Stonehenge Special Access Visits Independently or Privately
Practical guide to how to walk among the stones at Stonehenge without going on a tour
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Special Access Stonehenge |
In an ideal world, everyone visiting Stonehenge would like to walk among the stones at Stonehenge.
Unfortunately the world is not perfect and if you visit Stonehenge during public opening hours the monument is roped off. The good news is that English Heritage, who run Stonehenge, allow you beyond these ropes at special sessions outside normal public opening hours. These sessions are called Special Access.
What You're Up Against Visiting Independently
Admission prices for these are very reasonable but at the end of the day, just a small minority make it to these sessions. So if you want to make such a visit independently these are the hurdles you will need to overcome.
The one hour Special Access slots are outside public opening hours. There are periods, noticeably the months of October and November where no slots are made available at all. The days around the midsummer solstice at the end of June are also blacked out.
Morning slots are at the latest 8 a.m. - which means if you're travelling from London you need to be leaving by 6 a.m. at the very latest.
In the summer months, early slots require departures a few hours before this.
Evening slots are much more civilised with slots mid-evening.
The nearest town to Stonehenge with good public transport is Salisbury, about 10 miles away. Salisbury is a bit of a rail hub with main lines and frequent trains going east to London, south to Southampton and west to Bath and Bristol.
There is no public transport at all to the Stonehenge site outside public opening hours. You either need your own car or have hired a driver or driver/guide for Special Access slots. The nearest town with a railway station is Salisbury, about 10 miles away.
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Outline Rail Map Connecting Salisbury |
Demand far outstrips supply of tickets, so you need to apply for an offer of tickets weeks if not months ahead of the desired date. The link below is your first step.
Stonehenge Special Access Application Forms & Current Availability
Stonehenge Special Access - What To Expect
When you are at Stonehenge for a Special Access slot, all the facilities are closed except the toilets.
The only staff at Stonehenge are security guards. There are no guides available, no audio tours and the gift shop is closed so you cannot buy any guide books. When you order your tickets you can also order a guide book, but it is a rather slim volume.
If you come independently you either need to arrange a guide, who also needs a ticket or you read everything you can find about Stonehenge before.
Stonehenge is very exposed, much colder than London. If there is a stiff north easterly wind it can be bitterly cold, so come prepared - especially outside the summer months.
The nearest place you can get a coffee at Special Access is about a mile away, so its worth bringing a thermos too. (Though note you are not allowed to bring food/drink onto the monument).
Stonehenge Special Access Tours - The No Hassle Alternative
If you're not normally a 'tour person' its still worth considering a tour sidestepping all the hoops you have to jump through for an independent visit. Blow are the main tours operating and dates from London and Salisbury.
| Stonehenge Special Access Tour Dates 2013 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Morning |
Premium Tours |
Evan Evans |
Andersons |
| June |
6 |
1,8 |
7 |
| July |
8,22,25 |
6,13,20,27 |
5,19 |
| August |
1,5,8,15,19,22,29 |
3,10,17,24,31 |
16,30 |
September |
2,5,16,19,29,30 |
- |
13,27 |
Premium Tours Special Access Tours - More Details |
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Evening |
Premium Tours |
Evan Evans |
Andersons |
| June |
- |
3,7,14 |
10 |
| July |
28 |
15,29 |
8,22 |
| August |
4,,14,25,28 |
12,23 |
5,19 |
September |
1,8,15 |
4,6 |
2 |
Premium Tours Special Access Tours - More Details |
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| Evening Stonehenge Special Access From Salisbury | |||
| May |
25,30 |
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| June |
1,2,6,13,15 |
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| July |
4,6,13,18,25,27 |
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| August |
1,8,10,15,17,22,24 |
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September |
5,7,14 |
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Getting To Salisbury From London
Salisbury is a bit of a rail hub with main lines and frequent trains going east to London, south to Southampton and west to Bath and Bristol.
Frequent trains run from London's Waterloo station taking approximately 80 minutes to do the journey.
There are normally two trains an hour operating up until very late evening.
During the week, the cheap tickets are not available until after the morning commuter rush.
On the Salisbury - Waterloo route there is also a chance you may be able to get deep discounted fares on Megatrain / Megabus.
This is a web site that sells cheap fares on a subset of the trains where it is unlikely they will sell many tickets otherwise. You have to purchase in advance.
Getting A Local Guide or Driver/Guide or Need A Tour Bus?
If you're still up for it but need some assistance we may be able to help you.
We have contacts from local guides in Salisbury to solutions for groups staying in London. The one thing we cannot do is to obtain tickets for you. If you are staying further afield then we can provide transport from small vans to large touring buses.
Use the enquiry form at the bottom of the page if you are serious about a Special Access visit but need some assistance. But before you do that, check with Stonehenge that there is still ticket availability for your dates, we do not apply for allocations of tickets for you.
