This travel guide is sure to give all the tips needed to plan your perfect break in Stonehenge. This amazing place is famous for being the most prehistoric monument from the Neolithic and Bronze Age, dating back 5,000 years ago. What’s worth noting is that the stones forming the circle were brought from 200 miles away and the place could have been used as a burial ground from the moment it was created.
Table of Contents
What to Visit in Stonehenge
Stonehenge is the stone monument located in the county of Wiltshire in the southwestern part of England. It’s the biggest Chalk grassland reservation spreading over the Salisbury Plain. This famous UNESCO World Heritage site is only 145 km west from London, 3 km away from Amesbury and 15 km from Salisbury.
Don’t leave Stonehenge without seeing:
- Stone Circle Monument
- Landscape of Stonehenge
- Stonehenge Cursus
- Stonehenge Cursus Barrows
- The Avenue
- Winterbourne Stoke Barrows
- Normanton Down
- King Barrows Ridge
- Woodhenge
- Durrington Walls
- Wiltshire Museum
- Salisbury Museum
- Salisbury Cathedral
- Cathedral Close
- Arundells
- St. Thomas of Canterbury Church
- Salisbury Old Town
- Mompesson House
- Old Sarum
- Boscombe Down Aviation Collection
- Amesbury History Centre
- The Abbey Church of St Mary and St Melor
- Village of Wilton
- Wilton House
- Larmer Tree Gardens
- Cholderton Charlie’s Rare Breeds Farm
Read more: What to See and Do in Stonehenge – Top Tourist Attractions
Daily Excursions From Stonehenge
- Bath
- Windsor
- Salisbury
- Lacock
- Avebury
Hiking in Stonehenge
When in Salisbury, the hiking trail to do is the one around the Stonehenge area. Other walks include the Downton Loop, Salisbury to Stonehenge, Tilshead and Salisbury Plain, Salisbury River and Old Sarum, Salisbury Cathedral and Water Meadows and the South Amesbury Loop.
Where to Stay in Stonehenge
If you want to spend a few nights in Stonehenge, you should book your stay in Amesbury (3 km away) or Salisbury (15 km away). The most recommended hotels:
- The George Hotel in Amesbury
- The Antrobus Hotel in Amesbury
- Fairlawn House in Amesbury
- The Fishing Lodge in Amesbury
- Stonehenge Inn in Salisbury
- The Old Mill Hotel in Salisbury
- The Pembroke Arms in Salisbury
- Best Western Red Lion Salisbury
If you visit Stonehenge during the peak season and prefer camping, you can should book the following campsites: outside the Old Sacrum in Salisbury (13 km), Upavon (16 km) or Stonehenge Touring Park (7km, stonehengetouringpark.com).
What to Eat in Stonehenge
There isn’t any restaurants in Stonehenge itself, but you can find them in Amesbury or Salisbury. When in the area, you should try the traditional English dishes:
- Scotch Eggs – hard boiled egg wrapped in the sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
- Piccalilli – English version of Indian pickles, salty, sour and spiced.
- Marmite – food spread made from yeast extract.
- Crumpets – English muffin with butter of jam.
- British Scones – dense biscuits served with butter or jam.
- Chip Butty – white bread sandwich with chips and ketchup inside.
- Meat Pies – steak and kidney pie, steak and ale pie, pork pie, chicken and leek pie, served hot or cold.
- Cornish Pastry – meat, veggies (plenty of potatoes) mixed in a gravy sauce, wrapped in the pastry and baked in the oven.
- Full English Breakfast – bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, fried beans, hash browns and toasts.
- Sunday Roast – roasted joint lamb, beef or pork, served with Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy.
- Afternoon Tea – tiny finger triangle sandwiches with no crust, filled with cucumber and cream cheese.
- Bangers and mash – sausage, mash potatoes, gravy and peas.
- Sausage Toad – sausage in Yorkshire butter, served with veggies and gravy.
- Fish and Chips – cod in beer butter, chips and mushy peas.
- Beef Wellington – beef steak coated in mushroom mixture and wrapped in the puff pastry, served with mash potatoes and asparagus.
- Shepperd’s (Cottage) Pie – mash potatoes crust and meat base baked in the oven.
- Chicken Tikka Masala – roasted chunks of chicken cooked in the spiced tomato cream sauce.
- Sticky Toffee Pudding – moist sponge cake made of dates in a toffee sauce, served with vanilla custard or ice cream.
- Ale – traditional English beer.
Read More: Best Restaurants and Pubs Near Stonehenge
How to Get Around Stonehenge
Stonehenge is located on over 2,000 hectares of land and no vehicles are allowed to enter the English Heritage site. The best way to explore is walking or cycling. Renting a car or taking a bus is recommended if coming from far away. If staying a few nights, there’s a good bus service from Salisbury to explore the area.
How to get to Stonehenge from London?
Stonehenge is located about 110 km southwest from London Heathrow Airport. There are several ways you can get there from central London.
By Bus
First take the National Express bus from London Victoria to Salisbury (140 km, £15). There is no public bus service to Stonehenge but you can take the Stonehenge Tours bus (thestonehengetour.info) and catch it when you leave the station. You have a choice to pay for the bus transfer only, the bus + oral tour + Stonehenge entry or all inclusive where more attractions are included:
- Adult Bus Only - £15
- Adult Bus Tour - £29
- All Inclusive - £35
By Train
There's a direct train from London Waterloo to Salisbury or Andover Stations (1.23 h, £9 one way). From there you can take the Tours bus (see above) or the taxi for the round trip with one hours stop to visit the Stonehenge monument for £60.
By Car
When driving from London, take M3 and then A303 to Amesbury. When on A303 Countess roundabout you should continue west and once reach A360 roundabout go north to get to the Stonehenge Visitors Centre car park. The journey to drive is 145 km and takes around 2 hours.
The tickets to visit the UNESCO site are available to purchase online or in person at the Stonehenge Visitors Centre. There is a shuttle bus between the centre and the stone circle monuments included in the ticket price. The entry price is £19.50 and the audio guides are available for an extra fee. You can book the VIP experience to see the stones inside the circle early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The current fee is £47.
By Tour
There are many tour companies you can book your Stonehenge visit with. The tickets normally include the entry to multiple sites, plus the ride fee. You can take the day trips from London or Salisbury.
London:
If you plan a day trip to Stonehenge from London, those are usually combined with Bath, Windsor or Oxford visits. The time you spend at Stonehenge is only 30 min. The company to recommend is Viator (viator.com) and the price for Stonehenge and Bath tour starts from £60.
Salisbury:
If you plan a day trip to Stonehenge from Salisbury, those are normally mixed with a visit to Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral. The company to recommend is the Stonehenge Tours bus (thestonehengetour.info) and the price starts from £35.
Buses
If you want to travel around Salisbury and Amesbury, it best to use the local buses. The bus service starts and ends in Salisbury and it's operated by Salisbury Reds (salisburyreds.co.uk).
Trains
There is one train station in Salisbury and one in Amesbury where you can catch the the local trains and those to and from London. The tickets can be purchased at Trainline (trainline.com).
If you want to book a taxi around Salisbury, you can book Uber or use the local mini cab service. The base charge is £3.20 and £1.25 per kilometre of your journey. The round taxi trip to Stonehenge from Salisbury Rail station is about £60 with one hour of waiting included. When in the area, you can book the following services:
- Salisbury Taxi (+44 1722 484 950, salisbury.taxi)
- Online City Cabs (+44 1722 509 090, onlinecitycabs.co.uk)
- AJ Taxi Salisbury (+44 7429 402 801, ajtaxi.business.site)
Stonehenge Travel Guide – Cost and Budget
If you want to visit Stonehenge on the low budget, be ready to pay around £50 a day. That’s assuming you stay in a hostel or book the camping site, prepare your own food, walk and see the main tourist attractions.
The mid – range travellers are expected to pay roughly £120 a day during Stonehenge trip. The cost covers staying in the nice hotel accommodation, dining at the local pubs and restaurants and booking the guided tours.
If you want a luxury in Stonehenge, your daily budget should start from £270 a day. It allows you to stay in the best hotels in Amesbury or Salisbury, eat out in some of the most traditional restaurants, use cabs and tour operators to book the private VIP experience to see the stones inside the circle.
| Accommodation | Food | Transport | Attractions | Avg Daily Cost | |
| Backpacker | £15 | £10 | £5 | £20 | £50 |
| Mid-Range | £40 | £40 | £10 | £30 | £120 |
| Luxury | £100 | £100 | £20 | £50 | £270 |
Stonehenge Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Stonehenge is during the Summer Solstice (Midsummer) which falls on the 21st of June, the longest day of the year. There are many people coming watch the sun rises behind the entrance of the Ancient Stone Circle. It’s also the only day in a year, you will be allowed to go inside the inner circle.
Other times you may want to come to Stonehenge are the driest months between February and September. Generally, the summer (June to August) provides the most enjoyable temperatures (19°C to 22°C) and plenty of sunshine.
Both, spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are mild bringing 10°C to 18°C. In contrast, winter is the rainiest and coldest with average temperatures up to 8°C.
Seasons in Stonehenge
High Season (Jun – Aug)
- Crowd in Stonehenge
- Hotels are expensive
- Temps 19°C to 22°C
- Midsummer 21st June
Mid (Mar-May, Sep-Nov)
- Less tourist in Stonehenge
- Hotels are much cheaper
- Temperatures 10°C to 18°C
- Spring and autumn months
Low Season (Dec – Feb)
- Hardly no tourist
- Cheapest hotels
- Temps of 8°C
- Rainiest winter
Stonehenge Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures
Stonehenge is the hottest in summer from June to August. Those months bring the most enjoyable weather and the average temperatures between 19°C and 22°C with July being the hottest. In contrast, Stonehenge is the coldest in winter from December to February. Those months bring the mild temperatures up to 8°C with January being the coldest (7°C).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| High Temp (°C) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Low Temp (°C) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
Stonehenge Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation
Stonehenge is the wettest from October to January during the autumn and winter season. In fact, December is the month when it rains the most with up to 78 mm and 12 days of showers. In contrast, Stonehenge is the driest from February to September during the spring and summer time. The month with the least rainfall is July with up to 44 mm and 7 days of showers.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Rainfall (mm) | 78 | 53 | 60 | 46 | 54 | 53 | 44 | 58 | 66 | 71 | 77 | 83 |
| Rainfall (days) | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Stonehenge Travel Guide – Practical Information
This part of my travel guide is full of tips on what to expect during your travels to Stonehenge. For more information on language and local time, religion, electricity plug, internet, currency, visa, safety and health matters in Stonehenge, just follow my guidance below.
Population and Language – There isn’t many people living in Stonehenge, the closest inhabited areas are Amesbury and Salisbury. The official language is English.
Religion – The city of Salisbury: 19.2% Roman Catholic, 8.9% Anglican, 4.7% Uniting Church, 4.7% Islam, 4.6% Buddhist, 3% Hindu, 1.7% Greek Orthodox.
Local Time – There is 1 time zone in Stonehenge, UTC+0 hour.
Electricity – Stonehenge, Amesbury and Salisbury run on 230V voltage. There is 50Hz and the plug type G (three pin plug). Getting an adapter is recommended.
Internet The internet in Amesbury and Salisbury (near Stonehenge) is available all over the towns. The free Wi-Fi is offered in the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other public places. It’s recommended to buy a cheap sim card (around £0.99) and the mobile internet on arrival. Best prepaid (pay as you go) sim cards in Amesbury and Salisbury (Stonehenge) are: EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. The standard monthly tariffs start from £10 a month.
Money and Currency in Stonehenge
In Amesbury and Salisbury the ATMs are widely available. There are two types of cash machines: free and pay-to-use. The typical charge in Amesbury and Salisbury is £1.50 to £2 per transaction. Visa, MasterCard and Credit Cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. Having some cash is always advisable.
Currency – The official currency in Stonehenge is Pound Sterling (£) (GBP).
Visa Requirements for Stonehenge
Visa – The UK left the EU on 31st December 2020. EU citizens don’t need a tourist visa to travel to Stonehenge if staying up to 6 months. Irish can travel anytime they wish with no limits to how long they want to stay. Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans don’t need a visa to Stonehenge if their trips are less than 90 days. Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months before your travels.
Safety in Stonehenge
Safety Stonehenge, Amesbury and Salisbury are generally safe places to travel. When touring the area of Stonehenge, it’s recommended to use the comfortable shoes. You should also watch out for the animals (cows and bulls in particular) wandering around the National Trust open grassland. The roads nearby often get busy and you care should be taken when crossing the A303.
Emergency Numbers – In Stonehenge an emergency free numbers to dial are 999 or 112. The numbers for the particular emergency services in Stonehenge: Police – 101 (Non Emergency), Fire – 112, Medical Services (Non Emergency) – 111.
Health and Travel Vaccinations in Stonehenge
Health – Travelling to Stonehenge requires doesn’t require any additional vaccinations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that everyone is covered for the diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B regardless of their destination.