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South Wales Tour: History, Culture, and Scenic Wonders
4.9
297 Ratings
Cardiff
Join The Wandering Bard’s Tour of South Wales for a unique journey through history, language, and culture with expert guide Gareth. Discover Wales like never before.
Duration:
9 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Caerphilly Castle - Featured on the Valleys tour. Admire the grandeur and location of the UK’s third largest castle.
- Tintern Abbey - Part of the Valleys Tour. Relish the abbey and the picturesque views of the River Wye.
- Chepstow Castle - Included in the Valleys tour. Stroll around the market town and visit Wales’s first Norman Castle, beautifully situated overlooking the River Wye.
- Rhossili Bay - Available in the Swansea Bay option. Take in the stunning views of the cliffs and Worm’s Head at one of Wales’s most iconic beaches.
- Mumbles - Part of the Swansea Bay option. Pause for lunch at one of Wales’s most cherished seaside resorts. Visit Oystermouth Castle and savor a world-famous Joe’s ice cream.
- Neath Abbey - Included in the Swansea Bay option. Be amazed by the largest abbey in Wales, a 900-year-old masterpiece set in the beautiful Vale of Neath.
- Melincourt Waterfall - Featured in the Swansea Bay option. The Vale of Neath is renowned as waterfall country, and this is one of the finest. Painted by JMW Turner, the walk to the waterfall is truly breathtaking.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Tour escort/host
- Driver/guide
What's Not Included
- Drinks
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Lunch
Additional Information
On this tour, a historian with extensive knowledge and passion for Wales will accompany you. You will have the opportunity to learn some Welsh, taste traditional Welsh cuisine, and explore the ancient history and culture of Wales. Gareth, your guide, is a fluent Welsh speaker who will provide insights into Wales that you wouldn’t get with a standard tour operator.
South Wales is the most populated region of Wales and is renowned worldwide. This area features Neolithic sites, Roman ruins, stunning waterfalls, imposing Norman castles, industrial heritage, dramatic mountain landscapes, and beaches that are ranked among the best in the world. The Wandering Bard offers two options: a Valleys tour, showcasing some of Wales’s most famous ancient wonders, or the Swansea Bay tour, highlighting some of Britain’s most beautiful coastlines. Both tours are fantastic experiences and have received excellent feedback from 99% of customers. Please confirm which tour you have booked.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A maximum of 8 people per booking
- Customers need to be aware that there are two tours available. There is the Valleys option calling at Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle and Caerphilly Castle and there is the Swansea Bay option calling at Rhossili Bay, Mumbles, Neath Abbey and Melin Court waterfall. Gareth is the only guide so only one of these trips goes ahead per day. Please check your booking to see which trip you have booked. They are both the Wandering Bard’s tour but one goes to Swansea Bay whereas the other goes inland to the Valleys. This has caused confusion with customers in the past.
Location
Hilton Cardiff
Kingsway
The tour will pick up outside the Hilton Hotel on the Taxi Rank.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(297 Ratings)
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794rcb
Aug 19, 2024
Well worth it! - Knowledgeable and very friendly guide. Fantastic abbey and castles. Nice café with good food. Small group. Perfect tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debra_b
Aug 18, 2024
Gareth is fabulous! - Gareth was warm, knowledgeable, informative and helpful in getting us grounded in the culture, the location(s), and life in the region.
We appreciate his expertise and his openness to sharing his life experiences.
Review provided by Viator
Rthompson61
Aug 17, 2024
Good trip to see Tintern Abbey and 3 Castles in one day - A family day trip with 3 adults (no teens, but not an option to choose for review). Well narrated trip by the driver/owner, Gareth, and just enough time at each location to visit. Nice to have the added stop at Castell Coch due to conservation work restricting access at 2 of the sites. Still able to see plenty at those sites though! Pick up and drop off at our Airbnb in Cardiff an extra perk. Recommend booking directly with The Wandering Bard Tours of Wales rather than Viator.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nola_t
Aug 14, 2024
Very enjoyable day . - I enjoyed my tour with Gareth. His knowledge of the history of Wales also the language is excellent. The area and towns near the castles were lovely.
Review provided by Viator
Jef_w
Jul 29, 2024
Castles, Conquerors, Cloisters, and Cadw - Our wandering Bard, Gareth, delivered a multi-faceted experience. The itinerary included visits to an important monastery founded in the 12th century, two castles from the 12th and 13th centuries which played important roles in the back and forth conflicts for dominance in Wales and England involving the descendants of the prehistoric Welsh people, Anglo-Saxons
and Normans. As well as a 'castle' built more recently, seemingly for no other purpose than a sort of venue. Gareth's narrative included the history of the Abbey, the castles, and the people of Wales, as well as the evolution, expansion, and contraction of the Welsh language, which has receded from dominance but will certainly be kept alive as a uniting legacy for the future of Wales. This is an experience which makes me want to get back into history books to get a better understanding of the United Kingdom, and the member countries of which it is composed. Even if you don't care to dive back into your history books - it's a very enjoyable tour.
Review provided by Viator
Jason_m
Jul 25, 2024
Fantastic Tour & Would Do It Again! - My daughter & I are on the adventur of a lifetime as we tour thru Europe together. Choosing the Wandering Bard’a Tour with Gareth was one of our best choices yet! The ride was comfortable, the information both interesting and informative, & the sites were all fantastic! We’d not only recommend thus tour but would 100% take it again in the future… Ty VERY much, Gareth!! Jason & Haley M USA
Review provided by Viator
Eifeijoo
Jul 24, 2024
Concise getaway with tons of history and entertainment - Gareth is full of historical and folklore knowledge. Very entertaining to do this tour with him! And of course, the sights are beautiful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patricew397
Aug 8, 2024
Not for a solo traveler, unless you like to be alone - Overall, the experience was very pleasant. The driver was engaged while we were traveling and answered any questions that were raised. I was a little surprised that once we got to each location, we were dropped off with no orientation or option to get further information from the driver. This left me, as a solo traveler, wandering for hours by myself when it would have been nice to be with a group and hear more about where we visited.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Harlow1958
Aug 5, 2024
Tour of South Wales - The Tour of South Wales was very interesting & informative with Garreth. The castles gave us a glimpse of another time in another era. I would recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunny
Aug 19, 2024
Horrible guide - Our guide was more like a taxi driver. He took us to spots and dropped us off and told us to come back when we were done. No “bard” mentioned. No history given. Just on our own. I expected an actual tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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