At a glance
Zip World operates four venues in North Wales: Velocity 2 (Europe's fastest zip wire, up to 160kph, Penrhyn Quarry), Titan (4-person side-by-side, Blaenau Ffestiniog), Fforest (family activities from age 3, Gwydyr Forest near Betws-y-Coed), and Slate Caverns/Bounce Below (underground trampolines, Blaenau Ffestiniog). Advance booking is essential for all venues; summer weekends sell out weeks ahead. Prices range from approximately £20–£75 depending on activity.
Zip World Venues Compared
Velocity 2, Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda — The original and fastest Zip World experience; Europe's fastest zip wire at up to 160kph (100mph) in a supine flying position above a flooded quarry lake. The experience is brief (60–90 seconds) but genuinely extreme; the supine position and the scale of the quarry make it unlike any other zip wire experience in Britain. Minimum age 7; minimum weight 40kg; maximum weight 130kg. 4x4 approach vehicle to the launch point. Recommended for thrill-seekers and those comfortable with heights and speed; not suitable for nervous participants regardless of age.
Titan, Blaenau Ffestiniog — The world's first 4-person side-by-side zip wire — four riders launch simultaneously and fly through the Ffestiniog valley above former quarry landscape. The side-by-side format makes it significantly more social than Velocity; the shared experience adds to its appeal for groups and families (minimum age 7, minimum weight 40kg). Less extreme than Velocity in speed but more dramatic in setting — the Ffestiniog valley landscape from above is exceptional.
Fforest, Gwydyr Forest, near Betws-y-Coed — The most family-oriented Zip World venue, set in the Gwydyr Forest 2 miles from Betws-y-Coed. Multiple activities across different age groups: Zip Safari (parent and child zip lines from age 3), Junior Treetop Challenge (age 4+), Treetop Challenge (age 6+), and Fforest zip lines (age 7+). The forest setting is pleasant; the range of ages accommodated is the widest of any Zip World venue. Best for mixed-age family groups. The associated Go Ape site in the same forest (separate operator) provides additional treetop activities.
Slate Caverns / Bounce Below, Blaenau Ffestiniog — Bounce Below is the most original attraction concept: underground trampolines in a Victorian mining cavern. The industrial heritage of the space — enormous carved chambers, slate walls, the ghost of the working mine in the scale of the excavation — makes the experience genuinely surreal. Also includes the Deep Mine tour (guided, historical, no minimum age) and a surface-level Victorian village attraction. The caverns are entirely underground and therefore all-weather — a key advantage on wet Blaenau Ffestiniog days.
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Frequently asked questions
Zip World operates four main venues in North Wales (as of 2025): Zip World Velocity 2 at Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda (Europe's fastest zip wire, up to 160kph); Zip World Titan at Blaenau Ffestiniog (the world's first 4-person side-by-side zip wire, above the Ffestiniog valley); Zip World Fforest near Betws-y-Coed in the Gwydyr Forest (family-oriented zip lines, tree-top adventures from age 3, Zip Safari for younger children); and Zip World Slate Caverns at Blaenau Ffestiniog (Bounce Below underground trampolines, Deep Mine tours). The venues range from adrenaline-focused (Velocity, Titan) to family-oriented (Fforest, Slate Caverns).
Zip World Velocity 2 is Europe's fastest zip wire — a single line descending 500 metres in altitude over Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda, reaching speeds of up to 160kph (100mph) in a supine (lying face-down) position. The experience lasts approximately 60–90 seconds; the approach involves a short 4x4 vehicle journey to the launch point above the quarry. Minimum age is 7 years; minimum weight 40kg, maximum 130kg; minimum height 120cm. Advance booking is essential — the experience is popular year-round and same-day availability is rare. The quarry lake below gives a scale reference for the height that adds to the experience.
Zip World Fforest near Betws-y-Coed in the Gwydyr Forest is the best Zip World venue for families with young children. Activities at Fforest include Zip Safari (zip lines for children from age 3, with an adult), Junior Treetop Challenge (age 4+), Treetop Challenge (age 6+), and the main zip lines of Fforest itself (from age 7). The venue has the widest age range of any Zip World site and the forest setting makes for a pleasanter waiting and rest area between activities. Advance booking is essential in summer.
Zip World prices vary by activity and are subject to change — check the official Zip World website for current rates. Approximate prices (2024): Velocity 2 approximately £60–£75 per person; Titan approximately £50–£65 per person; Fforest activities from approximately £20–£40 depending on activity and age; Bounce Below (Slate Caverns) approximately £25–£35 per person. Combination packages and family tickets are available. Prices are typically lower when booked well in advance; same-day and last-minute prices may be higher where availability exists.
Yes — advance booking is strongly recommended for all Zip World venues, particularly at weekends, school holidays, and bank holidays. Velocity 2 and Titan are the most capacity-constrained and frequently sell out weeks in advance in July and August. Fforest has more session capacity but popular time slots fill quickly. Bounce Below is particularly popular in wet weather when it offers an alternative to outdoor activities. Walk-up availability exists only in quieter periods (weekdays, off-peak season). The official Zip World website is the only booking channel — avoid third-party resellers.
Bounce Below is an underground trampoline and slide attraction inside the caverns of the former Llechwedd Slate Mine at Blaenau Ffestiniog. Visitors descend into a vast Victorian mining chamber where a multi-level system of trampolines, nets, and giant slides has been installed — the whole experience illuminated in coloured light in the subterranean space. Minimum age is 7 years; no maximum age. Duration is approximately 60 minutes in the caverns. It is one of the most original attraction experiences in Britain and remains remarkable for the combination of Victorian industrial heritage and modern bounce park.