Day trip from London Stonehenge
A 5,000-year-old stone circle on Salisbury Plain, about 85 minutes by train from London Waterloo plus a 35-minute bus from Salisbury station.
Is Stonehenge worth a day trip from London?
Take the coach. Skip the train.
Worth seeing once, but do it by coach. Independently you need a train from Waterloo to Salisbury (about 1 hour 25 minutes), then the Stonehenge Tour bus (35 minutes, roughly hourly), and the same again coming back. That is four hours of travel for two hours at the stones, and three separate tickets. The direct coach from Victoria takes about 2 hours each way with entry included. Either way you walk a roped path around the circle and do not touch the stones. Entry is timed, so book ahead. The site closes only on 25 December.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 1 h 25+ 35 min bus from Salisbury · one way · South Western Railway
- Transport
- Train + bus
- Self-guided cost
- Not verified yet
- Tour price
- From € 68.60Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 2–2.50 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 25 Dec
- Best time
- Weekdays, first slot of the day; last entry 2 hours before closingDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Only with a tourDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Stonehenge
- 01
The stone circle path
A roped path loops the circle at a distance of roughly 10 to 30 metres. Walking it slowly with the audio guide takes 45 minutes, and the closest point is on the north-east side.
- 02
Visitor centre exhibition
About 250 objects found in the surrounding landscape, plus a 360-degree film that puts you inside the circle at the solstices. Allow 30 minutes, ideally before you see the stones.
- 03
Neolithic houses
Five reconstructed thatched houses stand behind the visitor centre, based on those excavated at nearby Durrington Walls. Ten minutes is enough, and children can try to pull a replica sarsen stone.
- 04
The walk to the stones
The circle is 2 km from the visitor centre. A free shuttle runs every few minutes, or you can walk it in 25-30 minutes across open fields past Bronze Age burial mounds.
Good forAncient sitesNature and hiking
How to spend the day
By coach: be at Buckingham Palace Road for the 08:30 departure, reach Stonehenge around 10:30, spend 2 hours there and be back in Kensington by mid afternoon. By train: leave Waterloo around 08:20, reach Salisbury before 10:00, catch the first tour bus at 10:05 and arrive at 10:40. Take a bus back around 13:00, see Salisbury Cathedral, and be on a London train by 17:00. The last tour bus reaches the station at 17:35.
Stonehenge in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustFrom 28 March to early September the site opens 9:30 to 18:00, with last entry at 16:00. Midday slots from June to August are the busiest of the year and the plain has no shade at all. Around the 21 June solstice the stones open free for managed access at sunrise, and normal visits are cut back that day and the day before.
Winter
December to FebruaryWinter hours are 9:30 to 17:00 with last entry at 15:00, and the site closes only on 25 December. The plain is cold and windy, and paths get muddy after rain. Crowds are thin, though, and low afternoon light suits the stones. It is worth going if you dress for it and take a slot before 14:00.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Jun-Aug and school holidays, 11:00-14:00, when London coaches arrive
- Quietest
- First slot at 9:30, or after 15:00; weekdays from November to February
Coaches from London reach the site between 10:30 and 12:00, so the shuttle queue and the path are fullest around midday. Take the first slot if you come by train, or walk to the stones and skip the shuttle queue.
How do you get to Stonehenge from London?
Coach from London
- Travel time
- 6 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily, morning and afternoon
- Cost
- From € 68.60
- Departs from
- Buckingham Palace Road (Victoria)
Direct coach with Stonehenge entry included and about 2 hours on site. Morning departure at 08:30 from stop 8 on Buckingham Palace Road, afternoon departure at 13:00 from Bulleid Way. No guide on board. The return ends at Gloucester Road.
Train + bus
- Travel time
- 1 h 25 min + 35 min bus
- Frequency
- Train every 30 min; bus roughly hourly
- Cost
- Advance singles from £ 10.10, plus bus fare and £ 27.20 entry
- Departs from
- London Waterloo
South Western Railway to Salisbury, then the Stonehenge Tour bus from stop SC in the station forecourt. First bus 10:05. Buy the bus ticket online or from the driver, with or without Stonehenge entry. A taxi from the station takes around 20 minutes.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Windproof jacket in any month, because the plain is fully exposed. Flat closed shoes for grass and gravel. In summer bring a hat, sunscreen and water. In winter add gloves and a hat.
What to eat
There is one cafe at the visitor centre, selling sandwiches, pasties, soup and rock cakes, and nothing at the stones themselves. Queues are long at midday. Bring a packed lunch, or eat in Salisbury around the Market Place if you came by train.
What you will spend
On the coach from € 68.60, entry is already included. By train you pay three times: Advance singles from £ 10.10 each way, the bus fare, and £ 27.20 entry. Booking entry ahead is cheaper than paying at the gate. The exhibition, shuttle and audio guide come with the ticket.
How to get the most out of the day
- Download the free English Heritage audio guide to your phone before you leave London. Mobile signal at the stones is weak.
- If you walk one way, walk out to the stones and ride the shuttle back. The return queue is shorter.
- By train, add Salisbury Cathedral on the way back: it is 10 minutes on foot from the bus stops in the city centre.
- Members of English Heritage and National Trust enter free but still need to reserve a timed slot online.
How long do you need in Stonehenge?
Plan 2–2.50 h on site, plus 1 h 25 of travel each way from London.
When is Stonehenge closed?
25 Dec. Best time: Weekdays, first slot of the day; last entry 2 hours before closing.