The
world famous Stonehenge is situated around 90 miles west from Central
London and is well within a comfortable day trip, either by organised
tour or independent means.
The nearest town with good public transport and facilities is Salisbury,
a medieval cathedral city. Worth a visit in its own right.
About 24 miles north of Stonehenge is Avebury,
another World Heritage Site with even larger stone rings to Stonehenge
and unlike Stonehenge with free access to the stones themselves.
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Stonehenge
Official Web Site
(including opening times and entrance fees) |
Stonehenge
itself is pretty remote on Salisbury Plain, but independent visits
can be made using public transport from Salisbury all year round.
We have a detailed page on getting
to Stonehenge by public transport.
The easiest way to get to Stonehenge is by guided tour, there are
many from London on a daily basis. Visiting by guided tour is no more
expensive than travelling independently. Again, we have a detailed
page on Stonehenge
Guided Tours. |
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The
Stonehenge Experience
Stonehenge stands on its own in the middle of open countryside, you
see its unmissable form from quite a distance. You get a clue that
you are approaching Stonehenge when you start noticing small hillocks
in the fields, old Neolithic burial mounds.
The visitor area has been landscaped so that it is largely hidden
from the landscape. Perhaps surprisingly for such a world famous icon,
facilities are pretty basic. There is no museum or extensive briefing
area. There is just toilets, a kiosk selling coffees and snacks and
a gift shop, all in portakabin style buildings.
There is a grass area in front of the car/coach park and footpaths
that lead off to burial mounds in the distance.
The coach/car park is free most of the time. At peak periods a deposit
is sometimes collected in the car park, refundable when you pay for
your Stonehenge entrance.
Stonehenge itself is separated from the road just by a standard wire
mesh fence. A minority of people will skip the entrance fee and just
stick their camera through the mesh fence before moving on elsewhere.
Logistics of Stonehenge Access
Most people take around 45 minutes at Stonehenge including a trip
to the gift shop. After you have paid your entrance fee, you are offered
an audio tour (free) with hearing loop in a choice of nine languages.
If you have arrived on a guided tour your guide will have briefed
you with much of its content - but it is still very worthwhile to
use the audio device, after all it is 'free'. |
You
pass under the road through a tunnel and come up at Stonehenge itself.
The route circles Stonehenge at a distance of about 50 metres. The
path is a mixture of pavement and grass. One of the benefits of having
the monument roped off is that there are no other people in your photos.
Using the audio guide, the average visitor will take around 30 minutes
to hear the commentary and take the necessary photographs. |
Stonehenge
Heel Stone |
Note,
Stonehenge is on an open plain, it can get very windy and cold. There
is no cover, apart from the gift shop and toilets in the whole attraction.
Special Access to Stonehenge
You are not allowed up to the stones themselves during normal opening
hours, but it is possible to gain access to the stones with 'special
access entry' outside of normal visiting hours.
Special access visits are severely restricted, for much of the Autumn
no such visits are allowed at all. A typical morning 'slot' will be
08:00 to 09:00 before opening at 09:30. No more than 25 visitors are
allowed on the monument during one of these slots. Toilets are the
only facilities that are open, note no audio guides or literature
from the gift shop. In other words you really need a guide as well
prearranged independently. There is just a security guard who will
let you onto the monument and make sure you don't get up to any mischief. |
There
is an application form on the official web site (see top of page)
for obtaining special access tickets.
Premium Tours provide Stonehenge
special access tours from London (see bottom of the page).
Avebury, a similar Neolithic monument about
20 miles north of Stonehenge gives free access to its stones all of
the time, a good combination visit. |
| Stonehenge
Special Access Tours |
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Premium
Tours have arranged with English Heritage for you to experience a
unique visit to this ancient sacred site - beyond the fences &
after the crowds have gone home.
Walk amongst the stones and touch the stones and experience the magical
atmosphere within the inner circle. |
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Mystical
Stonehenge & Avebury Personalised
Tour From London
Guided tour with 5 hours in field - touch the stones, track
ley lines - unbeatable price |
If you really
want to understand Stonehenge and the Neolithic culture it is a symbol of,
this tour is for you. Peter Knight is a leading speaker and author specialising
in earth mysteries, earth energies. ley lines and astronomical alignments
and lives locally from Stonehenge.
Peter is an enthusiastic guide who will immerse you in the subject,
not bombard you with a monologue of facts. You will be encouraged
to touch and feel the stones, experience natural energy forces and
ley lines and really get into the mindset of our ancestors who over
3,000 years ago were creating this astounding environment. |
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| This
is an experience you will not forget, and astoundingly you can have a personalised
hands on tour with such an enthusiastic local authority for much less than
a standard packaged tour. Travel from London by train and be met at Salisbury
Station by Peter or if you are a group we will arrange a bus with pickup
from your hotel. |
Mystical
Sonehenge & Avebury Tour - More Details and Reservations
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