Stonehenge Special Access Visits
Walk Among The Stones At Stonehenge Without The Crowds
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| Image Depicting How Close You Get To Stones During Public Opening Hours At Stonehenge |
When you visit Stonehenge during public hours you have to keep behind a small rope fence about two foot off the ground, (see image right). For most people this is perfectly adequate.
For those who are really, really interested in Stonehenge it is possible to go beyond the rope fence and walk among the stones.
These visits are called Special Access visits and take place outside public opening hours. This is the only time you will be able to walk amongst the stones at Stonehenge.
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| What is Special Access |
| Special Access Tours |
| With Bath & Lacock |
| With Avebury / Salisbury |
| From Salisbury |
| Independently / Private |
| Alternative To |
| Stonehenge & Avebury (Stonehenge in Depth) |
| Day Tours To Stonehenge |
Stonehenge Special Access Visits - Key Facts
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| Day Tours Including .... |
| Tour Overview |
| Stonehenge |
| Bath |
| Stratford Upon Avon |
| Cotswolds |
| Oxford |
| Windsor |
| Canterbury & Leeds Castle |
| Paris |
| Multi Day Tours |
| Cotswolds & Bath |
| Edinburgh / Highlands |
| Paris |
| Most Popular Tours |
| Bath & Stonehenge |
| Windsor, Bath, Stonehenge |
| Stonehenge Afternoon |
| Lunch in Cotswolds |
| Independent Trips |
| Stonehenge |
| Bath |
| Windsor |
| Salisbury |
| Avebury |
| Lacock |
| Glastonbury |
| Oxford |
| The Cotswolds |
| Stratford & Warwick |
| Canterbury & Leeds Castle |
| Paris |
| Tour Operators |
| Premium Tours |
| Evan Evans Tours |
| International Friends |
| Anderson Tours |
| Car Private Tours |
| Mini Bus Private Tours |
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- Special Access visits are available most but not all months of the year, (no visits in October and November and are not available on around the midsummer's day).
- Demand for tickets far exceeds supply, dates are often sold out months in advance. Do not expect to get tickets without ordering well in advance.
- Special access visits take place at quite unsociable hours, commonly between 05:30 and 08:00 in the morning and after 18:30 in the evening.
- Factor in that its almost 2 hours traveling time between London hotels and Stonehenge and you can see such a visit entails a very early start or late finish for those based In London.
- There are no audio guides available and the gift shop and catering outlet are also closed. Only the toilets are open. There is nobody there to tell you anything about Stonehenge and no information is provided - though you can preorder a glossy guide book on ordering your tickets. On morning visits you can wait a little until Stonehenge opens for the public when the gift shop, refreshment kiosk are open and audio guides become available.
- The only people there apart from a maximum of 26 Special Access ticket holders are a few security guards who will not provide any information about Stonehenge. They are just there to make sure you get up to no mischief.
Scheduled Special Access Tours From London
A couple of tour companies in London offer tours that include Special Access. This overcomes the logistical problems of getting to Stonehenge early morning or evening when there is no public transport to Stonehenge.
However, its still a very early start or a late return to London and these companies cannot get enough tickets for their needs. As a result dates are very sporadic. Most days there will not be a tour running and they will normally sell out well in advance on those days the tour runs - don't leave it until you arrive in London or you will be disappointed.
Stonehenge Special Access Tours From London - More Details
Scheduled Special Access Tours From Salisbury
Regular Special Access tours are also run from Salisbury. From London it is possible to use public transport to and from Salisbury by train the same day for these evening special access tours.
Stonehenge Special Access Tours From Salisbury - More Details
| Scheduled Stonehenge Special Access Tours From London & Salisbury | |||||
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| Morning Dates | Evening Dates | Morning Dates | Evening Dates | Evening Dates Only | |
| May | 21 | 26,31 | |||
| June | 4,7,11,14 | 3,6,10,13 | 1,15 | 4 | 2,7,9,10,14 |
| July | 5,16,19,23,26 | 4,8,22,25,29 | 20 | 2,23 | 1,3,5,7,19,21,26 |
| August | 2,9,13,16,23,27,30 | 5,8,12,19,22,26 | 10,24 | 13,27 | 1,2,4,9,10,15,16,18 |
| September | 3,6,13,17,27 | 2,9,16 | 7 | 10 | |
Premium Tours - More Details |
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Special Access Independently
You can apply to English Heritage directly for tickets - indeed most tickets are sold in this way. The procedure is you download a form from the English Heritage web site and make an application for an allocation of tickets, citing desired dates and times.
If you are successful in being offered an allocation of tickets, you can then purchase the tickets.
Stonehenge Special Access Application Forms & Current Availability
Special Access For Groups
If there are eight or more of you there is a group rate you can take advantage off. If its an educational visit this seems to get some favour in getting an offer of tickets - though you'll still need to apply months in advance. Use the link above to make the reservation.
If there is a group of you it makes sense to charter your own bus with a driver guide, (see below)
Chartering Your Own Vehicle With Driver/Guide
We can offer a suitable vehicle with experienced driver /guide. This can be from anything from a car to a small bus depending on your group size.
We cannot get the tickets for you though, you will have to apply like everyone else through the link above. We will provide a quote for a suitable vehicle and guide for your party using the form at the foot of this page.
Guides will tailor their commentary to the level of the group and are fully capable of taking educational parties who want to spend the whole day looking at Neolithic sites in the area, if that is what you require.
On such trips its a full 2 hours from London and back to London, so it makes sense to visit at least one other place. We would recommend where possible to take the evening Special Access slots and precede the Stonehenge highlight with a visit to Avebury, about 20 miles north of Stonehenge.
Stonehenge Special Access In Your Own Private Group
Stonehenge Special Access Tour Enquiry Form
Enter your ideas on what you want to visit on your custom day tour. We will by return provide you with a written quotation and draft itinerary.