54402LWE
Stonehenge visit
Salisbury visit of the cathedral and lunch
- ALWAYS CHECK VOUCHER FOR BOOKING TIME AT STONEHENGE. TIMINGS STATED HERE ACT ONLY AS A GUIDE.
- Entrances are paid by voucher for all visits
- Check in advance for special events, closed areas of sites etc. Particularly check Chapter House at Salisbury (Magna Carta).
all opening times, entrances, tel numbers etc. are listed on yellow pages.
It is a one hour driving time from Bath to Stonehenge, note your booking slot and set departure time from the hotel accordingly.
If running this day from London and your hotel is to the east of city, contact office to discuss the necessity of an earlier coach departure time.
Stonehenge
- Booking times must be adhered to. You have a half hour window either side of your slot. If you know you are going to be vastly outside that time then you need to phone ahead. Groups who do not follow this have been turned away.
- Two hours are now being allocated to this visit.
- If the weather is bad you can shorten the time. However remember that whatever the weather the group will have to wait for the mini coach and have the journey there and back which is 10 minutes each way. 90 minutes is probably the minimum that you could operate this visit.
- Groups need to download the audio guide onto their phones before the visit (when they have wifi) https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/stonehenge-audio-guides/
Approaching the site.
From the west – Route remains the same. Visitor Centre is 1 ½ miles prior to the stones on A306 at Airman’s Cross. Follow signs for coach parking.
From the east – A344 is now closed. Continue along A303 at Longbarrow Roundabout turn right follow A360 and turn right into Visitor centre. Follow signs for coach parking.
Group Admission: Stonehenge has a Groups Welcome Centre, with toilet facilities at the Coach Park, but these are not always open. There are another set of toilets at the visitor centre. There are no facilities at the Stones. There is also a dedicated Groups shuttle service directly ahead from Welcome Centre. Tour Manager to hand in voucher and collect tickets and audio guides. Tickets are to be retained by passengers as they may be requested for use on the shuttle service to the stones. Beware of the wind, tickets are often blown away.
The Visit: Groups visit the Stones first before returning to the Exhibition, Café and Shop. Once at the Stones the group can return to the Visitor Centre on an individual basis.
Return shuttle journey – Group will be dropped at the main visitor centre. (See details below.) Allow plenty of time, queues can be long. The walk takes 30 minutes.
Visitor Centre
The main centre consists of two buildings. One houses new exhibition galleries and toilets, the other the shop and the restaurant. Between the two buildings is a covered orientation space. This will probably be good place for the group to a re-assemble at end of the visit and then walk the entire group back to the coach park.
Salisbury
Lunch: With changes at Stonehenge lunch would now be more practical prior to Cathedral visit. Drop in the vicinity of the Market Square but arrange with driver to pick up on St John’s Street. Make sure to have coach number so you can telephone when leaving the Cathedral. Set a time and meeting place for group to meet after lunch.
Cathedral: Walk via the High Street and Choristers’ Square into the Cathedral Close. Pay entrance with voucher, which includes the Chapter house which contains the Magna Carta, some fine carvings and an exhibition, Photos can be taken in the cathedral but not the Chapter House.
Note: To meet the coach you now must exit through a different gate than the one you entered. See map below. You walk diagonally across the Cathedral close and exit via St Ann’s Gate. Turn left once through the gate and you will see the coach pick up bays.
