Across the world, there is probably nowhere more closely associated with the summer solstice than Stonehenge. While a busy attraction all year round, England’s most famous archaeological site receives its largest number of visitors at Midsummer, when thousands gather to witness the sun rise here on the northern hemispheres’ longest day of the year. For the 2024 summer solstice, I took a dedicated solstice bus tour from London to Stonehenge; I share my experience.
Summer solstice at Stonehenge in 2025 is on Sunday 21 June – the longest day of the year. Access times for the Stonehenge monument field have not yet been published, but for 2025, they were as follows: 19h00 on Friday 20 June 2025. Sunset was at 21h26, and sunrise was at 4h51.
- Ethan Doyle White
- Last Checked and/or Updated 29 August 2025
- England Travel Ideas
There is still a great deal about Stonehenge, and the stone circle tradition of which it is a part, that we do not know. Centuries of observation, deduction, and excavation, however, have revealed some fascinating insights into the worldview of its Late Neolithic and Bronze Age builders. It was the early eighteenth-century antiquarian and clergyman William Stukeley, for instance, who first noticed that the Heel Stone, a large standing rock to the east of Stonehenge, marks the point where – if standing inside the circle – one sees the sun rise on the winter and summer solstices. Clearly, this alignment was important to the site’s prehistoric creators.
Observing Solstice at Stonehenge
In the century after Stukeley published his findings, knowledge of this solstice alignment became more widely known and by the 1860s Stonehenge had become an increasingly popular attraction for Midsummer revellers. In 1878, around 300 people reportedly attended to witness the sun rise at the stones. By 1908, this had risen to around 2000 people. Over time, some of these visitors began to see their experiences at Stonehenge in spiritual or religious terms. In the 1910s, an occult group called the Universal Bond began holding rituals in and around the stones. Drawing on the prevalent, if unfounded notion that the monument had been constructed by the Iron Age druids, the Universal Bond’s members ultimately came to think of themselves as new, latter-day druids and thus was born a new tradition.
The growing interest in prehistoric monuments among counter-cultural circles of the 1960s only further fuelled attendance at the Midsummer celebrations. By 1974, the Stonehenge Free Festival was also being held in nearby fields. Many archaeologists and heritage managers were not too happy with the situation; with visitors clambering over the stones and lighting fires, there was always potential for damage. Social prejudices probably also played a role, with many in positions of authority disapproving of the Hippies and New Age Travellers that so readily embraced Stonehenge. Many archaeologists certainly deemed their beliefs about ley lines and earth energies little more than regressive woo-woo.
In 1985, the authorities decided to prevent the Stonehenge Free Festival going ahead that year. The resulting clash between police and revellers became known as the Battle of the Beanfield and generated concerns about police brutality. Relations between the authorities and those wanting to celebrate at Stonehenge broke down further – in 1989, a four-mile exclusion zone was introduced around the site at Midsummer, preventing people from getting close. Eventually, after years of campaigning, a system of managed open access was introduced for the summer solstice in 2000, a fairly successful arrangement that has remained in place ever since.
Summer Solstice at Stonehenge 2024
I’ve been to Stonehenge on a number of occasions over the years. Like most visitors, however, I’ve been prevented from getting close to the stones themselves by the outer cordon – Stonehenge, for most people, is only something to be enjoyed from afar. At present, there are only two ways in which you can actually get up to the ancient megaliths. The first is by paying extra to be part of a special, pre-arranged tour group (with early morning and evening options); the second is by visiting on either the winter or summer solstice, when the barriers go down as part of the open access agreement. As these solstice events are free to attend, they are obviously more cost-effective than special group tours, although you must be prepared to brave both the crowds and a night out exposed to the elements.
My 2024 summer solstice trip was booked through Get Your Guide. While entry to Stonehenge at Midsummer is free. The return coach trip costs £136. The coach picked myself and the other travellers up from near the back entrance of Earls Court tube station in West London, a convenient location for anyone staying in or near the capital. We headed off around midnight, with many of the attendees trying to sleep on the journey westward. Our tour guide, Hayley, was friendly and informative, giving us a general overview of Stonehenge en route, although I’m not sure how many people were awake to listen.
When the coach parked up at the Stonehenge visitor’s centre, it was around 2am, and there was another half hour walk from the car park to the monument itself (there are also free buses for those less mobile). Hayley told us to be back around 6am; the coach would leave at 6.45, regardless of whether we were on it or not. This meant that we had only four to four-and-a-half hours at the site, with roughly an hour of that time spent traveling to and from the stones and car park. For me, this was not long enough and I would have appreciated another hour at least. Those who arrived in their own vehicles – and this seems to be the vast majority of attendees – clearly had the opportunity to stay a bit longer on what proved a glorious Midsummer morning.
While the engrained stereotype of the Stonehenge solstice attendee is a very counter-cultural one, that wasn’t the dominant vibe at the event. Rather than having the same sort of atmosphere as a modern Pagan gathering or a May Day folk procession, it felt more like a music festival than anything else; there were even portable toilet facilities, burger vans, and people in high-viz jackets searching attendees for forbidden drugs and alcohol.
That is not to say that there weren’t people there for spiritual reasons. From their choice of clothing, one could easily spot modern Pagans, New Agers, and esotericists of various kinds, but these conspicuous counter-culturalists were in the minority. Most people, it seemed, just wanted to see what the event was all about. There were plenty of twenty or thirtysomethings out with their friends; local Wiltshire and Dorset voices but also lots of foreign tourists. These people reminded me of those Victorians who first started gathering to watch the solstice sunrise here back in the 1860s, people basically looking for an enjoyable and memorable night out.
After a quick visit to see the Hare Krishnas, who seem to be a regular fixture at Stonehenge solstices, I headed over to the circle itself, where crowds were already amassing. Being amidst the ring, one can really appreciate the sheer size of the sarsens, a feeling you just don’t get when kept at a distance or looking at photographs. With a friend I crushed together in the darkened centre of the circle to await the sun’s rising in the east – due to happen shortly before 5am. A few didgeridoos and drums could be heard; the smell of sage and incense, although technically prohibited, was very apparent.
As might be expected when large numbers of people are packed together for several hours, nerves began to get a bit frayed. One source of contention was the appearance of an umbrella, decked out as a jellyfish, that was affixed to a very long stick. Jutting out in the middle of the circle, it ultimately made an exit amid chants of “no more jellyfish.” Perhaps of more serious concern were the individuals who chambered up the trilithons on the south of the circle. Several people muttered about this being forbidden, expressing concern about damage to the rare lichen, but there were no stewards or police around to enforce the regulations.
In the half hour or so before the sunrise, a group of red-clad Goddess worshippers, the Shakti Sings Choir, entered the middle of the circle and proceeded to regale those assembled with a series of earnest songs about peace, love, and living in harmony with the Earth – as they have been doing annually for several years now. As well-intentioned as they were, their efforts were not widely appreciated. One woman near to me, a West Country Pagan clad in purple robes and ritual staff, expressed what seemed to be most people’s view; “oh, I just wish that they would stop singing!” There was, I suspect, a tension between those who see themselves as ritual officiants and a majority who have little desire for anyone to mediate their experience with the rising sun.
Once the sunrise came, welcomed by a sea of camera phones, things got light very quickly. Mist rolled across the landscape; a couple of hares frolicked in the fields; a skylark flew overhead. It was a beautiful morning, a chance to have a quick look at several Bronze Age burial mounds dotted around the landscape. However, with an eye on the time I had to make my way fairly quickly back to the coach, and thence a sleepy journey back to London, one woman snoring loudly behind me.
Stonehenge is strange in many ways. Its structural complexity is unlike any of the hundreds of other stone circles from Britain’s Neolithic and Bronze Age. As a modern visitor attraction it is also unusual; no prehistoric site in the UK attracts anywhere near this number of tourists. I can’t think of any other archaeological locale in the country that holds such a unique place in the British cultural psyche – where else sees TV weather reporters shack up on Midsummer morning? While Stonehenge is far from being my favourite prehistoric site in England, nor do I find the solstice sunrise there a particularly moving or spiritual occasion, I nevertheless think it’s a good night out and I’d recommend it to anyone with the inclination, opportunity, and stamina. I’d certainly like to go again.
Archaeology Travel Tips
- Arrive early if you want to secure a place inside the stone circle itself. The more central you are, the better you will be able to see the sun rise over the Heel Stone at the start of the Avenue. Crowds swiftly amass and if you arrive later you will probably have to await sunrise outside the circle.
- Make sure to bring our own snacks. Food vans are located several minutes’ walk from Stonehenge itself, and if you’re standing inside the circle then you’ll lose your place if you go to buy food.
- Use the toilet facilities when you arrive. Again, you’ll lose your place if you head to the toilet later on, and the portable toilet facilities themselves get increasingly unpleasant as time goes on.
- Wear appropriate footwear. The ground is covered in grass, is sometimes uneven, and can get wet. A pair of firm boots does the trick best.
- Wear layers for the cold. While this is Midsummer, and thus won’t dip to the temperatures of the winter solstice, things can still get chilly in the middle of the night.
- Bring water, tea or coffee – but not alcohol. It’s important to keep hydrated and caffeinated drinks will help keep you awake, but alcohol is prohibited and will be confiscated.
- For more about celebrating summer solstice at Stonehenge, and to read the Conditions of Entry, see the official page on the English Heritage website.
How to Get to Stonehenge for Summer Solstice 2025
Stonehenge is on the Salisbury Plain in the English county of Wiltshire. The site is 8km north of the city of Salisbury.
By Bus
Two websites offer Premium Tours’ Summer Solstice Sunrise bus tour from London: GetYourGuide (a Solstice Sunset bus tour is also available) and Viator.
By Train
Salisbury is connected to a number of cities by train, including London, Bristol, Exeter, Reading and Southampton. It is possible to get a bus from Salisbury city to Stonehenge, or a taxi.
Private Transport
The controversies surrounding the A303 aside, it is possible to drive to Stonehenge. Entrance to the car park is just off the roundabout known as Airman’s Corner (the intersection of A360 and B3086).
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Add Stonehenge to Your Itineraries & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to England, you can create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and an itinerary for your visit. These can also be shared with your friends and on social media. You can see how this is done by watching our Using the Itinerary video on YouTube, or reading the Using the Itinerary page.
For more sites and museums in England, see our England Travel Guide.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is one of the most well known of all prehistoric sites in the United Kingdom. These famous stones have touched all facets of the popular imagination, much of it fanciful. The location of these enormous stones has been an important place for prehistoric communities since at least 8000 BC. Around 5,000 years ago a ditch and bank henge was created. And there followed about 1,500 years of development. Given the site’s iconic status it is a very popular historical attraction, with people visiting in their millions each year.
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