The Best of Wales (2 centre)

ITINERARY

Sunday - Morning departure from Dorset, we cross the Severn bridge and enter the magical realm of Wales. We stop at St Fagans near Cardiff, the Welsh National History Museum. It contains ancient buildings 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. Continue to Carmarthen for 3 night stay at The Ivy Bush Royal Hotel

Monday - 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.

Tuesday - 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.

Wednesday - Leaving Carmarthen this morning we tour across country and alongside Cardigan Bay to Aberystwyth. 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 for coffee on the seafront we tour along a panoramic mountain route 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 we drive into North Wales via Bala traversing high mountain roads then crossing the Clwydian Range - wonderful heather clad hills crowned with Iron-age hillforts - a landscape so precious it is protected in the national interest. Arrive at our hotel near the Welsh border for 3 nights stay.

Thursday - 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.

Friday - 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.

Saturday - Our homewards journey offers a last special treat - a scenic drive through the heartland of Wales via Oswestry - Llandrindod Wells - Builth Wells - and Abergavenny, with spectacular views all the way. This afternoon re-cross the Severn Bridge and drive back to Dorset by early evening.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner