South Wales Tour: History, Culture, and Scenic Wonders

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: 24 hours
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,…
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…

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
(305 Ratings)
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Pritts3
Oct 25, 2024
Amazing time! - Gareth was full of historical facts, shared tons of information about what we would see, and gave a smattering of Welsh words to learn as we rode. Plenty of pit stops in areas to browse and get something to eat or drink. I would definitely take his tours again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ken_r
Oct 22, 2024
A Walk in the Valley and A Variety of Castles - Gareth is a fountain of historical knowledge. He provided a great blend of information and time for you to explore on your own. The walk down the lane was very refreshing.
Review provided by Viator
Perry_p
Oct 20, 2024
Great tour - We really enjoyed our tour. Loved the Chepstow castle! Our tour guide Gareth was very knowledgeable regarding the history of the area and various sites. He also shared many Welsh words with us. We highly recommend the tour!
Review provided by Viator
B1511fzdavida
Oct 12, 2024
Knowledgeable, Thoughtful, Enjoyable Guide - Gareth was wonderfully helpful in rearranging things when we had misunderstood the listing on Viator and signed up for the Swansea Bay tour when we really wanted the Valley tour. In the end we not only got to visit the valley sites, including Tintern Abbey and the Chepstow and Caerfilly Castles, but he even accommodated my request to make a small detour to Monmouth, which had some personal significance for me. He also volunteered to pick us up right outside our hotel, which allowed us to enjoy our breakfast a bit longer. Once on the road he shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for the history, culture, and language of the country in a very enjoyable manner.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marj_e
Oct 6, 2024
Beautiful, fun and educational - Greatly appreciated the opportunities to walk in the beautiful countryside in addition to seeing the castles that we visited. Of the multiple options for lunch, we were very happy with the one we chose. I heard a lot about Welsh history—more than I could absorb in one day, but it gave me a hook for further independent study.
Review provided by Viator
Gracehz2588un
Oct 6, 2024
Unmissable tour of Wales - Valleys tour - Amazing tour of the beautiful southern Wales. Gareth was awesome, answering any and all questions, and filling us in on the cultural and historic significance of each location. The abbey and the castles were stunning, and the drive itself was beautiful. Gareth has this tour timed perfectly. I never felt rushed, there was plenty of time for each stop. The cab was very comfortable and there were plenty of opportunities for bathroom breaks etc. I particularly enjoyed the option to take the short walk down to the abbey - which, if you have the choice, I would recommend. The scenery is breathtaking. A wonderful day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristien_k
Oct 3, 2024
Very informative guide with great scenery - Good overall view of the area and some castles if you have limited time. Gareth had an extensive knowledge of Welsh history and details of the area. He willingly answered questions from the group. Felt given fairly adequate time at each site. Especially enjoyed the Tintern Abbey and Caerphilly Castle. Informative guide and well worthwhile tour.
Review provided by Viator
Joan1410
Oct 3, 2024
Enjoyed 3 Castles and an Abbey - We had a delightful trip to Tintern Abbey, and 3 castles. Gareth is very knowledgeable and shared his knowledge with us. We were given time to investigate on our own, which was important in that my mobility is limited and I was able to explore at a comfortable pace. Nice stop for lunch. The other explorers on the trip were interesting and very nice. Altogether well worth the time and expense. We would gladly recommend going on one of Gareth's tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
110zaner
Sep 26, 2024
5 Stars, Recommend Highly - The tour guide was extremely well versed in Welsh culture & history, as well as being very friendly. The places we were taken to were a great taste of Southern Welsh culture & history and I’d highly recommend this tour to other visiting Cardiff & Wales.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_a
Sep 26, 2024
Not our 1st choice - We signed up for the castles and cathedral tour North of Cardiff, but were informed just before we left that that’s not the tour we were getting. Too late to try and rebook through a different vendor. Swansea tour we did go on was nice, but not really what we wanted to do. If you do want to take the Swansea tour, Gareth is a great tour guide with lots of local knowledge.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
November 2024
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