Over 30 years of insider Stonehenge knowledge Stonehenge Tours have been taking visitors to Stonehenge for over 30 years. We are Britain’s leading providers of Stonehenge archaeological, cultural and historical day trips and have a well-earned reputation for high quality and reliable travelling – we’ve been doing it since 1995.
2027 STONEHENGE INNER CIRCLE ACCESS DATES WILL BE PUBLISHED SOON. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST BY SIMPLY SENDING US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND THE DATE YOU WANT TO TRAVEL NEXT YEAR. WE WIL THEN SEND ALL THE OPTIONS WITH LIVE AVAILABILITY / EXCLUSIVE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS AND LIVE AVAILABILITY (experts@stonehengetours.com)
Early Stonehenge Pioneers – The original and still the best! We are a family company with 30 years of experience who concentrate purely on Stonehenge and the surrounding area. We pioneered the exclusive Stonehenge ‘Inner Circle Access’ experience and were the first commercial operator to offer this unique visit. We continue to be the market leaders in exclusive sunrise and sunset tours.
We are the only UK tour company to focus exclusively on Stonehenge. We do not sell Theatre tickets, Hotels, Eurostar, Cruises. Flights, etc. We live, breathe and sleep Stonehenge.
Demand for our Stonehenge private access tours far exceeds supply. Do not expect to get 2027 tickets without booking well in advance. Register your interest with us now and our booking team will send you various options and live availability.
Our customized private Stonehenge tours continue to get 5 STAR reports on Trip Advisor and other quality review sites. Please take the time to view our customer feedback throughout our 30 years of trading. Excellence as standard.
2027 Private Guided Group Custom Tours can be booked now We specialise in arranging customised Stonehenge special access tours to suit your requirements. Our door to door friendly service will take you wherever you want to go…….at the time and pace to suit you. Our personalised service gives you the ultimate freedom and flexibility without the worry of driving so you can all relax and enjoy the day. Click here for private tours
To help you get the most from your Inner Circle experience, your Stonehenge tour guide will accompany you during private access to give you all the interesting stories surrounding Stonehenge.
Stonehenge Tours have been operating since 1995. We are the original and still the best company to offer private guided tours of the Stonehenge. We are based in nearby Salisbury conveniently close to the monument, making us ideally situated to assist with tours from far and wide for those who want an authentic Stonehenge experience. This can range from an individual on a budget tour to a VIP on an exclusive and bespoke customised tour.
Early Stonehenge Pioneers – The original and still the best! We are a family company with 30 years of experience who concentrate purely on Stonehenge and the surrounding area. We pioneered the exclusive Stonehenge ‘Inner Circle Access’ experience and were the first commercial operator to offer this unique visit
Over 30 Years Expertise In Escorted Stonehenge Guided Tours. All Of Our Stonehenge Guided Rick Tours Are Backed By Our Reassurance Promise, Giving You Peace Of Mind. Trust Us To Provide You With An Expert Tour That You’ll Never Forget. We have many pages on independent ‘unedited’ reviews and we are confident your tour review will be added to this hall of fame.
Hello George A note to tell you how much we appreciated our tour, and our wonderful guide! Johnny was super nice, his comments were right on point and he adapted his speech to our questions and interests. We really enjoyed everything. Many thanks and have a nice day – JULY 2026
Hello George! We wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful tour today with Sebastian. We would highly recommend to others. His driving is safe, English excellent, great knowledge on all, good sense of humor. We enjoyed his company. Thank you for suggesting the sunrise visit to Stonehenge. It made all the difference for the experience. We were also surprised by Avebury and the history there as well. Lacock was adorable, even with the Scarecrow event crowd. We will recommend you to anyone we know who is traveling in this area. Judy and Ken Price – JULY 2026
George, We’ve returned home from a wonderful trip and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for making our outing to Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Windsor so memorable for us. I don’t think we could have asked for a more entertaining and informative guide than Peter. From the moment he arrived at the crack of dawn to the end of our time together he provided us with fascinating bits of history and facts that expanded our appreciation of what we were seeing. Your itinerary was spot on and we never felt rushed or that we had been denied the chance to experience our visit to the fullest extent possible. We were especially grateful for the opportunity to experience Stonehenge from ‘inside the ropes’. With Peter’s able assistance we were able to grasp the fascinating history of the site and it opened our eyes to what a truly amazing place it is. My daughter was already looking forward to this outing but she was even more thrilled to learn so much more. As Peter rightly mentioned, when our kids truly are engaged in learning about history there’s no greater proof than when they start taking photos on their phones. We enjoyed our drive through the countryside on our way to Salisbury for a lovely farm fresh breakfast before making our way to Windsor where we enjoyed our tour of the castle as well. I can’t say enough regarding Peter; he was a wonderful guide with a great sense of humor and it made our drive there and back pass by in a most delightful manner. We will be sure to contact you when we next visit the UK and are interested in discovering more of your amazing country. All the best to you and your team! Jay – JULY 2026
Hey good afternoon, First I wanted to say how outstanding Will was and will be leaving a rave review on him in time. He deserves a tip! I’ll be giving him extra out of my pocket because did such an amazing job. But he will deserve more than what I’m giving him so please give him that tip on our behalf. Thanks again and I’ll leave a great review once that’s settled. Take care – JULY 2026
I just wanted to say that David was an amazing tour guide and we had a lot of fun with him. He got us to the airport in plenty of time and we were able to see everything we needed, My Uncle and Dad uses canes and he kept at their pace and checked on us to make sure we were ok during the heat. He is definitely an asset to your company and wanted to let you know! Thank You for a great experience Jennifer – JULY 2026
We just wrapped up our day with Sebastian and we have to say, he was an amazing host and guide. Sebastian’s mannerisms were kind and lovely. The information he imparted was detailed and spoken very clearly with patience for all of our questions and queries. I will be highly recommending your services with a note to ask for Sebastion to all my friends and family. Just a spectacular and lovely man full of information. Personable and humorous. He made time for all of our requests to Stop Here! Please. We wish him all the best in his ventures as he journeys forward. Cheers, Lisa, Dave, Bernie and Laura Lea, 4 very grateful Canadians – JULY 2026
I just wanted to say that we had an excellent time with Jonny. He did a fantastic job driving us around and sharing his knowledge and passion for the area. Such a nice, patient, polite, and bright person! Thanks, Tina – JULY 2026
Just wanted to send a quick note and let you know that Will did an excellent job on our Stonehenge tour. We were very pleased with his knowledge and high-level of service. Thanks David – JULY 2026
Hi George, we had a great day around Avebury, Lacock and Stonehenge today with David. He is a wealth of knowledge and decent guy to spend the afternoon/evening with. We really enjoyed ourselves. He’s got amazing hearing! and answered all our questions. Cheers, Phil, Bernadette and Katrina – JULY 2026
Thank you so much for organizing an absolutely wonderful trip. Will was fantastic! So knowledgeable and friendly. He was wonderful interacting with our kids. I can’t imagine how anyone does Stonehenge any other way. You would miss out on so much if you didnt get up close and having Will point out all of the small details, like the bullets and carvings was the cherry on top. Salisbury was incredible. We all gasped when we walked in and saw the buttresses. Will was just as fantastic and informative there as well. He got one of the workers to demonstrate how they check the water level. The kids enjoyed that! Thanks again for helping make our trip a memorable one. All the best, Jill – JULY 2026
We had a lovely morning. Nick was absolutely amazing! He made the experience for us. Take care, Ben – JULY 2026
We had a great time and Will was outstanding too. We enjoyed hanging out with him. Best Regards, Harris – JULY 2026
Hi there- we had a terrific day on the tours. Peter was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable and personable. He was great about sharing historical knowledge, which we found fascinating. I would highly recommend Peter as a guide. The Stonehenge inner circle was a treat and as amazing as I’d hoped! I really enjoyed Peter’s ‘Maths’ focus on the stones.
One point of feedback for you- it would be great of the tour was a bit longer (at least 1-1.5 hrs) so that we had more time to see Bath & the Cotswalds. In particular, I expected that we would have a proper sit down meal but instead it was a quick Tesco stop and eat in the car. Lunch in Bath or the Cotswalds would have been nice, in addition to seeing the baths and sights in the village, which we enjoyed. Thanks, Joyce – JULY 2026
I just had to reach out and share how incredible our tour was with Peter. To be honest, we were genuinely sad to say goodbye to him at the end of the day—it felt like parting ways with an old friend. Peter was absolutely awesome. He is incredibly knowledgeable, hilarious, and his insights on Stonehenge were immense. We even got to crack a few alien jokes with him and had him rolling with laughter. From there, our drive through Salisbury (which we couldn’t stop calling “Salisbury Steak”) was beautiful. Even though we skipped the extra stop we had discussed, we didn’t care at all because Peter’s fantastic attitude and honesty made the whole experience feel complete. He also went out of his way to make my godson feel special… you know, the “alien” in question. We actually skipped the pub because the alien demanded McDonald’s, and honestly, we were all perfectly fine with that. Our conversations covered everything from deep history to great laughs about politics and religion. Plus, getting to see the pub from Ted Lasso was an amazing bonus! The New Forest was stunning as well, and Peter just tied the whole day together perfectly. Thank you so much for helping me set this up for my sister and godson. We had a spectacular time. If and when we return, I will absolutely be contacting you again. 10 stars all the way! Best, David – JUNE 202
Hello George,
Now that we are back from our trip, I just wanted to thank you for setting up our Stonehenge tour. It was absolutely the highlight of our two weeks in England and France. We couldn’t believe we got to be in the stones alone at Sunset. Keife was a fabulous tour guide. He could answer all the questions from nerdy parents and kept my tweens totally engaged. They both say we should give him a “10 out of 10” and my son made him the picture on the home screen of his ipad. Stonehenge was on our bucket list, and we are so delighted with our visit. Thank you again, Nancy – JUNE 2026
Now that we are back home, I want to let you know that we had a great tour with Sebastian. He was very knowledgeable. I will recommend your company for any future tours. Regards, Heidi – JUNE 2026
I wanted to let you know what a fantastic time we had on the Stone Henge, Cotswold/Lacock, Avebury guided tour. Peter is exceptional and incredibly knowledgeable. We learned far more than we planned and consider it s highlight of our trip! Please pass along our appreciation to Peter for accommodating a later start time. We needed all the extra sleep we could get. Very much appreciate all the service! This was so much better than a Bus, and worth every bit of it. Thanks, Kurt, Kim, Abby and Claire – JUNE 2026
I wanted to let you know what a fantastic time we had on the Stone Henge, Cotswold/Lacock, Avebury guided tour. Peter is exceptional and incredibly knowledgeable. We learned far more than we planned and consider it s highlight of our trip! Please pass along our appreciation to Peter for accommodating a later start time. We needed all the extra sleep we could get. Very much appreciate all the service! This was so much better than a Bus, and worth every bit of it. Thanks, Kurt, Kim, Abby and Claire – JUNE 2026
We had an AMAZING tour of Stonehenge, the surrounding area and London with Peter. He was extremely knowledgeable and a fantastic guide. We learned so much throughout the day. Thank you so much for helping to make our short visit so memorable! With many thanks, Yannick – JUNE 2026
Hi George, We wanted to send you this email about our Stonehenge experience. Wonderful Will was fantastic. Not only was her a good diver, but his knowledge of Stonehenge was incredible. Our experience walking around Stonehenge was beyond our expectations as Will provided insight that we would never have known. It really made our experience memorable. Also his knowledge of Bath, the local Cotswold villages made the rest of the day enjoyable. Highly recommended Will to any of your future customers. Jim & Lex – JUNE 2026
Hi George – just wanted you to know that we had a great time with our visit to Stonehenge and the falconry. Sebastian was amazing too! Thanks! Kevin – JUNE 2026
We had a wonderful day with Johnny yesterday. He was an excellent guide, very accommodating and very knowledgeable. He made our day very special – JUNE 2026 We just wanted to drop a note saying what a fantastic experience we had with Johnny (and his twin brother Mike, although they were never in the room at the same time). We learnt so much from his experiences and even though the weather was at times against us, the whole day was positive. He’s a great asset to have on your team & please pass on our thanks to him. We’d put a review about our experience on Trip Advisor or Viator or Google if you can send us link. Have a great day. Mark – JUNE 2026
Keife did a great job! Had a strong fund of knowledge and gave some great insights into tour. Good job manuvering thru traffic as well! Thanks again George! JUNE 2026
I wanted to let you know what an excellent job Will did for us in our tour of Stonehenge last Saturday. With his deep knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject, he could have easily passed for an ancient history Professor or an archeologist researcher. He made the trip come alive for us. With much appreciation, Mike – JUNE 2026
Hi! Just a note to say how great Jonny was despite the crazy weather. We learned alot – he is super knowledgeable. Have a grewt rest of your day! Hermine – JUNE 2026
Hi George, we wanted to thank you for two great days of touring. Dave did a great job, particularly at Stonehenge where he provided excellent historical context and fun references that really made our experience special. Sebastiano was outstanding taking us through the Northern Cotswold and showing us the beauty and warmth of many of the villages that made our experience memorable. Seb connected with us on many dimensions and made sure that our full day flew by. One follow up request for Sebastiano would be to provide us with a list of the names of the villages, in the order we visited them, so we can be sure to remember each one. Thank you again! The Joachims – MAY 2026
I would just like to let you know that we had an amazing experience and Will (our guide) was absolutely wonderful! He was very accommodating and patient. He seemed very knowledgeable and funny. We truly enjoyed out time with him! Thank you – MAY 2026
It was a spectacular day. Johnny was a fountain of knowledge. we had an experience of a lifetime – MAY 2026
Hello George, Shane and I loved our tour! Nick and Sebastian were very informative, enthusiastic and friendly. It was by far the highlight of our trip to the UK. It was one of the best tour experiences of my life. I cannot think of anything Nick or Seb could have done to make it better. Please thank them both for us!!! Sincerely, Patti and Shane – MAY 2026
Just a quick note to let you know what a fantastic time we had on the Stonehenge tour with Jonny. He was funny, informative, and kind to four sleep deprived tourists. And with his help we were able to stay up until 10 PM- our goal for day 1. With appreciation, Holly and friends – JUNE 2026#
George-
Thank you so much for arranging the most lovely day touring Stonehenge, Bath, and the Cotswold. I can’t say enough about Keife. He was an absolute pleasure, knowledgeable, and attentive. Could not imagine a better experience. I only wish we had hired another driver so we could have “pub crawled” back to London with Keife along “off the clock”. Will definitely be recommending him and your services. Kind Regards, Only negative…..Keife is a Tottenham fan- (hope they don’t get relegated for his sake) Andrew and Amanda – MAY 2026
Hi George, I just wanted to drop you a line to tell you that Keife was an extraordinary guide. His knowledge and warmth were exceptional! We had great conversations all day long. I am sure that Will is a great guide, but we are grateful for the twist of fate that brought us together with Keife. We went to Stonehenge, lunched at the Red Lion Inn in the Cotswolds, and finished the afternoon with a tour of Bath. We did get tickets to the Roman Baths, and it was all very fascinating. Keife is a gem!! We will remember this day forever! Sincerely, Ann and Elana – MAY 2026
I am writing to share feedback regarding our recent tour to Stonehenge, Bath, and Avebury. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would like to specifically commend our guide, David. David was exceptionally professional and knowledgeable. His insights enriched our visit, and his use of visual aids provided excellent context for the sites. We also appreciated his intuitive pacing and his initiative in showing us remarkable locations beyond our expectations. Thank you for providing such a high-quality tour. Best regards, Michael – MAY 2026
Hello, George~ We are back from our transatlantic and London adventures. Everything worked out perfectly. I want to thank, David, our tour guide, in particular, for making our disembarking in Southampton so VERY easy. He was right there to meet us and got us into his van quickly and out into the beautiful English countryside. We had a FABULOUS day with him! His knowledge of both history and the geography we traveled through was exceptional. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our time with David. We loved everything we saw and it all came alive thanks to David. We appreciate you giving him to us for the day! David is definitely 5 stars out of 5 stars. The best! Many thanks~ Sally – MAY 2026
Hi George. Will was an amazing tour guide we would highly recommend him as well as Stonehenge Guided Tours. We really enjoyed the day and Will is very knowledgeable which we appreciated. Nancy & Bonnie – MAY 2026
Hi George, I just wanted you to know we had a fantastic tour with Sebastiano yesterday. He was knowledgeable, courteous and had a great sense of humor. He really went above and beyond to make sure we saw everything. Thanks for matching us with him. Jacci Steele – MAY 2026
Morning George,
e are having a blast! Nick was incredible. Very knowledgeable, friendly and funny. Got our Australian humour Stonehenge was beyond words. Thank you, Alannah – MAY 2026
Hi George. Will was an amazing tour guide we would highly recommend him as well as Stonehenge Guided Tours. We really enjoyed the day and Will is very knowledgeable which we appreciated. Nancy & Bonnie – MAY 2026
I wanted to say thank you for the excellent tour. Will was the best! Perfect day really from pickup to drop off. Will felt very easy to talk to and he knew so many interesting facts about all the different things we saw. I would highly recommend this tour! Thanks, John – MAY 2026
Just wanted to share that this tour was a great success. Peter was a knowledgeable friendly guide and we had a great day in Salisbury! Thanks again. Sincerely, William – MAY 2026
Over 30 Years Expertise In Escorted Stonehenge Guided Tours. All Of Our Stonehenge Tours Are Backed By Our Reassurance Promise, Giving You Peace Of Mind. Trust Us To Provide You With An Expert Tour That You’ll Never Forget. We have many pages on independent ‘unedited’ reviews and we are confident your tour review will be added to this hall of fame.
Our guides are carefully selected for their personality, expertise, wide knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for our style of tours. Never boring – you will find them informative, professional but down to earth with a real passion for showing you the very best of Britain! They pride themselves on entertaining you with tales of England’s rich history, culture and legend to ensure a memorable experience of the real England.
Here are some of our latest Stonehenge Guided Tour reviews:
I just wanted to reach out and let you know about our FANTASTIC day with Keife yesterday!!! He was great, extremely informative about Stonehenge as well as other sites we had no idea existed, entertaining and accommodating…all while being a safe driver! He took us to Bourton on the Water and Stow on the Wold, introduced us to Pasties, and lead us to my husbands main goal: to have a beer at the oldest Pub in England, haha! We could not have had a better day. Thank you for linking us up with Keife! Juli, – MAY 2026
We had our tour of Stonehenge, Lacock and Bath today with David. I wanted to let you know what a great experience he provided. We found him incredibly friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable. The day felt super easy going yet completely full of interesting stops and information. We saw everything we were hoping to and then some! Thank you again, we truly appreciated both your help with planning and David’s wonderful guidance throughout the day. The tour was a highlight of our trip. Best, Gillian – MAY 2026
My wife and I wanted to share our experience today with Peter and the VIP visit to Stonehenge . Peter was absolutely wonderful ! So well educated about Stonehenge and he took great care of us for the entire trip ! We will definitely ask for him when we contact you for our next visit ! Thanks very much !MAY 2026
I just wanted to take a moment and express how much my family loved the Stonehenge tour with Johnny. He went above and beyond in all aspects of the tour. His friendly nature, humor, and amazing energy provided us with the best day ever. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages at some of his quick-witted one-liners. Simply superb. I give the tour a million stars!! Thanks so much!! MAY 2026
Just wanted to let you know that we had an absolutely wonderful day with Will as our guide. He was punctual, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. His expertise went well beyond Stonehenge and will be of great benefit to us during the rest of our stay. We would certainly engage him for future trips and would highly recommend him to other travelers.Thanks again for all of your help; our trip is off to a great start. Jay and BonnieMAY 2026
We just finished our time with Keife and…wow! What a wonderful, wonderful day! Keife was amazing—knowledgeable, friendly, easy to talk to, and just plain fun. We learned so many interesting things about the area, and of course Stonehenge blew our minds. Just a fantastic time, all around. Thank you so much for helping us set this up. Truly a once in a lifetime experience! All the best, Louise –MAY 2026
I just wanted to let you know that we had a great time with David touring Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral on Friday. He was a perfect guide. He is so knowledgeable about so many things and explained everything. He got to know us and learned we have an interest in WW2 and told us about many things in the area that related to the war and also made suggestions for future trips we might make back to England. We had a great conversation about the Normandy area where he occasionally leads tours and we happened to have taken a very similar tour several years ago! He was friendly and easy-going and we feel lucky that he was our guide. While we were are Stonehenge he led us to the perfect location to see the sunrise right behind the stones and timed everything out just right. It was a great day! Marie – MAY 2026
We are on our way back to the hotel, and it truly was a great day of touring. Johnny and Peter are taking good care of us and are great guides. Thanks for all your help on planning this MAY 2026
We are home from our trip abroad. Just wanted to let you know our tour with Will was awesome! Will did a great job and even got us a couple of Downton Abbey stops. That hit the spot for the three who loved that show. Take care and thanks! John – MAY 2026
I wanted to share how incredible Johnny, our guide for the Inner Circle access at Stonehenge, was. His knowledge is exceptional, and the way he presents it makes the experience truly unforgettable. He brought the history and significance of the stones to life in a way that made the visit feel special and meaningful. Everyone in our group—from age 15 to 50—was completely blown away. We learned so much, and it was easily one of the highlights of our trip. I know we were a last minute booking. Thank you for all your help coordinating and making this happen. – MAY 2026
I hope you are well. I just wanted to let you know of the fantastic experience we had with our guide Peter to Stonehenge and bath. Peter was a wealth of information, very knowledgeable and made sure we were very well looked after, great communication from the get-go too, we really learned so much from Thanks for organizing! All the best, RoMAY 2026
I wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed our tour with Peter. Stonehenge was an amazing experience and be in such close proximity was incredible, all made better by Peter’s knowledge of the area (though I still think aliens are involved)!
We will definitely keep you in mind the next time we are in Great Britain – Peter explained the difference among England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom- as well as how a handful of idioms came to be. Overall, a great experience! Best, SandiMAY 2026
We wanted to send in a 5 star review for Keife and our whole experience! We had the best day! It was definitely the highlight of our week trip to London. Keife was brilliant! He was so knowledgeable and passionate about Stonehenge, we felt so lucky to have him as our guide. He was a true professional and had such intimate knowledge of Stonehenge and the surroundings. We learned so much! On the way back, we were able to stop in Bath (had one of the best pasties per Keife’s recommendation) and then through the Cotswolds, which was just gorgeous. It was such a special experience for us and we highly recommend! Thanks so much! Jodi –APRIL 2026
Just wanted to express our appreciation for today’s tour. Jonny was a fantastic tour guide, very personable and knowledgeable. He made our day very enjoyable, and I’d highly recommend the tour to anyone I speak to. Thank you again. Regards, Glenn MAY 2026
My family had their private tour with Will at 4:30am this morning. Just wanted to share how much we enjoyed it and Will made the whole experience special. He is very witty and knowledgeable. Thank you again! Best, SukhbirAPRIL 2026
I wanted to share how exceptional our Stonehenge tour with Keife was. Keife was absolutely amazing – his knowledge of Stonehenge was extraordinary, but even more impressive was the passion and excitement he brought to sharing it. His enthusiasm for the history and archaeology was contagious and made the experience so much richer. He was also incredibly attentive throughout the day, constantly checking that our group was comfortable, adjusting the pace as needed, and being flexible to accommodate our interests and needs (especially appreciated while traveling with elderly family members). The private tour was absolutely worth it, and I can’t say enough about how special the Inner Circle access was. Having our own guide who is also an archaeological researcher allowed us to see and understand things regular tourists simply don’t. It felt immersive and deeply personal rather than like a standard tour. This was truly one of the highlights of our trip, and much of that was thanks to Keife. Please pass along our gratitude and highest praise – jennifer – APRIL 2026
Hey George. We just wanted to let you that how much we loved Jonny. He did a fantastic job of chatting with us about the history of your beautiful city. I would recommend him to everyone!! Thank you so much for making the start of our trip a fantastic experience!! Carol – APRIL 2026
George – I wanted to drop a quick note and let you know what a wonderful time we had on the tour. Peter was fantastic – knowledgeable, flexible, well-prepared, and kind. Thanks so much for the great experience! APRIL 2026
I hope this email finds you well. My daughter and I are happy and tired after a wonderful days outing. Stonehenge was truly magical at sunrise, as was visiting Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow, and the Cotswolds. We absolutely enjoyed every moment of it! Please forgive me, but our wonderful guide’s name is escaping me! Nevertheless, I wanted to say how much I appreciated his knowledge, humour and brilliant guidance as he showed us all the sights, it was such a memorable day and one of the highlights of our UK trip. With thanks, Jayne – APRIL 2026
Hi George—Happy Saturday! Just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed the tour and, most importantly, Will. We were hoping for a good day, and this was absolutely spectacular—clear skies, smooth ride, and a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. We truly could not have envisioned a better Stonehenge experience. And—Will is a good photographer too! Thanks again—will highly recommend this tour to friends who are coming in the Fall! All the best. Betsy-APRIL 2026
George, we had a fabulous trip yesterday. Will was amazing to work with. He has deep and thoughtful knowledge about Stonehenge, Avebury and the surrounding area.
We really appreciated the way Will gave multiple perspectives on Stonehenge and then shared his own, learned insights. It really added to the trip in a thought provoking way that we talked about through the evening. Every aspect of our trip exceeded expectations. Thank you!APRIL 2026
Just wanted to follow up to say thanks. William was wonderful, kind caring , considerate, down to earth. We were very happy with him as our driver and guide. He drove safely and the van was very comfortable. His knowledge of Stone Henge and The Windsor castle was encyclopedic. I will be sure to recommend your company to anyone visiting. Cheers! Kyle APRIL 2026
We have arrived back to our hotel after a wonderful day! Peter is a super awesome enthusiastic knowledgeable fun tour guide. He picked us up at 10 which was appreciated – we saw so much. No trouble getting into Roman Baths early and the Abbey! Please let Peter know how much we appreciated such a wonderful day. It really was a VIP tour! You are an awesome communicator and I thank you for your patience and guidance. Maryjean APRIL 2026
Our day was amazing. Johnny is an excellent guide and driver. Would highly recommend. -Michele – APRIL 2026
Hi George – we’re heading had a GREAT time with Johnny yesterday & passing along a note of appreciation for helping get everything organized! The UK has some beautiful scenery – we feel very fortunate to have an opportunity to get to see some of the sights! Have a great day Bryan APRIL 2026
Good evening George, I hope you are well.
We just wanted to reach out to give feedback on our tour today. It was an absolutely wonderful experience, our tour guide was punctual, personable, professional and gave us an excellent experience. His passion for Stonehenge really shone through. Thank you so much Best wishes Sarah –APRIL 2026
Early Stonehenge Pioneers – The original and still the best! We are a family company with 30 years of experience who concentrate purely on Stonehenge and the surrounding area. We pioneered the exclusive Stonehenge ‘Inner Circle Access’ experience and were the first commercial operator to offer this unique visit. We continue to be the market leaders in exclusive sunrise and sunset tours. We welcome customers back again and again.
WINNER: Best Stonehenge Tour Specialists 2021 / 2022 / 2023/ 2024 / 2025 WINNER: Best ‘Historical Tour’ Operator 2021 / 2022 / 2024 / 2025
Thousands descend on the Wiltshire monument to mark the longest day of the year,
But do you know why the Wiltshire monument attracts so many people on the longest day of the year? Here’s the lowdown…
When is the summer solstice?
The midsummer date is set based on the planet’s rotational axis.
It’s decided based on the sun’s tilt towards the sun, which hits its maximum at 23° 26′ and falls between June 20 and June 22 in the northern hemisphere.
This year, the summer solstice will take place on June 21.
This walking path links Britain’s two greatest prehistoric sites, Avebury and Stonehenge, and is as epic as the Inca Trail
The Great Stones Way is one of those ideas so obvious it seems amazing that no one has thought of it before: a 38-mile walking trail to link England’s two greatest prehistoric sites, Avebury and Stonehenge, crossing a landscape covered with Neolithic monuments.
The Great Stones Way is a route using existing paths through the Wiltshire Downs, starting just south of Swindon and ending up at Old Sarum, on the outskirts of Salisbury. As long-distance trails go, this one is quite short, making it perfect for an energetic long weekend, or for more leisurely exploration over a week.
What’s the attraction?
Walking the Great Stones Way takes you on a journey through a landscape steeped in history, allowing you to discover the extraordinary sights our ancestors have left us. These include Iron Age hill forts with commanding views such as Barbury Castle and Old Sarum, while optional loops take you past the Neolithic henges and stone circles at the combined UNESCO World Heritage Site of Avebury and Stonehenge. There is also the option to finish the walk at Salisbury’s majestic medieval cathedral. The first part of the trail heads south through the rolling open chalk downland landscape of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“I can’t help thinking how much better it is to arrive at Stonehenge on foot. The comparison that comes to mind, and which I know well, is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The experience of trekking to both sites is immeasurably richer, not just because you’ve “earned it”, but because both sets of ruins are only properly understood in the context of the sacred landscape that surrounds them.”
Stonehenge Guided Tours is proud to offer a Contours walking holiday following the ‘Great Stones Way’ Please visit our Stonehenge tour website for full details
A major new archaeological find of causewayed enclosures and artifacts near Britain’s famous Stonehenge site is about to “rewrite” the history of the area and of northwestern Europe’s early inhabited history.
Built 5,650 years ago—more than 1,000 years before Stonehenge—one of the enclosures appears to have been a major ceremonial gathering place.
The major enclosure’s precise original function remains a mystery, but the scant available evidence suggests that it was used for a mixture of ceremonial, religious, political, and mortuary roles.
According to a press release issued by a construction consultancy company involved with an unrelated new building project at the site, archaeologists have “discovered important new sites that rewrite the Stonehenge landscape” and which “predate the construction of Stonehenge itself.”
The remains, found at Larkhill and Bulford, were unearthed during excavations ahead of the construction of new British Army family accommodation.
About 70 enclosures of the type found are known across England and Europe, the press release continued.
The structure is one of the “earliest built structures in the British landscape,” and was used “for temporary settlement, as ceremonial gathering places, to manage and exchange animals, including the first domesticated cattle and sheep and for ritual activity.”
The Larkhill enclosure has produced freshly broken pottery, dumps of worked flint and even a large stone saddle quern used to turn grain into flour. The Neolithic period saw the first use of domesticated crops and this find provides evidence of this.
The Greater Cursus, an earthwork nearly 1.8 miles in length, is the longest structure. It connects and divides parts of the landscape, and separates the Larkhill causewayed enclosure from the place that became Stonehenge.
“The people who built the causewayed enclosure are the ancestors of the builders of Stonehenge and were shaping the landscape into which the stone circle was placed,” the press release continued.
“Their work shows that this was a special landscape even before Stonehenge was constructed. People were already living and working within what we now call the Stonehenge landscape and they were building the structures that would culminate in the Stonehenge complex of stones and earthworks.
University of Adelaide research has for the first time statistically proven that the earliest standing stone monuments of Britain, the great circles, were constructed specifically in line with the movements of the Sun and Moon, 5000 years ago.
The Callanish Stones were erected in the late Neolithic era. They are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle 13 metres (43 feet) in diameter, situated near the village of Callanish on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Image credit: Gail Higginbottom & Roger Clay / RCAHMS.
The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, details the use of innovative 2-D and 3-D technology to construct quantitative tests of the patterns of alignment of the standing stones.
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“Nobody before this has ever statistically determined that a single stone circle was constructed with astronomical phenomena in mind — it was all supposition,” says project leader and University of Adelaide Visiting Research Fellow Dr. Gail Higginbottom, who is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian National University.
Examining the oldest great stone circles built in Scotland (Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis, and Stenness, Isle of Orkney — both predating Stonehenge’s standing stones by about 500 years), the researchers found a great concentration of alignments towards the Sun and Moon at different times of their cycles. And 2000 years later in Scotland, much simpler monuments were still being built that had at least one of the same astronomical alignments found at the great circles.
The stones, however, are not just connected with the Sun and the Moon. The researchers discovered a complex relationship between the alignment of the stones, the surrounding landscape and horizon, and the movements of the Sun and the Moon across that landscape.
“This research is finally proof that the ancient Britons connected the Earth to the sky with their earliest standing stones, and that this practice continued in the same way for 2000 years,” says Dr. Higginbottom.
The Standing Stones of Stenness is another Neolithic monument — possibly the oldest henge site in the British Isles — located five miles northeast of Stromness on the mainland of Orkney, Scotland. The stone circle measures 32.2 x 30.6 metres (106 x 100 feet), surrounded by an earthen henge 45 metres (148 feet) in diameter. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Examining sites in detail, it was found that about half the sites were surrounded by one landscape pattern and the other half by the complete reverse.
“These chosen surroundings would have influenced the way the Sun and Moon were seen, particularly in the timing of their rising and setting at special times, like when the Moon appears at its most northerly position on the horizon, which only happens every 18.6 years,” Dr Higginbottom says.
“For example, at 50 percent of the sites, the northern horizon is relatively higher and closer than the southern and the summer solstice Sun rises out of the highest peak in the north. At the other 50 percent of sites, the southern horizon is higher and closer than the northern, with the winter solstice Sun rising out of these highest horizons.
“These people chose to erect these great stones very precisely within the landscape and in relation to the astronomy they knew. They invested a tremendous amount of effort and work to do so. It tells us about their strong connection with their environment, and how important it must have been to them, for their culture and for their culture’s survival.”
Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument. It was built in several stages: the first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC. In the early Bronze Age many burial mounds were built nearby. Today, along with Avebury, it forms the heart of a World Heritage Site, with a unique concentration of prehistoric monuments.
At various times and in different (mostly Northern European) cultures, the solstice has gone by different names, such as Yule, Midwinter, and Jól. Nowadays, the solstice gets overshadowed by its more commercial and religious winter relatives: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa; but plenty of people still celebrate the winter solstice in its own right.
If you’ve ever wondered what the solstice is, or why it matters, here’s the lowdown.
What is it?
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. From June to December, the days shorten and shorten until the solstice. After the winter solstice, days gradually grow longer again (yay!), which brings warmer temperatures. On the actual solstice, the North Pole gets zero energy from the sun — that is, no sunlight at all.
In the summer, we celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. (In the Southern Hemisphere, everything is flip-flopped — they’re celebrating the summer solstice in December.)
When is it?
Each year, the winter solstice falls on either December 21 or 22. This year, it takes place Tuesday, December 22 at 4:48 UTC (December 21 at 11:48 p.m. EST).
But I noticed the sun started setting later before the solstice…
An astute observation! Depending on where you live, the shortest day of the year doesn’t necessarily fall on the day with the earliest sunset or the latest sunrise. This has to do with what’s called “true solar noon,” the time when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. In early December, solar noon is about ten minutes earlier than it is when we hit the solstice. Thus, depending on the latitude where you live, the sunset may actually be slightly later on the solstice than it was earlier in the month. The closer you live to the Arctic, the more closely the earliest sunset and the winter solstice will match up.
What about the latest sunrise?
Unless you live in the Arctic Circle, the latest sunrise usually arrives in early January, which makes sense, knowing that solar noon moves later in the day starting in early December. There’s a variation in solar noon and noon on the clock, because of the tilt of the earth’s axis and the earth’s not-quite-circular orbit around the sun.
How long have we known about the solstice?
Our earliest ancestors tracked the seasons and years by changes in the sky: the movement of the sun, stars, and moon. Stonehenge is one of the most famous monuments in the world built to observe and celebrate our trek around the sun. Nowadays, 3,000 to 5,000 people visit Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the winter solstice and up to 30,000 visit for the summer solstice.
A great article by Professor of Archaeology, UCL – Mike Parker Pearson:
I led the team of researchers that discovered that Stonehenge was most likely to have been originally built in Pembrokeshire, Wales, before it was taken apart and transported some 180 miles to Wiltshire, England. It may sound like an impossible task without modern technology, but it wouldn’t have been the first time prehistoric Europeans managed to move a monument.
Archaeologists are increasingly discovering megaliths across the continent – albeit a small number so far – that were previously put up in earlier monuments.
Other ‘second-hand’ monuments
The best example of such a structure outside the UK is La Table des Marchand, a Neolithic tomb in Brittany, France, built around 4000BC. The enormous, 65-ton capstone on top of its chamber is a broken fragment of a menhir, a standing stone, brought from 10km away. The original menhir may be 300 years (or more) older than the tomb. Another fragment of this same menhir was incorporated into a tomb at Gavrinis, 5km away. This menhir, originally weighing over 100 tons, is actually one of the largest blocks of stone that we know of to have been moved and set up by Neolithic people.
Another example of a standing stone reused in a megalithic monument is an anthropomorphic menhir – a standing stone carved in the form of a human figure – incorporated as the capstone of another tomb at Déhus on Guernsey. Another megalithic tomb, La Motte de la Jacquille in western France, is built of dressed stones that have been rearranged into a new tomb but it is not known if they came from a different location or were an earlier version of the tomb rebuilt on the same spot.
Archaeologists have known for many years that some of Stonehenge’s bluestones (the shorter stones in the monument) were reused. Two are lintels reused as standing stones, and two others have vertical grooves that show they were part of a wall of interlocking standing stones. Until now it was thought that these were evidence of reuse just within Stonehenge which was first built around 2900BC and rebuilt circa 2500BC (at this point, large local sandstones known as “sarsen” were erected). It was then rebuilt again in around 2400BC and 2200BC.
However, we identified the actual quarries in Pembrokeshire, Wales (around 3400BC and 3200BC) that the bluestones came from. This is a period before prehistoric people were building stone circles (normally dating from 3000BC onwards) so we also think it is very likely that the bluestones originally formed a rather different type of monument from a stone circle.
People in western Britain and Ireland at this time were building Neolithic stone tombs known as passage tombs – Newgrange in Ireland is the best known example. So it is just possible that there is a dismantled passage tomb somewhere near the bluestone quarries. That’s what we will be looking for in 2016.
Stonehenge – an unusual distance
An interesting outcome from a recent conference in Redondo, Portugal, on prehistoric megaliths and “second-hand monuments” is that – while some megalithic stones for monuments in Portugal and elsewhere were brought as far as 8km from their sources – the vast majority of Neolithic stone monuments throughout Western Europe were built less than 2km to 3km away from their stone quarries. So Stonehenge is a major exception to this rule, as its bluestones were dragged around 290km. This makes it unique for prehistoric Europe.
How the stones were moved from Wales to Stonehenge is something of a mystery but our excavations at one of the Welsh quarries reveals that the trackway leading from the outcrop was too narrow for rollers to have been used. Instead, we think that monoliths were loaded onto wooden sledges and dragged over logs and branches laid rail-like in front of the sledge.
Some archaeologists have speculated that Stonehenge’s bluestones must have been thought to have had special properties – as musical “gongs” or healing stones – for them to have been sought out from so far away.
But we think it is far more likely that the bluestones were derived from quarries in close proximity to each other – within 2km to 3km – and brought together to build a local monument in Pembrokeshire. Scientific analysis of strontium isotopes in the teeth of people buried in the Stonehenge area reveals that many of them have values consistent with growing up in western Britain. So the stones may have been brought by people migrating from Wales, bringing their ancestral monument as a symbol of their history and identity. Strontium isotope analysis is currently being carried out on the people actually buried at Stonehenge when the bluestones were erected, and we await the results to see if they show a similar picture.
It’s also possible that the bluestones were put up somewhere on Salisbury Plain before they arrived at Stonehenge. For example, one of the bluestones never quite made it to Stonehenge and was dug out in 1801 from the top layer of a Neolithic burial mound called Boles Barrow, near Warminster, also in Wiltshire.
Although this tomb was first built around 3700BC, it seems to have gone through modifications, of which adding a layer of large stones (mostly local sarsen stones and this one bluestone) happened at the end of its use. So we don’t know precisely when it got there but it may have been set up as a burial marker before the rest of the bluestones were erected at Stonehenge.
Rebuilding tombs and other megalithic structures as second-hand monuments is only now turning out to be recognised in various parts of western Europe as archaeologists start to look more closely at the detailed aspects of construction. Simple expediency of finding suitable stone does not explain sites such as Stonehenge and the Table des Marchand – they were most likely incorporating aspects of the past which had rich historical resonance for them.
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