The Stonehenge Experience: Privileged access into the Stones is by far the best way to see the Stone Circle.

An unforgettable opportunity to spend time inside the tranquil circle of Stonehenge. Stone Circle Experience at Stonehenge takes you up close to this world-famous monument
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Before 1978 you were free to walk around inside the stone circle at Stonehenge once you’d paid your admission fee. The lack of any guards overnight meant people also hopped the fence once the site had closed.

Finally, in response to the over 800,000 annual visitors, access was restricted. An article entitled “Heritage Under Siege” in New Scientist (Sept 27th, 1979) reports the Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings as saying:
“The whole problem of Stonehenge is numbers … all through the year. What menaces Stonehenge are the millions of feet (and hands) of the ordinary visitors.”
… and continues:
“An archaeologist calculated that if each visitor walked around the central area just twice during his or her visit, the effect would be the same as having one man standing on each square foot inside the ring and jumping up and down on that spot 62 times every day throughout the year.”

After March 1978, everyone was banned from inside the circle – including archaeologists and other researchers, much to their annoyance. Department of the Environment officials said that the plans to allow out-of-hours access to “those with a special interest” had to be abandoned because the custodians were unwilling to work overtime. And so it remained for a long time.

Eventually things changed and these days it’s possible to book to go inside the stone circle on what is called a “Stone Circle Access” or “Special Access” visit. These are one-hour long slots before and after the monument is open to the public during the day, and a maximum of 30 people are allowed inside at a time.

You can try book as an individual, or via Stonehenge Guided Tours who will provide a well-informed tour guide to show you some of the hidden features that you might otherwise miss. Many of their tours are at sunrise or sunset..

Please visit our Stonehenge Tour Blog for more facts, history and all the latest Stonehenge news‍

Book with the Stonehenge Experts

Our guides are carefully selected for their personality, wide knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for our style of tours. Never boring - you will find them informative, professional but down to earth with a real passion for showing you the very best of Britain! They pride themselves on entertaining you with tales of England's rich history, culture and legend to ensure a memorable experience of the real England.

Of course all our drivers and guides are professional / licensed and trained to meet the high standards of the London Tourist Board's 'Welcome Host' program.

‍Tours depart daily from central London, Bathand Salisbury all-year round.

Relevant entrance fees are included (some tours include lunch in historic pub) with no Hidden Extras. We have Priority Entrance into all attractions. No Questions giving more time to explore.We Guarantee that you wouldn't be able to visit the same places in one day, or at a cheaper price, by raveling independently using public transport.



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