Welsh Wonders

Cardiff is a dynamic city, labelled as the youngest and fastest growing capital city in Europe. Explore the city at your own pace with a hop-on hop-off bus tour with 14 stops, choose to wander through the Victorian shopping arcades, the vibrant indoor market and the new Cardiff Bay development with the Welsh parliament building. Included is a ticket to the iconic Cardiff Castle, home to an astonishing 2,000-year history enclosed within its grand walls, this medieval castle has a truly unique past, it was built in the 11th Century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd century Roman fort and has beautiful gardens to explore within the grounds. Overnight in Cardiff.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Heading out of Cardiff with a private driver guide, start your day witnessing a thousand-year history of striking the coins of British monarchs, beginning with the silver penny of Alfred the Great. Since opening in 2016, it has become one of the top-rated tourist attractions in Wales. A guided tour gives you unprecedented access to The Royal Mint and its history. Go behind the scenes to discover a whole world of coinage and experience history. Next its onto South Wales first full-scale gin distillery, visitor experience, gin school and bottling plant, all distilling nicely in the cellars of the 17th century Hensol Castle. During your visit you’ll be treated to a story-filled guided journey of the distillery learning all about the history of Hensol Castle, the origins of gin, the wonders of botanicals and the distilling process. Whilst of course making sure there’s still plenty of time left for the all-important gin tasting at the end before you will rejoin your driver guide and return to your hotel in Cardiff. Overnight in Cardiff.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Along with your private driver guide embark on a full day tour to discover some of the most impressive highlights of Southeastern Wales. From Cardiff, you'll first head to the town of Caerleon, where you'll make a visit of some remarkable Roman archaeological remains, including a legionary fortress, an Iron Age hillfort, and some excavated Roman Baths. Then, in Tintern, you'll visit the stunning ruins of Tintern Abbey, a 12th century relic built on the bank of the River Wye, the first official Cistercian presence in Wales. With much of the structure still standing, catch glimmers of its former prominence. Continue to nearby Chepstow for a visit to the 11th century Chepstow Castle, Britain's oldest surviving stone fort ruins from the post-Roman era. You'll then visit the bustling market town of Abergavenny one of Condé Nast Travellers' regularly voted in the top 10 places to visit in the UK this is a quaint Welsh market town surrounded by the Brecon Beacons, independent shops, art galleries and markets makes this a pleasant way to conclude the day before arriving at your hotel in Usk. Overnight in Usk.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Immerse yourself in this World Heritage site, Blaenavon changed the world - these hills on the edge of the Brecon Beacons were rich with coal, limestone and iron ore — the fuel of the Industrial Revolution. With your private driver guide visit the Big Pit National Coal museum, prepare yourselves to wear the very same equipment – helmet, cap lamp, belt, battery and ‘self rescuer’ – used by miners and to be lowered 300 feet down the Big Pit mine shaft for the famous underground tour where you will follow in the footsteps of the coal miners with lots of tales to tell of life underground and the history of the Black Gold that was shipped from the Welsh valleys around the globe using an extensive canal system, after much restoration work you can ramble along the peaceful Monmouth and Brecon Canal. Here, boats chug by at walking pace, water life abounds, and not-so-distant mountain tops poke their heads over the trees that line the canal banks with great views of the Usk Valley and the Black Mountain Range in the distance. This walk will take you back in time to when the canals were the transportation of choice in Wales, relaxing and an opportunity to see canals, nature and meet interesting people along the way before continuing north into Mid Wales to your Builth Wells hotel. Overnight in Builth Wells.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Heading to the coast today with your private driver guide, via the Cambrian Mountain range, this remote and wild plateau is home to many lakes and rivers as well as charming, isolated farmsteads. Next stop Aberystwyth for free time on the seafront, then onto The Vale of Rheidol Railway majestically recreating the Edwardian spirit of adventure, step onboard one of the beautifully restored steam trains for a journey along the Rheidol Valley, listen to the sound of a powerful narrow gauge steam locomotive working hard to climb 700ft (200m) during the 12 miles from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge. Here you'll be able to wander around mythical waterfalls which are said to be the last place the Devil visited in Wales. These unique waterfalls have attracted many thousands of visitors since the 18th century, including William Wordsworth who wrote about the “Torrent at the Devil's Bridge”, before heading back to Builth Wells to your hotel. Overnight in Builth Wells.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Embark on a coastal exploration with your private driver guide, stopping along the way to learn about the Welsh custom of Lovespoon making at The Lovespoon Workshop, a family-run small business specialising in hand-carved Welsh lovespoons. In no time you’ll learn all there is to know about this unique Welsh custom dating back to the 17th century. Next, you will discover the seaside town of Tenby, surrounded by 13th Century medieval town walls. Start your afternoon by exploring the ruins of Tenby Castle then enjoy the shops, restaurants, and the beautiful sandy beach before heading east towards Cardiff but not without a photo stop at Castell Coch, as you drive you’ll see in the distance a castle that rises out of a forest on a distant hillside like a scene from a fairytale, this is Castell Coch, or the ‘Red Castle’. You will end the day by arriving at Cardiff Airport to continue to your end destination.

Meal Plan: Breakfast