Stonehenge Tour- Walk within the Stone Circle?

[HALrunner]

We were ready to sign up for a ship tour (HAL) to Stonehenge but read in the fine print "The Stones are seen from a distance, and there is no opportunity to touch or walk within the Stone Circle." Is this typical at Stonehenge or do typical visits (on your own or with a private excursion) allow this? 

[MeHeartCruising]

This is the normal visitor experience.  It has been for quite a few years now.  There is, however, a VIP experience called the "Stone Circle Experience" which can be arranged to walk within the stones outside of normal operating hours.  There is no touching of the stones on this tour either.  However, ship excursions don't probably offer this option given the timing of the tours.  With the normal visit, you still get quite close to the stones. It's not like you have to admire them from a hilltop 1/2 mile away.

 

Details here:

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[HALrunner]

1 minute ago, MeHeartCruising said:

This is the normal visitor experience.  It has been for quite a few years now.  There is, however, a VIP experience called the "Stone Circle Experience" which can be arranged to walk within the stones outside of normal operating hours.  There is no touching of the stones on this tour either.  However, ship excursions don't probably offer this option given the timing of the tours.

 

Details here:

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

 

Thank you! 

[MeHeartCruising]

1 minute ago, HALrunner said:

Thank you! 

 

This video from that website pretty much shows you how well you can see the stones.

 

[HALrunner]

Thank you for sharing the video- so helpful! What a great preview!

[sofietucker]

All that being said, if you DO want to walk among--and touch!--standing stones--go to Brittany. They have literally thousands, in various huge arrangements, in all kinds of small towns, in fields, casually found, in formal parks, next to gas stations, in muddy parking lots, etc. Much older than Stonehenge too! Once you start researching it will blow your mind. Look at Lorient as a starting place for cruise ports. I have a Druid priest friend in Cornwall who gets inside access to Stonehenge and even he says Brittany is the place to go.

[pink845]

Years ago, 20 years ago, when we last visited them, we were able to touch the stones.  Not any more I am hearing.  

[John Bull]

A few years back I drove a coach-load of enthusiasts to Stonehenge at daft o'clock in the morning for a pre-booked restricted-numbers out-of-hours visit.

There were no facilities, no refreshments or audio-guides at that un-godly hour but they were well-prepared with their own food & flasks of hot drinks and their own expert local guide.

Those visits are really for serious archaeology students and professionals etc

 

A picture paints a thousand words, and the video linked by MeHeartCruising is all you need to see the access during public hours.

 

Pink 875 - when I was a nipper I lived about two miles from Stonehenge and used to play amongst the Stones. Things change!!!

 

JB 🙂