Avebury

A day full of wonder awaits us today. Departing Bristol, your first stop for the day is the prehistoric monument Stonehenge. Many legends surround these incredible standing stones that weigh about 25 tons each and have attracted people from all over the world for years. Perhaps you believe they were created by Merlin, who magically transported them from Ireland. Maybe you believe Stonehenge is a landing site for alien spacecraft. They might remind you of the ruins of a Roman temple. You can't deny their magnificence, no matter what you believe. Avebury is your next stop. Enjoy your free time here: grab some lunch, wander around the area, and, of course, see the three stone circles. Avebury henge boasts the largest stone circle in Britain, so big it fits the entire quaint English village inside. So you can grab a pint and bite to eat while surrounded by a stone circle. Pretty magical, right? Your journey continues to the quaint village of Lacock. You have free time here, you might be interested in visiting the Abbey. Harry Potter fans will obsess over seeing the Lacock Abbey Cloisters, used as Hogwarts corridors in the movies. Visitors can also explore the medieval rooms and cloister court, before taking a look at the Fox Talbot Museum which explores the history of photography. Castle Combe is our last stop, often called one of the prettiest villages in England. Fans of movies like War Horse and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust may just recognize this spot, so get your camera ready. From here, it’s only a short drive back to Bristol.

Saying a temporary goodbye to beautiful Bath, your first destination is one that most have heard of, many have yearned to witness, and endless have marveled at. The standing stones of Stonehenge are one of the grandest sites known today. Those who visit take a break from the modern world for a few moments and become transported back to a long-forgotten world, a world where spirituality, paganism, and worship defined people. But these aren't the only stones you should marvel at. In the sweet village of Avebury, visitors come to wander amidst the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world. Mixed in among manor houses and nature, this site truly is worth a visit. After lunch, travel deep into rural Wiltshire to Lacock village, famous for its picturesque streets, historic buildings, and role as a television and film location. The Abbey in the heart of the village has its own woodland grounds and a quirky country house with fascinating architectural styles. The last stop on your day trip is Castle Combe, often called one of the prettiest villages in England. Fans of movies like War Horse and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust may just recognize this spot, so get your camera ready. From here, it’s only a short drive back to Bath.

On this day trip from London, visit the medieval village of Avebury, ringed by the largest stone circle in the world. Enjoy free time to explore the historic area, believed to be more than 2,000 years older than Stonehenge. Hear about the ghost sightings at the Red Lion Pub, located inside the stone circle, where high levels of paranormal activity have been recorded. Walk up the hill to West Kennet Long Barrow, which is one of the largest Neolithic burial tombs in Britain. Your guide will take you into the burial chambers and bring history alive. The final stop of the day is world-famous Stonehenge. Enjoy time to explore the site with an audio guide.

You head west out of London to village of Avebury. Here you can wander amidst the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world and admire the manor houses. After lunch, we travel deep into rural Wiltshire to Lacock village, famous for its picturesque streets, historic buildings, and role as a television and film location. The Abbey in the heart of the village has its own woodland grounds, and is a quirky country house with fascinating architectural styles. Our final stop of the day is at the ancient Roman Spa town of Bath. This city has been inhabited for around 2,000 years. You can enjoy Bath Abbey and the beautiful Georgian architecture at your own pace, or even visit the Roman Baths*. It’s a fascinating town to explore, so we give you plenty of time to wander around at your own pace before you return to London in the early evening. *Please note that your optional visit to the Roman Baths cannot be guaranteed, as sometimes tickets sell out.

Get a range of benefits with a 9-day or 16-day single or family English Heritage Overseas Visitor Pass, offering free entry to more than 100 stately homes, castles, prehistoric remains and gardens the length and breadth of England. Only available to non-UK residents, the great value pass will save you money even if you only visit 2 or 3 attractions, making a 9-day pass suitable for a weekend break. You can visit as many English Heritage attractions as you like, and come back as many times as you want to. But the more places you visit, the more money you save! Plan your vacation with the help of our overseas visitor Guidebook. The English Heritage website will also help you plan your visit before you travel. Once you have decided which attractions to explore, there is no need to get your money out at every attraction, and no need to keep track of your spending. The monuments bring the story of England to life, and have all been selected for their historic significance. Located in some of the most beautiful settings in England, they include mighty castles, tranquil monastic ruins, pleasant gardens and grand stately homes. Many host special events throughout the year, and your pass also gives you free or reduced price entry. You might even come face-to-face with a knight in shining armor. All sites have reduced opening times during the winter months (October to March). Detailed information available after booking. The full list of places you can access with your pass is as follows: In London: Apsley HouseChiswick HouseEltham Palace and GardensJewel TowerMarble Hill HouseRanger’s House - The Wernher CollectionWellington ArchIn the South East: 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey & BattlefieldBayham Old AbbeyCarisbrooke CastleDeal CastleDover CastleFort Brockhurst (as part of a pre-booked group)Home of Charles Darwin (Down House)Lullingstone Roman VillaMedieval Merchant’s HouseOsborne HousePevensey CastlePortchester CastleRichborough Roman FortRochester CastleSt Augustine’s AbbeyWalmer Castle & GardensYarmouth CastleIn the South West: Berry Pomeroy CastleChysauster Ancient VillageCleeve AbbeyDartmouth CastleFarleigh Hungerford CastleHailes AbbeyLaunceston CastleMuchelney AbbeyOkehampton CastleOld SarumOld Wardour CastlePendennis CastlePortland CastleRestormel CastleSt Mawes CastleSherborne Old CastleStonehengeTintagel CastleTotnes Castle In the East of England: Audley End House & GardensBerney Arms Windmill (as part of a pre-booked group)Castle Acre PrioryDenny Abbey and the Farmland MuseumGreat Yarmouth Row Houses and Greyfriars’ CloisterGrime’s GravesFramlingham CastleOrford CastleSaxtead Green Post MillTilbury FortWrest Park In the East Midlands: Ashby de la Zouch CastleBolsover CastleHardwick Old HallKirby HallKirby Muxloe CastleLyddington Bede HousePeveril CastleSibsey Trader WindmillLincoln Medieval Bishops’ PalaceRushton Triangular LodgeIn the West Midlands: Boscobel House and the Royal OakBuildwas AbbeyGoodrich CastleHaughmond AbbeyKenilworth Castle and Elizabethan GardenStokesay CastleWenlock PrioryWitley Court and GardensWroxeter Roman CityIn Yorkshire: Aldborough Roman SiteBrodsworth Hall and GardensByland AbbeyClifford's TowerHelmsley CastleKirkham PrioryMiddleham CastleMount Grace PrioryPickering CastleRichmond CastleRievaulx AbbeyRoche AbbeySt Peter's ChurchScarborough CastleThornton Abbey and GatehouseWhitby AbbeyYork Cold War Bunker (pre-booked visits only)In the North West: Beeston Castle and Woodland ParkBrougham CastleCarlisle CastleFurness AbbeyLanercost PrioryStott Park Bobbin MillAt Hadrian's Wall: Birdoswald Roman FortChesters Roman FortCorbridge Roman TownHousesteads Roman FortIn the North East: Aydon CastleBarnard CastleBerwick-Upon-Tweed-BarracksBelsay Hall, Castle and GardensBrinkburn PrioryDunstanburgh CastleEtal CastleLindisfarne PrioryPrudhoe CastleTynemouth Priory and CastleWarkworth Castle

Take full-day trip from London to explore the mystical realm of King Arthur and the mysterious stone circles of Avebury and Stonehenge. Your guide will share the fascinating history and theories behind these World Heritage Sites and take you on a journey through the legendary lands of Wessex and the Isle of Avalon. Start at the iconic Stonehenge to admire the ancient stones and learn about the enduring mysteries and debates surrounding this 5,000-year-old site. Head west to the mystical Glastonbury Tor and the Chalice Well Gardens. Hear the legend of Joseph of Aramathea and the chalice from the Last Supper. Finally, stop at the World Heritage Site of Avebury, home to the largest stone circle complex in the world. Go on a guided walk and explore the village built inside the circle before returning to London. Enjoy a unique opportunity to discover the facts and fiction of King Arthur's realm and its enduring mysteries.

After collection in central London, you will depart for Avebury where you'll have a short walking tour of the stone circle that surrounds the tiny village. Following this, you’ll have free time to explore the village – lunch at the infamous haunted Red Lion Pub is recommended, though it does get busy at peak times. After a short drive down the road, you will stop by Silbury Hill and take a walk up the hillside to West Kennet Long Barrow one of the largest Neolithic burial tombs in Britain and over 5000 years old. Your guide will take you into the burial chambers and bring it's fascinating history alive. Then it's off to Stonehenge for special access when the site is normally closed to the public. Your time inside the inner circle lasts up to an hour and is fully guided. After access to the stone circle, you will depart for London. Please note - time can differ on the day depending on traffic and local conditions. Your tour manager will confirm the drop off locations during the day.

Depart London in the early morning and be one of the first visitors of the day to Stonehenge. As you arrive at Stonehenge your guide will tell you the facts and theories behind this most famous of Stone Age structures. Was it a temple, a clock, a place of worship, or a burial site for the elite? Then it’s on to Bath, which has seen visitors since the time of the Celts. Centuries later, in the 1st century A.D. the Romans arrived, calling this place Aqua Sulis. Even later, during the Georgian era of the 18th century, the rich and wealthy arrived from London to see and be seen and took to the waters to rid themselves of joint stiffness and gout.  Stop for a break in the delightful village of Lacock. Seemingly untouched by modern times, this charming place has been used as a setting in many films, including Cranford, Moll Flanders, Pride and Prejudice, and Harry Potter. Enjoy a guided tour of this lovely village before you make your way to Avebury, a pretty village of thatched cottages nestling in the middle of a huge stone circle. After a guided walk in Avebury, depart for your return journey to London.

The most famous prehistoric monument in the world, and now a world heritage site, Stonehenge stands alone in the vast empty tract of Salisbury plain. Its origins date back nearly 5,000 years, and it has been home to pagan religion and spiritual worship, not to be mention public debate ever since. What was this vast collection of stones intended for? Was it an observatory of the moon, a temple to the sun, or an elaborate cemetery? Who were the people who carried and carved these 40 ton rocks? Come and unlock the secrets for yourself and marvel at this remarkable and mysterious feat of ancient engineering and design, as we enjoy the wonderful celebrations that take place to mark the summer solstice. Tour departs London at 12 noon and heads west towards the site, taking the time to enjoy the ancient stones at Avebury, before heading to picturesque Lacock for an early evening supper. From here we journey to Stonehenge itself arriving at roughly 19:00pm, as it begins it’s annual celebration of the summer solstice. Huge crowds gather and there will be plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere of this historic event, walk amongst the stones, and observe the pagan rituals and ceremonies that take place at varying intervals throughout the evening. We arrive back in London at around midnight. Summer Solstice The solstice itself is an astronomical event that occurs twice each year as the Sun reaches its highest or lowest excursion relative to the celestial equator, with the sun appearing to have reached its highest or lowest annual altitude in the sky above the horizon. The word solstice comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sister (to stand still), because, at the solstices, the Sun, as seen from earth stands still in declination before reversing it’s direction. Thus after the summer solstice, the sun does not appear as high in the sky and daylight reduces. The solstice is therefore seen as the midpoint of summer in many cultures and is cause for celebration. Pagan Celebrations Like other religious groups, Pagans are in awe of the strength of the sun and the divine powers that create life. For many pagans, they believe that the Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. The summer solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and sees their union as the force that creates the harvest's fruits. To celebrate many Pagans and non-Pagans head to ancient religious sites including Avebury and Stonehenge, to conduct fascinating and colourful ceremonies throughout the night enjoying the last sunset and sunrise before the sun alters it’s direction once more.

Tor’s Tour of Stonehenge is unlike any. The way he shares his visions of a world hardly known by historians is as if you are being transported into a timeless dream and seeing the ancients magically erecting the stone circle and aligning them to the solstices and equinoxes in person. He then takes you to a very special site that is only visited by 1% of tourists, here you can walk amongst 5000 years of history and imagine their motivation of creating such amazing sites. After lunch, we head off to Avebury, the largest surviving stone circle in the world, a site where you sit in the seat of the ancient Arch Druids and learn about the stars in the way they taught. You feel the energies of the Michael ley line that travels perfectly up the serpent-like stone avenue, you will learn how the ancients aligned the stones to the stars, balanced the sacred masculine and sacred feminine with their stone circles, then you will entre a church from the Saxon period, 1000 years of worship and see the famous dragon font. Then you will get to visit the famous Silbury Hill that modern historians believe to have been an ancient pyramid. You will not forget this day in a hurry, traveling through time with Tor’s magical vision of delights.