North Wales Adventure

Arrive in historic Caernarfon, a waterfront town that is dominated by its imposing medieval castle. Standing guard over the city, Caernarfon Castle is now a UNESCO Heritage Site with a long royal heritage. In recent times it was the scene of Prince Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales.

Check in is possible from 3pm and there is a car park for hotel guests. If arriving by train, Bangor has the closest railway station at just 10 miles away. From there, you can take a taxi, or there are buses to Caernarfon leaving from just outside the station, with a journey time of 30 minutes.

The Tour Leader plans to meet you in reception at 6pm for the introductory briefing, followed by the option to enjoy a group meal (not included) to get acquainted with your fellow guests.

We'll journey through Snowdonia National Park this morning passing through some of the area's most picturesque villages, all stone buildings and windswept hillsides.

Our destination is Blaenau Ffestiniog, a small town that was once the heart of the Welsh slate mining industry until its decline after the Second World War. At its height, over 4,000 men worked in the profitable slate quarries, and three separate train lines connected the town and its produce to the rest of Wales and into England. These incredible mines still have an imposing presence on the town's skyline, and we'll be exploring them with an interactive tour, visiting both the open quarry and descending into the deep mine on the steepest cable railway in Europe. Many of the guides here have family connections to the slate industry that date back generations, and a visit to the mine is a trip through a crucial part of Welsh history.

We'll then take a short drive to the Italianate village of Portmeirion for a quick stop. Purpose built in the style of an old Italian village, Portmeirion's unusual architecture and magnificent location on the Dwyryd estuary, looking across towards Snowdon, makes for an enchanting visit. We'll have a short orientation around the village, with some free time to explore the fine architecture, gardens, shops and cafes at our own pace.

We'll return to Caernarfon in the late afternoon.

With the largest Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) in Wales, miles of unspoilt sandy coastline, craggy cliffs, picturesque villages and protected wildlife habitats, Anglesey is well worth exploring. Today we'll discover its variety of wild landscapes by boat, vehicle and on foot.

We drive 15 minutes and cross the Menai Bridge to reach the island of Anglesey. From here we'll board a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) for a trip around Anglesey's south coast. There'll be some excitement as we navigate The Swellies, notable for its whirlpools and shipwrecks. But these are simply and easily navigated in the RIB, and we'll soon be gliding through easy waters, passing the National Trust mansion of Plas Newydd, home to the Marquess of Anglesey, as well as the historic village of Felinheli, the familiar sight of Caernarfon Castle and into the open sea towards Llanddwyn Island. This tiny tidal island is home to the legend of St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of friendship and love. We'll return to Menai Bridge the way we came - very occasionally, particularly if the sea is calm, we may see a dolphin or porpoise.

After our ride we'll drive down to Newborough Beach and Forest. Part of the dunes are a national nature reserve, and the forest is home to one of Wales's largest red squirrel conservation sites. We'll have some free time here to explore. One option is to walk out to the ruins of an ancient 5th-century convent on Llanddwyn Island, which we passed on our RIB ride. At low tide the island is accessible by walking along the beach. Alternatively, you could choose to explore the dunes, enjoy a picnic or take a walk through the forest.

In the afternoon we'll take a tour of Halen Mon, Anglesey's finest sea salt producer. Their award-winning salt has gained worldwide renown and with one of their expert guides, we'll learn about their unique salt harvesting process and end with a tasting of some of the delicious salt varieties.

On our return to Caernarfon we'll take a quick pit stop at (deep breath!) Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - the train station with the longest name in the world.

With a full day ahead of us we take the 1.5 hour drive to Llangollen, a tiny historic town on the banks on the River Dee.

From the town, we'll set off on a walk along the Llangollen Canal, a World Heritage site that was once a crucial commercial thoroughfare, crossing the border between Wales and England into Shropshire. Our walk will take approximately 1.5 hours, as far as the awe-inspiring Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Rising 38 metres off the valley floor, this canal aqueduct is the highest in the world and one of the greatest feats of engineering throughout the UK's extensive canal network.

We're not content to simply admire the aqueduct from afar though, making our return to Llangollen on a canal boat ride across the aqueduct itself and taking in the marvellous views.

We'll arrive back in Llangollen in the afternoon with some free time to explore. You may choose to visit Plas Newydd house and gardens, stroll along the edge of the River Dee or walk with the Tour Leader up to Castell Dinas Bran, the famous 12th-century castle that perches high above the town.

We'll return to Caernarfon through Snowdonia National Park and the mountain views of the Ogwen Valley. If the weather is good (and we're not too tired!) we may make a stop at the Conwy Falls waterfall.

The magical Llyn Peninsula showcases North Wales scenery at its absolute finest. Undulating cliffs, sandy coves, heather-clad hills, historic forts and pilgrimage routes - there is something for everyone here.

We'll take a hike with our Tour Leader along a stretch of the Welsh Coastal Path to Nefyn. The starting point will be flexible depending on the overall fitness and interest of the group, but you can expect approximately a 10 kilometre walk with around 300 metres of ascent. Passing through rolling countryside, taking in windswept hills and extensive sea views, this short stretch of the coastline will capture something of the essence of the peninsula. If we're lucky, we may even be able to see across to Ireland in the distance.

There's nothing better than a cold beer after a long walk, and on arrival into Nefyn we'll be visiting the Cwrw Brewery for a tour and a tasting. This independent brewery makes small batches of beer by hand, and aims to recycle and reuse as much of their raw materials as possible - spent grains are even used to feed local pigs.

Mount Snowdon is the jewel in the crown of Snowdonia National Park, and on our final day here in North Wales, we'll finally be meeting the giant. At Llanberis we board the small, one-carriage train that winds its way to the station of Clogwyn, located three-quarters of the way up Snowdon at 779 metres. The one-way journey takes around 45 minutes, and the views are, simply, spectacular. Clawing its way up the side of the mountain, this Victorian train line is surrounded by the mountains and lakes of the national park.

From Clogwyn, we'll breathe in the crisp mountain air and hike the remaining 300 metres to the summit where the promise of a hot drink awaits us at the mountain-top cafe. We'll be walking down the Llanberis Path, the longest but gentlest descent from the mountain, taking us all the way back to Llanberis on foot - a hike of around 2.5 hours.

From Llanberis we'll return to Caernarfon to enjoy the final evening of our trip together.

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. You may choose to explore more of the local area under your own steam. We can suggest taking the Welsh Highland Railway to Beddgelert, with lots of great self-guided walks on offer in Beddgelert Forest, or alternatively visiting Caernarfon Castle. At the present moment, entrance tickets to the castle should be pre-booked online.