Three Day Small Group Northern Wales Explorer - The Celtic Connection

Want to tour the back roads of Snowdonia but don't want to join a large coach group? Looking for a little flexibility and spontaneity in your itinerary? Do you have a few days to really get deep into the Welsh countryside?

On your full three days you'll experience over 5,000 years of history, seeing prehistoric tombs, Roman remains, 12th century castles, steam trains slate mines and even a Victorian jail. Then there's the scenery - mountains, waterfalls, lakes and dramatic coastline. And the final gloss is provided by the people themselves and their local culture. They are descended from the original inhabitants of the British Isles and you'll hear Europe's second oldest language still be spoken as the primary means of communication.

With a maximum group size of 11 and a university educated guide/driver, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience.

Schedule Details Departs: Seasonal - 2008 dates

• April 30
• May 14 and 28
• June 11 and 25
• July 09 and 23
• August 06 and 20
• September 03 and 17
• October 01 and 15

Departure Point: Tour departs from centrally located Dublin hotels Departure Time: 8:00am Return details: Tour returns to original point of departure at approximately 6:00pm (Day 3) Hotel Pickup: Tour departs from centrally located Dublin hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking. You MUST call the supplier at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to reconfirm all tour and departure details. If the supplier does not pickup from your hotel, they will advise you of the meeting point when you call. Itinerary:

Day One:
A very early morning ferry return takes you across the Irish Sea to Ynys Mon, known in English as the Isle of Anglesey, and part of Wales. This ancient and mystic island offers an astounding wealth of attractions including prehistoric burial chambers and monuments, Celtic and Viking settlements, fabulous flora and forna, to the village with the world's longest name - "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerchwyrndrobwllllandysilliogogogoch". There's the fabulously pretty harbor of Beaumaris with its Victorian jail (it has the only working tread wheel in Britain), a magnificent 12th Century Norman castle, and a Roman Army museum, in addition to a 900 year old pub!

The island's geography is a natural haven for birds, with its wildly contrasting variety of sheer cliffs, sheltered coves, estuaries, dunes, heaths, wetlands, lakes and woodlands. Along the coast you will discover major breeding colonies of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, terns and cormorants - among many other species. Spring and summer turn the Isle of Anglesey into a giant rock garden, carpeted with flowers of every hue. Seal colonies are a common sight on the rockier stretches of the coastline, whilst dolphins can sometimes be glimpsed from shore.

You will spend the full day exploring this unique corner of the British Isles and see its Irish connections including St Patrick's church and cave, one of the oldest Christian sites in Wales, possibly dating from 440 AD, and from where it is said Patrick set off to Ireland. Finally, cross the Menai Straits to Bangor on the Wales mainland by Thomas Telford's famed suspension bridge - a wonder of the age of the Industrial Revolution. End the day at your accommodation base in Conwy for two nights.

Day Two:
A leisurely day absorbing the stunning mountain scenery of the Snowdonia National Park. The National Park covers 823 square miles of the most beautiful and unspoilt countryside in north west Wales. Snowdonia has some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in England and Wales with Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in the North and Cadair Idris in the South. In all there are more than 90 summits over 2,000 feet and 15 over 3,000 feet. Set amidst the sheep covered hills, there are waterfalls, mountain lakes and fairy glens to discover.

In addition to stunning scenery the area abounds with sites evocative of Celtic myth and legend unsurprising in a region where over 65% speak the ancient Welsh language as their first tongue. This is home to the legend of the two dragons; the white symbolizing the Saxons and the red, the Britons. According to the legend, the two dragons fought; the red was victorious, and was adopted as the symbol of what was to become the Welsh nation. Again according to legend, King Arthur was the first to carry the red dragon into battle, and there are many stories about Arthur's life and death associated with Snowdonia.

Then there are the slate mines, the woolen mills, and mountain villages such as Betws-y-Coed, Llanrwst, Beddgelert. There are early Christian sites where Welsh princes lie buried, castles built by original Welsh princes (before the English came…), and no visit would be complete without a ride on one or Wales's great little trains - narrow gauge steam railways with a history spanning well over 100 years. All of them have in common the charm of old-time steam trains with plenty of polished paintwork and brass.

Day Three:
Towns and villages along the North Wales coastline is the subject of today's visit. Edward I built a ring of mighty castles in the 1300s to subjugate the Welsh tribes. You will visit Caernarfon and the walled town of Conwy as amongst the best examples. Then there's the elegant Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno with its lovely promenade and pier.

Take a train to the top of the Great Orme, and enjoy a spectacular view. Finally, visit the famed Bodnant Garden. Covering over 80 acres, Bodnant Garden is one of the finest gardens in Britain, let alone Wales, with magnificent rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias in the spring followed by herbaceous borders, roses and water lilies in the summer and good color in the autumn. Alas, you must depart and take an afternoon ferry returning to Dublin.

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