Yes, you can fit Stonehenge and Bath into one day from London without a coach tour, by taking the train to Salisbury, catching the Stonehenge Tour bus out to the stones and back, then a direct train on to Bath, before heading back to London from there. It's a long day with an early start, and it only works smoothly on days the Stonehenge Tour bus runs its full timetable.
The route, step by step
- London Waterloo to Salisbury by direct South Western Railway train. Trains run roughly every half hour to hour, and the trip is direct, so you don't need to change.
- Salisbury rail station to Stonehenge on the Stonehenge Tour bus, run by Salisbury Reds. In the winter timetable (from 7 September 2026), buses leave Salisbury rail station at 10:05, 11:05, 12:05, 13:05 and 14:05, arriving at Stonehenge roughly 35 minutes later.
- Stonehenge to Salisbury, on the same hop-on hop-off service. Return buses leave Stonehenge through the afternoon, with the last one at 17:15 in winter, getting back to Salisbury rail station by 17:35.
- Salisbury to Bath Spa by direct Great Western Railway train, then on into the city for the evening.
- Bath Spa to London Paddington by direct GWR train to finish the loop.
A faster, more frequent summer timetable runs from 28 March to 6 September, with an extra early-afternoon departure; the winter timetable above has wider gaps, so build in contingency if you're travelling between September and March.
Timings worth knowing
| Leg | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Waterloo to Salisbury | Around 1h20-1h40 | Direct, frequent |
| Salisbury to Stonehenge (bus) | Around 35 min | Stonehenge Tour, hourly in winter |
| Stonehenge to Salisbury (bus) | Around 35-40 min | Last winter departure 17:15 |
| Salisbury to Bath Spa | Around 55 min-1 hour | Direct GWR |
| Bath Spa to Paddington | Around 1h15-1h30 | Direct GWR |
These are approximate ranges pulled together from published timetables rather than a single booked itinerary, so check the live times on nationalrail.co.uk or thetrainline.com for your actual travel date before you commit to a plan.
What it costs
Stonehenge uses dynamic pricing, so the exact adult General Admission price depends on the date and time slot you book, typically in the region of £25-32 online; book ahead at english-heritage.org.uk, since prices are usually higher if you turn up without a ticket. The Stonehenge Tour bus sells an all-in-one ticket covering the bus plus Stonehenge admission, as well as a bus-only option if you already have a ticket or membership; we couldn't confirm a current bus-only fare from the operator's site, so check thestonehengetour.info before you travel. Train fares between Waterloo, Salisbury, Bath Spa and Paddington vary enormously by how far ahead you book, so compare advance singles on Trainline or National Rail Enquiries rather than relying on a single quoted price here.
Is this better than a coach tour from Bath or London?
If your main goal is seeing Stonehenge and Bath in the same day with no car and no group tour, this route works, but it's a full day of being on the move, with limited slack if anything runs late. If you're starting from Bath rather than London, a direct coach or minibus tour is usually simpler; see our Stonehenge day trip from Bath guide for operator prices and what to pair it with locally. This London-based route is really for visitors who want to tick off both places in a single trip rather than basing themselves in Bath for longer.
Practical tips
Buy your Stonehenge entry ticket online in advance; it's required even with the bus ticket, and walk-up prices are higher. Pack light, since you'll be carrying everything between four different legs of transport. If you're travelling in winter, build in a buffer around the bus connection times, since the gaps between departures are wider than in summer and a missed bus at Stonehenge means a long wait. Check getting around Bath and our Bath Spa Station to the city centre guide so you're not working out the last leg on the day itself.