Railways of Wales

Your holiday begins in Llandudno where the Tour Manager is ready to greet you and your group at the hotel, which sits directly on the town's central promenade with fantastic views of Llandudno Bay.

There's time to settle in or to look around the town of Llandudno before tonight's welcome dinner.

Please note, the order of this itinerary and daily excursions may be changed close to the departure date.

• Dinner

Today starts with an excursion on the Ffestiniog Railway*, 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, Ffestiniog is believed to be the world's oldest independent railway company.

We travel through the scenic Snowdonia National Park to Porthmadog. From here we continue to Portmeirion by coach, set on a private peninsula, this 'folly' is known for its colourful, Italianate architecture that wouldn't look out of place on the sun-soaked Italian coast.

With entrance into the village included, and free time to look around at leisure, you could visit the central piazza, admire the elegant Japanese gardens or wander the unique surroundings. At the end of the afternoon we transfer back to our hotel, with time to relax before dinner.

*Trains are steam-hauled where possible, however due to timetable changes or weather conditions, heritage diesel locomotives may be running instead.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we board the Llangollen Steam Railway* for a return journey through the beautiful Dee Valley from Llangollen to Corwen. The current railway was formed in 1975 by a group of railway enthusiasts, but takes you along a route dating back to the 1800s, which follows the banks of the pretty River Dee on the way to Corwen Station.

After a chance to explore Llangollen over lunchtime, we 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.

A coach takes us back to our hotel in Llandudno where there is time to see more of the town or maybe have a drink in the lounge bar before dinner.

*Trains are steam-hauled where possible, however due to timetable changes or weather conditions, heritage diesel locomotives may be running instead.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, today you are free to explore at your own pace. If you'd like to experience more heritage journeys you could take a ride on the Great Orme cable-hauled tramway for breathtaking views of Snowdonia and Anglesey. Or, you might choose to get to know more of Llandudno, such as the Victorian promenade, the pier with its traditional seaside amusements, or the public gardens.

Within easy access of Llandudno is Conwy, where you could admire the historic town walls and castle. Conwy Castle is one of Wales' four UNESCO-listed fortifications, with massive stone walls, crenelated towers, and panoramic views across Snowdonia to the River Conwy.

You could also visit Plas Mawr, a wonderful Elizabethan townhouse which remains unchanged since the 16th century, or the Great Orme Copper Mines. At the world's largest prehistoric copper mines, it is possible to explore the excavated caverns tunnelled by Bronze Age ancestors around 3,500 years ago.

However you decide to spend the day, dinner is served at the hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today's excursion takes us through mountain scenery to the medieval castle of Caernarfon. This is one of King Edward's four castles in Gwynedd listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Here, we are given a guided tour of the impressive Caernarfon Castle, a royal fortress-palace shrouded in mythology.

After our tour and some free time, we head to another place where folk legends are still told. In the village of Beddgelert we 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 us past idyllic scenes of forests, valleys, and mountains. After a while, the landscape opens up and reveals picturesque lakes, including the renowned Llyn Cwellyn.

On arrival back in Caernarfon, we rejoin the coach and return to our hotel in time for a final dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After a final breakfast at the hotel, your holiday in Wales draws to a close. This nostalgic tour on heritage railways and historic steam trains has taken us into the most scenic regions of North Wales, from the mountains of Snowdonia to the scenic Dee Valley, and from the intriguing town of Portmeiron to the spectacular Caernarfon Castle.

After saying goodbye, you could choose to explore more of this wonderful region on your own before heading homewards.

• Breakfast