Stonehenge Walks

One of the best ways to understand somewhere is to walk it. When you walk it, you feel it, you breathe the air around it, and while you’re moving, your brain is open to all the elements around it. 

The world-famous stone circle at Stonehenge is situated slap bang in the middle of some of Britain’s finest walking country in the south west of England. Indeed, Wiltshire’s gently undulating moorland, its wealth of other historic sites and landmarks, and its plethora of great pubs and country eateries make it an excellent place to enjoy a country walk near Stonehenge. 

If you are taking one of the many organised tours of Stonehenge, you may not have time for this, but if you are making your own way to Stonehenge and free with time, this could be great for you. Just be sure not to forget some good walking boots or wellies. 

The most popular Stonehenge walk

The most popular walk incorporates Stonehenge itself (walk ID: 4755, distance: 7 miles, average duration: 3.5 hours). Starting in Amesbury (where it is said Guinevere, great queen of Arthurian legend, died), the walk then passes through the King’s Barrows, a cluster of ancient burial mounds—dissected by a ridge-top path known as ‘Stonehenge Avenue’. Before descending upon some magnificent moorland vistas, past the Cursus, another fascinating ancient monument, before finishing at Stonehenge itself. Watch out for plenty of moorland wildlife along the way, notably the great bustard, hunted to extinction on these shores by 1832 but recently reintroduced and reintegrated.

A walk of “Stonehenge Secrets”…

Alternatively, you could try the ‘undiscovered’ Stonehenge walk (no walk ID, distance: 4 miles, average duration: 2 hours). The walk takes in the many aspects of the Stonehenge site that frequently go unvisited. Begin at Woodhenge car park and head towards Durrington Walls (the ancient settlement where the people who built Stonehenge lived). Then take the trail to the Cuckoo Stone (another prehistoric stone monument) before ending at King Barrow Ridge. It’s a less popular walk, but the views are still stunning.

Other interesting walks around Stonehenge

Another great Wiltshire walk is at Stourhead Park Hill Camp (no walk ID, distance: 3 miles, average duration: 1.5 hours). You take in an iron age fort, some beautiful country woodland, and a magnificent 18th-century house and gardens. You will start the walk from the car park at Stourhead visitor centre. From there you can follow some orange way-markers posted toward the direction of Whitesheet Hill. At the top of which you will find a fascinating excavation of an ancient hill fort. From there, descend through woodland into the valley and onto the estate at Stourhead, where you can marvel at the magnificently maintained gardens and exotic trees and enjoy some refreshment at the Stourhead House café. Again, keep an eye out for woodpeckers and other native fauna.

The walk from Stonehenge to Woodhenge

Yes, you can walk from the car park at Stonehenge to Woodhenge, it’s approximately a 2.5-mile walk to get to Woodhenge on good and flat footpaths. The walk will take you across many interesting historical sites and you will see the beauty of the Salisbury Plain. This walk will not cost you anything, you just need to ensure you are happy and able to do a 5 mile (8km) walk. Dogs are also allowed at Woodhenge and Stonehenge as long as they are on a lead.

A final idea for the very ambitious walker…

Try this one; it stretches across the Clarendon Way, connecting Salisbury and Winchester’s two historic Wessex cities (no walk ID, distance: 24 miles, average duration: 8 hours). Begin at the centre of Salisbury and then head to Clarendon Palace. From there, pass over the hills to the village of Broughton before moving to Oliver’s Battery and finishing at the river Itchen as it passes through the centre of Winchester. With plenty of great scenery and historic landmarks, the walk is certainly rewarding if you feel you have the legs for it. Of course, there are several pubs along the way on hand to help keep you refueled. 

Finally, Wiltshire has over 800 registered trails, so be sure to research properly to find out which walk best suits you. We hope the Stonehenge walks we have mentioned here help you to find the right way to see this famous world heritage site while getting some great exercise.

Our Popular Stonehenge Tours