Things to do in Wales | Top 20

When the opportunity to travel to Wales came up a few weeks ago, I was so excited. I had been to every other country in the U.K and I had always wondered what Wales was like because you don’t hear about it too often!

A lot of my ancestors are from Wales so I was particularly excited for this adventure! We spent 7 days seeing all there was to see going down the whole coast! Wales is such an undiscovered gem!

1- Llandudno – Things to do in Wales

Llandudno is a lovely harbor town and if you drive high up, you can get a great view of the whole city. You can also take a ride on the Great Orme tramway. On the top of the mountain, there are really cute and colorful sky rides you can go on. If you happen to be there on a sunny day, there will be a lot of crowds! It is amazing being up there though and seeing all of the gorgeous views!

2- Conwy Town

Conwy is one of my favorite towns in Wales and is a great little town to explore on foot. On arrival, you can head over to the smallest house in Britain, Plas Mawr which is a popular Elizabethan Townhouse and then just hang out by the harbor! If you are lucky, there might be a carnival when you are there!

3- Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle is one of the coolest ruined castles I have ever been to with the best views ever! On one side, you have the mountains and cute little sheep everywhere and then on the other side you have views of the town and the harbor. Try to get there right at opening if you want pictures with no one in them as it gets quite busy!

There are also many places in town and along the beach that you can get cool pictures of the outside of the castle. It really is a sight to behold!

4- Road Trip Through Snowdonia

Road Tripping through Snowdonia is definitely a must do! It actually reminded me a lot of certain parts of New Zealand! We didn’t have the best luck with weather while we were there, but it is very beautiful nonetheless. Here are some of the areas I recommend within Snowdonia:

• The Ugly House for lunch, it isn’t really ugly, it is so cute!
• Dinorwic Quarry- a really pretty mountain walk
• Vivian Quarry
• Ogwen Valley
• Penceunant Isaf- a tea house that serves Welsh Cakes
•   Tryfan Mountain

5- Isle of Anglesey

The Isle of Anglesey is an incredibly beautiful island in Wales with an amazing coastline, many beaches and historical towns. It’s also home to
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the longest place name in Europe! Definitely worth stopping by the train station with its name and the quirky little gift shop next door. After that, I recommend heading to Holly Head to visit the South Stack Lighthouse. One of the coolest lighthouses I’ve seen- but be warned, it is incredibly windy in this area and so make sure to dress warm and to be careful!

6- Caernarfon Town and Castle

Caernarfon is possibly the most famous of Wales’ castles. The castle’s persona was actually supposed to mirror the walls of Constantinople and it is quite a glorious castle. Caernarfon town was one of my favorite towns and I loved the street right in front of the castle with the hanging banners and cute little cafes everywhere. We ate at Stryd-y-plas for lunch and it was quite yummy so I definitely recommend it!

7- Ty Coch Inn

Ty Coch Inn is one of the most unique pubs I have ever been to! You can only reach this pub by foot or boat, the hike is quite nice and only a mile or less along the beach. It was a bit chilly while I was there and there weren’t a lot of people around, but apparently it is quite lively in the summer and has even been named one of the best beach bars in the world! The inside of the pub is so cute too, I kept snapping pictures every way I looked- I loved it!

8- Stay next to the beach in  Aberdaron

You can’t go on a trip to Wales and not stay along the beach at least one night! I loved the cute little bed and breakfast we stayed in that was literally right on the beach! It  had been rainy all day so everyone thought there would be no sunset. Suddenly I looked out my window…and ta-da! Holy cow, one of the best sunsets I have ever seen! I ran outside immediately! Also, there is nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of waves.

9- Braichypwill Viewpoint

This area had some of the best views I saw in Wales and it really reminded me a lot of Ireland! There were many different places to stop at in this area so I recommend just stopping at any of the view points that really stand out to you!

10- Harlech Castle

I found out while I was in Wales that there are more castles there than days of the year! After visiting so many castles, some of them start to blur together. Although inside the castle was pretty cool, I really loved the view we found by just driving down the road. The views were amazing and the valley went on for miles and I got to live my fairy tale moment with the castle as my backdrop! I highly recommend this castle as one of the best in Wales.

11- Criccieth Castle and Beach

Criccieth Castle is a bit smaller than some of the others and I actually never went inside because I was having too much fun at the beach below with the view of the castle in the background! Lots of families were hanging out here sun bathing and having a good time. Make sure to check out the weather before you come though because Wales can be rather chilly at times!

12- Stay at Coes Faen Spa Hotel

We stayed in some really nice hotels while in Wales, but Coes Faen Spa was my absolute favorite. It had the bed and breakfast feel, but mixed with a whole lot of luxury! The owners are so lovely and will make you feel right at home and like family! On arrival, you receive a welcome drink and my favorite-a welsh cake (you have to try them while you are in Wales!) No two rooms are the same and they each have their own luxurious unique feature. My room had this amazing wooden bathtub, while some of the others had a spa, a jacuzzi and one even had an outdoor jacuzzi! The dinner was delicious and there are beautiful gardens and hiking trails on the grounds so you will want to spend a lot of time here!

13- Talyllyn Steam Train

Known for being one of the most scenic train rides in the world, the Talyllyn Steam Train will be sure not to disappoint. You will feel nostalgic being on a steam train riding through the countryside and valleys. My friends and I had a blast taking pictures and spotting all of the sheep!

14- Funicular Aberystwyth Railway

Aberystwyth is a quaint and cute college town. For the best views, take the Funicular up to the top of the mountain to see the best views of the town and ocean below. Stop for some hot chocolate at the cafe because it is sure to be a bit cold and windy up there!

15- Aberaeron Harbor

Aberaeron definitely is in my top 3 favorite towns in Wales! It was so quaint, colorful, right next to a harbor and the locals were so friendly! We stayed at the Harbour Master Hotel which is right next to a dock with wonderfully colorful houses on the other side. In the morning, we walked all around town finding the most colorful houses we could!

16- Mwnt

A perfect stop on the way to the Pembrokeshire Coast; Mwnt was one of my very favorite places in Wales! One of the best memories is watching my friend Taylor fly her drone over a herd of sheep and them all baaing and running away. In all seriousness though, Mwnt was absolutely  beautiful! The weather was nice and it was so relaxing. The views were some of my favorite. There was a gorgeous waterfall right next to the stairs you can take to walk down to a perfect sandy beach!

17- The Blue Lagoon

Not to be confused with the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon in Abereiddi actually used to be a former slate quarry until 1910. Now it is an adventure lovers dream with many activities happening here including diving and coasteering!

If you are not up for the adventurous side of things, that’s ok, it is still a wonderful place for a hike as it is truly spectacular!

18- Boat Trip- Thousand Islands Expedition

I had an absolute blast on the boat trip to Thousand Islands. We saw seals and porpoises right next to our boat! We saw many different species of birds as well and the landscapes we passed were truly unique!

19- Green Bridge

Any visit to Pembrokeshire should include the Green Bridge and its beautiful counterpart- the Stack Rocks. There were beautiful wildflowers growing everywhere and it was a very beautiful place to stop and take pictures. I think it would be fun to bring a picnic lunch here!

20- Tenby

Tenby was one of my other favorite villages in Wales! I will never forget enjoying an ice-cream while sitting next to the harbor enjoying the atmosphere and the colorful Victorian houses lining the background. Tenby  has a lot to offer including fishing, kayaking, beaches, a church from the 15th century and a beautiful coastal walk.

I highly recommend spending the night here so you have even more time to enjoy it!

For more information about Wales and the route I took on my trip, check out TheWalesWay.com

All pictures of me taken by the talented Haley Plotkin!

There You Have it! Some of the best things to do in Wales!

Planning a trip there? Let me know what you will be doing!

 

Read Next: 3 Days in Amsterdam | The Perfect Itinerary

Like what you see? Pin it for later or share it!