Over 200,000 people were estimated to have lined the streets of Cardiff as Wales' Euro 2016 squad returned home to a heroes' welcome.
An open top bus carrying Chris Coleman's semifinalists snaked its way through the streets of the capital following the squad's arrival from France.
The Wales squad had left their Brittany base in Dinard on Friday morning for the final time ahead of a huge homecoming party in Cardiff.
After hundreds of supporters greeted them at Cardiff Airport -- renamed Cardiff Bale Airport for the day in honour of Wales star Gareth Bale -- the squad signed autographs and had pictures taken with fans before boarding a bus into the city centre.
The parade then started its journey from Cardiff Castle and took over an hour to travel the few miles to Cardiff City Stadium.
When they did so, players and supporters re-enacted Iceland's viking 'Huh' chant which they copied in France.
Wales manager Coleman said he felt enormous pride at the players, telling BBC Radio Wales: "They didn't want to let their country down and they certainly didn't.
"This is what it's all about, this is why the players work so hard to represent their country.
"They knew there was a nation waiting for them.''
Over 30,000 fans were present at the Cardiff City Stadium -- Wales' home stadium -- as the nation celebrated reaching the last four at its first major tournament for 58 years.
Welsh band Manic Street Preachers, who wrote and sang the official Wales Euro 2016 anthem, performed on stage before the players and staff were presented to the crowd.
One player was missing, however, as midfielder Joe Ledley had earlier boarded a private plane in France to marry his fiancee Ruby May in Ibiza this weekend.
Wales had not qualified for a major finals since the 1958 World Cup, suffering several agonising near-misses down the years before reaching France.
They started the competition as big outsiders, but ended up winning a group which contained England, Slovakia and Russia.
Wales then beat Northern Ireland and Belgium, second in the FIFA world rankings, in the knock-out stages before losing to Portugal in the semifinal.
"It's been a privilege,'' Coleman said.
"It's not just about talent. You have to have heart and desire and that carried us through a lot of games.''
Wales will become the top-ranked home nation on the back of their success at the Euros.
They are seemingly set to climb into the top six less than five years after being down in 117th position.
But Coleman, ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign which starts in two months' time, warned: "It changes quickly. We mustn't get carried away.
"We have had some dark times when we dropped outside the top 100, so when you start playing around with the top 10, that's a good feeling.''
First Minister Carwyn Jones said Wales' success at the Euros had put the country on the map.
"All those years of going abroad and hearing people say 'Wales, where's that? Is it part of England?'' Jones told BBC One Wales.
"Well, that's gone out of the window.
"In five weeks they've really shown where Wales is and that we are a country in ourselves.
"Football is the biggest sport in the world, this is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and to be in the semifinal means people have heard of you.
"You can't buy this kind of publicity, it's just been incredible to see the awareness about Wales which has flowed across the whole of the continent and the world.''
The Wales squad bus was emblazoned on the side with the words 'Diolch (Thank you). Together We Are Stronger'.
Football Association of Wales chief executive Jonathan Ford said: "The volume of fans have demonstrated that it was all worth it.
"What a fantastic celebration of our success and what a party it's going to be.''
Some players were interviewed on the bus by BBC Wales with West Ham defender James Collins confirming that he would continue his international career despite being a bit-part player in France.
"I spoke to the boss [West Ham's Slaven Bilic], he's a former international player so he knows what this means to us,'' the 32-year-old Collins said.
"He's delighted to have one of his players doing this for his national team.
"You'll see me in the next campaign, 100 percent.''