica also has one of the best football stadium tours in Europe. The Estádio da Luz (or Stadium of Light) acted as a stage for some of the best players in Portuguese football history, such as Eusébio “Pantera Negra”, Rui Costa, and Simão Sabrosa, among others.
So important was Eusébio to football history that today his body rests among other Portuguese marks on the Panteão Nacional.
In a stadium tour of this grand venue, you will get to see every corner of the home of the Portuguese eagles. From the VIP area to the dressing room, you won’t have missed any detail of the team when this tour comes to an end.
Although it’s not one of the biggest stadiums on the list, Benfica supporters seem to multiply while watching the teams’ games. We recommend you see it for yourself by watching the No Name Boys love.
The full tour costs about €17.50 for non-supporters and €5 for the supporters. The tour can be taken between 10:00 and 18:00 every day.
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