Holidays 2025
Departs: Monday 5th May 2025 | 5 Days
Great Little Trains of North Wales
Tour Price: £619.00 per person
Your Holiday Centre
Caernarfon is a town of contrasts: a busy market town, a major tourist centre, the county town for Gwynedd and a major local commercial and administrative centre. The town has a rich past.
Mighty Caernarfon is possibly the most famous of Wales' castles. Its sheer scale and commanding presence easily set it apart from the rest, and to this day, trumpet in no uncertain terms the intention of its builder Edward I. Started in 1283, was the definitive chapter in his conquest of Wales.
Caernarfon was constructed not only as a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal palace. Standing at the mouth of the Seiont River, at the southern end of the Menai Straits, the fortress dominates the walled town also founded by Edward I.
Caernarfon's symbolic status was emphasized when Edward made sure that his son, the first English Prince of Wales was born here in 1284. In 1969, the castle gained worldwide fame as the setting for the Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.
Tour Inclusions
- All coach travel
- Porterage
- 4 nights half board
- Excursions
- 2 Train rides
- Entrance to Port Meirion
- Entrance to Blaenau slate mine
- Entertainment on 2 nights
- Services of courier
Special Notes
- Insurance.
- Please inform us of any special dietary needs (diabetic, gluten free, vegetarian, etc).
- Special requests are put forward to the hotel, and they will do their utmost to accommodate your needs.
- Itinerary could be subject to change.
Tour Price
- Price Per Person
- £619.00
Single Room Supplement: £140.00 (Double/twin room)
Your Accommodation
The Celtic Royal Hotel
Bangor Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales, LL55 1AY.
Tel: 01286 674477.
The impressive 3 star Celtic Royal Hotel is located in the famous town of Caernarfon and offers a relaxing stay. The Celtic Royal Hotel is a venue steeped in history and gets its royal name from Princess Victoria, when she visited the original main building in 1832, 5 years before she became Queen Victoria.
All 110 luxurious bedrooms are en-suite with ESPA toiletries, hairdryer, safe, TV and tea/coffee making facilities.
Experience the culinary wonders of the elegant Castell Restaurant with the finest locally-sourced produce and the expertise of their head chef and team. For a hearty full Welsh breakfast or an evening meal - there's always a great atmosphere in their Castell Restaurant, which features classic dishes and new favourites alongside a superb wine list with a fine selection of local ales.
The hotel features an air conditioned gym, 16m indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, bubble pool and steam room. The gym has top of the range equipment and a large TV screen. Guests can relax in the sauna or steam room.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Depart for North Wales
After boarding your luxury coach, we head west and over the border in to Wales, with comfort stops en-route. We arrive at The Celtic Royal Hotel where we will spend the next four nights with dinner bed and breakfast. On arrival we can relax while our cases are taken to our rooms.
Day 2: Welsh Highland Railway
After a traditional Welsh breakfast, you head for the railway station in Caernarfon for your single journey train ride. Your train steams through farmland and forest, crossing the foothills of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) before descending a steep hillside to pass the village of Beddgelert, through the magnificent Aberglaslyn Pass and across the Traeth Mawr (Great Estuary) to reach Porthmadog. Here you will have a short time before rejoining your coach for a visit to Portmeirion. Williams-Ellis' village built from 1925 to 1976 to show how a naturally beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it. It is compact, but his clever use of arches, slopes and window sizes makes it seem larger than it is. Be instantly transported to a charming Italianate village, whilst remaining in the heart of North Wales. Where Wales meets Italy, Portmeirion is a picture-perfect village, which could easily be mistaken for a Mediterranean holiday destination. Discover colourful facades, an elaborate piazza, ornate gardens and breathtaking scenery at Portmeirion village. The Battery Square is a pretty little plaza containing guest accommodation, the Mermaid Spa and Caffi'r Sgwar - a cafe with outdoor tables on the cobbles, a great spot to grab a coffee, Mediterranean-style. The 1960's series, The Prisoner, was filmed in Portmeirion village. Starring Patrick McGoohan, The Prisoner is well known as one of the most influential pieces of television of the 1960s. Every year Portmeirion is home to The Prisoner Convention. The Round House, is the cottage where Number Six lived in The Prisoner, which is now a shop selling nostalgic memorabilia. Later you return back to the hotel to rest before dinner.
Day 3: Day at Leisure
Today you can enjoy a leisurely day to do as you wish. Visit the castle or the harbour or just explore the area.
Day 4: Ffestiniog Railway & Slate Mine
Today you take another historic train from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog. This service will normally be hauled by one of the iconic Double Fairlie locomotives designed over 150 years ago to haul large trains on the steep gradients and sharp curves of the Ffestiniog line. The railway takes you on a 13.5 mile journey from the harbour in Porthmadog to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Their historic trains climb over 700 feet from sea level into the mountains through tranquil pastures and magnificent forests, past lakes and waterfalls, round horseshoe bends (even a complete spiral) clinging to the side of the mountain or even tunnelling through it. The train emerges from the tunnel beside Llyn Ystradau reservoir and the slate tips beckon. After you arrive at Blaenau you then rejoin the coach and head to the slate mine of Llechwedd for a guided tour of the mine. Take a step back into the 19th century as you're submerged 500ft into rich history of the Deep Mine Tour, where you will spend approx 1hr 15min soaking up all there is to know about Llechwedd's fascinating past. Head underground and learn all about this iconic mine including where the famous Llechwedd cheese is matured. You will be guided by former miners and see firsthand where the world-class slate was produced by local men and children, who risked their lives every day to provide the world with this famous slate, After the tour, hop aboard their underground train, which is Europe's steepest cable railway to take you back to the surface. After an educating day, you head back to the hotel.
Day 5: Depart for Home
After breakfast and all cases have been loaded onto the coach, you say farewell to your hosts at the Celtic Royal Hotel, and start the journey home. With a comfort stop en-route. You should arrive in your local area by late afternoon.