Day Trip to Stonehenge From London

Visiting Stonehenge is a life-changing experience. Not only is Salisbury a beautiful town with a rich history, but seeing the stones still standing today is almost unworldly.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument and is a once-in-a-lifetime sight to see. When you arrive, you can take a shuttle or walk from the visitor center. Ensure you spend some time exploring the center as there is so much rich history to discover there as well.

Many who are not from the area are not familiar with the other historic sites to see on a trip to Salisbury.

Old Sarum, hilltop view — Old Sarum, Salisbury, UK

To start, Old Sarum, is an Iron Age fort.

Old Sarum, wall — Old Sarum, Salisbury, UK

The Salisbury Cathedral is also a beautiful building, with a rich history, and stores one of the Magna Carta copies.

Exterior of the Salisbury Cathedral — Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury, UK

Salisbury Cathedral Sanctuary Fountain — Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury, UK

When visiting London, Stonehenge is an easy day trip with plenty of time to return to the city for dinner. First, you will need to book your train tickets from Salisbury to London round trip. You can book tickets for the day off at the station or ahead of time. For ease of mind, I recommend doing so before your day trip.

Here are the links to ticket options:

BritRail Pass

The BritRail Pass is a good option if you are planning a trip that goes to multiple cities in the UK as it will save you money on all of your train travel.

Southern Railway

This is the rail line you will take from London to Salisbury and back. You can find timetables and book tickets on this site.

Another option is to rent a car. I have not done this as I am American and fear driving on the left :). The Stonehenge visitor center has a parking lot. It may be nice to not be time-bound by a train as well. There are many car rental options and they can be booked through, Expedia, Europcar, Kayak, and Enterprise. Note that many of these options have pick-up and drop-off at the airport.

If you do take the train, utilizing The Stonehenge Tour is a great option. A bus will pick you up from the airport and has running times to Stonehenge, The Salisbury Cathedral, and Old Sarum.

All in all a day trip can be seamless whether you choose to go by train or by car.