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First Time in Mid Wales | A Five-Day Introduction by Car or Train

Mid Wales is the large, thinly populated middle of Wales, covering Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri (Southern Snowdonia), from the English border to Cardigan Bay. It's a land of hills, reservoirs, market towns and a quiet coast, about two hours from Birmingham and three from Cardiff, Manchester or Bristol. This five-day plan is an introduction for first-time visitors, crossing from east to west and back.

Day one: Welshpool and Powis Castle

Start on the border at Welshpool, on the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury and Birmingham. Powis Castle and Garden, the National Trust castle above the town, has some of the finest terraced gardens in Britain.

Day two: Machynlleth and the Dyfi

Travel west to Machynlleth, where Owain Glyndŵr held a Welsh parliament in 1404. See the ospreys at the Dyfi Wildlife Centre (April to August), in the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere.

Day three: Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge

Aberystwyth is a university and seaside town on Cardigan Bay, home to the National Library of Wales. Take the Vale of Rheidol steam railway up the valley to Devil's Bridge for the waterfalls and three bridges stacked over the gorge.

Day four: the Elan Valley and red kites

Drive over the Cambrian Mountains to Rhayader and the Elan Valley, a chain of Victorian reservoirs and dams in the hills, with walking and cycling trails. At Gigrin Farm, just outside Rhayader, watch hundreds of red kites at the afternoon feed; the kite is the unofficial national bird of Wales.

Day five: Hay-on-Wye and the national park

Finish in Hay-on-Wye, the town of books on the edge of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), then drive through the national park past the Visitor Centre near Libanus, with views of Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in southern Britain.

Good to know

• By train, the Cambrian Line serves Welshpool, Machynlleth and Aberystwyth. The Heart of Wales Line serves Knighton, Llandrindod Wells and Builth Road. A car gives you much more freedom elsewhere.
• Many road signs and place names are in Welsh first. Y Trallwng is Welshpool; Aberhonddu is Brecon.
• See all our itineraries and places to stay in our accommodation section.