More about: Day Trips to Stonehenge from London
A trip to Stonehenge, some 130 kilometres west of London, is one of the most amazing experiences you should have on a trip to England. Little is known of its origins, only that it dates back to the late Neolithic period, but Europe's most famous prehistoric monument is shrouded in a magical aura that holds a fascination for those who have the chance to see it.
Although you can take the train or bus to visit Stonehenge on your own, considering how far it is from London and how difficult it is to get there by public transport, my advice is to take an organised tour to Stonehenge in a comfortable bus, which will make things easier for you. Here are the best options:
Stonehenge Day Trip from London
The best value organised tour to Stonehenge
Perfect if you want to make the most of your visit to one of England's most famous landmarks and make the most of your time in the most comfortable way possible. Includes audio guide and time to explore the site at your leisure.
I 100% recommend you make time during your trip to the British capital to take this full-day trip to Stonehenge and see the most famous megalith in the world in person. It's an amazing place that will impress you!
Ahead of you is a two hour drive to Salisbury Plain, a lonely, treeless, uninhabited moorland where this ancient monument, thousands of years old, sits.
The best thing about this Stonehenge tour is that it offers the convenience of an organised tour with the independence of an audio guide, so you can explore the famous megalith, the museum and the reconstruction of a Neolithic settlement at your own pace and at your own leisure.
Recommended if... you want to make the most of this mystery of mankind but don't want to spend too much time or money during your trip to London.
Oxford, Windsor and Stonehenge Day Trip from London
Visit Stonehenge with stops in Oxford and Windsor
Perfect for discovering Stonehenge in one day and also including two must-see destinations such as Oxford and Windsor, with expert guide and transport included.
If you are looking for a tour that combines the magic of Stonehenge with other must-see sights, this tour to Stonehenge, Oxford and Windsor is your best option. You'll enjoy a full day exploring one of mankind's most enigmatic monuments with an expert guide.
You'll learn about the mysteries of Stonehenge, theories about its construction and its historical significance, before continuing on to Windsor Castle, the official residence of the British monarchy, and strolling through the elegant university town of Oxford.
A perfect way to make the most of your day, with air-conditioned transport included and the option to add entrance fees for an even more complete experience.
Recommended if... you want to visit Stonehenge and take the opportunity to explore other historic destinations on an organised tour from London.
Stonehenge, Bath, Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon Day Trip from London
Explore Stonehenge and other unique places in England
Ideal for discovering Stonehenge and combining it with the beauty of Bath, the scenery of the Cotswolds and the history of Stratford-upon-Avon in a day trip.
This tour to Stonehenge, Bath, Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon is perfect for those who want to make the most of their day by visiting some of England's most iconic sites. Start your adventure at Stonehenge, exploring the towering monoliths and unravelling their mysteries with an expert guide.
The journey continues to Bath, where you'll have free time to wander its Georgian streets, relax in its cafes or explore its famous crescents. Afterwards, you'll cross the Cotswolds, with its picture-postcard scenery and charming traditional villages.
The tour ends in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, where you can stroll along the River Avon or discover the places where the famous playwright was born and lived.
Recommended if... you are looking for a complete tour from London that combines history, scenery and culture in a single day.
We compare the options
Visit Stonehenge the easy way
A tour designed for those who want to focus on Stonehenge and enjoy this unique site in total comfort and without detours.
Stonehenge, Oxford and Windsor in one day
Combine a visit to Stonehenge with two must-see destinations, Windsor Castle and the historic university town of Oxford, with transport included.
Stonehenge, Bath, Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon
A perfect way to discover Stonehenge and explore other iconic places in England such as Bath and Shakespeare's birthplace.
When to visit Stonehenge?
Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, this monument is worth a visit at any time of the year, but there are particularly special moments such as the summer and winter solstices (when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky and crosses the monument's axis with precision and slips between its rocks).
During the summer solstice, groups of Druids accompanied by a wide variety of people come to Stonehenge to perform rituals with a magical background celebrating the union between the sun and the Earth- a most curious event!
How long does it take to get to Stonehenge from London?
This prehistoric monument is located almost 2 hours from the British capital. The journey from central London to Stonehenge usually takes between 1 hour 45 minutes and 2 hours, depending on traffic and the type of transport you choose.
If you opt for an organised tour to Stonehenge, such as those departing from Victoria Station, the journey is convenient and direct, as the tour buses go non-stop to Stonehenge. Plus, you don't have to coordinate connections or worry about timetables.
If you prefer to go on your own, you can combine a train to Salisbury and then a bus or taxi to the site. The total journey is similar, but requires a little more planning.
Whichever option you choose, the distance is perfect for a day trip from London, allowing you to enjoy this magical place without the need for an overnight stay outside the city.
What to bring on a trip to Stonehenge?
This megalithic monument stands out in the open in the middle of a landscape that is not protected from wind or rain. Before you set off on your trip, I advise you to check the weather forecast for the area to try to choose a day with stable weather.
With this in mind, my advice is to take warm clothes with you as, except on the hottest days of summer, the cool (or even freezing!) breeze is almost always blowing. Don't forget to pack a mackintosh in your backpack in case there is a risk of rain on the day of your visit. It is essential to adapt your clothing to the weather on the day of the excursion.
On the other hand, as with any excursion, the best thing to do to see Stonehenge is to wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking quite a lot and for several hours.
Is Stonehenge a monument to visit with children?
Absolutely. The little ones can run around the meadow and marvel at the size of the rocks, while the older ones will have the chance to get closer to history on a fun hike.
In addition, many of the Stonehenge tours include explanations adapted for the whole family, which makes the visit an educational and entertaining experience. The route is simple, with no steep gradients, and the natural setting is perfect for children to enjoy the great outdoors while learning about one of mankind's most ancient mysteries.
But what is Stonehenge? what really is Stonehenge?
You've probably seen it before in books and documentaries on countless occasions, as it is Europe's most famous prehistoric monument and one of Britain's icons.
Surrounded by a moat, Stonehenge is a megalithic construction in the form of two concentric rings made up of large vertical stone blocks that form a unique sight recognisable from miles away.
Little is known about this site, and it remains an enigma for anthropologists and historians all over the world. Only that it was built between 3000 and 1500 BC (late Neolithic and early Bronze Age) and that it was part of a larger structure that included ceremonial avenues and stone circles.
Everything else is hypothesised, from who built it to its purpose. Some theories suggest that it may have been an astronomical observatory to predict the seasons, since at the summer solstice the sun rose through the axis of the megalith.
Others argue that Stonehenge was a religious temple or burial monument used as a necropolis for notables of the time, as hundreds of burials have been found nearby.
While research continues to try and shed more light on this mysterious megalithic monument, Stonehenge has now become an important site where modern Druids perform mystical rituals on Midsummer's Eve.
What will you see at Stonehenge?
My experience visiting Stonehenge
After a leisurely two-hour drive through England, the bus dropped us off near the Stonehenge visitor centre and before we got there we had to go through an airport-like security check where our belongings were searched.
Although there is also a museum and a reproduction of a prehistoric settlement within the Stonehenge site, we knew that the first thing we wanted to see was this legendary megalithic monument. So we headed to the area where you take the free minibus to get there as soon as possible, as it was quite crowded and there were some queues.
I had seen it in pictures many times and imagined it many times but nothing compares to seeing it in person. It is a mixture of excitement and disbelief. I had before me one of the few remaining vestiges of prehistoric times in the world. How could they build something like this with hardly any means?
You want to get as close as possible to feel the rocks and try to unravel this enigma older than the pyramids of Egypt, but a rope fence limits the distance to keep from the monument and the route to follow.
You have to make do with viewing it from a distance, but the visit allows you to walk around Stonehenge to take photos from all angles and enjoy the beautiful green landscape that surrounds it.
Being there you get an idea of why this place was so important to early civilisations. There's something about it that makes it so special that it's hard to put into words - you have to see it!
Discovering the Neolithic
Along the way, if you pay attention, you'll see signs pointing out other places of interest such as an ancient necropolis or a 2300 BC avenue linking the megalith to the River Avon. It is believed that this road connected to a ceremonial route to celebrate the passing of the seasons according to the movement of the sun.
You can learn much more about this at the museum in the visitor centre. After the visit to Stonehenge we head back to the starting point to enter the exhibition which delves into the history of Stonehenge and its significance as well as the lives of the people who erected this monument thousands of years ago.
Here you can see various prehistoric objects (tools, jewellery, pottery...) taken from various archaeological excavations as well as the forensic reconstruction of the face of a man who may have been at Stonehenge 5,500 years ago.
I also recommend that you visit the recreation of a Neolithic settlement in the site, which was created from excavations in Durrington dating from that period.
Although on the Stonehenge tour we have the assistance of an audio guide that explains what we are seeing, I think this museum is the perfect complement to better understand this stage of history so unknown to the general public, so I recommend that you spend some time during the visit.
You may not be a big fan of museums but the Stonehenge museum has a very cool interactive part that always makes the experience more enjoyable. Especially if you're travelling with children.
If you like this tour, you might be interested in
If you have already visited London on other occasions and you want to discover other gems of England, I recommend you to take a look at the article The best excursions from London where you will find some of the most entertaining and interesting proposals to do during your holidays. It will be difficult to choose just one!
In case after the Stonehenge excursion you want to focus on exploring London to learn a bit more about its history, don't miss the articles about the Tower of London or Westminster Abbey, as well as The best excursions and tours in London or The best tourist buses to get to know the most outstanding places in the city.