Great Britain Bucket-List #3!

Get ready for the continuation of our Great Britain Bucket-List edition #3! as I am taking over to bring back another set of our favourite must-see destinations across Wales, Scotland and England! If you haven’t had a chance to read our previous editions, please click here to enjoy an extra dose of heritage gems no #1! and #2!. Meanwhile, sit back and relax as this guide takes you through some new and exciting positions.

Take a spectacular ride on a Snowdon Mountain Railway

Starting our journey in the largest National Park of Wales – the magnificent Snowdonia located in country’s north – we head straight to the Snowdon Mountain Railway celebrating its 125th anniversary this year! Constructed between Dec 1894 and Feb 1896, the track takes its passengers all the way to Clogwyn Station, situated at ¾ of the overall distance to the Snowdon massif from the Llanberis village. Admiring the dramatic views of this mountainous region, enjoy a steam locomotive ride in either Traditional Diesel Service or Heritage Steam Experience, allowing you to board one of two trains built on original chassis and bogies from the 1896 carriages of “The Snowdon Lily” and “The Snowdon Mountain Goat”. To add this incredible historical ride to your Welsh vacation, please let your agent know.

For more train adventures and breath-taking views, we prepared rail tours of Wales taking you to all corners of this small but wonderful nation. Perhaps our broad Explore Wales by Rail tour will impress you with some of the most scenic rail journeys Britain has to offer.

Experience the spirit of a rugby match in Cardiff

Staying within the same country, we now move south east to Cardiff, a unique capital city being the heart and soul of contemporary Welsh culture. A huge part of that culture is played across the nation sport, rugby, a sport so physical, almost brutal, yet exciting and creating a positive environment, especially during “international” weekends. Never have I seen such a great atmosphere on a match day like in Cardiff during the Six Nations Championship or the Autumn Internationals. Streets full of people wearing national colours and symbols, singing rugby chants and making predictions for the upcoming game… Maybe it is the ale connecting people 😉  but the joy bursting out of everyone is magical to see. Watching the rugby match is often possible in pubs, bars and restaurants within the city centre. Enjoying rugby live in Principality Stadium however, is a lifetime experience. Games make a terrific experience with beer, singing, fireworks and a truly electric atmosphere. With so much more to say about this topic, I’m only going to encourage you to experience it yourself! To add a full of emotions and action rugby event in Cardiff to your vacation, please let your agent know.

Our self-drive tours of Wales are running throughout the year and their entirely flexible itineraries can be tailored to your plans, including rugby games. Additionally, you can check other capital spots on British rugby map during Scottish self-drive at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh or during English at Twickenham Stadium in London.

Visit one of four Tate Galleries

Although there is, without doubt, a plethora of incredible art galleries spread across England, including London’s National Gallery or Birmingham’s Museum & Art Gallery, it is the Tate Galleries that have gained a reputation like no other. The main one responsible for the success is the Tate Modern, one of two in London alongside the Tate Britain, expanding its building by 10 storeys in 2016. Collecting magnificent artworks, it became one of the most popular cultural attractions in the capital. Soon after, Tate Britain, Tate St Ives in Cornwall and Tate Liverpool in North England followed, exhibiting many pearls from incredibly creative artists, displayed permanently or temporarily in each of the galleries. In Tate Modern for example, you can find Pablo Picasso’s “The Dream” from 1932; in Tate Liverpool Salvador Dalí’s “Mountain Lake” from 1938; and in Tate Britain Sir John Everett Millais’s “Ophelia” from 1851–2. Additionally the space and architecture of Tate Galleries, lovely cafeterias and well stocked gift shops, make excellent attractions for any art admirers.

Discover 5000 BC prehistory in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney

Crossing the furthest north point on British mainland by the spectacular NC500 Route, you’ll need a ferry to get to one of 70 islands of the magnificent Scottish archipelago known as Orkney Islands. Surrounded by the dramatic waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, these magnificent islands were inhabited in 5000 BC leaving social, ceremonial and materialistic evidence of human life preserved so well until today in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. Consisting of many of unexcavated burial, ceremonial and settlement sites, the major group of prehistoric sites include a large chambered cairn and passage grave – Maes How; two ceremonial stone circles at The Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar; and stone-built settlement called Skara Brae. The last one is thought to be older than the famous Stonehenge in English Wiltshire and the Egyptian pyramids! Not only a dose of history but also wild, breath-taking and unspoilt natural scenery that will make you remember Orkney Islands forever.

Can’t wait for more?

Please check our blog regularly to find out what destinations I am preparing for the list no #4!. If you still haven’t checked previous editions, here they are: #1! and #2!, meanwhile check our Instagram for photos of our favourite destinations in the UK and don’t hesitate to contact us for more information about tours.