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Railways of Wales

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20242025
6 days From £649 £599 per person
4.4 stars(428 reviews)
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Admire rugged mountains, visit picturesque towns, and journey on the scenic Welsh Highland and Llangollen Steam Railways.

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Save £50pp on selected British Isles 2024 holidays, when you book by 2nd April 2024.

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Mobility Rating 2

2024 Tour code: 24LLS

About the tour

Experience the magic of North Wales on this enchanting holiday filled with captivating landscapes, historic sites, and unforgettable rail journeys.

Staying in the picturesque seaside town of Llandudno, you'll enjoy unique adventures including a journey on the Llangollen Steam Railway, exploring the delightful atmosphere of Portmeirion and riding the Ffestiniog Railway through inspiring scenery.

Drift along the scenic Llangollen Canal by horse-drawn boat, discover the mysteries of Caernarfon Castle, and be captivated by the beauty of Wales.

Unforgettable Experiences

Llangollen Steam Railway
Llangollen Steam Railway
Enjoy a steam-hauled journey through the beautiful Welsh countryside on the Llangollen Steam Railway.
Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
Climbing gently through Snowdonia landscapes on the Ffestiniog Railway, admire the mountainous terrains and lush forests of Wales' rugged scenery.
Horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal
Horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal
Experience a unique horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal, relaxing as you’re pulled in a traditional narrowboat through picturesque scenery.
Welsh Highland Railway
Welsh Highland Railway
Journey on the Welsh Highland Railway amid scenery of farmland, wild meadows, and Llyn Cwellyn Lake.
Portmeirion
Portmeirion
Explore enchanting Portmeirion, a surreal village with colourful architecture, serene gardens, and unique charm.
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle
Take the opportunity to visit the UNESCO-listed Conwy Castle with its massive stone walls, eight towers, and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - Seaside charm of Llandudno

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

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - The Ffestiniog Railway to Pretty Portmeirion

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's said 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 time at leisure here, you could visit the central piazza, admire the elegant Japanese gardens or wander the unique surroundings.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - A nostalgic journey on the Llangollen Steam Railway

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 at Llangollen Wharf - a horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal, experiencing how heavy goods were transported through this peaceful environment well into the 1960s.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - At leisure in Llandudno

Today is at leisure to explore. You could ride the Great Orme cable-hauled tramway for breathtaking views of Snowdonia and Anglesey. Or, you could explore more of Llandudno like the Victorian charms of the promenade, the pier with its traditional seaside amusements, or the 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.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Exploring Caernarfon Castle & scenic landscapes aboard the Welsh Highland Railway

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, head to Beddgelert where you board the Welsh Highland Railway, a scenic narrow-gauge railway that snakes through the stunning Snowdonia National Park.

The steam locomotives and traditional carriages carry you past idyllic scenes of dense forests, sweeping valleys, and lovely mountain views. After a while, the landscape opens up and reveals picturesque lakes, including the renowned Llyn Cwellyn. As the train journeys along the edge of the lake, enjoy the fantastic views of its shimmering water surrounded by peaceful mountains.

Arriving back in Caernarfon, you rejoin your coach and return to your hotel in time for a final dinner with your group.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Homeward bound

After breakfast this morning, your holiday comes to an end. You could choose to explore more of this wonderful region on your own or bid goodbye to your fellow travellers and journey home.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

On many of our UK & Ireland tours, you may check in at the first hotel on your itinerary anytime after 14:00; your Tour Manager will be available between 16:00 and 18:00. However, if you are arriving later, you can meet your Tour Manager before dinner from 19:00.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Kensington Hotel

Kensington Hotel, Llandudno

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Trains

Ffestiniog Mountain Railway
Llangollen Railway
Welsh Highland Railway

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Rail travel to and from Llandudno
Extend your UK & Ireland holiday

Reviews

4.4 stars4.4 / 5 · 428 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (227)
  2. 4 stars
    (163)
  3. 3 stars
    (29)
  4. 2 stars
    (4)
  5. 1 star
    (5)

Valued CustomeNewark Smelt

5 stars

Submitted 4/Jan

Thoroughly enjoyed this holiday. Railways and scenery magnificent. Coach service good. Hotel OK

Collected by Trustpilot

Robert Overall

5 stars

Submitted 03 Nov 2023

very good holiday

Collected by Trustpilot

Corinne Price

5 stars

Submitted 02 Nov 2023

Excellent holiday in all respects!

Collected by Trustpilot

John Lindley

4 stars

Submitted 01 Nov 2023

Hotel fine, good tour manager, and some good trips. Some of the coach journeys to the railways visited were a bit long - a bit of tuning to shorten them would be a good idea.

Collected by Trustpilot

Andrew Burnett

4 stars

Submitted 30 Oct 2023

Our holiday got off to a bad start. I had paid the deposit before the company told us that having holiday insurance was a condition that had to be met - I suppose it was hidden somewhere in the small print but that is simply not good enough. Then, to add insult to injury, the Company declined to offer us insurance because of our age - outrageous! Having said that the holiday was very enjoyable. Phillip, our tour leader, was competent and helpful. The hotel was comfortable and the food, while unexciting, was plentiful and usually well cooked. The coach and train trips were generally good (Llangollen a bit disappointing) and showed us what a beautiful country Wales is. Overall, good value for money.

Collected by Trustpilot

Sarah

5 stars

Submitted 27 Oct 2023

A wonderful break, well organised, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves

Collected by Trustpilot

Show 6 more reviews
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