Where is Stonehenge located? Find the best way to get there.
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Stonehenge is operated by English Heritage and located near Salisbury on the Salisbury Plain, just off the A303 and two miles west of Amesbury. It isn’t the easiest of attractions to get to from London which is why a lot of tourists will opt for an organised tour. Driving from London to the ancient stone circle can take a couple of hours, but it is definitely worth the time – it just depends on how you want to get there.
UK Location Map
Sat Nav and Postal Address
The address for Stonehenge is: Stonehenge, Salisbury, SP4 7DE so if you are using satnav to get to Stonehenge the post code you need to use us “SP4 7DE”.
What county is Stonehenge in?
Stonehenge is located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles north of the city of Salisbury.
The Closest Main Road
Stonehenge is on the A303, which is a main road so its not easy to stop on the road side to get a longer glimpse of the famous Stones. However, there are laybys you can pull into, or you can pull off into the car park which is a short distance off the A303.
How far are the Stones it from Salisbury?
It is approximately an 18-minute drive (9.3 miles) from Salisbury to the Stones or just a 20-minute bus journey.
Is there an entry fee?
If you want to get up close to the Stones then there is a fee for entry as it is no longer free to see up close. You can get into the car park for free and see the Stones from a distance, but you will need to purchase a ticket to get up and close to the Stones unless you visit for Summer Solstice.
How much is the tour bus?
There is a tour bus that goes from Salisbury Station to Stonehenge. They run approximately every hour from 10 am until 4:30 pm, and the cost is about £29 for an adult (includes bus and entrance) or £23 for a child (includes bus and entrance fee).
Different ways to get from Salisbury to Stonehenge
By Bus
You have two options for taking a bus from Salisbury, one is by public bus, and the other is by a tour bus. The public bus option involves National Express, and the journey takes approximately 20 minutes and is a reasonable £10 return journey fare. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include entrance fees, and you will also have to pre-book the coach – but with this, coaches go from 6:45 am through till 10:00 pm.
If you want to take the tour bus option, this is approximately £29 for an adult (includes entrance fees and bus) or £23 for a child (includes entrance fees and bus). The available timings for tours like this is from 10 am through till 4:30 pm (approx.).
Walking
You can walk from Salisbury town centre to Stonehenge, it is approximately 9.2 miles, and it is estimated to take approx. Three hours and 5 minutes. There are public footpaths, bridleways and country lanes, and the walk is pretty spectacular with beautiful views of the River Avon and the stunning Wiltshire countryside. The walk can take you past Salisbury Cathedral and up past Old Sarum Castle. There are some fabulous pubs, alongside some of the great cottages and converted mills, all on display. Some people take a walk there and then organise a taxi back to the train station (approx. £20 for a car carrying 4 people).
By Taxi
You can get a taxi from Salisbury Station very quickly, the cost for a standard car that can carry four people is approximately £20. Unfortunately, at present, Uber doesn’t operate in Salisbury, so you will need to call the taxi company on arrival at the station. However, there are often taxi’s there or pre-book.
Is there a car park?
There is a car park at Stonehenge. It is free to park at Stonehenge, although at peak times there is a fee, however it is refundable if you purchase a ticket on the day to Stonehenge.
How did it come to be?
Its location on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire has historical significance linked to its construction phases. Archaeological evidence indicates that the area was occupied as early as 8,000 BCE, with Mesolithic postholes suggesting human activity before the monument’s creation. The region’s fertile landscape likely attracted early settlers.
During the Neolithic period, around 3,100 BCE, the first phase of Stonehenge began with the construction of a circular earthwork enclosure. Researchers believe the site was part of a complex ceremonial landscape, including nearby monuments like Woodhenge and Durrington Walls. These sites highlight the area’s cultural importance in prehistoric Britain.
The choice of Salisbury Plain may reflect its proximity to natural resources and its strategic location. Transporting massive sarsen stones and bluestones required a combination of local materials and stones transported over 150 miles from Wales. This logistical effort underscores the area’s centrality in cultural and religious practices of Neolithic communities.
By the Bronze Age, Stonehenge had become a focal point for gatherings and rituals. Its location within a wider network of burial mounds and processional routes reinforces its role as a ceremonial hub.
How were the Stones transported?
Research suggests that the stones were transported from quarries in Wales using a combination of ingenuity and manpower. The smaller ‘bluestones’ likely came from the Preseli Hills, around 150 miles away. It’s believed that ancient builders possibly used sledges and rollers, or dragged the stones over logs. Communities may have also used waterways, transporting the stones on rafts and continuing by land. As for the larger sarsens, found locally on the Marlborough Downs, rolling on logs or dragging over wet land could have eased their journey. These efforts show remarkable organisation and skill by prehistoric people.