North Wales is one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, and an amazing part of the world for a holiday.
In this North Wales Travel Guide I’ll show you the very best of the region, including the stunning Snowdonia National Park, many outstanding beaches and a concentration of some of the best medieval castles in the world.
North Wales is somewhere anyone can savour, whether it’s hiking a Snowdonia peak or enjoying one of many scenic drives. If you’re travelling with kids, there’s everything from Victorian seaside fun at Llandudno to forest parks with rides. And if you’re after an adrenaline rush, you’ll find some of the best zip wire rides in the UK.
Wherever you’re planning to visit, this introductory North Wales travel guide will help you plan your trip, and make the most of your time there. Enjoy!
North Wales Travel Guide – Where To Visit In North Wales
Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri)
Snowdonia is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe, its mini-Alpine peaks just a few miles from the coast. And it’s not just the mountains – Snowdonia has some of the loveliest lakes and rivers in Wales, its waterfalls among the attractions that first drew visitors there over 200 years ago.
There are many ways to enjoy Snowdonia, with amazing scenic drives (check out our Snowdonia road trip options) and hundreds of superb mountain hikes. Many head straight for the highest peak, Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), but walks on the nearby Glyder range or Nantlle Ridge are every bit as rewarding, and without the crowds.
The National Park is also home to two World Heritage Sites – the imposing Castles of Edward I in Gwynedd, which includes Harlech Castle, and the Welsh Slate Landscape, which is scattered across the region.
More Articles On Snowdonia:
Best things to do in Betws-y-Coed
Best things to do in Blaenau Ffestiniog
18 Most Beautiful Lakes In Wales
Llŷn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula is the finger of land pointing 30 miles westwards from Snowdonia into the Irish Sea, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has rugged scenery reminiscent of Snowdonia, with golden sandy beaches like sheltered Llanbedrog on the south coast and wild, mountain-backed Dinas Dinlle on the north.
A few of these Llŷn Peninsula beaches (such as those at Abersoch) are busy in the summer months, but many are quite secluded. Some of the best are around the ‘Lands End of North Wales’ – check out my feature on the best things to do in Aberdaron for more details. You’ll also find some of the finest churches in Wales along the north coast of the peninsula – this was the main route for pilgrims making their way to Bardsey Island, the ‘Isle of 20,000 Saints’ off the southwestern tip of the peninsula.
Don’t miss the ¾ hour climb to the summit of Tre’r Ceiri, the Iron Age ‘Town of Giants’, which commands some of the best views in Wales. And reward yourself later in the day with a pint in the Ty Coch Inn, the superb beachside pub in the hamlet of Porth Dinllaen.
North Wales Castles
North Wales has an abundance of fantastic castles, including some of the best medieval castles on the planet. Four of the Castles of Edward I make up Wales’ first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are also some great Castles built by Welsh princes, including at Criccieth and Dolbadarn.
My guide to the best Castles in North Wales shows the best of them across the region. I’ve also written these guides to three of the towns with World Heritage-listed Castles:
20 Best Things To Do In Caernarfon
22 Best Things To Do In Harlech
Anglesey
Anglesey (Ynys Môn) is by far the largest island in Wales. It’s just across the narrow Menai Strait from the city of Bangor and the mountains of Snowdonia.
I’ve always headed there for the stunning coastal scenery – from the glorious beaches and bays of Llanddwyn Island to the towering cliffs around South Stack lighthouse. There are so many great Anglesey beaches to choose from, as well as some outstanding Anglesey walks all around the island.
While on the island, don’t miss World Heritage Beaumaris Castle and the beautiful town around it. The north and east coasts are well off the beaten path, well worth lingering for a few days.
More Articles On Anglesey:
7 Captivating Lighthouses on Anglesey
Welsh Islands – The Ultimate Guide
Portmeirion
The Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion is wonderful, a holiday village partly inspired by Portofino on the Italian Riviera. It’s a collection of ‘rescued’ buildings with an Italian-style bell tower (campanile) built from the ruins of a castle nearby. And it overlooks a sublime estuary with gorgeous mountain views.
You can either stay in Portmeirion overnight in one of the two hotels or the suites and cottages around the village. Or you can buy a day ticket, which enables you to explore the villages, surrounding woods and fantastic estuary beach at low tide.
See Also: 15 Most Beautiful Villages In North Wales
Llandudno and the North Wales Coast
Llandudno is called the Queen of Welsh Seaside Resorts. It’s a gorgeous Victorian town with a sweeping promenade lined with grand hotels and two beaches beneath the Great Orme headland.
It also has a host of attractions, from the beautiful old Pier to the wonderful old Great Orme Tramway and cable car. You can also follow Alice’s Trail, in the footsteps of Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll and his Alice in Wonderland, who regularly visited Llandudno during her childhood.
Llandudno is the best of a string of seaside resorts along the North Wales coast. Colwyn Bay is the best of those to the east, with a great beach and the ever-popular Welsh Mountain Zoo nearby.
More Articles On The North Wales Coast:
32 Best Beaches In North Wales
23 Best Seaside Towns In Wales
North East Wales
It’s almost completely overlooked by most visitors, but there are some wonderful places to visit in North East Wales.
The town of Llangollen is just a few miles from the border, and part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It’s also close to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales.
The area also has some fantastic castles (Rhuddlan) and beautiful country towns (Ruthin) well worth visiting.
Best Places To Visit In The Welsh Borders
Where To Stay In North Wales
The places I suggest earlier in the article all make good bases for exploring North Wales. And each individual article contains several suggestions across a range of budgets.
But there are some incredible hotels in North Wales which will make your stay that extra bit special. Take a look at these articles for ideas and inspiration:
8 Best Castles To Stay In Wales
When To Visit North Wales
North Wales is a year-round destination, with spring and summer the most popular times to visit the region.
Spring and summer (April through to September) are the best seasons to visit North Wales. Within that period, I’d recommend May, June and September – spring and late summer – most highly. During the shoulder season months you get the best of the weather and avoid the crowds of the peak July-August summer season.
Autumn and winter are very much the low season – in winter, many hotels and B&Bs open only on weekends, when tourist hubs like Betws-y-Coed can still get very busy.
How Long To Spend In North Wales
This depends on what time you have available, where else you may plan to visit, and of course budget. North Wales is ideal for short weekend breaks, week-long holidays or even longer stays.
Conwy, Llandudno or Betws-y-Coed are all ideal for weekend breaks. At each of these you have the mountains, seaside or castles very close by.
They are all ideal for longer breaks too, as are the likes of Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula. One of the joys of visiting North Wales is that you can easily hop between areas such as the mountains and coast. So in a week you can get your fix of Snowdonia, castles, beaches, Portmeirion and more quite comfortably.
If you’re staying in North Wales for a week I would consider investing in an Explore Wales Pass. This gives you four days’ rail travel in eight days, and includes the Cardiff to Holyhead train. You can also use most bus routes in Wales with this ticket.
More North Wales Articles
I have written many more general articles on Wales, many of which have more information on North Wales. Browse some of these for further inspiration:
22 Most Amazing Landscapes In Wales
20 Most Beautiful Rivers In Wales
6 Fascinating Pilgrimages in Wales
Where Is North Wales?
North Wales is the northern part of the principality of Wales, one of four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It is to the west of England, with its coast on the Irish Sea.
The closest English cities to North Wales are Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.
Sample distances to the North Wales city of Bangor:
Chester to Bangor: 63 miles
Liverpool to Bangor: 80 miles
Manchester to Bangor: 99 miles
Birmingham to Bangor: 146 miles
London to Bangor: 263 miles
Getting To North Wales From Overseas
If you’re travelling to North Wales from overseas, you’ll need to fly to one of the English airports and travel onwards from there, either by car or public transport.
Manchester Airport is the only option close to North Wales for long-haul flights. Several transatlantic carriers (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada) fly there, as do several Middle Eastern airlines and many European national and budget carriers.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is closer to North Wales, but you can only reach it from Europe.
How To Get To North Wales From Elsewhere In The UK
North Wales is easy to reach if you’re travelling from within the UK, especially from the neighbouring areas in England.
Getting To North Wales From London
It’s a 4-to-5-hour journey from London to North Wales.
If you’re driving, the favoured route among my friends from London is via the M40, M6 then M54 to Telford, before taking the A5 from Shrewsbury into North Wales.
Otherwise trains from London Euston take around 4 ½ hours to Llandudno Junction via Chester.
Coaches from London to Llandudno can be less expensive but the journey takes a very long nine hours. This entails a transfer in Liverpool.
Getting to North Wales From Liverpool or Manchester
If you’re driving, this can be a quick journey, via the M56 and A55 from Manchester, or the M53 and the same two roads from Liverpool.
Trains from Liverpool to Llandudno take between two and three hours, with one change at Chester. Trains from Manchester to Llandudno take around 2 ½ hours, and run direct.
Train services are far more frequent than coach services.
Getting To North Wales From Cardiff
The A470 runs from Cardiff to Llandudno on the north coast of Wales. It takes between 4 and 5 hours to drive its length without stops. It’s not a fast road, with many slow, winding sections. And there are plenty of places to stop along the way! For a full guide to one of the best drives in Wales, take a look at my A470 Road Trip article.
Some people opt to drive the longer distance via the English motorways (M50, M5, M6, A54 to Chester then A55), and insist it’s quicker.
Alternatively, direct trains run from Cardiff to Holyhead, stopping at Wrexham, Chester, Llandudno Junction and Bangor along the way.
Getting Around North Wales
There are some good public transport options in North Wales, but a lifetime’s experience of exploring the region means that you need a car for flexibility and getting off the beaten path.
North Wales By Car
The A55 North Wales Expressway is a mostly fast road, getting you from Chester and the English border to the World Heritage town of Conwy in an hour. It’s another hour to the port of Holyhead, where the ferry from Dublin arrives on the Isle of Anglesey.
The A470 is another useful road in North Wales. It starts in Cardiff, passing through the Snowdonia National Park, via Betws-y-Coed, and the Conwy Valley.
The A487 joins the A470 for part of its journey from Pembrokeshire (in South West Wales), continuing to Porthmadog and, eventually, Caernarfon and Bangor.
And the historic A5 road, built by the ‘Colossus of Roads’ Thomas Telford in the early 19th century, is also one of the most scenic drives in Wales, passing through Llangollen and the Dee Valley before climbing through the heart of Snowdonia before descending to the stunning Menai Suspension Bridge and the Isle of Anglesey.
See Also: 20 Best Scenic Drives In Wales