Day one

Cardiff International White Water is situated at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay. For a thrilling water sports adventure they offer white water rafting, indoor surfing, air trail, hot dogging, gorge scrambling, river boarding, paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking. They also provide bike hire if your clients would prefer to cycle the Cardiff Bay Trail. There is a drop off point for coach parties.

Taff Valley Quad Bike and Activity Centre is located on a Welsh hill farm near Cardiff, offering outdoor activities such as quad biking, assault course, archery, laser shooting and clay pigeon shooting. Helicopter landing is available. Access to the centre is not possible for vehicles of more than 29 seats. For larger groups, contact the centre to discuss other options.

Taff Valley Quad Bike & Activity Centre

Alternatively, visit Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs where clients can participate in a number of water sports. Breakfast and lunch is offered at the café in the visitor centre which has spectacular views across the reservoirs. There are also 3 miles (5 km) of circular paths around the reservoirs, with a woodland story trail and a bird hide. For operators looking for conservation and biodiversity tours, a ranger talk on the waxcap fungi, and tour of the site can be arranged. There are several varieties of fungi and some are so rare, they are only found in one other country in the world. Fruiting bodies can be seen during the autumn and winter season.

Another option could be to include a thrilling adventure at Zip World Tower, the first Zip World to open in South Wales. It is located in the Rhigos Mountain range, overlooking Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, at the old Tower Colliery coal mine. Your clients can brave Phoenix, the fastest seated zip line; Tower Coaster, Europe's unique 0.6 miles (1 km) side by side coaster track and Tower Climber, the three storey outdoor activity adventure which has 69 obstacles and adventures to tackle. A bar and bistro is available on-site.

A woman on a stand up paddleboard on a reservoir.
People on zip wires zipping across a mountainous landscape.

Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs, and Zip World Tower

Accommodation

The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell

The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell

Accommodation
Crickhowell
Llechwen Hall Hotel

Llechwen Hall

Accommodation
Pontypridd
New House Country Hotel

New House Country Hotel

Accommodation
Cardiff

Day two

BikePark Wales is the UK’s first full scale mountain bike park with a network of trails for riders of all abilities, including beginners. Bike hire, bike shop and café on-site. Half and full day packages are offered for groups of ten or more. Access and parking is more suitable for mini buses.

Walk up Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales at 886 metres (2,907 ft) high. The easiest route to take is to start from Storey Arms but there are a number of routes to choose. There is a small car park opposite but it gets full very quickly. Pont ar Daf car park is nearby.

If you are looking for a less energetic walk, you can visit the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park Visitor Centre at Libanus and enjoy the view of Pen y Fan instead. There’s a tea room serving breakfast, lunches and snacks.

Aerial view of the green plains below from the top of Pen y Fan with blue skies.

Pen y Fan

Accommodation

Llangoed Hall

Llangoed Hall

Accommodation
Brecon
Superior Bedroom

The Swan at Hay

Accommodation
Hay-on-Wye
Metropole

The Metropole Hotel

Accommodation
Llandrindod Wells

Day three

We offer of choice of activity locations today. Goytre Wharf is an eight acre site set alongside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Clients can hire boats for up to 12, one of which has wheelchair accessibility, canoes or cycles. Or for a more leisurely day, they also offer walking routes or places to fish. A canal-side café and coach parking is available. 

Boat on the canal moored under a tree with a bridge in the background.

Goytre Wharf, Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

There are many land and water activities at Llandegfedd Lake Visitor Centre. The 400 acre site offers sailing, boating, stand-up paddleboarding, raft building, canoeing and kayaking at the Watersport Centre. There's also fishing, walking and adventure golf, and leaflets, permits and clubs can be picked up at the visitor centre. There is a restaurant onsite offering views of the lake.

A boating lake, jetty and a visitor centre.
A man kayaking on a lake.

Llandegfedd Lake Visitor Centre

Llangorse Multi Activity Centre offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities on-site including rock climbing, bouldering, rope bridges, caving, abseiling, Sky Trek challenge, horse riding and more. The Base Camp Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The centre offers tailor-made full and half day programmes at group rates. Access to the centre is via a country lane, so more suitable for minibuses.

Horse riding at Llangorse Multi Activity Centre

Accommodation

The Angel Hotel

The Angel Hotel

Accommodation
Abergavenny
The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell

The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell

Accommodation
Crickhowell

Day four

Elan Valley, known as ‘the Lake District of Wales’ – a Victorian fantasy landscape of stone dams and immense man-made lakes. Learn about the building of the dams and what else the area has to offer at the Visitor Centre. A café, tea room, a gift shop and cycle hire are available. Visitors can choose to just visit the centre or spend longer around the estate which is ideal for walking, cycling, driving and angling. Coach parties will benefit from contacting the centre prior to the visit as they provide a coach operators pack. They also offer a dedicated private ranger for a guided tour of the estate, and a unique, private 'behind the scenes' tour inside the Pen-y-Garreg dam. Free refreshments are provided to the tour guide and coach driver. The road around the valley is narrow and coaches must therefore follow a clockwise route.

An aerial shot of the river held back by the dam surrounded by forest.

Pen-y-Garreg dam, Elan Valley

Alternatively, walk part of Glyndwr’s Way, a long distance walking trail with a variety of routes and distances. The trail starts at Knighton and ends in Welshpool, includes Llanidloes along the Cambrian Way and then diverts off the route onto Machynlleth. This section is approximate 16 miles (25 km). Itineraries are available on the website.

The street view of the stone and brick properties in the town of Llanidloes on the Glyndwr's Way walk.
An eye level view of a dam holding back the reservoirsurrounded by a green landscape.
A man cycling along the footpath alongside the Montgomery Canal near Welshpool.

Sights on Glyndwr's Way - Llanidloes, Clywedog reservoir and Montgomery Canal near Welshpool

Accommodation

Hafren Forest Hideaway

Hafren Forest Hideaway

Accommodation
Llanbrynmair
Nanteos Mansion

Nanteos Mansion

Accommodation
Aberystwyth
Pale Hall Hotel

Pale Hall Hotel

Accommodation
Bala
Y Talbot and The Square

Y Talbot

Accommodation
Tregaron

Day five

Possible options to end your tour include:

An outdoor adventure with Bala Adventure and Watersports. Options include canoeing and kayaking, climbing and abseiling, archery and camp craft, mountain biking, windsurfing, sailing, gorge walking and raft building.

White water rafting on the rapids of the River Trywern at the National White Water Centre in Bala. Rafting sessions are available for one or two hours with a maximum of six clients per raft. Tailor made weekend adventure breaks can also be arranged. There is a café on site and parking is available for minibuses but advance notice should be given for coach parties. Booking is essential.

White water rafting at the National White Water Centre.

National White Water Centre

Cycling or walking along The Mawddach Trail which starts in Dolgellau and ends in Barmouth. The spectacular flat route takes you 9.5 miles (15 km) along a disused railway track and is suitable for wheelchair users. Bike hire is available in Dolgellau at Dolgellau Cycles.

Climb Cadair Idris, translated The Chair of Idris and named after a mythical giant and warrior. If you spend the night here you may wake up as a poet or mad! The shortest route is around 3 miles (4.8 km) with an ascent of 869 metres (2,850 ft).

Mountain biking with Beics Brenin at Coed y Brenin Forest – choose from a variety of routes suitable for all abilities starting form the eco visitor centre. The centre has a gift and craft shop, play areas and a café . Bike hire and a bike shop is available and there’s also a variety of way-marked walking trails.

Stone buildings in Eldon Square with Cadair Idris mountain in the background.
A mountain biker on zip zagging tracks with forest trees in the background.

Dolgellau with Cadair Idris in background, and Coed y Brenin Forest

Be safe!

Exploring the outdoors is fantastic fun, but please ensure that your clients read up on the risks and make sure they are prepared.

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