At a glance
2 days · Based in Llandudno or Conwy · Day 1: Conwy Castle + free town walls circuit + Great Orme · Day 2: Bodnant Garden + Betws-y-Coed optional · Budget from ~£85 per person per day · From Manchester ~1h 30m via M56 and A55 (Junction 19 → Llandudno Junction).
2-Day North Wales Weekend Itinerary
This 2-day itinerary is designed for visitors travelling from Manchester, Liverpool or the northwest — arriving on a Friday evening or Saturday morning and returning Sunday evening. It focuses on the best of the north coast and Conwy Valley, giving an excellent introduction to North Wales without the long drive to Snowdonia.
Day 1 — Conwy Castle, Town Walls and the Great Orme
Morning: Conwy
Arrive in Conwy by 9:30am — park at the main Conwy car park (LL32 8LD, charged, within the walls) or use the free park and ride. Start with Conwy Castle (adult £12.90, Cadw) — allow 1–1.5 hours for the eight towers, the Great Hall and the views over the estuary. Then walk the free town walls circuit — the complete 1.3km medieval perimeter walk gives extraordinary views of the castle, the three bridges over the Conwy River and the Snowdonia mountains to the south. Allow 45 minutes.
Lunch: Conwy town
Several good lunch options within the walls — The Erskine Arms and various cafés on High Street and Castle Street. Allow 45 minutes.
Afternoon: Great Orme
Drive 4 miles northwest to Llandudno and ascend the Great Orme — either by the Victorian cable tramway (adult ~£8 return, seasonal) from Church Walks, or by car via the Marine Drive toll road. The summit (207m) has a café, sweeping views over the Irish Sea, and the wild Kashmiri goat herd that roams freely across the headland. Allow 2–3 hours including the ascent. The 3,700-year-old Bronze Age Copper Mines beneath the headland are worth adding if time allows (adult £9.75).
Evening: Llandudno
Stay in Llandudno — the Victorian seafront, pier, and North Shore promenade make for a pleasant evening walk. Wide range of restaurants on Mostyn Street and the seafront.
Day 2 — Bodnant Garden and the Conwy Valley
Morning: Bodnant Garden
Drive 10 miles south from Llandudno to Bodnant Garden (adult ~£17.50, NT members free) at Tal-y-Cafn (LL28 5RE). Allow 2.5–3 hours — the five formal terraces, the laburnum arch (mid-May to early June), the Dell woodland and the Pin Mill are all worth taking time over. The tea room is good. This is one of Britain's finest gardens and warrants an unhurried morning.
Lunch: Bodnant Garden tea room or Betws-y-Coed
Either eat at the Bodnant tea room, or drive 14 miles south via the A470 to Betws-y-Coed for lunch in one of the village cafés.
Afternoon: Betws-y-Coed (optional extension)
If time allows, Betws-y-Coed (LL24 0AE) makes a good afternoon stop — the village sits at the confluence of three rivers and has good walking from the car park. Swallow Falls (Rhaeadr Ewynnol, adult £2.50) is 2 miles west on the A5 — the most visited waterfall in Wales, with a series of cascades above Betws-y-Coed. Return to Manchester/Liverpool via A470 → A55 Junction 19 (signed "Llandudno Junction / A470 / Betws-y-Coed") → M56.
Getting There
By car: M56 → A55 North Wales Expressway. Leave at Junction 19 (signed "Llandudno Junction / A470 / Betws-y-Coed") for the Conwy Valley, or continue to Junction 17 for Conwy town. Manchester to Conwy: approximately 85 miles, 1 hour 30 minutes.
By train: Manchester Piccadilly → Llandudno Junction (approximately 1h 30m direct, TransPennine Express / Avanti). Short taxi or bus to Conwy (10 min). Return from Llandudno Junction or Llandudno station.
Budget
Budget per person per day (two people sharing): from ~£85 (hostel/budget B&B, free town walls, National Trust member for Bodnant). Mid-range: ~£150 (quality hotel, Conwy Castle + Great Orme Tramway + Bodnant, eating out). The town walls circuit is free; Bodnant is free for NT members.
Frequently asked questions
Two days is enough for an excellent introduction to North Wales — the Conwy and Llandudno area specifically. You can do Conwy Castle, the free town walls circuit, the Great Orme and Bodnant Garden in two full days without rushing. It is not enough for Snowdonia walking (the Snowdon round trip takes a full day) or for Anglesey and the wider region. For a first visit, two days creates the appetite for a longer return trip.
Llandudno is the best base for a 2-day trip — it has the widest range of accommodation in North Wales, is excellent for families and non-walkers, and is 4 miles from Conwy (a short drive or bus ride). Conwy itself has more limited accommodation but staying inside or near the medieval walls is a special experience. Both are equidistant from Bodnant Garden (Tal-y-Cafn, 6 miles south of Conwy). Llandudno is better served by trains from Manchester and Liverpool.
Conwy is approximately 85 miles from Manchester via the M56 and A55 North Wales Expressway — about 1 hour 30 minutes in normal traffic. Leave Junction 19 of the A55 (signed "Llandudno Junction / A470 / Betws-y-Coed") for the Conwy Valley, or continue on the A55 to Junction 17 for Conwy town. By train: Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno Junction (approximately 1h 30m direct), then 10 minutes by taxi or bus to Conwy.
The Conwy Town Walls circuit (1.3km, free) is arguably the finest free experience in North Wales — a complete medieval circuit around a 13th-century walled town, with towers you can climb and extraordinary views over the castle, the Conwy estuary and the Snowdonia mountains. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour at an unhurried pace. The walls connect to the castle but the circuit itself requires no admission. Go early morning for dramatic light and before the day-visitor rush.
May is the best month for a 2-day North Wales weekend — good weather probability, Bodnant Garden's laburnum arch (mid-May to early June), full opening hours at all attractions, and manageable crowds. September is the second-best choice — clearer skies, lower crowds, and better light for photography. July and August are the warmest months but Conwy and the Great Orme are at their busiest. For a budget weekend with minimal crowds, January or February is possible — most attractions open, accommodation prices lowest.