Stonehenge And Avebury Day Tour From London
Visits the historic Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow
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Avebury Henge |
Stonehenge And Avebury Tour Included Highlights:
- Entrance into Stonehenge with audio guide
- Walking tour of Avebury
- A visit to West Kennet Long Barrow; Neolithic burial tomb
- A visit to Silbury Hill
- Free time for lunch and to explore Avebury
- Luxury air conditioned motor coach and services of a professional guide
Days Of Operation & Duration:
Runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Tour pick up in London 9:00 a.m. returning to London around 7:00 p.m.
Tour Itinerary:
The first leg of the tour is to the medieval village of Avebury which is ringed by the largest stone circle in the world and the product of Neolithic man. It takes about two hours from London to reach Avebury. Whilst Stonehenge is an iconic world famous ancient monument, nearby Avebury just 20 miles north, despite being the largest henge in the world, is relatively unknown. As well as being shown around the henge and village you will have free time to explore this picturesque and historic area.
Just a mile from Avebury henge is West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill. Just like Avebury henge, West Kennet Longbarrow is totally free access. You can walk up the hillside to West Kennet Long Barrow, one of the largest Neolithic burial tombs in Britain and over 5000 years old. Your guide will take you into the burial chambers and bring its fascinating history alive.
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Stonehenge is under an hour from Avebury and we make a full visit to Stonehenge before returning to London.
A professional guide is aboard the coach the entire day and will provide commentary and guiding throughout.
Morning Pick-Up Points In Central London
The tour bus winds its way around most Central London hotel districts picking up from strategic points. The timetable is:
London Bridge (7.30am) , Kings Cross (7.55am), Baker Street (8.10am), Victoria (8.25am), Earls Court (9.00am) and Hammersmith (9.15)
Detailed directions are provided on your confirmation
Avebury
Avebury is part of the World Heritage Site that includes Stonehenge; in the area of Wiltshire dotted with many barrows, standing stones and processional routes. As a Neolithic and Bronze age landscape, it shows us glimpses into our ancient ancestors' past. Avebury is much, much larger than Stonehenge - in fact the stone circle which lies within is the largest in the world - and is also the only stone circle with a village built within it.
Many people value Avebury for being a little quieter, with easier access than Stonehenge. You can wander around the stones themselves, walk around the entire embankment, and get a much more intimate experience.
Many people find Avebury quite a spiritual, or relaxing place, and tie ribbons to one of the many large trees, with knotted roots, to leave something of themselves behind before they continue on their journey.
Avebury is made up of circles within circles. The outer circle is the largest in the world, then there is the north circle, and the south circle. Nearly 300 years' ago, theories were developed that the north circle was a 'moon' temple and the south circle was a 'sun' temple.
Walking Tour Of Avebury
Avebury is totally open access, the good news is you can wander among the stones to your hearts content - unlike at Stonehenge. The bad news is that it is all grass with sheep actively grazing. You should wear appropriate footwear particularly if the grass will be damp after rain.
Please note in the event of bad weather on the day of the tour, the visit to West Kennet Long Barrow may not take place- as it is quite a walk - and would be unpleasant in heavy rain conditions. Your tour manager will advise on the day.
West Kennet Avenue
Like Stonehenge, Avebury also has its avenues, the West Kennet Avenue - leading to another stone circle, 'The Sanctuary' on Overton Hill, and Beckhampton Avenue, leading to two standing stones 'The Longstones.' These avenues themselves are made up of pairs of sarsen stones; a tall thin stone opposing a shorter, stouter one. Theories have emerged that they represented the male and the female respectively.
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Inside West Kennet Long Barrow Avebury |
West Kennet Longbarrow
South of the West Kennet Avenue lies an ancient burial chamber, West Kennet Longbarrow, built over 5,500 years ago and one of the largest in the country. At least 46 people, men and women of all ages, have been found buried inside with their possessions, such as pottery, beads and weapons. You will be able to enter the chamber itself, seeing the ancient stones arranged just as they were thousands of years ago.
Silbury Hill
We see mysterious Silbury Hill, Europe's tallest prehistoric man-made structure. Theories abound as to what its original purpose was. It may have been a physical way of raising elite people, such as priests, above the level of everyone else, to demonstrate their authority. Like Stonehenge and Avebury, it is another astonishing Neolithic achievement, that suggests there must have been a large, stable population, capable of becoming a stong work-force, digging with antler picks in about 2500 BC.
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Stonehenge |
Stonehenge
This ancient neolithic site, over 5000 years' old offers a fascinating glimpse into our ancestors' past. The ring of stones still poses many archaeological and historical questions for academics and visitors alike. An audioguide (in ten different languages), is included in the price and will inspire you with information surrounding Stonehenge, examining many different theories as to how and why the henge was built. A phenomenal feat of engineering, each stone weighing many tonnes, it is fascinating to admire the spirit of cooperation needed to build something at such an early time in history, with such primitive tools.
You will get to see the long path, with raised banks and ditches, known as the 'avenue'; a processional route stretching about three miles or two kilometres, marking the the entrance to Stonehenge. From this point you can learn about how our ancestors understood the turning of the year, and the importance of aligning with the sun.
The visitor centre, a mile from the stones themselves, is well worth finding time to see. It displays nearly 250 archaeological treasures, which were used or buried at Stonehenge as well a regularly changing programme of special exhibitions. In addition, reconstructed neolithic houses outside the visitor centre, provide living history with regular demonstrations of ancient domestic skills such as flint knapping, and rope making.
A gift shop offers an extensive range of books, gifts and souvenirs, many made in the UK exclusively for Stonehenge.
A 110-seater counter service café serves hot and cold drinks, soup, sandwiches, cakes, salads and other sweet and savoury delicacies.
Prices & Tour Reservations
Prices displayed on the banner link are the current prices for this tour.
Major credit and debit cards are accepted. You will be emailed a confirmation with a booking reference after reservation. The booking reference and the name of the person ordering is all that you need to quote when joining the tour, there are no paper tickets.
On the tour detail page from the link below, there is a calendar control at the top right of the page, which depicts which dates still have availability. By selecting your required date you start the reservation process.
