Welsh Whisky, Mines, Mint & Steam

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Cardiff and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Radisson Blu Hotel, our base for the next five nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we have some time at leisure before we travel by coach to the Royal Mint Experience stopping at St Fagans Museum where we can explore the museum and enjoy lunch before continuing to the Royal Mint Experience. Here we enjoy a guided tour to discover how metal becomes coins, observe the striking hall, and may have the opportunity to strike our own coin (extra charge). Following our visit, we continue to the nearby Rhondda Heritage Park for our Welsh Mining Experience where we gain a fascinating insight into the real life of a coal miner with an informative Black Gold Underground guided tour by a former miner.

DAY 3

Today, we travel by train and enjoy free time to explore the historic town of Chepstow which boasts an impressive castle towering over the cliff sides of the River Wye. In the afternoon, we travel over the English border to Lydney before we transfer to nearby Norchard where we enjoy a visit to the Forest of Dean Railway Museum before boarding our train for a nine-mile return steam* journey on the Forest of Dean Railway travelling south to Lydney Junction and north to Parkend with stops at both ends of the line.

DAY 4

Today is a free day to explore Cardiff and we enjoy time at leisure to discover the many attractions including Cardiff Castle and the National Museum.

DAY 5

This morning, we travel by coach to Pant for a return steam* journey on the Brecon Mountain Railway, formerly part of the Brecon & Merthyr Railway. Our journey will take us along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir before climbing to Torpantau, high in the Brecon Beacons, stopping at Pontsticill Reservoir on the return. We enjoy a buffet lunch when we return to Pant Station's Tearoom and time to view the locomotive workshop before heading to Penderyn Distillery where we enjoy a guided tour and tasting of award-winning Welsh whisky.

DAY 6

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Cardiff and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

*We reserve the right to travel by heritage diesel train should the steam locomotive not be available / timetabled at the time of our visit.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner