How To Get To Stonehenge
Stonehenge is located in Salisbury Wiltshire, and best reached by car or bus.
By Car:
Navigate using the official postcode: SP4 7DE. There is parking available for drivers at a £3 fee, but is free for English Heritage members. This must be paid online via the Pay By Phone app (Download Here). The parking lot is located near the visitor center which is where tickets to the site are available as well as a café and giftshop. The actual site is further along, accessible either by getting on the bus or walking along the road.
By Bus:
The Stonehenge Tour Bus departs hourly from Salisbury Train Station. Leaving from the city center, the bus stops at Old Sarum and goes on to Stonehenge. There are various ticket packages, allowing you to stop where you would like, or purchase entry tickets separately. The full package also makes a stop at Salisbury Cathedral. Taking the bus allows you to be dropped off directly in front of the site.
How To Travel To Stonehenge From London
If you are travelling from London you can either take a train from London Waterloo to Salisbury (via South Western Railway), then take The Stonehenge Tour Bus which departs from Salisbury Train Station. There are also frequent buses from London Victoria Coach Station which go straight to Stonehenge and other locations in Salisbury.
The Stonehenge Visitor Centre
The visitor center is located near the carpark. Here tickets for the bus will be scanned, or are available for purchase. There will also be a brief security check. At this point you will still be a ways away from Stonehenge, reachable either by a 10 minute bus (paid) or a walk, which is a little more than a mile and a quarter.
The Stonehenge Visitor Centre has a café and a shop, but also has exhibitions. There is a collection of 250 artifacts found on-site, a 360 degree view through time of the development of stonehenge, as well as reconstructed Neolithic houses that would have been used and lived in by the people who created Stonehenge 4500 years ago.
How To See Stonehenge For Free
Tickets are required for the shuttle bus to and from the visitor centre, and they grant you closer access to the stones than would be otherwise possible. However, if you are happy standing a little further away from the stones, and don't mind the walk, you can access the stones completely for free. You can simply park and follow the signs.
Stonehenge Tickets
Tickets to Stonehenge are bookable on the English Heritage site. If booked in advance they are available with a 15% discount. Tickets give you access to the inner walking ring and a bus to and from the visitor centre to the site. There is also an explorer tour which grants several unique experiences, including a personal tour guide, a visit to the nearby Woodhenge, and up to 15 minutes standing amongst the stones with no restrictions, among other things.
It is best to view the ticket options directly on the English Heritage site and assess which ticket best suits you. If you choose to take the Stonehenge Tour Bus from wherever you are, book directly on their site to avoid unnecessary fees.
What To Do Near Stonehenge
Woodhenge
Estimated to be from 2500 BC, Woodhenge is another Neolithic site involving symbolic features. Woodhenge is much less known than Stonehenge but features 6 rings of posts (now concrete to represent where the original features would have been). It is largely agreed that it was constructed by the same people who build Stonehenge, and it's free to visit! There is parking nearby, or it can be walked to.
Durrington Walls
2 miles north of Stonehenge lies another Neolithic settlement and enclosure area. Seven houses have been revealed by excavations, with experts estimating that as many as 1,000 houses could have been built, and lived in for about 500 years. There is also a walled ‘henge’ which is assumed to have a similar symbolic importance to Stonehenge, and is what remains today. This section is the largest neolithic henge in the UK. To see Durrington Walls it is best to visit on foot and walk to the settlement. There is parking nearby and Woodhenge is quite close.
