Self-guided tours & group itineraries

Here are four suggestions for one day itineraries.

The Picturesque Wye Tour

It’s more than 250 years since William Gilpin took a boat tour down the River Wye in 1770, an event that heralded the birth of British tourism. This tour explores what inspired Gilpin (and Turner and Wordsworth amongst many others) as you retrace his journey down the Wye Valley.

Download the Wye Tour visitor guide

Glorious Gardens of Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire is known as a 'Gardener's County' with both contemporary and historic gardens, large and small, to view and explore. Start in the Wye Valley at the contemporary romantic Veddw House Garden with its geometric yew-hedged secret rooms. Next on the itinerary is the Wye Valley Sculpture Garden nestled in its tranquil and secluded setting on a gentle sunny slope in Tintern.

From there head north to the 12 acres of pristine arts and crafts gardens at High Glanau, designed by H. Avray Tipping in 1922.

Then head to Llanover Garden, a stunning 15 acre historic garden with unusual herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees, and a circular walled garden, surrounded by parkland. This garden features in the November edition of RHS Garden Magazine and is particularly stunning in autumn. End your itinerary at the RHS Partner Garden of the Year 2022 at Nant-y-Bedd, an organic 10-acre garden north of Abergavenny in the Black Mountains.

Food & History

Discover the very best of our history and food with our Explore Monmouthshire itinerary, taking you from the middle ages to modern vineyards.

Start at the Norman Caldicot Castle and its idyllic country park; travel onto the Victorian Old Station Tintern; visit the Georgian Shire Hall in Monmouth; follow up with wine tasting at White Castle Vineyard; and finally, settle in for a sumptuous Afternoon Tea at The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny.

The Agincourt Wales Trail

Explore the landscape into which Henry V was born, where he tested his military tactics, and from where he drew vital support for his campaign in France.

The Battle of Agincourt, on 25 October 1415, is one of the best-known events in British history. The Agincourt Wales Trail links eight locations across the region, telling the stories of the people and places that played a role in the famous battle.

The story of Henry V’s forces epic defeat of a much larger French army has been immortalised in tales, plays and poetry familiar to all. What is less well known is the role played by Wales in Henry’s stirring victory. Five hundred Welsh archers and 23 men-at-arms travelled to fight in France – many of them from the Breconshire and Monmouthshire region – along with a contingent of archers and miners from the Forest of Dean. Discover how that loyalty was rewarded as Welsh nobles grew in wealth and status and we move towards the birth of the Tudor dynasty.

Building on the success of the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt in 2015, a new interpretation trail has been developed to commemorate Wales’ Agincourt connections.

The Agincourt 600 Commemorative Fund has worked with the Woodland Trust to plant trees at many of the locations to provide a permanent memorial which will grow and develop as the years go by. Following the Trail will allow visitors to learn more about the Agincourt story as they explore the region.

Download the Agincourt Wales Trail guide

During the Battle of Agincourt, King Henry V kept the crown jewels in a tower at St Pierre, near Chepstow. Today this is the Marriott St Pierre, a hotel and golf club set around the medieval manor house.

Tour Guides

Make the most of your visit to the region by hiring the services of a professional tour guide. Members of the Wales Official Tour Guide Association are the only guides officially recognised to be able to guide in Wales. They provide highly trained, professional and experienced Blue Badge Guides, who will help bring your journey to life.

There are dozens of guides, each with their own specialisms, interests and language skills. Blue Badge Guides can take you all over the region, whilst Green Badge Guides offer a more specialist and localised expertise.

To find a guide to suit your needs, visit www.walesbestguides.com