Located to the east of England, Wales is a small country both in terms of its size and its population but tourism-wise it really packs a punch. Wales is a magical land of myriad castles, rugged coastlines, rolling green hills and dragons (well purportedly anyway.) Some Welsh destinations may be hard to pronounce but with three stunning national parks and countless beautiful seaside towns Wales really is a must-see in Great Britain. Similar to Scotland, Wales is also a perfect destination for a road trip with unique things to discover seemingly around every corner.
How long to spend in Wales
Now Wales may be a small country, but it is easy to overestimate how long it will take to see all of it. While there are plenty of fast moving highways in the east around Cardiff, as you travel west the roads become progressively narrower- and many parts of the coast in particular are serviced by windy single lane country roads alone. In reality you need at least a week to see all the highlights of Wales, with around 3-4 days to see the south, and another 3-4 days to see the north.
4 Day Southern Wales Itinerary
This 4 day self-drive itinerary is perfect for seeing the southern section of the country, including the welsh capital Cardiff, impressive castles & churches in the Wye valley, the beautiful rolling hills of the Brecon Beacon National Park and some of the stunning welsh coastline including the Mumbles, Tenby and the rest of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Day 1: Cardiff
If you’re beginning your journey by flying into Cardiff then be sure to book yourself a Europcar in advance and then make your way to the city centre and you’re good to go. If on the other hand you’re coming from London its worth booking a Europcar at whatever airport you fly into. If, like me, you’re a car-less Londoner already then sign yourself up for Zipcar so that you can pick up a car from a parking spot near you. You’ll have a 3 to 4 hour drive ahead of you from London, so it’s well worth breaking up the journey by stopping in Bath for lunch on the way.
Your first stop in Cardiff should be the city centre, with it’s historic arcades, Cardiff Castle and the National Museum. You can’t miss Principality Stadium which is the home of Welsh rugby – whenever there is a game on Cardiff is absolutely buzzing. Another of the highlights of the welsh capital is Cardiff Bay, its worth wandering around this area to see the Waterfront park, the Wales Millennium Centre, the Pierhead Building. There’s also many pubs and restaurants so this might be a perfect spot for dinner. On summer days this area is generally thronging with people.
Day 2: Castles, Abbeys & The Brecon Beacons
Head east out of the city in the direction of Chepstow, it’s around a 40 minute drive via the M4. The town of Chepstow (which means marketplace in old English) is located in the beautiful Wye valley on the river Wye not far from the English border. The town played an important role in medieval times, with it’s Norman Castle being commissioned by William the Conquerer not a year after the Battle of Hastings. This means Chepstow Castle is Britain’s oldest surviving post-Roman stone castle! It’s worth paying the entry fee to explore the castle as the highest point provides great views over the valley. Next, just 20 minutes up the road, you will reach Tintern Abbey, while partially in ruins, this Cistercian Abbey is still a magical place to behold.
Next set your GPS for Brecon in the Brecon Beacons National Park. It’s about an hour’s drive in total but allow time to stop at Raglan Castle on the way. While it was mainly built for show in the 1400s this castle still managed to hold off parliamentarian forces for thirteen weeks in one of the last sieges of the Civil War. There’s a sweet little country cafe out the back of the Castle where it’s worth stopping for a cuppa and some cake.
After this you’ll head through some of the upper valleys north of Cardiff and into the Brecon Beacons National Park, an area of rolling green hills. You might consider taking a trip on the Brecon Beacons Mountain Railway while you are here. Lastly head south again in the direction of Swansea, on the coast, and on to the Mumbles- a headland sited on the western edge of Swansea which is a popular holiday spot for locals. This section will take about 1hr20.
Day 3: The Mumbles & Tenby
Spend a little time wandering around the cute seaside shops in the Mumbles before you head off for the day. You might like to grab an icecream in the sweet little fishing village. The drive to Tenby is only an hour and a half, which is ideal as you’ll want to spend as much time in Tenby as possible today. It’s arguably the most beautiful seaside town in Wales, with a lovely relaxed feel to it. There are beautiful sandy beaches on both sides of the town, with the north beach being the most popular for sunbaskers.
Day 4: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
You’ll probably feel like you could happily spend another week in Tenby but alas there are many more beautiful parts of the Pembrokeshire coast to see! There are 58 beaches and 14 harbours on this part of the welsh coast spanning 186 miles of coastline.
You might like to pick what you see along the coast specifically based on your interests- there are numerous beautiful little bays & coves to see if you just want to follow the roads and see what you find. If the weather is nice some of the best beaches include Freshwater West & Marloes Sands. There are also notable historical buildings to marvel at such as Pembroke Castle & Carew Castle.
A more modest construction in a nonetheless stunning location is St Govans Chapel near Bosherston. A small 13th-century chapel built into the sea-cliff and accessible only by steps from the towering cliff above. Finally don’t miss St Davids Cathedral & Bishop’s Palace – located in the UK’s smallest city- the final resting place of Wales patron Saint, St David himself.
After visiting St David’s you might like to stay one last night at the northern end of the Pembrokeshire coast, in Fishguard, Newport or Cardigan before you move on to your next adventure or head back home to London. If you’re looking to explore northern Wales following this to see Snowdonia as well, you could easily tack that on to the end of this itinerary.
Heading to other parts of the UK & Ireland or Europe?