Skip to Main Content
Holland America
  • Search
  • Favorites
  • en
    • English
    • Spanish
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Chat
    • 1-855-932-1711
    • or
    • Live Chat
  • My Account
    Hello Credits
    My Account Exclusive Offers Log out
  • Book a Cruise
    Book a Cruise
    Find
    • Search All Cruises
    • Cruises: 1 – 8 Days
    • Cruises: 9+ Days
    • Cruises: 17+ Days
    • Legendary Voyages: 25 – 59 Days
    • Grand Voyages & World Cruises: 60+ Days
    • Transatlantic Cruises
    • Holiday Cruises
    • Solar Eclipse
    • Charters
    Plan
    • City Stays & Overland Packages
    • Flights & Transfers
    • Hotel Packages
    • Cancellation Protection
    Gifts
    • Gift Cards
    • Send a Gift to a Guest
    Learn More
    • Cruise Planning 101
    • Required Travel Documents
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Family Travel
    • Accessibility
    Need free advice? Talk with a Personal Cruise Consultant.
    Celebrating our Anniversary with experiences too good to hurry through
    Savour The Journey
  • Destinations
    Destinations
    North & South America
    • Alaska & Yukon
    • Canada & New England
    • Caribbean
    • Hawaii
    • Mexico
    • California & Pacific Coast
    • Panama Canal
    • South America & Antarctica
    • Bahamas
    Europe & Mediterranean
    • Europe
    • Mediterranean
    • Norway
    • Iceland
    • Scandinavia
    • Transatlantic
    Asia, Australia & New Zealand
    • Asia
    • Australia & New Zealand
    • Tahiti
    See the World
    • Legendary Voyages
    • Grand Voyages
    Holland America Owned
    • Half Moon Cay
    • Holland America Denali Lodge
    Need free advice? Talk with a Personal Cruise Consultant.
    Couple admiring view from ship deck
    Your dream vacation begins here.
    View Cruises
  • Alaska
    Alaska
    Alaska Cruises
    • All Cruises
    • 6 – 8 Days
    • 9 – 16 Days
    • 17+ Days
    • Learn about Alaska Cruises
    Alaska & Yukon Cruisetours
    • All Cruisetours
    • 9 – 16 Days
    • 17+ Days
    • Learn about Cruisetours
    Glacier Viewing
    • Interactive Glacier Map
    • Guide to Glacier Tours
    • Glacier Bay National Park
    • Our Glacier Guarantee
    Wildlife & Wilderness
    • Alaska Wildlife
    • Denali National Park
    • National Parks
    • White Pass Scenic Railway
    Learn More
    • Sustainable Seafood
    • What to Pack
    • Cruisetour Tips
    • Featured Ports
    Holland America Owned
    • Holland America Denali Lodge
    Need free advice? Talk with a Personal Cruise Consultant.
    Brown bear with three cubs
    Cross Denali off your bucket list.
    View Cruisetours
  • Ship Life
    Ship Life
    Our Ships
    • Fleet Overview
    • Suites & Staterooms
    Activities
    • Activities Day & Night
    • Spa & Salon
    • Casino
    • Shopping
    • Kids & Teens
    Dining
    • Destination Dining™ Our Commitment to Fresh
    • Culinary Ambassadors
    • Restaurants
    • Bars & Lounges
    Music & Entertainment
    • Production Shows
    • Live Music & Nightlife
    • Destination Experts
    Shore Excursions
    • Find Shore Excursions
    • Overland Tours
    • Best Price Guarantee
    Other Amenities
    • Club Orange
    • Have It All Package
    • Wi-Fi & Internet Packages
    Women relaxing at the Holland America Spa & Salon
    Treat yourself at sea.
    Go to Spa & Salon
  • Deals
    Deals
    Deals
    • All Cruise Deals
    • All Exclusive Offers & Cruise Deals
    • Travel by Sea Sale
    • Top Ten Cruise Deals
    • Refer a Friend, Get $50
    • Community Appreciation Offers
    • AARP Member Offer
    • Grand Voyage Early Booking Bonus
    • Special Offers for Guests 3 & 4
    • Standby Program
    Have It All
    • Have It All Premium Cruise Package
    • Have It All Early Booking Bonus
    Club Orange & Mariner Society
    • Join Club Orange
    • $400 Onboard Credit - Early Booking Bonus
    • Mariner Society
    Our best amenities in one premium package
    Explore Cruises
  • Manage My Cruise
    Manage My Cruise
    Manage
    • My Cruise
    • Check In
    • Make a Payment
    • Book Flights
    • Book Airport Transfers
    • Book Hotels & Travel Packages
    • Cancellation Protection
    Customize Your Cruise
    • Shore Excursions
    • Spa & Salon
    • Beverage Packages
    • Wi-Fi & Internet Packages
    • Dining Reservations
    Celebrate On Board
    • Gifts & Extras
    • Stateroom Décor Packages
    • Send a Gift to a Guest
    More Info
    • Download Mobile App
    • Know Before You Go
    • Cruise Credits
    • Departure Port Information
    • Required Travel Documents
    Airplane flying above clouds
    Book flights the easy way.
    Try Flight Ease®
  • My Account Exclusive Offers
  • Search
  • Log out
  • en
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Chat
  • Chat
  • 1-855-932-1711
  • or
  • Live Chat
    • facebook
    • pinterest

The Ffabulous Ffestiniog Railway & Welsh Countryside

View Cruises
  • Port

    Holyhead, Wales, United Kingdom

  • Activity Level

    Moderate

  • Excursion Type

    Local Sightseeing,All

  • Wheelchair Accessible

    No

  • Starting At

    $169.95

  • Minimum Age

    Information Not Currently Available

  • Duration

    Approximately 7¾ Hours

  • Meals Included

    Meals included

Join this fascinating tour to travel on the old Ffestiniog slate train. A miniature steam-hauled train runs along a 13.5-mile narrow-gauge line connecting the mountains at Blaenau Ffestiniog with the coast at Porthmadog.

Travel by coach through the farmlands of Anglesey, crossing the Menai Strait to the mainland and entering mountainous Snowdonia National Park. Here, deep in the Colwyn Valley, lies picture-postcard Beddgelert village with traditional stone-built, slate-roofed cottages. The Colwyn River snakes under the twin arches of the old stone bridge.

Leave the coach in attractive, busy little Porthmadog, built on land reclaimed from the sea in the 19th century. Porthmadog was once a flourishing slate port, with the narrow-gauge Ffestiniog Railway completed in 1836, bringing slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog. The railroad closed in 1964 but has since been restored and re-opened. Enjoy a few minutes in the harbor area of Porthmadog.

Board the train for the 1.25-hour journey along the original railway's route. At Dduallt, you'll come to a section of the line called the spiral, where the railway, uniquely in Britain, crosses over itself to gain elevation. The train puffs its way slowly up the steep gradients to reach the slate-mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Reboard your coach and continue through the delightful and rural Vale of Ffestiniog and the so-called Crimea Pass. Steep, wooded hillsides adorned with dry-stone walls rise to granite outcroppings as the road twists and turns along the length of the upper River Lledr. Take photos near Dolwyddelan Castle -- an enchanting ruin on an exposed hilltop above the treeline.

Welcome to the distinctly alpine Betws-y-Coed. This beautifully-situated Victorian resort lies amid conifer-clad crags, historic bridges, waterfalls and placid countryside. You'll stop here for lunch.

Continuing west, travel through the stunning Llanberis Pass at the foot of Mount Snowdon itself before descending to lower ground and the fertile plains and to Anglesey and Holyhead.

Notes:

Lunch will be served in Betws-y-Coed, Porthmadog or Beddgelert, depending on the routing on the day. Photo stops in Snowdonia National Park are subject to traffic conditions on the day. Tour sequence may vary. This tour is non-refundable 14 days prior to the date of the call.

Savour the Journey

Experiences With Us Are Too Good To Hurry Through

Explore Cruises

  • Find Cruises
  • Last Minute Cruise Deals
  • Our Cruise Ships
  • Family Cruises
  • Holiday Cruises
  • Cruise Accessibility
  • Cruise Brochures
  • About Holland America
  • Affiliates

Cruise Destinations

  • All Cruise Destinations
  • Alaska Cruises
  • Bahamas Cruises
  • Caribbean Cruises
  • European Cruises
  • Hawaii Cruises
  • Mediterranean Cruises
  • Mexico Cruises
  • Transatlantic Cruises
  • World Cruises & Grand Voyages

Plan & Manage Your Cruise

  • Cruise Check-In
  • Manage Booking
  • Shore Excursions
  • Flights & Transfers
  • Hotel Packages
  • Cruise Cancellation Protection
  • Gift Cards
  • Know Before You Go
  • Holland America Visa® Card

Customer Support

  • Cruising FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Speak to a Cruise Consultant
  • News & Travel Advisories
  • Blog
  • Cruise Fraud Protection
  • Call 1-855-932-1711
  • Sustainability
  • Holland America Team
  • Travel Advisors
White icon devices
Navigator Mobile App
Plan activities, purchase shore excursions, make reservations and more right from your phone while on board.
Google Play button Apple Store Button
  • White icon of Facebook
  • White icon of YouTube
  • White icon of Instagram
  • White icon of Pinterest
  • Site Map
  • Careers
  • Passenger Bill of Rights
  • Cruise Contract
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • Consumer Health Data Privacy Notice
  • Your Privacy Choices