Snowdonia travel guide: best walks, things to do, hotels, restaurants

Llynnau Mymbyr, Mount Snowdon and the Snowdon range from Capel Curig

(Image credit: Alan Novelli/Alamy Stock Photo)

published 17 February 2023

Why you should visit Snowdonia

Snowdonia – Eryri in the Welsh language – is the largest of Wales’s three national parks. Covering 823 square miles, nine mountain ranges and 23 miles of coastline, this stunning region in northwest Wales is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, foodies and adventurers.

With “elite” hiking trails, “breath-taking backdrops”, and “mythic mountains” ringed by “fairytale forests”, Snowdonia National Park offers visitors an “exhilarating blast” of natural beauty and unforgettable experiences, said Joanne Owen in Rough Guides. It’s not just ideal for “epic outdoor escapades”, this is a destination for “history-inspired adventures” or a “fun-filled family break”.

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Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) is the highest peak in Wales and England at 3,560ft (1,085m) above sea level. A “magnificent magnet” for climbers and hill walkers, it is “one of the best things to see and do” in the national park, said Joanne Owen in Rough Guides. There are six official routes up Snowdon: Llanberis path, Pyg Track, Miners’ Track, Watkin Path, Rhyd-Ddu Path, and the Snowdon Ranger Path. According to the National Trust, Llanberis Path is the easiest with the Watkin Path the most challenging. But the best way to “avoid a traffic jam of climbers” is to take the Snowdon Ranger, said The Guardian.

If scaling a mountain is a bit too hardcore for you, then there are many options for a scenic stroll. In fact, there’s 1,497 miles of approved National Park Authority walking paths to explore. Routes that have “access for all” include a 4.5km walk to Aber Falls, one of Snowdonia’s “most impressive” waterfalls, and the 15km Mawddach Trail, one of the park’s “most flexible and accessible trails”.

There are 24 small villages and five towns within the boundaries of the national park. The largest communities include coastal town Harlech, which overlooks Cardigan Bay and is home to a magnificent castle, and Dolgellau, which has 180 buildings which are listed. Small market town Y Bala is one of the communities with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in the national park. It’s also a top location for sailing, canoeing and white water rafting.

Situated on its own peninsula in southern Snowdonia, there’s “nowhere quite like” Portmeirion – “the UK’s cutest village”, said Time Out. “Well, nowhere in Wales, at least.” Designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in the early 20th century, Portmeirion is an “Italian village smack dab in the middle of Wales”, said The Crave Traveler. “If you’re travelling to the UK and can’t make it over to Italy, but you want to experience an Italian village, go here!”

For climbers, Pen-Y-Gwryd Hotel in Nant Gwynant valley at the foot of Snowdon is a “characterful mountaineer’s hotel” that is a “unique option for adventure enthusiasts”, said The Hotel Guru. Pubs with rooms include The Saracens Head in Beddgelert, which is a “chic boutique inn” offering 11 stylish yet cosy rooms, while the Cross Foxes Inn just outside Dolgellau is “perfectly located for outdoor enthusiasts”. If it’s a B&B you’re after, then the “luxurious” Tan Y Foel Country House near Betws-y-Coed offers a “stylish getaway”. It’s set in a “charming” traditional house with “epic views across the valleys”.

On The Telegraph’s list of best hotels in Snowdonia, Plas Dinas Country House in Caernarfon, Olif in Betws-y-Coed, and Penmachno Hall in Penmachno are among the hotels which get an 8/10 expert rating. Plas Dinas is an “elegant” country house hotel “set between the mountains and sea” in rural Snowdonia. Olif has a “fun fusion” of Welsh and Mediterranean set off by a “cosy, rustic look and fairy lights”. And Victorian country house Penmachno Hall will leave you feeling like a “well-looked after old friend”.

There’s usually “six or seven ales on tap” at the Cwellyn Arms in the village of Rhyd Ddu, said Dave Roberts on Walk Up Snowdon. “Beers spotted have been Conwy and Gogarth breweries, and just too many others to mention.” Vaynol Arms in Nant Peris is an “atmospheric tavern”, with some “wonderfully dated 70s mountaineering photos on the wall”. Snowdonia Parc in Waunfawr may not be “technically” on the routes, but it “deserves a mention”. It has a campsite and they “brew their own beer too”.

Located at the base of the Snowdon Watkin path in Nantgwynant, Caffi Gwynant is “our favourite cafe in the world” for breakfast, lunch or teas, said Nook Snowdonia. Housed in a converted chapel, it offers a menu filled with local produce as well as homemade cakes and local ales. It’s “as popular for breakfast as for a post-hike pint”, said Time Out. “But choose wisely – you may struggle to waddle anywhere after the buttermilk chicken waffle slathered with maple butter.”

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Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.