Booking choice: The inner circle, Lacock and Bath day, from $222 per person. Check dates Tour details
English Heritage runs its Stone Circle Experience, the only paid way to step inside Stonehenge, for ten months of the year. October and November are the gap. Every inner circle day trip from London depends on those sessions, so they pause too.
As of October 2026, here is what is closed, when it reopens, and which days out still make sense if your trip falls in the gap.
The quick answer
There are no Stone Circle Experiences in October or November 2026, so no tour can take you inside the stones until December. English Heritage is already taking bookings to March 2027, and the inner circle tours restart in December. Until then, Stonehenge itself stays open daily from 09:30 to 17:00, standard-ticket tours still visit it, and the visitor path takes you to about 5 metres from the stones.
Can you go inside the Stonehenge stone circle in October and November 2026?
No. English Heritage runs no Stone Circle Experiences in October or November, and that is the only way inside on a ticket.
The Stone Circle Experience page says it plainly: "There are no Stone Circle Experiences in October or November." The flagship tour repeats it in its own listing: no tours in October and November, because the stone circle is closed.
Stonehenge itself stays open. Day visitors walk the path around the monument as usual, and the shuttle still runs from the visitor centre. What you lose is the hour among the stones, early in the morning or in the evening, outside normal opening hours. Read what the inner circle visit includes if you are new to the idea.
When do Stone Circle Experiences start again?
In December 2026. English Heritage is selling sessions now, with dates on sale to March 2027.
English Heritage says it is "now booking to March 2027" (English Heritage). Each session lasts an hour, takes up to 52 people and splits them into two groups of 26 at the stones. Prices start at £70 for adults and £40 for children aged 5 to 17, and under-5s go free.
Sessions always fall outside normal opening, which this winter is 09:30 to 17:00 every day except Christmas Day (English Heritage opening times). Winter is short on daylight, which helps: the Premium Tours listing warns that on the long days of summer you may not see an actual sunrise or sunset. Sunrise or sunset explains how the two tour departures fit around it.
| Month | Inside the circle | Normal opening | Tours from London |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | No sessions | 09:30 to 17:00 daily | Standard-ticket days only |
| November 2026 | No sessions | 09:30 to 17:00 daily | Standard-ticket days only |
| December 2026 | Sessions return | 09:30 to 17:00, closed 25 December | Inner circle tours restart |
| January to March 2027 | Sessions on sale | 09:30 to 17:00 daily | Inner circle tours, fewer days than summer |
Travelling from December? Pick a sunrise or sunset date now and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the inner circle, Lacock and Bath dayWhat do the inner circle tours do in October and November?
They stop. All three inner circle days on this site depend on English Heritage sessions, so none of them runs in these two months.
The Premium Tours day with Lacock and Bath runs from April to March, three or four days a week in summer and less often in winter, with no departures in October and November. The Evan Evans day with Windsor uses the same inner circle access outside regular opening hours. Anderson's after-hours tour with Avebury lists departures for September and March to August only, and it is non-refundable.
If a booking site shows you an "inner circle" date in November, read the inclusions twice. Most likely it is a standard ticket on the path.
What can you book instead this autumn?
A standard-ticket day trip. You see the stones from the visitor path, which comes to about 5 metres away, for about half the price.
English Heritage puts the closest point on the path at about 5 metres from the stone circle (English Heritage visitor questions). That is close enough for good photos, and on a bright autumn weekday the crowds are thinner than in summer.
Our pick for October and November is the Stonehenge and Bath day: it has 5,529 reviews at 4.7 and leaves time for Bath. Short on time? The half day is the cheapest tour here and is back in London in about 6.5 hours.
| Tour | At Stonehenge | Also visits | Length | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonehenge half day | Visitor path, tickets included | Nothing else | 6.5 h | $89 |
| Windsor, Lacock & Bath | Path, Stonehenge is an option | Windsor, Lacock pub lunch option, Bath | 12.5 h | $96 |
| Stonehenge & Bath | Visitor path, entry options | Bath | 11 h | $115 |
| Stonehenge & Avebury | Visitor path, entry included | Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow | 10 h | $132 |
| Small group with Roman Baths | Visitor path, entry included | Lacock, Avebury, Roman Baths entry | 11 h | $251 |
Stonehenge from the path and an afternoon in Bath, for about half the inner circle price.
Check dates for the Stonehenge and Bath dayIs it worth waiting for December?
If standing inside the circle is the point of your trip, yes. If you only want to see Stonehenge, go now.
December sessions are cold and small. You stand among the sarsens with your group of up to 26, and the low winter sun does the rest when the sky clears. The price gap is real, though: the inner circle day is from $222, the Stonehenge and Bath day from $115.
Planning around the shortest day? Our post on the winter solstice 2026 covers the free open access on the solstice morning, which is a separate thing. For prices across the board, see Stonehenge ticket prices 2026.
Back in December: an hour inside the circle outside opening hours, then a guided walk in Lacock and time in Bath.
Explore the inner circle, Lacock and Bath day Tour detailsHow far ahead should you book a winter inner circle date?
As soon as your dates are fixed. Each session holds only 52 people, and the tours run fewer days in winter.
With 52 places a session, we would book Christmas, New Year and February half-term dates first. Both the Premium Tours and Evan Evans days cancel free up to 24 hours before, so an early booking costs you nothing if plans shift. The Premium Tours confirmation can take up to 48 hours; Evan Evans confirms at once.
Pack for the cold. What to wear to Stonehenge has the list.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside Stonehenge in November 2026?
No. English Heritage runs no Stone Circle Experiences in October or November, so no ticket or tour takes you inside the stones until December.
When does the Stonehenge inner circle reopen?
Stone Circle Experiences return in December 2026, and English Heritage is taking bookings to March 2027.
Is Stonehenge open in October and November?
Yes. The site opens daily from 09:30 to 17:00, and standard tickets keep you on the visitor path, about 5 metres from the stones at the closest point.
Which tour should I book for an October visit?
A standard-ticket day such as Stonehenge and Bath (from $115) or the half day (from $89). Neither goes inside the circle.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Stonehenge & Bath with Entry Options
Stonehenge and Bath for half the price, seen from the path
Stonehenge Inner Circle, Lacock & Bath
- English Heritage stone circle access outside normal opening hours
- Guided walk in Lacock, with an optional meal at the George Inn (own expense)
- Panoramic tour of Bath; Roman Baths entry only with the upgrade option
