The North Wales Way – 4 Days

Start at the border town of Mold. Stay here the previous night to take in an evening performance at Theatr Clwyd, home to Wales’ major drama producing theatre company. Music, comedy and film are also on the menu.

If you’re planning a picnic, call into the nearby Hawarden Estate Farm Shop for the freshest farm-grown food before driving over the smooth, green Clwydian Range of hills – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – to Ruthin, a town full of historical and cultural riches. Here you’ll find a mix of red-bricked and black-and-white half-timbered buildings from medieval, Tudor and Georgian times. In contrast, the purpose-built Ruthin Craft Centre is filled with the best in contemporary art and crafts.

Head up the pastoral Vale of Clwyd to Colwyn Bay. This traditional seaside resort features a sandy crescent bay that goes on for miles, accompanied by a revitalised promenade. You can choose to explore 50-acres of greenery in Eirias Park, or venture to the Welsh Mountain Zoo to come face-to-face with snow leopards, Sumatran tigers and Eurasian Brown Bears.

Overnight: Llandudno

You’ll need a full day to do justice to Llandudno and its surroundings. The ‘Queen’ of Welsh resorts really does have regal qualities. Perhaps it’s the perfectly preserved Victorian and Edwardian seafront lined with candy-coloured hotels, or its wide, well-planned shopping streets with their ornate canopies. Or possibly it’s the pier, a striking piece of period architecture dating back to 1878, which is also the longest in Wales. 

The Great Orme headland, a nature reserve with rare flora and wild Kashmiri goats, rises dramatically above the promenade. Travel to the top San Franciscan-style on the historic tramway, or alpine-style by cable car. Back in town, MOSTYN is making waves internationally as a cutting-edge contemporary art gallery. Alternatively, visit Venue Cymru, North Wales’ leading theatre and entertainments complex, which stages performances by big-name players, including the Welsh National Opera.

The theme shifts from modern to medieval at nearby Conwy. Its narrow streets, enclosed within original town walls, are full of historic houses. But nothing can rival the ominous, dark-stoned Conwy Castle for presence. It’s one of three world-class castles on this route, in addition to Caernarfon and Beaumaris, and all are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Overnight: Conwy

Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor, is an outrageously over-the-top 19th-century mansion built by an immensely wealthy local slate baron. For pure showmanship, the cavernous Great Hall takes your breath away, though the other side of Penrhyn’s story is revealed in the Victorian kitchen, where servants sometimes worked 20 hours a day.

North Wales is renowned for its outdoor activities. It’s not just because of the mountains, but also down to places like Zip World Velocity 2 at Bethesda, which is home to the world’s fastest zip line. You can whizz across the former quarry site at speeds of up to 100mph/160kmh if you’re feeling brave!

Overnight: Caernarfon

Caernarfon, like Bethesda, requires a short there-and-back detour from the main route. But you wouldn’t want to miss either. Caernarfon is home to Wales’ most famous castle, another soaring medieval monument that served as a royal palace for Edward I. For a different side to this much-visited town go to Galeri, a modern complex with art spaces, a cinema and a café/bar on the redeveloped waterfront.

Return to Bangor, crossing the Menai Strait that separates the Isle of Anglesey from mainland Wales either on the modern Britannia Bridge or via the historic Menai Suspension Bridge. Designed by 19th-century engineering genius Thomas Telford, it was the world’s first iron suspension bridge when it opened in 1826.

Beaumaris is a picturesque seaside town with another outstanding castle. Of all the 13th-century castles built by Edward I in Wales, Beaumaris is the most accomplished. Although never full finished, this moated, ‘rings-within-defensive-rings’ fortress showcases some of the period’s cutting-edge military architecture.

You won’t have the time to see all of Anglesey on this tour. So head inland for Llangefni and the next best thing – Oriel Môn, a museum and gallery that gives an instant tour of the island’s history, heritage, wildlife, geology and art.

Anglesey’s coastline is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It doesn’t come much better than at South Stack sea-cliffs beyond the port of Holyhead, where colonies of guillemots, puffins and razorbills can be viewed from Ellin’s Tower RSPB Seabird Centre.

Restrictions on travel to and around Britain are in place due to Covid-19. You are encouraged to always check individual websites for the latest information, as details are subject to change.