10 Must-Visit Attractions in North Wales

If you are looking for some of the best Attractions in North Wales, then we’ve got you covered.  North Wales is the perfect destination for a UK getaway. It’s got everything you could want from your holiday: beautiful landscapes, culture, history, and great places to explore. And if you’re looking for some beauty inspiration on your next trip to North Wales, then look no further. In this blog post we’ll be exploring ten of our favourite beauty spots in North Wales that are sure to inspire and delight!

Llangollen Town, Mountain Railway and Canal Barge Trips

Llangollen is a beautiful town in the heart of Denbighshire with much to offer.

Llangollen Railway is a narrow gauge railway line which runs through the mountains from Llangollen to Carrog and has been in operation since 1864, with spectacular views and an olde world railway trip that is loved by all ages. The line was originally built as a horse drawn tramway by Josiah Evans, but it was converted to steam locomotion in 1867.  The line runs both steam and diesel trains, and the nearby canal at the top of Llangollen also offers canalboat trips pulled by shire horses.  It’s certainly possible to visit both in a day, as well as taking in the nearby Pontcysyllte Aqueduct – all three really are a must see and will give you a full day of entertainment, as well as offering plenty of places to shop, eat and drink in the town.

Horseshoe Falls

The Horseshoe Falls are a series of three cascades on the River Tywy in the town of Llangollen, North Wales. The river flows through a steep-sided gorge and under an aqueduct bridge before plunging down over a series of horseshoe shaped steps to form three separate falls. The water from this waterfall has been harnessed by mills for centuries, with its power used to grind corn and saw timber, as well as drive bellows for blast furnaces.

The horseshoe falls are famous for their beauty and have been a popular tourist destination since Victorian times. Today there is easy access from both sides via stairs down into the gorge itself, where you can get right up close to the action!

Snowdonia National Park

Snowdonia National Park is a popular tourist destination and home to Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. There are many trails around the mountain, including the Rhyd Ddu Path and Llanberis Path. One of my favorite things about visiting this area was seeing remnants of its mining history—there are so many abandoned mines that it makes me wonder how they ever kept track of them all! There are also plenty of places to stay nearby if you want to spend more time exploring Snowdonia.

If you’re looking for a place to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Capel Curig and Tryfan are great options. The village is situated on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, which contains mountains and rivers that will leave you breathless with every turn. It’s also home to Tryfan—the second highest mountain in Wales (at 915m).

Areas like these have plenty of opportunities for hiking, climbing and exploring nature with your friends or family members. You can even go skiing if you want! There are many walking trails around Capel Curig which will lead you through beautiful scenery.

Betws-y-Coed

Betws-y-Coed is a small village in the Snowdonian National Park. It’s a popular tourist destination known for its trout fishing, and it’s also one of the starting points for hikers on the Llanberis Path. The town has a population of around 1,000 people and is surrounded by beautiful scenery.

Betws-y-Coed has been used as an inspiration for stories set in Snowdonia; most notably, Charles Dickens’ book David Copperfield features Betws as “Benedict Town.”

Great Orme Country Park, Llandudno

Great Orme Country Park, set next to the Victorian resort of Llandudno is a wonderful place to visit if you want to escape the bustling town for a moment and enjoy nature.

The park has an abundance of things to do, including hiking, biking, rock climbing and even archery! You can also check out their visitor center where they have an art gallery that showcases local artists’ work as well as information about history of the area.

Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay

Image shared with permission: Copyright Denis Egan from Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales, CC BY 2.0;, via Wikimedia Commons

Welsh Mountain Zoo is one of the most popular attractions in North Wales – and rightly so, because it appeals to people of all ages. It’s located in the beautiful Conwy Valley, and has a huge collection of animals from around the world. As well as penguins, sealions and exotic animals, the zoo also has a butterfly house, model railway and adventure playground to entertain you during your visit. It’s open all year round, so if you want to go for something different then why not give it a try?

Portmeirion Village, Penrhyndeudraeth

Portmeirion village is an architectural fantasy and tourist attraction in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.

The village was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975. The buildings were constructed to resemble an Italian village, complete with a castle, town hall and amphitheatre. The idea behind the design was to evoke a sense of nostalgia among visitors; this theme is carried throughout the village’s themes such as “The Prisoner”, which draws on Victorian styles of architecture and design.

It’s a stunning location loved by all ages.

Aber Falls waterfall and distillery, Abergwyngregyn

Located in Abergwyngregyn, Aber Falls are the only waterfalls in North Wales. In Welsh, Aber means mouth and gwyngregyn means “mouth of the river gorge”. It is at the confluence of two rivers: Afon Cegin and Afon Prysor. The falls themselves are 20 meters high and about 200 meters wide.  However, these days, the area is becoming well known as one of the most popular attractions in North Wales thanks to it being the home of the Aber Falls Distillery Visitor Centre, where you can sample one of Wales’ finest whiskies and popular range of Welsh gins.

It’s worth pre-booking your visit as they can get very busy, but those lucky enough to visit can enjoy a tour of the distillery, as well as tasting delicious food in the on-site cafe. The site also offers regular artisan markets, a visitor shop filled with Welsh produce (as well as the distillery’s outstanding range) and there’s even a gin lab experience where you can blend your own gin!

Conwy Castle

Image of Conwy Castle: Chris Black, Pexels

The setting of this ancient Castle is breathtaking, and the town offers plenty of opportunities for shopping, eating and browsing the town’s independent shops.  Be warned, however, to make sure you buy enough parking to cover your visit, you’ll probably find more to do than you expect and the car park attendants are over-zealous, our team received a ticket while in a queue to buy another one just minutes after our ticket expired, sending in our new ticket timed just 5 minutes after the expiry of the earlier one was met with a flat refusal to cancel – cheers Conwy Council for being the least tourist friendly council in Wales!  The location’s still on our list despite this because despite our negative experience with the car park,  this place really is a must-see – just be careful where you park and don’t allow your ticket to expire.

Conclusion

We hope we’ve inspired you to visit some of our favourite attractions in North Wales!

Header Image: Llangollen Railway, Copyright Lisa Baker