Wales is small enough to cross in a day and full enough to fill a fortnight. These seven places are the highlights, from north to south.
Wales has its own language, spoken by hundreds of thousands of people, its own parliament, the Senedd, and a culture of music, poetry and rugby that is famous around the world. It is said to have more castles for its size than almost anywhere in Europe. Its three national parks cover a large part of the country, and its coast is one of the most beautiful in Britain.
1. Eryri (Snowdonia)
Mountains, lakes and waterfalls, with Yr Wyddfa the highest peak in Wales. Eryri became a national park in 1951, the first in Wales. The park now uses its Welsh names, Eryri and Yr Wyddfa, alongside the English Snowdonia and Snowdon.
Yr Wyddfa rises to 1,085 metres, the highest mountain in Wales and higher than any mountain in England. Several paths lead to the summit, and on a clear day the views stretch to Ireland. The Snowdon Mountain Railway has carried visitors to the top from Llanberis since 1896, when the weather allows.
Betws-y-Coed, with its stone bridges and the Swallow Falls nearby, is a popular base for walkers. The slate quarries of the area, which once roofed the world, are now a World Heritage Site. Some have been turned into adventure centres, with zip lines across the old quarries.
Mountain weather changes quickly, so check the forecast and go prepared. Parking at the busiest spots fills early in summer. See our UK walks and national parks guides.
2. Conwy
A walled town and one of Edward I’s great castles, on the estuary. Conwy Castle was built in the 1280s, after Edward I conquered Wales, and it is one of the finest medieval castles in Europe. It is part of a World Heritage Site with Edward’s other great castles in north Wales.
The town walls, with their many towers, still run almost all the way round the old town, and you can walk along much of them. They are among the most complete medieval town walls in Europe. The views over the estuary and the castle are wonderful.
On the quay stands the smallest house in Great Britain, a tiny red cottage just a few feet wide. Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan town house, is one of the best preserved in Britain. Thomas Telford’s suspension bridge crosses the river beside the castle.
Conwy is on the north Wales coast, close to Llandudno, and it has its own railway station. Parking in the old town is limited. It combines well with a visit to Llandudno and Eryri.
3. Portmeirion
A fantastical Italianate village on the coast, built by Clough Williams-Ellis. The architect built it between 1925 and 1975, on a wooded peninsula overlooking the sands of the Dwyryd estuary. With its pastel colours, domes and statues, it looks like a corner of the Mediterranean.
Clough Williams-Ellis wanted to show that a beautiful place could be built without spoiling the landscape. Many of its buildings were rescued from demolition elsewhere and rebuilt here. The result is unlike anywhere else in Britain.
Portmeirion became famous as the setting for the 1960s television series The Prisoner. Portmeirion pottery, designed by his daughter Susan Williams-Ellis, is known around the world. The village has a hotel, cafés and shops.
There is an admission charge for day visitors, so check before you go. Portmeirion is near Porthmadog, where the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland heritage railways begin. The beaches of the Llŷn Peninsula are close by.
4. Llandudno
A Victorian seaside resort between the Great Orme and the Little Orme. Llandudno has been called the Queen of the Welsh Resorts, with its grand promenade, its elegant hotels and its long, curving bay. It keeps much of its Victorian charm.
Llandudno’s pier is the longest in Wales, with stalls and amusements. The Great Orme, a huge limestone headland, rises above the town. You can reach the top by the Great Orme Tramway, a Victorian cable-hauled tramway, or by cable car.
On the Great Orme, a copper mine dating back around four thousand years, to the Bronze Age, can be visited. Wild Kashmiri goats roam the headland. The views stretch along the coast and out to sea.
Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, spent holidays in Llandudno, and a trail of statues around the town celebrates the story. Llandudno has its own railway station. It is about an hour and a half from Manchester by car.
5. Pembrokeshire and St Davids
The coast path, the beaches and Britain’s smallest city. St Davids city guide. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the only national park in Britain chosen mainly for its coastline.
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs for around 186 miles, past cliffs, coves, beaches and harbours. Barafundle Bay, Tenby and Whitesands Bay are among its many beautiful beaches. In spring and summer, puffins nest on Skomer Island, which can be reached by boat.
St Davids is Britain’s smallest city, with a population of under two thousand. Its cathedral, in a hollow near the sea, was built on the site of the monastery founded by St David, the patron saint of Wales. The ruins of the Bishop’s Palace stand beside it.
Pembrokeshire is a long way from most cities, about two hours from Cardiff by car, and the lanes are narrow. The coast is busiest in the summer holidays. See our UK beaches guide.
6. Gower
Rhossili Bay and Three Cliffs, next to Swansea. Swansea city guide. In 1956, Gower became the first area in Britain to be named an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Rhossili Bay, a huge sweep of sand at the western tip of the peninsula, is often voted one of the best beaches in Britain. At its end, Worm’s Head is a tidal island that can be reached on foot at low tide, but walkers must check the tide times carefully. The views from the clifftop are stunning.
Three Cliffs Bay, with its limestone cliffs and a river winding across the sand, is one of the most photographed places in Wales. Oxwich Bay and Port Eynon are lovely too. Mumbles, at the start of the peninsula, has a pier, a castle and ice cream parlours.
Gower is only a short drive from Swansea, where the poet Dylan Thomas was born. The lanes are narrow and the car parks fill up in summer. See our UK beaches guide.
7. Cardiff
The castle, the Bay and a rugby match if you can get a ticket. Cardiff city guide. Cardiff became the capital of Wales in 1955, and it is the country’s largest city.
Cardiff Castle, in the heart of the city, has a Roman fort, a Norman keep and lavish Victorian rooms created for the Marquess of Bute, who grew rich from Cardiff’s coal trade. The Victorian and Edwardian arcades nearby are full of independent shops. The Principality Stadium, with its closing roof, is right in the city centre.
Cardiff Bay, once a busy coal port, has been transformed with the Senedd, the Wales Millennium Centre and restaurants along the waterfront. National Museum Cardiff, which is free, has one of the finest collections of Impressionist paintings in Britain. St Fagans, a free open-air museum of Welsh life, is on the edge of the city.
Cardiff Central station has trains from across Britain. On match days, the city centre is packed. See our stadiums guide.
Getting around Wales
Wales is a country of mountains and narrow valleys, and many of the best places are far from a railway station. Roads can be slow, especially in the mountains and on the coast in summer. A car to the door makes the most of the time.
For a day of several stops, a car by the hour can wait at each one. For a journey between cities, the price is fixed before you book. See our guides to Welsh cities and castles.
Ride with ZeroLanes. A car booked ahead, at a price fixed before you confirm, with the driver and the car on your journey page before pickup. Get a fixed price for the journey.