Guide to Snowdonia national park and North Wales
Snowdonia is Wales’ oldest and largest of its three National Parks.
Its awe-inspiring landscape is dramatic as it is unique and just driving through its glacial valleys is enough to leave you speechless. Roads twist and weave between towering jagged mountain peaks carved out some 18,000 years ago.
The home of adventure, Snowdonia has been a playground for generations of outdoor enthusiasts, offering up an almost endless number of trails to explore and activities to tackle.
Within the park you’ll find nine mountain ranges, 15 summits above 3,000ft (including Snowdon, the highest mountain outside of Scotland), over 100 lakes, magical waterfalls, and 37 miles of some of the finest coastline in Britain.
Aside from Snowdonia’s beautiful landscape, North Wales is rich with legend, history, and culture which dates back thousands of years. The region is peppered with UNESCO World Heritage sites, slate quarries, and ancient castles.
Individual Hike Guides
Getting to and around Snowdonia & North Wales
The mountainous landscape of Snowdonia is only a few hours away from most of the UK’s main population centres, with excellent road, rail and coach links. My recommendation as with the entirety of Wales (except Cardiff) is to travel by car as it will give you fast and flexible access to the majority of locations throughout the region.
Via Car
From South Wales, there are a number of routes both inland and along the coast which takes you up into the centre of the park in around 3.5 hours. From the North West of England and the Midlands, there’s quick, straightforward access via the M56 and A55. If you’re travelling from London and the south of England the M6, M5 and M1 bring Snowdonia within easy reach.
Via Train or Bus
Direct bus and train services take you to the popular North Wales coastal destinations of Bangor and Llandudno from most parts of Britain including London and Manchester. From South Wales, Arriva Trains Wales operates buses to Porthmadog, Caernarfon and Bangor.
If you are going to travel by train or bus, consider purchasing an Explore Wales Pass, which gives you four days travel within an 8 day period to anywhere in Wales by train and selected buses, or a Rover and Rangers pass, which gives you unlimited day travel with a specific region.
Check out the National Rail, National Express & Transport for Wales websites for more information.
Once you’re in Snowdonia
To access the popular Snowdonia towns of Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog you can get inland connections via the Conwy Valley Line which runs through the Snowdonia National Park.
You also have the option of catching one of the Sherpa Buses within the park. The service travels around the foot of Mt Snowdon and creates a handy link between all the six main routes up Wales highest mountain, as well as the main car parks, villages and tourist attractions in the area.
It is an ideal service for walkers or climbers who intend to start their hike up Snowdon from one point and finish at another, or indeed for anyone who wishes to travel around Snowdonia and leave the car at home. Here's a handy PDF map of the Snowdon Sherpa network.
In addition to the sherpa bus, there are eight different services that link key destinations within Snowdonia. For more information check out the timetables on the Gwynedd Council website
Where to Eat and Sleep
Every time I have visited Snowdonia I have either stayed with a friend or wild camped. That being said there are plenty of accommodation options to suit all budgets scattered throughout the park.
On the map below I have listed some of the best hostels throughout the park alongside some of the highest-rated cheaper places to eat.
I prefer to stay at a hostel not only because they are one of the cheapest forms of accommodation, but the facilities allow you to cook your own food, do your washing and meet like-minded individuals from all walks of life. Also what’s the point in spending money on accommodation when you’re going to be out all day exploring the mountains?
You can’t beat the YHA Pen-y-Pass for a location as it is the start point for several routes up Snowdon. However, The Rocks at Plas Curig Hostel is meant to be incredible and one I will personally look to stay in next time I head north.
For more information and suggestions on where to stay check out the Visit Snowdonia website and Cool Camping website.
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For more travel, hiking, and photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.