7 DAYS · SELF DRIVE

Castles & Coastline of South Wales

London – Chepstow & Wye Valley – Brecon Beacons – Pembrokeshire – Tenby – Cardiff – Departure

Day 1. London to Brecon Beacons – Chepstow Castle & Wye Valley

Collect hire car in London. Drive west to Chepstow — Chepstow Castle, the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortress in Britain (begun 1067). Wye Valley — the extraordinary AONB following the River Wye through forested limestone gorges. Tintern Abbey — the extraordinary ruined Cistercian abbey, famously painted by Turner and hymned by Wordsworth. Arrive Brecon Beacons National Park. Overnight in Brecon Beacons.

Day 2. Brecon Beacons – National Park & Carreg Cennen Castle

Full day in the extraordinary Brecon Beacons: morning hike on the Beacons ridge — Pen y Fan (886m), the highest point in southern Britain. Afternoon: Carreg Cennen Castle — the most dramatically situated castle in Wales, perched on a 90-metre limestone cliff above the Tywi Valley, with extraordinary views and a natural cave beneath the castle. Overnight in Brecon Beacons.

Day 3. Brecon Beacons to Pembrokeshire – Dylan Thomas & Tenby

Drive west to Pembrokeshire. Dylan Thomas' home at Laugharne — the extraordinary Boathouse where the great Welsh poet wrote, overlooking the Taf estuary, and the Writing Shed. Continue to Tenby — the extraordinary walled medieval town with Georgian houses in brilliant colours. Overnight in Pembrokeshire.

Day 4. Pembrokeshire – National Park, St David's Cathedral & Bishop's Palace

Full day in Pembrokeshire National Park: the extraordinary 186-mile coastal path along Britain's only coastal national park. St David's Cathedral — the extraordinary medieval cathedral in the smallest city in Britain (St David's, population 1,800), with the adjacent Bishop's Palace ruins — the extraordinary medieval episcopal complex. Overnight in Pembrokeshire.

Day 5. Pembrokeshire to Cardiff – Castle Coch

Drive east to Cardiff via Caerphilly. Castle Coch — the extraordinary Victorian Gothic fairy-tale castle in the woods north of Cardiff, with extraordinary conical towers and lavishly decorated interiors. Arrive Cardiff. Cardiff Castle — extraordinary Victorian Gothic mansion. Overnight in Cardiff.

Day 6. Cardiff – Caerphilly Castle & St Fagans

Caerphilly Castle — the largest castle in Wales (second largest in the UK after Windsor), with its extraordinary 13th-century concentric defences and the famous leaning tower. St Fagans National Museum of Welsh Life — one of Europe's finest open-air museums. Cardiff Bay: the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) and Wales Millennium Centre. Overnight in Cardiff.

Day 7. Cardiff – Departure

Return car in Cardiff or Bristol. Transfer to Cardiff Wales Airport or Bristol Airport for onward travel.

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

Chepstow Castle

Brecon Beacons National Park

Carreg Cennen Castle, Wales

Laugharne House, Pembrokeshire

Tenby

Pembrokeshire National Park

St David's Cathedral, Wales

Castle Coch, Cardiff

Caerphilly Castle, Wales

ACCOMMODATION

Options

Cardiff

★★★★★

St David's Hotel Cardiff Bay
Park Plaza Cardiff
Voco St David's Cardiff

★★★★

Marriott Hotel Cardiff
Clayton Hotel Cardiff
Hilton Cardiff

★★★

Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre
ibis Cardiff City
Holiday Inn Cardiff City

Must try

FOOD

Cawl

A traditional Welsh soup or broth widely recognized as a national dish of Wales; it is a hearty winter staple typically made by slowly simmering bone-in lamb or beef with seasonal root vegetables like potatoes, swedes, carrots, and leeks.

Welsh Rarebit

A dish of hot cheese sauce, often including ale, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, served on toasted bread; the bread is toasted on both sides, then the cheese is toasted on one side and laid on the toast – the other side is then browned and rubbed over with the ale, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Welsh Cakes

Also known as bakestones, griddle cakes or pics, this traditional sweet bread from Wales is a small, round, spiced cake that is cooked on a griddle or bakestone rather than baked in an oven, giving it a distinctive texture from a biscuit, scone, and pancake.

RESTAURANT

Options

Halal Certified

Cardiff

Mint & Mustard Cardiff – Award-winning Indian halal restaurant, South Asian fine dining
Al-Bab Cardiff – Middle Eastern halal cuisine near Cardiff Bay, mezze and slow-cooked meats
Istanbul Cardiff – Turkish halal grill in the city centre, large portions and good value
Spice Quarter Cardiff – Indian halal food in Cardiff Bay, balti and tandoor specialties
Mediterra Cardiff – Halal Mediterranean restaurant near the Principality Stadium, mixed grill