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Railways of Wales

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202420252026
6 days From £649 £599 per person
4.4 stars(490 reviews)
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Take a nostalgic trip into the rolling mountains and picturesque towns of North Wales, with journeys aboard scenic railways including the Welsh Highland, Ffestiniog and Llangollen Steam Railways

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Save up to £200pp on British Isles 2025 holidays when you book by 31st October 2024.

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Mobility Rating 2

2025 Tour code: 25LLS

About the tour

Experience the magic of North Wales on this holiday filled with picturesque landscapes, historic sites, and heritage rail journeys.

Staying in the seaside town of Llandudno, this Welsh adventure includes a journey on the Llangollen Steam Railway, exploring the Italian Riviera inspired town of Portmeirion and riding the scenic Ffestiniog Railway.

Drift along the scenic Llangollen Canal by horse-drawn boat, discover the mysteries of Caernarfon Castle, and experience the unique charms of Wales.

Unforgettable Experiences

Travelling on the Llangollen Steam Railway
Travelling on the Llangollen Steam Railway
Enjoy a steam-hauled journey through the beautiful Welsh countryside on the Llangollen Steam Railway.
Journeying into Snowdonia on the Ffestiniog Railway
Journeying into Snowdonia on the Ffestiniog Railway
Climbing gently through Snowdonia landscapes on the Ffestiniog Railway, admire the mountainous terrains and lush forests of Wales.
Taking a horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal
Taking a horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal
Experience a unique horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal, relaxing while being pulled in a traditional narrowboat through picturesque scenery.
Entering the wild Welsh countryside on the Welsh Highland Railway
Entering the wild Welsh countryside on the Welsh Highland Railway
Journey on the Welsh Highland Railway amid scenery of farmland, wild meadows, and Llyn Cwellyn Lake.
Discovering beautiful Portmeirion
Discovering beautiful Portmeirion
Explore Portmeirion, a Welsh village based on an Italian Riviera town, with colourful architecture, serene gardens, and unique charm.
Visiting Caernarfon Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Visiting Caernarfon Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site
We take a guided tour of Caernarfon Castle, built by England’s Edward I, a medieval fortress with a fascinating history.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - Meeting in the seaside town of Llandudno

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.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - The Ffestiniog Railway to Portmeirion

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.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - A nostalgic journey on the Llangollen Steam Railway

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.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - At leisure in Llandudno

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.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Caernarfon Castle, the Welsh Highland Railway

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.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Homeward bound

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.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Kensington Hotel

Kensington Hotel, Llandudno

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Trains

Ffestiniog Railway
Llangollen Railway
Welsh Highland Railway

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Reviews

4.4 stars4.4 / 5 · 490 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (267)
  2. 4 stars
    (182)
  3. 3 stars
    (31)
  4. 2 stars
    (5)
  5. 1 star
    (5)

Mr A Gardner

5 stars

Submitted 3/Oct

Generally all good. The en-suite in the room at the Kensington was a bit small having apparently been formed by taking space from the original room and consequently featuring a shower and not a bath. We were very lucky with the weather. The hotel staff were great, the food was very good, the excursions were very good and the tour manager was also very good, so apart from no bath and a rather small en-suite it was an excellent holiday.

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Lesley

4 stars

Submitted 1/Oct

Lovely holiday. The railway tours and countryside were magnificent but the hotel was disappointing. The food was average but the service was good and friendly.

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david

5 stars

Submitted 30/Sep

Well balanced break - mind you, perfect weather helped!

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Ian

5 stars

Submitted 28/Sep

Excellent organisation

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Marie Bennett

5 stars

Submitted 28/Sep

Our stay at The Kensington Hotel was very pleasant. It is in a great location on the sea front. Although our room was at the back of the hotel, it was nice and clean and we were comfortable. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have a sea view as we spent very little time in our room. The meals were varied and plentiful and the staff delivered them cheerfully. We enjoyed all of the excursions, with Howard our tour manager and our friendly fellow guests. The train journeys afforded us spectacular views and the canal boat ride was peaceful and relaxing. Dry and warm weather added to our overall enjoyment! In addition to the excursions we had a day at leisure which we spent in Llandudno. We were hoping to use the Great Orme tram, but it wasn’t working. However we were able to ride the road train instead and it enabled us to go up and around the Great Orme over the course of an hour. All in all we had a good holiday and would recommend it to others.

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June Gray

5 stars

Submitted 28/Sep

A week in wales ,Rail Discoveries are excellent for stress free holidays ,the sun shone & every aspect of holiday was well planned , with excellent tour manager. The hotel was 3 star on the sea front at Llandudnoo with beautiful views, the highlight for me was the visit to Portmerin , and for the husband the trip on the Ffestiniog Railway was his favourite.

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