Monday
Your Welsh adventure begins at the Abbey Hotel, Bath. Check-in with the Mad Max team at 9:15am, ready to depart at 9:30am.
Our first stop is the enchanting village of Castle Combe — a place many of our guests already know and love from our Cotswolds tours. Often voted the prettiest village in England, its honey-coloured cottages and quiet, timeless streets make for the perfect start to the journey. Here you'll link up with the rest of your small group before we set off towards Wales.
It won't be long before we're crossing the Severn Bridge and entering a different country altogether. Our first Welsh stop is Chepstow Castle, perched dramatically on the cliffs above the River Wye. Dating back to 1067, this is the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain — and a fitting introduction to a nation known as the castle capital of the world. Take time to explore the ruins and grab some lunch.
From Chepstow, we'll pass the hauntingly beautiful remains of Tintern Abbey as we follow the Wye Valley south towards Cardiff Bay. Once the largest coal-exporting port on earth, this former docklands has been transformed into a vibrant waterfront home to the Welsh Parliament, the Millennium Centre and the BBC's famous Doctor Who studios.
We'll spend our first night in Cardiff, the Welsh capital.
Overnight: Cardiff
Tuesday
This morning we head north into the Welsh valleys to Big Pit National Coal Museum — a fascinating and moving tribute to the coal industry that shaped modern Wales. There's plenty of time to explore the exhibitions, and for the adventurous, the option to descend underground into a real mine.
Next, we journey across the rolling landscape of the Brecon Beacons National Park, with the dramatic Black Mountains rising to the east. We'll pause in the traditional market town of Brecon for lunch — a lovely spot to stretch your legs and soak up the atmosphere.
This afternoon takes us deeper into the Welsh heartland and on to the Elan Valley, a remote and spectacular landscape of Victorian-era dams, vast reservoirs and open wilderness. It's a place that feels wonderfully far from everything — Wales at its most peaceful and unspoilt.
From here, we wind through the Cambrian hills before descending into the seaside university town of Aberystwyth — widely considered the capital of Welsh-speaking Wales — where we'll spend the next two nights.
Overnight: Aberystwyth
Wednesday
Today belongs to Snowdonia National Park — 823 square miles of mountains, valleys and villages that make up some of the most breathtaking scenery in Britain. More than half the local population here speaks Welsh, and there's a sense of stepping into something ancient and deeply rooted.
We'll travel through the heart of the park with scenic photo-stops along the way, before heading to the coast and the magnificent Harlech Castle. This was one of Edward I's ring of mighty 13th-century fortresses built to control North Wales, and it remains an awe-inspiring sight today. There'll be time to visit the castle and find some lunch nearby.
By late afternoon, we return to Aberystwyth with free time to wander the Victorian promenade, take in the sea air and explore the town at your own pace.
Overnight: Aberystwyth
Thursday
Our Welsh tour continues along the rugged western coast. Departing Aberystwyth, we follow the shoreline to New Quay, a tiny harbour town of colourful cottages, sandy beaches and connections to the poet Dylan Thomas. Keep your eyes on the water — pods of dolphins are regularly spotted from the quayside.
Heading south through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, we arrive at St Davids — officially Britain's smallest city. Don't let its size fool you: St Davids is home to a magnificent cathedral housing the shrine of Wales' patron saint, along with the atmospheric ruins of the Bishop's Palace.
We continue past the imposing walls of Pembroke Castle before arriving in the delightful seaside town of Tenby by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is yours to wander the colourful harbour, explore the cobbled streets or simply sit with an ice cream and watch the world go by.
Overnight: Tenby
Friday
Our final day begins with a visit to St Fagans National Museum of History — a truly remarkable open-air museum set across 100 acres of parkland. More than fifty original buildings from across Wales have been carefully relocated and reconstructed here, spanning centuries of Welsh life. You'll find traditional workshops, beautiful gardens, native livestock and a genuine sense of how people lived in different eras. It's a wonderful, unhurried way to round off the tour.
After ample time at St Fagans, we begin the journey home.
Staying in the West? You can finish the tour in Cardiff (approx 2:00pm) or Bath (approx 4:00pm).
Want to continue to London? Stay on board, and we’ll take you to London Heathrow (Bath Rd, near Terminals 2-3) or the Holiday Inn Kensington, London. We aim to finish by approximately 6:00pm.
Please select your finishing point preference when booking the tour.
