Overview
Wales is one of the four nations of the United Kingdom, with its own parliament (the Senedd), its own language, its own flag with the red dragon, and a strong sense that it is not England. It is small, about 170 miles (275 km) from north to south, but the roads are slow and the landscape is packed, so give it a week if you can.
The country splits into three trips that most people combine. The south has Cardiff, the capital, plus the Brecon Beacons (now officially Bannau Brycheiniog) and the Gower Peninsula. The southwest is Pembrokeshire, a national park built around a 186-mile coast path, the tiny cathedral city of St Davids and boat trips to puffin islands. The north holds Eryri (Snowdonia), Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the castles of Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris, the Italianate village of Portmeirion and the island of Anglesey.
Wales has more castles per square mile than almost anywhere in Europe. Pack a real waterproof in any month, since Eryri is among the wettest places in Britain. Summer days run 64–70°F (18–21°C), and in late June it stays light past 10pm in the north.
Different from home
Calling Wales "England," or the Welsh "English," lands about as well as calling a Canadian an American. Wales is part of Great Britain and the UK, and people here will happily explain the difference. Say "Wales" and "Welsh," and you will be fine.
What to eat while you are here
Look for Welsh lamb, cawl (lamb and leek stew), Welsh rarebit, bara brith (spiced fruit loaf) and Welsh cakes warm off the griddle. Penderyn makes Welsh whisky, with distillery tours. See food and pubs.
Getting there from London and the airports
There are no nonstop flights from the US to Wales. Most Americans arrive at London Heathrow and take the train, or fly into Manchester for North Wales. Bristol Airport is about an hour by road from Cardiff. See flights for US nonstops.
| Route | Train | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Paddington to Cardiff Central | GWR, about every 30 min | About 1 hr 50 min–2 hr | Continues to Swansea (about 3 hr from London) |
| London Euston to Chester | Avanti West Coast | About 2 hr | Gateway to North Wales; change here for the coast line |
| London Euston to Bangor or Holyhead | Avanti direct trains on some departures, or change at Chester | Roughly 3–4 hr | Holyhead has ferries to Dublin |
| Manchester Airport to Llandudno Junction | Transport for Wales | About 2 hr | Best airport for Snowdonia and Conwy |
| Cardiff to Haverfordwest or Fishguard | Transport for Wales | About 2 hr 30 min–3 hr | For Pembrokeshire; buses onward to St Davids |
Book Advance tickets on the GWR or Avanti sites, or through an app such as Trainline, as early as you can: London to Cardiff can be a fraction of the walk-up fare. A Two Together or Senior Railcard cuts a third off most fares. The getting around page explains Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime tickets.
By car, London to Cardiff is about 150 miles (240 km) on the M4, three hours or more with traffic; the Severn crossings have been toll-free since 2018. For North Wales, the A55 runs along the coast from Chester to Holyhead.
Insider tip
If Ireland is next, Wales is the classic bridge. Ferries sail from Holyhead to Dublin, and from Fishguard and Pembroke Dock to Rosslare in southeast Ireland. See combining the UK with Ireland and Europe.
Getting around: car, train and bus
A car makes Wales far easier, especially in Pembrokeshire, mid-Wales and the Llŷn Peninsula. Rent an automatic if you are not fluent with a stick shift on the left: narrow lanes with stone walls on both sides, sheep in the road and steep hill starts are not the place to learn. The driving page covers US licenses, insurance and roundabouts.
Watch out
Since September 2023, the default speed limit on most roads in towns and villages in Wales has been 20 mph, down from 30 mph. Councils have since raised some roads back to 30 after review, so the only safe rule is to read every sign. Speed cameras are common, and a ticket can follow you home through your rental company with an admin fee.
Without a car, you can still do a lot. The North Wales coast line links Chester, Conwy, Llandudno Junction and Bangor. The Conwy Valley line runs through Betws-y-Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog. In Snowdonia, the Sherpa'r Wyddfa buses circle the mountain and stop at the main trailheads. TrawsCymru buses link towns the trains miss, and Transport for Wales sells rover passes; check its site for current options.
Two heritage railways are trips in themselves: the Ffestiniog Railway, running since the 1830s, climbs from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog through slate country, and the Welsh Highland Railway runs about 25 miles from Caernarfon to Porthmadog around the flanks of Snowdon.
Cardiff (Caerdydd)
Cardiff became the capital only in 1955, and it feels young: a compact, walkable center with a castle in the middle, a regenerated waterfront at Cardiff Bay and a 74,500-seat stadium a few minutes from the train station. Two full days covers it, with a third for the castles just outside town.
Cardiff Castle
Roman walls, a Norman keep on its mound, and Victorian rooms that the third Marquess of Bute and the architect William Burges turned into a Gothic fantasy of gilding, painted ceilings and carved animals. The ticket also covers the battlement walks and the tunnels inside the walls used as air-raid shelters in World War II. Adults pay £16.50 (about $22), children £11 (about $15). A guided House Tour of the apartments costs £5 (about $7) more and is sold on the day only.
Cardiff Bay
The old coal docks, which once shipped more coal than anywhere on earth, are now a waterfront of restaurants and landmarks. See the Senedd, the Welsh parliament, which is open to visitors; the Wales Millennium Centre arts complex; the red-brick Pierhead; and the little Norwegian Church where Roald Dahl was christened. The barrage path continues to Penarth.
Principality Stadium
Wales's national stadium has a retractable roof and hosts the Six Nations rugby matches in February and March, the autumn internationals in November, plus big concerts. Match days are loud and joyful, and the anthem alone is worth the ticket. On other days, guided stadium tours take you into the dressing rooms and the players' tunnel; check the stadium's site for times and prices. See sports for tickets.
National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans
The National Museum in Cathays Park has one of the best Impressionist collections in Britain, plus Welsh art and natural history. St Fagans National Museum of History, about 4 miles (6 km) west, is an open-air museum of rebuilt Welsh buildings: farmhouses, a chapel, a miners' institute and a row of ironworkers' cottages furnished by decade. Both are free; donations welcome.
Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle
Castell Coch, the "Red Castle," is a fairytale rebuild by the same Bute and Burges team, with conical towers in the woods above the city. Caerphilly Castle is the opposite: a vast 13th-century fortress ringed by artificial lakes, one of the largest castles in Britain, with a famously leaning tower. Both are run by Cadw; see the castles section below for passes.
Cardiff is a rugby city first. On international match days, hotels sell out and prices jump, so check the fixtures before you book. Between sights, browse the Victorian shopping arcades and the covered Cardiff Market for Welsh cakes.
Eryri (Snowdonia) and Yr Wyddfa
Eryri National Park covers about 820 square miles (2,130 km²) of mountains, lakes, slate quarries and coast in the northwest. The park authority now uses the Welsh names: Eryri for Snowdonia and Yr Wyddfa for Snowdon. At 3,560 ft (1,085 m), Yr Wyddfa is the highest mountain in Wales and the busiest in Britain, and the summit is often in cloud while the valleys are sunny.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway
Since 1896 a rack-and-pinion railway has climbed from Llanberis to the summit visitor center, Hafod Eryri. The round trip takes about 2½ hours, including roughly 30 minutes at the top. You choose between the Traditional Diesel Service and the Heritage Steam Experience, which uses the original Victorian locomotives on selected dates.
| 2026 fare (adult return to the summit) | Off-peak | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Diesel | £45 (about $60) | £48 (about $64) |
| Heritage Steam | £62 (about $82) | £72 (about $96) |
| Diesel single, up only | £35 (about $47) | £38 (about $51) |
- Book online at the Snowdon Mountain Railway site. There is a £4 (about $5) fee per booking, and summer dates sell out weeks ahead. Tickets are non-refundable and tied to one train.
- Know the season. Trains reach the summit roughly May to October, when Hafod Eryri is open; earlier and on some autumn dates they stop at Clogwyn, about three-quarters of the way up. The 2026 season ends November 1; check 2027 dates when published.
- Arrive at Llanberis station at least an hour before departure. Late passengers are not held, and the first train leaves at 9am.
- Downhill singles are sold only at the summit, first come, first served, so walking up and riding down is a gamble. American Express is not accepted.
- Expect weather changes. High winds can cut the trip short at a lower station. Bring warm layers even in July: the summit is often 10–15°F (6–8°C) colder than Llanberis before you count the wind.
Walking up Yr Wyddfa
Hundreds of thousands of people climb Yr Wyddfa every year. It is a serious mountain walk, with real drops, fast-changing weather and a busy mountain rescue team. Wear proper boots, carry water, food and a waterproof, check the Met Office mountain forecast, and turn back if the weather turns.
- Llanberis Path: the longest and most gradual, following the railway, about 9 miles (14.5 km) round trip and 6–7 hours.
- Pyg Track and Miners' Track: both start at Pen-y-Pass, about 7 miles (11 km) round trip and 5–6 hours. The Miners' Track starts flat past lakes, then climbs steeply to join the Pyg.
- Rhyd Ddu and Snowdon Ranger paths: quieter routes from the west, near the Welsh Highland Railway.
- Crib Goch: a knife-edge scramble with fatal falls most years. It is not a hiking path. Skip it unless you have real scrambling experience.
Watch out
The Pen-y-Pass car park is small and pre-booked only, through JustPark, for most of the year (in 2026, until November 1), at £25 (about $33) for up to 8 hours or £45 (about $60) for a full day; on summer weekends you will not find a space on arrival. Use the park-and-ride at Nant Peris or the Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus from Llanberis or Betws-y-Coed, and check the Eryri National Park site before you go. Parking on the verges brings fines and blocks rescue vehicles. See outdoors for hill safety.
Betws-y-Coed and Zip World
Betws-y-Coed is the park's busiest village, a cluster of stone buildings at the meeting of rivers, with outdoor gear shops, cafés and a train station on the Conwy Valley line. Short walks lead to Swallow Falls (Rhaeadr Ewynnol, a small fee) and the gorge at Fairy Glen.
Zip World turned old slate workings into adventure parks. At Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, Velocity is the headline ride, which the company bills as the fastest zip line in the world, over a flooded quarry lake; autumn prices started at £99 (about $132). Zip World also runs a forest park in Betws-y-Coed and underground adventures in the caverns at Llechwedd near Blaenau Ffestiniog. Book a specific slot on the Zip World site and check its age, height and weight limits first. High winds cancel rides, so keep a backup plan.
The slate landscape from Llanberis to Blaenau Ffestiniog became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021; the free National Slate Museum in Llanberis tells its story.
The castles of North Wales
After conquering the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd in the 1280s, England's King Edward I built a chain of castles to hold it, designed by his master mason, James of St George. Four of them, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris, form a single World Heritage Site. They are run by Cadw, the Welsh government's heritage service, and all four can be seen in two days from a base in Conwy or Caernarfon.
Conwy Castle
Eight massive towers on a rock above the estuary, attached to almost a mile of town walls with 21 towers. You can walk long sections of the walls for free. A short stretch between the Watch Tower and the Wing Gate is closed while Cadw installs stronger railings, with reopening hoped for Easter 2027. Adult admission is £12.90 (about $17), or £16.30 (about $22) on a joint ticket with Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan townhouse in the center. Down on the quay, the "smallest house in Great Britain" is a fun five minutes.
Caernarfon Castle
The grandest of the four, with banded stone and many-sided towers meant to recall the walls of Constantinople. It was built as a royal palace, and the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales took place here in 1969. A lift and stairs now reach the upper levels of the King's Gate. Adults pay £14.90 (about $20). The Welsh Highland Railway starts just below the walls.
Harlech Castle
Perched on a crag with Tremadog Bay below and the mountains of Eryri behind, Harlech has the best setting of the four. A modern "floating" footbridge lets you enter through the gatehouse the way the builders intended. Adults pay £10.40 (about $14). Harlech is on the scenic Cambrian Coast railway line.
Beaumaris Castle
On Anglesey, across the Menai Strait, Beaumaris is the most perfectly symmetrical design, with rings of walls inside a water-filled moat. It was never finished, which makes it low and squat. Adults pay £10.40 (about $14). The town has good cafés and boat trips to Puffin Island.
All four open 9:30am to 5pm from March through October (6pm in July and August) and 10am to 4pm in winter, closing December 24–26 and January 1. Prices above run September 2026 to March 2027. Booking online at Cadw saves 5% but is non-refundable. A disabled visitor and companion go free.
Save money
Gate prices for the big four add up to £48.60 (about $65) per adult. Cadw's Explorer Pass covers all its staffed sites for 3 or 7 days, with versions for one adult, two adults and families. The 3-day pass (any three days within seven) costs £28 (about $37) for one adult, £42 (about $56) for two and £67.20 (about $89) for a family; the 7-day adult pass is £42. It pays off if you see three or more castles, or add Caerphilly, Castell Coch or St Davids Bishop's Palace. Members of English Heritage or Historic Environment Scotland may get discounts. See heritage passes.
Nearby, Llandudno is a Victorian seaside resort with a tramway up the Great Orme headland; Penrhyn Castle and Bodnant Garden are National Trust highlights; and Anglesey has the village with the 58-letter name, Llanfairpwll for short.
Portmeirion and the Llŷn Peninsula
Portmeirion is a private village of pastel buildings, domes and statues on a wooded peninsula near Porthmadog, built by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in an Italianate style. It looks like nowhere else in Britain. Fans of the 1960s TV series The Prisoner know it as "the Village."
You need a day ticket to enter. Buy it on the Portmeirion site, which also lists seasonal opening times. Lunch at the Castell Deudraeth brasserie has included free village entry, and staying overnight at Hotel Portmeirion or in one of the village's rooms or cottages lets you see the place empty in the evening. Only assistance dogs are allowed in. Plan two to three hours, including the woodland trails and the sandy estuary.
West of Porthmadog, the Llŷn Peninsula is quiet farmland and beaches: Criccieth Castle (Cadw) above the sea, the surfing beach at Porth Neigwl, the old fishing village of Aberdaron and boats to Bardsey Island, a medieval pilgrimage site. This is the Welsh-speaking heartland, and you will hear Welsh in the shops.
Pembrokeshire and St Davids
Pembrokeshire, in the far southwest, is Britain's only truly coastal national park. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs 186 miles (299 km) from Amroth to St Dogmaels past sea cliffs, sandy coves, Iron Age forts and little harbors. You do not need to walk it all; a 5–8 mile (8–13 km) section with a bus back is a perfect day.
St Davids
With fewer than 2,000 people, St Davids is the smallest city in the UK, a city because of its cathedral. The 12th-century cathedral sits in a hollow, out of sight of raiders from the sea, beside the ruined Bishop's Palace (Cadw). St David is the patron saint of Wales, and March 1, St David's Day, brings parades and daffodils. The cathedral asks for a donation rather than charging entry.
Skomer Island
Skomer has a breeding colony of more than 40,000 puffins, plus seals and Manx shearwaters. Puffins are on the island from about late April to late July. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales manages the island; landing trips (the boat plus about 4½ hours ashore) are booked online through the Pembrokeshire Islands site, and boats leave from Martin's Haven. Landings run April 1 to September 30, with no sailings on Mondays except in the late-May half-term week. In 2026 adults paid £46 (about $61) in puffin season. Tickets for 2027 go on sale December 1, 2026; book early, and expect sailings to be canceled in rough seas.
The north coast
Whitesands Bay for surfing, the flooded slate quarry at Abereiddi called the Blue Lagoon, and the tiny harbor at Porthgain with its seafood shack and old pub. Coasteering, a mix of cliff scrambling, swimming and jumping into the sea in a wetsuit, started here; local outfitters run guided sessions.
Tenby and the south coast
Tenby is a walled resort town of pastel houses above two beaches. Nearby, Barafundle Bay and the Bosherston lily ponds on the National Trust's Stackpole estate, and Pembroke Castle, where Henry VII, the first Tudor king, was born in 1457.
From Cardiff, St Davids is about 2½ hours by car. On public transport, take the train to Haverfordwest (about 2½ hours from Cardiff), then the bus. In summer, coastal shuttle buses link the path's trailheads, which makes one-way walks easy.
Between Cardiff and Pembrokeshire, the Gower Peninsula near Swansea was Britain's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (now called a National Landscape). The long beach at Rhossili Bay is among the finest in the UK.
Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) and Hay-on-Wye
An hour north of Cardiff, the national park long known as the Brecon Beacons now uses its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog, in every context. You will see both on maps and signs. It is gentler than Eryri: grassy, flat-topped ridges, waterfalls in wooded gorges, canal towpaths and market towns.
- Pen y Fan: at 2,907 ft (886 m), the highest peak in southern Britain. The shortest route starts at the National Trust car park at Pont ar Daf on the A470, about 4–4½ miles (6.5–7 km) round trip and 2½–3 hours. It is busy; go early, and remember the ridge is exposed in wind and cloud.
- Waterfall Country: near Ystradfellte and Pontneddfechan, a run of falls on the rivers Mellte and Hepste, including Sgwd yr Eira, where a path runs behind the curtain of water. The paths are steep and slippery after rain.
- Dark skies: the park is an International Dark Sky Reserve. On a clear, moonless night away from towns you can see the Milky Way.
- Towns: Brecon has a cathedral and canal; Crickhowell has independent shops and a good pub scene; Abergavenny is a food town with a big festival each September.
- Industrial heritage: at Blaenavon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Big Pit National Coal Museum takes you underground with former miners as guides; entry is free.
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye (Y Gelli Gandryll) sits right on the border with England, a small market town with around two dozen secondhand and specialist bookshops, plus honesty shelves in the castle grounds where you leave coins for paperbacks. Its restored castle reopened as an arts center in 2022. The Hay Festival of literature fills the town for about ten days each year in late May and early June, when rooms book up many months ahead. Outside festival time, a half day is plenty.
The Welsh language and bilingual signs
Welsh (Cymraeg) is a Celtic language, closer to Breton than to English, and one of the oldest living languages in Europe. In the 2021 census, about 18% of people in Wales aged 3 and over said they could speak it, and in parts of the northwest, especially Gwynedd, a majority do. Both languages are official, so every road sign, ticket machine and government form is bilingual. In much of the north, Welsh comes first on the sign.
Everyone you meet speaks English. Nobody expects you to speak Welsh, but a "diolch" (thank you) gets a warm smile. A few pointers for reading signs and names:
| Welsh | Say it roughly | Meaning or tip |
|---|---|---|
| Croeso | KROY-so | Welcome |
| Diolch | DEE-olkh | Thank you |
| Bore da | BOR-eh dah | Good morning |
| Iechyd da | YAH-kid dah | Cheers (for a toast) |
| Araf | AR-av | Slow (painted on roads) |
| Canol y dref | KAN-ol uh drev | Town center |
| Ll | Place your tongue for "l" and blow air | Llandudno, Llanberis |
| Dd / f / ff / w | "th" in "this" / "v" / "f" / often "oo" | Cwm (valley) sounds like "koom" |
Place names often describe the land: llan is a church enclosure, aber a river mouth, pen a head or top, caer a fort. Cardiff is Caerdydd, Swansea is Abertawe, Anglesey is Ynys Môn. See British English for more on Welsh and Gaelic signs.
The Wales visitor levy
Wales has passed a law that lets each of its 22 councils charge a small tax on overnight stays. Cardiff is the first council to adopt it, and it applies to stays from April 1, 2027. Cardiff hotels and rentals have been required to account for it on bookings made since September 28, 2026, so if you are booking a 2027 stay in Cardiff now, expect it on your bill. Other councils may follow; the Welsh Government publishes which ones are charging or consulting.
| Accommodation | Rate per person per night |
|---|---|
| Hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses, inns, self-catering cottages and apartments, private rooms in hostels | £1.30 (about $1.75) |
| Shared dorm rooms in hostels and bunkhouses, and tent pitches | 75p (about $1) |
For a couple spending three nights in a Cardiff hotel, that comes to £7.80 (about $10). If the hotel is VAT-registered, as most are, it adds 20% VAT on top of the levy. Some visitors can claim a refund afterward, such as people staying as a carer for a disabled person; the Welsh Revenue Authority will publish the details before the levy starts.
Different from home
Like a US occupancy tax, the levy is collected by the hotel. Unlike US taxes, UK prices usually include tax, so look for whether a quoted rate says the levy is included or added at checkout. Scotland has its own version: Edinburgh's visitor levy, 5% of the room cost for the first five nights, started on July 24, 2026 (see Edinburgh).
Where to stay
Wales has fewer big hotels than England and more inns, B&Bs, farm stays and cottages. Summer weekends and school holidays in July and August fill quickly; book three to six months ahead for coastal Pembrokeshire, Snowdonia and anything during the Hay Festival or a rugby international in Cardiff. Self-catering cottages often rent by the week, Saturday to Saturday, in high season. Tiers below are per night for two; rates swing a lot by season. See where to stay for booking strategy.
Cardiff
voco St David's Cardiff
The sail-shaped landmark hotel on the bay, with balconies over the water and a spa. Best for a waterfront stay; the center is a short bus or taxi ride away.
Hotel Indigo Cardiff
A boutique chain hotel near Queen Street with a rooftop restaurant, walking distance from the castle, the arcades and the stadium.
North Wales and Eryri
Palé Hall
A Victorian mansion turned luxury country-house hotel at the eastern edge of the park, known for its restaurant. A splurge base for the south of Eryri.
Bodysgallen Hall
A 17th-century house in formal gardens, owned by the National Trust and run as a hotel and spa, ten minutes from Conwy.
Portmeirion
Rooms in Hotel Portmeirion, Castell Deudraeth and cottages around the village. Guests get the village to themselves after the day visitors leave.
Inns and B&Bs in Conwy, Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis
Small, family-run places, often with breakfast included. Conwy suits castle-goers without a car; Llanberis suits Snowdon walkers. YHA hostels at Pen-y-Pass and Conwy have private rooms too.
Pembrokeshire and the Brecon Beacons
Twr y Felin
A design-led hotel built around an old windmill, with a large contemporary art collection, a short walk from the cathedral.
Gliffaes
A family-run country-house hotel above the River Usk, with afternoon tea on the terrace and walks from the door.
Pubs with rooms
The Bear in Crickhowell, an old coaching inn, and the Felin Fach Griffin near Brecon are two long-standing choices where dinner downstairs is half the reason to stay.
Save money
A self-catering cottage for a week often costs less per night than a hotel for a family or two couples, and you can shop at local markets and butchers. In Pembrokeshire and on Anglesey, look at shoulder weeks in May, June and September, when prices drop and the weather is often as good as August.
Itineraries
Three days in North Wales (from Chester or Manchester)
- Day 1
Conwy and Llandudno
Conwy Castle, the town walls and Plas Mawr, then sunset from the Great Orme in Llandudno. Sleep in Conwy.
- Day 2
Yr Wyddfa
A morning train up Yr Wyddfa from Llanberis, booked weeks ahead, or an early start on the Llanberis Path. Then the National Slate Museum and dinner in Caernarfon.
- Day 3
Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Portmeirion
Caernarfon Castle at opening, then either Beaumaris across the Menai Strait or Portmeirion and Harlech to the south.
Eight days around Wales
- Day 1
London to Cardiff
Take the GWR train from Paddington, about two hours. Afternoon at Cardiff Castle; evening at Cardiff Bay.
- Day 2
Cardiff and around
Morning at St Fagans or the National Museum; afternoon at Castell Coch or Caerphilly Castle. Pick up a rental car in the evening or next morning.
- Day 3
Bannau Brycheiniog
Climb Pen y Fan early, then walk Waterfall Country or browse Hay-on-Wye. Stay in a pub with rooms near Brecon or Crickhowell.
- Day 4
To Pembrokeshire
Drive west, with a stop at Rhossili Bay on the Gower if the weather is good, or at Tenby. Sleep in St Davids for two nights.
- Day 5
St Davids and the coast
The cathedral and Bishop's Palace, then the coast path from Whitesands. In puffin season, swap in Skomer.
- Day 6
Up the coast to Eryri
Drive north along Cardigan Bay via Aberystwyth to Harlech Castle and Portmeirion. Stay near Porthmadog or Beddgelert.
- Day 7
Yr Wyddfa and Betws-y-Coed
The railway or a summit walk in the morning, then Betws-y-Coed, Swallow Falls, or Zip World if you booked a slot. Sleep in Conwy or Caernarfon.
- Day 8
Castles and home
Caernarfon or Conwy Castle first thing, then drop the car in Chester and take the train to London Euston, about two hours.
Insider tip
Wales pairs well with the rest of the UK. Chester and Liverpool are an easy hop from North Wales (see Manchester and Liverpool), and Bath and Bristol are about an hour from Cardiff (see Bath and the Southwest). For castle-heavy trips across the UK, see heritage; for walking Yr Wyddfa and the coast path, see outdoors; and for help shaping a route, plan your trip or our trip builder.
Add it to a route in the trip builder, or ask us to plan the hotels, trains and guides for you.