Stonehenge is a mystical place – for some, a prehistorical archeological site of mysterious origins; to others, an important landmark for astronomy (especially at the core of the Stonehenge Inner Circle) or even a place of religious and spiritual significance.
To those less interested in these topics, Stonehenge might be considered just a bunch of rocks in a circle. However, one undeniable fact is that this landmark is one of the most popular attractions in the UK – according to Visit Britain (2024), Stonehenge ranked as the 7th most visited paid attraction in England, receiving over 1.3 million visitors in 2023.
However, it is by far the #1 most visited attraction in South West England, making it one of the most popular tours from London for tourists. If you’re considering adding Stonehenge to your itinerary, keep reading to learn how you can make the most of it.
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In a rush and want all the info in 60 seconds?
Watch my video summarising the best way to see Stonehenge and how to visit the Inner Circle – or keep reading below for all the important details!
Is Stonehenge worth visiting?
Let’s start with the most important question – is Stonehenge worth seeing?
This is a very subjective question, because it depends if your interests resonate with what the site represents:
- Historically and archeologically, Stonehenge is considered the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world. It is still uncertain how the site was built 5,000 years ago, and this remains one of its biggest mysteries. Although it did not make the cut as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it was part of the list of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.
- With regards to astronomy, although debated, some believe that Stonehenge was used as a solar calendar, to predict future lunar and solar eclipses, as well as other precise alignments and calculations in ancient astronomy.
- On the front of religion and spirituality, there is evidence that Stonehenge served as a burial site over the years, but also as a ceremonial site or a religious pilgrimage destination. Some religious groups consider Stonehenge as a sacred site and believe it has healing powers – to this day, it is still a place of worship during the Solstice and Equinox celebrations.
So, before you go and rely on my opinion, you should reflect on the above and decide if the site’s significance is interesting to you; however, as it is such a popular landmark, you may still decide to visit Stonehenge whether it had particularly interested you before or not.
My opinion is that, regardless of the reason you choose to visit, it is not worth visiting Stonehenge (or at least not paying to see it) unless you visit the Inner Stone Circle.
How close can you get to Stonehenge?
If you’re anything like me, after watching a few documentaries or fleetingly catching a glimpse of drone shots from Stonehenge, I thought the stone circle was located in a remote location.
This is far from the truth.
Stonehenge is located in South West England, in Salisbury – a 2-hour drive away from London. And a drive it is, because Stonehenge is conveniently located by the A303 road. In fact, if you drive by, you can see Stonehenge from your car.
Throughout most of its history, Stonehenge breathed in the open air, free for whomever could and wished to visit. In fact, from the early 1930’s, many people would simply stop their cars and walk up to the stones. You could touch the stones, sit on them, pretty much do as you pleased. This was also the beginning of the A303 road becoming a nightmare for locals to drive through – as it continues to be today, only worse!
However, in 1977, due to concerns that the rapidly increasing number of visitors was resulting in erosion of the site, Stonehenge was fenced off for the first time. The following year, a path was created which allowed visitors to get closer to stones, but not inside the Stone Circle.
This remains more or less the setup for how Stonehenge is set up for visits to this day, now managed by the English Heritage and inside its very own visitor center complex. You can no longer just turn up at Stonehenge without a ticket, and besides being fenced off to the general public, the Stone Circle itself is also roped off beyond the path where visitors can stand from.
With a regular Stonehenge visitor ticket, it is not permitted to walk up to the stones, and no one is allowed to touch the stones.
You can spot Stonehenge for free from the A303 road or from a public path on the outside of the visitor centre’s fence. The view from outside the fence is not very different from that on the path inside the visitor’s centre (it’s only a few meters further out), and that is one of the reasons why I don’t think it is worth visiting Stonehenge (or at least pay for it) if you don’t step inside the Inner Circle.
How to visit the Stonehenge Inner Circle for free
There is only one way to visit the Stonehenge Stone Circle for free, and that is by joining the celebrations of the Summer and Winter Solstices, or the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes.
These are the only days in the year when English Heritage provide a short period of managed open (free!) access to the Inner Circle, where people gather to watch the sunrise – some for their own spiritual beliefs and rituals, others for the experience alone.
The Summer Solstice is the biggest event at Stonehenge, and attracts thousands of people who gather there to witness the sun rising in alignment with the stones. In 2025, 25,000 people attended the Solstice sunrise at Stonehenge.
You can drive to Stonehenge on your own (however, please note many people will have camped at the car park overnight or even days before, so in the most popular days, like at the Summer Solstice, parking will be a challenge).
Or, you may choose to join one of the many shuttle tours from London and other nearby towns (eg. Bath) that provide transport (more common for the Summer Solstice).
In 2026, the dates of these events are: March 20th, June 21st, September 23rd, and December 21st.
How to visit the Stonehenge Inner Circle throughout the year
If your trip to the UK doesn’t coincide with any of the quarterly events, don’t despair. It is still possible to step inside the Stone Circle, albeit not for free.
English Heritage offer Stone Circle Experience tickets for sunrise and sunset, which allow you to step inside the Inner Circle for about one hour before the visitor centre opens to the public, or after it closes. These tickets are only available for up to 30 people per session with a guide, making it an intimate experience where you can get up and close to the stones at your own pace.
The inner access tickets also include entry to the Stonehenge visitor’s centre, which your can explore after your morning visit to the Inner Circle, or one hour before your schedule visit in the evening.
As of 2026, tickets cost £70 per adult and £40 for children aged 5-17, with under-5s able to go in for free. There are discounts available for English Heritage Members.
You can drive to Stonehenge on your own and make use of the car park, however, there are also tours departing from London that not only provide transport but also include other sightseeing stops (eg. Windsor or Bath), turning the sunrise or sunset visits into a day trip from London.
I went on this tour from London, and I liked that it included Windsor as part of the trip, as I had never been there before. It is a very packed tour because of the driving distances, however, I thought it was well worth adding an extra stop as the day had an early start.
Best-rated Stonehenge Inner Circle tours
Conclusion
If Stonehenge is on your bucket list and you want to include it as part of your England itinerary, now you know how to make the most of it.
I strongly believe that the best way to see Stonehenge is by getting up close to it and walking among the stones, as I don’t think it’s worth paying the ticket price to simply stand and look at it from the side, when you could have a not much different view from outside the fence for free.
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