There are a few ways to get from Salisbury to Stonehenge. Both Salisbury and Stonehenge are in south Wiltshire. Stonehenge is about 10 miles north of Salisbury.
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The Stonehenge Tour Bus
Probably the best way to get to Stonehenge from Salisbury is by the Salisbury to Stonehenge tour bus.
This picks people up from both Salisbury railway station, and Salisbury bus station. The bus station is in the centre of Salisbury
At the time of writing, the bus costs £17.50 for adults (as of November 2009), including admission to Stonehenge, . There are discounts for students and children1.
If you’re travelling from Salisbury to Stonehenge as part of a small group, it can work out cheaper to get a taxi. Pat Shelley of Salisbury Guided Tours says:
If there are 4 or more people travelling together it is cheaper to get a taxi from the station than the bus. Always agree the price and time they are staying there. If there are only 3 people then the taxi is marginally more expensive, but they can leave luggage in the taxi while they walk around Stonehenge.
However, entry into both Salisbury Cathedral and Old Sarum is included in the cost of the tour bus.
The frequency of the bus to Stonehenge varies with the seasons. It runs every 30 minutes in summer and every 60 minutes in winter. Check the bus company’s website for a timetable.
You can also get a joint rail and bus ticket – ask at Waterloo.
Bus from Salisbury to Amesbury, then walk to Stonehenge
A great way to get to Stonehenge from Salisbury, if you have the right weather, and the legs for it, is to get a local bus from Salisbury to Amesbury and then walk from there.
A return bus ticket from Salisbury to Amesbury costs about £6.50 at the time of writing (January 2012)
You could walk along the A303, but it’s both horrible and dangerous – I would advise against it.
The route to take is to cross the A303 through the Countess Roundabout subway, then go across country. There are a couple of walking guides on line:
There’s also a very good National Trust one, with a good map but I can’t find it currently
Buses from Salisbury to Amesbury
Buses in Wiltshire are safe and relatively pleasant. Salisbury bus station is a bit basic, but it’s in the centre of town.
There are a number of buses throughout the day.
At the time of writing it costs £6.50 return.
The buses which go from Salisbury to Amesbury are:
- Route 1 – goes through the Avon valley, but there are only one or two a day and you can’t catch it both ways.
- Route 4 – only one a day. The Activ8 is better.
- Route 5/6 – every 30 minutes.
- Route Activ8 – every 30 minutes.
The timings above are approximate and subject to change, PLEASE check with the bus company.
Walk all the way from Salisbury to Stonehenge
I have walked from Salisbury to Stonehenge twice three times and it by far my favourite way to get to Stonehenge.
If you walk to Stonehenge you will have to cross the A303. This can be both difficult and dangerous. Please take care in doing so
It’s about 10 miles, and it’s fairly flat. The best routes would be through the Avon Valley. There’s a fairly quiet country lane, with a couple of nice pubs en route.
I’ve typically ended up walking alongside the A303, for half a mile or so.
Cycle
Update:The cycle shop Hayballs in Winchester Street, near the Market Square now does cycle hire. Again the route I would recommend is to go up through the Avon Valley, but you still have to cross the A303, unless you double-back to Amesbury, cross under the subway then go off-road
Taxi
The taxi fare would be about £20 to £30 each way. You might be able to negotiate for a taxi driver to wait while you look around Stonehenge, but you perhaps wouldn’t get much change from £100.
Coach tour from London
Another way of covering the distance between Salisbury and Stonehenge is to visit both as part of an organized coach trip. Several companies run coach trips from London.
There are trips that take in Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath, but I wouldn’t really recommend it, unless you’re desperate to see all three in a short period of time.
I live in Salisbury, so this isn’t something I’ve done, but the following seem to be fairly reputable.
- Evan Evans Sightseeing Tours :: Select sightseeing, Salisbury, Stonehenge, Bath – although I think Stonehenge, Salisbury and would be a bit of a rush
Drive from Salisbury to Stonehenge
If you’re using a Sat-Nav, the postcode for Stonehenge is SP4 7DE. It’s on the A303.
If you go through the Avon valley, I would recommend the cafe at Heale House if you fancy a cup of tea and a cake. It’s certainly better than the catering at Stonehenge.
Hints and tips
A couple of miscellaneous points:
- The Stonehenge site is very exposed to the weather!
- The catering at Stonehenge is very basic – it’s better to plan to eat in Salisbury
- The Stonehenge section of Salisbury Museum is very good – best to go after you’ve been to the Henge itself
Footnotes
- The admission to Stonehenge on its own, if you weren’t on the bus, is £6.50 so effectively the bus fare is £11.00. [↩]