Destinations & ItinerariesBy Clever Tourists · Published · Last updated
The final Ashes Test runs from Thursday 29 July to Monday 2 August 2027 at The Oval, according to the ECB, and the best base is Vauxhall: a 6 to 10 minute walk to the ground, with the tube and rail together and more hotels than Kennington. Kennington is closest but has few rooms; Waterloo and the South Bank are best if you want the sights as well. The Kia Oval ticket ballot closes on Sunday 15 November 2026. We were in London from 14 to 21 November 2023 and again from 2 to 3 December 2023, outside the cricket season, so the ground details below come from the Kia Oval and the ECB.
This is the Rothesay Men's Ashes, 5th Test, England v Australia, the last match of the series, at the Kia Oval in Kennington, south London. The ECB gives an 11:00 start on all five days, and the Kia Oval lists the dates as Thursday 29 July to Monday 2 August 2027. The series could be decided here, or already settled, and nobody can know which until July.
If you have not been to a Test: it is one match played over up to five days, and tickets are normally sold by the day. Play is split into three sessions with breaks for lunch and tea, and usually finishes in the early evening. Rain stops play, and a Test can finish early if one side wins, so Day 4 or Day 5 may be short or may not happen. Here Day 5 falls on a Monday, a working day, with commuters on the same trains in the morning.
The same ground has the World Test Championship Final in June, and Lord's has the second Ashes Test a month earlier. The areas below work for the June final too.
The Kia Oval ticket ballot closes on Sunday 15 November 2026. Results are announced on Monday 23 November 2026, and the ballot priority window opens on Tuesday 24 November 2026. The ballot is for general admission tickets left after the club's priority window for members. Kia Oval says the number you can buy is subject to availability and that you are not guaranteed your preference. Membership of Surrey County Cricket Club is, the club says, the only way to guarantee general admission tickets.
After the ballot, the ECB's ticket page says general sale opens in December 2026, without giving a day. If you are reading this after 15 November 2026, the ballot has closed, so watch the Kia Oval ticket page for the general sale date.
Prices: we found no official price list for this Test, and the ballot page gives none. Press reports gave top London Test prices of £190 (≈ $254) and £185 (≈ $248) without saying which ground each referred to. Check the Kia Oval ticket page for 2027 prices.
Resale: Vivid Seats showed listings at around US$860 when we checked in October 2026. The Kia Oval did not set that figure; it is a resale asking price.
Oval station on the Northern line is the obvious way in: Kia Oval says the main entrance is 100 metres away, about 2 minutes on foot. Kennington (also Northern line) is about 10 minutes away. Vauxhall (Victoria line and South Western Railway) is a walk of 6 to 10 minutes, depending on which of the club's pages you read.
Bus routes 36, 185 and 436 stop outside the ground, and routes 3, 59, 109, 133, 159 and 333 stop within 5 minutes' walk. There is no match-day parking at or near the ground, and roads around Kennington and Oval close on major match days. Blue Badge parking is limited and off site, so book it through the club. For step-free information, use the Kia Oval accessibility page.
From Heathrow: take the Elizabeth line or Piccadilly line into central London, then the Victoria line to Vauxhall or the Northern line to Oval. The Piccadilly line meets the Victoria line at Green Park. See our Heathrow to the city guide. From Gatwick: take a train to Victoria, then the Victoria line to Vauxhall.
This ranking is our judgement, based on time to the ground, then on what the area gives you after stumps. Walks from Oval, Kennington and Vauxhall stations come from the club. Anything marked roughly is our own estimate, so check it in the TfL Journey Planner against your actual hotel.
1. Kennington and Oval. 2 to 10 minutes on foot. Nothing beats it after a late finish. The catch: few hotels, so most of what you will find here goes early.
2. Vauxhall. 6 to 10 minutes on foot. Our pick for most visitors, with tube and rail in one place and hotels along the river. The catch: a busy road gyratory and less charm than the areas around it.
3. Waterloo and the South Bank. Roughly 5 minutes by Northern line plus a short walk. Take a train towards Morden, or change at Kennington, because some southbound trains from Waterloo go to Battersea Power Station. The sights and restaurants are on your doorstep. The catch: a popular area in peak summer, so rooms go early.
4. Victoria and Pimlico. Roughly 3 to 5 minutes on the Victoria line to Vauxhall, then the walk. Victoria is the Gatwick train's terminus, and Pimlico's side streets are quieter. The catch: many of Pimlico's hotels are in converted terraces, where rooms are often small.
5. London Bridge and Bank. Roughly 8 to 10 minutes on the Northern line. Borough Market and the riverside pubs make this the best evening base on the list. The catch: the City side around Bank goes quiet at weekends, and this Test covers one.
Our what to eat in London guide covers the food side of a longer stay, and where to stay in London compares the areas for a normal visit.
Tour de France Femmes, Sunday 1 August. BikeRadar reports a team time trial of about 18 km in central London on that day, finishing on The Mall, which is Day 4 of this Test. The full route was not published when we checked. Expect road closures and more visitors in the centre, so use the tube or rail to the ground that day and do not plan on a taxi from north of the river.
The Hundred may start around these dates, but its 2027 window is not yet published. It played from 21 July to 16 August in 2026. Our cricket 2027 calendar will show the dates once they exist.
We have no sourced hotel rates for this Test, so this is about timing. Ballot results on 23 November 2026 and the general sale in December are when ticket holders start booking. A free-cancellation room reserved before then costs you nothing if your ticket does not come through.
Late July and August are peak London tourist months, and this is the final Test of the series. Book the nights you hold tickets for, plus the night before. If you only hold a Day 4 or Day 5 ticket, a cancellable rate matters most, because the match may be over before your day comes. If you are flying home, leave Tuesday 3 August free and do not book a Monday evening flight.
Thursday 29 July to Monday 2 August 2027, with an 11:00 start, according to the ECB and Kia Oval. It is the fifth and final Test of the series.
Sunday 15 November 2026, with results on Monday 23 November 2026. The ECB says general sale opens in December 2026.
Oval on the Northern line, about 100 metres from the main entrance. Vauxhall, on the Victoria line and South Western Railway, is a 6 to 10 minute walk.
Vauxhall for most visitors, with tube and rail together and hotels along the river. Kennington is closest but has few hotels, and Waterloo suits a longer London trip.
Get our new London guides and practical tips by email: where to stay, what to eat, what things cost and the rules that catch travelers out.
Free. No spam, only new guides and tips.
Get the best deals on a place to stay in London on Booking.com.
