Wales guide
Contrary to perceptions, Wales isn’t really all that wet, at least not compared to the rest of the British Isles.
Walking vacations in Snowdonia
Escape into the heather-clad moors and plug-like volcanic outcrops of Snowdonia National Park and you’d be forgiven for assuming that this remote region’s tracks and footpaths would be known the world over. They’re not, of course. In fact many of Snowdonia’s walking trails are known only to the local dog walkers, bird watchers, rambling groups and professional walking guides.
On a small group walking vacation, your guides will almost always live in the local area. This is because they’ve known many of the park’s trails since they were a babi bach and as such they exude an enthusiasm and a passion that’s the same as if they were welcoming guests into their own back yard. This always makes the entire experience more enlightening, and safe, as well as allowing walkers to find out which local pub serves the best pint of Purple Moose or where you can buy some Black Bomber cheese.
On a small group walking vacation, your guides will almost always live in the local area. This is because they’ve known many of the park’s trails since they were a babi bach and as such they exude an enthusiasm and a passion that’s the same as if they were welcoming guests into their own back yard. This always makes the entire experience more enlightening, and safe, as well as allowing walkers to find out which local pub serves the best pint of Purple Moose or where you can buy some Black Bomber cheese.
Our Snowdonia Vacations
Snowdonia walking vacation in wales
Exploring the pathways over hills and through valleys
From
£1035
7 days
ex flights
Vacation cottage in Snowdonia, Wales
Cottage overlooks Lake Padarn with magic views of Snowdonia
From
£450 to £600
per cottage per week (sleeps 4-5)
Snowdonia self catering accommodation in Wales
Carbon Neutral award winning eco house in Snowdonia
From
£166 to £266
per house per night
14 Peaks hiking tour in Snowdonia
An epic hiking adventure in Snowdonia national park
From
£725 to £750
5 days
ex flights
There is one summit, however, that stands out as something of an international celeb. One that’s considered a challenge, albeit an achievable one, and is perhaps starting to gain a bit too much attention, truth be told, especially during the summer months. It’s Snowdon, of course, all 1,085m of it.
You don’t need a guide for Snowdon in the summer, and you can even take a train to the top, and back down again, if you wish. This accessibility explains the mountain's popularity, but she still has her secrets. There are several paths to the summit that are a lot tougher, more technical, than the popular charity walker routes. In the winter, also, what was once considered easy going might well be treacherous, especially if undertaken without the correct gear. To make life easier, organised walking vacations here tend to only run from April to October.
If you’re looking for recommended walking routes in Snowdonia National Park, as well as some of Snowdon’s lesser known summiting trails, as well as some top tips on safety, then grab a slab of mint cake, tie up your laces and read on because there’s only one way we’re going – and that’s right to the top.
You don’t need a guide for Snowdon in the summer, and you can even take a train to the top, and back down again, if you wish. This accessibility explains the mountain's popularity, but she still has her secrets. There are several paths to the summit that are a lot tougher, more technical, than the popular charity walker routes. In the winter, also, what was once considered easy going might well be treacherous, especially if undertaken without the correct gear. To make life easier, organised walking vacations here tend to only run from April to October.
If you’re looking for recommended walking routes in Snowdonia National Park, as well as some of Snowdon’s lesser known summiting trails, as well as some top tips on safety, then grab a slab of mint cake, tie up your laces and read on because there’s only one way we’re going – and that’s right to the top.
Recommended walking routes
There are plenty of villages to be found in the heart of Snowdonia National Park that have become synonymous with walking vacation makers and outdoor enthusiasts. Places like Capel Curig, Llanberis and Betws-y-Coed, close to the confluence of the Conwy, Llugwy and Lledr rivers.
Visiting these central hubs or, even better, staying nearby, is like placing yourself in the middle of a giant spider’s web of walking trails with various distances, gradients and degrees of difficulty all to be discovered, if you know where to look. The start of numerous walking trails which wind up into the mountains and across high ridges can often be discovered behind a village pub or next to the church – if you weren’t aware of their existence then you just wouldn’t notice that they were there.
For instance, did you know that on a clear day you can see practically all of Wales’ highest peaks from the top of Moel Siabod? The 12km walk from Capel Curig takes you to Siabod’s rocky summit through peaceful riverside woodland before requiring a slight scramble to reach the grit stone ridge. There’s also an easier, less technical, walk to the top – the views are exactly the same no matter how you choose to arrive.
Visiting these central hubs or, even better, staying nearby, is like placing yourself in the middle of a giant spider’s web of walking trails with various distances, gradients and degrees of difficulty all to be discovered, if you know where to look. The start of numerous walking trails which wind up into the mountains and across high ridges can often be discovered behind a village pub or next to the church – if you weren’t aware of their existence then you just wouldn’t notice that they were there.
For instance, did you know that on a clear day you can see practically all of Wales’ highest peaks from the top of Moel Siabod? The 12km walk from Capel Curig takes you to Siabod’s rocky summit through peaceful riverside woodland before requiring a slight scramble to reach the grit stone ridge. There’s also an easier, less technical, walk to the top – the views are exactly the same no matter how you choose to arrive.
You can also find a walking trail to the top of Pen yr Ole Wen from the shallow, stream-fed, Llyn Ogwen, a winding ribbon lake that’s as steeped in scenery as it is in the legends of King Arthur. Pen yr Ole Wen is as tall as the highest peak in England although it only ranks as seventh tallest in Wales.
From abandoned slate quarries to views out to Cardigan Bay and opportunities to scramble to the top of Tryfan, Bristly Ridge, Devil’s Kitchen and Gribin Ridge, the best walking routes take you to places that you might otherwise have missed.
Claire Copeman from our Snowdonia walking vacation specialists, Adventure Tours UK, shares some of her favourite walking routes: “Personally I love a quick lap of Llyn Idwal. It's a gorgeous spot and feels thoroughly wild and remote, yet you can do a circular walk in just 1.5 to 2 hours. Another gorgeous long walk I did just last week was the full length of the Carneddau range. Starting at Pen yr Ole Wen it's a long old hike up to the first peak and then a steady hike across this vast plateau. A particularly rewarding route down is to follow the river to the famous Aber Falls.”
From abandoned slate quarries to views out to Cardigan Bay and opportunities to scramble to the top of Tryfan, Bristly Ridge, Devil’s Kitchen and Gribin Ridge, the best walking routes take you to places that you might otherwise have missed.
Claire Copeman from our Snowdonia walking vacation specialists, Adventure Tours UK, shares some of her favourite walking routes: “Personally I love a quick lap of Llyn Idwal. It's a gorgeous spot and feels thoroughly wild and remote, yet you can do a circular walk in just 1.5 to 2 hours. Another gorgeous long walk I did just last week was the full length of the Carneddau range. Starting at Pen yr Ole Wen it's a long old hike up to the first peak and then a steady hike across this vast plateau. A particularly rewarding route down is to follow the river to the famous Aber Falls.”
Our top Snowdonia Vacation
Snowdonia self catering accommodation in Wales
Carbon Neutral award winning eco house in Snowdonia
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The 14 Peaks
Best-reserved for walkers with a high degree of fitness and plenty of hiking experience, the 14 peaks route encompasses Snowdonia’s highest mountains, all of them over 900 metres. It’s not as exhausting as it sounds though, when completed over three days. You’ll be walking for between eight and ten hours each day and this is a route where the services of a local guide are worth their weight in Black Bomber cheese. Claire Copeman has been there, done that, earned the bragging rights. “The 14 peaks is epic, such a challenge and easy to underestimate, but such a brilliant feeling to complete. Conquering Crib Goch was an amazing personal achievement for me, a ridge I’ve always avoided. It’s best done with a guide. With our 14 Peaks vacation, we wanted to give people the chance to tackle an iconic and challenging route, with the best chance of success and also to learn about the area’s nature, history and geology at the same time, so you get the story of the area as well as a safe pair of hands.
Point to point or center based?
Although it is possible to hike from one village to the next in Snowdonia, it can be a bit of a faff when it comes to unpacking and packing your bags every night. A much better option is to stay in one place and return each night to a welcoming log burning fire, Welsh slate floors and comfy sofas.
Just down the road from Betws-y-Coed is Capel Curig, a village central to Snowdonia's walking trails and mountain routes, and a well respected base for anyone looking to make the most of the great outdoors. At least one of our small group North Wales walking vacations uses an award-winning hostels as its base. Others might use a 3* hotel in Llanberis, or even include a little glamping. Wherever you’re staying, you can expect it to be conveniently close to the trailhead and surrounded by lovely views. Which kind of goes without saying. You are in Snowdonia after all.
For many walkers there's only one reason to stay in Capel Curig, and that's Snowdon, but if you think there's just one way to get to the top then here's where you find out a few more:
Just down the road from Betws-y-Coed is Capel Curig, a village central to Snowdonia's walking trails and mountain routes, and a well respected base for anyone looking to make the most of the great outdoors. At least one of our small group North Wales walking vacations uses an award-winning hostels as its base. Others might use a 3* hotel in Llanberis, or even include a little glamping. Wherever you’re staying, you can expect it to be conveniently close to the trailhead and surrounded by lovely views. Which kind of goes without saying. You are in Snowdonia after all.
For many walkers there's only one reason to stay in Capel Curig, and that's Snowdon, but if you think there's just one way to get to the top then here's where you find out a few more:
Summiting Snowdon
There are several trails leading to Snowdon's peak, some more technical than others. All of them are stunning, though and all of them rewarding. Join a small group guided hiking vacation and your guide will take into account several factors before deciding which route, including the weather on the day, and the group's ability. Snowdon is a very popular hike, so the guide will also use his or her knowledge of the routes to avoid other walkers as far as possible.
- Llanberis Path is the least technical and manageable for most active people. It follows the same route as the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which is an even easier way to reach the summit for anyone wanting to see the peak but not feeling fit enough for the full hike.
- Another relatively easy route is the Pyg Track.
- The Ranger Path is slightly more technical, but combined with the Llanberis Path it creates a good circular route which any competent hiker would enjoy.
- The Watkin Path is a scenic route which becomes technically more demanding as you approach the summit.
- Crib Goch is the most technical and challenging route to Snowdon's summit. There are several sections of scrambling to reach it and Crib Goch itself is an exposed knife-edge ridge. Hikers attempting this path must be competent mountain walkers, experienced at scrambling and with a head for heights. It does have the potential to be very dangerous so must not be taken lightly. This route should only be attempted by very experienced hikers and preferably with a qualified local mountain guide, and most week long walking vacations would not include it. For anyone who does complete this route, it is an incredibly rewarding achievement to reach the other side and the views are just spectacular.
How to stay safe when
walking in Snowdonia
More about Snowdonia
Thanks to the undulations and proximity to the Welsh coastline the best time to visit Snowdonia can often depend on what you’re prepared to pack i.
Discover the entirety of the national park as you delve into our Snowdonia travel guide and find out what we rate & what we don’t as well as our guide to the best and the worst of Snowdonia and how to travel like a local where food, shopping & people are concerned.
If you want to know how to make the most of your time in Snowdonia then our map & highlights page is definitely the best place to start as not only does it feature an interactive map of Snowdonia highlights but there’s also a section on bus and train travel times too.
If you like the rugged outdoor life then welcome to paradise as our top activities and things to do in Snowdonia page will have you white water rafting, hiking and cycling until you’re ready to take the train into the clouds as you summit Snowdon in style.
Snowdonia National Park is one of Europe’s top outdoor activity areas with a wonderful array of wet and wild options to keep small groups safe, smiling and satisfied all day long.
If your little ones love a bit of muck and aren’t adverse to wild and woolly coastal walks then traveling in Snowdonia with kids is going to be a real pleasure.
The Snowdonia travel advice that we trust always comes via tips from our friends in Snowdonia with artist Vivienne Rickman Poole and Snowdonia NP’s Principal Policy Officer, Ifer Gwyn, both contributing their recommendations alongside recommended Snowdonia tips from our travelers.
Find out how to travel right in Snowdonia by paying attention to safety advice, learning what to do with dogs and finding out how to approach wild camping; all of which are key areas featured within our responsible tourism in Snowdonia page.
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