Wales is a land of countless castles, wild coastline, natural wonders and changing weather.
Wales is an autonomous part of United Kingdom which is mistakenly often forgotten by foreign tourists rushing between London, Oxford, Stonehenge, Stratford upon Avon and Loch Ness. We will be happy to help you correct that common mistake and show you this magnificent region with its distinctive identity, stunning nature, rich history and few tourists which will allow you to discover the places in your own rhythm. Enjoy!
We leave Everberg at 7 a.m and drive towards Dunkerque in France. There we take the pre-booked ferry (11-12.00) to Dover. From Dover we drive (12-15.30) straight to Lacock (Wiltshire)where we visit The Lacock Abbey and Fox Talbot Museum. Wiliam Fox Talbot (1800-77) was one of the fathers of modern photography, created the earliest surviving photographic negative. Quirky Lacock Abbey was his home. Afterwards we will be strolling around Castle Combe – one of the most beautiful English villages, a place full of quiet charm, often used as a filming spot. We spend the night at the Dolphin Hotel in Wincanton.
In the morning we visit the magnificent Wells Cathedral complex and the Vicars’ Close, a complete medieval housing built for the members of the Vicars choral. Then we head to Bristol to see first of many outstanding bridges during this trip – The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a world famous suspension toll bridge, spanning the picturesque Avon Gorge. Since its opening in 1864, it has attracted tourists from all over the world and is the symbol of the city of Bristol.
From Bristol we head to Wales taking the Second Severn Crossing Bridge, the modern M4 highway bridge over River Severn, between England and Wales. We spend the night in Newport Premier Inn.
We begin with the beautifully preserved, located on a cliff over river Wye Chepstow Castle, (from 1067). The special attraction here are the oldest wooden doors in Europe (12c.). The castle was used as a location for many films.
Now our way leads us to serene Tintern Abbey – first Cistercian abbey in Wales (1131 -1536). Its glory lasted four centuries until the last Abbot surrendered it to Henry VIII. It is situated in the River Wye Valley, considered as aa Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Then. driving through the forests, we head to see Raglan Castle – Henry VII Tudor’s childhood home.
Remembering the industrial heritage of Wales next we will head to the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
Last, but not least on this day, we plan to visit Llanthony Priory – a partly ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep sided valley situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
We return to stay for the night in Newport.
We start from visiting the highlight of the day and second of the great Wales’ castles on our way- Caerphilly Castle. Built in 1268-71 by Gilbert de Clare it is the biggest castle in Wales and, after Windsor, the second largest in Britain. It is also the first one with a regular shape; it has exterior and interior walls; and is moated.
On the way to Cardiff we plan to visit a fairytale-like Castell Coch,, located on the other side of the Caerphilly Mountain. Rest of the day we spend visiting the coastal bustling cities of South Wales – the capital Cardiff and neighbouring Swansea. If weather permits we go to the Mumbles Pier and picturesque Swansea Bay. Here we try to purchase a souvenir form Wales – artfully crafted lovespoon.
We drive towards Pembrokeshire and stay for the night in Haverfordwest (pretty market town) Premier Inn.
We visit Pembroke Castle, the place of birth of the founder of the Tudor Dynasty – Henry VII, and one of the best preserved Norman fortresses in Britain. Afterwards we reach Pembrokeshire National Park – the only English Coastal National Park. We enjoy stunning views of the picturesque coast.and places like St. Davids – the smallest town in Britain, with a magnificent cathedral.
We are heading north towards Snowdonia National Park and Anglesey Island 250 km (4 h), via picturesque coastal and mountainous way. We check in Caernarfon Premier Inn Hotel for the following three nights.
We start the day with visiting the impressive clifftop Harlech Castle. located between the mountains and the see. Then we explore the iconic Snowdonia National Park , visiting the village situated at its heart – Beddgelert . Then we return to Cearnarfon to visit yet another imposing Welsh castle – one of symbols of Wales.
We started the day with the local zoo, which was a good atraction for the kids. Just next door was a splendid British mansion – Newydd House. We enjoyed it a lot, although due to the weather we could not enjoy the gardens as much as we had planned. Next on our itinerary was the last castle built in Wales – Beaumaris. It was supposed to be the most perfect of all of the English castles. But it proved to be unnecessary, as the Welsh did not rebel anymore and it was never completed. In the afternoon we visited a tiny village with a famous name – llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. It is the longest village name in Europe and one of the longest in the world. We finished the day by visiting the iconic Holyhead lighthouse and walking around the Welsh clifs.
