Seek out the unspoiled beauty of an undiscovered destination: WALES!
As a reminder, Wales is not a region of Great Britain but a country in its own right, as
proudly distinct in the British Isles as Scotland and England. Wales is bordered by England on the east, the Bristol Channel on the south, St George’s Channel on the southwest and the Irish Sea on the west and north.
Wales is a land of breathtaking beauty and offers three national parks, a number of designated areas of natural beauty, rural landscapes, remarkable beaches, rolling valleys of green and the majestic mountains of Snowdonia.
If you are interested in fascinating history and romantic legends, you have chosen well in considering Wales as your next destination! With Neolithic burial sites and early Celtic artifacts, mighty medieval castles and industrial heritage sites, Wales offers an unforgettable experience.
Add to all of this fine festivals, Cardiff’s nightlife, delicious food and a wonderful people, and you will find that your time in Wales will provide fond memories for years to come.
ITINERARY (may be changed at the discretion of the trip leader)
Pre Tour:
It is recommended that you fly directly into Cardiff. Our hotel is less than 10 minutes from the airport and an easy and inexpensive taxi ride.
Day 1: Arrival in Cardiff. Today, following a full English breakfast, we will gather in our hotel lobby for introductions, meeting our local guide and for an orientation to our next eleven days together. Then it’s off to the fascinating and well known Open Air Museum of Welsh life. The museum sits on a 100-acre site and includes reconstructed buildings from all parts of Wales ranging from St. Fagan’s Castle, a late 16th century manor house, to an original pigsty. The collection of buildings offers a vivid representation of life for the Welsh people at various periods of time. We’ll lunch together at a local café before boarding our van and heading to Tenby, a beautiful medieval village by the sea, voted in 2005 as the people’s choice in all of Wales. Once there, you’ll have free time to relax and explore the area on your own, including the Norman castle and walled borough built in the 12th century, the fine beaches, rugged cliffs, and attractive shop-lined narrow streets. We’ll meet together as a group for dinner. Overnight in Tenby. D (= Dinner included)
Day 2: This morning we join our local guide for a historical tour of Tenby. Tenby is an enchanting place with a Georgian sea front and town center enclosed by ancient walls and a view of St. Catherine’s island with its Norman castle just off the shore line. After lunch we’ll head to the village of Lydestep (45 min) and enjoy a striking coastal walk of about two hours from Lydestep to Manorbier. Our objective this afternoon is Manorbier Castle, nestled in a narrow valley in the lovely Welsh countryside. The famous Welsh renaissance man, Giraldus Cambrensis, described this area as “the pleasantest spot in Wales”. Giraldus, or Gerald of Wales, wasn’t far from the mark in his description of this area. Our drive to the castle takes us through some of the most scenic parts of Pembrokeshire. Also of interest and situated just above Manorbier castle is the Church of St. James which we’ll also take time to explore. Both the castle and church were actively in use during Norman times. In Manorbier we’ll visit the great Manorbier castle and town’s historical church. Dinner and overnight in Tenby. B (= Breakfast included), D
Day 3: This morning we enjoy a short drive to the Stack pole Estate (a property owned by the National trust). A 2-hour walk to Bosherston, along the costal path, takes us to the Lilly ponds of Stack Pole. (Stack pole was the estate of the Earl of Cawdor in the 18th and 19th centuries.) Some of the most harshly beautiful coastline in the country is here with shear cliffs that drop 150 feet to a churning, thrashing surf. We’ll lunch at St. Govan’s Country Inn Pub in Bosherston then visit Bosherston church and finish our circular walk back to Stack pole Queue. Next we’ll visit St Govan’s Chapel and take a walk down steps carved in the cliff to visit the ancient chapel wedged into a slot just out of reach of the pounding surf below. This chapel, dating from the 5th century, has a rich legacy of legend and history. At the end of the afternoon we will drive back to Tenby via Pembroke, enjoy a relaxing dinner and overnight here. B, L (= Lunch included)
Day 4: Today we will drive to St David’s Head and enjoy a short walk to see this lovely village and its harbor, wonderfully situated on a narrow inlet. A ranger for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority says of this walk: “A great walk to see choughs, gannets and porpoises. Look for the ancient Neolithic burial chamber of Coetan Arthur and the hill of Carn Llidi, overlooking St Davids Head. Spectacular views are offered out to the Bishops and Clerks from the headland. In spring there’s a wonderful display of spring squill, and in autumn the heathland comes into bloom. Look for the heath-spotted orchid.” From St. David’s Head we journey to Abereiddy and begin a spectacular costal walk from Abereiddy to Porthgain. This walk offers plenty of interest, including the secret beach of Traeth Llyfn and old stone quarries including the Blue Lagoon-a flooded slate quarry. Lunch is at charming Sloops Inn in Porthgain and our afternoon walk takes us 7 miles from Porthgain to Trefin and Abercastle. Dinner and overnight in St. David’s Head. B, L, D
Day 5: This morning we enjoy a tour of St. David’s Cathedral, built on the site of St. David’s 6th century monastery, and the Bishop’s house. St. David’s (St David is the patron saint of Wales) is the most important church in Wales and for hundreds of years has been a site of pilgrimage. Then it’s off to Beddgelert, probably one of Wales’ loveliest mountain villages. Nestled in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, Beddgelert is surrounded by some of the finest scenery in North Wales, including of course, Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales. On the way, we’ll stop to visit the Pentre Ifan megalithic burial chamber dating from 3,500 B.C. It is the best known in Wales because of its height and the beauty of its location. Dinner and overnight in Beddgelert. B, D
Day 6: This morning finds us heading to the Sygun copper mine near Beddgelert (the mine has supposedly been mined since Roman times but was abandoned in 1903). We’ll take the underground tour that shows the life of Victorian miners, including the typical machinery of a 19th century mine. We’ll see magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations as well as veins of copper ore laced with traces of gold, silver and other precious metals. Later on today we’ll set out on a circular 4-mile walk up to a range of rugged hills. These hills form the great Aberglaslyn gorge (900 foot elevation gain) that has graced many a post card and book jacket. We will return to Beddgelert via the fishermans path along the river. Free night in Beddgelert. B, L
Day 7: In the morning we’re off to Pen-y-pass, a mountain pass where three of the major routes to the summit of Mt. Snowdon start. Mt. Snowdon is part of Snowdonia National Park, the second largest national park in Britain. Members of the first successful team to summit Mr. Everest trained on Mt. Snowdon. But don’t worry, we won’t be attempting the same sort of experience that they did!
As a bit of history, Yr Widdfa is the Welsh name for Snowdon. The English name comes from the old word for snow, which covers Snowdon’s peak in the winter. Our 5-mile route, up a well used path, will take us 1500 feet up to Snowdon’s peak for marvelous views of the surrounding countryside. Dinner and overnight in Beddgelert. B, D
Day 8: We begin our day with a drive to Porthmadog where we’ll board the Ffestiniog steam railway on our way to Tan-y-Bwlch. Incorporated in 1832, the Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the world and runs for 14 miles through Snowdonia National Park. Lunch will be a picnic by a beautiful, tranquil lake below Tan-y-Bwlch. Our walk, offering great views of the Snowdonia countryside, takes us through an ancient forest to Plas Hoh. In the afternoon, back in Beddgelert, we’ll enjoy a cultural tour of the town with the local historian. Dinner and overnight in Beddgelert. B, L
Day 9: We start our day with a visit to the fascinating Welsh Slate museum. Slate mining was at one time a significant part of Wales’ economy and today slate mines are still a frequent sight throughout the mountains of North Wales. Geoglocially, slate began its life hundreds of millions of years ago as mud on the seabed. Uplifting, heat and pressure transformed this seabed mud into the beautiful veins of slate we’ll see in the mountainsides throughout Snowdonia.
In the afternoon we visit Wale’s most famous castle, Caernarfon, and its historic walled town. Both the town and castle were founded by Edward I in his drive to conquer Wales. Started in 1283, Caernarfon castle, a World Heritage inscribed site, stands at the mouth of the Seiont river and dominates its walled town. Caernarfon is also the birthplace of the first English Prince of Wales in 1284. Dinner and overnight in Beddgelert. B, D
Day 10: This morning offers some free time to catch up on your shopping, photography or just relaxing in this idyllic setting before we head to Cardiff. Along the way we’ll enjoy a pub lunch before continuing our journey to Cardiff. Tonight we enjoy our farewell banquet together and toast the time we’ve shared in this magical country. B, D
Day 11: Flights home or to your next destination. Our hotel is about a ten minute taxi ride from the airport so you can arrange your flights to leave at any time today. B
THE DETAILS:
| Dates: | Sept 11-21, 2012 |
| Price: | $3295 |
| Single Supplement: | $295 |
| Lodging: | KMotel, Hotel, Bed & Breakfast |
| Trip Begins: | Cardiff |
| Trip Ends: | Cardiff |
WHAT WE PROVIDE:
Walking The World Guide
10 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 6 dinners
All admission fees to scheduled stops
All transportation while on tour
Unique and original Journal of your trip
Ten nights lodging in Motels, Hotels or Bed & Breakfasts (double occupancy)
Local Guide
Walking The World T-Shirt or Hat
YOUR GUIDE FOR WALES
Your guide for your adventure in Wales is Kathy Lewis. Kathy is a passionate world traveler and for the past 16 years has been guiding and sharing her knowledge of the land, history and culture of her many diverse tour destinations. Whether it’s the charming villages of Provence in France, the “unique inside view” of her home territory in the Hawaiian Islands, the beautiful Welsh countryside of her ancestors, or the striking scenery of
the Mediterranean Island of Corsica, she takes great delight in sharing her knowledge of wild herbs and plants along the trails, world class wineries and gourmet regional cuisines and will be sure to introduce you to her many colorful local friends along the way. Kathy is American, but has lived and explored many part of Europe and South America, lived, worked and explored the vast expanses of Alaska, operated an organic farm on the island paradise of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands and lived in the cosmopolitan center of Paris, France. Kathy is also a professional chef and takes great pride in finding the best of the best of culinary experiences.
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