If you love castles, then you are in for a treat with this tour!  From 1276 Edward 1^st, King of England, established a mighty set of castles and towns in North Wales as part of his military campaign to defeat the Welsh princes.  Amongst the castles built by Edward 1^st are Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech, which collectively hold World Heritage Site status.  These spectacular monuments are a gateway for exploring the history of Wales in the heartland of the traditional Welsh princes’ stronghold of Gwynedd.

The English built castles represent the best castle building skills in Western Europe at the time, and were built over a short timescale and on a hugely ambitious scale. With massive curtain walls and towers and powerful gatehouses, the ring of castles has a powerful presence in the landscape of Snowdonia and symbolises the huge effort by King Edward 1^st to dominate North Wales and fight against the Welsh resilience.  Each castle has individual stories to tell….and our tour captures both English and Welsh castle sites.

This is your very own Boutique Tour of North Wales and tailor made just for you!  We now present a menu of places to visit and see in the area that we tour through.

 

WHAT IS THERE TO SEE DURING THE TOUR?

We will gladly assist you with our personalised tour planning service and help you to “make the most of your visit and discover more of the destination” by designing the perfect tour itinerary to suit what you want to do and see during your day on tour with us!   The tour is tailored to suit the duration of the day that you book and some sites can command just a quick stop off for photographs.

Harlech Castle:   King Edward 1st tried and tested ‘walls within walls’ model was put together in super-fast time between 1283 and 1295 by an army of nearly a thousand skilled craftsman and labourers.  The setting is impressive, with the battlements springing out of a near-vertical cliff-face and amazing views overlooking the coast.

Caernarfon Castle:   A brute of a fortress, Caernarfon Castle’s pumped up appearance is unashamedly muscle-bound and intimidating.  King Edward 1st created what is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive castles in Wales and beyond, and the castle and town walls provided means to keep some communities in and others out.

Beaumaris Castle:  Located on the Isle of Anglesey is described as the most technically perfect castle in Britain, and the last hurrah of King Edward 1^st massive building project in north Wales. It was the thirteenth-century hi-tech equivalent of a spaceship landing unceremoniously on Anglesey today.

Conwy Castle and Conwy Medieval Town Walls:   Some say it is the most magnificent of Edward 1^st Welsh fortresses and UNESCO considers Conwy to be one of “the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe”.   The rectangular castle is built from local and imported stone and occupies a coastal ridge, originally overlooking an important crossing point over the River Conwy.

Criccieth Castle:   Criccieth was formerly known as Crug-Caeth with the translation of ‘crug’ meaning hill in and , ‘caith’ translating to captives.  This was the name given to the jail on the hill, a function once held by the castle site.  The castle sits perched on a panoramic headland with an intimidating location overlooking the sea.

Dolbadarn Castle: Built by the Welsh prince Llewellyn the Great during the early 13th century.  The location of the Dolbadarn was important both because it controlled an important mountain pass, and possibly because Llewellyn claimed authority as the lord of Snowdonia.

Dolwyddelan Castle: Built by the Welsh prince Llewellyn the Great.  The location gets the imagination flowing as to how the Welsh Prince’s set out to defend themselves against the might of the English.  The walk up to the castle is a tough climb, but you are rewarded with one of the most stunning castle locations, set in solitary confinement sheltering deep in the heart of the Snowdonia Mountains.

 

MEDIEVAL CASTLE TOUR OF NORTH WALES GALLERY

This tour can start from wherever you are staying in North Wales.

Remember, this will be your very own bespoke tailor made ‘Medieval Castle Tour of North Wales’.  Please note that this is menu of tour options and it is not possible to cover every site or attraction in one day!

Your actual tour price is dependent on a number of factors:

1. The number of persons taking the private tour
2. The time of year that you choose to tour
3. The tour duration that you choose for your touring day
4. The start and end locations where we pick you up and drop you off.

Our tour rates do not include:  Entrance fees to Attractions / Refreshments, Drinks or Lunch on the day / Driver & Tour Guide Gratuities.

Please note that some of the attractions operate with a limited season of operation and hours of opening.