Day 1 – 2

Depart from the U.S. on your overnight flight to the U.K.

You’ll arrive the next morning at the Manchester Airport, just a short drive from Wales. Join your Explore Up Close guides in the airport, and travel by chauffeured van westward, into the “UK’s playground” – Wales. After an hour’s drive, we’ll stop for tea and scones. Nearby, we’ll visit the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and enjoy a short ride on a canal boat. Poncysyllte itself is the highest canal aqueduct in the world, spanning the vale of the River Dee. And it’s a nod to the importance of eastern Wales in the development of the early modern industrial revolution.

In the afternoon, continue our drive to Tir y Coed – a lovely country house hotel, nestled into a wooded valley on the slopes of Snowdonia. Dinner and overnight, Tir y Coed.

Day 3

Enjoy a delicious Welsh breakfast in our inn. Not far away, we’ll find a beautiful National Trust site, known as Bodnant Garden. It’s a Victorian estate that features beautiful natural water elements and a number of British national champion trees (referring to “height”). There are formal gardens near the estate house, forest gardens, and enchanted sitting / reflection spaces throughout.

We’ll continue to the beautiful town of Conwy, located where the Conwy estuary joins the Irish Sea. Enjoy this atmospheric and historic market town – replete with a medieval castle and an 1820’s suspension bridge (open to foot traffic only these days) that was built by engineer-genius, Thomas Telford, to “match” the ancient castle – 600 years older.

We’ll return to Tir Y Coed for relaxation. Dinner in the area; overnight, Tir y Coed.

Day 4

After our breakfast, we’ll explore Snowdonia. Our drive will take us through a region known for its slate mines, both industrial and “calendar-pretty” villages, and some of the UK’s most stunning mountain scenery. We’ll explore as far as the village of Beddgelert – among Wales’s lovliest – before we return to Tir y Coed for our last overnight in Snowdonia.

Day 5 

We say goodbye to our hosts, then explore two of Wales’s legendary hinterland regions – both known for ancient heritage sites and rugged, natural beauty . . . never far from the sea. First, we’ll drive onto the Isle of Anglesey via the Thomas Telford Menai Strait Bridge. We’ll explore the scenic coastal enclaves on Anglesey’s southwest, near the ancient village of Aberffraw.
In the afternoon, our drive will return us to the mainland, where we’ll drive onto the beautiful Llyn Peninsula to the beachfront village of Aberdaron for our overnight.

Day 6:

Enjoy breakfast in the hotel. This morning we’ll explore the southern shore of Llyn – the villages of Criccieth, Pwllheli, and Llanbedrog – with colorful beach huts, quaint lanes, and picturesque harbors.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit a National Trust estate property – Plas yn Rhiw. Famed for its views across Cardigan Bay, the smallish house has roots as a 16th century Tudor house, with additions and updates over the years. Its 20th century restoration is part of its wonderful story. We’ll return to Aberdaron for dinner and our overnight.

Day 7:

Well . . . we could get used to this: After another good breakfast from our waterside hotel, we’ll explore Llyn’s north shore. We’ll see headlands close by the hotel – with exceptional views; and we’ll visit the National Trust-owned village and beach of Porthdinllaen.

Dinner and overnight, Aberdaron.

Day 8:

We’ll depart LLyn today, driving via Porthmaddog / Portmeirion to Barmouth.* There, we’ll head inland, arriving at the Castle Hotel in the center of Bishop’s Castle – near the Wales-England border. We’re surrounded by the Shropshire Hills – a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In addition to the pretty vales and steep, rounded hills, a number of heritage sites abound. It will all be ours to explore in the next two days.

*We plan to ride a heritage steam train while in Wales. If we can’t board the Ffestiniog train in Porthmaddog (not running in the fall of 2021), we will ride the Welshpool and Llanfair narrow gauge train in the greater Bishop’s Castle area.

Day 9:

Feel free to enjoy a morning walk around our lovely village in the cool morning air – it’s exceptionally beautiful here. After a good breakfast, we’ll go in search of hidden treasures – often taking the form of ruined castles and ancient hillforts. A notable treasure is the village of Ludlow – among the prettiest in all of Britain – replete with its own ruined castle, next to the River Teme.

This evening we’ll celebrate our adventure together in Bishop’s Castle.

Day 10 – 11:

Departing Bishop’s Castle, we’ll drive to Ironbridge on the Severn River. Ironbridge marks the site where Britain’s industrial revolution began. Today the site features museums and preserved structures that speak to area’s iron- and steel-making past, and a restored Victorian Village.

In the afternoon, we’ll continue to pretty Prestbury – a lovely village that puts us very close by the Manchester Airport. Dinner and overnight, Prestbury.

The following morning, we’ll drive to the Manchester Airport for our flight home.