How to Spend Three Days In Snowdonia with Kids

Snowdonia National Park is one giant outdoor playground, with mountains, hills, rivers, forest and beaches. It’s a beautiful destination, with activities for all the family. It might be best known for its hiking but there’s plenty more on offer too. Here’s our guide to visiting Snowdonia with kids.

3 DAYS IN SNOWDONIA WITH KIDS

For this itinerary we arrived in Snowdonia the evening before.

Day 1 – hike Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales

Day 2 – experience the activities at Zip World

Day 3 – explore the historic towns of Caernarfon and Harlech

DAY 1: Hike up Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales

Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at a height of 1,085 metres, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. Hiking Snowdon with children will depend on many factors: the age and previous hiking experience of your kids, the weather on any given day, and your choice of route. It is a challenging mountain hike, which will take somewhere between 5 – 8 hours to complete.

There are three main routes for hiking Snowdon with kids:

• The Llanberis Path – the easiest but longest route, but can be deemed quite boring.
• Up the Pyg Track and down the Miners Track – the most difficult and steepest of the three routes.
• The Snowdon Ranger Track – the least busy of the three routes, still relatively easy, but with great views.

We chose to hike the Snowdon Ranger Track, a 12 kilometre return trip. It is a moderate hike which should take between six and seven hours. There are some steeper, rocky sections, but otherwise it is a relatively straightforward uphill climb!

The start point for the Snowdon Ranger Track is the Llyn Cwellyn car park (LL54 7YS).

The views are amazing and yet this track was relatively quiet, until we got to the top. A perfect hike with children.

For more on hiking Snowdon read: Hiking Snowdon with Kids

If your kids are too young to hike Snowdon or hiking is just not for you, then there is an alternative for getting to the top of the highest mountain in Wales. Ride up on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which takes just an hour to reach the top! Booking for the railway is very much advised, as it can get sold out, particularly at peak times.

DAY 2:  Zip World, mountain biking at Coed y Brenin and Beddgelert

Enjoy the activities at Zip World

Start your day at Zip World for some adrenalin activities. Zip World has three separate locations:  Penrhyn Quarry, Slate Caverns and Fforest, with different activities at each.

Once the world’s largest slate quarry Penrhyn Quarry, near Bethesda, is now home to the longest zip-wire in the northern hemisphere. Zip World Velocity is a mile long and gets up to speeds over 100mph!

Home to a wealth of North Wales slate mining history, Slate Caverns now houses the world’s first underground and above ground adventures. Titan is a four man zip-wire, with views across Snowdonia, and Bounce Below, and Caverns, a giant subterranean playground. Bounce Below is trampolining in a huge cave and the Caverns is an underground zip line and adventure course.

We visited the Slate Caverns on our visit and experienced Titan and Bounce Below. Both are fantastic. Titan is Europe’s largest zipping zone where you take three exhilarating zip lines high above the quarry, four people at a time. Bounce Below is like nothing else, trampolining in a cave!

Fforest has a toboggan, treetop trampolining and an above ground zip line adventure.

Mountain bike at Coed y Brenin

If you’re looking for more adventure, right opposite the Slate Caverns is Coed y Brenin, a mountain bike centre, with a range of routes suitable for everyone from families and novices, to rocky technical trails for expert riders. We didn’t manage to fit this in but it looked great and we’re already planning a visit.

Visit the pretty village of Beddgelert

Once you’ve finished at Zip World and/or Coed y Brenin head to Beddgelert, a pretty village in Snowdonia. A short walk along the river brings you to Beddgelert’s famous site; Gelert’s grave.

According to legend, the stone monument in the field marks the resting place of Gelert, the faithful hound of the medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great. The story, as written on the tombstone reads:

“In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, ‘The Faithful Hound’, who was unaccountably absent.

On Llewelyn’s return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son, and saw the infant’s cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood.

The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound’s side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog’s dying yell was answered by a child’s cry.

Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here”.

Make sure to stop off at Glaslyn Ices for an ice-cream when in Beddgelert, for truly amazing ice-cream.

DAY 3: Explore the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech

Wales is undisputedly the land of castles. Two of the best are Caernarfon and Harlech. Spend the morning exploring Caernarfon and the afternoon at Harlech, before heading home.

Caernarfon

A huge fortress, Caernarfon Castle located in the town of Caernarfon, is an impressive structure. Built by Edward I, from 1283, it occupies an impressive position along the River Seiont, the site of a previous motte and bailey castle. In 1969, the investiture of the current Price of Wales, HRH Prince Charles took place here. The castle remains still very much intact with much to explore.

There is plenty to keep kids occupied at Caernarfon Castle. Wander the impressive castle walls, climb the many towers for outstanding views across Caernarfon and indeed the rest of the castle, and visit the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Museum based at the castle. There is a children’s activity sheet provided which involves finding small plaques all around the castle. This kept our three boys fully entertained throughout our visit, and saw them running from one part of the castle to another!

Pop into Palas Caffi for an ice cream when you’ve finished exploring the castle. Amazing ice cream with a view of the castle.

Harlech

Harlech Castle is spectacularly sited on a rocky bluff above a golden sandy beach, with the mountains of Snowdonia behind. Spend time exploring the castle, but also allow time to build a castle of your own on one of the best beaches in North Wales. There’s an easy two mile walk on the Wales Coastal Path at Harlech on the Branwen Walk circuit with lovely castle and coastal views. A perfect walk for little legs!

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at Riverside Camping, the most amazing campsite, near Caernarfon. The campsite offers camping but also three cabans (welsh for cabins) for luxury glamping. You will not be disappointed. We fell in love with our caban, tucked away next to the river. The cabans are handcrafted from wood and are truly beautiful.

Cabans sleep up to six people, and have a small kitchen and bathroom, complete with slipper bath. There are two proper bedrooms and a cabin bed, tucked away in a cupboard, which children will love. The cabans are heated by a wood burner, which can also be used for cooking. There is no electricity but battery lamps are provided.

Outside, there is a decked area with table and chairs, a chiminea and a wood-fired hot tub. Enjoy the hot tub early morning or late afternoon. Bliss after a busy day.

FOR MORE ON WALES:

Amazing Things To Do In Wales with Kids

Glamping at Hidden Valley Yurts in Monmouthshire

Walking the Wales Coastal Path on the Gower Peninsula