Where to stay
Llanerch y Dol Hall, Welshpool
Llanerch y Dol Hall offers a peaceful countryside stay just outside Welshpool and within walking distance of Powis Castle and Garden, where the third stage of the Tour de France begins. This Grade II-listed Georgian country house is currently being restored and features characterful suites with period details, landscaped grounds and a Japanese garden. Visitors can enjoy dark-sky stargazing when the sun sets, while the Raven Inn serves food just a 20-minute walk through historic parkland (1.9 km/1.2 miles).
Llangoed Hall, near Brecon
Near the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog), Llangoed Hall is a grand country house hotel overlooking the River Wye. Set within 17 acres (6.9 hectares) of countryside, the hall houses an impressive art collection, including works by artists such as James McNeil Whistler and Augustus John, while antiques are displayed throughout its elegant public rooms. The 23 guest rooms were decorated by the former owners, the renowned British designers Sir Bernard and Laura Ashley, in traditional country house style. Classic dishes and Sunday roasts made with seasonal Welsh produce are served across a range of dining spaces, including a light-filled orangery. Special events include 1920s-themed murder mystery weekends and evenings for an extra touch of theatrical glamour.
Lake Country House Hotel and Spa, Builth Wells
Set within 50 acres (20 hectares) of parkland along the River Irfon, Lake Country House Hotel and Spa in Builth Wells is a luxury four-star retreat surrounded by lawns, woodland and lakes. The 30 guest rooms feature traditional interiors with floral fabrics, antique furniture and period details, while lounges with open fires overlook the grounds. The spa offers treatments using Welsh botanicals alongside thermal suites, saunas, heated pools and massage therapies. In the restaurant, menus highlight produce sourced from Welsh suppliers and local farms.
The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny
In the heart of Abergavenny, The Angel Hotel has converted a former coaching inn into an elegant foodie escape along the Tour de France route. Individually styled rooms feature Lewis & Wood fabrics, Villeroy & Boch finishes and Percale linens, while dining ranges from refined seasonal menus in the two-AA-Rosette Oak Room to relaxed drinks and light bites in the Foxhunter Bar. With the peloton passing through town, it’s a convenient base for fine dining, soaking up race-day atmosphere and exploring the surrounding Welsh countryside.
The Coal Exchange Hotel, Cardiff
At the stage finish in Cardiff, The Coal Exchange Hotel occupies a striking Victorian landmark building in Cardiff Bay that once stood at the centre of the global coal trade. The former trading hall, which Doctor Who fans may recognise from the episode ‘Voyage of the Damned’, has been transformed into a boutique hotel with original architectural details, including its grand façade, imposing columns and arched windows. Inside, ornate plasterwork, wood panelling and high ceilings sit side by side with elegant contemporary design. Individually styled rooms and suites feature whirlpool spa baths and rainfall showers.
Where to eat and drink
The Checkers, Montgomery
In the village of Montgomery, The Checkers is a 17th-century coaching inn with original oak beams, a wood burner and cosy guest rooms. It is run by Andrew Birch, former head chef at Savoy Grill, and Rachel Birch, former head pastry chef at Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows which closed in 2024. The restaurant showcases seasonal Welsh produce through frequently changing tasting menus, with dishes such as hand-dived Orkney scallop tartare and roasted rosé veal. Four upstairs rooms allow guests to turn dinner into an overnight stay (pre-booking essential).
Welsh Mountain Cider, near Brecon
Near Brecon, Welsh Mountain Cider produces naturally fermented, cellar-aged ciders using traditional methods. From April to September, guided tours and tastings reveal the full process, beginning in an orchard where more than 450 apple varieties and 50 pear varieties are grown organically. Visitors learn about low-intervention, biodiverse growing practices and see how the fruit is transformed into naturally fermented cider. The experience finishes with a tasting of three different vintage ciders.
The Felin Fach Griffin, near Brecon
Located between the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog), The Felin Fach Griffin near Brecon is a gastro pub with rooms focusing on ingredient-led cooking. Daily changing menus are shaped by the surrounding Welsh Borders landscape, from local venison and Welsh lamb to cheeses and seasonal produce sourced from nearby farms and foragers. Guests can settle beside log fires in cosy dining rooms or stay overnight in one of eight individually styled bedrooms upstairs.
The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny
A ten-minute drive from Abergavenny, in Llanddewi Skirrid, chef Shaun Hill’s Michelin-starred The Walnut Tree Inn champions cooking inspired by the surrounding Welsh countryside. Food is served in the stylish but understated dining room within this whitewashed former coaching inn. Menus focus on carefully sourced seasonal produce and refined flavours, including dishes such as rump of lamb with braised neck, carrots and lamb jus, or fillet of cod with brandade, confit egg yolk and sea vegetables.
The Potted Pig, Cardiff
Go underground at The Potted Pig in Cardiff. Hidden within a restored 19th-century bank vault beneath the streets of the Welsh capital, diners can enjoy modern Welsh cooking paired with an impressive gin selection. Exposed brick arches, vintage safes and low-lit vaulted ceilings create an atmospheric setting. Menus are built around seasonal local produce and nose-to-tail cooking, and include refined modern British dishes. Apart from gin, the drinks menu includes a carefully curated wine selection and everything from craft cocktails to bottled lagers, ales and ciders.
Things to do
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, Welshpool and Llanfair
Hop aboard the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway for a scenic narrow-gauge steam journey through eight miles (13km) of rural Powys countryside. The heritage line runs between Welshpool and Llanfair Caereinion, passing farmland, wooded hills and the Upper Banwy Valley, with vintage locomotives pulling restored carriages through the landscape. Beyond passive rides, visitors can also take part in hands-on driver experiences, learning how to operate a steam locomotive under expert supervision.
Powis Castle and Garden, Welshpool
For a cultural stop near the stage start, visit Powis Castle and Garden, set on a hillside above the Severn Valley. Originally built as a medieval fortress and now managed by the National Trust, the castle houses lavish interiors and collections of tapestries, paintings and treasures from India. Outside, visitors can wander through Italianate terraces lined with centuries-old yew hedges, ornamental statues and colourful borders, before exploring woodland walks with sweeping valley views.
Brecon Beacons Foraging, Abergavenny
Led by food writer Adele Nozedar, Brecon Beacons Foraging walks reveal the edible landscape of the Welsh National Park. Offering a choice of half-day, weekday and bespoke courses, participants learn to recognise wild ingredients often overlooked as weeds, from seasonal herbs to fungi, and discover how they can be used in cooking. The hands-on experience, which sets off from The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, intends to build a deeper connection with the Welsh countryside, with visitors leaving not only with foraged ingredients, but also practical recipes to take home.
FARMERS’ Lavender Farm Nordic Sauna Experience, Powys
FARMERS’ long-established lavender farm adds a Nordic wellness flourish for post-cycling relaxation: a new outdoor sauna with panoramic views across wild-swimming ponds and purple lavender fields. High in the Welsh hills, a 40-minute drive from Hay-on-Way, the six-to-eight-person cabin lets visitors choose their heat level before a cooling plunge or bracing shower. Afterwards, they can thaw out with coffee and cake in the farm shop, and purchase essential oils distilled next door. To make a night of it, visitors can stay in a snug Hay-on-Wye cottage or opt for dark skies glamping in a converted Pantechnicon (a vintage removal van) tucked into the hillside.
Zip World Tower, Aberdare
Soar above the South Wales valleys at high speed at Zip World Tower, an adventure attraction set within a former coal mine above Aberdare. Reimagining an industrial heritage site as an outdoor playground, it is home to Phoenix, the world’s fastest seated zip line, which sends riders flying across the mountain landscape at speeds of up to 70mph. Visitors can also tackle aerial obstacle courses or brave Europe’s only two-seater coaster, twisting through loops and sharp turns high above the valley floor
Rhondda Heritage Park Museum - A Welsh Coal Mining Experience, Trehafod
Located on the site of the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery (coal mine) in the South Wales Valleys, Rhondda Heritage Park brings the region’s coal mining history to life through guided underground tours led by ex-miners. Visitors can explore reconstructed pithead buildings, the lamp room and interactive exhibits that trace the story of mining communities and the industrial heritage of Wales. Open Tuesday to Saturday, the attraction also features a café and exhibitions.
Castell Coch, near Cardiff
Castell Coch, or ‘Red Castle’, is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle nestled in the woodlands of Tongwynlais, a 20-minute drive from Cardiff (5 miles/8km). Designed by architect William Burges for the third Marquess of Bute, the castle is known for its enchanting, fairytale-like appearance, with soaring turrets, intricate interiors and richly painted walls. Though originally built on the foundations of a much older medieval fort, Castell Coch was recreated in Victorian times to serve as a romanticised retreat for the rich and powerful. It has also appeared on screen as a filming location for several episodes of Doctor Who (‘Last of the Time Lords’ and ‘Nightmare in Silver’).
Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly
One of the standout landmarks along the route, Caerphilly Castle, the largest castle in Wales, has recently undergone a major restoration and reinterpretation project. Inside the restored Great Hall, new digital installations and immersive exhibits bring centuries of Welsh history to life, while visitors can also explore gatehouses, climb battlements and see the castle’s leaning south-east tower, said to tilt more than Pisa’s.
