Stonehenge Tours from LondonLondon to Stonehenge: Every Way to Get There and Back in a Day
Getting from London to Stonehenge takes planning, because the stones sit 140.8 km (87.5 miles) from central London in open Wiltshire countryside with no train station of their own. This page compares every way to make the journey in one day: a coach tour with a guide, the train to Salisbury plus the Stonehenge Tour bus, or your own car on the A303. For each we give the travel time each way, what a ticket costs, how long you actually get at the stones, and the catch you find out about too late on other sites. You can also jump straight to our comparison of Stonehenge tours from London.
The Stonehenge visitor centre, where the shuttle to the stones starts. Photo: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer The short answer
Stonehenge is 140.8 km (87.5 miles) from central London, about 1 hour 49 minutes by car with no traffic, and coach tours budget 105 minutes to 2 hours each way. There is no direct train: the fastest rail option runs from Waterloo to Salisbury in about 1 hour 21 minutes, then a bus covers the last 35 minutes. A coach tour is the simplest way from London to Stonehenge and back in one day.
Key takeaways
- The Stonehenge Morning Half-Day Tour from London with Admission leaves South Kensington at 7:30 AM, gives you about 2 hours at the stones and costs $87.
- Prefer to travel independently? See our full guide to Stonehenge by train from London, which covers the Waterloo to Salisbury timetable and the Stonehenge Tour bus in detail.
- Driving yourself? The A303 past the stones is still a single-carriageway road that jams in summer, because the planned tunnel was scrapped.
- Check how much time each Stonehenge day trip from London actually gives you at the monument before you book.
How Far Is Stonehenge From London?
The distance and drive time set the shape of your whole day, so start here.
The Distance Itself
Central London to the Stonehenge visitor centre is 140.8 km (87.5 miles), measured from Victoria. A routing engine puts the drive at about 1 hour 49 minutes with no traffic. That is a best case. The final stretch runs on the A303, a single-carriageway road that regularly jams in summer, so add slack.
The distance matters because it rules out the easy half-day idea. Even the shortest coach day from London takes 6.5 to 8 hours door to door, and days that add Bath, Windsor or Oxford run 11 to 12.5 hours. Anyone selling you a London to Stonehenge trip in under six hours is not counting honestly.
Where the Stones Sit
The visitor centre sits away from the stones. A shuttle takes 5-10 minutes, or you can walk 25-40 minutes each way along a marked path past Bronze Age burial mounds. There is no shelter, food or toilet at the stones: the cafe, shop and toilets are at the visitor centre only.
On an exposed stretch of Salisbury Plain the wind makes it feel colder than the thermometer says, so a waterproof is worth the space in your bag in any season.
Sources: English Heritage prices and opening times, Stone Circle Experience
Every Way From London to Stonehenge, Compared
Five realistic ways to make the trip, with the time each way, the ticket situation and the catch for each.
The Comparison Table
The figures below come from the tour listings, the English Heritage price list and the operator timetables, not from advertising copy. Entry prices are the advance adult rate unless marked on the day. Time each way is the journey from central London to the site, not including the shuttle from the visitor centre to the stones.
| Way | Time each way | Ticket | Whole day | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach half-day tour (e.g. the morning half-day) | 105 min to 2 hours | Included | 6.5-8 hours | Fixed times, about 2 hours at the stones at most on the cheapest full-stop days |
| Train + Stonehenge Tour bus | About 1h21 (fastest train) + 35 min bus | Sold separately, or an all-in-one bus ticket | Full day, 8+ hours | No direct train: you change nothing but you must change to a bus in Salisbury |
| Driving yourself | About 1h49 with no traffic | Adult £27.20 ($36.05) advance, plus paid parking for non-members | You set it | Summer A303 jams, and the driver sees nothing but the road |
| Small-group minibus day (e.g. The English Bus Bath day) | 105 min to 2 hours | NOT included: paid to the guide on the day | 11-11.5 hours | Entry is £24.65 adult winter weekdays or £27.03 winter weekends, collected on the coach |
| Two-stop day, e.g. Stonehenge and Bath | 105 min to 2 hours to Stonehenge first | Included on most | 11 hours | Only about 90 minutes at the stones once Bath shares the day |
The One Honest Rule
The more stops in the day, the less time you get at Stonehenge. The listings show about 60 minutes at the stones on the fastest Windsor-Stonehenge-Bath triple, about 90 minutes on the Bath and Oxford days, about 105 minutes on the English Bus days, about 2 hours on the morning half-day and the Avebury day, and about 2.5 hours on the longest half-day. Golden Tours does not publish a figure for its Windsor day.
If time at the monument is the whole point for you, a half-day with a single stop wins.
A Stonehenge Day Trip from London
A traveller's day from London to the stones and back. Third-party video by Hues of Delahaye. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Taking a Coach Tour From London
The option most visitors pick, and usually the right one for a first visit.
How It Works
A coach tour bundles the transport, the driver and usually the Stonehenge entry into one booking. You meet the coach in central London, ride out together, get a timed visit at the stones and ride back. Departure points in the current listings cluster in four places: South Kensington (Cromwell Road and Gloucester Road), Victoria Coach Station, by the London Eye and in Earl's Court.
The half-days leave early. The Stonehenge Morning Half-Day Tour from London with Admission checks in at 7:15 AM for a 7:30 AM departure from outside the Lycée Français in South Kensington and is back by about 2 PM, which leaves your afternoon free.
- Cheapest listed half-day seat: $78 for the Victoria half-day with audio app, about 2.5 hours on site
- Most-booked style: the 11-hour three-stop days from Victoria, from $91 to $96
- Small-group minibus days: up to 15 or 19 seats, $105 to $208
- Inner circle days: $219 to $255, seasonal
Check the Ticket Before You Book
Not every tour includes the Stonehenge ticket. Both English Bus days do NOT: the guide pre-books it and collects payment on the coach, £24.65 adult on winter weekdays and £27.03 on winter weekends. Three Windsor combos sell options with and without entries, so check which option you are buying.
A ticket bought at the gate on your own costs more than the advance rate: adult £32.00 ($42.41) instead of £27.20 ($36.05), booked online by midnight the day before. For the full price breakdown by age and family ticket, see our page on Stonehenge tickets.
Inner Circle Coaches Are Seasonal
A normal ticket keeps you on a roped path around the stones. Only a Stone Circle Experience goes inside, before or after public hours, and English Heritage runs none in October or November. That makes the inner circle tours from London seasonal: the Evan Evans inner circle day runs on set dates between mid-May and late September, and the Premium Tours sunrise and sunset day runs no tours in October or November.
Salisbury station, where The Stonehenge Tour bus starts. Photo: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Train and Bus: The Independent Route
No station at Stonehenge, but Salisbury gets you close and a dedicated bus does the rest.
How the Day Fits Together
Trains leave London Waterloo for Salisbury roughly every 30 minutes, with the fastest taking about 1 hour 21 minutes and the average about 1 hour 40. At Salisbury station you pick up the Stonehenge Tour bus, which runs to the stones in 35 minutes with recorded commentary in 10 languages and a stop at Old Sarum on the way. Its all-in-one ticket covers the bus, Stonehenge entry and Salisbury Cathedral, and the fare is shown only at booking. A cheaper bus-only ticket without the entries is also sold.
Built from the timetables rather than published anywhere, a realistic full day runs about 8 hours or more from central London: an average train out, the 35-minute bus, 1.5-2 hours at the stones and the same back. The winter bus timetable starts from the station at 10:05 and the last bus back leaves Stonehenge at 17:15, so watch the clock. The full timetable, fares logic and gotchas live on our Stonehenge by train from London page. If you have an hour in Salisbury, the cathedral holds one of the four surviving originals of the 1215 Magna Carta and the tallest church spire in England at 123 m, with entry by suggested donation.
Driving From London to Stonehenge
Maximum flexibility, minimum sightseeing for whoever holds the wheel.
The Route and the Road
The drive from central London is 140.8 km (87.5 miles), about 1 hour 49 minutes with no traffic. Most of the route is fast road until the A303, which runs right past the stones and is still single-carriageway. The long-planned tunnel to remove the road from the view was scrapped: the government suspended it in July 2024 and the planning consent was later revoked.
In summer the A303 jams, so treat 2 hours each way as realistic on a peak Saturday.
Tickets and Parking
You will need a timed entry ticket. Booked online by midnight the day before, an adult advance ticket costs £27.20 ($36.05) with the Gift Aid donation or £24.65 ($32.67) without, a child 5-17 is £13.60 ($18.02) or £12.32, and a family of 2 adults and up to 3 children is £68.00 ($90.12) or £61.79. On-the-day gate prices are higher: adult £32.00 ($42.41) or £29.00 ($38.43).
English Heritage and National Trust England members go free but still need to book a timed slot, and parking is charged to non-members. Last admission is 2 hours before closing, and the site ran 09:30-17:00 on late September days with later closes in summer.
Why the Driver Loses Out
The honest catch with driving is that one of you spends nearly 4 hours on the road and arrives tired. The stones themselves ask for a further 5-10 minutes by shuttle or 25-40 minutes on foot each way from the visitor centre, and there is no food or shelter at the monument. If nobody in the car minds, driving lets you add Avebury, free to enter though its National Trust car park charges £8 a day (£5 after 3 PM), or Old Sarum on the same day, which no fixed coach itinerary allows.
Which Way From London to Stonehenge Should You Take?
Match the route to your day, your budget and who is travelling.
If You want the simplest book-it-and-forget day
Take a coach tour. The morning half-day with admission at $87 gives about 2 hours at the stones and gets you back by 2 PM.
If You are on the tightest budget and happy without a live guide
The Victoria half-day with an audio app is $78 and still includes entry and about 2.5 hours on site.
If You want independence and a flexible return time
Take the train to Salisbury and the Stonehenge Tour bus. The timetables are broken down on our train guide.
If You have a car and a willing driver
Drive. Budget 140.8 km (87.5 miles) and closer to 2 hours each way in summer, and buy your entry online the day before to beat the gate price.
If You want more than one place in the day
Pick a two- or three-stop coach day, such as the Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath triple, and accept about 60 minutes at the stones.
If You want to stand inside the circle
Only a seasonal inner circle day does that, and none run in October or November. Compare them on our Stonehenge tours from London homepage.
Questions About Getting From London to Stonehenge
Can Stonehenge be a day trip from London?
Yes, but it is a long one. The site is 140.8 km (87.5 miles) from central London and coaches budget 105 minutes to 2 hours each way, so even a half-day with one stop runs 6.5-8 hours, and days that add Bath or Windsor run 11 to 12.5 hours. The Stonehenge Morning Half-Day Tour from London with Admission is the shortest listed option and still leaves at 7:30 AM.
Is there a direct train from London to Stonehenge?
No. There is no station at Stonehenge. The nearest practical rail head is Salisbury, about 1 hour 21 minutes at the fastest from Waterloo, then the Stonehenge Tour bus covers the last 35 minutes. Our train guide has the full timetable.
What is the easiest way to get to Stonehenge from London?
A coach tour from central London. One booking covers transport and, on most tours, the timed entry ticket, with meeting points in South Kensington, Victoria, by the London Eye and in Earl's Court. Compare every Stonehenge tour from London on our homepage before choosing.
How long do you actually spend at the stones on a tour?
It depends how many stops the day has. The listings show about 60 minutes on the Windsor-Stonehenge-Bath triple, about 90 minutes on the Bath and Oxford days, about 105 minutes on the English Bus days and about 2 to 2.5 hours on the single-stop half-days. Golden Tours does not publish a figure for its triple. The details sit in our comparison table.
Is the Stonehenge entry ticket included in every tour price?
No. Both English Bus days exclude it and the guide collects £24.65 adult on winter weekdays or £27.03 on winter weekends on the day, and the Windsor combos sell options with and without entries. Check the inclusion note before you pay. Ticket prices in depth are on our Stonehenge tickets page.
How long does it take to drive from London to Stonehenge?
About 1 hour 49 minutes for the 140.8 km (87.5 miles) with no traffic, but the last stretch is the single-carriageway A303, which jams in summer now that the tunnel plan was scrapped. Two hours each way is the realistic peak-season figure.
Can you do Stonehenge and Bath in one day from London?
Yes, on a coach day of about 11 hours, with roughly 90 minutes at Stonehenge and 2 to 3 hours in Bath. The Stonehenge and Bath day trip includes the Stonehenge entry but not the Roman Baths, which use date-based pricing. It is a full day, not a relaxed one.