Stonehenge Itinerary

Salisbury, being just ten miles south of Stonehenge, makes an ideal base for exploring this iconic World Heritage Site. Here, we’ve put together some suggested Stonehenge itineraries to help you make the most of your time in the area. 

Stonehenge by bus

A great option for visitors coming to Salisbury by public transport is to pick up the Stonehenge Tour Bus. The bus picks up passengers from both central Salisbury (on New Canal) and the railway station regularly throughout the day. Buy an all-in-one ticket which includes your travel, entry to Stonehenge and the visitor centre there plus entry to Old Sarum (the original site of Salisbury) and Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta.

What’s more there is an audio commentary on the bus telling you more about the history of Salisbury and Stonehenge as you travel through the beautiful countryside. The buses are usually double-decker so go to the top level for great views as you travel along. 

Stonehenge and the wider landscape if travelling by car

Travel north of Salisbury to Stonehenge along the A360. 

Explore the visitor centre, which is adjacent to the main Stonehenge car park and take in the exhibition space and interactive elements before checking out the reconstructed Neolithic houses.

Then, take the shuttle bus or walk (approximately one mile each way) to the stone circle. Upon entry to Stonehenge visitors are given access to an audio guide in a number of different languages. 

Whilst you are here make time to explore the wider Stonehenge landscape. There are walks from the site that take you into the wider area where you cans see burial mounds, the Cursus and approximately two miles away, Woodhenge (Woodhenge also has its own car park should you not fancy the walk). 

Once you have explored, hop back in your car and head north towards Avebury. Avebury is the lesser-known part of this World Heritage Site but here you can wander freely amongst the stone circles and village.

To gain further knowledge of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site we also strongly recommend you visit the Salisbury Museum and the Wiltshire Museum (this museum is in Devizes), both of which have exhibition spaces explaining more about the history and heritage of Stonehenge and featuring objects found within the sites. There is also the Amesbury History Centre that has objects from the Amesbury area of the World Heritage Site on display. 

Booking a guided tour to Stonehenge

Several tour companies offer guided tours to Stonehenge – some of these include inner circle tours, where you get to go within the stone circle. Find out more about these tours on the VisitWiltshire website.

Useful tips for visiting Stonehenge

• English Heritage, who manage the site, advise that people pre-book their tickets to Stonehenge to guarantee entry. Tickets can be booked via our website. 
• Tickets for English Heritage and National Trust members are free. 
• Please check opening times for visits around the Summer Solstice (approx. 20-21 June) and also at Christmas and New Year. 
• Wrap up warmly, no matter the season, Stonehenge is pretty exposed and it can get pretty cold up there if the wind picks up. 
• If you want to visit the Inner Circle of Stonehenge, this can only be done by pre-booking an Inner Circle visit with English Heritage in advance or by booking onto one of the selected inner circle tours with a reputable tour company. 

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