Football weekend in Liverpool

Two ways to do a football weekend

This itinerary works two ways: with a matchday ticket already secured (rare for away fans without a season card or membership, given demand), or without one, relying on the stadium tour and matchday atmosphere around the ground instead. Both versions are covered below — check our away fans guide first if you’re travelling specifically to attend a match.

Day 1: city centre and Beatles quarter

Morning to afternoon

Spend the first day on the standard city-centre sights so the second day is entirely free for football: Royal Albert Dock for the waterfront and Beatles Story, then Cavern Quarter for Mathew Street. This also means you’re not trying to combine matchday nerves with sightseeing.

Evening

If there’s a match the next day, expect the city centre to already be filling with away fans and home supporters by Saturday evening — pre-match pubs get busy from Friday night onward for early Saturday kick-offs. Book dinner ahead; see best pubs for options that aren’t purely football-focused if you want a quieter night before matchday.

Day 2: matchday (or stadium tour day)

If you have a match ticket

Arrive at Anfield at least 90 minutes before kick-off. The classic pre-match routine is a pub on Walton Breck Road or around the ground — see pre-match pubs guide for specific recommendations and which ones get too packed to be worth it. Getting to Anfield from the city centre takes 15-25 minutes by bus or taxi depending on matchday traffic; see getting to Anfield for the full breakdown including which roads close. The matchday experience package bundles hospitality extras around the game if you want more than just a ticket. Read the matchday guide in full before travelling — it covers ticket sourcing, which is the hardest part for away fans.

If you don’t have a match ticket

The Anfield stadium tour is the next-best option, covering the tunnel, dressing rooms and pitch-side access, plus the LFC Museum at the end. Tours run most days except home match days, so check the schedule against any fixture before booking — see the stadium tour guide for exact timings. If Everton is your team instead, the equivalent is a matchday visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock — see our Everton stadium guide and Anfield vs Hill Dickinson comparison if you’re deciding which to prioritise.

Afternoon/evening

After the match or tour, the merseyside-derby atmosphere aside, most fans head back into the city centre for food and drinks — see merseyside derby guide if your visit happens to coincide with that fixture, which spikes demand and prices significantly across the whole city.

Costs (per person, GBP)

Anfield stadium tour £35-40, LFC Museum-only ticket around £15-18 if bought separately, matchday tickets vary enormously by opponent and category (£50-90+ typically, higher for high-demand fixtures and largely unavailable to away fans without a club member’s help), pre-match pub food and drinks £20-30. A tour-only weekend runs roughly £120-160 excluding accommodation; a matchday weekend with tickets can run considerably higher depending on the fixture.

Practical notes

• Anfield tours close on home match days and often the day before — always check dates against the fixture list.
• Away fans: tickets are notoriously hard to get without a home-club connection; see the away fans guide for realistic routes (hospitality packages, club membership schemes).
• Hotel prices spike around home fixtures, especially high-profile ones — book well ahead if your weekend is fixed around a specific match.
• Getting to Anfield: no train station serves the ground directly; bus or taxi from the city centre is standard.

Frequently asked questions about a football weekend in Liverpool

Can I visit Anfield if there’s no match on?

Yes — the stadium tour runs most non-matchdays and is often a better experience for casual fans than fighting matchday crowds for a brief glimpse of the ground.

Is it easy to get match tickets as a tourist?

Not reliably — Liverpool FC’s demand far exceeds general sale availability; hospitality packages are the most realistic route for visitors without local connections.

How do I get to Anfield without a car?

Bus services run from the city centre (routes 26, 27 and others depending on matchday routing) or taxi, roughly 15-25 minutes; see getting to Anfield for specifics.

Should I book the stadium tour or wait to see if I get match tickets?

Book the tour regardless if tickets are uncertain — it can be cancelled or rescheduled more easily than losing a whole trip’s football content to no-availability.

What’s the difference between visiting Anfield and Hill Dickinson Stadium?

Anfield (Liverpool FC) sits in north Liverpool near Stanley Park; Hill Dickinson Stadium (Everton) is on the waterfront at Bramley-Moore Dock, opened for the 2025-26 season — see our comparison guide for transport and tour differences.