20 Best things to see & do in Snowdonia National Park

A must for train lovers, the Ffestiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway. But even for non-train buffs, it’s an enjoyable and atmospheric way extraordinary way to see and appreciate some of Wales most beautiful landscapes.

The 13.5-mile journey from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog snakes past lakes, waterfalls and the forests of Snowdonia National Park as it climbs 700ft into the mountains.

At 3,560ft (1,085m) above sea-level, Mount Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales, rising out of idyllic Welsh countryside. A good full day’s hiking will climb you a mountain; better still, you reap views from the summit, earn a glowing sense of achievement, and can still be home in time for tea.

If you want the splendid views without the effort, the narrow-gauge Snowdon Mountain Railway offers a one-hour scenic ascent direct to the summit.

Whether you walk or take the train, you can refuel and enjoy the view at the Hafod Eryri cafe and visitor centre at the summit, named the UK’s ‘highest watering hole’.

This group of late 13th-century castles is more than a set of medieval fortifications — it’s a metaphor for the military might of King Edward I.

The so-called ‘Iron Ring’ of four castles – Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris – were built to crush the Welsh rebellion, led by Llywelyn the Last, as the English King drove his troops across North Wales with brutal efficiency. Llywelyn was captured and executed in 1282 but the castles remained, a statement of a turning point in Welsh history.

Today this group of castles forms one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales.

Located near Bangor in what once was the world’s largest slate quarry, Penrhyn Quarry is a multi-adventure site better suited to families with older children. There are four adventure options on site, including Quarry Karts, a three-wheeler descent down an obstacle-filled slate track (ages 15+).

It’s best known, though, as home to the death-defying Velocity 2 zip wire, the fastest zip line in the world and the longest in Europe. Strap in for speeds of up to 100mph.

For something less white knuckle, try the Penrhyn Quarry Tour, in army truck, to learn more about the history of the quarry and the Welsh slate industry. The heritage is now recognised by UNESCO as part of a wider World Heritage site.

The Welsh Highland Railway is the UK’s longest heritage railway line and an engineering gem for steam enthusiasts and sightseers alike.

It’s a stunning 25-mile route running from the station near Caernarfon Castle, via Beddgelert, onto Porthmadog. The journey builds to a dramatic crescendo through the Aberglaslyn Pass, the train edging along the rock shelf above the River Glaslyn. Head to the open-air carriage for the best views here.

The route is designed as a hop-on, hop-off service with regular stops along the way – make a stop at the village of Beddgelert, one of Snowdonia’s picture-postcard highlights, for coffee and ice-creams. You can walk along the river to Gelert’s Grave, a place of Welsh mythology. Also combine it with a visit to Caernarfon Castle.

If 25 miles is not enough, it also connects with the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog to complete 40 steam-powered miles through the rural heart of Snowdonia.

Located on site of the former Dinorwig slate Quarry, the Museum celebrates the slate heritage of North Wales, which transformed the area from a patchwork of rural farmsteads to a hotbed of the Industrial Revolution.

The slate was used widely to roof industrial-heartland Wales and exported around the world for civic buildings from Copenhagen to Melbourne. The workshops and outbuildings today look as if the quarrymen have just downed tools for the end of their shift.

The Museum is also mooted as a gateway hub to a new slate-heritage project in response the region being named as the UK’s 33rd UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

This imposing medieval fortress was originally built in the 11th century, then enhanced by King Edward I at the end of the 13th century. The scene of many a siege and sacking, and then increasingly unnecessary, it fell into disrepair so that only the shell walls remain today.

Originally built by the English King Edward I during his 13th-century conquest of Wales – one of the so-called ‘Ring-of-Iron’ castles – Conwy remained a refuge of kings and usurpers until it was finally ruined in 1665 by the English government to prevent further revolt. An evocative complex with all the castle ingredients – keeps, moats, towers and battlements you can walk around.

Picture-postcard Harlech is most fairytale of the four castles, its imposing towers set atop a 200ft rocky outcrop overlooking the Cambrian coastline. An exhibition in the visitor centre explores the story of the castle’s military history.

It’s a gentle 2-mile stroll, heading two miles west of Betws towards Capel Curig, to this popular gorge with its gurgling waterfall. The viewing platform has great views.

The walk delves into the woodland landscape of the Gwydyr Forest and is an example of why this small village became home to Britain’s first ever artists’ colony.

The landscape artist David Cox, a contemporary of Turner, first came to Betws in 1844. His students soon followed, establishing a popular retreat for artists during Victorian times. His best-known work, A Welsh Funeral, inspired by a funeral at the village’s 14th-century church, is today exhibited at Tate Britain.

The National White-Water Centre offers a range of white-knuckle outdoor activities. Top of the bill is the white-water rafting over a natural range of Grade III rapids – opt for a 1-hour toe-in-the-water taster or the 2-hour full experience, and the 2-hour canyoning adventure through the river gorge.

Based in the former Llechwedd Quarry, one of the key slate-mining sites of Wales’ industrial revolution, this Zip World site really makes the most of its lunar-style landscape with activities for families and adrenaline junkies alike.

It’s home to five experiences, including two popular all-weather underground adventures: Bounce Below is a series of giant underground trampolines; and ‘Caverns’, a brilliant 3-hour underground via Ferrata course with swings, rope bridges, tightropes and more.

The big draw, though, is Titan 2, the first four-person zipline in Europe; now part of tour and double-zip experience descending from the heights of the area’s manmade mountains. Takes 90 minutes. Ages 7+.

For the less adrenaline, more culturally-inclined, the fascinating ‘Deep Mine Tour’ delves back in history to recreate the conditions for 19th century miners working on the Llechwedd mine’s 16 underground levels.

For a family day out in a back-to-nature, woodland setting in the Conwy Valley, Forest is probably the most accessible of the three Zip World adventure sites in North Wales with activities for all ages.

There are six adrenaline options at this site, including the suspended Treetop Nets, the high-ropes action of Tree Hoppers and the Fforest Coaster, the UK’s only toboggan-style alpine coaster.

The latter, for example, is suitable for ages three upwards, making this an entry-point option for family fun.

The fairy-tale village, located outside Porthmadog, was the labour-of-love lifework of the architect Clough Williams-Ellis. His visionary collection of Italianate-style buildings makes for an eccentric family day out. Book tickets online in advance during peak times.

The formal gardens surrounding Bodnant Hall are the most spectacular in Wales with sections of wildflowers, rare species and water features. The highlight comes every May when the 160ft laburnum arch explodes into its canary-yellow finery.

The last and most elaborate of the four Castles of Iron, Beaumaris is a castle designer’s dream with its concentric design of a castle within a castle. Although unfinished, it represents a dramatic landmark and the gateway to the visitor-hub town of Anglesey.

The spiritual home of Welsh sustainability since 1974, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is an eco-consciousness hub, nestled into the Dyfi Valley outside Machynlleth. It has educational displays, nature trails and offers a range of short courses, such as gardening for nature.

GreenWood is one of North Wales’ favourite family attractions – and one of the greenest. The 17-acre site has the UK’s first solar-powered ride, the Solar Splash. Otters and native birdlife can be spotted on a walk through the woodland grounds.

The Conwy Honey Fair, staged each September in the historic town with its Unesco-listed castle, is one of Britain’s oldest harvest festivals. The right to hold the fair was formally decreed in the town’s 13th-century Royal Charter. Today it’s staged annually on September 13th, attracting artisan producers from across North Wales.

The artificial surf reef and activity centre in the Conwy Valley is an adventure hub with activities for all ages; activities on offer include indoor high ropes courses, soft play, caving and climbing, and outdoor climbing, zip lines, and surfing. There’s a Hilton hotel handily placed next door.