One Week in Wales: UK Road Trip Itinerary

If you’re planning a road trip around Wales, this is the post for you! Last Easter we set off to Wales and spent a week driving around the coastline seeing as much as we could. This Wales road trip itinerary fits a lot into 7 days but is a great way to get a taste for Wales, see the stunning scenery and visit (plenty of) castles on the way!

Wales Roadtrip: Overview

Coming from the South East we chose to start our Wales Road trip from the south. We crossed the Severn Bridge and began in Chepstow. We then headed west and along the coastline to north Wales before heading diagonally through Snowdownia and crossing back into England via Shropshire. If you are planning this trip from another part of the UK, there is no reason you couldn’t do this trip in reverse.

If you aren’t from the UK but are planning a Wales road trip, there are options too. You could consider flying into either a London airport and starting your journey with a trip along the M4 to Bristol (like us), or you could look at flying into Bristol or Cardiff and picking up a hire car and starting your trip in the south.

Before providing a day by day breakdown of our Wales road trip itinerary here are a few pointers on the Google map and this post in general:

If you want a full scale interactive view, you can open the above map within Google Maps. This will give you more detail on directions, driving distances etc. We use an offline Google Map as our a main or back-up GPS on all our road trips.
The yellow starred locations are places (beaches, towns or villages) that we recommend visiting on this itinerary . You don’t have to go to all of them but most of them should be on your list!
Red locations indicate where we stayed on the road trip. As we wanted to fit in a number of places in a a short amount of time, we decided to mostly move to new accommodation each day. Obviously if you had a longer amount of time, you could base yourself in fewer locations for longer and make a number of day trips. Most of our accommodation was found and booked on Booking.com.
The blue line indicates our general driving route. It isn’t 100% accurate in terms of the roads we took, but it gives a good general outline of the overall route we travelled in Wales.
This post is a general overview to help you plan your own road trip route. I have also written several guides to help you plan your trip to Wales in more detail. They hey are/ will be linked to throughout this article.
We chose not to include Cardiff in our road trip, having visited before. If you are visiting Wales for the first time I would suggest extending your trip and adding Cardiff to your itinerary.

Day 1: Chepstow to Monmouth

Mileage Total: 27.7 miles

Our first day involved driving up from Oxfordshire… I won’t bore you with that part of the journey along the M4! It was a relatively early start as at 10am we crossed the Severn Bridge enroute to Chepstow.

Arriving in the town we parked up in Nelson Street, which was just a short walk from the Castle and the town centre. We decided to visit the castle (£8.30 for an adult ticket) and then popped into town for a coffee. You could also consider crossing the beautiful Regency road bridge, walking a section of the Chepstow Port Wall or visiting St Mary’s Priory Church, the earliest example of Romanesque architecture in Wales!

The next stop of the day was Tintern Abbey, just 6 miles away from the town. Our route essentially took us along the Wye Valley, as we followed the A466, past the racecourse via St Arvans to Tintern. We stopped to explore the impressive ruined abbey (£8.30 for an adult ticket) which stands majestically in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

From Tintern, the road roughly followed the Wye. It took us through the village of Llandogo, crossing from Wales into England over Bigsweir Bridge and then through Redbrook to the outskirts of Monmouth. We then headed into the Forest of Dean and made our way to Symonds Yat (Rock). It is easily one of the best known view points in the Wye Valley and The Royal Forest of Dean. Obviously, having parked (£3 for 2 hours) we got out to enjoy the view.

It was then time to get back in the car to drive back into Monmouth, our stop for the rest of the day and overnight.

Hotel: We stayed at Creates Monmouth

Eat: We ate at La Piccola on Monnow Street

Chepstow Castle to Tintern (5.8 miles), Tintern to Symonds Yat (13.5 miles), Symonds Yat to Monmouth (8.5 miles)

Day 2: Monmouth to Pembroke

Mileage Total: 117.4 miles

We departed Monmouth just after 9am and our travels took us along the A40 via Raglan and Crickhowell to Brecon, a 40-mile drive through the Brecon Beacons National Park. In the distance we could see the outline of Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales at 886 metres.

Arriving in Brecon, we parked up near the Canal Basin and spent an hour or so wandering around the town, along Conway Street to the Watton and Bulwark, past the Duke of Wellington monument and St Mary’s Church with its perpendicular Buckingham Tower, as far as the High Street. After a coffee we returned to the car ready to continue our journey.

We exited the town via Ship Street which took us over the river Usk to the A40 once again, we travelled west. The road followed the northern boundary of the National Park for another 20 miles as far as Llandovery before heading south-west to Llandeilo and then on to Carmarthen. It was approaching 1pm as we entered Carmarthen and parked up in John Street car park. We had a quick look around to break up our journey and then hit the road again bound for Pembroke and our stop for the night.

We arrived at around 2pm and spent the afternoon looking around the town and of course visiting the Castle (£8.50 for an adult ticket).

Hotel: We stayed at The Coach House Pembroke

Eat: We decided to eat at the hotel’s restaurant

Monmouth to Brecon via Raglan (38.1 miles), Brecon to Carmarthen (48 miles), Carmarthen to Pembroke (31.3 miles)

Day 3: Pembroke to Aberystwyth

Mileage Total: 99.7 miles

An early breakfast meant that we set off from Pembroke just after 9am, for the first stop of the day, St Davids, the UK’s smallest city. Our journey took us via Haverfordwest into the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park which provided gorgeous views.

On arrival in St Davids we parked at the bottom of the city in the Merrivale car park. It was just a short walk to the Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace (£4.80 for an adult ticket). After visiting we climbed the 39 steps to the gatehouse and bell tower (Porth-y-Tŵr (Welsh for Tower Gate)) the sole survivor of four medieval gates that offered entrance to the walled Cathedral Close.

The next stop of the day was Cardigan, around 35 miles away. Within an hour, we parked up in Quay Street car park on the banks of the river Teifi. A short walk brought us up on to the High Street just opposite the Castle entrance (£7 for an adult ticket). We also saw the Guildhall, before stopping for a bite to eat.

Leaving Cardigan, we made for New Quay, 20 miles further up the coast. Sadly it was raining by this point so after a quick walk as far as the harbour beach and the end of the breakwater, we returned the car and set off for our final destination for the day, Aberystwyth.

In Aberystwyth we parked up along the seafront, along Victoria Terrace. We set off along the promenade which brought us to the Old College (now part of the University) and a little further on, the Castle grounds. Whilst the castle may stand in ruin, it is still an interesting sight and provides a good view point out to sea. The town’s beautiful war memorial also stands in the grounds of the ruined castle.

We spent the rest of the afternoon looking around the town, popping into a few shops, before heading to the outskirts of town where our hotel for the night was located.

Hotel: We stayed at Aberystwyth Park Lodge Hotel

Eat: We decided to eat the hotel’s restaurant

Pembroke to St Davids (26.7 miles), St Davids to Cardigan (34.5 miles), Cardigan to Aberystwyth via New Quay (38.5 miles)

Day 4: Aberystwyth to Porthmadog

Mileage Total: 82.4 miles

Despite the rain our next leg of the journey took us from Aberystwyth, around the coastal highways of Gwynedd. From the hotel we drove via Machynlleth along the A487 and then along the A493 to Tywyn. Today the town is best known as the location of the Cadfan Stone, a stone cross with the earliest known example of written Welsh, and the home of the Talyllyn Railway.

Our journey then continued north towards Dolgellau and Barmouth. Just before reaching Dolgellau we passed through the hamlet of Penmaenpool on the banks of the river Mawddach where the Sat Nav directed us to the wooden toll bridge which would save us 4 miles and cost us 80p. This was definitely an experience!!

It was another 6 miles to Barmouth and we were ready for a wander and a cup of coffee. We parked up in the Promenade car park and from there crossed the railway line at the station and began our explore along Beach Road and into the town.

From Barmouth we headed to Harlech and visited the impressive UNESCO castle (£8.30 for an adult ticket). It wasn’t exactly the weather for a walk along the walls but Jack and I braved it anyway and were met with great views, albeit a little cloudy. Before leaving Harlech, we wandered into the town to investigate the Two Kings Statue and Fordd Pen Llech, the steepest street in the UK with a gradient of 37.45%.

The penultimate stop of the day was Portmeirion, only 8 miles away, designed in the style of an Italian village by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975. Despite not offering Italian weather we had a lovely afternoon exploring the site – a particular highlight were the views of the Dwyryd estuary. I should say, we booked our tickets (£10 for an adult ticket) for the village in advance which are offered in time slots (although in off season there is some flexibility on this).

From the village it was just a 4-mile drive to Tremadog, near Porthmadog, where we were staying for the next two nights.

Hotel: We stayed at The Golden Fleece Inn Tremadog

Eat: We had dinner at The Golden Fleece Inn – the food was good and the portions were generous!

Aberystwyth to Tywyn (32.6 miles), Tywyn to Harlech (37.4 miles), Harlech to Portmeirion (8.3 miles), Portmeirion to Porthmadog (4.1 miles)

Day 5: Porthmadog to Conwy (to Porthmadog)

Mileage Total: 89.1 miles

Another early breakfast meant that we were on the road by 8.30am and heading in the direction of Caernarfon. The 20 mile journey took us 30 minutes and after parking in Slate Quay car park, just below the castle walls, we were ready to explore.

From the quayside we walked up Castle Hill to Castle Square. The castle wasn’t open at this point so we wandered around the town for a while, spotting the East Gate, once the main entrance to the walled town,

Caernarfon castle is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages. This fortress-palace on the banks of the River Seiont is grouped with Edward I’s other castles at Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech as a World Heritage Site. But for sheer scale and architectural drama Caernarfon stands alone. We spent around an hour in the castle (£11.10 for an adult ticket).

From Caernarfon we drove 7 miles to the Pont Britannia bridge which provided us with our route onto Anglesey over the Menai Strait and the road to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. The name translates from the Welsh as, “St. Mary’s Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave”. We stopped briefly in the station car park to take a few quick pictures.

It was then time to drive the 2 miles to the Menai suspension bridge which took us back onto the mainland and Bangor, Wales’ oldest city, our next stop. We made for Garth Pier, which had a small fee of 50p to visit, and enjoyed the views of the Menai Strait and Anglesey, Llandudno and the mountains of Snowdonia. You could also see the iconic university building, which occupies a highly visible position overlooking Bangor.

Leaving Bangor, it was another 15miles to Conwy along the North Wales Expressway, flanked by rolling hills to our right, the coast and Menai Strait and the Irish Sea to our left and the Great Orme headland directly before us. Within half an hour we were parked up below the below the 13^th century town walls and ready once again to explore what the town had to offer, including the famous castle (£11.10 for an adult ticket) and the smallest house in Great Britain (£1.50 for an adult ticket).

Heading back to Tremadog, we took the scenic route on the B5106 and the B5279 along the eastern border of the Snowdonia National Park in the direction of Llanrwst. Enroute we stopped for a pub lunch at the Tal-y-Cafn Inn. After lunch and back on the road (A470), we continued to follow the border of the National Park, which provided amazing views along the way.

From Llanwrst the road ventured further into the National Park and a few miles further on we were well and truly in the Conwy river valley and having crossed the river near Fairy Glen, just south of Betws-y-Coed, the gateway to Snowdonia and the neighbouring towns and villages. The setting had a distinctly Alpine feel enhanced by the dense Gwydyr Forest surrounding Betws-y-Coed. The route continued via Dolwyddelan, situated in the picturesque Lledr valley, to the Crimea Pass (which took us up another 764 feet in 3 miles).

From the top of the Pass it was all downhill to Blaenau Ffestiniog, today’s ‘slate capital of the world’, with mountains on all sides. From Blaenau we followed the Dwyryd river valley for a mile or two before exiting the National Park just above Penrhyndeudraet. It was only another 4 miles on from there to our hotel in Tremadog, and our ‘circular’ tour was then complete!

Hotel: We stayed at The Golden Fleece Inn Porthmadog

Eat: We ate at Y Sgwar, located next door to the hotel, and really enjoyed our meal

Tremadog to Caernarvon (18.3 miles), Caernarvon to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (8.6 miles), Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch to Bangor (5.6 miles), Bangor to Conwy (15.4 miles), Conwy to Porthmadog via Blaenau Ffestiniog (41.2 miles)

Day 6: Porthmadog to Ludlow/ Hereford

Mileage Total: 119 miles

We left the hotel at 9.30am and departed Tremadog and made for Dolgellau, following the A470 south. The first part of the journey took us back to Penrhyndeudraeth and Maentwrog before heading south through Coedy Brenin Forest Park.

The route then took us in the direction of Welshpool, another 40 miles drive, passing the peaks of Pen Ochr y Bwlch and Cribin Fawr, via the Oerddrws Gap (or Horseshoe Gap). We soon arrived at Mawddwyd and the infamous Brigand’s Inn. From there we turned on to the A458 in the direction of Welshpool 25 miles away and left Gwynedd and entered Powys.

Just outside of Welshpool we stopped at Powis Castle (National Trust), a 13^th century medieval castle, fortress and grand country house. We began our visit (£15 for an adult ticket, free for National Trust members) by exploring the gardens – from the terrace you could admire breath-taking views across the garden, deer park, Severn Valley and in the distance, the pointed profiles of Long Mountain and the Breidden Hills. We later went inside the house, which is said to house one of the world’s great collections of art and historical objects.

From Powis Castle we began the final stretch our of road trip towards Ludlow in the Shropshire Hills. The distance was just over 20 miles and would take us the best part of an hour, and along the way we crossed back over the border from Wales to England.

We spent the afternoon exploring the pretty market town of Ludlow, including a visit inside the castle (£8 for an adult ticket). After some food, and a whistle stop tour of Hereford to see the cathedral, we made for our final overnight stop in Lugwardine, just a short distance from Hereford city centre.

Hotel: We stayed at Longworth Hall Hotel Lugwardine (near Hereford)

Eat: We decided to eat at the hotel restaurant

https://youtube.com/watch?v=SQH7P66buf8%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent%26hl%3Den-US

My Travel Tips and Recommendations

Flights

My usual go-to for booking flights is Skyscanner, the flight search engine. What I love about Skycanner is that you have various options depending on your situation. If you know where you want to go it’s easy – all you need is to search for your destination and dates, and you are provided with all flight options to choose from. If you haven’t decided on your next trip yet, you can use the Everywhere tool for inspiration and to find the cheapest places to fly to.

Accommodation

Whenever I plan my travels Booking.com is my best friend. The website is super easy to use and provides a whole range of accommodation from fancy resorts to budget hotels. Jack and I also regularly use Airbnb – in particular, for staycations in the UK.

Things I can’t travel without

As a travel blogger and keen photographer I never travel without my trusty technology. Always packed are my

Canon EOS M3
GoPro Hero5 Black
DJI Mavic Mini

Travel Insurance

It is so important to be prepared for all possibilities when travelling and you simply shouldn’t travel without insurance. I would personally recommend World Nomads or the Post Office – both are affordable and certainly won’t break the bank.

One Week in Wales: UK Road Trip Itinerary