The Royal town of Caernarfon - the current Prince of Wales, Charles, received his investiture here in 1969 - in North West Wales proudly wears its welsh pride, history and tradition on its sleeve.
A fortified town in Roman times due to its strategic position on the coast of the Menai Strait where the mouth of the River Seiont forms a natural harbour, Caernarfon directly faces the island of Anglesey.
Explore the rugged mountains and winding waterways of North Wales. Enjoy picturesque journeys aboard historic steam trains and admire delightful towns and ancient history on this Welsh adventure.
… see more6 days from £535 pp
View tour details >Whilst the remains of Caernarfon's elevated Roman fortress can still be visited today, it is the town's magnificent thirteenth-century castle that is truly unmissable. Upon the orders of King Edward I following England's conquest of Wales, Caernarfon Castle and the town's enclosing walls were built to protect what was now the administrative centre of North Wales.
Today Caernarfon Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best surviving examples of medieval defensive architecture in Europe. But whilst Caernarfon is rich in fine architecture from various eras, the town has many more attractions to offer. On the waterfront, Galeri Caernarfon is a combined entertainment centre, theatre and art gallery with a bar café that overlooks Caernarfon's handsome marina. The adjacent Doc Fictoria development offers fashionable bars, cafes and shops as well the town's maritime museum. Other excellent museums include Caernarfon Airworld, the Segontium Roman Museum and the Royal Welch Fusiliers Regimental Museum.
The magnificent Plas Glynllifon Mansion, an outstanding example of Regency architecture with a near thousand-year history is set within a beautiful Grade 1 listed country park. The park features seventy acres of woodland, lawns and gardens and is home to some of Wales' rarest plants and animals.
The childhood home of prominent Welsh author Kate Roberts, Cae'r Gors is a stone-built quarryman's cottage dating from the nineteenth century. A Grade II listed building; Cae'r Gors has been sensitively restored as a museum which accurately recreates the living conditions of the time and explains local customs and traditions.
Slate mining is a typically Welsh industry and the Inigo Jones Slate Works, six miles south of Caernarfon, was founded in 1861 to produce slates for school classrooms. Today the slate works still produces a wide range of slate products for domestic and commercial use and visitors can take a fascinating tour of the workshops, learn about the 500 million-year history of Welsh slate and try their hand at slate engraving and calligraphy.
By Matthew Ellis
31 December 2015
Evocative of a bygone age the famous British steam train journey has been a popular day out for many British travellers for decades. Now many heritage railways exist solely for tourism purposes after the infamous Beeching Cuts of 1963. We have a look at 5 of the most scenic.
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By Lorna Heatley
7 February 2018
From Groundhog Day to Cheese Rolling, there is no doubt that we humans have some rather… eclectic ways of doing things.
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By Katie Shaw
11 January 2018
Journeying across the world by rail is indisputably one of the more relaxing ways to travel; an extraordinary experience which makes the journey an unforgettable part of your travel adventure.
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The whole holiday was great from start to finish. Thanks Amanda for the help with rail tickets. The hotel was very good (we have been to this hotel on previous events) and it improves with each visit.The coach driver made each day an event what a sense of humour.The tour manager was first class and we were well informed each day