Wales: Two Week Discovery

Highlights

Take a drive around Wales and discover the finest places and experiences in this magnificent country. Starting in Manchester, England, you’ll journey from east to west, north to south, exploring castles, viewing remarkable engineering feats, walking where saints have trod, and sampling the best food and drink throughout the country. You’ll meet locals and have authentic experiences throughout your journey. 

Here’s an itinerary for a customized trip of fifteen days, but we will tailor a travel plan specifically for your desires and timeframe, providing private transport, optimizing your journey for train and bus routes, as well. Contact us for specific pricing and details.

Day 1

Arrive early in the day in Manchester, England. Stay the night in city center to acclimatize. You’ll enjoy Manchester’s unique urban vibe, as well as optionally discovering the secret speakeasy hidden in the city (we’ll make sure you can get in).

Day 2

Pick up your rental car and drive west to Wales. First stop, Chirk Castle, near Wrexham – the last occupied castle from Edward I’s iron ring of castles built to subjugate Wales. After, you’ll head to Llangollen via Pontcysyllte Aqueduct – walk the aqueduct, take the heritage railway, and walk around this most charming town, but go to sleep early – tomorrow is a day of adventure!

Day 3

After breakfast, you’ll explore two extremes: Valle Crucis Abbey site, ancient home of austere Cisterian monks, and Plas Newydd, home to Irish ladies who entertained Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, and the Duke of Wellington, among others. Then you’ll head to the captivating walled town of Conwy, driving via the Llanrwst road. On the way, you’ll stop in Llanrwst to tour a castle, have tea at an olde-worlde riverside teahouse, and see an alluring Victorian collecting garden. You’ll arrive in Conwy just in time for an evening meal and a guided historical ramble around Conwy.

Day 4

After breakfast, explore Conwy Castle’s ramparts and rooms- don’t forget to check out the suspension bridge – it’s a miniature version of one you’ll be driving over later in your journey. Then see how Tudor gentry lived in the 16th century. You’ll experience the Smallest House in Wales (and the United Kingdom!) and see how fisherpeople lived in 19th century Britain. Finally, experience Aberconwy House, have a stroll around the town, stop by Hinton’s of Conwy for any reading material you’d like, and enjoy a final local dinner. 

Day 5

Wake early and drive along the coast to the Menai Bridge over to Anglesey. Take a walk around what many consider the most beautiful island in Britain, Llanddwyn Island. Head to Halen Môn for some of the best salt in the world, have lunch, and drive on to Caernarfon. After touring Caernarfon Castle, enjoy some time in your lodging’s pub.

Day 6

Take the Snowdon Mountain Railway up to the highest point in Wales – the mountain Sir Edmund Hillary climbed to prepare for his historic ascent of Mt. Everest – Yr Wyddfa, or Mount Snowdon. Be sure to capture all the views – it’s spectacular! After an optional stop for refreshments, drive on to Harlech Castle for more incredible panoramas before arriving at your lodging in the coastal university town of Aberystwyth (say that 3 times fast!).

Day 7

Spend the morning traveling up and down Aberystwyth’s cliff via the longest funicular cliff railway in Britain for a birds’ eye view of the ocean, shore, and town, as well as visiting the National Library of Wales.  Later, head inland to experience a truly astonishing sight – 3 bridges, one on top of the other – at Devil’s Bridge. Then drink in the breathtaking vistas as you journey down a wonderfully winding coastal road to Fishguard, where you’ll stay the night.

Day 8

This morning, it’s just a quick 30-minute drive to not only Wales’s but the UK’s smallest city, St Davids, named after the patron saint of Wales. You’ll spend the morning exploring St. Davids cathedral and the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace. Enjoy a walk around the city of St. Davids, perhaps some refreshment, then you’ll drive to Tenby, an enchanting seaside town filled with pretty pastel buildings. Enjoy exploring this coastal town, its medieval walks, and beaches, as afternoon turns to evening.

Day 9

In the morning, head to Laugharne and experience the ambiance where Dylan Thomas wrote and spent the last four years of his life by rambling through Dylan Thomas Boathouse. After, stop and smell the roses at the National Botanic Garden, home of the world’s largest single-span glasshouse (greenhouse), bird of prey center, butterfly house, and a nature reserve. After, head down to Swansea and the Gower Peninsula. Enjoy a saunter along Rhossili bay and beach, Worms Head, and Three Cliffs in Britain’s first designated Area of Natural Beauty before heading to your lodging in Swansea.

Day 10

Start the day by exploring the 13th century castle ruins before grasping the importance of the sea and all her bounty to Wales at the National Waterfront Museum. If you like, head to the Dylan Thomas Centre for a more thorough understanding of Dylan Thomas before heading into Brecon Beacons National Park for a tour of Penderyn Distillery, makers of Wales’s first single malt whiskey. You’ll stay in a lovely guest house this evening.

Day 11

Today, you head to Caerdydd (Cardiff), Wales’ capital city – visiting the living history town museum of St. Fagan’s on the way, to authentically experience Wales of bygone days. In the afternoon, treat yourself to a leisurely stroll around the National Museum. In the evening, we’ll send you to a couple of area pubs known only to locals.

Day 12

Today, you’ll experience Cardiff Castle, learn about the devil that scared the ladies, and have lunch in a nearby park. Afterward, stroll around Sophia Gardens before heading to Mermaid Quay and the Barrage. Optional activities include touring Principality Stadium, seeing a performance at Millennium Centre, or taking a rib ride in Cardiff Bay.

Day 13

After a leisurely morning in Cardiff, you’ll head to Blaenavon to experience how the valley people extracted black gold (coal) from the ground at the Big Pit Coal Museum. You’ll enjoy strolling around the bucolic town of Abergavenny before you head to Crickhowell, where you’ll stay the evening.

Day 14

Before leaving Crickhowell this morning, be sure you indulge in a spot of shopping in the quirky shops. After, you’ll head to Hay-on-Wye, the beautiful town known internationally for its bookshops and writing festivals, as well as the serene riverside setting. 

Day 14

After your restful stay in Hay-on-Wye, bid “Hwyl fawr” (which means both “goodbye” and “big fun”) to Wales – you’ve had a taste of the beauty, culture, art, and adventure that is this spectacular country.

Price

From $4,299 for a solo traveler, not including airfare, but we’re happy to book that as well!

As always, Dragon in Your Pocket’s pricing is transparent, with no hidden fees. As such, pricing is based on one person per room. Pricing is typically less with 2 or more persons per room.