Stonehenge worth the trip?

If u are doing other activities nrby then for sure seeit.
But alot is lost with the fencing and distance from the monoliths. Imo.

You will get varied opinions on this. I think it is totally worth it. The fence is low so it doesn't restrict your view. It depends on how vested you are in seeing a prehistoric monument.

I think it also depends on how many days you will be in Great Britain.

-If you are using public transport and have enough time to spend 2 nights either in Bath (take a Mad Max tour to Stonehenge) or Salisbury (take the Salisbury Red bus to Stonehenge and loop back thru Old Sarum) then yes, go.

-If you have limited number of days and plan to take a bus tour from London, then I would say no.

Some context would help. How long have you got? Are you touring by car, or will you be making an excursion from London?

We usually avoid tours but we did take a Gray Line tour that included Salisbury, the cathedral and the Magna Carta, then lunch at the cathedral cafe. Stonehenge was first and we spent 90 minutes there, 60 minutes was plenty for photo ops. Then to Bath after Salisbury for a couple of hours. It was a full day with lots of bus time but we likely would not have seen those places were it not for the tour. Long day on the bus but snoozing is allowed.... This was our 9th visit to London but our first visit to these places since there is always so much to do in London.

Of course, "is it worth it?" questions are inherently subjective, since what's worth it to one traveler may not be worth it to a different traveler or a travel companion.
So there's no right answer, only an answer that's right for you and your travel companion.
Having said that, how important to you is seeing it to you? What are your expectations?
There's a fence but it's relatively low and the stones are big so you get a good look.
How much would it mean to you, and your travel companion, to be in the presence of the stones.
We planned one of our early trips to the UK so that our itinerary would take us to Stonehenge, and the experience met the my expectations and I'm glad I did it.
You may want to also take a look, when doing your trip research, at Avebury, which is nearby and has stones, smaller ones but quite impressive, that you can go up and touch.

The "fence" at Stonehenge:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kr6B6D5VZxg/UDOPFfKijbI/AAAAAAAAEVQ/w0CpNfbH8-0/s1600/stonehengesmall2.JPG

I think you've probably been told about the wire mesh fence on the road perimeter;
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/AWGG9T/two-woman-looking-at-stonehenge-through-the-outside-perimeter-fence-AWGG9T.jpg

Very subjective, but Stonehenge wouldn't be on my top 20 things to do in England (and I live here)! I prefer Avebury stones - far fewer people. Unless you go on a tour and keep to their timetable, Stonehenge is not easy to do yourself unless you have a car.

I would prefer a day in Lewes or Canterbury or Brighton or Rye or Norwich, which all have interesting older buildings and churches/cathedrals and some have coastline.

you'll never know unless you go

Some people get nice and close ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/11078801/How-cool-is-this-Obama-visits-Stonehenge.html

Yes - there really isn't a fence, just a rope that is about 1 foot off the ground. You can't get close, but the stones are huge. I would take the Mad Max tour that is out of Bath. They will take you to see Stonehenge as well as Avebury where you can walk among the stones.

all that rope/railing is missing is a little "keep off the grass" sign.

a tour bus to Stonehenge is one of a 4 day planned visit to London.

Yes, for us it was absolutely worth it. But there are zillions of interesting things to see, so you have to figure out what your interests are and what you want to do.

I love Stonehenge and have been there twice, before and after the fence. Some people get there and say, "So what?" I was not one of those; I was transfixed. Whether or not it will be worth it for you depends partly on how much you want to see it. If you are going because other people tell you you should, then I would suggest you not go. It also depends on what you have to give up to see it. If you don't go to Stonehenge, what would you do instead? Then you just have to guess which you will enjoy more.

As Pam, Kent, and Jennifer have said, this is a very subjective question, and you will probably get two dozen posters on this site who say "Yes" and two dozen posters who say "No".

You have indicated that you will have four days in London. Is this four complete days, or will you be arriving or departing halfway through one of the days?

You have to make a "priority list" of sites in and around London that you want to see. For example:
1. Tower of London
2. St. Paul's
3. Westminster Abbey
and so on. After you've made your list, fit that to the days you have in London. Do you still have time to leave town and go see Stonehenge? Did Stonehenge make it into your "top ten" must see sites list? If the answer to both these questions is "No", then there's your answer.

Are you fascinated by megalithic sites and the very early history of Britain, i.e., time period when Stonehenge was built? If the answer here is "No', then you might not enjoy it as much as some other sites.

I enjoyed Stonehenge, because I am fascinated by megalithic sites and the very early history of Britain. I feel that it is a very special place, with it's own awesome feeling, but if you don't get "that feeling" when you visit, then you may not enjoy it. It is a long trip out by bus if you end up thinking that it's just a bunch of rocks, what's the big deal. Look at photos online to see if it looks intriguing to you. Don't go just because you've heard that it's a place tourists are supposed to go.

Everyone has said it well -- you can't do everything in a short time (although I sometimes try). That being said, we went to Stonehenge this summer "because it was close" and it's famous, not expecting to be greatly impressed. But I was. I was surprised at my reaction but it was definitely worth it for me. We also went to Avebury, which was also good but just a different experience. For me, they don't compare even though they are both stone circles (the apples to oranges thing). However we didn't even go near London so weren't trying to squeeze in everything.

I always love this question. Stonehenge is something we still can't decide what it was for, how it was built, nor why it was built. It's a mystery. In a world where the Kardashians are supposedly important I'd much prefer to take time to see something that I believe will still be standing and being discussed long after they are gone! GO see it and try to decipher how 5,000 years ago those huge stones we set in place and by whom.

If it is not out of your way to view it I would say do so but if your time is limited it could be missed this trip and consider it for another trip (as Rick says always assume you will return). I was able to visit the henge in 2007 and we drove from Cambridgeshire and my most lasting impression is coming down the slope to the Salisbury plain and seeing the henge off in the distance about the size of a US nickle and seeing it enlarge as we drove closer. I cannot say I felt any vibe or mystical energy during my visit but it was very impressive. The Avebury henge nearby is spread out much more and although you can walk about it (mind the sheep poo) it doesn't have the massive impact as Stonehenge imho. Enjoy your trip. Pam

If you have never done it before, I do think its worth it at least once. I'd go in the morning, as close to opening times as you can manage, if nothing else for the peace and relative quiet. I would, however, combine it with Salisbury/Bath as has been suggested as it is somewhat 'out of the way' and there isnt much around it. When last I did it, I took the train to Salisbury, the bus to/from Stonehenge, and then did Salisbury, It is worth a mention that the A303 (road) which runs near it, can get jacked up with traffic.

If its me, and I can combine it with something, yes, do it. I would not trek out there for just Stonehenge, but thats just me.

Of course, to each their own. I visited Stonehenge this summer. I had low expectations going in, which were confirmed. The site itself is OK. The fence is not a big deal - although it does keep you (and the crowds of other tourists there) away from what you all came to see.

The problem, for me, was not the fence (or the low rope - which was less obtrusive than I expected). What ruined it for me was the hundreds of other people. OK, I have come to accept that I'm just a misanthrope - crowds of people all waving selfie sticks, yakking away loudly on their cell phones, they just bum me out at a place like this. Of course, I'm part of the problem (except for the selfie stick and loud cell phone conversation), so I can't exactly criticize others for wrecking things (well, OK, I can - but at least I realize I'm being hypocritical, if not completely irrational).

I understand why the site has been roped off, and to their credit the folks there are probably managing it about as best as can be expected, given the thousands of people who they process through the place every day. But there's no denying that sharing such places with hundreds or thousands of strangers take a lot of the shine off it, at least for me.

I was glad we went, if only so I could check it off my list of things I don't need to do again - had we just skipped it, I would probably be nagged by doubts forever.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed Avebury much, much, much more. I'm sure others would disagree. Just my 2 pence.

There's another thing to throw into the mix here. If your deterrent is the crowds and lack of direct access to the stones, and if you can be there out of hours, you can book a Special Access visit. Still no touching but you can walk amongst the stones. SA entry also includes a normal access ticket so you can benefit from the audio guides and/or special events. You won't be completely alone but the number of people in each group is kept fairly small and people who go to these tend to be a bit more respectful of the peace and quiet needed to best appreciate the henge and it's location on the plain. A disadvantage if you go to an SA slot on a weekday is you'll be on the A303 in rush-hour so allow a bit of extra time. If you are combining an early SA visit with a trip to Bath or further west, perhaps stay at a hotel in Amesbury to save time as you can drive up the evening before...

I'm waiting until they finish building it before I make the effort to visit Stonehenge.

If you have a deep interest in ancient history/archaeology then Stonehenge is a must, but there are other monuments which give you a much more immediate experience. Avebury is just as impressive (in a different way) and you can wander around the stones. Also lots of other impressive sites close by. The village is attractive and has a lovely Tudor manor house owned by the National Trust and a pleasant pub.

I visited Stonehenge as part of a long day tour that included Oxford and Windsor Castle, and while I'm glad I got to see Stonehenge it was not especially thrilling to me, would much rather have had more time in Oxford. It was my first trip abroad so I chalk it up to a learning experience. 4 years ago there were cordons to keep people at a distance but you could still get great photos, just not with someone standing next to the stones, nor could you inspect them closely, if that's your thing.