Parking at Stonehenge costs £3, unless you’re a member of English Heritage. But you’ll still need to walk or take a shuttle bus to the standing stones.
Parking at Stonehenge
Stonehenge in Wiltshire is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in England.
Unfortunately, it’s a rural site with fairly poor infrastructure, so visitor numbers need managing carefully. And that means you can’t park your car next to the standing stones.
Why book the Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath day trip?
- 🚌 See three of England’s most iconic sights in one day
- 👑 Explore the royal residence of Windsor Castle
- 🪨 Walk among the mysterious stones of ancient Stonehenge
- 🏛️ Discover the stunning Georgian architecture of Bath
- 🎧 Learn from expert guides with fascinating historical insights
Can I park at Stonehenge?
First of all, you can’t drive up to Stonehenge and park your car outside the standing stones. The nearest car park is at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre.
From the Stonehenge Visitor Centre, a regular and wheelchair-accessible Stonehenge shuttle bus takes you to a bus stop near the stones. The walk from the bus stop to the stones is around 200 metres long.
Alternatively, you can choose to walk across the fields from the visitor centre car park to Stonehenge. It’s a 4km return walk, and takes 25 to 40 minutes one way.
What does Stonehenge charge for car parking?
Stonehenge is run by English Heritage, and English Heritage members can park at Stonehenge without charge.
For non-members, parking at Stonehenge costs £3.
This Stonehenge car parking cost is on top of the entry fee. Even with the 15% discount for booking online, this costs £30.90 for adults and £20 for children.
Entrance is free, however, for members of English Heritage.
All prices are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change in the future.
Is it worth paying for English Heritage membership?
Entry prices for English Heritage sites, including Dover Castle, Stonehenge and Tintagel Castle, can seem extremely expensive. This is clearly a deliberate ploy to push visitors towards taking out annual English Heritage membership.
Membership gives free access to more than 400 sites across the country, and costs £82. That is, unless you get a special deal – there was a 25%-off Black Friday deal in November 2025, for example.
Whether that £82 is worth it depends on how many sites are near you (there are lots in the south of the country, not so many near me in Yorkshire). And, critically, whether you’re going to visit them with children.
Each member can take up to six children with them free of charge. Given the steep one-time entry fees, an adult member with two children is likely to recoup the cost of their membership by visiting just two or three sites within the year.
For an individual without children, I’d say English Heritage membership is worth it only if you’re planning to blitz a few sites in one year. For an individual with children, membership is a smart investment that will likely pay itself back within one school holiday. To me, it’s a no-brainer.
The real question is whether it’s worth renewing English Heritage membership after a year. That’s debatable, as you’re unlikely to go to many of these sites twice. I eventually renewed after I was offered 20% off the price. I’ll probably recoup the membership price visiting two sites in summer next year, even if I’ve ticked off most of the best ones near me.
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Alternatives to paying for parking at Stonehenge
If you don’t want to pay for parking at Stonehenge before getting the shuttle bus, you can try parking in the small town of Amesbury.
Good luck finding free parking here, although the town’s main car parks are reasonably cheap.
Depending on where you start from, the walk from Amesbury to Stonehenge is around 9.5km return. Again, you’re going over fields.
Many visitors, however, choose to take one of the dozens of Stonehenge tours available from London.
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