Best Things to Do in Snowdonia

Beddgelert, Snowdonia in Wales, sits in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, an outdoor paradise with so much to offer. Here you can climb majestic mountains, explore beautiful river valleys and have adventures on rivers and lakes.

Discover the area’s rich history in local castles and museums, take a steam train to the coast, or visit unforgettable towns and villages nearby. Decide what to do first with a list of some of the top Snowdonia activities...

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Things to do in Snowdonia National Park

There are plenty of local opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Bodnant Garden is a world-famous botanical wonderland, home to a diverse variety of flora and champion trees. Coed-y-Brenin Forest Park is a great place to go hiking or mountain biking, and there are many outdoor activities to experience at Padarn Country Park, near Llanberis. If you want something a little more daring, the area is home to three separate Zip World ziplining locations, while Dragon Raiders Activity Park at Criccieth offers paintball and Segway adventures in the forest.

Spend a day walking & climbing

With the forests, rivers and mountains of the Snowdonia National Park on your doorstep, this is the perfect place for a walking holiday. Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales and England, standing at 1,085m above sea level. It’s an incredibly popular climb, attracting around 350,000 hikers every year. You can start with a gentle riverside walk to Gelert’s Grave and work your way up to the summit of Snowdon. Other highlights include the walk from your cabin up to Llyn Llywelyn – suitable for shorter family walks – or the more daring Aberglaslyn Pass.

Explore local liking trails

From gentle woodland paths to challenging climbs through the mountain landscape, Snowdonia has something for cyclists of every age and skill level. Take the Lon Gwyrfai Path and enjoy the views, or head out to the coast and follow the Sustrans route from Bangor to Barmouth. For mountain bike enthusiasts, Antur Styniog has no fewer than seven spectacular trails up in the mountains at Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Find the best places to eat out

Looking for a bite to eat in between your Snowdonia activities? The Saracen’s Head is a welcoming spot at the heart of Beddgelert village – a family-friendly pub and restaurant which also welcomes dogs. With riverside dining in the summer and cosy log fires in the winter, it ticks every box. Another popular eatery in the village is Hebog Café and Bistro, which serves delicious home cooking. Further afield, you can visit Harlech for ice cream at the Castle Creamery, or try the tea shop at Plas Tan y Bwlch for beautiful views and stunning gardens.

Visit historic Snowdonia attractions

Visit the National Slate Museum at Llanberis or the Llechwedd Slate Caverns at Blaenau Ffestiniog to learn more about an industry that shaped Welsh history. The Maritime Museum in Porthmadog and the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum at Caernarfon Castle are also rich sources of history and heritage. It’s also worth visiting Harlech Castle, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Attraction and day trips

Explore the Children’s Farm Park near Harlech with the little ones, or enjoy adrenaline-fuelled fun at a nearby Zip World centre with older children. The nearby Glaslyn Wildlife Visitor Centre is a must-visit to see the ospreys, and at Coed-y-Brenin Forest Park there’s mountain biking, an adventure playground and lots of family picnic spots. Take the famous Snowdon Mountain Railway to the summit of Snowdon for an experience the children will remember forever, or enjoy the fun at Greenwood Forest Park, voted Best Family Attraction in North Wales.

There are plenty of indoor (and underground) adventures to experience in rainy weather. The Llechwedd Slate Caverns will give you a glimpse into Snowdonia’s slate mining heritage, deep underground, while Electric Mountain is a hydroelectric scheme in Europe’s largest human-made cavern. You can also take the family to Bounce Below, a subterranean playground, or the Zip World Caverns, an underground obtacle course. There are many winding tunnels and colourful chambers to be explored at the Sygun Copper Mine, Steam train rides are also a good choice for grey and rainy days, and kids can blow off steam at The Fun Centre while you enjoy a coffee at the castle.

Visit local villages & towns

Visiting the delightful seaside and mountain villages in and around Snowdonia could fill a holiday. Just up the road from our cabins, you’ll find the picturesque village of Beddgelert, which is the starting point for many walking trails. Portmeirion is also a must-see, designed in 1925 by architect Clough Williams-Ellis. Other picturesque towns and villages include Llanberis at the foot of Mount Snowdon and Betws-y-Coed. Blaenau Ffestiniog is the place to visit if you want a better understanding of the local slate mining history.

Take a Snowdonia steam train journey

Snowdonia is home to the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways. We have our very own forest halt where you can catch a steam train and step back in time, on one of the top 25 railway journeys in the world. This is one of the most unique things to do in Snowdonia. Take a day trip to Caernarfon, winding your way through the forest, past the foot of Snowdon and on to the shadows of Caernarfon’s medieval castle. Or venture to Porthmadog, through the Aberglaslyn Pass, which was voted by National Trust members as the most beautiful place in Britain! Children under 16 years go free with every full-paying adult, and dogs and bikes are welcome.

Explore the coastline

Beddgelert is just a few miles from the north-west coast of Wales. For a day on the beach, visit Morfa Bychan, next to Porthmadog, and explore Black Rock Sands – a wide blue flag beach with facilities. Just over half an hour’s drive away is Harlech Beach, which has flat sands backed by rolling dunes. Criccieth Beach is another stunning location, overlooked by a castle; a lovely spot to soak up the sun in summer or take a blustery walk in the winter.

Make a splash with Snowdonia watersports

Splash and crash your way through some action-packed watersports in Snowdonia. The National White Water Rafting Centre in Bala offers white water rafting and kayaking, where you can battle against the Welsh mountain river rapids, or enjoy a thrilling canyoning adventure. Surf Snowdonia is the world’s first inland surf lagoon, with fun, safe and surfable waves rolling in all day long. A little further afield, just over the Menai Bridge on Anglesey, you’ll find the boat tour company Ribride, which offers great ways to see the coast from another perspective. Local shops stock waterproofs and any other sporty gear you might need for the excursion.

Now that you know exactly what to do in Snowdonia, make the most of your stay in this beautiful -  book your forest cabin in the national park.

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