Enchanting Wales

This morning arrive in to Britain and use your complimentary rail passes to make your way to Cardiff, the Welsh Capital. A simple 2 hours rail journey will whisk you from central London over the Welsh border and directly to Cardiff. After checking in to your central hotel the afternoon is yours to explore the city at your own pace. With your included tickets, you can visit the unique Cardiff Castle whose history stretches from Roman times right through to the industrial revolution and an illustrious Victorian manor house. By evening meet your tour leader and the rest of the group where we’ll enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight – Lincoln House Hotel (or similar), Cardiff (DBB).

Boarding the mini-coach, a short ride from central Cardiff, we’ll visit the Museum of Welsh Life; set in the expansive grounds of the Elizabethan manor house of St Fagan’s Castle you can trace Welsh life through the centuries. Then we head West in to the Welsh countryside – we’ll pause at Laugharne the picturesque home-town of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, before continuing to the beautiful seaside town of Tenby. There’ll be time to wander the within the 13th century town walls, see the sweeping golden bays or climb the rocky headland overlooking the harbour before taking dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight – Heywood Hotel and Spa (or similar), Tenby, Pembrokeshire (DBB).

This morning we continue to explore the natural scenery of the protected Pembrokeshire Coast. We’ll head for St Davids, namesake of Wales’ patron saint. This tiny village enjoys city status owing to its beautiful cathedral and Bishop’s Palace. From here we’ll turn North and follow Wales’ scenic west coast past the sweeping sands of Cardigan Bay and in to rural mid-Wales. We’ll pause in one or more of the bustling harbour towns before arriving in Aberystwyth, our overnight destination. In the evening we enjoy our dinner together.

Overnight – Nanteos Mansion Hotel (or similar), near Aberystwyth (DBB).

After a hearty Welsh breakfast we’ll enjoy a scenic drive North to the intriguing town of Portmeirion. Nestling in a sheltered position on an enclosed estuary this beautiful Italian style village was uniquely designed by Sir William Clough Ellis and has since been used for various television productions. After plenty of time to explore, we’ll head for the local train station – here it’s all aboard a narrow gauge steam train for an epic mountain railway journey of breath-taking views in to the heart of the Snowdonia National Park. Later we retire to our base in Llandudno on the North Wales coast.

Overnight – Dunoon Hotel (or similar), Llandudno (BB).

Today is a free day to enjoy at leisure; equipped with your complimentary open-top bus tour tickets you can explore the contrasting towns of Llandudno and nearby Conwy at your own pace. Llandudno is an elegant Victorian seaside resort with a sweeping sandy bay and long promenade whilst Conwy is a cobbled medieval market town nestled on the shores of the Conwy estuary. Between the two there are a host of leisure and visitor attractions to enjoy including a Victorian cable tramway ride to the top of the Great Orme headland for spectacular panoramic views or wandering the cobbled streets and medieval town walls to the ramparts of the imposing 13th century fortress at Conwy Castle.

Overnight – Dunoon Hotel (or similar), Llandudno (BB).

Today we make our way south along the course of the Conwy Valley to the charming Welsh town of Llangollen home of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a stunning waterway which carries boats more than 100 feet above the valley floor. We’ll enjoy a canal boat ride across the famous water bridge. By afternoon we’ll continue south pausing at the beautiful National Trust Powis Castle where we’ll admire the interior collections of the Herbert and explore the elegant manicured and wild gardens. Finally, we arrive in the barren landscapes of the Brecon Beacons National Park where wild ponies roam the hillsides. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner together at our village hotel.

Overnight – Bear Hotel (or similar), Crickhowell (DBB).

After a leisurely start our final journey will take us south through the market town of Abergavenny and in the shadow of Raglan Castle before we follow the course of the scenic Wye Valley. We’ll visit the haunting riverside ruins of Tintern Abbey which is said to have inspired Wordsworth himself before pausing for lunch in the border town of Chepstow. By afternoon we return to Cardiff where our tour ends. Those returning to London can use their complimentary rail passes to make the simple journey.