Europe · Touring guide
Coastline, mountains and castles within easy reach for a short UK break.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Short breaks, walking and family trips.
We would think twice for
Travellers who want their adventure sanitised, because Wales does its mountains, zip lines and sea cliffs in earnest, and its weather is part of the terms and conditions.
What we would want you to know
Rural roads can add real time to a short-looking journey.
We’ve been here
From our Yorkshire base, North Wales is closer than many clients realise, and our own time in Wales shapes how we plan it. The north suits a long weekend of castles and mountains, while Pembrokeshire is a week's commitment that we would never squeeze into three days.
The route
Nights 1 and 2
Walk the town walls and the castle, then spend a day crossing to Anglesey for Beaumaris and the views over the Menai Strait.
Nights 3 to 5
Climb Yr Wyddfa or take the railway up if the forecast is clear, visit Caernarfon Castle, and keep the zip lines or a slate museum for a wet day.
Nights 6 and 7
Stop at Portmeirion and ride the Ffestiniog Railway from Porthmadog on the way west, then finish with beach days and the coast path out to Aberdaron.
An idea to react to, not a fixed package. We shape the real thing around your dates, your pace and what the flights are doing that season.
Map and stops
A walled medieval town at the mouth of the Conwy river, dominated by its castle and ringed by walls you can walk along. It is compact and easy on foot, with a small harbour and good pubs, and makes a gentle first stop from the north of England. Parking inside the walls is tight.
The village gateway to Eryri, the national park once called Snowdonia, with forest walks, waterfalls and outdoor shops. It suits walkers and active families who want the mountains close. Summer weekends bring traffic jams through the village, and rain is part of the arrangement.
A Welsh-speaking finger of land pointing into the Irish Sea, with sandy bays around Abersoch and a wilder tip at Aberdaron, looking across to Bardsey Island. It suits families and sailors in summer. Out of season it is very quiet, and many cafés and shops close.
The island across the Menai Strait, with the Georgian seafront and castle at Beaumaris and wide beaches such as Newborough, which leads to the tidal island of Llanddwyn. Flatter and gentler than the mainland, it suits walkers who want sea air rather than summits.
A village-sized city with a cathedral tucked into a hollow and the coast path on its doorstep, plus the surfing beach at Whitesands and boats to Ramsey Island. Places to stay are limited and small, so summer dates book early, and the drive from the north is long.
A walled harbour town of pastel houses and sandy beaches, an easy base for families, with boats across to Caldey Island's monastery. In August the streets are packed and parking is hard, so a hotel or cottage within walking distance of the town pays off.
Weather and seasons
Wales rewards long light and dry paths more than heat. Late spring gives clear mountain days before the summer crowds, and Pembrokeshire's sea warms slowly to around 17°C by August. The school holidays fill Tenby's beaches and put queues on the summit paths of Yr Wyddfa, so early starts matter. September is often settled, and from late summer into autumn grey seal pups appear on Pembrokeshire's quieter coves. Winter brings storms, bare hills and warm pubs, with the south-west coast staying mild at around 9°C, while Eryri collects some of the heaviest rain in Britain. The mountain railway usually reaches the summit of Yr Wyddfa only from late spring to autumn.
Worth timing a trip around
Wales celebrates its patron saint with parades, daffodils, leeks and bowls of cawl, with the biggest gatherings in Cardiff and St Davids.
The book town of Hay-on-Wye hosts a big literature festival of talks and readings. Rooms for miles around sell out months ahead.
Wales's great agricultural show at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, with livestock, food halls and country sports. Roads nearby are very busy.
A week-long festival of Welsh music, poetry and culture that moves to a different town each year. Visitors are welcome, and English translation is available.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C | 5°C | 9°C | 116 mm |
| February | 9°C | 5°C | 8°C | 81 mm |
| March | 10°C | 5°C | 8°C | 79 mm |
| April | 13°C | 6°C | 9°C | 40 mm |
| May | 16°C | 9°C | 11°C | 56 mm |
| June | 18°C | 12°C | 13°C | 50 mm |
| July | 20°C | 13°C | 15°C | 62 mm |
| August | 19°C | 14°C | 17°C | 99 mm |
| September | 18°C | 12°C | 16°C | 97 mm |
| October | 15°C | 10°C | 15°C | 125 mm |
| November | 12°C | 7°C | 13°C | 95 mm |
| December | 10°C | 6°C | 10°C | 145 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Milford Haven Conservancy Board, 24 km away at 32 m. Rainfall is from Pembry Sands, 24 km away and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | 3°C | 339 mm |
| February | 9°C | 4°C | 274 mm |
| March | 10°C | 4°C | 270 mm |
| April | 13°C | 5°C | 96 mm |
| May | 16°C | 8°C | 119 mm |
| June | 19°C | 11°C | 100 mm |
| July | 20°C | 12°C | 162 mm |
| August | 19°C | 12°C | 213 mm |
| September | 18°C | 11°C | 190 mm |
| October | 14°C | 8°C | 311 mm |
| November | 11°C | 6°C | 260 mm |
| December | 10°C | 5°C | 326 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Capel Curig No3, 9 km away at 215 m, adjusted for the 190 m difference in altitude. Rainfall is from the same station and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it.
Things to do
The highest mountain in Wales, climbed by several paths or reached by the mountain railway from Llanberis. The summit is often in cloud when the valleys are clear, so go early and pack for mountain weather.
Edward I's great fortress on the Menai Strait, with banded stone walls and polygonal towers. It is part of a UNESCO listing with Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris, and its wall walks involve plenty of spiral stairs.
An Italianate fantasy village built on a wooded peninsula, painted in pastel colours and famous from the 1960s series The Prisoner. There is an entry charge, and it is at its best early, before the coaches.
Long, fast zip lines fly over the old slate quarries of Eryri. Weight and age limits apply, and high winds can cancel rides, so keep a spare day if it matters to you.
Narrow-gauge steam trains climb from Porthmadog harbour to the slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog through woods and mountain scenery. A good choice for grandparents and small children alike.
A sandy cove backed by dunes and pines, reached on foot from Stackpole Quay over the clifftop. There are no facilities on the beach, so carry everything you need, including water.
Pembrokeshire is where coasteering took off: scrambling, swimming and jumping along the rocky coast in wetsuits and helmets with a qualified guide. Book ahead in summer.
From late spring to midsummer, puffins nest in their thousands on this island nature reserve. Landings are limited and boats do not sail in rough seas, so book where you can and stay flexible.
The flat-topped summit of Bannau Brycheiniog, the national park once called the Brecon Beacons. The main path is busy at weekends, and the weather turns fast on the exposed ridge.
Food and drink
A slow-cooked broth of lamb, leeks and root vegetables, the national dish, often served with bread and a wedge of cheese.
Flat griddle cakes dotted with currants and dusted with sugar, eaten warm with a cup of tea.
A fruit loaf made with dried fruit soaked in tea, sliced and buttered in every tea room.
Far more than cheese on toast: a thick sauce of cheese, ale and mustard grilled until bubbling.
Seaweed cooked down to a dark purée, fried with cockles and bacon for a traditional south Wales breakfast.
Money
Wales costs less than the Lakes or Cornwall for comparable scenery, and self-catering cottages are the value choice, particularly for families and groups. The money goes on the adventures, from zip lines to coasteering and surf lessons, which are worth booking ahead in summer. Coming out of season cuts cottage prices sharply without taking anything away from the castles or the coast.
Flights and transfers
From Yorkshire it is a straightforward drive west: North Wales inside two to three hours, Pembrokeshire a proper journey deserving a week. The scenic railways, from Ffestiniog to the Snowdon Mountain Railway, are attractions in their own right.
Practical details
Same time as the UK
Pound sterling (£)
Welsh and English; road signs are bilingual
Type G, 230V
On the left
Safe to drink
Around 10 percent in restaurants; not expected at the bar
Questions we get asked
The Llanberis Path is the longest but the most gradual, following the line of the mountain railway from the village. It is still a full mountain day, so wear boots, carry waterproofs and turn back if the cloud comes down. The railway is the gentle alternative when it is running.
At Pen-y-Pass, the start of the popular Pyg and Miners' tracks, yes: in busy periods the car park has to be booked ahead. The alternative is to park in the valley and use the Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus, which links the main paths.
For beaches, Pembrokeshire: Tenby and the south coast have more sandy bays and gentle water. North Wales suits families who want mountains, castles and steam trains with some beach time, and it is a much shorter drive for anyone coming from Yorkshire or Lancashire.
Yes, and in Gwynedd and Anglesey it is the everyday language for many people. Everyone also speaks English, and road signs are bilingual. A cheerful diolch, meaning thank you, is always well received.
Plenty. The National Slate Museum in Llanberis is free, the castles are atmospheric in any weather, and the underground slate mine tours at Blaenau Ffestiniog stay dry whatever the sky is doing. Keep the mountain days flexible and swap them in when the forecast clears.
At least four or five nights, because getting there from northern England takes most of a day. A week lets you split the time between Tenby's beaches and the wilder coast around St Davids.
Photographs
Also worth a look
Your world, your way
Tell us roughly what you have in mind. We will compare the flights, hotels, routes and operators, explain the trade-offs and build the version that works for you.
Start your trip
_from_Crib_Goch,_Parc_Cenedlaethol_Eryri_National_Park,_Cymru_(Wales)_06.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_from_Crib_Goch,_Parc_Cenedlaethol_Eryri_National_Park,_Cymru_(Wales)_04.jpg){kind=link}
