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A famed cultural and literary heritage and
a gorgeous landscape happily converge
in Wales. We’ve created a fantastic hiking
adventure that journeys into the verdant
Wye Valley, along the wild sandstone bluffs
of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, and up
to craggy Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in
Wales and England. As we explore from the
castle-topped ridges of the Brecon Beacons
to the lakes and mountains of Snowdonia,
we’ll hear the unique Welsh language, one
of Europe’s oldest living tongues, meet
local scholars, visit Dylan Thomas’s home,
and enjoy wonderful meals bursting with
local flavor and tradition. Overnights are in
historic coaching inns and a country house
nestled between rugged mountains and the
Irish Sea.
Days 1-2 Wye Valley / Tintern Abbey /
Brecon Beacons National Park A hike across
the Anglo-Welsh border brings us to the tranquil
Wye Valley, a source of inspiration to artists and
writers, Wordsworth and Coleridge among them.
Our hike ends at the ruins of magnificent
12th century Tintern Abbey, where a historian
leads us through the haunting halls. Another
hike brings us to the delightful booklover’s
mecca of Hay-on-Wye, where we stop in for a
local craft beer or afternoon cream tea.
Days 3-5 Laugharne / Pembrokeshire
Coastal Path At Laugharne, we visit the home
of the poet Dylan Thomas with a historian (with
a poet’s heart) as our guide, and from St. David’s
at the westernmost tip of Wales, we hike the
dramatic Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, keeping
watch for seals basking on the rocks below.
Days 6-9 Snowdonia National Park / Capel
Curig / Snowdon / Caernarfon Castle We
hike from Capel Curig to the lush Conwy Valley,
where Hillary’s team trained for the 1953 Everest
Expedition. At mighty Snowdon (3,560'), with its
wild cirques and glacier-carved tarns, a classic
rail car brings us to the summit, and we enjoy
Snowdon’s breathtaking scenery on our hike
down. After exploring 13th century Caernarfon
Castle, our final hike begins on a beach on the
Isle of Anglesey (a honeymoon walking spot
for Prince William and Kate) and ends at
tiny Llanddwyn Island, home to the ruins of a
13th century church dedicated to the patron saint
of Welsh lovers. Depart on Day 9.
Our journey brings you the most incredible coastal and mountain hikes in Wales. PHOTO: DAVID NORTON
MEDIEVAL CASTLES, COASTAL HIKES, AND MOUNT SNOWDON
JUSTIN FOULKES
CHRIS WARREN
HIGHLIGHTS
• Hike the best trails of the Pembrokeshire
Coast Path
• Meet scholars, weavers, climbers, and
historians
• Enjoy historic hotels and a home-cooked
dinner with a Welsh family
• Savor meals with fresh local ingredients,
including Gower mussels and Welsh lamb
• Discover historic Caernarfon Castle and
the ruins of Tintern Abbey
DETAILS
• 9-day trip begins in Cardiff and ends
in Manchester
• 8 nights hotels
• All meals included except 1 dinner
DATES
Jun 1-9, 2018
Aug 6-14
TRIP COST
$4995 (10-14 members)
$5295 (6-9 members)
Single supplement: $650
TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
5 hiking days on sometimes uneven or
muddy terrain with some short steep
sections, 2-6 hours a day, van support