Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
4.5
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 10:30 PM
About
Experience all the Royal Opera House has to offer – stunning performances from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera, delicious food and drink, inspiring interactive events and a perfect place to relax in the heart of Covent Garden.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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Tours & experiences
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Covent Garden
Whether you're headed here to check out the multitude of shops, theaters, cafes, pubs, and restaurants, or simply to be among the multitude of people who pass through this pretty part of town, you'll love soaking up the festive and historic atmosphere in and around Covent Garden. Even if you don't have tickets to the opera or a show at one of the many famous theaters here, don't be surprised if find yourself captivated by some impromptu act of a street performer wowing the crowds in Covent Garden's Piazza. If you do have tickets, you'll be pleased to note that many of the local eateries accommodate theatergoers with prix fixe menus, early dinners, and later than usual opening hours. 


How to get there
  • Covent Garden • 2 min walk
  • Leicester Square • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travelers are saying
  • loveluxurybedding
    55 contributions
    This building is worth a visit - ballet or no ballet.
    What an amazing building and a wonderful evening watching the Nutcracker. Now feel in the mood for Christmas! It's worth a visit just to see the architecture, although best avoid weekends as Covent Garden is just crazy busy... especially in the run up to Christmas.
    Visited December 2022
    Written December 12, 2022
  • Vanitha
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates797 contributions
    Totally Worth it!
    Watched Nutcracker, it was an amazing production. Beautiful dancers and orchestra! Totally loved it. Though I went for an afternoon show (that was the only ticket available for the while week) it was fully packed hall! Will remember the performance for quite sometime.
    Visited December 2022
    Traveled solo
    Written December 22, 2022
  • Danny K
    Manchester, United Kingdom35 contributions
    My 1st ever opera, and now I'm addicted
    After experiencing my first opera performance (The Magic Flute-Mozart) I'm addicted, A thoroughly enthralling afternoon at Covent Garden. Highly recommend for all music-lovers. With elements of humour, drama and musical supremacy, ROH is a must-visit in london!
    Visited December 2022
    Written December 31, 2022
  • Michael E
    Thames Ditton, United Kingdom21 contributions
    Backstage tour
    Andi our tour guide was just outstanding. If clarity is power she was replete. Her concise and beautiful delivery took us on a journey through the history of this incredible venue. Come along If you want to learn more about the diva soprano who demanded to be carried in a sedan by 4 shirt less men from Victoria to Covent garden or her dress which wins all awards for queen of blinding bling. My particular favourite was the man known as the "Wizard of the North" who really turned the heat up at his Victorian rave. The technical aspects are all on a grand scale especially the hydraulic floor system for super fast 'get-In's' and 'get outs' A great experience.
    Visited January 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 8, 2023
  • rpuk6
    101 contributions
    Nutcracker Ballet
    Went to see the Nutcracker and Royal Ballet at this magnificent building. Finally ticked this off my bucket list and it didn’t disappoint. The main stage and views from the stalls was amazing, the building itself looked spectacular. The ballet was wonderfully danced and the orchestra superb, all of this despite a slight technical glitch with tree. There was nothing disappointing about our visit here.
    Visited January 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 19, 2023
  • Mary P
    5 contributions
    Brilliant tour of Royal Opera House
    Royal Opera House backstage tour. We had Amandine as our tour guide. What a treat! I’m a ballet lover but wouldn’t have thought of doing the tour but received it as a present. Lovely for the present giver to be with me and see how much I enjoyed it. She infused so much enthusiasm into her work and had all of us hanging on every word. She gave very clear directions and managed a large group very well. It was a highlight of our visit to London and will be long remembered. Highly recommended for anyone interested in how a modern theatre works.
    Visited January 2023
    Written January 19, 2023
  • Bob
    St. Neots, United Kingdom232 contributions
    Amazing !
    We have been to many shows and operas but it has taken me 71 years to get to the Royal Opera House for the first time on 28/1/23. I had always held a perception of it being a place for patrons of the upper class, wearing evening attire and swanky ball gowns, staffed by people who were stuck up and unwelcoming (the latter based on experience of English National Opera, up the road, which we gave up on years ago.) My perception was entirely wrong ! It is a place for everybody ! We were warmly welcomed by friendly door staff and visited the shop, where the staff were equally friendly and helpful, before taking our seats for The Magic Flute. The architecture and the atmosphere in the Royal Opera House is fantastic as was the cast. The setting and scene changes were brilliant, too, and the acoustics are excellent. If only we had ventured there years ago !
    Visited January 2023
    Written January 29, 2023
  • John F
    Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom507 contributions
    Good overview of this over extended property
    We went on a guided tour led by Freyja. The delivery was perfect, no hesitations, no "umms". Considering the amount of information imparted (at a good speed) this was a real achievement. Viewing the costumes in frames in reception and the framed models of the theatre wasn't that exciting. The highpoints were walking into the theatre (where a rehearsal was taking place) and watching a practice in a rehearsal studio through viewing glass. The exciting bits were quite short. We'd been spoilt by a tour of the Royal Albert Hall (where more time is spent in the theatre and backstage) and another at Stratford (where you get to walk around props and also walk onstage). It's a lovely old building with a rather ugly extension that provides an awful lot of bars and restaurants (all open to the public, but mainly empty).
    Visited February 2023
    Written February 8, 2023
  • kerryc101
    Faversham, United Kingdom33 contributions
    The Barber of Seville
    Saw the Barbour of Seville - sat in the grand tier which were very comfortable and had fantastic views. Orchestra, conductor, cast were superb - breathtaking experience and set design was so clever and added to the whole performance. Could quite easily watch and listen over and over again.
    Visited February 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 8, 2023
  • Clarissa C
    Dallas, Texas83 contributions
    Highly recommend their backstage tour.
    The backstage tour was FANTASTICE. Was able to see ballerinas practicing, see the sets and costumes and heard the full orchestra practice. Guides are great and it has an interesting history. Nice restaurant and terrace bar.
    Visited February 2023
    Written February 17, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
3,037 reviews
Excellent
2,302
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546
Average
106
Poor
46
Terrible
37

Bluebellplasnewydd
Cardiff, UK1,935 contributions
Feb 2020
This is a great addition to the ROH site. Beautifully decorated in classic style it is intimate allowing you to see the performers close-up. Seats for our performance of Acosta Danza Up Close were around £30. A bargain compared to standard ROH tickets. Naturally you also benefit from all the facilities of the ROH but with easier access. Certainly well worth a visit.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martyn S
Norfolk, UK63 contributions
Feb 2022
Oh dear. For well over a decade, we have enjoyed a meal in the Amphitheatre Restaurant before the ballet.
Earlier this month we paid £185 for an indifferent meal for two with limited alcohol. The service was adequate but everything else substandard. We decided not to eat there again.
Sadly, the ROH has simply not got its act together post-covid. On our previous visit the Amphitheatre cloakroom was not open while the restaurant was: we had to sit with the coats on the back of the chairs. On this occasion it was opened, after we asked at 1730 and the grudging staff member made it clear she was doing us a favour. Programmes at £8.00 no longer include a cast list, and you are invited to download a QR code.
Mercifully the performance was as exquisite as ever – marred only by a delay because of a scenery malfunction.
This is our most expensive evening out. Room for (considerable) improvement!!
Written February 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Binman62
United Kingdom620 contributions
Dec 2021
I took my daughter to her first Opera in December for a performance of Tosca.

Covid protocols were in place requiring masks to be worn at all times. We had amphitheater seats which are not the most comfortable but it was the cold that I really noticed. The large vents in the roof were open and between the masks and temperature it would have been a thoroughly miserable experience. It was saved by an excellent production of Puccini's masterpiece though I did think the staging was a little pedestrian.

£15 for a glass of champagne and no alternatives makes and expensive evening very expensive indeed.
Written January 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OperaMakesMyDay
2 contributions
Jan 2020
A wonderful event guided by a very experienced professional, Amandine, who despite being very young was confident, clear and entertaining.

I went on this Tour with my child, aged six, and we both thought it was wonderful (we both like opera). It gives you a good idea of the historical background, what happens behind the scenes in terms of stage setting, costumes, artists' training (we could see a ballet class in action).

I thoroughly recommend it if you like opera or ballet or both.

My kid too would like to add a few words: the tour was AMAZING and Amandine was very knowledgeable
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Connector724884
26 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Prior to my visit I was concerned about sitting in a fully booked theatre with the growing risks associated with Covid. I was reassured by the information provided by ROH that the wearing of masks/face coverings was required.

This was also announced before the performance (Giselle - stunning and breathtaking!!!) began.

BUT - where were the masks?

I was surrounded by maskless people, and it appeared that ROH were doing nothing to reinforce this requirement. There was also no obvious requirement to participate in ‘track and trace’.

Given such a large, international audience in such confined (albeit beautiful) proximity, despite wearing my own mask I spent much of the performance feeling rather vulnerable and that the risk of covid was not something being taken seriously either by ROH or by my fellow theatre goers.
Written November 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maggi713
Baltimore, MD12,069 contributions
Jan 2020
While walking around Covent Garden we found the Royal Opera House. The security guard who checked our bag as we entered was so welcoming and friendly. We were able to walk around the lower level where they had a gift shop and a café. The main entrance is on Bow Street. This is home to the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet. We were able to watch ballet performances on the monitors in the main lobby and to see some costumes on exhibit. We really wish we had time to take a tour, but we did not. We will certainly plan to do this on our next trip.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AussieA2
2 contributions
Nov 2019
We are both opera lovers from Australia. After an excellent dinner at Clos Maggiore on 12 November 2019 a visit to the ROH for the Magic Flute seemd a perfect way to round off our fourth night in London.Not so. And not so by a long way. Our two 70GBP tickets turned out to be a bench without a back. The theatre was unbearably hot. The orchestra sounded disinterested and the performers lacklustre. If these are the standards of what is said to be one of the world's great opera houses then the ROH should lift its game. We left at the interval without hesitation.If you want a really lovely opera experience come to our Sydney Opera House and have a magical night out on the Harbour in a theatre that delivers on all of the counts that the ROH most certainly does not. A major disappointment in an otherwise wonderful holiday in London.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Binman62
United Kingdom620 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Cosi Fan Tutti

I have been keen to see this opera for a long time and so bagged the best possible seat for this production.

The music is sublime and the cast were wonderful is each of their roles. Fabulous voices.

The staging however was minimalistic and confusing. The opening period is conducted in front of closed house curtains like a Morecambe and Wise show. Frequently the stage was empty with just a few props including at one point, a mannequin with glasses which were indeed wiggled up and down at a la Mr Morcambe!

When there was staging it varied from cast off pieces from the musical 9-5, to a tree of life complete with serpent, through to 1930’s broadway. It was a mess and provided no visual accompaniment to the music and voices, indeed it was, a distraction and by the end of act 1 I found it really annoying.

Cosi is a comic opera and the cast played on this well but the staging meant they too seemed to be a bit lost at times. The ROH stage is vast and a solo performer, performing from the rear in clothing that blended into to the minimal set, almost vanished. Deliberate metaphor? Perhaps! But it just left me bewildered.

I can’t help wonder if in an attempt to recover lost pandemic income that low budget staging is being resurrected to allow multiple productions to be produced and staged in a short period.
Written July 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brianthelion
Birmingham, UK2,427 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
With a £230 seat bagged for just £50 via a brilliant Time Out offer I got my first ever close up here rather than my usual spot in the cheap seats.
The difference was not a surprise, a better view, better clarity etc etc but being able to see the facial expressions up close was stunning.
Madam Butterfly a difficult opera in modern times but this is a well thought out version.
Star performances a plenty but when it was announced before curtain up that the lead lady was I'll but had decided to carry on one wondered what impact this would have. No one needed to have worried, what a star and a phenomenal reception at the end clearly provoked an emotional response. Brilliant.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nocode
London, UK8 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
This review is for Royal Opera House the tour. This is a tour that claims to take you backstage and yes you go into a few rooms. You spend the majority of the time in the wardrobe. You get the sense that if you stare at the clothes too long you're going to get told off. You CANNOT take any photos in these areas. I kind of understand that there would be a LOT of poor photos and videos taken, but for artists such as myself getting some photos would have been nice. You can't even sneakily do this as the volunteer like some sort of North Korean solider stands BEHIND you the whole time. I really wanted to love this tour, but you get to see NOTHING, some corridor's as you get to be shuffled through. You get next to no time and the only things you can photograph are the boring hallways before you go backstage. Granted we did get to see a rehearsal in the auditorium, but this was by sheer luck. The only plus point was our guide who was very friendly and knowledgeable and clearly loves her job. If this was free or perhaps £5 it would be worth it, but £20 is taking you for a ride.
Written November 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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