When is the best time to visit Wales?? Let me take you through the best time of year to visit Wales, the weather in Wales and things to do in each season to help you work out when to visit Wales!
The quick answer is that April to September is the best time to visit Wales, but as a Brit, it’s so easy for me to compare the best time to go to Wales by the weather and that isn’t the only way to work out when is the best time to visit Wales.
However, the weather in Wales cannot be predicted, and I know from spending half my life in Wales that when the sun shines in Wales, no matter whether you’re visiting Wales in Winter or visiting Wales in Summer, it’s truly beautiful!
In fact, the weather is so unpredictable, it shouldn’t be the only factor to look at when considering the best time of year to visit Wales because there are other things to think about too!
So, let’s look in more detail at the weather in Wales, events in Wales, and what to do in Wales throughout the year to help you plan your Wales itinerary for your perfect Staycation in Wales or Wales Road Trip!
Think- Surfing, Hiking, Dolphin Spotting, Beach Hopping, Zip Line Thrills and Cardiff Nights Out!
Best Time To Visit Wales!
Best Time of Year to Visit Wales
Late Spring, Summer, and Early Autumn are definitely the best time of year to visit Wales in terms of having better weather and more things to do in Wales.
In these months you can visit the endless beaches in both North & South Wales, climb mountains like Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), explore waterfalls, visit pretty market towns and visit top attractions like ZipWorld and Oakwood Theme Park.
At these times of the year, there are many events in Wales. There are big events in Wales like The Big Cheese Festival, Snowdonia Marathon, Green Man Festival and Royal Welsh Show, but also so many regional events, festivals and county shows.
(Note that events in Wales in 2021 will probably be highly reduced so I don’t recommend visiting Wales in 2021 for events only!)
So many of the top things to do in Wales are outside, therefore, late Spring, Summer, and early Autumn is best time to travel to Wales to make the most out of these activities.
And as long as you pack the right clothing for Wales, including plenty of warm layers, you’ll be able to enjoy the beaches, mountains, lakes and forests during all of these times.
Best Weather in Wales
The average temperature in Wales and climate in Wales changes dramatically. Not only between the temperature of Wales throughout the year but also between North Wales and South Wales.
Generally, the South of the UK get’s slightly warmer weather than the North all year round, and this is true for Wales too.
If you’re looking for the best time to visit Wales in terms of getting the very best weather here’s what the weather in Wales has looked like in the last few years:
In 2020, the hottest day in Wales was 33.5c in the middle of August, I was in Wales then and it was HOT! Too hot the Brit in me would say!
In 2019, the hottest day in Wales was 23rd July and the hottest day of the year in Wales in 2018 was 27th July, both reaching 31c!
In 2020, May was the sunniest month in Wales on record with regular temperatures in the 20’s.
However, when planning a trip to Wales, it is worth thinking about whether you want really hot weather or are you ok with mild but dry weather?
Personally, I’d go for the latter, hot weather in Wales is nice, yes, but it cannot be predicted, plus, the beaches get busy, there’s a lack of air condition in accommodation in Wales and it can get very uncomfortable.
I personally think that the best weather in Wales is around May and June and therefore, one of these is going to be your best month to visit Wales and the best time to go to Wales! More about that below!
This is an example of how much the weather changes in Wales, on this August morning I woke up to grey skies and a lot of rain in Pembroke after weeks of sunshine, it was still fairly warm though, hence the flip-flops:
And this was 2 days later, an unexpected extremely hot day on a walk around the Bosherston Lilly Ponds in Pembroke:
Now you know the best time of year to visit Wales, have a look at my posts to help you plan your trip to Wales:
Now let’s have a look at the best time to visit Wales by each season to help you plan your trip to Wales and plan what to do in Wales depending on when you want to visit!
Visiting Wales in Summer
If visiting Wales in Summer is on your radar then be sure to know you won’t be the only ones. Wales is a popular UK holiday destination, and I suspect it will be one of the very popular UK staycation ideas too!
There are lots of perks to visiting Wales in Summer as there are many events in Wales on, all the attractions are open and temperatures are high, or at least pleasant.
The downside to visiting Wales in Summer is that it does get very busy, especially the accommodation in Wales like the holiday and caravan parks.
You’ll also find that the roads to the popular holiday spots in Wales like Pembrokeshire and Anglesey get busy and even Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) get’s busy with all the people wanting to climb it in better weather!
August, of course, brings the school holidays and for the best places to visit in Wales in August you should head to West Pembrokeshire for Dolphin and Whale watching. You should also head to Oakwood Theme Park if you have children you want to keep busy and the beaches in the South, West and North of Wales will all be good to visit too!
Summer is also the best time to visit Cardiff Wales. Cardiff has lots of parks around the city centre so it’s a great place to have a picnic and a walk. Plus, Cardiff has many pubs and restaurants with outdoor seating which are perfect on a hot summers day!
Best time to visit Wales for:
- Best time of year for camping in Wales
- Best time of year for events on in Wales
- Best time of year for a road trip in Wales
- Best time of year for ZipWorld in Wales
- Best time of year for climbing Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) in Wales
- Best time of year for hen and stag nights in Wales
- Best time of year for Paddleboarding in Wales
- Best time of year for Horse Riding in Wales
- Best time of year for Dolphin and Whale spotting in Wales
Visiting Wales in Winter
Even though winter in Wales may not be seen as the actual ‘best time to visit Wales’, as long as you are prepared with the right clothing and plans for cold and wet weather you’ll be fine visiting Wales in the winter!
Some of the attractions in Wales will close for winter, especially the outside ones, however, remember that millions of people call Wales home so there are plenty of attractions open all year round.
Things don’t really close down in Wales in the winter which is the low tourist season, they just get a bit quieter. Which is also a positive reason to come to Wales in the winter.
I love visiting the beach in winter, so I recommend that the best places to visit in Wales in December and the best place to visit in Wales in winter are the beaches in Pembrokeshire.
You can also head to the Brecon Beacons for some hiking and also the Wye Valley on the border of England and Wales and why not team one of these activity days with a spa day in Wales too in one of the many nice hotels and spas.
And, don’t forget about the Christmas markets in the cities of Swansea and Cardiff that are on in December and early January.
Best time to visit Wales for:
- Best time of year for Spa Day’s in Wales
- Best time of year for Shopping in Wales
- Best time of year for cheap accommodation in Wales
Visiting Wales in Spring
Spring is a truly beautiful time to visit Wales. Spring in Wales gives you new-born lambs in the fields, woodland in full bloom and you can often get some really nice sunny days too.
If you’re looking for places to visit at Easter in the UK, Wales is definitely a good option!
Spring in Wales is the perfect time to looking into one of the many glamping pods in Wales and plan a road trip around Wales! This is because the peak summer tourist season isn’t here yet so prices and availability are better.
For hiking in Wales, Spring is also a fantastic time! The crowds will be less because it’s not peak time yet and the weather will be much more comfortable too!
I definitely recommend hiking one of the 3 peaks in Wales in Spring – Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) or Cadair Idris both in the Eryri National Park (Snowdonia National Park) and Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.
The end of Spring brings some of the big events happening in Wales too, you don’t have to wait for summer for those. It’s also a great time to do some activities in Wales like Horse Riding, visiting ZipWorld, surfing at the beaches or at the man-made Snowdonia Surf Park, and having a city break in Cardiff.
If you wanted to get away to Europe but can’t, visit Portmeirion tourist village in North Wales in Spring instead to feel like you’re in Italy!
Best time to visit Wales for:
- Best time of year for events on in Wales
- Best time of year for a road trip in Wales
- Best time of year for ZipWorld in Wales
- Best time of year for climbing Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) in Wales
- Best time of year for hen and stag nights in Wales
- Best time of year for Horse Riding in Wales
- Best time of year for Surfing in Wales
- Best time of year for city breaks in Wales
Visiting Wales in Autumn
Autumn in Wales is pretty similar to Spring time in Wales. The weather in Wales in autumn can be hit or miss but as long as you have warm clothes and not too high expectations, then you will certainly see this as the best time of year to visit Wales.
Autumn brings golden leaves, quiet beaches and quiet hiking trails after the summer rush. Therefore it’s the perfect time to visit Wales for hiking and some beach walks in North and South Wales, even if they are chilly.
In fact, Wales is a great option for the October school holidays and the best places to visit in Wales in October and the rest of the autumn and any of the many Castles in Wales, waterfalls like the popular Aber Falls, and places that have Halloween shows on for children like Oakwood Theme Park!
Best time to visit Wales for:
- Best time of year for a road trip in Wales
- Best time of year for ZipWorld in Wales
- Best time of year for climbing Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) in Wales
- Best time of year for hen and stag nights in Wales
- Best time of year for Horse Riding in Wales
- Best time of year for a city break in Wales
Best Month to Visit Wales
Overall, if I have to pick the best month to visit Wales, I say that June is the best time to go to Wales and the best time to visit Wales! This is because the temperature will be warming up in Wales but it shouldn’t be too uncomfortably hot just yet.
There is also much less chance of rain in Wales in June too as it’s one the driest month in Wales.
Not only this, but you will get to Wales before the Summer Holiday rush when roads, beaches and attractions get busy and before accommodation increases in price due to the summer demand.
If you can’t do June, then May and September are also months I recommend for the same reasons!
The best way to see Wales is to have some plans, but keep your plans open and ready to change, and always bring a range of clothing options so you won’t be caught out, you’ll always be comfortable and all year round will be the best time to travel Wales!
I hope this has helped you work out the best time to visit Wales!
- Read more of my posts about Wales here to help plan your trip:
- Amazing Glamping Pods in Wales with a Hot Tub!
- Amazing Glamping Pods in North 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!
- Hiking Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.
- How to Climb Snowdon from Pen Y Pass!