This is an ancient site with a lot of mystery in it. It was exciting to get to visit this place and hear more about it. Everyone should be so lucky to visit here and learn more about it. read more

Stonehenge is Stonehenge. It's a definitive experience that you "just have to see" if you're in the area, and you definitely pay the price for this extremely quintessential tourist experience. When purchasing tickets, you go to the visitor's center building set up about a mile or so away from the stones, then check into a line, and ride a bus over there with everyone else. You will likely be in line longer than viewing Stonehenge. What was interesting about this experience, however, was that once the bus drops you off, there is no further need to have your tickets. There were people parking at the visitor's center that were walking over to Stonehenge, and simply going inside. Presumably for free, since no one was there to collect tickets. HOWEVER, please note that when you purchase official tickets, it goes to the Heritage Center, which impacts probably hundreds of heritage sights all around GB. So there's that. When you arrive, you proceed off the bus and follow the predestined path along the outskirts of the stones, winding in a circular loop back to bus pick-up. If you're stopping to take pictures and goof off a bit, expect to go around the entire area in about 35-40 minutes (this time was based on the first picture I took, all the way to the final picture). If you're only taking a few pictures, you can easily get out in half that time. When once you could walk right up to the stones, over the years, a bunch of assholes chipped away pieces and presumably tried carving into it, so now thanks to these assholes, we can't get very close to the stones at all. I'm talking like pretty damn far; it's hard to tell... 50 feet? 100? More? Let's just say that when you take a picture of them, they're about 2 inches on your screen, when they are 13 feet tall. THE VERDICT: My personal take away from Stonehenge was that I was glad I did it, despite the 17-18 quid cost, but I wasn't overcome with the spirit of fascination of magic or mysticism or whatever. I say, for everyone on the fence about the experience... Just do it. It's worth doing once, and it's nice to take your own pictures of everything and to be able to tell people that you've seen it. They'll have no idea you were hundreds of feet away (?), and will probably be jealous. Also, the rock cakes here are a solid snack option, as I found them to be rather tasty. MY TIME: -Spent about 30 minutes in line getting tickets (they were pre-purchased on the internet, and we had to pick them up), spent about 30 minutes in line waiting for the bus to get there, spent about 40 minutes experiencing Stonehenge and taking pictures, spent about 30 minutes walking back to the visitor's center instead of taking the bus, spent about an hour and 10 minutes at the visitor's center checking out the exhibition (including buying and eating breakfast), for an approximate time of 3 and a quarter hours. I was leisurely about everything, but like pretty much everything I did in GB, waiting in line was often longer than the experiences themselves. TIPS/SUGGESTIONS: -I definitely suggest purchasing the booklet for 5 quid, it makes for a great souvenir, and offers a nice historical perspective on the whole experience. -There are no bathrooms at Stonehenge, please use the restrooms at the visitor's center. -If you're able-bodied and not afraid to walk on the road, the walk from the visitor's center to the stones is totally doable, and even nice. 30-45 minute walk, depending on if you're stopping to take pictures, and checking out the greenery and flowers. -Parking is free if you've bought your ticket online. read more

Personally, this was THE highlight of my trip to England. Seeing this place with my own eyes and experiencing the foggy mist filtering out the sunlight over the stones was a beautiful sight. It's not just a historical place, it's very spiritual. At least that's how I felt, but I was also fortunate to come early before the crowded really started to pile in. I'd highly recommend coming in early unless you want to be stuck walking in a tight circle with a bunch of other photo-hungry fiends... Coming here is a little out of the way, but Salisbury is nearby and equally as quaint, so it's not as if this is located in the middle of nowhere. The drive isn't too bad and not visiting here is like saying you didn't see the Empire State Building in NYC. read more

Well yes of course.... you must do this right? It is cool and the audio tour just adds to it. Try heading over to Woodhenge when you are done. :) Sure, everyone has been to Stonehenge... but then you can casually drop "well, yes of course... I assume you went to Woodhenge too then?" "What? No... shame, it is only a mile away and quite the thing to see." Now between you and I, it is not the thing to see, but it truly is down the street, parking is easy and it's free to get in and walk about. Why not do it? The lack of touristy stuff is refreshing too. Back to Stonehenge. Yes.. do the audio tour. Take your time. Be reflective and understand what you are looking at, and you will get the most out of the experience. It is a lovely area of the world. Be warned it can get windy and cold there, so be prepared to bring a coat or more. Then do Woodhenge. :) read more

Simply cannot say enough, one off my bucket list! The stones are smaller than I imagined but nonetheless magnificent. We survived a saturated and muddy plain to be part of the Summer Solstice of 2012. Thank goodness we had the sense to drive as the car provided great shelter during the rain of the wee morning hours. The time to go here is solstice, amazing privilege to get to touch the stones and dance with wanna be hippies in a drum circle! read more

Aaaamazing. I knew it would be, but totally blew me out of the water. The visitor center is a bit strange looking, but entirely nice. Clean bathrooms, a little cafe with chips made with lobsters, and a pretty awesome gift shop. The staff were nice, the bus to and from the stones was quick and seamless. I would totally go again...probably will if I can get inside the circle. read more

HOLY CRISPY CRAP, HOW AWESOME!!!! Ok, it's hella lame that you can't actually go up to the stones and touch them unless you make an appointment for a special visit (if I'd have known this beforehand, you bet your sweet ass I'd have signed up)....but I understand the reasoning behind it so I can't be mad. It's just so incredible to be here in person to see this icon of human history - surreal and awe inspiring!! My husband was a little miffed at the £7.50 admission to "just look at a pile of rocks" but hey, not everyone gets all excited about this stuff like I do! And I gotta say - it's a great excuse to put on your hoodie and stomp around chanting like a mystical ancient Druid. Not that I did anything of the sort....ya know, I'm just sayin..... read more

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This has got to be the most famous rocks in the world I'd think. They are huge and it's a marvel as to how they got there in the first place. There is much mystery shrouding this place which adds to the aura. The audio guide helps you along but it can only go so far. This is yet another place with a rich and amazing history. The downside is this place is pretty far from anywhere and it's not a day long excursion by any stretch. A couple of hours is all you need. If you can come early then you can beat some of the crowds but you still get a view either way. It's changed and come a long way from the time when you could actually go up to the stones but still worth seeing once in your life I'd say. read more

The Marmite of the ancient wonders of the world. For me, it was pretty much just rocks. I'm really glad to have seen it, and I'm happy it's preserved and gives many people a lot of joy and all, but it's just not like that for me. We came in on the train from London and took the tourist bus from Salisbury station (£27 a person, for the return coach journey at whatever time we wanted, entry to Stonehenge, audio guide, and Old Sarum. We didn't go to Old Sarum). The coach is about 30 minutes from Salisbury to Stonehenge. You pull up into Stonehenge a few minutes' walk away, and the driver sorts out tickets and stuff and then you walk in to the visitor centre. The visitor centre has an odd look to it but does have the requisite gift shop, canteen, and exhibition. The day we were there, the toilets were broken (which didn't add to the day!) and it was over 30 degrees, so there was a lot of water drunk and no where for it to go... So the centre is about 1.5 miles from the stones, so you can walk or take a shuttle that runs all the time. We opted for the shuttle and took the short ride out to the stones. We decided to not get the audio guide as we wanted to just have the experience of being there, without being too distracted. Even though it was a pretty busy day - end of the summer on a Saturday - we weren't crowded and got plenty of touristy shots and walked all the way around. The scale of each rock was more than I expected, but the scale of the site overall is smaller than you'd think. Yes, you can't go into the stones, but at the beginning especially you're pretty close. The atmosphere is ruined, of course, by the thousand other people and the busy road you're by. Then it was back on the shuttle, a nip around the gift shop, and back on the tourist bus. The bus takes a bit longer to get back into Salisbury as it takes a circuitous route to stop at Old Sarum. With the exception of the broken loos, I have nothing bad to say about Stonehenge. I just don't have a lot of great stuff to say, either. read more

My audio guide worked well, and this is a place I will remember, even though my camera died in London and I don't have any pictures. When I went, it was cold, drizzly, but who cares? I was in front of Stonehenge. I'm not a spiritual person, but this place was awesome spiritually and academically, because we're still not sure of it's purpose, how it was built, etc. There are few real mysteries left--it's pretty cool to see a real one. It's busy, but the audio tour and/or your own music makes it much more personal. read more

You need to know two things about Stonehenge before you visit: 1) the site has nothing to do with Druids, and 2) there will be throngs of people. Some sources suggest that visiting early in the morning will help you avoid the crowds of people--and that may be true. But if you are day-tripping from London or Bristol or some other major city, you will be in the car or tour bus for at least an hour or two...so an early morning arrival may not be possible. We arrived around 11am and there were hundreds of people on site already...many of them waiting in line to buy tickets or pick up the pre-sale admissions they'd purchased online. If you have extremely high expectations, you may be underwhelmed by Stonehenge. You can't walk up to the stones, you likely will be unable to take any photos without having strangers in the background, and you likely will freeze your sensitive bits if the weather is anything but perfect. Even on cloudless, bright and sunny days, the wind comes whipping up the Salisbury Plain and you will wish you'd worn layers of clothing and jackets. Stonehenge itself is without a doubt 5 stars. But the crowd control by the heritage folks and concessionaires, the lines and services, the lack of signs at critical places, and some other minor issues make this a 4-star attraction for me. My family disagrees--but then I'm writing this and they are not. Definitely visit Stonehenge if you are able; but bring a jacket or two, be ready to stand in a queue, and don't expect to have a personal religious experience while surrounded by 500 other people. read more

Stonehenge - Bluestone megaliths from Wales, forming the iconic Stonehenge ceremonial site. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

Stonehenge is great. There are pagans at the gate that will let you on their side of the fence for a donation, and they have a sign about the commodification of their spiritual site. We were already on a bus tour, or I would have supported their cause. From the parking lot a bus comes and takes you up to Stonehenge and it picks you up and drops you off at the visitor center. I enjoyed seeing the recreation of the cottages of the time period, the history of the Roman plunder, and was able to purchase gifts for family. read more

Ahh stone henge.. it really is a marvel. You know what it is if you are reading this so I will spare you. Located in Salisbury and a bit of a pain to get to, but a good day trip if you have a day to dedicate. Busses and trains are the best way unless you have a car. There is good parking, a souvineer shop and food stand which is great since again.. it is in the middle of nowhere in a field. First of all, they don't let you near the rocks on the average persons tour. There is a large circle path around it which probably really only takes 5-7 minutes to walk around but wait there is an audio tour!! So you pay only a little extra to get in and get the audio tour and hey you came all the way out there so you may as well do it. Here are 5 things you need to know about the audio tour: 1) It really just paces people and makes the walk around the path about 30 minutes. 2) It tells you the name of the stones, what they MAY have been used for and where they came from. 3) You will look like a loser if you don't have the 1980's cell phone style audio tour speaker attached to your head as you stare at the rocks. Non conformists!!! 4) There are stopping points on the tour where you get to stare and reflect, often with nice park benches. 5) The half an hour of information on the audio tour is 90% speculation. Maybe the rocks were for a clock? a calendar? a play pen for giant babies? who knows.. no answers here and it can get obnoxious. Don't be the Beavis's and Buttheads who don't pay the few pounds to get in to Stone Henge and stare at it through the fence. Yeah you can see it still but you should really at least make a donation to any historical feature or museum. Oh and bring your zoom lenses even if you go on the tour because you really are not that close to get any stunning, photographs. read more

Overall: Not as impressive in the "flesh" Driving towards Stonehenge was far less impressive than I thought. It wasn't very spectacular seeing a few big rocks on top of a hill from a distance. Getting up closer, I still wasn't as impressed as I should have been. This rock circle is far smaller than you'd imagine. But putting things into perspective, they are still pretty large and the stories of how or why it was formed are still intriguing. Don't get me wrong, Stonehenge is still a fantastic place to visit. Be sure to pick up a handset, so you can follow the informative guide around the site. In recent years, they've put a "barrier" between the public and the stones to protect them. There's a cafe which isn't extravagant and a gift shop with the usual souvenirs. read more

After you get off the train station, don't forget to purchase your bus ticket to the Stonehenge site. The bus stop is right outside the train station and the bus ride takes another good 15-20 minutes. Remember to scratch off the correct date/year on your bus ticket to get validated by the bus driver when you get on. Amazing piece of history and mystery. The audio tour is worth putting your money on. Spend on it! Take a walk around the stonehenge. Look around the ridiculously beautiful green field all around, high mountains, warm breeze and these humongous rocks piled up since the ancient times. The gift shop has a lot of goodies for you to take your memories home. Go check it out read more

As I continue my world travels, this time the most exotic Hampshire, I make a point of going to the local history hotspots, and in the uk you don't get more famous than Stonehenge. Ok I did manage to choose a day when it was pissing down and brass monkeys were definitely feeling it. First off this place is run by English Heritage, so if you are a member of any of the affiliated organisations remember and take your card. Being the good and loyal national trust member that I am #, I forgot to take my card, bang goes £7.80. A lot of people seem to moan about the size of the place, but remember they were a lot shorter in times gone by and I still think they are reasonably sized. As for facilities I have to say they were kinda lacking, you have tickets, toilets, gift shop and a snack van. There is talk of building more, which I think would make a huge difference. All in all lovely place but typically British, so much more could be made of it. read more

I can't imagine why someone would give Stonehenge less than five stars, there aren't many thing more amazing in the whole world. All the websites I looked at said it would be cold on the plain and it certainly was. Traffic was also shit for about an hour on the way there as the road goes from two to one lane everything is quite congested. IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! Stonehenge is amazing! The app that was suggested to me when I signed into the wifi was super informative, I recommend it. read more

Once in a lifetime opportunity for me and it was worth the all day road trip to see such an awesome ancient monument. Just to think what this place meant to its people! Great time here, if your thinking about it, do it! read more

Stonehenge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

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I imagined that you could get closer to the stones but sadly they block it off and you can't get next to them or near them. The little houses made of stone are quite unique and cool to see and visualize how life was in them with the actuality of it. Overall a great experience to see and check off your bucket list if you're in England. read more

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To get the best out of this place it is best to go and organise a night tour where you can go inside the stone circle Everytime I go it is way to touristy and you cant really get a sense of the place It does have a good audiotour but all the mystery is taken away by the mass of people there read more

Magical. In the true sense of the word. I loved Stonehenge for what it was, a glimpse into an unimaginable past, with all the peacefulness and wonderment of mystical site. The eery feeling you get standing looking at the stones is amazing, and the audio guide you get as part of the entry price does a pretty good job at trying to get you to 'be there'. It's a shame you can't touch them but in a way I'm glad. There are too many people with too little respect for them. The fence could be a bit nearer though, the loony lefts and liberals have taken it a bit too far. What I didn't love were the coachloads upon coachloads of tourists. It is SO crowded. We were there on a windy, wet day which only added to the majesty in some ways, but even with that weather the place was overrun. The other thing I didn't like was the picnic facilities, or lack thereof. A few pub benches right next to the car park just isn't good enough really. They are in demand and too few bins means those disrespectful people I mentioned earlier just let their rubbish flutter away. I felt sorry for the bloke whos job it was to pick it all up and change the bin bags. On a site where there is an awful lot of grass they could do better. If you can ignore what is going on around you and see Stonehenge in a focussed way you won't be disappointed. read more

I spent a month in europe (england, france and poland) and this site was defiantly one of the highlights. Words and yelping cannot describe the sheer beauty and size of stonehedge. Spend a day here. Do the audio tour then relax on the grounds. This truly is an experience i will never forget. August 2103 read more

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It's well worth the trip from Oxford! Been here twice but I'll never get tired of going back again. The place is just magical and mysterious! Right in the middle of nowhere. read more

Stonehenge - Archaeologists believe it was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

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What can I say about this place.... It's all in to the eyes of the person who is looking at it. Some people may not see anything may just see bunch of stones stacked up. Where as others may see unsolved mystery of History. It's just mind boggling that it's history has been dated back to 5000 years back with the help of carbon dating. That itself is pretty amazing to be there be in a place where people were trying to build some thing with no modern technology and equipments. It's just amazing. read more

I've been about 20 times - never tire of it. English Heritage has botched the experience beyond belief. The visitor center is a 40 minute walk to the stones. The queue for tickets is at least 30-40 minutes. Two windows for the middle of summer? The queue for the free bus to the stones is going to cost you 20-30 minutes. Just not worth it - one of the worst tourist experiences you can have in England. read more

Really loved Stonehenge as a child and always wanted to visit it! Then I go and its a set of stones, I'd much prefer to actually be able to go and look and touch the stones! Too many tourists and not able to really get close enough! Yet free to get in as I get free entry to English Heritage through work! read more

Smaller than I imagined but still magnificent. Free audio tour in different languages available, or you can download the free official app "Stonehenge" on your iPhone or Android. read more

Stonehenge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

This is one of the wonders of the world and a must to see if you are in the area. Just driving up the motor way, cresting a hill and then seeing it just 'appear' in front of you on the plains is an amazing experience. There is a parking lot, gift shop, toilets etc and you do have to pay to get in. They have stopped people from actually going into the stones to preserve them although there are certain times during the year when the do allow total access. It is amazing to think of how this huge stones have been put into place and the use the local tribes must have had for them. read more

For many years I heard of this wonder place and today I got change to visit. Amazing views. Bit disappointed with the entry fee £6.60. A bit high for a place like this. Anyways.. the views are amazing here. I dont' know about before but No one was allowed to go near the stones. There were a rope around the stones, oh well who's bothered about that, My camera went very close to it :) A good place to spend a day. Free Parking.. Gift shop, Ice parlour and a small fast food place.. The first impression of the place is very nice. As you are approaching the site on the road, you get this amazing view of stonehenges from the road. And that makes you think.. YEAH MAN.. i want to go closer. And when you go there, you see a rope barrier around the stonehenges and you think, oh well no worries.. I definitely recommend it. Its a worldwide famous site and you can say to anyone yep I've been there. read more

So everyone knows the history of this place and the significance of it all so I'll just comment on the experience. Expect lots of traffic driving into the place. We waited for about an hour or so before making it to the visitors center. The exhibit is really well done and I would definitely spend some time there preferably before you go out to the site. The audio tour is helpful and has lots of good info and allows you to take your time or just walk around the stones real quick. Overall a good time but don't plan to spend more than 2-3 hours max before getting bored. read more

Stonehenge - The Stones - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

This is worth the 1.5 hour train ride from central London, along with the 30 minute bus ride from the train station. In fact the bus ride is very informative and travels through the beautiful town of Salisbury. You can stop in at Salisbury on your way back but be careful you remember the bus times. Otherwise, you may need to take a short walk or a cab ride back to the train station. No fear, though. This was on £4.40. read more

Stonehenge - Beautiful site. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

A truely magical and ancient place iv slept there a few times in the early 90s...of course you can't get near it now....sadly the crowd and ambience have changed simce then ...but id always go back to this gem of a place read more

The stones and story are awesome. I visited Easter 08 and it was bitterly cold, but there were still masses of people there. The audio tour really adds to the experience but if you go as a family inevitably the children will have finished and be wanting to go before you are ready. If you are a member of English Heritage you can get in free. Well worth visiting Avebury whilst you are in the area. You can also touch the stones there and if you are an English Heritage member parking is free (even though it is National Trust). read more

Nice stones; shame about the surroundings. As others have pointed out, it's spoilt by intrusive fences and an ugly visitor centre. A trunk road runs past it, and it's very near a busy (and dangerous) road junction. Maybe if the 'Stonehenge Plan' ever happens, things will improve. Until it does, go to Avebury, insyead, for your 'Stones Experience' read more

A nice place of human history. Its worth its visit. read more

Stonehenge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Amesbury, WIL

Stonehenge is a pretty cool place to visit, and ponder about its many mysteries. Entrance fee cost £6.60 for adults, 1st April it goes up to£6.90 and childeren £3.30 and then £3.50 after March. The guide tour would have been much better if they had headphones instead of holding a speaker to your ear. This becomes irritating while you want to take some pictures! So you end up missing alot of the audio tour even though you can rewind it.. Stones cannot be touched, this is prevented by following the path around it. The best place to take a pic is from behind the stones, audio number 5 i think. You'll understand when your there. Make sure to take a raincoat just incase as it gets rainy and cold up there in March. Also there's a no-fee carpark accross the road. HopeI have explained everything you guys needed to know. read more

We did the stone circle access tour - Got up close with the stones - Incredible experience. We booked the inside access tickets months in advance. Got here at 5 30 am and got to walk inside the stone circle. It was a bus full of people at the site and we got to explore the area for at least 45 minutes. Great experience. Highly recommend it. read more

Stonehenge attracts some because it's a riddle. For others, it is the most obvious situation in the world. A circle is a place to gather, to dance and drum or sit in silence and meditate. It's a place to heal and whisper and tell the time. For those who want to know how the stones got there and what they may mean, I'd advise to watch http://worldmysteries.tv/the-magic-of-stonehenge-paranormal-documentary/ It suggests the site could be the source of a mysterious power that might hold all of Britain in a strange magnetic force field. read more

I wouldn't get yourself too pumped out about this, as it is ultimately a group of large rocks that you're heading to visit. The entry fee is about 16 pounds, which we paid our tour group guide, and that got us access to the bus up to the site and an audio guide that we could use while up there. We waited in line for the bus, which didn't take long, and that then drove you about a mile up the road to Stonehenge itself. As you got out and started wandering the path towards Stonehenge, you see numbers that you key into your audio guide - and you learn all about the history - builders, building, what we know and don't know about the site. You circle the site on this path, learning about it the whole way around, and snapping pictures around it as well - and then the path leads you out and back to the buses at the end. You're welcome to spend as much time up there as you'd like, and I can't recommend using the audio guide enough as it really puts the whole place in perspective. Where they got the materials from, why we think they did it, why they moved certain stones over time, who they were, etc. etc. Tremendous experience all around. read more

Stonehenge was awesome, other than the fact that it smelt like cow dung the entire way. You have to take a train from London all the way to Salisbury, which is pronounced "SOUL'S BURY" in the English Sap Land with their sappy, stinky accents. The train ride takes nearly 3 hours, and once you're in Salisbury, you have to take a bus, which is located RIGHT outside the train station, and pay another 30 pounds to get to Stonehenge. The bus ride takes you throughout the city, which is nice, and then finally to the destination. Once you reach it, it smells like cow dung. If you stay long enough, you start smelling like cow dung, unless of course you already smell like cow dung, or your boy friend smells like it and you kissed him and your breath starts smelling like cow dung from a cow that has sea sickness. The actually rocks are not as big as I thought. The are scattered throughout, and you cannot get too close to them. After circling the entire area, you get bored and then go to a little touristy rest area where they sell souvenirs. This place is more lame than dead people. But I ordered some chocolates and they were delicious. read more