By Train and Bus
The most straightforward independent route to Stonehenge from London starts with a train from London Waterloo to Salisbury. Services run regularly throughout the day and the journey takes approximately 90 minutes. South Western Railway operates this route.
From Salisbury, the Stonehenge Tour bus runs between the city centre, Salisbury station and Stonehenge. The bus takes about 30 minutes to reach the site and runs frequently during the main visitor season. Outside peak season the service may be less frequent, so it is worth checking the timetable in advance.
The bus drops you at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre, which is located about 1.5 miles from the stones themselves. From the visitor centre, a free shuttle runs to the stone circle. You can also walk along a pleasant path through the landscape if you prefer.
Planning the Day
To make the most of a day trip, catching an early train from London gives you the best chance of arriving before the site gets busy. Salisbury itself is worth exploring, with its medieval cathedral (home to one of the four surviving copies of Magna Carta), a lively market square and a compact historic centre. Many visitors combine Stonehenge and Salisbury into a single day out.
By Coach Tour
Several companies run day tours from London to Stonehenge. These typically depart from central London in the morning and return in the late afternoon or evening. The advantage of a coach tour is convenience, as all transport is handled for you and many tours include a guide who provides commentary along the way.
Some tours combine Stonehenge with other nearby attractions such as Bath, the Cotswolds, Avebury or Salisbury Cathedral. These combination tours make for a full day and cover a lot of ground.
By Car
Driving from London to Stonehenge takes roughly 2 hours depending on traffic, following the M3 and A303. The site has a large car park at the visitor centre. Parking is included with your admission, but the car park can fill up during busy periods, particularly on summer weekends and bank holidays.
The A303 passes very close to the monument, and you can actually see the stones from the road as you drive past. However, stopping on the road to look is not permitted and is dangerous.
Traffic Considerations
The A303 near Stonehenge is a notorious bottleneck, with the road narrowing from dual carriageway to single carriageway close to the site. Traffic congestion is common, particularly during holiday periods. Plans to build a tunnel to carry the road past Stonehenge have been debated for years, with the project approved, challenged in court and revised multiple times.
No Direct Public Transport
One point that catches some visitors by surprise is that there is no direct public transport from London to Stonehenge. You cannot take a single bus or train from London and arrive at the stones. The train to Salisbury followed by the shuttle bus is the closest you can get using public transport, and it works well, but it does require changing between the two services.
Arriving at the Site
Whether you arrive by bus, car or coach tour, you will start your visit at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre. This modern building houses an exhibition about the history and construction of the monument, a shop and a cafe. From the visitor centre, the shuttle bus or walking path takes you out across Salisbury Plain to the stone circle itself. The walk is about 30 minutes and follows a gentle route through grassland, passing several Bronze Age burial mounds along the way. These barrows are part of a landscape that stretches back roughly 5,000 years; our guide on how old Stonehenge is covers the full timeline.
