You will depart Holyhead via motor coach and travel across Anglesey to the Menai Strait with its wooded banks separating the island from the mainland of North Wales. Your first stop will be at Bodnant Gardens, situated above the River Conway, with stunning views across Snowdonia. Begun in 1875, Bodnant Garden features huge terraces and formal lawns on its upper level, with a wooded valley, stream and wild garden below. There are dramatic colors throughout the season, with herbaceous borders, roses, hydrangeas, water lilies and clematis delight throughout the summer. Following your guided walk around the gardens enjoy some free time to explore the gardens further at your leisure before continuing inland towards the magnificent landscapes of Snowdonia National Park, with some of the most amazing scenery to be found anywhere in Wales Drive past the beautiful villages of Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis which sits beside the Llyn Padarn Lake in Snowdonia and take the incredible Llanberis Pass that skirts the base of Snowdon, the highest peak in Britain south of the Scottish highlands at 3560 feet high before arriving back in Holyhead.

Please note: Wear comfortable walking shoes. There are steps throughout Bodnant Gardens.  Bodnant Gardens consist of flat and sloped areas, some of which are steep in places. There are graveled, grassed and historically stepped pathways leading to the lower levels of the garden and some pathways may have exposed tree roots. Wheelchair users will not be able to access all areas of Bodnant Gardens; there are way-marked routes for wheelchairs.  This visit to Bodnant Gardens is scheduled in September, and although still very beautiful, will not be in full bloom.

Take this opportunity to travel on the world-famous Ffestiniog Railway aboard a unique, steam-hauled narrow gauge train! Leaving the pier, you will cross the island of Anglesey with its landscapes of meadow, farmland and low-lying hills and over the Menai Strait, via Caernarfon and down to Porthmadog, an attractive busy little town standing on an inlet of Tremadoc Bay. With fine views across the bay to the mountains of Snowdonia, Porthmadog was once a flourishing port, its prosperity built on the slate trade. Here you will begin your journey on the Ffestiniog Railway, the oldest of the Welsh narrow gauge railways, which was founded in 1832 to bring slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for shipment. The railway closed in 1964 but has since been restored and is now one of the most popular attractions of North Wales. A steam-hauled narrow gauge train runs along a 21-kilometer (13.5 mile) mainline in miniature from the coastline at Porthmadog into the mountains at Blaenau Ffestiniog.  Your memorable journey climbs 213 meters (700 feet) through tranquil pastures and magnificent forests, past lakes and waterfalls, round horseshoe bends and even in a complete spiral. Every twist and turn will bring you magnificent new vistas through the carriage window. Upon arrival in Blaenau, you will re-board your tour coach and travel to Betws-y-Coed, a scenic village located at the meeting point of the Llugwy and Conwy Rivers, and is popular with hill walkers and adventure seekers! Lunch will be served at a local restaurant before you enjoy time at leisure to explore this charming village and browse the shops. Finally, re-join your coach for the return journey to Holyhead, pausing, time permitting, at the seaside town of Conwy where you can capture photographs of its majestic castle.

Please note:  Wear a rainproof jacket and comfortable walking shoes.

Your tour starts in the fishing port of Lerwick, founded in the 17th century.  The center is full of character, especially by the water’s edge where the older buildings are situated.  As we drive through the town we will see the Town Hall before turning west to the old town of Scalloway, the original main town and second largest settlement on the island.  En route we will pass Clickimin Broch –a defense tower with surrounding structures dating back 2,000 years. On arrival in Scalloway we will stop to visit the now roofless Castle which was built around 1600 by the tyrant Earl Patrick Stewart.  He used forced labor to build his residence and was executed in Edinburgh in 1615. You will then visit the fascinating local museum, which has a special display devoted to the Shetland Bus, boats which traveled between Shetland and Norway helping the Norwegian Resistance movement during World War II. If you prefer, wander along Scalloway’s Main Street and view the waterfront.  Leaving Scalloway, you will travel through the Tingwall Valley, pausing for a photo stop to view a small herd of Shetland Ponies.This tour also includes a stop at the Shetland Jewellery Workshop, where the group will get a tour of the workshop to see how the pieces are designed and created.
 
Please note: Scalloway Museum is wheelchair accessible, Scalloway Castle is not. Scalloway Castle is situated right next door to the museum, so guests will be able to see it however it is covered in scaffolding for the foreseeable future.

 

 

 

Depart through Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, as you begin your trip to the island’s most southerly point.  En route, you will pass through the rural townships of Fladdabister and, conditions permitting, pause to admire the view of the magnificent Mousa Broch, the tallest and best preserved broch in the world.  You will continue south down the west coast and pass St Ninian’s Isle where the famous Pictish horde of silver dating from the 9th Century was found in 1958. Continue south to visit the remarkable archaeological site of Jarlshof.  The site was uncovered by a violent storm in the winter of 1896/7, revealing an extraordinary settlement site embracing at least 5,000 years of human history.  The site contains a remarkable sequence of stone structures – late Neolithic houses, a Bronze-Age village, an Iron-Age broch and wheelhouses, several Norse longhouse, a medieval farmstead, and the 16th century laird’s house.   Visit the remains of these village settlements with your guide to make the most of your time here. You will then return to Lerwick with your guide telling you more about these islands as we look out for Shetland’s famous ponies on the way back. . This tour also includes a visit to the village of Hoswick, for some time in the Visitor Centre and a chance to look around the local wool and jewelry shops there.

 

Please note:  Jarlshof is not wheelchair accessible.  Wear comfortable walking shoes.

 

 

 

Your first stop will be in Kollafjørður where you will visit an old Faroese church with a traditional, Faroese turf roof. On our way farther north, we head toward the village of Saksun, tucked away at the end of the road. As you get closer to Saksun, surprising vistas will delight you around each twist in the road. Then, there it is – one of the most distinctive villages in the Faroes. The old farm, Dúvugarðar, is now a national heritage museum, and, together with the outbuildings that belong to the museum, it provides an intimate look into past rural life in the Faroes. The round bay below the farm was at one time a natural harbor.  Today, although sand deposits have made its waters shallow and only accessible to small boats at high tide, it is the centerpiece of a spectacular panorama. You will return to Tórshavn via the mountain road and stop at the viewpoint overlooking the capital.

Please note:  There are 3-4 steps to enter the different venues and a small hill up to the museum in Saksun. 

You will leave Streymoy Island via Kaldbakfjord and the Kollafjørdur Valley, then pass through the new underwater tunnel and, 5 minutes later, arrive on Vagar Island. You will appreciate Vagar's ever-changing scenery and will have time explore its villages. Your guide will tell you about the island, its history and about life here today. Drive through the village of Sandavágur, where you'll visit the Midvágur Church, and pass the largest lake in the Faroe Islands before reaching Vatnsoyrar. In Bøur, you'll discover a little village with both old and new houses with green sod roofs and a charming old tar-blackened church. From there take in the spectacular view of Tindholmur and Mykines Islands beyond. You'll leave Bour through the tunnel to Gasadalur-Vagar's westernmost village, then return to Tórshavn via the mountain road to capture the extraordinary panoramic views out over the fjords and the capital.

Please note:  There are small hills and steps on most of the stops. Wear comfortable walking shoes. 

Ride by coach to the village of Vestmanna. Here, you will board a boat and head out to the famous bird cliffs. All your senses will awaken with the sound of sea birds, the salty scent of the sea and its cool spray on your face, the stunning, weather-beaten cliff formations and the raucous riot of squawking birds who call the sea cliffs home. You'll cruise along the cliff wall, into a narrow gorge where sheer rock walls rise vertically on both sides towards the sky. The boat slowly enters one of the many grottoes, and for a moment, daylight disappears. Darkness and the sound of dripping water surround you and then, suddenly, you emerge on the other side. The boat stops for a while so you can enjoy the scenery. Take photographs to help you remember the details. After the boat trip, return to Tórshavn via the mountain road and stop at the viewpoint looking over the capital.

Please note: There are 4-5 steps to board the boat and the tour travels along a winding scenic mountain road.

From Tórshavn, take a 45-minute drive to the north, past idyllic villages and the old whaling station at Áir. The only bridge over the Atlantic, as it is sometimes called, spans the narrow channel of Sundini to connect Eysturoy with the larger island of Streymoy. Because the channel is so narrow, spectacular eddies form at the base of the bridge when the current is running strongly with the tide. You will pass Eiði and cross the mountains to Gjógv. On the way, you are treated to a view of the Giant and the Hag -two very distinctive sea stacks that your imagination will have fun with. You'll also pass the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, Slættaratindur (2,983 feet) and see the rather handy Gjógv Gorge which, at 616-feet long, provides a marvelous natural harbor for the local fishing fleet to shelter in. Stop in the village of Gjógv, at the local guesthouse, to enjoy refreshments of coffee and tea with pancakes. The ride back to Tórshavn is via the mountain road and you will stop at the viewpoint overlooking the capital.

Please note:   This tour travels along a scenic mountain road.