Lôn Las Cymru, meaning “Wales’ green lane,” is the country’s flagship long-distance cycle route and, for many seasoned tourers, the ultimate Welsh cycling challenge. Opened in 1995 and forming National Cycle Route 8, it runs for around 250 miles from Cardiff Bay, or an alternative start at Chepstow, all the way to Holyhead on Anglesey, passing directly through two national parks, Bannau Brycheiniog and Eryri, along the way. With around 4,800 metres of climbing across its length, it is a genuinely serious undertaking, but one that rewards every metre of ascent with some of the most complete and spectacular scenery Wales has to offer.
The journey begins along the Taff Trail, following the River Taff north out of Cardiff through the historic South Wales Valleys to Brecon, before the route continues through the beautiful upper Wye Valley via Builth Wells to Llanidloes, deep in the heart of mid Wales. This entire southern stretch is available as two of our standalone holidays, the Taff Trail from Cardiff to Brecon, and Lôn Las Cymru South from Llanidloes to Brecon, both of which can be combined into the opening chapters of the full end-to-end journey.
From Llanidloes, the route climbs steadily into genuinely remote country, following the upper valley of the River Severn to the highest point on the entire route at 510 metres, deep in the wild, empty Cambrian Mountains, before descending into the market town of Machynlleth. Red kites are a regular sight wheeling overhead throughout this stretch, and cyclists occasionally find themselves sharing the valley with RAF jets training low over the famous “Mach Loop” nearby, a memorably dramatic corner of the ride.
Beyond Machynlleth, the route enters Eryri National Park and offers a genuine choice of paths towards Porthmadog. The more coastal option follows the flat, scenic Mawddach Trail from Dolgellau to the seaside town of Barmouth, crossing its famous wooden toll bridge with views towards Cadair Idris, before continuing along the coast past Harlech. The inland alternative instead threads through Coed-y-Brenin forest and the open country around Trawsfynydd, both routes eventually rejoining for the final approach through the resorts of Tremadog Bay.
The journey’s final chapter is a fitting way to bring such a substantial ride to a close. The route follows the old railway paths of Lôn Eifion and Lôn Las Menai into the walled town of Caernarfon and on to Bangor, before crossing the Menai Strait, traditionally via the historic Menai Suspension Bridge, onto the island of Anglesey. From here, quiet country lanes lead across the island to the port town of Holyhead, journey’s end, with the option of a final, spectacular detour out to the lighthouse at South Stack for those wanting to finish in properly memorable style.
Our Lôn Las Cymru holiday takes you the full distance from Cardiff to Holyhead, combining our Taff Trail and Lôn Las Cymru South routes with the more remote and mountainous stretches further north through the Cambrian Mountains and Eryri National Park. We take care of your accommodation each night, transfer your luggage between stops, and provide detailed route notes and mapping throughout, with quality hybrid bikes available to hire, well suited to the mix of tarmac, gravel and old railway path found along the way. There are no fixed departure dates, and given the scale of the full route, we are always happy to help plan a schedule that suits you, whether that is the complete end-to-end journey or a single section as part of a shorter break.
Day 1: Arrive in Cardiff
Day 2: Cardiff to Brecon – Following the Taff Trail north through the Valleys.
Day 3: Brecon to Builth Wells – Into the upper Wye Valley.
Day 4: Builth Wells to Llanidloes – Classic mid Wales countryside.
Day 5: Llanidloes to Machynlleth – Over the highest point on the route, deep in the Cambrian Mountains.
Day 6: Machynlleth to Dolgellau – Entering Eryri National Park.
Day 7: Dolgellau to Barmouth – Along the flat, scenic Mawddach Trail, crossing the historic toll bridge.
Day 8: Barmouth to Porthmadog – Past Harlech and along Tremadog Bay.
Day 9: Porthmadog to Caernarfon – Via the Lôn Eifion railway path.
Day 10: Caernarfon to Anglesey – Through Bangor and across the Menai Strait.
Day 11: Anglesey to Holyhead – Quiet lanes across the island to journey’s end, with an optional detour to South Stack lighthouse.
Day 12: Depart
(Itinerary shown as an example of the full end-to-end route – it can also be tackled in standalone sections, including our Taff Trail and Lôn Las Cymru South holidays, and stages, mileage and overnight stops can be adjusted to suit fitness levels and available time.)
