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Visiting Stonehenge from London
An instantly recognizable landmark and one of England’s most intriguing historic sites, Stonehenge has long been on the ‘must-see’ list for travelers to London and whether you’re celebrating the summer solstice or just snapping a selfie in front of the iconic stones, it’s an unmissable attraction, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in Salisbury just an hour and a half from the capital, visiting Stonehenge from London makes a popular choice for a day trip, often combined with nearby attractions like Stratford-Upon-Avon, Windsor or Bath, and with archeologists recently uncovering a further 17 monuments at the site, it’s the ideal time to visit.
There’s something undeniably captivating about the 5,000-year-old circle of stones, but don’t just snap a photo and move on – take some time to learn about and unravel the mysteries of the enigmatic site. The building of Stonehenge has long puzzled archeologists and it’s a remarkable feat of engineering, originally consisting of around 60 gigantic stones reaching heights of up to 6.7 meters (plus another 2.4 meters below ground) and weighing up to 42 ton each. The site consists of an outer and inner circle of stones, plus an avenue and Heel Stone, built in three stages, and archaeologists estimate that it would have required more than 30 million hours of labor, possibly using some kind of sled to drag the stones across the plains.
Another unknown is the purpose and meaning of the stones and theories abound over their spiritual, astronomical or even supernatural meanings, along with evidence that suggests it was once a burial site. Most intriguing is that the stones line up with the sunrise and sunset of the summer and winter solstices, lending weight to the belief that they were a site of pagan rituals or celebrations. Today, Stonehenge has become a hugely popular destination during the summer solstice, when a huge crowd of revellers gather to celebrate the longest day of the year and party until the sun comes up over the stones.
The best way to visit Stonehenge is with an early or late-access Private Viewing Tour of Stonehenge, which includes entry to the normally off-bounds inner circle of stones – visit during normal visitors hours and you’ll be restricted to viewing the stones outside of the roped-off circle (around 15-meters away). If you opt to travel independently, tickets for Stonehenge operate on a time basis and must be bought in advance from the English Heritage website or a tour provider like Viator. When booking your tickets, remember that most of the coach tours arrive in the morning or early afternoon, so visit as the site opens (8am or 9am depending on the time of year) or late afternoon (after 3pm) to avoid the crowds.
Finally, it is possible to see Stonehenge without booking a tour and budget travelers can still walk up to and around the security fencing without a ticket, or climb the nearby Amesbury Hill to watch the sun rise or set over Stonehenge, although you will be a fair distance from the stones and won’t be able to fully appreciate their magnitude.
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