Wales by Britannic Explorer
London → Wales
The Wales by Britannic Explorer is a three-night, four-day round journey from London Victoria into the wild heart of Wales and back again — a loop through some of Britain's most dramatic and least-visited landscapes aboard Belmond's newest luxury sleeper train. Departing on a Monday afternoon, the train arcs westward through Bristol, crosses the Severn Estuary into Wales, traces the south coast through Cardiff and Swansea, and pushes deep into Pembrokeshire before turning north to follow the legendary Heart of Wales Line into Snowdonia.
On board the Britannic Explorer, eighteen suites — including three palatial Grand Suites — are decorated in a style that draws on the craftsmanship of British ateliers. In the two dining cars, Malva and Samphire, three-Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan of L'Enclume creates menus rooted in seasonal, locally sourced Welsh and British produce. An Observation Car with a Victorian apothecary-inspired bar and a Wellness Suite offering massages and facials round out a journey designed to be as restorative as it is spectacular.
The arc of the route is as carefully composed as the food: Pembrokeshire's Atlantic coastline on Day One gives way to the remote upland valleys and fragrant lavender farms of mid-Wales on Day Two, before the soaring peaks of Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park provide a dramatic backdrop on Day Three. A private evening party at a restored 16th-century Cotswolds pub closes the adventure before a leisurely breakfast journey back to London. This is Wales at its most magnificent, experienced in uncommon comfort.
- ✦Riding the legendary Heart of Wales Line through the remote uplands of Powys and Carmarthenshire
- ✦Overnight stays near Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia, Wales's two great national parks
- ✦Seven-course dinners by three-Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan in the dining cars Malva and Samphire
- ✦Guided hike or lavender farm excursion near the Victorian spa town of Llandrindod Wells
- ✦Welsh cake workshop at Bodnant Welsh Food or scenic Conwy Valley hike
- ✦Exclusive private party at The Fox at Oddington, a restored 16th-century Cotswolds inn
- ✦Luxurious suites including Grand Suites with marble bathrooms and personal butler service
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — London Victoria to Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
Guests board the Britannic Explorer at London Victoria Station in the mid-afternoon, settling into elegant suites as the train pulls west through the suburbs and out into open countryside. As the train crosses the Severn Estuary — one of the great waterway crossings of Britain — a Welsh Afternoon Tea arrives: delicate sandwiches, Welsh teacakes, and seasonal pastries crafted by Chef Simon Rogan's team. The train continues along Wales's south coast through Cardiff and Swansea, then curves into the lush green lanes of Carmarthenshire, known as the Garden of Wales. By early evening the train reaches the rugged, sea-edged county of Pembrokeshire. Signature cocktails in the Observation Car precede a multi-course dinner in one of the two dining cars, featuring innovative, farm-to-fork cooking with Welsh ingredients. The train overnights near Haverfordwest, the county town of Pembrokeshire.
Day 2 — Haverfordwest to Porthmadog via Llandrindod Wells
Morning begins with a leisurely breakfast as the train moves east. The first excursion stop is Llandrindod Wells, the Victorian spa town at the heart of Powys, whose mineral springs drew fashionable visitors from across Britain after the railway arrived in 1868. Here guests choose between two experiences: a guided hike through the tranquil Welsh heartland valleys, culminating in a classic British picnic in fragrant lavender fields, or a visit to a spectacular Welsh lavender farm — swimming in the pond, relaxing in the sauna, or simply unwinding by the log fire. Returning to the train for lunch, guests then ride the famed Heart of Wales Line, one of Britain's great rural railways, winding north through the uplands of Carmarthenshire and Powys. The scenery grows increasingly dramatic as the line climbs toward Snowdonia: soaring peaks, deep valleys, and waterfalls. A seven-course gastronomic dinner is served in the evening. The train overnights near Porthmadog, at the southern edge of Snowdonia.
Day 3 — Porthmadog to Moreton-in-Marsh via Llandudno Junction and Machynlleth
The train travels north through Snowdonia in the morning, arriving at Llandudno Junction on the North Wales coast. From here a choice of excursions explores the stunning Conwy Valley: guests who love the outdoors join a scenic guided hike through some of the finest walking country in Wales, with views of medieval Conwy Castle and the mountains of Eryri beyond; those who prefer an indoor experience head to Bodnant Welsh Food, the celebrated cookery school and food centre, for a Welsh cake and jam-making workshop using traditional recipes. Back on board, lunch is served as the train begins its southward arc through mid-Wales and Montgomeryshire, passing through Welshpool and crossing into Shropshire. A stop at or near Machynlleth — the ancient market town where Owain Glyndŵr held Wales's last independent parliament — offers a taste of Welsh art and culture. As evening falls, the train enters the Cotswolds, arriving at Moreton-in-Marsh for an exclusive private party at The Fox at Oddington, a lovingly restored 16th-century inn. Local ales, artisan liqueurs, classic British fare, self-pour pints, and lively Cotswolds hospitality make for a memorable final evening.
Day 4 — Moreton-in-Marsh to London Victoria
The final morning is a gentle one: a farewell breakfast is served as the train rolls through the rolling hills of Oxfordshire and the Chilterns, the countryside brightening as the journey approaches its end. The Britannic Explorer arrives back at London Victoria Station on Thursday morning, bringing a three-night journey through the wild and beautiful landscapes of Wales to a close.
Destinations & Highlights
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is Wales's westernmost county and home to the only coastal national park in Britain — the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, established in 1952. Its 186 miles of designated coast path wind past dramatic sea cliffs, hidden coves, Iron Age headland forts, and harbours where grey seals haul out on exposed rocks. The county's history is written in a string of medieval castles, including the great Pembroke Castle, birthplace of Henry VII. Offshore, the islands of Skomer and Skokholm shelter some of Europe's largest puffin and Manx shearwater colonies. The Britannic Explorer overnights near Haverfordwest, the county's ancient market town, giving guests their first full immersion in the Atlantic-facing landscape of western Wales.
The Heart of Wales Line and Powys
The Heart of Wales Line — running 121 miles from Shrewsbury to Swansea — is one of Britain's most celebrated rural railways, passing through country so empty that entire sections have virtually no road access at all. It crosses the watershed of mid-Wales through the county of Powys, the largest and least populated county in England and Wales, where ancient drovers' roads cross rolling moorland and red kite circle above river valleys. The Victorian spa town of Llandrindod Wells, the county town of Powys, was transformed by the arrival of the railway in 1868: its sulphur, saline, and chalybeate springs drew tens of thousands of visitors a year, and its handsome Victorian architecture — including the Grade II*-listed Rock Park and the grand Metropole Hotel — survives largely intact today.
Snowdonia / Eryri National Park
Eryri (Snowdonia) is Wales's largest and oldest national park, encompassing 823 square miles of mountains, glacial lakes, ancient forests, and 37 miles of coastline in North Wales. At its heart stands Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest peak in Wales and England at 1,085 metres, with panoramic views stretching on clear days to Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Pennines. The park is also rich in medieval heritage: the Conwy Valley is dominated by Edward I's great concentric fortress of Conwy Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the slate-quarrying heritage of the region is told in the landscape of abandoned terraces and tunnels. The coastal town of Llandudno — where the train pauses on Day 3 — sits at the base of the Great Orme headland, its elegant Victorian promenade and pier dating from the 1860s seaside boom.
Machynlleth and Mid-Wales
Machynlleth holds a unique place in Welsh history: in 1404 the Welsh chieftain Owain Glyndŵr was crowned Prince of Wales here and established what is considered the last independent Welsh parliament. The Owain Glyndŵr Centre in the town commemorates that medieval parliament. Today Machynlleth is also renowned as a creative and environmental hub, home to the Museum of Modern Art Wales (MOMA Cymru), which presents contemporary art in an elegant converted stable building. The town's wide market street and clocktower give it a distinctive character quite unlike anywhere else in Wales.
The Cotswolds
The journey concludes with an evening in the Cotswolds — the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that stretches across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire, defined by honey-coloured limestone villages, rolling wolds, and ancient market towns. The Fox at Oddington, the venue for the Britannic Explorer's exclusive closing party, is a restored 16th-century inn in the village of Lower Oddington near Moreton-in-Marsh, set in a Cotswolds landscape little changed since the medieval wool trade made this region England's wealthiest.