Great Little Trains of North Wales & Portmeirion

From a morning pickup in your local area, we travel by coach to our hotel.

Great Little Trains of North Wales & Portmeirion

We travel to Caernarfon, a charming town with a thriving harbour located on the eastern shore of the Menai Straits. The main landmark of Caernarfon is the mighty castle ordered by Edward I in the 13th century which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon we board the Welsh Highland Railway and enjoy a picturesque trip to the quaint village of Beddgelert, admiring the awe-inspiring scenery of the Snowdonia National Park on the way. Stunning coastlines, ancient woodlands, towering mountains, sparkling rivers and historic castles create an enchanting and memorable journey.

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Great Little Trains of North Wales & Portmeirion

This morning we board the Great Orme Tramway, Britain’s only cable-hauled public road tramway which has been delighting visitors since it opened in 1902. We embark on a scenic journey up to the summit of the Great Orme, passing through the Great Orme Country Park and Nature Reserve. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the sea and mountains as we travel in the original, lovingly-restored Victorian tramcars.

Please note: due to its Victorian design, the Great Orme Tramway may not be suitable for those with limited mobility. Please visit greatormetramway.co.uk/en/access-statement for some information. There will also be some walking involved from the coach drop off point to the tramway station.

Later, we enjoy some free time at leisure in our resort. Llandudno is known as the ‘Queen of the Welsh Resorts’ and is famed for its golden beach flanked by two headlands, the Great and Little Ormes, and its wonderful air of traditional Victorian charm. From strolling along the beautiful coast to exploring the famous Llandudno pier, or perhaps a spot of shopping at the Victoria Centre, there is plenty to do here.

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Great Little Trains of North Wales & Portmeirion

Architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis designed and built the Italianate village of Portmeirion after being inspired by visits to the Mediterranean. Its unique atmosphere has seen it featured on camera many times, most famously in the 1960s TV series, The Prisoner. Enjoy browsing the cluster of historic cottages and iconic architecture, admire the glorious views, and indulge in ice cream in the authentic Italian-style gelateria during our time here.

We then travel to the harbour town of Porthmadog to catch the Ffestiniog Railway to the slate-quarrying town of Blaenau. The train climbs over 700 feet from sea level into the mountains through tranquil pastures, magnificent forests, lakes and waterfalls.

Full Day

Great Little Trains of North Wales & Portmeirion

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and board the coach for the journey home.

Climb aboard the Great Orme Tramway, Britain’s only cable-hauled public road tramway, ascending in lovingly restored Victorian tramcars. Glide through the Great Orme Country Park toward the summit of the Great Orme, with sweeping sea views over Llandudno Bay and the distant Carneddau range.

Discover a dramatic limestone headland alive with coastal flora and, at times, roaming Kashmiri goats. Opened in 1902, the line showcases Edwardian engineering and the area’s resort heritage, delivering an unhurried panorama that captures north Wales’ bracing air and coastal light.

Visit Portmeirion, the whimsical Italianate village created by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis on a wooded headland above the Dwyryd estuary. Wander pastel facades, arcades and a campanile framing a Mediterranean-style piazza, and note film locations from The Prisoner as you browse boutiques and the gelateria.

Learn how Williams-Ellis, from 1925, blended classical motifs with Welsh landscape to champion beauty and conservation. Sub-tropical plantings in The Gwyllt woodlands and tidal estuary vistas heighten the sensory mix—sun-warmed stone, salt air, and a playful dialogue between art and nature.

Journey on the historic Ffestiniog Railway, settling into varnished, vintage carriages as a steam train climbs over 700 feet from sea level at Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Watch the line hug hillsides above the Vale of Ffestiniog, skirting lakes and waterfalls and pockets of ancient woodland.

Founded in 1832 to carry slate, the railway is famed for ingenious engineering, including the Dduallt spiral. Your destination anchors the UNESCO-inscribed Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, where rugged mountains, quarry inclines and Welsh industrial heritage meet cinematic scenery.

Ride the narrow-gauge Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon into the heart of Snowdonia National Park. Settle into heritage, steam-hauled carriages as the line threads heather-clad slopes and riverside meadows, with wide-angle glimpses of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and stone-walled farms rolling by the window.

Absorb the rhythm of the rails and the scent of coal smoke en route to Beddgelert, an alpine-like village linked to the legend of Gelert. This revived line celebrates Welsh engineering spirit while revealing landscapes shaped by mountains, water and Welsh-language culture.

Explore the waterfront town of Caernarfon, strolling cobbled lanes and the historic quay with sweeping views over the Menai Strait. Wander the Castle Quarter and pause for photos and reflection beneath the rugged walls and polygonal towers of Caernarfon Castle, the town’s unmistakable centrepiece.

Hear how Edward I’s 13th-century stronghold became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the setting for the 1969 investiture of the Prince of Wales. Independent shops and seafront cafés lend a lively local rhythm to this characterful corner of north-west Wales.