Perth: Optus Stadium Guided Tour

Optus Stadium is more than a place to watch football or cricket. This 90-minute guided walk takes you into the player change rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ areas, and other spaces normally closed to the public, then up to the Sky View Lounge for broad views across the Swan River and Perth. For $24, that is a lot of stadium for your money.

I like two things in particular: the tour gives you a real look at how the venue operates, and the guides add plenty of local sports knowledge without turning the visit into a dry building inspection. Guides including Bruce, Rocco, Chris, Bob, and Lyndsey have been praised for their humor, patience, and ability to keep children and non-sports fans interested.

The main consideration is timing. The tour does not run on event days or public holidays, and post-event cleaning can sometimes create enough noise to make the guide harder to hear. If you use a wheelchair or bring a pram, access is provided throughout, but one past visit showed that the pace may need closer attention in a mixed group.

Key points to know before you go

• Player areas are the main attraction: See change rooms, lockers, coaches’ rooms, warm-up spaces, and ice baths.
• The Sky View Lounge has the big outlook: Look over the playing surface, Swan River, and Perth city from a high point in the stadium.
• Guides make the difference: Bruce, Rocco, Lyndsey, Chris, Bob, and others have been praised for clear explanations, humor, and patience.
• It is not only for football fans: Visitors who knew little about Australian Rules football still found the stadium design and operation interesting.
• The price is modest for a 90-minute visit: At $24 per person, it compares well with many paid activities in Perth.
• Plan around the calendar: Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays, so check the date before booking.

Why Optus Stadium works as a tour

Optus Stadium is in Burswood, about a 10 to 15-minute drive from Perth CBD. It is a modern venue built for major sports and entertainment, but the best way to understand it is to leave the spectator seats behind.

From the stands, you see the finished show: players on the field, crowds in the seats, and the action below. On this tour, you get the working side of the venue. You see where players prepare, where coaches plan, and how the stadium’s many spaces fit together.

That difference matters. A standard stadium visit can feel like a walk around an impressive shell. Here, the access to change rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, media areas, corporate boxes, and warm-up spaces gives the building a practical purpose. You are not just looking at architecture. You are seeing how a large sporting venue functions before, during, and after a match.

I also like that the tour does not depend on your knowledge of Australian Rules football. The sports focus adds local flavor, but the guide also covers the stadium’s design and construction. That gives non-sports fans a reason to come along, especially if someone in your group is much more interested in buildings, operations, or Perth’s sporting culture than in the game itself.

Meeting at The OZONE below City View Cafe

Your meeting point is The OZONE, below City View Cafe and past Gate D. Look for the teardrop flags outside, and arrive at least 10 minutes before the start.

That early arrival is worth taking seriously. Optus Stadium is a large site, and you will have a smoother start if you know exactly where to go rather than trying to find the meeting point at the last moment. The OZONE provides a clear base for the tour, but you still need to allow time to reach the stadium and walk to Gate D.

City View Cafe is a useful part of the plan. It opens from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays, so you can have a coffee or a small treat before or after the tour when your timing fits. Do not count on it for a weekend visit unless you have checked current opening hours, since the supplied schedule only confirms weekday hours.

You can make your own way from Perth by taxi, train, ferry, bus, bicycle, or on foot. The stadium is close enough to the CBD for a taxi ride of roughly 10 to 15 minutes, while active visitors can use public paths and more than 600 bike racks around Stadium Park.

Getting to Burswood without a fuss

Public transport takes a little planning. Stadium Train Station is served by trains on the Armadale Line on weekends only, so do not assume the station will be the simplest choice for a weekday tour.

A dedicated taxi rank sits beside Victoria Park Drive. The Little Ferry Co. stops daily at Burswood Jetty, which gives you a pleasant alternative if you are already near the river. The Hop-On and Hop-Off bus stops daily in Marlee Loop.

Driving is possible on non-major-event days. Parking is available at the Marlee Loop car park via Victoria Park Drive, and at the Bus Station and Camfield car parks via Roger Mackay Drive. ACROD parking is available in Marlee Loop.

For a large group, a bus drop-off area is provided in P1 Marlee Loop, with bus parking on Roger Mackay Drive. If you are walking or cycling, the network of public paths and large number of bike racks make that a sensible option.

The stadium walk: from public venue to working building

Once you check in, an English-speaking guide leads the group around the stadium. The pace appears to be moderate rather than punishing, with time to stop, listen, look around, and take photos.

The exact route can vary with stadium operations, so you should not assume every visit will unfold in the same order. That is normal for a working venue. The stadium may be preparing for an event, cleaning after one, or using certain rooms for other purposes.

The strongest part of the walk is the change-room access. You can see player rooms and lockers, then move into coaches’ areas and other behind-the-scenes spaces. For sports fans, this is the point where the tour shifts from general sightseeing to something personal and specific.

Warm-up spaces and ice baths add another useful layer. They show the less glamorous side of professional sport, where preparation, recovery, and routine matter as much as the final performance on the field.

The tour can also include media areas and corporate boxes. These spaces help you see the stadium from different working and viewing positions. A media area has a very different role from a player room, while a private corporate box shows how the venue serves visitors who are paying for a more polished match-day setting.

One practical detail is that you may have opportunities to sit along the way. That is helpful for older visitors, families, and anyone who does not want 90 minutes of continuous walking. Still, wear comfortable shoes and be ready for a substantial walk around a large venue.

The playing surface and the Sky View Lounge

The high point of the tour is the view. From the stadium’s highest vantage point, you can look across the playing surface toward the Swan River and Perth city.

This is where you should keep your camera ready. The views give you a better sense of the stadium’s position than you get from a normal seat. You can also photograph the venue itself, with its clean modern lines and wide internal spaces.

The Sky View Lounge is not just a photo stop. It shows how the stadium uses height and position to create a premium viewing experience. You get a different perspective on the field and the surrounding city, and it breaks up the more functional parts of the tour.

Weather can affect this section. One guide sensibly took a group indoors first during rainy conditions, so the route may be adjusted to keep the visit comfortable. That flexibility is useful, but it also means the outdoor or high-level views may not feel identical on every date.

Sports memorabilia and Western Australian identity

Along the route, sports memorabilia helps place the stadium within Western Australia’s sporting story. You do not need to be a serious fan to appreciate this section, since the objects give context to the teams, athletes, and events connected with the state.

The stadium is closely tied to local football culture, and different parts of the tour may appeal to supporters of different clubs. A Dockers fan, Eagles supporter, or cricket follower will find familiar points of interest, while a newcomer can still follow the broader explanation.

If you have a strong preference for seeing a particular team’s facilities, ask your guide what access is possible on the day. The route can be affected by operations, and one past visitor was disappointed by limited time in the Dockers area compared with the Eagles area.

That is an important expectation to set. The tour is a stadium tour, not a guaranteed equal-length visit to every club facility. You will get a broad look at the venue, but access to individual rooms can depend on what is in use.

The guides are a major part of the value

The guide can make this experience either ordinary or memorable. The strongest feedback consistently focuses on guides who explain the stadium clearly, answer questions, use humor, and allow enough time for photos.

Bruce is often praised for his easy manner, sports knowledge, clear communication, and sense of humor. Rocco has been singled out for covering a great deal without rushing, while Lyndsey has been noted for taking extra time to help people in the group.

Chris and Bob have also led well-regarded tours, with clear explanations and an engaging approach. The individual guide will vary, so you cannot book a particular personality with certainty, but the tour is built around live guiding rather than a recorded commentary.

That is valuable in a stadium. You can ask how an area is used, clarify sports terms, or request help with a group photo. Guides have also done a good job involving children, including a six-year-old visitor who was encouraged to take part rather than simply trail behind the adults.

The best guide style here seems to be conversational. You get facts about the stadium, stories about sport, and enough humor to keep the walk moving. If you are not a sports fan, tell the guide that at the start. The tour can still focus on design, construction, and operations.

Is $24 good value for 90 minutes?

At $24 per person, I consider this a strong-value activity in Perth. You receive a 90-minute guided visit, access to areas unavailable during a normal match, a tour leader, and a collectible lanyard.

The value comes from access, not just duration. A visit to a stadium seat can show you the scale of the venue, but it cannot normally take you into the players’ rooms, coaches’ areas, warm-up spaces, and media facilities.

It is also a useful choice for mixed groups. A devoted football fan gets the change rooms and sports context. Someone who does not follow sport can focus on design, construction, city views, and how a major venue operates.

Families may find the price easier to justify than a more expensive full-day attraction, especially since the walk is described as well paced and includes places to sit. Children may enjoy the sense of going where ordinary spectators cannot, though the activity is still a guided venue walk rather than an interactive sports game.

The collectible lanyard is a small extra rather than a major reason to book. One visitor also wished there were more printed items available to buy, so do not expect a large museum-style shop experience attached to the tour.

Accessibility and practical comfort

The tour is wheelchair accessible, with wheelchair and pram access throughout. That makes the experience suitable for a wider range of groups than many older stadium tours.

The route can still take time when a wheelchair or pram is involved. A previous visit showed that the guide’s pacing matters, and one group felt rushed when time was not handled well. If access needs are important to you, arrive early and make them clear to the tour team before setting off.

You should bring an ID card, although a copy is accepted. Remember a camera or phone, since there are photo opportunities around the stadium and from the upper viewing areas.

Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays. This restriction is especially important in Perth, where a major football or cricket event can change the whole feel of the precinct and limit access to working areas.

The activity includes free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those options help if your Perth plans are still shifting, but the event-day restriction remains the key date issue.

Who will enjoy the Optus Stadium tour?

I would recommend this for sports fans, families, local residents, first-time Perth visitors, and anyone curious about modern stadium design. It is also a good shared activity when one person loves sport and another person does not.

Cricket fans should find extra interest during the cricket season, when the venue’s role looks different from an Australian Rules football match. One visitor who had already attended an Ashes Test still found the behind-the-scenes areas worthwhile a few days later.

You should be comfortable with a guided group format. The route is structured, and access depends on stadium operations. If your main goal is a long, quiet visit to one team’s specific locker room, this may not deliver exactly what you want.

I would also avoid booking it as a last-minute filler on a public holiday or event day. Check the calendar first, then allow time to reach The OZONE and find Gate D.

Should you book the Optus Stadium Guided Tour?

Yes, I would book it if you want to see the working side of Perth’s major stadium rather than only admire it from the seats. The combination of player areas, coaches’ rooms, memorabilia, high views, and a live guide gives the visit more substance than a simple photo stop.

Book it with realistic expectations. You may not spend equal time in every club facility, the route can change, and cleaning or venue work may occasionally make parts of the talk harder to hear.

For $24, the access is the key bargain. Add a coffee at City View Cafe, arrive early at The OZONE, and choose a non-event date. If you do that, this is one of the more useful short activities for understanding both Perth sport and the city’s striking modern venue.

FAQ

How long is the Optus Stadium Guided Tour?

The tour lasts 90 minutes. Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $24 per person.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet at The OZONE, located below City View Cafe and past Gate D. Look for the teardrop flags outside.

What areas can I see on the tour?

The tour includes access to behind-the-scenes areas such as change rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, warm-up spaces, media areas, and corporate boxes. You can also see sports memorabilia and the Sky View Lounge.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Wheelchair and pram access is provided throughout the tour.

How can I reach Optus Stadium?

You can reach the stadium by taxi, walking, bicycle, ferry, bus, or train on weekends. Stadium Train Station is served by the Armadale Line on weekends only.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.