Railways of Wales

Arrive in Llandudno and meet your Tour Manager at the family-run
Kensington Hotel, boasting fantastic views of Llandudno Bay. You
have some free time to look around before a welcome dinner and the
opportunity to meet the rest of your group.

Enjoy an excursion on the steam-hauled* 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, famous for its colourful, Italianate
architecture. With free time, why not visit the central piazza,
admire the elegant Japanese gardens or take a walk along Harlech
Beach?

Board the Llangollen Steam Railway* for a journey through some
of the most beautiful scenery in the UK. Built in 1975 by a group
of railway enthusiasts, the route takes you along the banks of the
River Dee to Carrog Station. After some free time for lunch, enjoy
a horsedrawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal, experiencing how
heavy goods where transported through this peaceful environment
well into the 1960s.

Your day is free to explore Llandudno or perhaps ride the Great
Orme cablehauled 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, which looks straight out of the pages of a storybook
and is one of the most impressive castles in the UK. 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 laboriously excavated caverns tunnelled by our Bronze
Age ancestors around 3,500 years ago.

A full-day excursion by coach today takes you through some of
the most dramatic mountain scenery in Britain to Caernarfon. Here,
enjoy a guided tour of famous Caenarfon Castle, a royal
fortress-palace shrouded in mythology and bitter medieval
rivalries. Afterwards, board the Welsh Highland Railway*, a
narrow-gauge line running along the foothills of the Snowdonia
Mountain range to pretty Beddgelert.

Located where the rivers Glaslyn and Colwyn meet in the heart of
Snowdonia National Park, the picturesque stone village of
Beddgelert is surrounded by beautiful wooded valleys, rolling
hills, and mountain 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, mistakenly believed he had
attacked his son. Upon realising that the dog was in fact defending
the baby from an attacking wolf, the remorseful prince buried his
dog, and the town gained its name - Beddgelert in English means
'Gelert's Grave'. Today, the dog's reputed burial mound, a short
stroll out of the village, is a popular attraction.

After breakfast, this morning, you're free to begin your journey
home. Alternatively, explore more of this wonderful area.
*Steam-hauled where possible.