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Bucket list experience:

Exterior view of the opera house during the daytime
Last updated: 06 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Sarah Barrell

Home of both the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet, this magnificent building combines an original 18th-century concert hall, a Victorian flower market, and an elegant modern glass wing.

Performances are equally spectacular, featuring lavish sets and spine-tingling appearances by some of the world’s leading singers and dancers.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price from: £45
Minimum age: 5
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: 1-3 hours

Getting there & doing it

The nearest Underground station is Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line).

The ROH’s programme runs throughout most of the year, with many operas and ballets booking up months ahead, so check the What’s On page of the website well before your trip.

Many levels and styles of seating mean that tickets range from as little as £4 (standing, in the slips) to £245pp for an orchestra or a box seat at that year’s headline opera. Ballets tend to have more affordable tickets. Download the ROH app to order drinks to your seat.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Henrietta Hotel London

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.3 miles]

A stylish boutique hotel with a standout bar, superb London Eye views and Covent Garden and the Royal Opera House right outside the door.

Official star rating:

Z Hotel Covent Garden

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.3 miles]

A sleek, streamlined budget option with an exclusive edge, accessed via a ‘secret’ courtyard just behind Covent Garden Piazza.

Official star rating:

The Savoy Hotel

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.3 miles]

This opulent Art Deco hotel, right in the buzzing West End, is discreet, elegant, and full of A-list stories.

Official star rating:

The Resident Covent Garden

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.4 miles]

Low prices without sacrificing style or comfort are the order of the day at The Resident’s smart Covent Garden address.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

London

Greater London, United Kingdom (UK)

World-class culture, fashion, music, food and history – and a mind-boggling array of bucket list experiences – packed into one extraordinary, incomparable destination. 

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

London Transport Museum

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.1 miles]

Fascinating museum offering an insight into the remarkable transport heritage of the city that pioneered the underground railway. Trains, iconic black cabs, scarlet double-decker buses and more.

Best for ages: 6+ | £20

Covent Garden

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.2 miles]

This iconic and atmospheric West End square has a historic Victorian market building, street performers, restaurants and boutiques.

Best for ages: Any | Free

National Gallery

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.6 miles]

One of the world’s greatest collections of Western European paintings, with more than 2,300 works on display from Da Vinci to Monet.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Exterior view of the grand building surrounding a large square
Experience

Somerset House

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.4 miles]

Famous for its picturesque alfresco ice rink in winter and the Edmund J Safra fountains in the summer, this elegant neoclassical building is also home to an art gallery and upscale restaurant.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Exterior view of front facade with people walking in front
Experience

SEA LIFE London Aquarium

London, United Kingdom (UK)[1.2 miles]

London’s impressive aquarium, set on the South Bank, home to hundreds of species of fish and a selection of sharks.

Best for ages: Any | £27

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Royal Academy of Arts

London, United Kingdom (UK)[1.3 miles]

An 18th-century mansion of masterpieces sitting pretty on Piccadilly, home to one of Britain’s oldest collections of fine art and regular blockbuster exhibitions.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free