As a tour guide in London, I get asked about visiting Stonehenge all the time.
Is Stonehenge worth it? What's the best way to get to Stonehenge?
But, perhaps the most regular question I get is whether one can visit Stonehenge for free?
And the answer is, YES.
While close-up access to this heritage site requires a paid ticket, there is a way to see Stonehenge for free.
There is a heritage trail placed by the government which is free and open to the public and leads directly to the attraction.
The trail runs parallel to the observation path for paid visitors, and it’s only a few dozen metres away.
And if you arrive at the main visitor centre and car park, you can walk along the main road until you reach this heritage trail.
In the video below, Sinead, a Stonehenge tour guide, explains where the public path is:
There are also some other attractions and paths in the the area that lead to this heritage trail (see the links below).
Caveats
Here are, however, some things at Stonehenge you can’t do for free.
I always want to point out that if you do come this way, you will be viewing Stonehenge from behind a fence.
So, if you'd like some clear shots for photos (as many of my guests do), this may not be an option for you!
The landmark itself is entirely free to enjoy from afar, but you should plan to spend some money if you want to visit the museum or enjoy a close-up experience.
I think it is a personal decision as to whether it's worth the cost or not.
I have paid to visit around 4 times and have gone the free route.
The Museum is great and seeing the stones up close is fascinating but, in my opinion, once you've done that a couple times there's no need to do it again.
Although, I try to keep an eye on the English Heritage website to keep abreast when new exhibitions roll out.
However, the view is close enough that I think it's comparable to the one I get when I buy a ticket.
Once you've decided to view Stonehenge from the public path, you just have to decide where you want to start the hike to reach it.
There are three different choices - and I have taken each one at least once! I usually make my decision based on the weather...or how lazy I am feeling.
Below, I will cover the three best ways to walk to Stonehenge for little or no cost, as well as one option that is usually offered during the Summer Solstice event.
If you’d rather have the help of a tour guide, consider reading my post on Stonehenge Tours from London.
I strongly believe that there is no need to go with a tour group, which sometimes surprises people, given that I am a tour guide.
However, I find it perfectly easy to get there on my own!
For more information on that option, you’ll find plenty of helpful information on my post where I cover how to get from London to Stonehenge.
- Walk From the Carpark
- Walk From Woodhenge
- Walk From Fargo Road
- Visit During the Solstice
- Stonehenge Tickets and Discounts
Walk From the Visitor Centre Carpark
I find that guests I take to Stonehenge are always surprised that the visitor centre car park is actually not next to Stonehenge!
It's roughly 1.3 miles (2 km) from the stones.
There is a shuttle bus service that runs from the park to the henge, and I've taken it in the past.
If I don't feel up for walking, or the weather is bad, then it's worth it.
But if I'm trying to save some money or it's a nice spring day - I like to grab a hot chocolate (it's REALLY good) from the Visitor Centre and take the stroll down to the stones.
Depending on your level of fitness, it might be a bit of a trek, but I enjoy it as a leisurely walk through some beautiful English countryside!
Directions
This is an easy one!
Once I've got my drink from the Visitor Centre, I just walk down the road, the same road that the shuttle bus takes.
When I get to the drop-off point for the shuttle bus, I simply make my way through the public access gate on the left.
That takes me to a path which goes around the ticketed area and allows me to get pretty close to the attraction.
Stonehenge Visitor Centre Parking Info
I am now a member of English Heritage (the organisation that looks after Stonehenge), so parking at all their locations is free for me.
However, the last time I paid to park at Stonehenge, I spent just £5.00 which I think is a reasonable price.
If you have a list of English Heritage sites you'd like to visit while you are here, consider becoming a member - you could save money not only on entry but on parking, too.
Parking at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre is first-come-first-served and I have seen it nearly full on a number of occasions.
So, I recommend getting there early if you can!
Walk From Woodhenge
Stonehenge isn't the only henge around!
I sometimes double up my visit to Stonehenge with a trip to Woodhenge, too.
Woodhenge is another ancient site - also managed by English Heritage - which is free to visit year 'round.
The only downside to this option is that it’s 2.5 miles (4 km) from Stonehenge, which is a bit further than the Visitor Centre car park.
However, sometimes, I am in the mood for a country walk, particularly if I've just eaten a big pub lunch.
So, I will choose to park at Woodhenge and amble to Stonehenge.
I like to bring my history loving friends and family this way, too, as the path takes us past the King's Barrow - a Bronze Age burial site - along the way.
Sometimes I take my time, and mender along, stopping to take photos or look at sheep and horses in the fields.
Other times I will set a brusquer pace so it usually takes me 45 minutes to 1 hour to get to Stonehenge from Woodhenge.
When I go with my father, who is a bit slower, it usually takes us about 75 minutes.
This means if I am planning to do this walk, I make sure to leave myself plenty of time as the roundtrip walk will take a minimum of 2 hours.
For that reason, I usually only use this option when this is my only thing to do for the day. That way I don't feel rushed.
Directions
Although the walk is long, and I keep one eye on my Google Maps, I still find it a pretty straightforward journey from here to Stonehenge.
After I've explored Woodhenge, I head through the field to the southwest into the field.
At the end of the field I walk through the gate and onto a path leading west. I follow that path all the way until I get to a crossroad - this is where Kings Barrow is.
I carry on walking west until I get to the gate at the dead end.
From this gate, I make my way onto the path through another field here going southwest.
There is a gate at the end of the field which opens out onto the road just north of the Stonehenge shuttle bus.
From there, all I have to do is walk south down the road until I reach the path that will allow me to get by nice and close view of Stonehenge.
Woodhenge Parking Info
If I have guests who are definitely not going to sign up for an English Heritage membership, then this is where I tell them to go, as the parking is free!
Another benefit of this car park is that even when it's full, which I have seen happen more than once - especially in the summer season, there's free parking on the adjacent Fargo Road, which is my third option for you as detailed below.
Walk From Fargo Road (Lark Hill)
This is the quickest way that I have found to visit Stonehenge without paying the entry fee.
Before I joined English Heritage, this was my most used option as it avoids the parking charge at the Visitor Centre Car Park.
And, the walk to Stonehenge is not as long as the one from Woodhenge.
Parking is free on Fargo Road, south of Lark Hill, and it's right on the edge of a path that pretty much leads directly to Stonehenge.
Here is a link to Google Maps that you could use for directions.
I never had any trouble parking on Fargo Road as there's a fair amount of space.
I also feel like it's relatively safe to leave my car here, although, as always, I keep any valuables out of view.
The walk from my car to Stonehenge from here is a quick 15-20 minutes, which makes it perfect as part of a bigger day out.
For example, I sometimes like to spend some time in the beautiful town of Salisbury nearby.
So, I don't want my Stonehenge trip to take up a huge chunk of my time.
Walking Directions to Stonehenge from Fargo Road
Once I've parked my car on Fargo Road, I walked own to Willoughby Road and walk south until I get to a narrow gravel path.
I take that path until it brings me to where the Stonehenge shuttle bus drops off the passengers.
There's a pathway on the left there which takes me to the same viewing location I mentioned at the top of this post.
Visit During Solstice
Once of the best visits I've had at Stonehenge was at an event that was absolutely free!
This was a visit during the Summer Solstice.
Stonehenge routinely allows visitors to come for free on both the Solstice and the Equinox.
I had to get up ridiculously early to catch sunrise there but it was 100% worth it.
When I went, there were people playing drums throughout which really contributed to an intense and mystical atmosphere.
I also took part in some traditional dancing and I saw children taking part in various activities, playing games, etc.
And when the sun finally came up, everybody cheered!
It was such a cool experience and I cannot recommend it enough.
Of course it only happens twice a year.
But, if you’re looking for a meaningful experience at Stonehenge, but you want to save some money on tickets, this would be my top suggestion.
I haven't done the Winter Solstice yet but it is on my list for this year.
Tip
Go earlier than you think you need to!
I was surprised at how busy it got quite quickly so to get as close to the stones as possible, I recommend getting there as soon as you can.
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