Perth: Optus Stadium Guided Tour

Optus Stadium reveals its best secrets away from the seats. On this 90-minute guided walk, you can enter the player changing rooms, coaches’ room, locker areas, and warm-up spaces before heading high above the oval for views across the Swan River and Perth. The stadium feels less like a shell for big events and more like a carefully planned working machine.

I like the access to the inner sanctum, especially the change rooms, ice baths, and coaches’ areas. I also like the Sky View Lounge, where the city and river give the tour a strong visual finish. The main caution is that the route can feel rushed if the group moves slowly, and noise from post-event cleaning has sometimes made it harder to hear the guide.

Key points to know before you go

• Player areas are part of the route: See changing rooms, lockers, coaches’ rooms, warm-up spaces, and ice baths.
• The highest viewpoint is a highlight: Look over the playing surface, Swan River, and Perth from the Sky View Lounge.
• Guides make a real difference: Bruce, Rocco, Chris, Lyndsey, Bob, and Christine have all led engaging tours, with plenty of time for questions and photographs.
• It works for non-sports fans too: The design, construction, operations, and scale of the stadium give you plenty to think about beyond football and cricket.
• The tour is accessible: Wheelchair and pram access are available throughout the route, with seats available during the walk.
• Plan around the event calendar: Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays.

Why Optus Stadium is worth seeing from the inside

Optus Stadium is one of Perth’s newest major attractions, but a match ticket only shows you a small part of it. From the public seats, you see the oval, the scoreboard, and the crowd. On this tour, you see how the venue functions before players take the field and how the building handles the needs of several sports.

The stadium hosts major sporting events, and the tour uses that variety well. You may hear about Australian rules football, cricket, and the stadium’s other event spaces as you move through the building. That makes the experience useful even if you do not follow the local teams.

I especially like the way the tour joins practical details with big views. You are not simply looking at architecture. You are learning how the player areas, coaching rooms, media spaces, and public areas fit together. The result is a clearer sense of why a modern stadium needs so many separate zones.

A good guide adds much to the experience. Bruce is frequently praised for his humour, clear explanations, and ability to give people time to look around. Rocco has led detailed and lively tours, while Chris, Lyndsey, Bob, and Christine have also been singled out for their friendly approach and strong command of the stadium’s design and operation.

Guide quality can vary from one departure to another, as it can on any group tour, but the available feedback is unusually consistent about the guides being friendly, well informed, and willing to answer questions. If you enjoy asking how a building works, make use of that access.

Starting 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 departure. This is not the place to wander in at the last second, especially if you need time to find the correct entrance.

City View Cafe is a handy place to pause before or after the tour. It opens from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays, so you can pair the visit with a coffee or snack when the hours suit your schedule. The cafe also gives you a simple way to arrive early without waiting outdoors.

The tour lasts about 90 minutes. That is long enough to cover a good range of areas without turning into an all-day outing. You will be walking around the venue, but the pace is not meant to be punishing. One family noted that there were plenty of chances to sit, which helps older visitors and anyone who needs a break.

Wear comfortable shoes and bring an ID card. A copy of your ID is accepted. Your camera is worth bringing too, since the stadium provides several good photo points, particularly around the playing surface and upper viewing areas.

Seeing the oval, Swan River, and Perth from above

The stadium’s open views are one of the tour’s strongest features. From the high vantage point and Sky View Lounge, you can look down toward the playing surface and out toward the Swan River and Perth city.

This part gives you the best sense of the venue’s scale. From above, the seating bowl and oval make more sense than they do from ground level. You can also appreciate how the stadium sits within the wider Burswood area rather than viewing it as a separate building.

Weather can affect this section. On a rainy day, a thoughtful guide may change the order and take the group indoors first, as Bruce did for one departure. That is a small but useful sign that the tour is not simply following a rigid script.

Allow time for photographs, but listen for instructions about where you may stop. A large stadium has long corridors and working areas, so the guide needs to keep the group together. The best tours give you enough time to take pictures without letting every photo stop slow the whole route.

Inside the change rooms and player facilities

The change rooms are the emotional centre of the tour for many sports fans. This is the part of the building normally kept away from ordinary spectators, and it gives you a closer look at the spaces players use before and after a match.

You can expect access to changing and locker areas, coaches’ rooms, and warm-up spaces. Ice baths are also included in the areas seen on some tours. These details matter because they show the practical side of professional sport: preparation, recovery, tactics, and team management.

The tour also includes sports memorabilia connected with Western Australia’s sporting story. That helps place the modern stadium in a longer local setting. You are not only looking at a new building. You are also seeing how it serves clubs, players, coaches, media, and supporters.

If you follow the West Coast Eagles or Fremantle Dockers, the team areas will carry extra meaning. One important point is that time in particular team zones may not always be equal. A visitor hoping for extensive photographs in the Fremantle area was disappointed when more time was spent in the Eagles area. If one team matters greatly to you, ask your guide early about the route and available time.

That limitation is worth keeping in mind. The tour gives access to areas connected with several sports and teams, but it cannot promise that every room will receive the same amount of attention on every departure. Stadium operations, timing, and group pace can affect the balance.

Coaches, media, and the working side of the stadium

The behind-the-scenes value continues beyond the player rooms. The tour can include coaches’ facilities, media areas, and corporate boxes. These spaces explain how the stadium serves different groups during a major event.

The coaches’ room offers a look at the planning side of sport. Media areas show the infrastructure needed to report on a match. Corporate spaces demonstrate how the venue works for people who are not sitting in the main stands.

This is where the tour can surprise people who are not sports fans. One group of four included only one person who had a strong interest in sport, yet the whole party enjoyed the building and the explanations. That makes sense: the tour is partly about sport, but it is also about design, logistics, and public architecture.

You may not see every room in exactly the same order. The stadium is an active venue, and some spaces may be affected by event preparation, cleaning, or other work. Noise from equipment after a weekend event has occasionally made it difficult to hear clearly. If that happens, move close to the guide and ask for a repeat rather than missing the explanation.

A well-paced tour for families and mixed-age groups

This is a good choice for families because the route has a clear purpose and does not depend on a full understanding of Australian rules football. Children can recognise the player rooms, see the huge playing area, and take photographs, while adults can focus on the building and its operations.

A six-year-old enjoyed the tour when the guide involved her in the explanations. That detail is useful if you are deciding whether the experience will hold a young child’s attention. The guide’s style matters, but the variety of spaces helps prevent the walk from becoming a long lecture.

The pace is generally described as comfortable, with places to sit when needed. At the same time, you should allow for some walking and standing. If someone in your group uses a wheelchair or has limited mobility, the full route has wheelchair access, and prams can also be used throughout the tour.

The stadium is designed for access, and several people have appreciated that the route works well for wheelchair users. Still, the group must keep moving within the 90-minute schedule. If you have specific needs, mention them at check-in so the tour leader can help manage the pace.

Getting to Optus Stadium from Perth

Optus Stadium is in Burswood, about a 10 to 15-minute drive from Perth CBD. You can reach it by taxi, on foot, bicycle, ferry, bus, or train, depending on the day and your plans.

The Stadium Train Station is served on weekends by trains on the Armadale Line. Parking is available on non-major-event days in the Marlee Loop car park, reached via Victoria Park Drive, and in the Bus Station and Camfield car parks, reached via Roger Mackay Drive. ACROD parking is available in the Marlee Loop car park.

Walking and cycling are practical options for people staying nearby. Public access paths lead to the stadium, and more than 600 bike racks are located around Stadium Park. A dedicated taxi rank is next to Victoria Park Drive.

The Little Ferry Co. stops daily at Burswood Jetty. The hop-on, hop-off bus stops daily in Marlee Loop. Large groups have a dedicated bus drop-off area in P1 Marlee Loop, with bus parking on Roger Mackay Drive.

Do not assume parking will be available if a major event is taking place. Tours do not operate on event days, but checking the stadium calendar before setting out will save you a needless trip and help you choose the best transport.

Is the 24 dollar price good value?

At $24 per person, the tour is priced below many paid attractions in Perth, and the 90-minute length makes it a useful half-day addition rather than a major commitment. You are paying for a guide-led look at areas that are not part of a normal stadium visit, not simply admission to walk through the building.

The value is strongest if you care about sport, stadium design, or local venues. Sports fans get change rooms, coaches’ areas, memorabilia, and views of the playing surface. Architecture-minded visitors get a closer look at how a modern stadium is arranged. Families get a contained activity with plenty of visual interest.

The price is less convincing if you expect unlimited access or a private tour. This is a group experience, and the exact time spent in each area depends on the route, the guide, and what is happening at the stadium. You should also accept that some spaces may be viewed briefly rather than explored at length.

The included collectible lanyard is a small extra, not a reason to book by itself. The real value comes from the guide’s explanations and access to the working areas. Guides such as Bruce and Rocco have been praised for not rushing the group, while a few departures have felt hurried when time was lost or mobility needs affected the schedule.

Flexible booking also helps. You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. That is useful when your Perth plans depend on weather or the timing of other activities.

Who should book this Optus Stadium tour?

I would choose this tour for a sports fan who wants more than a match-day seat. It is also a smart pick for a family outing, a visiting relative, or anyone curious about how a large public venue works.

You do not need to understand Australian rules football. The stadium, views, player facilities, and local sporting displays give the guide several subjects to work with. The experience is also a good supplement to attending a match, since you may see the public areas during an event and the private areas on the tour.

I would think twice if you dislike group walking tours, want a private pace, or are visiting Perth on a public holiday. You should also avoid booking it as a fixed highlight on an event day, since tours do not operate then.

Final call: book it for access, not just the building

Book the Optus Stadium Guided Tour if you want to see the player rooms, coaches’ spaces, warm-up facilities, media areas, and high viewing points that a normal ticket does not provide. At $24, it offers a lot of access for a modest price.

The strongest reason to go is the combination of behind-the-scenes rooms and city views. The main weakness is that the exact balance of stops can change, and cleaning noise or a tight schedule may affect the experience. Arrive early, wear comfortable shoes, bring your camera, and tell the guide if your group needs extra time or assistance.

FAQ

How long is the Optus Stadium Guided Tour?

The tour lasts 90 minutes. You should check the available start times when booking.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $24 per person.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet at The OZONE, below City View Cafe and past Gate D. Teardrop flags mark the meeting point outside.

What areas can I see on the tour?

The route includes behind-the-scenes access to changing rooms, locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, warm-up areas, ice baths, media areas, corporate boxes, sports memorabilia displays, and the Sky View Lounge.

Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users and prams?

Yes. Wheelchair and pram access are available throughout the tour.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The tour is conducted in English by a live guide.

Does the tour operate on event days or public holidays?

No. Tours do not operate on event days or public holidays.