MEGALITHOMANIA · HUGH NEWMAN
Megalithomania Tours.
Travel with Hugh Newman.
Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth of MegalithomaniaUK lead tours to megalithic sites in England, Turkey and a growing list of countries. Here’s the current schedule, who runs the tours, and what my two trips with them were like.
MEGALITHOMANIA TOURS · SCHEDULE UPDATED WEEKLY
I WENT: TURKEY 2022 · ENGLAND 2023
THE SHORT VERSION
Who is Hugh Newman?
Hugh Newman is the researcher behind MegalithomaniaUK, a YouTube channel about lost civilizations, megaliths and megalithic arts and sciences. He’s also an author, lecturer and TV host, and he lives close to Stonehenge, which is about as good a home base as you can get for this subject.
With JJ Ainsworth, he has been running Megalithomania conferences and tours since 2006. England and Turkey are the regulars. The schedule also reaches Malta, Egypt, Peru and Bolivia, and newer trips to India, Japan, Armenia, Sardinia and Corsica.
Are Megalithomania tours worth it?
For me, yes. I’ve done two: Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe in Turkey in 2022, and the Mysteries of Ancient England tour in 2023. The England trip finally got me inside the Stonehenge stone circle, which had been my biggest travel regret. If you want deep knowledge without the lecture-hall attitude, this is the group.
Tour details
HOSTS
Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth, with Andrew Collins on Turkey and guest co-hosts on some tours
RUNNING SINCE
2006, tours and the annual Megalithomania conference
DESTINATIONS
England and Turkey regularly, plus Malta, Egypt, Peru, India, Japan and more
BOOKING
Through the tour details link for each trip in the schedule below
WHAT I PAID
Turkey 2022: $4,995 + $700 single room. England 2023: $2,145 + about $400 single
NEXT TOUR
See the live schedule below
Prices are from my own trips. Check each tour page for current pricing.
MEGALITHOMANIA TOUR SCHEDULE
Upcoming tours with Hugh.
Here’s the current schedule of Megalithomania tours and who’s hosting each one. Use the details link for itineraries, prices and booking.
18th Jan - Feb 1st 2027 - Sold Out Grand Tour To Ancient India
With Hugh Newman, JJ Ainsworth, Anu Nagappa and special guests Tour details
16th - 23rd March 2027 The Temples Of Megalithic Malta & Gozo Tour
With Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth Tour details
13th - 27th March 2027 BEFORE THE PYRAMIDS: Journey To The Dawn Of Egypt Quest
With Andrew Collins and Debbie Cartwright Tour details
16th - 27th April 2027 Armenia & Turkiye Tour
Gobekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe, Karahunge and more with Andrew Collins, Hugh & JJ Tour details
May 22nd - June 2nd 2027 Forbidden Megaliths Japan Tour
With Hugh Newman, Enrico Gelain and JJ Ainsworth Tour details
17th - 28th September 2027 Sardinia & Corsica Equinox Tour
With Hugh Newman, Enrico Gelain and JJ Ainsworth Tour details
1st - 22nd November 2027 PERU, Bolivia & Easter Island Tour
With Hugh Newman, Jim Vieira and JJ Ainsworth Tour details
as of: 2026-10-20
WHERE HUGH GOES
Megalithomania tour
destinations.
England is home turf and Turkey is the one they keep going back to. The rest of the schedule changes year to year.
HOME TURF
England
Stonehenge, Avebury, Glastonbury, chalk hill figures, long barrows and, in summer, crop circles. My tour stayed at one hotel in Amesbury with day trips out and back.
THE REGULAR
Turkey
Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe and the other Taş Tepeler sites, usually with Andrew Collins. Hugh and Andrew make frequent trips there, and it shows.
FURTHER AFIELD
Everywhere else
Malta and Gozo, Egypt, Peru and Bolivia, India, Japan, Armenia, Sardinia and Corsica. Some of these are co-hosted with guests, so check who’s on each trip.
How to get a spot
Each tour in the schedule has its own details page with the itinerary, price and booking link. Some tours sell out, so if one catches your eye, don’t sit on it too long.
Some trips are run with a partner company. My England tour was co-hosted with Ancient Spirit Tours, who brought most of the group from Italy. It worked fine, just know that the group mix can vary a lot from tour to tour.
MY TWO MEGALITHOMANIA TOURS
Turkey and England,
a year apart.
To give you an idea of what a Megalithomania tour covers, here’s where we went on each of mine.
ENGLAND · AUGUST 2023 · 7 DAYS
Mysteries of Ancient England
- Dorset Cerne Giant, St Augustine’s Well, Cerne Abbey, Knowlton Henge
- Oxfordshire Wayland’s Smithy, Uffington White Horse, Dragon Hill
- Fields Two different crop circles, walked through from the inside
- Somerset Stanton Drew stone circles, Glastonbury Abbey, Glastonbury Tor, the White and Red Springs
- Wiltshire Salisbury Cathedral and the Magna Carta, Old Sarum, Woodhenge, Stonehenge inner circle
- Avebury area Avebury Henge, West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury Hill
$2,145 + ABOUT $400 SINGLE · STARTS AND ENDS AT LONDON HEATHROW
TURKEY · SEPTEMBER 2022
Göbekli Tepe & Karahan Tepe
- Istanbul One day in the city before the long drive east
- Central Anatolia Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, Alaca Höyük, Hattusa
- Cappadocia Derinkuyu underground city, Göreme Open-Air Museum, Aşıklı Höyük, Çatalhöyük
- Şanlıurfa Archaeology museum, Karahan Tepe, Göbekli Tepe, Harran, Balıklıgöl
- Southeast Mardin, Deir al-Surian, Dara, Diyarbakır museum
- Finale Sunset on top of Mount Nemrut
$4,995 + $700 SINGLE · STARTS AND ENDS IN ISTANBUL
MY REVIEW
Both tours,
in short.
Two very different trips, same easygoing hosts.
In England, Stonehenge was easily the top of the list. Going inside the circle lets you feel the scale of those stones in a way the roped path never does. The crop circles were second, and seeing the Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral was third. Hugh drove the small minibus himself, which made the narrow country roads a lot easier.
Turkey is more academic. The sites are older and cruder than Egypt, and far more spread out, so expect long days on the bus (ours had no toilet). Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe, the Şanlıurfa museum and Nemrut at sunset made it worth it. If you haven’t done either, I’d do Egypt first.
ENGLAND IS DAY TRIPS FROM ONE HOTEL. TURKEY MEANS LONG DAYS ON THE BUS.
WHY MEGALITHOMANIA
Like touring with
a family friend.
Plenty of people know these sites. What makes Hugh’s tours different is how it feels to be on one.
The local expert
Hugh lives practically in the shadow of Stonehenge (OK, close by), so for ancient sites in the UK he’s the guy. He knows where to go and where not to go.
Years in Turkey
Hugh and Andrew Collins make frequent trips to Turkey and have been researching those sites for years. You get a lot of deep information you won’t find on a standard tour.
No talking down
Hugh and JJ are very friendly hosts. They don’t talk down to people like some “experts” do.
Sites first, cameras later
They let you experience each site first and do their own filming away from the group. They’re subtle about it. A couple of evenings, there’s a presentation to fill in the background.
Choose Hugh if you’re looking for a tour experience, like going on tour with a family friend.
Alex, techzelle
ON MY TWO TOURS
Sites worth
the trip.
Six of the highlights from England and Turkey, each with its own write-up.
THE TEAM
Who you travel with.
Hugh and JJ are the core. Andrew Collins is core on Turkey, and guest co-hosts like Ancient Spirit Tours join some trips.
MEGALITHOMANIA · TOUR HOST
Hugh Newman
Author, researcher, lecturer, TV host and the face of the MegalithomaniaUK channel. On my England tour he also drove the minibus.
MEGALITHOMANIA · CO-HOST
JJ Ainsworth
Runs Megalithomania with Hugh and co-hosts most of the tours. One of the friendliest hosts I’ve traveled with.
AUTHOR · TURKEY CO-HOST
Andrew Collins
UK-based author of more than a dozen books, including several on Göbekli Tepe. He gives the historical context on site, plus the occasional evening presentation.
ANCIENT SPIRIT TOURS · GUEST CO-HOSTS
Arianna Mendo & Enrico Gelain
Their company in Sardinia, Italy, leads trips to sacred ancient sites and co-hosted my England tour. Arianna has a strong, calming energy.
Frequently asked QUESTIONS
Megalithomania tour FAQ.
What is Megalithomania?
Megalithomania is a UK-based organization run by Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth. Since 2006 it has run conferences and tours to megalithic and ancient sites, and it has a YouTube channel, MegalithomaniaUK.
Who leads Megalithomania tours?
Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth host most tours. Andrew Collins co-hosts the Turkey tours, and guest co-hosts such as Arianna Mendo and Enrico Gelain of Ancient Spirit Tours join some trips.
Where do Megalithomania tours go?
England and Turkey are the regulars. The schedule also includes Malta and Gozo, Egypt, Peru and Bolivia, India, Japan, Armenia, Sardinia and Corsica. See the live schedule on this page for current dates.
How much do Megalithomania tours cost?
It depends on the tour. In 2022 I paid $4,995 plus $700 for a single room on the Turkey tour. In 2023 the England tour was $2,145 plus about £300 for a single. Check each tour page for current prices.
Can you go inside the Stonehenge circle on a Megalithomania tour?
My 2023 Mysteries of Ancient England tour included private access inside the stone circle. Check the itinerary of the specific tour you’re looking at.
What is a Megalithomania tour like?
Relaxed and friendly. The hosts let you experience each site before they film, don’t talk down to anyone, and add a couple of evening presentations. It feels like traveling with a family friend who knows every site.
Should I go to Turkey or Egypt first?
If you haven’t been to either, I’d go to Egypt first. The sites there are more spectacular. Turkey is more academic: less to see, but a lot to think about.
How do you book a Megalithomania tour?
Pick a tour from the schedule and use its details link for the itinerary, price and booking.