Stonehenge is the world’s most famous prehistoric stone circle, raised on Salisbury Plain about 4,500 years ago and an easy day trip from Bath, about an hour away by road. English Heritage runs the site, and tickets are now valid all day, so you can arrive at any time within opening hours. Adult tickets cost roughly £25 to £29 depending on the date; book online by midnight the day before to save up to 15%. From 7 September 2026 to 16 March 2027 it opens daily 9:30–17:00, with last entry at 15:00, and it closes on Christmas Day. Allow two to three hours, including the shuttle to the stones and the exhibition.
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Tickets and tours for Stonehenge
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Why Stonehenge matters
Work began here about 5,000 years ago with a circular earthwork, and the monument was built in stages; the stone circle itself dates from about 2500 BC, in the late Neolithic. The giant local sarsens were shaped and fixed together with joints normally used in woodworking, which makes Stonehenge the most architecturally sophisticated stone circle to survive. The smaller bluestones came from the Preseli Hills in south-west Wales, more than 150 miles (250 km) away. No one knows exactly what it was for, but the sun rises over the Heel Stone on the summer solstice and sets over it on the winter solstice, which suggests a temple aligned with the sun. With Avebury, it became one of the UK’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1986.
What you’ll see
- The visitor centre exhibition: nearly 300 archaeological objects from Stonehenge and nearby monuments, and the story of its builders.
- The Neolithic houses: reconstructed homes outside the exhibition, where you can try moving a replica sarsen and touch two large “touching stones”.
- The stone circle: 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the visitor centre. You walk the path around it, which gets you close enough for superb photos, but you can’t go inside the circle or touch the stones on a normal visit.
- The landscape: burial mounds and earthworks across the World Heritage Site, with walking routes for all abilities. You can picnic in the field with a view of the stones.
Tickets and how to visit
Prices and rules from English Heritage, as of October 2026:
- Prices: they change with the date. For the 2026/27 season, adult tickets run from about £25 to £29. You can buy on the day, online or at the visitor centre, but you pay the full price.
- Booking discount: book online by midnight the day before your visit to save up to 15%.
- All-day tickets: tickets are valid all day, so you can arrive at any time and stay as long as you like within opening hours.
- Free entry: English Heritage members enter free, and National Trust (England) members enter free when they book with the Trust’s code. A carer or companion of a disabled visitor goes free.
- Hours: 7 September 2026 to 16 March 2027, daily 9:30–17:00 (last entry 15:00); closed 25 December. Summer hours are longer.
- Parking: £4 for non-members at the visitor centre (pay with the RingGo app); free for English Heritage members.
- Audio guide: free to download to your own phone in 12 languages before you go or on the site’s free Wi-Fi; there are no devices to hire, and headphones cost £2.
Inside the circle: Stone Circle Experience
To walk among the stones, book a Stone Circle Experience: an hour-long guided visit early in the morning or in the evening, outside normal hours, for up to 52 people split into two groups. Prices start at £70 for adults and £40 for children aged 5 to 17; under-5s go free. There are no Stone Circle Experiences in October or November, and booking is open to March 2027. Even inside, you may not stand on or touch the stones.
Accessibility
The site is generally flat, with tarmac and grass paths around the visitor centre and the stone circle, though grass can be soft after rain; the wider landscape is not suitable for standard wheelchairs. The shuttle buses are accessible and take class 2 mobility scooters up to 600 mm wide. Two wheelchairs can be borrowed at the admissions desk, and there is limited seating around the circle. The exhibition has subtitles, BSL and induction loops. Dogs on leads are allowed around the visitor centre but not at the stone circle, in the exhibition or on the shuttle; assistance dogs are welcome everywhere.
Getting there from Bath, Salisbury and London
From Bath, Stonehenge is about an hour’s drive east, roughly 60 km by road. There is no simple public transport, so most visitors join a coach tour from Bath or drive. By train, go to Salisbury, the nearest station, 12 miles (19 km) away, and take the Stonehenge Tour bus, which leaves hourly from the station forecourt and can stop at Old Sarum; a taxi is the alternative. Trains run direct from London Waterloo to Salisbury in about 1½ hours. By car, the site is just off the A303; use the postcode SP4 7DE and follow the brown signs. From central London the drive takes about two hours. At the visitor centre, the free shuttle to the stones runs frequently and takes about 10 minutes, stopping halfway at Fargo Plantation if you want to walk the rest.
Combine it with
Salisbury, with its medieval cathedral, is about 13 km south. Back in Bath, finish the day at the Roman Baths, or continue to the Cotswolds. From the capital, see our London travel guide, which covers day trips, and our United Kingdom travel guide.
Stonehenge FAQ
How much are Stonehenge tickets?
For the 2026/27 season, adult tickets cost roughly £25 to £29 depending on the date. Booking online by midnight the day before saves up to 15%. English Heritage and National Trust (England) members go free.
Do Stonehenge tickets have a time slot?
No longer. English Heritage says tickets are valid all day, so you can arrive at any time and stay as long as you like within opening hours.
Can you touch the stones at Stonehenge?
No. On a normal visit you walk the path around the circle. A Stone Circle Experience takes you inside the circle outside opening hours, but you still may not touch the stones; none run in October or November.
How do I get to Stonehenge from Bath?
It is about an hour’s drive east. Join a coach tour from Bath, drive, or take the train to Salisbury and the Stonehenge Tour bus from the station.
What are Stonehenge’s opening hours in winter?
From 7 September 2026 to 16 March 2027, daily 9:30–17:00 with last entry at 15:00. It is closed on 25 December.
How long do you need at Stonehenge?
Two to three hours for the exhibition, the Neolithic houses, the shuttle and a walk around the stones. Add time if you walk across the landscape.