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The Historic and Scenic Borderlands tour covers the Dee and Clwyd Valley areas of North East Wales, which is one of five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales.
The Borderlands tour takes in the historic ruined castle at Rhuddlan, the smallest church and the smallest cathedral in all of Great Britain. At another location, we stop to visit one of the great ‘hidden gems’ of Wales, a ‘holy shrine’ where royal Kings and Queens used to visit.
The highlight of the day is discovering the UNESCO Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, where you can enjoy a scenic walk across the ‘stream in the sky’!
The tour also takes in the scenic riverside town of Llangollen, where you can learn about the famous ‘Ladies of Llangollen’ and their residence – Plas Newydd. Also locally, there is the unique experience of stepping back in time before the age of steam to enjoy a ‘Horse drawn canal cruise.’
Then there’s the beautiful landscaped scenery of the region, where you can get to enjoy stunning views. We have a couple of beautiful short panoramic walks in the hills overlooking the valleys of the Borderlands, which take in stretches of the famous Offa’s Dyke trail.
The options below provide you with a choice of places to see and things to do during your touring day with us. We will work with you to design the perfect custom tailor made tour around your personal preferences and choices.
Please note:
It is not possible to cover and include every location in one day.
Some attractions have restricted operating and opening times.
Entrance fees and train tickets are not included in the tour price
Wrexham Football Club is the third oldest professional football club in the world. The ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary has established a worldwide following of this football club and team since the ownership changed to its new Hollywood stars and Co-Chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. The club has now gained its third consecutive successive promotion up the football pyramid and is fast becoming one of the most widely followed football (Soccer) teams in the world!
Our visit to the ground involves visiting the souvenir shop and if the famous ‘Turf Pub’ is open, you can stop for a pint and meet some of the locals, (subject to opening times).
For castle lovers, Chirk castle built in 1310, is the last Welsh castle from the reign of Edward I that is still lived in today – it has been continuously inhabited for the last 700 years. Features from this long history include the medieval tower and dungeon, 17th century Long Gallery, grand 18th century state apartments, servants’ hall, and historic laundry.
Entrance fee applicable.
The highlight of the day is discovering the Unesco Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The aqueduct is the longest and highest in Britain and if you’ve got a head for heights, you can enjoy a scenic walk across the ‘stream in the sky’!
The border town of Llangollen sits on the river Dee and is famous for its 16th century bridge across the scenic river. The town makes for a great stop for a spot of lunch beside the river and we have just the place with a historic pub serving great food. Afterwards, you might want to wander and browse the shops or take a riverside walk along the Victorian parade. You might want to consider stepping onto a steam hauled train, which runs 10 miles upstream along the beautiful Dee valley to the town of Corwen.
We can stop for just a photograph or spend time visiting the unique home to the famous “Ladies of Llangollen”, Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby, from 1780 – 1829. They became celebrated throughout the country as the story of their friendship spread through Regency Society. The house retains the Gothic features they introduced.
Entrance fee applicable.
The tour also takes in the scenic riverside town of Llangollen where you can step back in time before the age of steam and machinery to enjoy a unique experience of a ‘Horse drawn canal cruise’. Tickets payable to the boat operator.
Another great short walk is to the source of the canal at the Horseshoe Falls on the river Dee. Completed in 1808, it’s an impressive piece of engineering, but what makes it so remarkable is that for all its industrial purpose, it enhances the beauty of the surrounding landscape.
Then there’s the beautiful landscaped scenery of the region, where you can get to enjoy the stunning viewpoints as we tour through a scenic pass with amazing valley views.
For those looking for something unusual and collectable, our country antique showroom features an Aladdin’s cave of treasures from silver crystal, royal doulton, Moorcroft to the quirky and traditional gifts and home accessories. This also makes a perfect stop for lunch or we can head to a nearby country inn with a lovely restaurant
A feature of our tour through the Borderlands of North East Wales is riding along some of the scenic back roads to pick up the best views of the stunning valleys.
We have a couple of beautiful short panoramic walks in the hills overlooking the valleys of the Borderlands and you can even get to take in walking a stretch of the ancient 7th century border of King Offa’s Dyke.
The Borderlands tour visits many ‘hidden gems of Wales’ and this site is one of the original ‘Seven Wonders of Wales!’ St Winnifreds Well is the Welsh equivalent to Lourdes in France and became a holy shrine where royal kings and queens use to visit and bathe in the special waters. Entrance fee applicable.
A ‘Hidden Gem’! The site was founded in the year 560 and the present building was begun in the thirteenth century. The Cathedral is the home to one of the original copies of the Welsh Bible and as such provides a vital link with Welsh culture and literature.
The river Dee forms the northern border between England and Wales and contains many fortified towns that bears witness to the centuries of disputes over the territory. King Edward 1st of England annexed Wales to the English crown at Rhuddlan in 1284 and developed a chain of castles in the Clwyd valley. Entrance fee applicable.
The Historic and Scenic Borderlands Tour makes an ideal touring day when you enter or exit Wales. As part of a multi day tour, we can start this tour from Chester, Manchester + Airport, Liverpool + Airport.
The Historic and Scenic Borderlands Tour can be custom designed to fit a number of touring options such as duration and pick up/drop off locations.
This private tour can start out from Beaumaris, Bangor, Betws-y-Coed, Caernarfon, Conwy, Holyhead, Llandudno, Ruthin, Llangollen and Wrexham areas.
If you are staying anywhere else in the North Wales region, then please contact us to
discuss your tour requirements and we will be pleased to quote for our services.
If you are visiting on a cruise ship at Liverpool, this tour area makes for a great day tour into Wales and visiting an area of outstanding natural beauty in the North Eastern corner of Wales. We can pick you up from the Liverpool Cruise Terminal
All our tours are custom designed and operate on a private basis.
Like most other professional private driver guide operators, our tour rates do not include:
Accommodation / Entrance fees to Attractions / Refreshments, Drinks, Meals / Gratuities.
By booking direct with us there are no booking fees or credit card charges.
We accept payment by American Express, Mastercard, Visa
Debit Card or by Electronic Bank Transfer.
It’s your very own private tour and we can custom design a tour itinerary to suit what you want to do and see. Our flexibility in designing a tailor made tour means you have the flexibility to make changes to any of our tour examples. So take something out or add something more appealing to your desires, or alternatively, add an element from another tour and combine it to create your perfect touring day.
All you have to do is ask and if it is possible, then it will be our pleasure to accommodate your wishes.
