The 10 best day hikes in Wales
From the rugged mountains of Snowdonia to the crinkled coastlines of Pembrokeshire, Wales has a plethora of incredible hikes scattered throughout its magnificent landscape which can satisfy even the most seasoned of hikers.
What makes Wales’s hiking landscape so special is not just the wide variety of hiking terrain which is on offer, but the proximity of the mountains to the coast. It’s a country within which you could tackle panic-attack inducing ridge scramble for breakfast, take a swim in a woodland waterfall for lunch, and then serve up a jaw dropping coastal walk for dinner.
While there maybe other hikes throughout Wales which maybe worthy of inclusion in the list, I decided to settle on 10.
These 10 hikes which I have chosen encompass the finest scenery that Wales has to offer. They take in its beautiful coastline, magnificent mountains, wonderful waterfalls, and superb slate mines which have recently ben awarded UNESCO world heritage status.
Every hike on this list is a trail that I have experienced first hand. The explanations for each one are quite brief as didn’t want to clog up this post with too much waffle. If you want a more detailed guide on a specific hike, including where to park, GPS maps and photos of the route, you can click on any of the links in each section.
At a glance
Gower Power - Gower Peninsula
Waterfall Wonder - Brecon Beacons
Circuit of the Central Brecon Beacons
The Carmarthenshire Fans - Brecon Beacons
Cadair Idris via the Minffordd Path - Snowdonia
Tryfan , The Glyderau, and Y Garn - Snowdonia
Snowdon Horseshoe - Snowdonia
St David’s Peninsula - Pembrokeshire
Pen yr Ole Wen & The Carneddau - Snowdonia
Cnicht & The Moelwyns - Snowdonia
Gower Power
The only one way hike on this list but its an absolute cracker.
This hike takes in the finest sections of the Gower coastal path, whilst starting and finishing at the peninsulas two most iconic locations. Its a magnificent walk with unrivalled coastal views and plenty of elevation gain to go with it.
With a bit of forward planning this hike can easily be done taking one car and using public transport. The 118 bus runs from Swansea past Three Cliffs all the way to Rhossili and a full timetable can be found here.
If using one car my suggestion would be to park in Rhossili, then catch the 118 bus back to Parkmill before hiking your way back to Rhossili in time for an epic sunset. You could even celebrate with a couple of pizzas from the lookout or a well deserved pint from the Worms Head Hotel.
In case your worrying about food and water, you can grab supplies at the start point in Parkmill ( the little valley bakery) and there are plenty of food options on-route in the villages of Oxwich and Port Eynon. Finally there’s no better place on the peninsula to watch the sunset that the finish point of Rhossili, so you can put your feet up and enjoy a pint a pizza while taking in one of the best coastal feature in the UK.
If you wanted to experience the best the Gower has to offer but don’t fancy a hike of this magnitude or can’t be bothered dealing with public transport, I would recommend heading to Rhossili and exploring the area by foot. My suggestion would be the Worms head hike which involves crossing a rocky causeway onto a one mile long sea serpent shaped tidal island. The details of this hike and vlog can be found in my blog post below.
Waterfall Wonder - Brecon Beacons
This is a a nine mile loop which encompasses some of the best waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons National park
Contrary to TLC’s advice, we should all go chasing waterfalls and South Wales is the perfect place to do so. This walk passes by 9 of the best in Brecon Beacons, two of which you can walk behind, with the option of a short extension to reach a 10th Waterfall.
Based in Waterfall country in the southern part of Brecon beacons national park, this is a 9 mile loop a walk which links up three wonderful waterfall walks, The Elidir Trail, The Four Falls trail, & Sychrhyd Gorge. Its a wonderful woodland walk which encompasses the best waterfalls that Wales has to offer. Its also a trail which is suitable to do all year round & no matter the weather (the wetter it is, the better the waterfall will be).
Although it isn’t at all technical it does involve navigating some unstable and rocky sections of trail, which under the delightful welsh weather can get quite slippery and muddy. For this reason suitable footwear and a decent waterproof jacket is recommended.
A full breakdown of the walk, including where to park and images of the waterfalls can be found in the blog post below.
Circuit of the Central Brecon Beacons
Regarded as one of the best walks in the Central Brecon Beacons, The Pen-y-fan horseshoe is a magnificent loop which tackles four of the biggest and most dramatic peaks in the park from the quieter southern side of the mountain .
The Shire horse shoe Is a longer but superior version of this classic which throws in a visit to an old WW2 plane wreckage alongside passing by several magnificent waterfalls. I would easily regard i as one of the best day hikes in Wales, especially when you consider the varied terrain and beautiful landscape it encompasses.
There are a number of places you can park on this hike, but I would recommend parking at the upper Blaen y-Glyn car park. I’d also suggest starting this loop early and tackling it in a clockwise fashion. This will mean you get the initial road walk and biggest climb out of the way first and you will (hopefully) have fewer people on the Pen-y-fan summit. Finally you will finish at the waterfalls where you could even treat yourself with a refreshingly cold dip.
The Carmarthenshire Fans - Brecon Beacons
Waterfalls, dramatic flat topped mountains, and two enchanting glacial lakes, this 10 mile loop in the western Brecon Beacons is hands down my favourite hike in South Wales.
There a a number of superlatives I could use to describe why this walk is so special but ultimately it comes down to the combination of the truly awe inspiring scenery alongside its relatively crowd free peaks.
If you only have the time to tackle one hike in the Brecon Beacons I would make sure its this one. The hike passes by a series of beautiful waterfalls and two enchanting glacial lakes, all whilst summiting several of the parks most magnificent peaks.
There’s extremely limited parking at the start of the hike so get there early to secure a space. For a detailed description of the hike, including where to park, check out my detailed blog post below.
Cadair Idris via the Minffordd Path - Snowdonia
The view of Llyn Cau and Craig Cwm Amarch from beneath the summit
Cadair Idris or 'Idris's Chair’ as it’s translated too, is one of the three mountains which make up the Welsh Three Peaks.
Shrouded in Welsh myth and legend this mountain lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park near the town of Dolgellau. At 891m it may not be the highest mountain in Wales, but it’s a corker of a hike that certainly packs a punch. Its southernly location also means you can guarantee quieter slopes than those in the north of the national park.
Parking is available at Dôl Idris Car Park for £6 a day. You can park for free on the road just outside on the car park but you run the risk of getting a ticket.
Snowdon Horseshoe
If you are coming to Snowdonia to do some hiking then its odds-on that you’re going to consider tackling the highest mountain in Wales, Yr Wyddfa. Of the Six main routes up Snowdon there is one classic that stands head and shoulders above the others in terms of wow factor, the Snowdon Horseshoe.
The Horseshoe is arguably one of the finest day hikes and ridge walks in the UK, and depending on what you're like with heights, will either leave you either astonished or suffering from PTSD. The route encompasses everything that’s great about the Snowdon Massif, from jaw-dropping views, tricky knife-edge scrambles, and a certain solitude which you won’t find at the summit.
A little word of warning, this route involves traversing Crib Goch, a notorious knife-edge ridge with sections no wider than 1.5m and with drops of several hundred meters either side of the ridge. Numerous walkers have died falling from the ridge so please do not attempt this route in adverse weather conditions.
Tryfan, Glyderau, and Y Garn - Snowdonia
The view from the summit of Y Garn
If you are only able to complete one hike whilst in Snowdonia then make sure it is this one.
This is a breath-taking day hike which summits the iconic peaks of Tryfan, Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr and Y Garn. Not only are the views just as spectacular as on the summit of Snowdon but here you’ll find a fraction of the crowds.
Alongside Crib Goch, its easily my favourite hike in North Wales. The route encompasses dramatic alpine-esque scrambles, jaw-dropping 360-degree views, and a series of unique topographical features that you won’t find anywhere else in Snowdonia.
Warning this a very tough mountain day involving summiting four peaks over 3,000ft and ascending/descending several exposed rocky sections. In addition, the initial ascent involves tackling the notorious Tryfan north face, a very exposed route suited for those without a fear of heights and who are comfortable scrambling on steep mountain terrain.
This route should only be attempted by competent hikers and should not be undertaken in poor weather.
For those short on time , fitness or not wanting to tackle the whole shabonka. you can easily shorten the route by cutting out either Tryfan and/or Y Garn. You can also cut out the notorious Tryfan north Ridge by ascending via Cwm Bochloyd. However if the weather gods have been kind I’d recommend packing the supplies and tackling the whole thing.
The cannon stone on Tryfans north ridge
The view of Snowdon From Glyder Fawr
Pen-yr-Ole Wen & The Carneddau - Snowdonia
The route offers tremendous views back over the Ogwen Valley towards the iconic peaks of Tryfan and the Glyderau and even offers a chance to photograph the Wild horses which roam the Carneddau southern slopes.
The 10-mile loop summits Pen-yr-Ole Wen, before looping around the Carneddau range to the second-highest peak in Wales, Carnedd Llewelyn (1,064m). Although not too long, the hike involves over 3,000 ft of ascent and descent so don’t forget to pop an ibuprofen and strap up those knees. Did someone say ‘oh my quads’.
Parking is once again available on the side of the A5 to the east of Llyn Ogwen. As this hike is a loop it doesn’t matter where on the A5 you park. It will just determine if you start or end your hike with a walk alongside the A5. The nearest toilets and café are located further up the A5 at the Ogwen partnership centre.
I’d recommend tackling this hike in a clockwise direction so you get the initial steep climb up towards Pen-yr Ole Wen out of the way first.
St David’s Peninsula - Pembrokeshire
Whitesands bay and Carn Llidi
A list of the top hikes in Wales wouldn’t be complete without featuring a walk along the wonderful Pembrokeshire coastline.
One of Three national parks in Wales and the only UK national park to be situated entirely on the coast, Pembrokeshire’s 186 miles of magnificent coastal path plays host to a wide array of terrific walks to suit people of all ages and abilities.
Actually deciding on which walk to include proved to be very difficult. With a number of shorter coastal walks including Abereiddi to Porthgain and Bosherton lily ponds ,not quite qualifying as ‘day hikes’.
Instead I plumped for wonderful 13 mile loop along the most westerly point of mainland Wales which compasses some of the finest coastline that the national park has to offer. The hike passes quaint seaside harbours, dramatic coastal cliffs, golden sanded beaches, and even includes hike up the prominent Carn Llidi, a 183m peak which give you stupendous panoramic views over the peninsula.
The view from Carn Llidi over Whitesands bay
You can start the hike from a number of locations on the route including St Davids (the UK’s smallest city) Whitesands Bay, or Porthclais harbour.
The loop can be complete in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction and does include a few miles of road walking. However this can easily be avoided by catching the Celtic coaster which runs between Whitesands bay and St David’s. The service runs every half hour from 9am to 6pm between the 27th March to 26th September. A full bus timetable can be found here.
Porthclais harbour
St Justinians Lifeboat station
Cnicht & The Moelwyns - Snowdonia
Hike Distance: 15 km/ 9.3 Miles
Hike Duration: 6-8 hours
Elevation gain: 1,100m
Hike Difficulty: Very hard
Start Point: Croesor
A majestical day hike which is arguably up there with the best in Wales. The 15km loop has it all, sensational panoramic views from three different summits, a wide variety of interchanging landscapes from abandoned slate quarries to hydroelectric dams, and certain remoteness which makes you feel like you are in the last wilderness of Wales.
This would be my choice of hike if i was seeking a epic day out without the crowds.
For a full breakdown of the hike including where to park, a detailed route guide, alongside Interactive maps, check out my separate hike guide below:
So there we have it, my 10 best Day hikes in Wales.
What did you think of the blog? Did I miss any hikes out and how many hikes on this list have you completed? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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You can find more Welsh hiking inspiration in the following blogs
For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.