A travel guide to Wimbledon 2024: Where to stay, eat and drink and how to get tickets
The clink of Pimm’s glasses, the subtle waft of strawberries and cream, the satisfying sound of ball hitting grass court and, usually, the entire gamut of English weather patterns – nothing says British summer quite like Wimbledon.
The oldest tennis tournament in the world is a firm favourite in London’s social calendar. Anyone who’s anyone attends: last year, everyone from Benedict Cumberbatch to Shakira was spotted in the stands.
Taking place in July at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) in the leafy suburb of SW19, the Championships are around half an hour from central London by underground or rail. The nearest stations are Wimbledon (for the train, District Underground line and tram) and Southfields (for the District line).
The area around the former is busy and a little scruffy, but climb up the hill towards Wimbledon Village and you’ll find some of the capital’s prettiest streets, with the butterfly-scattered stretch of Wimbledon Common beyond. This is a place of multi-million pound mansions hidden behind wisteria-topped fences, and where horse riders amble along roads lined with pavement cafés. Posh mums meet for rosé before school pick-up and joggers criss-cross the Common. In early July, however, it’s a constant street party as tennis fans fill the area’s bars and restaurants.
The British come out in force for those two, tennis-packed weeks of the year (particularly after a jug or three of Pimm’s) and, in 2024, there’s much excitement about Emma Raducanu’s possible return as well as what may be Andy Murray’s final Wimbledon tournament. So, if you’re keen to make the most of a visit to the neighbourhood, let us show you how.
So, if you’re keen to make the most of a visit to the neighbourhood, let us show you how.
How long does Wimbledon last and how can I get tickets?
The tournament runs from July 1 to 14 in 2024, though public ballot ticket sales closed in October 2023 and hospitality tickets via Keith Prowse have sold out (register your interest for 2025 here).
Debenture tickets (from holders who have purchased five-year access to seats on No. 1 or Centre Court) can still be bought from third-party sellers though you’ll need deep pockets: Wimbledon Debenture Owners has a few available from £1,295pp for matches on Court No. 1 (based on the purchase of two tickets), rising to £7,295pp for the men’s final and women’s doubles final.
Alternatively, you can join that most British of institutions, The Queue, for on-the-day tickets to the Grounds or the Show Courts; prices start from £30 for a Grounds Pass that allows access to The Hill and its big screen, as well as courts No. 3, 12 and 18 and this is reduced after day nine of play). This year, the AELTC is asking people to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWIMBLEDON account in order to check in. It also advises arriving “very early” for the chance of getting one: some people camp out overnight to secure their places.
A strict dress code only applies to those in the Royal Box (as a barred Lewis Hamilton allegedly found out in 2015). However, dirty shoes, ripped jeans and vests are a no-no, as are clothes with political or advertising slogans.
Where’s the best place to watch the tournament if you don’t have tickets?
If you’re lucky enough to have bagged a ticket to the Grounds, you’ll be able to grab a coveted spot on The Hill to watch the action on the Large Screen. If not, the Rose and Crown pub by the Common transforms its garden into its very own ‘tennis club’ for the duration, complete with TV screens and live bands (book in advance).
Down the hill, the Piazza shows matches on a big screen for those who haven’t secured a place elsewhere – though the view of supermarket Morrisons may not be to everyone’s taste.
Far prettier is the setting for Strawberries and Screen at Duke of York Square near Sloane Square Underground station in Chelsea. On a deckchair-scattered green beside the Saatchi Gallery, there’s a pop-up bar serving Pimm’s, strawberries and cream and champagne.
Just as refined is nearby restaurant Stanley’s, where the semi-finals and finals will be shown on big screens and viewers are shaded by canopies of flowers and huge sun umbrellas. The drink of the tournament is a Courtyard Bramble (a sort of deconstructed take on a Pimm’s).
The best places to eat and drink in Wimbledon
For neighbourhood people-watching, Wimbledon Village’s branch of the Ivy chain is hard to beat. Grab a banquette seat in the garden for a Sunday brunch of buttermilk pancakes or avocado benedict and let the eavesdropping commence. Meanwhile, the Sipsmith Sipping Terrace at the aforementioned Dog & Fox is expected to be so popular during the tournament that you need to book tables for its big screen tennis.
The party continues at St Mark’s Place (a few minutes’ stroll from Wimbledon station and around half an hour from the AELTC). Here, Pimm’s has teamed up with local pub The Alexandra for music, burgers and drinks under swaying lanterns.
Far less raucous, the Hand in Hand pub is the place for cutesy dining beside the Common, its neat white picket fence offset by an explosion of pavement sun umbrellas. Go for the gigantic, homemade chicken, leek and mushroom pies. Canines are catered for, too, with free dog biscuits.
Keen for something special? Head to Takahashi, near South Wimbledon station on the Northern Line and a 20-minute bus ride from the AELTC (taxis during the tournament can be hard to find). Don’t be put off by its less salubrious location and anonymous, warship-grey facade: exquisite £150 omakase menus created by a Nobu Tokyo alumnus are served within. Competition for the restaurant’s eight seats is almost as fierce as for the Wimbledon title: check its Instagram for cancellations and then book via the website.
What else is there to do in Wimbledon?
Since 2022, the tournament no longer has down time on Middle Sunday (when both the lawn and the players traditionally got a rest), but there’s plenty to do if match tedium strikes. For those with Grounds tickets, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum is as good a place to start as any, giving tennis fans a chance to sit where Roger Federer once sat pre-match, or scan the pages of Arthur Ashe’s diary.
If you’re without tickets, make for Wimbledon Common instead. Mostly famous as the home of the fictional Wombles, it’s far less litter-ridden than they would have you presume. Cyclists can pedal on designated routes through the greenery and visitors can have a round at Wimbledon Common Golf Club. Meanwhile, on the lake at Wimbledon Park (adjacent to the Championships Grounds), you can book private paddle-boarding lessons for groups of up to five.
If you’re not that sporty, try a bespoke beer masterclass at the Hand in Hand instead. Once a month, landlord Andrew Ford will take drinkers through the brewing process and embark on a tasting, too. Elsewhere, in Wimbledon town centre, there’s dance and comedy at the New Wimbledon Theatre, with tickets from £11, and – ahem – ace souvenirs from Ely’s, including tournament towels and Wimbledon Brewery gin.
Enjoy a picnic in the overblown sprawl of Cannizaro Park, the remnants of a country estate at the edge of the Common. British Fine Foods can deliver an Afternoon Tea for Two including British classics such as venison and pork sausage rolls and scones with clotted cream and jam (£69 for two).
You might eventually want to flee the tennis-induced crowds and chaos completely. If so, it’s a ten-minute ride by K5 bus (or a quick hop by taxi) to Morden Hall Park, a former deer park alongside the meandering River Wandle, and the ideal backdrop for a peaceful stroll far away from all the racket(s).
Where’s the best place to stay for Wimbledon?
You’ll pay an inflated price to stay within walking distance of the tournament and many places will now be booked. Around half an hour’s amble from the ground, the local outpost of the Hotel du Vin chain is housed in the elegant, 19th-century mansion of Cannizaro House at the edge of Wimbledon Common. It’s a little rough around the edges and double rooms in high season usually cost around £145, but nights during the Championships are available for upwards of £988.
A slightly cheaper option in Wimbledon Village is the Dog & Fox, a lively pub that’s said to have been a favourite with Boris Becker. It’s a charming little find, with double rooms from around £818 for a two-night minimum stay during the tournament.
You’ll get better value away from the action. A 20-minute train ride from Wimbledon station in Hampton Court, home to Henry VIII’s palace, The Mitre comes with a riverside terrace, the option to hire a boat, and doubles from £265 during the Championships. The elegant, arty bedrooms and tickets to Hampton Court Palace next door are a trade-off for the busy commute to the Grounds.
Further into central London, in refined Chelsea (a 25-minute Tube ride from Wimbledon station), you’re close to London’s shops and museums if you want to mix serves with sightseeing. Beaverbrook Town House is set in two converted Georgian townhouses, and has 14 suites with leafy views over Cadogan Gardens – and access to a tennis court if you’re tempted to have a go yourself. Prices for double rooms can reach more than £1,200 per night but stays are currently available during the tournament from £735.
Find more of the best places to stay in Wimbledon in our guide to the area’s best hotels.
