Railways & Castles of Wales (Hotel St Georges) 2011 

Your Tour Manager meets you in Llandudno, a typical Victorian seaside resort with an elegant promenade, sheltered between the headlands of the Little Orme and Great Orme. Llandudno is also ideally located for our exploration of Snowdonia National Park, the fantastic Welsh Railways and North Wales' imposing castles. We spend five nights at the 4-star Hotel St Georges. After arriving and checking-in you will have some time to relax before enjoying a drinks reception and dinner together in the hotel. (D)

This morning we travel by coach, over the beautiful Llanberis Pass to Llanberis. We join the Snowdon Mountain Railway to climb Snowdon, which at 3,560 feet (1,085m) is the highest mountain in Wales. The railway was built over 100 years ago and is the only public rack-and-pinion railway in the United Kingdom. The views over the Welsh coastline and the mountains of Snowdonia are stunning; on a good day the Menai Straits, Anglesey and the Llŷn peninsula jutting out into the Irish Sea can be seen from the summit. The Llanberis valley has a rich history of slate mining and on arrival back in Llanberis we visit the National Slate Museum of Wales, located in the original Victorian Workshops on the site of the vast Dinorwig quarry. We finish our day with a guided tour of the impressive Caernarfon Castle, where you can walk along the battlements between the castle's unique polygon towers. Built in 1283 by Edward I and dominating the Menai Straits, the castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Constructed as a military stronghold as well as a seat of government and royal palace, the castle now houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Wales' oldest regiment. (B,D)

The castles of North Wales are described by UNESCO as the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe. Today we visit Conwy Castle, where our guided tour takes us around the dark stoned, eight-tower fortress. The castle was built on a rock outcrop, by Edward I in 1283 as one of the key fortresses in his 'iron ring' of castles. We continue to Bodnant Garden, created in 1875 by the Aberconway family. Nurtured by successive generations, the garden spans some 80 acres and is situated above the River Conwy giving magnificent views across the valley towards the Snowdonia range. The garden is split into two sections: the upper garden is terraced with informal lawns shaded by trees, and the lower section, formed by the River Hiraethlyn, contains the wild garden. Herbaceous borders, roses, hydrangeas, water lilies and clematis delight throughout the summer, with superb autumn colours during September and October. (B,D)

We travel to Caernarfon by coach today, where we join the Welsh Highland Railway for our fabulous journey by narrowgauge steam train* from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. During our journey we pass alongside Caernarfon Castle and snake slowly around the foothills of the Snowdon range before descending to Porthmadog. From here we travel by coach to Portmeirion, a pretty Italianate village on the coast. Portmeirion is famous for its lovely location, mock Italian architecture, pottery and has been used to film many productions including the series 'The Prisoner'. After a guided tour and some time for lunch we continue our journey by steam train* on the historic narrow gauge Ffestiniog Line from Minffordd to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The railway was originally built to transport slate from the quarries. We travel through the spectacular mountain scenery of Snowdonia, passing through many areas inaccessible by road. We return to the hotel in time for dinner together. (B,D)

* At the time of going to press the steam train timetable for both railways is yet to be confirmed, but we will utilise these where possible.

Your day is free to relax in Llandudno, perhaps simply taking a stroll along the pretty Victorian promenade, or exploring the wider area. Options from Llandudno include the Great Orme Tramway which first ran to the summit of the Great Orme in 1902. From the halfway Tram Station you can visit the Bronze Age copper mines, thought to be the largest Prehistoric mine in the world today. This evening we travel by coach to  Betws-y-Coed in the heart of Snowdonia, where we have our final evening dinner, typically Welsh, in a local inn. Singers from the Conwy Welsh Male Voice Choir perform especially for us during our meal to give us a true Welsh farewell. (B,D)

After breakfast in the hotel you are free to depart Llandudno at your leisure or perhaps spend the day exploring the area further before you journey home. (B)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday

The order of the itinerary may vary from that described above depending on departure date. Please contact us for further details.