Visiting the home ground of a football team in the city you are visiting seems to be a very popular choice when planning a city break. When we were researching things to do with the kids in Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium tour kept popping up and after googling tours available we decided it would be a nice day out and the chance to learn a little more about AFC Ajax.
Johan Cruijff Arena, Johan Cruijff Boulevard 1, 1101 AX Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium Tour is perfect for football fans. Home to AFC Ajax, the Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium Tour gives you access to locations around the stadium which are exclusive and are usually reserved for players and staff on game days. It's recommended for all ages and definitely ranks high on things to do with the kids in Amsterdam.
What To Expect When Visiting Johan Cruijff Arena For A VIP Tour
When choosing to visit the Johan Cruijff Arena you can select a tour that best suits your needs. There are 7 to choose from. After reading what each tour had to offer we chose the VIP Tour.
When we checked in for our tour we were given our VIP Lanyard and a Johan Cruijff Scarf. We waited in the foyer until our start time which was 12pm. There were 3 other groups on the tour with us. A family of 4 who were dutch, two men who were dutch and then a Dad and son who were English.
When our tour guide Peter arrived he introduced himself and asked where we were all from. He spoke fluently in Dutch and English and repeated everything in both languages so we didn't miss out.
We started the tour by visiting the foyer area of each floor by escalator. Peter talked us through some of the photographs on the walls as we went up. Asking us if we could name some of the players. John and little J named quite a few. He spoke a little about the history of the players and it was actually really informative and interesting. There was quite a few names I had heard of from the Premier League over the years.
Next we visited the Royal Lounge with amazing views of the pitch. Again Peter was really informative with lots of stories to tell. It was interesting to learn that although the area was called the 'Royal Lounge' the King and Queen do not visit the stadium to watch AFC Ajax play as they don't want the public to think they have a favourite team. The Royal Lounge is now used for players families.
Next we visited the Sky Box. These are personal boxes mainly owned by companies. They have a bar area and indoor lounge and again fantastic views of the pitch. These boxes are highly sought after and cost thousands of pounds so it was nice to see how the rich people live. We were given the choice of a drink that we could enjoy either outside or in. There was a choice of non and alcoholic drinks and was included in the tour.
Next it was time to head to the pitch. We could walk alongside the pitch with lots of opportunities to take photos and even stand in the goal.
We then visited both home and away dressing rooms. Our tour guide Peter had lots of information about the players as we looked at all the shirts hanging in the dressing room. It was really modern and spacious. I can only imagine how noisy and crowded it would feel on a match day though.
It was then back to the pitch for the last time. Here we got to sit in the home and away player seats and more photo opportunities next to the pitch.
We finished the tour off in the press room and trophy room before heading to the gift shop.
Opening Hours
Tours of Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium are subject to availability due to home games being played at the stadium. It is always best to check online for up to date availability.
Prices
Booking online is essential. Prices for a VIP Tour are €45 per person and include the VIP Pass, Johan Cruijff Scarf and a drink in the Sky Box.
There are a choice of tours available to suit needs and budget.
Kids Tour from €15
Classic Tour from €20
Classic Tour with Audio Guide from €23
Classic Tour with Virtual Reality Experience from €24
Classic Tour Full Experience from €31.50
Guided Tour from €27.50
VIP Tour from €45
How To Get There
From Central Station Amsterdam you take metro 50 or 54 to Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA. From Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena it is a 5 minute walk to main entrance E.
Tips For Your Visit
On arrival you can place your bags in a locker which will save you from carrying them around the tour.
The tour is a full 2 hours excluding the visit to the gift shop. You do have the opportunity to have a complimentary drink however I would recommend taking a bottle of water as it was quite warm indoors.
Make sure you call ahead if you are a wheelchair user. This is stated on the website however from our own personal experience there are parts of the tour that are only accessible by stairs.
Take as many photos as you can, they make excellent memories and our own photographs were actually nicer than the one they took of us.
Our Thoughts
As I am not a football fan I wasn't sure how I would feel spending 2 hours walking around a stadium of a football team I didn't know but I really enjoyed it. Peter was such a great tour guide. Splitting his time between the Dutch group and the English group, we never felt left out of the conversation. It was obvious he was passionate about AFC Ajax and had some great stories to tell about players past and present and how the stadium has developed and changed over the years.
The VIP Tour also gave us the chance to learn about each section we visited too which was really informative and I actually learnt lots.
The Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium is really grand and impressive and I really glad we went. John and little J really enjoyed it which I knew they would and the 2hours really did fly by.
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