Gain access to the stones on these exclusive Stonehenge inner circle tours! These day trips by coach from London include a guided tour around the actual Stonehenge stones, an area that is normally out of bounds for the visiting public.
Usually when you visit Stonehenge, you can't get anywhere near the famous mystical stones. And you can see why. It's a really, really popular tourist spot and with hundreds of visitors descending on the ancient site every day, the landscape was getting damaged. For these inner circle tours your hosts have forged a special partnership with English Heritage who manage Stonehenge.
After the daytime crowds have died away, (or before Stonehenge opens to the public if taking the AM tour in winter), you will be setting off on a fully guided tour of the inner circle. Hosted by a Stonehenge expert, you'll hear all about the theories of how this circle of stones was built, what it may have been used for and why it is so famous today. Each tour has a designated time slot and you'll spend up to an hour amongst this amazing stone circle.
Your day trip also includes stop offs at other World Heritage Sites on the way to Stonehenge. Avebury is a lovely Wiltshire village with three stone circles, making it the largest collection of megalithic stone circles in the world. You'll be treated to a guided tour of the site, so you can understand the history and the relevance of this ancient spot. You'll also have free time to explore the village, including the thatched-roof Red Lion pub, which is supposed to be haunted!
There's also a chance to visit the West Kennet Long Barrow on your way to your special Stonehenge inner circle tour. Dating back to 3600BC, the ancient tomb predates Stonehenge by some 400 years. From here, you can also see Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric, man-made mound in Europe that is a similar size to some Egyptian pyramids and whose purpose is still largely unknown Once again, an expert host is on hand to guide you through the burial chambers on a tour.
If you book one of the few early morning/sunrise tours during the winter season, then a visit to the historical small city of Salisbury is included instead of visits to Avebury & West Kennet Long Barrow. Entry to Salisbury Cathedral is included, where you can marvel at the tallest church spire in Britain and view an original copy of the Magna Carta.
But of course, the main event is the Stonehenge inner circle tour. Just to reiterate, you get special access to the restricted area of the stones that's normally closed to visitors. The tour is accompanied by a guide, at a specific time, after the site has closed to the general public, making this day out really rather special!
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