🌅🗿 Winter Solstice at Stonehenge – Magical Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience

#################

We’ve created a list of FAQs to help you.

#################

Join us for our final adventure of 2025 – a rare, once-a-year chance to celebrate the magical Winter Solstice and witness the sunrise over Stonehenge! 🌅❄️

On the shortest day of the year, thousands of people from around the world gather to honour this ancient moment of spiritual and cultural significance. For our ancestors, marking the passage of time was essential. As winter brought darker days and colder nights, people would have longed for the return of light and warmth. Stonehenge’s precise alignment with the solstice sunrise is no coincidence – it may well have been created to celebrate this powerful turning point in the year, when the sun begins its journey back toward longer days.

During the Winter Solstice, music, dancing, singing and centuries-old rituals fill the air. 🥁🎶 The sunrise is welcomed with hopes of renewal, rebirth and good energy. Many come simply to embrace the peaceful, mystical atmosphere and witness the moment together.

It’s also one of the only times you can stand right among the sacred stones and even touch them. The stone circle opens to the public just twice a year – during the Winter and Summer Solstices. On any other day, Stonehenge is roped off and can only be viewed from around 10 metres away. 🚧

And the best part? Entry during these rare solstice celebrations is completely free – while on a normal day, visiting Stonehenge costs around £30.

See a BBC article about last year's event:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg349e4q22o

ITINERARY

03:30 Meet outside Hotel Novotel London West, 1 Shortlands, W6 8DR (a five-minute walk from Hammersmith Station)
03:45 Sharp departure
06:00 Free time next to Stonehenge
08:04 Sunrise
09:15 Meet next to the minibus for departure
11:30 London, Hammersmith

WHAT TO BRING

• Please wear sensible footwear – the car park and area around Stonehenge are grassy fields and can be uneven underfoot
• Warm, waterproof clothing – please note that large umbrellas are not permitted during the Solstice
• Small torch for walking to the stone circle
• Small ground sheet and/or blanket
• Food and drinks to keep you fuelled throughout the morning

PROHIBITED ITEMS

• Large bags – only small bags (approximately 30cm x 25cm x 15cm) are permitted, in line with current security measures. Bag checks may be carried out, with illegal items confiscated and entry refused.
• Alcohol and drugs
• Drones

TRANSPORT

As on most of our trips, we'll travel in a comfortable 16-seater minibus.

TRAVELLING TO THE MEETING POINT

The Night Tube operates on Saturday nights across the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, with trains running approximately every 10-20 minutes. Please allow extra time for your journey.

BOOKING

Please RSVP and pay by bank transfer to the account below, leaving your Meetup name and the name of the trip as a reference (e.g. John Stonehenge):

Business Account Name: London Social Hiking Limited
Sort Code: 20-17-20
Account Number: 63116514

We'll let you know by changing your status to ‘Paid’ as soon as the payment is cleared. You can check your status next to your name in the attendees list of the event. Please allow up to 24 hours for the payment to arrive.

THE PRICE OF £78 INCLUDES

• Transport throughout the trip
• Experienced, professional PSV minibus driver
• Full commentary where appropriate
• Professional event organisation
• Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders
• Admin fee
• 20% VAT

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

• Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects, and personal trekking insurance)
• Food

HOW TO CONTACT US

For all enquiries, please PM Anna (the main organiser) via Meetup. Alternatively, you can email us at info@lshiking.co.uk We'll usually get back to you within 4 hours.

Your guide will be Anna (07596844467, only for use during the hike). Please get in touch if you have any difficulty locating the meeting point or need help during the trip.

REVIEWS ⭐

We have hosted over 600 events on Meetup, you have left us a huge number of positive reviews! We’re very proud to have achieved 4.8 out of 5 average event rating. Please keep sharing your feedback to help us make trips even better!

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

This is where we share pictures from our events. Feel free to use for inspiration on where to go next!

Facebook group link and Instagram

REFUND POLICY

You can check our refund policy here.