Overview
This eight day self-guided walking in Snowdonia holiday takes you on a journey through Wales’ most famous national park. Snowdonia National Park, now known by its Welsh name of Eryri, protects dazzling mountain scenery, traditional villages such as Beddgelert or Aberdaron.
You also get to summit Yr Wyddfa or Snowdon on this trip, the highest mountain in Wales at 1,085m following the Pyg Track. Other highlights include a hike around Ynys Enlli, or Bardsey Island, just off the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula. From coast to crags, this Snowdonia holiday is a week of Welsh wanderlust based in just two hotels, with a plethora of hikes on their doorsteps.
- Snowdonia National Park
- Betws-y-Coed
- Pen-y-Pass
- ‘Ty Hyll’ or the Ugly house
- Bardsey Island
- Summit Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) 1,085m
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Beddgelert
Welcome to Beddgelert in Wales. After settling in you could spend the afternoon/evening exploring this wonderful little village. Public transport is available from Bangor train station to Beddgelert.
- Accommodation: Sygun Fawr or similar in Beddgelert
Day 2: Circular walk Beddgelert | 16km
Your first walk is a fantastic introduction to the Welsh countryside. From the village, take a small road passing some traditional cottages and the Sygun Copper Mine. This is an impressive example of how precious industrial heritage can be restored into a tourist attraction. The walking trail continues to Llyn Dinas lake then over Mynydd Llyndy, where you have superb views in all directions. You continue through moorland and woodlands to the hamlet of Nantmor, then back to Beddgelert via the Fisherman’s Trail.
- Accommodation: Sygun Fawr or similar in Beddgelert
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 16km ↑320m
Day 3: Summiting Snowdon | 11km
Today’s walk takes you up Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales (1,085m). From Beddgelert, you take public transport for a short distance to the start of the trail at Pen-y-Pass, a mountain road built in the 1830s to carry ore from the mines on Yr Wyddfa to the nearby town of Llanberis. The walking trail leads you along an old miners’ track, called the Pyg Track, to the summit. From the summit (weather permitting) you will enjoy panoramic views of Eryri, or Snowdonia You have a choice of walks to descend, by either taking the miners’ track back to Pen-y-Pass or following the train track down to Llanberis. Public transport is then available to take you back to your accommodation in Beddgelert.
- Accommodation: Sygun Fawr or similar in Beddgelert
- Walking for the day: 3-4h, 11km ↑725m
Day 4: Betws-y-Coed to Ty Hyll | 13km
Take public transport to the start of your walk, this time in the colourful town of Betws-y-Coed which is surrounded by dense woodlands and magnificent countryside. A small forest trail leads you up to Llyn Elsi Reservoir. The trail continues via an old Roman Road that takes you across the Miner’s Bridge and on to Swallow Falls, where the river Llugwy rushes down from the mountains. Crags and jagged rocks divide the stream into a number of cascades. Your day ends at Ty Hyll, the Ugly House, built overnight by two outlaw brothers, and now the offices of the National Trust. Public transport is available to take you back to your accommodation in Beddgelert.
- Accommodation: Sygun Fawr or similar in Beddgelert
- Walking for the day: 3-4h, 13km ↑360m
Day 5: Bryncroes to Aberdaron | 16km
A taxi will today transfer you from Beddgelert to the small hamlet of Bryncroes for the start of your walk. Taxi transfer is included in the tour cost. A very mixed and varied walk awaits you today, taking you through open farmland, mixed woodland, over gentle hills and along some quiet country roads on your way to Aberdaron. Mynydd Rhiw is the high point of the day at 304m and, from the top, you will be rewarded with sweeping views of both land and sea. As you walk, you pass through some derelict farmsteads with traditional stonewalls reaching out in all directions.
- Accommodation: Gwesty Ty Newydd or similar in Aberdaron
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 16km ↑365m
Day 6: Bardsey Island | 12km
Today’s walk is on Ynys Enlli, or Bardsey Island. To get to the island, you take a small ferry from just outside Aberdaron, on a 15mins crossing (please note that the ferry will not sail in case of bad weather). Ynys Enlli lies about 3km off the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula. It is 2.5km in length and, at its widest point, is just over 1 km. Mynydd Enlli mountain rises to a height of 167m. The island has been a refuge for nature lovers and those seeking solitude for centuries. It was declared a national nature reserve in 1986 and many make the journey from Aberdaron each summer to glimpse cormorants, shags, manx shearwaters and curlews. Grey seals also come to bask on the beaches. Between eight and thirteen people are resident on the island, including a farmer, warden and bird experts.
- Accommodation: Gwesty Ty Newydd or similar in Aberdaron
- Walking for the day: 3-4h, 12km ↑160m
Day 7: Circular walk Aberdaron | 14.5km
This is one of the most spectacular coastal walks to be found anywhere in the British Isles. It is made up of coastal paths, open countryside, moorlands and an abundance of peace and tranquillity. The walking trail takes you in a clockwise direction around the headland of the Llyn Peninsula and up to the top of Mynydd Mawr. From here, on a good day, you can see across the Irish Sea to the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. You pass St. Mary’s Well, which is a very unusual well because it fills with fresh water from an underground spring, despite being under sea level at high tide. You also enjoy great views over Bardsey Island.
- Accommodation: Gwesty Ty Newydd or similar in Aberdaron
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 14.5km ↑585m
Day 8: Departure
After a hearty Welsh breakfast, public transport is available from Aberdaron to Bangor train station and on to your next adventure.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour is in two small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
Beddgelert:
- Sygun Fawr (Beddgelert)
- Plas Tan y Graig B&B Guest House (Beddgelert)
- Gwesty Ty Newydd (Aberdaron)
*Hotels are subject to availability. If a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your accommodation the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at (if available) or at the village pubs and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
Easy to moderate walking. You do need to be reasonably fit and healthy for the climb to Snowdon, as it takes the average walker 4h to get to the top and back down, including walking uphill, some of it steep (read more about difficulty grades). A comprehensive guidebook and map are supplied. You can also call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. Your holiday information pack will include more detailed information on route navigation.
When to go
This trip is available from April until October.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. We can eventually book you on off-season dates if you are a seasoned and well-equipped hiker.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on the United Kingdom is available here (for Canadian citizens) and here (for US citizens).
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) and Manchester Airport (MAN).
By train or bus
- Arrive at Liverpool or Manchester Airport and take a train to Bangor, or if you’re coming from the south take a train to Porthmadog, then travel by bus to your accommodation in Beddgelert.
- Check the Traveline website for up-to-date timetables, or use the Omio planner above.
IMPORTANT: From 2025, the UK is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many countries around the world. Up until 08 January, the ETA requirement only applied to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
On 08 January 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to visitors from eligible non-European countries, including Australian, Canadian and US nationals. Then, on 02 April 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to eligible European countries, referring to most of Europe.
You can view the full list of countries that this applies to here and apply for your ETA here, or on the UK ETA app. The ETA usually takes up to three working days to be processed, although we advise applying as early as possible, in advance of your travel dates. People travelling with an Irish passport don’t need an ETA.
You can read more about the UK entry requirements on our blog.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights in twin/double rooms, en-suite (3-star hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses as listed in the itinerary)
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfer when changing hotels (one piece of luggage per person, max 20kg)
- Detailed journey documentation and practical information: personalised trip notes and maps, details on restaurants and places of interest to visit, information on trains or buses needed to get to your first accommodation and back at the end of the tour (emailed before departure and a hard copy provided at first hotel; one set per room)
- GPS tracks
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Upgraded accommodation in Beddgelert
- Extra nights along the trail are bookable upon request
