Stonehenge is visited with an English Heritage ticket valid all day, ideally booked online by the day before at the latest to get the discounted price. The site currently opens from 9:30 am to 5 pm (last entry 3 pm). This page sets out the ticketing rules, how to get there from London, and the sunrise and sunset times at the solstices, when the monument lines up with the sun. For the rest of your trip, see our United Kingdom guide.
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Key facts: Stonehenge
- Current opening hours: every day from 9:30 am to 5 pm, last entry at 3 pm (recorded on 15 October 2026).
- Ticket: valid all day, with no time limit during opening hours.
- Price: a discount (up to 15%) for any online booking up to midnight the day before; full price on site or on the day. Amounts are shown only on the official ticket site.
- Free for English Heritage and National Trust (England) members, on presentation of the card.
- Parking: £4 for non-members.
- Winter solstice 2026: Tuesday 22 December 2026 (information and parking booking from 2 November).
- Information checked on 15 October 2026 on English Heritage (official operator) — subject to change, check before you go.
Tickets: official vs resellers
Stonehenge is run by English Heritage. Its prices page says tickets are valid all day: you can arrive at any time and stay as long as you like during opening hours. Booking online up to midnight the day before gives you the discount (« up to 15% »); on the day, online or on site, you pay full price. The exact amounts are shown on the official ticket site: we do not reproduce them, as we have not recorded them from a public page.
To get close to the stones, English Heritage offers the Stone Circle Experience, a supervised visit inside the circle, to be booked separately. Coach excursions from London (leaving from Victoria) are sold by agencies: they include transport, sometimes the ticket. Check what is included and compare with a train fare + official ticket.
Opening hours and closing days
On 15 October 2026, English Heritage showed opening Monday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 5 pm, with last entry at 3 pm. Hours vary with the season and at the solstices: check the official « Prices and Opening Times » page for the date of your visit.
Best time: the solstices and the light
Stonehenge’s axis is aligned with sunrise at the summer solstice and sunset at the winter solstice. Calculation for the site:
| Event | Date | Calculated time |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset, winter solstice | 22 December 2026 | 4:02 pm |
| Sunrise, summer solstice | 21 June 2027 | 4:51 am |
| Day length at the winter solstice | 22 December 2026 | 7 h 53 min |
| Day length at the summer solstice | 21 June 2027 | 16 h 35 min |
The rest of the year, the site closes before sunset in winter and summer alike; with a last entry at 3 pm, the brightest end of the day is from November to January, when the sun sets between about 3:55 pm and 4:30 pm (our calculation). As for the weather, the Met Office normals for London-Heathrow (our page on the best time to visit London) give maximums of 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F) from May to September; the very exposed Salisbury Plain is often windier.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:04 am | 4:28 pm | 8 h 23 min |
| February | 7:20 am | 5:22 pm | 10 h 02 min |
| March | 6:21 am | 6:11 pm | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 6:12 am | 8:02 pm | 13 h 50 min |
| May | 5:16 am | 8:50 pm | 15 h 34 min |
| June | 4:51 am | 9:24 pm | 16 h 33 min |
| July | 5:09 am | 9:17 pm | 16 h 08 min |
| August | 5:53 am | 8:29 pm | 14 h 36 min |
| September | 6:42 am | 7:22 pm | 12 h 41 min |
| October | 7:30 am | 6:15 pm | 10 h 45 min |
| November | 7:23 am | 4:19 pm | 8 h 56 min |
| December | 8:04 am | 3:59 pm | 7 h 55 min |
How to organise the day? A decision tree
- No car, controlled budget → train London Waterloo – Salisbury, then the Stonehenge Tour Bus; entry ticket booked the day before on the official website.
- No car, no organising → coach excursion from Victoria: check whether entry is included and how long you stay on site.
- By car → A303, postcode SP4 7DE, parking £4 for non-members (RingGo app recommended).
- You want to enter the circle → Stone Circle Experience, booked separately.
- You are visiting several English Heritage sites → compare with membership, which gives free entry (and up to six children with a member adult); an overseas visitor pass also exists.
- You are a National Trust (England) member → free entry, to be booked with the code given by English Heritage.
What to see on site
The visit is not limited to the stone circle. English Heritage highlights an exhibition at the visitor centre, reconstructed Neolithic houses and the surrounding landscape, to explore on foot. An audio guide is available. During the October 2026 school holidays, the site runs a daily draw among bookings made at least 72 hours in advance, for a private visit to the circle: an example of why it pays to book early.
How long to allow and route
- 2 to 3 hours: the visitor centre and exhibition, reconstructed Neolithic houses, then the stone circle.
- Half a day: add a walk in the surrounding landscape, rich in prehistoric monuments.
- A day from London: Stonehenge + Salisbury (cathedral) or Old Sarum, served by the same bus.
- Checklist: ticket booked the day before, windproof jacket, shoes for grass, membership card if relevant.
Getting there from London
According to English Heritage, the nearest station is Salisbury, with a direct connection to London Waterloo in about 1 hour 30 minutes. From there, take a taxi (19 km (12 mi)) or the Stonehenge Tour Bus, which leaves every hour from the station forecourt and can stop at Old Sarum. By car, allow about 2 hours from central London via the A303 (postcode for your sat nav: SP4 7DE), then follow the brown signs to the visitor centre. Coach excursions also leave from Victoria 364 days a year. For another day out of London, our guide to Oxford: colleges, museums and visiting will help you plan.
Accessibility
English Heritage publishes an access guide for Stonehenge on its website. We did not record its details at the date of checking: read it before you come, in particular for the link between the visitor centre and the stone circle.
Common mistakes
- Buying the ticket on the day: you lose the advance-booking discount.
- Arriving after 3 pm: last entry has passed.
- Thinking you can touch the stones: access inside the circle is through the Stone Circle Experience, to be booked.
- Forgetting your English Heritage or National Trust membership card: without it, no free entry.
- Planning for the solstice without checking the arrangements published by English Heritage (parking must be booked).
What to see nearby
Stonehenge combines with Salisbury and Old Sarum, or fits into a tour of southern England described in our guide to what to see in the United Kingdom. From London, it is the most common day trip. See entry requirements for the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter Stonehenge?
The price is shown on the English Heritage ticket site; it is discounted (up to 15%) if you book online up to midnight the day before. Entry is free for English Heritage and National Trust (England) members.
What are Stonehenge’s opening hours?
On 15 October 2026: every day from 9:30 am to 5 pm, last entry at 3 pm. Hours vary with the season.
How do you get to Stonehenge from London?
By train from London Waterloo to Salisbury (about 1 hour 30 minutes), then the Stonehenge Tour Bus or a taxi; by car, about 2 hours via the A303.
When is the solstice at Stonehenge?
The 2026 winter solstice is celebrated there on Tuesday 22 December 2026, according to English Heritage. Our calculation gives sunset at about 4:02 pm that day.
Can you touch the stones at Stonehenge?
Not on a standard visit. The Stone Circle Experience lets you enter the circle, by reservation.
Our sources
- English Heritage: Stonehenge, Prices and Opening Times and Plan your visit pages, consulted on 15 October 2026.
- Met Office: 1991–2020 normals for London-Heathrow, taken from our page on the best time to visit London.
- Destination de Voyage calculation: sunrise, sunset and day length (NOAA algorithm); see our methodology.
Updated November 2026.