North Wales is a must-visit destination in the UK! It’s mountainous, it’s wild, it has islands, it has the highest peak in England & Wales, it has pretty seaside towns, it has beaches, it has friendly people, and so much more!
Luckily you can see a lot of North Wales by car with just 2 days in North Wales on this North Wales Itinerary. Of course, you will not be able to see all of it but you will be able to Climb Snowdon, visit the island of Anglesey, see some Beaches and nice Towns, and you might even have time to fit in an adrenaline activity!
2 Day North Wales Itinerary
I used to live in South Wales, now, I live in Manchester and I visit North Wales multiple times a year as it’s so close, so here’s how I recommend spending 2 days in North Wales to see the best of the area based on a recent trip.
Day 1 – Anglesey Island
On my North Wales itinerary, I decided to drive right to the tip of North West Wales and cross the bridge onto Anglesey Island on my first afternoon, it was a great choice and this is what I recommend you do too. Anglesey is known for its beaches and ancient sites and is accessed by crossing the 19th Century suspension bridge onto the island. It’s pretty impressive!
RELATED POST: 12 BEST Places To Visit in Anglesey, North Wales
Beaumaris is a town on the Eastern side of Anglesey and I decided to go here because it was pretty easy to get to from the bridge onto the island. It took me just 20 minutes to reach after crossing the bridge. Beaumaris is a pretty town with a seaside feel to it, it has lots of colourful buildings, a castle, and views looking over the water to Snowdonia on the mainland of Wales.
Beaumaris has a harbour which offers popular boat trips to Puffin Island. If you have children going to Puffin Island from Beaumaris would be a great thing to do! And of course, you can still visit without Children!
Just 20 minutes down the coast is Penmon Beach and Penmon Point, the stoney beach is only small but it has a really relaxed atmosphere as well as being very pretty and also has incredible views across the water to Snowdonia.
There is an iconic Lighthouse and a nice Cafe. It cost’s £3.00 to access the point at a toll road but it’s worth paying it.
North Wales Day Tours
If you don’t have access to a car in Wales or you want a knowledgeable local guide to show you the best places in North Wales, have a look at these tours that you can book and include them in your North Wales itinerary!
If you’re looking for beaches, one of my favourite North Wales beaches is just on the edge of Anglesey called Traeth Llanddwyn / Newborough Beach.
This beach offers soft white sand, calm waters and a view of Snowdonia National Park!
More of my Wales Posts to help plan your trip:
Day 2 – Climb Snowdon
The second day on your North Wales itinerary has to be spent by climbing to the highest peak in England & Wales – Snowdon.
There are 8 trails to get to the top of Snowdon which is really great as it helps keep walkers dispersed, if everyone had to walk the same track it would be pretty busy!
If you don’t want to hike up Snowdon, or you are visiting Snowdonia with kids who may not be able to do the hike, you can get the Snowdon Railway to the top and back down.
3 of these routes leave from Pen-Y-Pass which is across the road from the YHA Snowdon Pen-Y-Pass Hostel, they are Pyg Track, Crib Goch and the Miners’ Track.
I recommend the PYG Track, I’ve climbed Snowdon many times and this is my favourite as it’s interesting the whole way and one of the easier choices (although not really easy!)
Here’s my full post on Climbing Snowdon from Pen Y Pass!
I started the walk at 9:30 and finished at 14:30 and if you do the same, or you head out even earlier, you’ll still have all afternoon to explore more of the Snowdonia National Park.
Llanberis
A 15-minute drive from Pen-Y-Pass is the town of Llanberis. It’s home to the National Slate Museum which I found really interesting.
Slate is such a big part of North Wales, its economy and history so it was interesting learning about it and being able to recognise the slate mountains when I drove passed them.
Llanberis is a small town but it has a few cafes that you could get some well-needed lunch at after the walk and it has a nice lake if you can walk anymore and a children’s play area.
Day 3 – Adrenaline Activities in North Wales
You just did one adventure activity hiking to the top of Snowdon so why not do another adventure activity in North Wales?! Whether you do this before you go home or combined with Day 1 of your trip to North Wales this will really complete the trip and be an epic addition on your North Wales itinerary!
One of the most popular adrenaline activities to do in North Wales is go Zip Lining with Zip World!
They have many locations in North Wales all offering slightly different things, you can do a Zip Safari, a Forest Rollercoaster, Bounce underground in an old Quarry, go on a Quarry Tour or go on Velocity 2 which is the fastest Zip Line in the world right now and many more activities for different ages and abilities.
Horse riding in Snowdonia is another great activity and Snowdonia Riding Stables are a good company to book with, we loved going out with them with the kids recently.
Llangollen is another place to visit in Wales perfect for activities and with it being on the border of England and Wales it works as a good way to stop on your way home from Wales.
I did White Water Rafting there a few years ago which was a lot of fun and most recently went canoeing over a 38m high Aqueduct known as the ‘stream in the sky’ and rented the canoes from TNR Outdoors to do this. Alternatively you can take a canal boat tour over the aqueduct or walk along it which is still very cool to do!
More places to visit in North Wales
If this isn’t your thing and you’d rather see more beaches, waterfalls and towns on your North Wales itinerary see my list of the best places to visit in North Wales here!
Some of my favourites are:
- Swallow Falls– an incredible waterfall
- Fairy Glen Waterfalls – a much-loved mystical waterfall in Swowdonia
- Watkin Path Waterfalls – waterfalls with a short but nice walking route to them
- Llandudno & Great Orme – A seaside holiday town with a nice beach and activities
- Aber Falls – a great waterfall accessible for all the family
- Conwy & Conwy Castle – one of the best castles in Wales and a small city to visit
- Portmeirion – A colourful Italian Village in North Wales
Best Time of Year to Visit North Wales
Wales is a good place to visit all year round, as long as you are prepared for the weather. Summers in Wales can be lovely but Summer holidays bring a lot of tourists to Wales and many places in North Wales get very busy.
Winters are less busy but the weather can be wet, cold and very harsh, especially up in the mountains.
I think the best time to visit North Wales are the shoulder seasons of Summer, so late Spring around May and June, and early Autumn in September and October.
Here’s my complete post on the best time to visit Wales by each season and things to do in Wales!
How to get Around North Wales
A car is definitely needed to get around North Wales. Whilst public transport is available in the form of buses and trains, to get to hidden places and to get around in a timely manner, driving is best!
The roads in North Wales can get very small and windy, you may be shocked by how small the country roads up here are! Here are my top tips for driving in Wales to help!
If you need to hire a car check out Rental Cars here who compare prices and options with all the popular companies.
Where to Stay in North Wales
I would recommend staying in accommodation in the Snowdonia National Park on the first night of this North Wales itinerary. Firstly because it’s stunning, but secondly, it’s a great central area.
I stayed at YHA Snowdon Pen-Y-Pass Hostel which was a great hostel to base myself in North Wales because it was right on a selection of trails that lead up to the top of Snowdon.
Whether you’re staying in accommodation in the Snowdonia National Park or not, be sure to plan a drive that takes you through the National Park. You’ll be surrounded by Mountains, go in and out of Valleys and it will probably make you wonder why you’ve never been here before!
Even if you aren’t visiting North Wales for a Wales Road Trip enjoying it by car is a great way to explore the area.
Related post: Wales Road Trip Tips & Places to Visit on a Wales Road Trip!
All of this will give you a great 2 days in Wales and the perfect North Wales Itinerary.
- More of my Wales Posts:
- Hiking Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.
- How to Climb Snowdon from Pen Y Pass!
- Places to visit on a Wales Road Trip!
- Best Time to Visit Wales!
- How to Get to Barafundle Bay!
- How To Visit the Bosherston Lilly Ponds!
- Best Day Trips from Cardiff!
- Things to do in Saundersfoot!
- How to Walk from Tenby to Saundersfoot!
- Wales Road Trip Tips!
Hemanth
Monday 23rd of October 2023
Hi, perfect write-up for someone looking for a short trip in Wales by road. Do you have the route map for this trip?
Rebekah
Tuesday 19th of March 2019
This is such a great post! I'm desperate to get over to North Wales and climb Snowdon. You've given me some really good ideas so hopefully I'll manage to do it on a long weekend at some point this year :)
TheWanderingQuinn
Tuesday 19th of March 2019
Thank you! Ah I hope you get there soon! Yes you really don’t need that long.. depending on where you’re coming from, although you could spend a good few days there as well :)
Rio
Wednesday 12th of September 2018
We love North Wales, it's one of our favourite places to visit for the weekend. We're actually going there next weekend! Last year we accidentally did the Crib Goch trail - I thought I wasn't going to make the summit. Thankfully we did, and did the less strenuous Miners track on the way down.
TheWanderingQuinn
Wednesday 12th of September 2018
I’m glad you love it and you’re going back soon! Oh my gosh! You did it accidentally!! I’m so glad I knew about it so I didn’t take it but I didn’t actually see the turning off to it to be honest! The miners track back was a good idea then!!