Stonehenge - What To Expect
A Candid Assessment Of A Typical Visit To Stonehenge
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Temperature + What To Wear At Stonehenge
Stonehenge is on the top of Salisbury Plain, a flat barren place. Be warned, especially if you're coming from London it will be noticeably colder at Stonehenge.
Because Stonehenge is totally exposed to the winds sweeping across Salisbury Plain the wind chill factor can make Stonehenge bitterly cold. There is very little shelter from the elements.
Stonehenge is all on the flat so there is no problem with access. For wheelchair users, some of the circuit around the back of Stonehenge part of the normal route taken is grass and you will also have to push the wheelchair up a slope from a subway.
Facilities At Stonehenge
For such a major tourist attraction, facilities are very basic.
Your vehicle will park in the official park which is really too small in the summer months.
You may have to go to the overflow car parks in an adjacent field and at real peak times each vehicle has to pay a parking fee on entering the park which is refunded when you pay for your tickets.
There are basic toilets at each end of the car park.
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The Stonehenge Refreshment Kiosk |
There are no ATM's or foreign exchange facilities.
At the entrance, apart from the turnstiles and ticket desk there is a small gift shop, a refreshment kiosk that sells drinks, ice cream, cakes and slices of pizza.
You cannot access the gift shop without having gone through the turnstiles, the gift shop gets really crowded.
There are a few picnic tables and it is possible to go for walks across the Stonehenge landscape, though very few people do.
And in terms of facilities, well that's it!
Is There A Best Time To Visit Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is busy throughout the year. If you can, avoid visiting between about 10:15 and 11:45 when many of the tour coaches from London arrive. There is another spike of coaches early/mid afternoon. For independent visitors, best time is first thing after opening and after 4 pm in the summer months when the coach parties are gone.
Stonehenge is very exposed, its not a fun place to go in inclement weather. Outside the summer months a stiff northerly wind will deter even the hardiest and enthusiastic.
How Long Will I Be At Stonehenge
The vast majority of visitors to Stonehenge spend around one hour, including time in the gift shop. If you follow religiously the audio guide that is provided with admission this takes about 40 minutes.
Coach tours often only allow 50 minutes from arrival to departure.
Audio Guide & Time To Visit
Audio guides are complementary (see picture right) and available in ten languages, (English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Dutch and Swedish). You will be offered one of these devices immediately after passing through the turnstiles.
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Stonehenge Audio Guide |
Nearly all coach tours visiting Stonehenge will use these devices just like independent visitors.
Tour managers and guides will simply walk you up to the admission gate and make sure you are happy with your audio device and leave you to your own devices. Some of the small group tours the guide will come into the moniment with you.
Very few people will stay longer than an hour at Stonehenge, the tour buses visit is normally 50 to 60 minutes between arriving and departing.
How Close To The Stones Will I Get?
During normal opening hours you cannot walk up to the stones themselves.
The nearest you will get to the stones is about 10 yards, the monument being roped off by a low barrier, (see picture below).
However it is possible to walk up to and among the stones at Stonehenge outside public opening hours. These are called Special Access visits. During these sessions of one hour duration, only 26 people are allowed onto Stonehenge going beyond the barriers and walking amongst the stones.
The fact that these Stonehenge Special Access visits are outside public opening hours mean that they are at dawn or evening. Given that London is 2 hours drive from London this obviously provides logistical issues in getting there.
The Special Access Visits are also immensely popular, demand far outstrips supply and they are often sold out months in advance.
We have dedicated pages for people independently wanting to partake in a Stonehenge Special Access Visit and also a page on scheduled Stonehenge Special Access Tours From London.
Image Depicting How Close You Can Get To Stones At Stonehenge During Public Opening Hours
| Stonehenge Admission & Opening From April 2013 | |||
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Admission |
Opening Times |
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Adult |
£8.00 |
29 Mar - 30 May |
09.30 - 18:00 |
Child (5-15) |
£4.80 |
1 Jun - 31 Aug |
09.00 - 19:00 |
Students/Seniors * |
£7.20 |
1 Sep - 15 Oct |
09.30 - 18:00 |
Family Ticket † |
£20.80 |
16 Oct - 28 Mar~ |
09.30 - 16:00 |
Members of the National Trust & English Heritage enter free * Students with official student card and seniors over 60 † 2 Adults and 3 Children ~ Closed 24th to 26th and 31st December |
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| Most Popular Tours From London 2013 With Adult Fares Stated & Links To Tour Detail Pages |
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Visiting Stonehenge and/or Bath and/or Windsor |
| Stonehenge & Bath (without admission to Roman Baths) - £45 |
Stonehenge & Bath (with admission to Roman Baths) - £55 |
| Windsor, Bath, Lacock & Stonehenge (Max 35 people) - £89 |
Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2013 June 20/21 |
Stonehenge Special Access Tours |
Visiting Cotswolds and/or Oxford and/or Stratford and/or Warwick |
Visiting Canterbury, Leeds Castle & Dover |
Small Group Tours (Maximum 16 people) |
2 & 3 Day Weekend Breaks Plus Day Trips To Paris |
Day Trip To Paris - from £149 |
| 3 Day Paris - from £229 |
| 3 Day Edinburgh & Scotland - £219 |
3 Day Amsterdam - from £229 |
