To find out, I flew nearly five thousand miles from my home in Provo to London this summer. After landing in the British capital, my family and I boarded Golden Tours’ top-rated, six-hour “Simply Stonehenge” bus tour to see what all the fuss was about, not to mention the reason it was built by our neolithic ancestors. Was it worth it?

If push came to shove and I was being threatened with a bobby stick for the most direct answer, I would uneasily respond, “No.” Although older than the Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge is neither overwhelming nor underwhelming. It’s both big and little — smaller than expected but slightly taller than expected. It’s certainly not as impressive or as peaceful as Scotland’s older and bigger Ring of Brodgar some 700 miles north. In that way, Stonehenge was a bit of a letdown, especially when coupled with London’s maddening traffic delays. 

Of course, this answer tracks with most visitor reviews of the famous monument. In other words, “Stonehenge was the highlight of our trip!” said no one ever. Even if someone did, they certainly wouldn’t exclaim it. 

Now, if I wasn’t being threatened with a billy club when asked if Stonehenge was worth it, the more nuanced answer is, “It depends.” If you are well-traveled and have seen many of the world’s greatest landmarks, I would wager you, too, would feel underwhelmed after visiting it. In that case, Stonehenge might not be worth traveling 500 miles for, let alone 5,000. The notoriety is nonsensical — like a celebrity who is famous simply for being famous. 

On the other hand, if you only plan to visit Europe and/or England once or twice in your lifetime, visiting Stonehenge might be worth it, especially considering the distance traveled to get there. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory or patronizing, “People who travel more are better than homebodies.” I genuinely believe you could enjoy it. But I also doubt it would end up being one of the best things you saw during your trip. 

After visiting Stonehenge on a lovely summer afternoon, my family debated if the trip was worth it. Not the full 5,000 mile trip. After all, we flew to greater London for a whole lot more than just 5,000 year-old stones standing on its outskirts. 

What were some of the pros then? “It was nice to see the English countryside and get out of the city for an afternoon,” my wife said. Indeed, the surrounding Salisbury plains are quite stunning, arguably more dramatic than Stonehenge. “It was cool to see such a famous landmark in person,” my son added. Indeed, I agreed.

“But was it worth it?” I pressed. After taking an informal tally, the consensus family review was: 3 stars out of 5. Good, not great. The drive was a tad long. The one and a half hours on site were a titch overstayed. In fact, I would in no way recommend a full day tour unless you were an accomplished archaeologist with an advanced degree in something like standing stones. 

As for the mystery surrounding these famous rocks, was Stonehenge a place of sun worship, a healing sanctuary, a sacred burial site, something different altogether? No one knows.

What I do know is we made it there on an air-conditioned bus, through heavy London traffic, among thousands of fellow travelers who were in search of the same thing: a photo in front of the most celebrated standing stones on Earth. Proof that each of us were not only “here,” but that we had “arrived” at one of the most recognizable places in the world. 

We had come for fame, and we had found it. Whether that fame was worth it remains a mystery. 

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.