Railways of Wales

Arrive in Llandudno and meet your Tour Manager at your hotel, which has fantastic views of Llandudno Bay. You have some free time to look around before a welcome dinner.

• Dinner

Enjoy an excursion on the Ffestiniog Railway today, a narrow-gauge heritage railway in Snowdonia National Park. Founded in 1832 as a means of transporting slate and miners from the quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog, it claims to be the oldest independent railway company in the world. Travel through the scenery of Snowdonia National Park to Porthmadog. From here it's on to Portmeirion by coach, famous for its colourful, Italianate architecture that wouldn't look out of place on the sun-soaked Italian coast. With free time here, you could visit the central piazza, admire the elegant Japanese gardens or take a walk along Harlech Beach.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today takes you through dramatic mountain scenery to Caernarfon. Here, enjoy a guided tour of Caernarfon Castle, a royal fortress-palace shrouded in mythology. Afterwards, board the Welsh Highland Railway, a scenic narrow-gauge line running along the foothills of the Snowdonia Mountain range to pretty Beddgelert. Located in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, the picturesque stone village is surrounded by wooded valleys, rolling hills and lakes. According to legend, the town is the resting place of a faithful dog named Gelert, who was killed after his owner, a 13th-century prince, believed he had attacked his son. Upon realising that the dog was defending the baby from a wolf, the prince buried his dog, and the town gained its name - Beddgelert means 'Gelert's Grave'. The reputed burial mound, a stroll out of the village, is a popular attraction.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your day is free to explore Llandudno or possibly ride the Great Orme cable-hauled tramway for breathtaking views of Snowdonia and Anglesey. In Llandudno, take in notable features including the Victorian charms of the promenade, the pier with its traditional seaside amusements, and some pretty public gardens. Within easy access of Llandudno is Conwy, where you could admire the historic town walls and castle. You could also visit Plas Mawr, a wonderful Elizabethan townhouse which has stood unchanged since the 16th century, or the Great Orme Copper Mines. The world's largest prehistoric copper mines, today visitors can explore the excavated caverns tunnelled by our Bronze Age ancestors around 3,500 years ago.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Board the Llangollen Steam Railway for a journey through some of the most beautiful scenery in the UK. The current railway was formed in 1975 by a group of railway enthusiasts, but takes you along a route that dates back to the 1800s. Take in the scenic views as you wind along the banks of the pretty River Dee on your way to Corwen Station. After some free time for lunch, you enjoy something unique - a horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal, experiencing how heavy goods were transported through this peaceful environment well into the 1960s.

Please Note: For departures 16/04/2023 and 23/04/2023 we will now travel one the Bala Lake Railway.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, this morning, you're free to begin your journey home. Or you could choose to explore more of this wonderful region.

• Breakfast