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Stonehenge sunset inner circle tour with public transportation?

Ok I’m in a pickle. On a whim, I requested access to the inner circle at Stonehenge via the Heritage Site because the tours that do inner circle are crazy expensive and there are 4 of us. We’ll be in London at the time, it’s a Tuesday, 8:50 pm is the tour, I think. We won’t have a car and I need to figure out if I can do this trip using only public transportation. I have read you can get to Salisbury on a train and the bus to Stonehenge from there but I don’t think it will be running after our tour. Has anyone done this? I may have to decline because it seems not possible to get back to London after. (I know I didn’t think this through. I didn’t think we’d actually get it).
Thanks for any help!

Posted by
8889 posts

There is a bus from Salisbury to Stonehenge, details here: http://www.thestonehengetour.info/
But the last bus back from Stonehenge is 19:00 in Summer, 16:00 in Winter, too early for your reservation at 20:50.

What time of year are you doing this? Even on 21st June (longest day) sunset is 20:48 so it will be fairly dim. The rest of the year it will be dark when you arrive.
See here: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@4224775?month=6&year=2019

Posted by
8572 posts

8:50pm? Nightime?

As far as I know Stonehenge isn’t lit up like a football stadium so after the sunsets you’ll all have torches I imagine ( torches are flashlights)

Yes you can train to Salisbury and there is a bus to Stonehenge but as noted above the bus schedule leaves you in limbo. Might have to arrange a car hire to get you back to the train station.

I saw it 30 years ago on a November day with virtually no other people around for the hour we were there. Still have the 35mm photos in a box. It was a roll of 36.

It was an amazing site to behold and I’m glad I saw it.
Still pleases me that there remains a conflict of opinion of how the stones we lifted!

But for countless others there is little interest other than the fact people believe they have to see it.

Absolutely contact (as in call) Heritage Site to discuss your concerns. Confirm there is transport to and from the Stones back to Salisbury!

Worst scenario is an overnight in Salisbury and trainback to London in the morning. So discuss with your 3 companions and see if they would even consider that or not!

Posted by
1936 posts

Are you sure it's at 8.50pm. From what I've seen on the websites, the summer hrs are from 6.45 to 7.30pm

Posted by
16028 posts

Heather, the Inner Circle Access tours are after the regular public entrance hours, or before. So basically sunrise and sunset.

With four people you could take a cab from Salisbury train station and back. You might need to pre-book. And check how late the train runs from Salisbury back to London.

Posted by
891 posts

Actually, a night in Salisbury might be a good idea. We were there years ago with our family. The boys liked the Cathedral better than any others that we had seen. The atmosphere was great and friendly. Found a really nice, small restaurant that our B&B owner recommended and enjoyed it a lot. The boys were tired and were ready to leave the restaurant before the adults. We felt so good about the town we let them walk back early. It was nice and relaxing after the hustle and bustle of London, which we enjoyed also.

Also, Salisbury Cathedral owns one of the 4 Originals of the Magna Carta. It was on display and our older son who was about 14 knew what it was and couldn't wait to get back to tell his teacher that he saw it in England.

Have a Great Trip!
Mimi

Posted by
444 posts

Thanks all-yes, it is 8:50 pm, as the sunset is at 9:15 pm at that time (I just googled it-June 4). And it is after the normal operating hours. I have contacted the Heritage site to inquire. They will hold my reservation so I have 7 days to get a plan in place. Hopefully I can work it out, I'd rather not stay in Salisbury since we have paid for lodging in London but it is a possibility. Thanks!!

Posted by
8572 posts

One final query? Did you contact London Walks had an available Stonehenge/Salisbury trip during your excursion dates?

Might be a bit to early but wouldn't hurt to email them and ask. www.walks.com

Posted by
444 posts

Thanks jj.ashley, I will check that out.
And thank you Claudia- I did look at the London Walks but I didn't see that they had inner circle access. I really want to get close if we can, without totally breaking the bank. I priced out a guided tour that includes inner circle access and it was over $750 for the 4 of us. I am hoping I can do it for cheaper on my own, but I need to get prices on trains and taxis etc. to know for sure-maybe it will end up costing just as much to DIY it. It is approx $185 for tickets/access via the Heritage site, so not an inexpensive day, regardless.
Thanks!!

Posted by
3719 posts

The train to Salisbury leaves from Waterloo Station in London.

If you do the after hours inner circle ticket:
When you get into Salisbury, hire a taxi at the train station.
The going rate for a round-trip with an hour stop at Stonehenge is £35.

Agree on the price (for the 4 of you) before getting into the taxi.

An hour is enough time to see the main Stonehenge circle (but not the other nearby sites).

Posted by
3719 posts

I will encourage you to think about the sights you'd be missing.
The Stonehenge Museum is closed at that time of day, including the reconstruction of the type of huts in which the people in nearby settlements may have lived. The museum is full of information about the people who lived near Stonehenge (or came to Stonehenge for ceremonies).
It will round out your visit with a greater understanding of what took place there at the stones.
A visit to Stonehenge is really good, even without the inner circle access.
We have done it both ways. No inner circle access is just fine.

I will encourage you to think about taking the train to Salisbury early in the day, then taking the Stonehenge Bus from the station (or the center of town near the Tourist Information Center) out to the stones. Regular access; which is much cheaper; see the stones and museum.
Then Stonehenge bus back to Salisbury. Visit Salisbury Cathedral, which is even more awesome than Stonehenge, walk around Salisbury, then back to the train station and back to London.

You could give up all the stress and tension of planning this and go with Evan Evans Tours, a company that provides transportation and access to the site.
Look on this page at combination tours, such as Stonehenge and Bath. ($94.)
https://evanevanstours.com/sightseeing-tours/stonehenge-tours/
You may think the price quoted is expensive, but it is not.
A train ticket bought on the day of travel would cost almost that much, for one way fare to Salisbury and then on to Bath. (Very expensive way to buy train tickets.)

Posted by
5240 posts

8.50 pm? You don't say when you're going but I hope it's in mid summer otherwise it'll be quite a dark sunset.

I'm not entirely convinced an inner circle tour would be worth the hassle that it's generating. For me the stones are very interesting but it is apparent that not everyone shares the same level of interest and I've witnessed many people spend less than five minutes looking at the stones before returning to the centre. Obviously I don't know what your level of interest is but for me access to the inner circle is not important, I can enjoy the magnificence from the viewpoints beyond the rope. I'm also not spiritual so being able to touch the rocks is not important.

Are you sure that a sunset inner circle is worth it to you or would a standard visit which eliminates all the transport issues be more suitable?

Posted by
444 posts

Thank you Rebecca and JC. I may go back to the guided tour idea for ease of planning. I do have an interest in Stonehenge, maybe above average? I had this idea that the inner circle would make the experience really memorable and whatnot but I think I will be ok if I don't get to do it. Thanks for the tour suggestions. FYI the Heritage site responded to my inquiry and confirmed that there is not public transport available after hours but recommended I look into the Salisbury Reds bus company.

Posted by
13809 posts

I'll just add that I've done the public transportation to the stones thru the local Salisbury Reds bus company and it works out great. I was staying for several nights in Salisbury so picked it up at their city center bus stop but they also stop right at the station. The bus is called "Stonehenge Tours" altho I think that is a confusing name as it is not a guided tour. They do have an audio explanation on the way out to the stones and the driver will get out and purchase entry tickets at the kiosk in the parking lot (DO pay for that combo ticket). I also got off the bus at the Old Sarum site and used the combo ticket to enter Salisbury Cathedral.

I do love the stones but have never managed to do the Inner Circle. I do like to walk back to the Visitor Center by the tumuli and cursus sights which are nearby.

I'd agree with others and probably skip the Inner Circle this time. Pick it up one one of your next visits when you have more time!

Posted by
444 posts

Thank you all for your help. After much deliberation, I decided to suck it up, pay some extra $ for convenience sake and do a guided tour. I am excited! It will be an inner circle evening tour with stops in Bath and Lacock. A long day but I think the less stressful option for us.

Posted by
94 posts

I'll just chime in to say that we did the inner circle tour in January last year, it was an early morning tour at sunrise, and it was 100% worth for us. It was a highlight of our trip, it was magical being out there with just a few people. BTW, you can't touch the stones, just walk among them. We did a guided tour and went to Salisbury afterwards, which we really enjoyed too, especially the cathedral and the Magna Carta. Have a wonderful time!