Stonehenge Summer Solstice Tour

What your day looks like

Stonehenge: 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 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. Sunset Tour (20 June) - 13 hrs: Tour departs London at 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, included in the price. From here we journey to Stonehenge itself arriving at roughly 7:00 pm, as it begins its 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. Please note there are two twenty to thirty-minute walks involved during the day to see the celebrations at Avebury and Stonehenge. Sunrise Tour (21 June) - 8 hrs The tour departs London at 1 am on the 21st of June and heads directly to Stonehenge arriving at roughly 3 am. The annual celebration of the summer solstice will be well underway by then as the atmosphere builds towards the sunrise and the climax of the event. Huge crowds gather and there will be plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere of this historic morning, walk amongst the stones, and observe the pagan rituals and ceremonies that take place at varying intervals throughout the evening. Please note there is a twenty to thirty-minute walk involved to get from the coach park to the event. 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 its 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 colorful ceremonies throughout the night enjoying the last sunset and sunrise before the sun alters its direction once more.