With summer holidays on the horizon, many Brits will head to one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks, even if it has been branded one of the world’s biggest tourist letdowns. Stonehenge, the prehistoric stone circle in Wiltshire, has long been seen as a must-visit attraction.
However, according to a new study, it’s leaving tourists more frustrated than fascinated. Research by travel experts at CasiMonka analysed thousands of Reddit posts, Google reviews, and TripAdvisor complaints, using AI to sift through negative language and traveller gripes.
Stonehenge was named the third biggest tourist disappointment in the world, behind Times Square and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the United States.
The 5,000-year-old site scored a dismal 73.86 out of 100 on the “Biggest Letdown” scale, based on hundreds of gloomy reviews and complaints.
Tourists slammed it as “expensive” and mentioned a staggering 82 times and “touristy” (61 times). And it’s not just keyboard critics who are unimpressed.
Stonehenge has 577 one-star reviews on TripAdvisor, with complaints pouring in about the cost, crowds, and restricted access to the stones.
One unimpressed visitor wrote: “Total rip-off. You pay a ridiculous fee just to walk around a roped-off area. You can’t even get close to the stones unless you fork out even more money. It’s just rocks in a field, and not even up close!”
Another added: “Over-commercialised and packed with tourists. The magic of the place is totally lost when you're jostling for a photo from 50 metres away.”
A third reviewer said: “After a long drive, we were expecting to be blown away. Instead, we were rushed through, couldn’t hear the audio guide properly, and left feeling like we wasted our time and money.”
Many visitors also took aim at the price with adult tickets currently costing up to £23.60. Some even recommended skipping Stonehenge altogether in favour of Avebury, another stone circle in Wiltshire that’s free to visit and far less crowded.
Despite its UNESCO World Heritage status and global fame, the monument appears to be losing its charm for many modern-day travellers.
