Wales: famous for its rugged coastline, three mountainous National Parks, distinctive language and Celtic culture. But it offers so much more than that, as you will discover on this small group guided cycling tour.
Aimed at the leisure cyclist, much of the cycling on this holiday is traffic-free, using old railway lines with gentle gradients on the whole, and features relatively short distances each day. With van support for the entire trip, routes have been carefully planned to start at altitude and run downhill and so there are remarkably few hills to pedal up, given the terrain. With your driver-guide at the helm this is a wonderful way to explore Wales.
The itinerary includes cycling in the Brecon Beacons; the Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion coasts; the valleys of the Wye, Yswyth, Teifi and Mawddach rivers; and the Cambrian Mountains, which means a great variety of landscapes... sea and mountains, peaks and beaches, estuaries and forests. Spot wildlife in abundance, discover age-old traditions in the slate and woollen industries and visit castles famous and derelict. You can also Relive a Welsh poet’s love affair with the landscape, travel along an astonishing canal, witness beauty beyond measure and relish a dramatic rack-and-pinion train ride to the summit of Mount Snowdon. We could go on...It's a real Welsh adventure!
Image credits: © Crown copyright (2016) Visit Wales
Holiday details
Price
- Classic
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from £1,990 per person
This tour is subject to a minimum number of six people but it can be tailored for less should you require it
Based on two people sharing a room
What’s included?
Dinner on days 1 and 8, boat trip around Ramsay Island and a ride on the Snowdon Mountain railway. See what’s included as standard
Duration
8 nights
Start & Finish
The tour starts in Brecon Thursdays and finishes in Caernarfon. Both towns are on the railway network.
Hotels
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Small characterful hotels set in the towns; one country hotel
Holiday type
Guided
This tour is priced with a knowledgeable, local guide
Activity level
Not so gentle cycling (5) More info...
Electric bikes
Available by prior request.
Mileage
7 days of cycling 12 - 27 miles (19 - 44 km) per day
Terrain
A limited number of short but steep hills
Traffic-free
Partially
Itinerary day-by-day
Classic
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1. Day one
Arrive in Brecon
Brecon is a market town with a cathedral in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. At 4:30pm, we will meet at Brecon Canal Basin for a welcome tea and short cruise on board the narrow boat Dragon Fly along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal, taking in a lock and the aqueduct over the River Usk. The tea will include traditional Welsh fare such as Welsh bread 'Bara Brith' and Welsh cakes.
Your overnight stay for the next 3 nights will be in Brecon.
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2. Day two
Pontsticill, Pencelli and back to Brecon
Today begins with a transfer to Pontsticill. From here, we cycle along a route that is mostly either flat or downhill to Brecon, spanning the north and south boundaries of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It's a dramatic start to the tour with stunning views, forests and a chance to ride along the shores of several reservoirs. The route also takes in Pencelli and the scenic Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
18 miles (29 km)
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3. Day three
Builth Wells, Hay on Wye and back to Brecon
This morning begins again with a transfer, this time to Builth Wells, a lively agricultural town on the banks of the River Wye and home to the Royal Welsh Show. From here we ride downstream to Hay on Wye, following the spectacular River Wye all the way on an old railway line. We'll stop for a coffee at the old station as well as a packed lunch... and there's plenty of time to enjoy both nature and culture. This area is known for its variety of wild flowers. Hay on Wye, with its big castle, also beckons. Famous as a book town, it features over 30 bookshops. That's a lot of browsing!
21 miles (34 km)
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4. Day four
Laugharne, Saundersfoot and Tenby
Today we transfer to Laugharne (1.5 hour). This is a small town on the south Pemrokeshire coast estuary of the River Taf. Dylan Thomas lived here for a number of years. He rented The Boathouse on the estuary and used its garage as a place to write. We'll do the ‘Birthday Walk’ along the estuary shoreline, which includes a visit to The Boathouse. This is a walk Dylan loved and wrote about on his birthday in 1944 when he penned ‘Poem in October’. Plaques along the walk recount the verses. The walk was originally created in the mid-19th Century to give town folks access to the cockle beds on the marshes. The walk also leads past the derelict but imposing Laugharne Castle. We'll hop in the van once again (for 10 minutes) to the start of our first cycle ride for the day.
We'll be pedalling along the scenic Welsh coast to Amroth and Saundersfoot. Part of the route uses the idyllic old tramway line at Saundersfoot. We'll have lunch in the town and then take a short transfer to the start of our second ride which leads downhill through Tenby. This characterful port and bustling town boasts a number of sandy beaches. The route leads all the way to the hotel in the countryside outside Tenby.
12 miles (19 km) cycle; 2.5 mile (4 km) walk
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5. Day five
St David's, Ramsey Island, Cardigan
This morning features a visit to the woollen mill at Solva (just an hour on the road from our hotel). This is the oldest working woollen mill in Pembrokeshire as it has been operating since 1907. In the mill you can watch the looms operating which today produce rugs and runners, some of the textiles which Wales became famous for. This family run business has an adjacent shop where you can buy their produce.
From here, hop aboard your saddle and we'll be pedalling to St Davids. This is the smallest city in the UK, but is really a vibrant village with an astounding 12th Century cathedral. After lunch in town, we'll pedal on to the nearby coast at St Justinian. From here we take a one hour boat trip around dramatic Ramsey island, half a mile offshore. The island is a protected nature reserve with awesome cliffs, grey seal colonies and an abundance of wildlife.
Back on dry land, we will transfer north to the Teifi valley (one hour) and ride a route that follows the Teifi River, in part on an old railway line to the mouth of the river at Cardigan on the Ceredigion coast. Situated on the west coast of Pembrokeshire, it's a small sleepy town with a growing alternative arts and crafts scene set amongst its jumble of historical architecture. Over dinner, we'll be treated to a performance by a small male choral group.
21 miles (34 km)
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6. Day six
Craig Goch to Aberyswyth
Today we transfer to Craig Goch reservoir (1.75 hours) for a thrilling ride to Aberystwyth, through the awesome Cambrian Mountains and following the River Yswyth downstream from its mountain source. Part road and part old railway line, this is a remarkable cycle through unpopulated mountains, then sheep-clad hills and forests, and past villages and inns.
Aberyswyth is a university town on the west coast of Wales and where we will stop for the evening.
27 miles (43 km)
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7. Day seven
Ganllwyd to Portmadog
Today we transfer to Ganllwyd in Snowdonia National Park (1 hour) and then cycle downstream in the highly scenic Mawddach valley to Dolgellau. From here it's a traffic-free pedal on an old railway line along the Mawddach estuary to Barmouth, where we'll stop for lunch.
After lunch, we'll transfer to Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog (45 minutes). Here you can take an underground guided walk or train ride into the slate caverns, areas of which are still being worked. Explore the Victorian village, slate workshop, sweet shop and sup the local ale at The Miner’s Arms Short stop in Portmeirion. This is an Italianate village designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 and famous as the setting for ‘The Prisoner’.
At the end of the day we'll transfer to our overnight stay in Portmadog (20 minutes).
19 miles (31 km)
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8. Day eight
Circular from Portmadog
We begin with a transfer to Bryncir (10 minutes). Enjoy a traffic-free ride downhill to Caernarfon, following the Welsh Highland railway line with great views to the coast and Menai Straits. Upon arrival, we'll take a guided tour of Caernarfon Castle, which dates back to the 12th Century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch will be in Caernarfon and we will then transfer to Llanberis (15 minutes).
It's then a return home via the Snowdon Mountain railway to the summit of Snowdon (1085m) with viaducts, waterfalls and gorges in view.
Stay overnight in Portmadog and depart the following morning - or depart at your leisure this evening.
12 miles (19 km)