Budget travel guide
Every option compared honestly — bus, shuttle, taxi, walking and cycling — with real prices and a clear verdict.
The verdict
The private shuttle at £15 return is the cheapest practical option.
Walking is free but not realistic for most visitors. Of the paid options, the shuttle at £15 return beats the Stonehenge Tour bus by £7–10 per person — and includes a reserved seat and free luggage storage.
Partly along the A345 with no pavement. Long and potentially unsafe.
Reserved seat, free luggage storage, direct to Visitor Centre.
Hop-on-hop-off, stops at Old Sarum. No seat guarantee.
Most flexible — door to door. Best for groups splitting the cost.
Route partly on busy roads. Bike storage available at Visitor Centre.
The Salisbury to Stonehenge shuttle costs £15 return per person. It is a small private minibus with 12 reserved seats, departing from Caboose — 2 minutes from Salisbury station exit. The price includes free luggage storage at Caboose all day, a guaranteed seat, and a direct 35-minute journey with no stops. For solo travellers and couples it is almost always the cheapest practical paid option.
The Stonehenge Tour bus (operated by Salisbury Reds) is a large hop-on-hop-off double-decker that runs from Salisbury city centre via Old Sarum to Stonehenge. It costs around £22–25 per person return and does not guarantee a seat — you may have to wait for the next service. Our full tour bus comparison covers the differences.
A private taxi from Salisbury to Stonehenge costs approximately £50–80 return depending on waiting time. It is the most expensive option for solo or couple visitors but can be cost-effective for groups of 4–5 splitting the cost. See the full cost comparison for group breakdowns.
Walking from Salisbury to Stonehenge is 9 miles each way. The route along the A345 has stretches with no pavement and requires walking alongside fast-moving traffic. It is free, but the round trip takes 5–6 hours of walking and is not suitable for most visitors. Experienced walkers and those specifically seeking the experience of approaching Stonehenge on foot are the exception.
Book your Stonehenge entry ticket on the English Heritage website in advance — on-the-day tickets are priced higher if available at all. Book your shuttle seat online. Bring your own food — the Stonehenge café is convenient but priced accordingly.
For groups of 4 or more, a taxi can work out cheaper per person than the shuttle — particularly if you need flexible timing or have specific accessibility requirements. For the highest comfort and minimum planning effort, the shuttle remains the best all-round choice for the vast majority of visitors from Salisbury.
Walking is free but takes 2.5–3 hours each way on a busy A-road with no pavement for much of the route. Of the paid options, the private shuttle at £15 return is the best value — cheaper than the Stonehenge Tour bus for most visitors and far cheaper than a taxi.
The Stonehenge Tour bus (Salisbury Reds) costs around £22–25 per person return. It is a hop-on-hop-off public bus that stops at Old Sarum before Stonehenge and does not guarantee a seat.
Walking is the only free option but is not recommended — the 9-mile route includes stretches of the A345 without a pavement. Of the affordable paid options, the shuttle at £15 return is the cheapest practical choice for most visitors.
A return taxi from Salisbury to Stonehenge typically costs £50–80 depending on waiting time and operator. It is the most expensive option but the most flexible for those with specific timing needs.