The Best of Wales (2 centre)

ITINERARY

Sunday - Morning departure from Dorset, we cross the Severn bridge and enter the magical realm of Wales. Stop in Abergavenny for lunch - nestled between seven hills in the pretty Usk valley. This afternoon the hills start to grown larger as we drive into mid-Wales - the landscape of increasing grandeur - via Builth Wells - Llandrindod Wells - Welshpool - and so to Chester for 3 nights stay.

Monday - Touring Snowdonia. One of the most ancient and hauntingly beautiful areas in Europe. Called Eryri in Welsh ("the place of eagles"), Snowdonia welcomes visitors to a breath-taking natural environment where mountains meet the sea. Visit Llandudno, Wales's largest holiday resort but its scale is still intimate and friendly. A Victorian architectural gem that has remained unspoilt and locked in time. Continue into Snowdonia to Llanberis to join the famous rack railway up to the very summit of Mount Snowdon. A remarkable journey that has been described as one of the most scenic railway journeys in the World. It has carried over 12 million travellers since 1896. On arrival at the summit one of the world's greatest panoramas is revealed - breathtaking! Return to Chester via Betws-y-Coed and the Conway Valley.

Tuesday - Drive into the Vale of Llangollen, an iconic landscape of truly outstanding scenic and visual quality. It has inspired folklore, literature, painting and music over many centuries. We spend some time in the town of Llangollen - maybe take a stroll along its Victorian promenade, enjoy the Riverside Park or join a nostalgic steam train journey. Later we shall drive to nearby Llangollen Wharf and join a narrow-boat cruise on the Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site. A 2 hour cruise takes us over the country's highest navigable aqueduct towering 126 feet above the River Dee. Built in 1795 this impressive yet slender structure stands out from its surroundings but seems to complement the landscape perfectly. A trip that will have you reaching for your camera! Rejoin the coach to return to Chester through the spectacular Horseshoe Pass.

Wednesday - Leaving Chester this morning we tour across North Wales crossing the Clwydian Range - wonderful heather clad hills crowned with Iron-age hillforts - a landscape so precious it is protected in the national interest. We drive via Bala traversing high mountain roads to Portmeirion, a magical Italianate style village in a stunning sub-tropical garden overlooking the rugged Welsh coast. It found fame as setting for the 1960s TV location of "The Prisoner". Later head southwards along a panoramic coastal drive reaching Aberystwyth this afternoon. Listen carefully, this is one of the places where the Welsh language is used commonly and it is considered a part of a shared inheritance and identity as a nation. After time to take in the sights we proceed further south along Cardigan Bay then inland to Carmarthen for 3 nights stay.

Thursday - This morning to St Davids - the smallest city in the UK. The impressive St Davids cathedral attracts pilgrims from across the world and the adjacent Bishops Palace is grand. Known as the gateway to Pembrokeshire, this is a stunning and evocative landscape. Later to Tenby, a colourful town surrounded by medieval walls surrounding a lively harbour, there are galleries, cobbled streets, arts and craft shops and boat trips. Admire the stunning coastline of Pembrokeshire - Tenby is a charming and relaxing place to experience the best of Welsh culture and nature.

Friday - We drive deep into the Brecon Beacons National Park - a grab bag of rural highlights full of waterfalls, muscular green hills, characterful towns - with plenty of space so crowds are rare. A landscape carved out by the ice age and fashioned by eight millennia of human activity - fascinating.
At Brecon we board a narrowboat for a cruise on the historic Brecon Canal - built before good roads and railways existed - crosses an aqueduct and through a canal lock offering fine views and an abundance of wildlife. Later spend time in the town of Brecon, picturesque with its Georgian architecture it has a long and important history.

Saturday - Our homewards journey offers a last special treat - St Fagans near Cardiff is the Welsh National History Museum. It contains ancient building rescued from across Wales and rebuilt here to preserve them for future generations. Each is frozen in time and displays the way people lived, worked and spent their leisure time in times gone by. There are also workshops, crafts and rare animal breeds - a treasure trove. This afternoon re-cross the Severn Bridge and drive back to Dorset by early evening.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner