At a glance
North Wales has 18 towns and cities worth a visit — Victorian seaside resorts, medieval walled towns, Snowdonia mountain bases and Welsh-speaking market towns. Choose one as your base, or string several together on a longer trip.
Where to base yourself in North Wales
Each town below has its own character and its own reasons to visit. Coastal Llandudno, Conwy and Caernarfon make excellent first-time bases with the broadest range of attractions and the best transport links; Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis put you in the heart of Snowdonia; and the Llŷn and Vale of Clwyd towns reward those looking for a quieter, more local stay.
-
Seaside
Llandudno
Victorian pier · Great Orme · two bays
Wales's grandest Victorian seaside resort — a sweeping promenade, a mile-long pier, and the Great Orme headland with its tramway and Bronze Age copper mines.
View town guide → -
Walled town
Conwy
UNESCO castle · town walls · quay
One of Europe's finest medieval walled towns — a UNESCO castle, a complete circuit of town walls, Plas Mawr and the Smallest House in Britain on the quay.
View town guide → -
Castle town
Caernarfon
UNESCO castle · Welsh capital · Menai
The historic capital of Gwynedd — Edward I's UNESCO World Heritage castle, intact town walls and a strongly Welsh-speaking old town on the Menai Strait.
View town guide → -
Snowdonia
Betws-y-Coed
Waterfalls · river walks · Zip World
Snowdonia's most popular inland village — river walks, waterfalls, outdoor shops and the gateway to Zip World, Swallow Falls and the high mountains.
View town guide → -
Snowdonia
Llanberis
Snowdon · Slate Museum · lake railway
The principal base for Snowdon — the Mountain Railway, the National Slate Museum, the Llanberis Lake Railway and Padarn Country Park at the foot of the pass.
View town guide → -
Castle town
Harlech
Clifftop UNESCO castle · dune beach
A small town defined by its clifftop UNESCO castle, with dramatic views across Tremadog Bay to the Llŷn Peninsula and a vast dune-backed beach below.
View town guide → -
Railways
Porthmadog
Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland railways
The meeting point of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland railways — the Cob embankment across the estuary, Tremadog Bay, and Portmeirion a short drive away.
View town guide → -
Lakeside
Bala
Wales's largest lake · rafting · railway
A Welsh-speaking market town on the shore of Llyn Tegid, Wales's largest natural lake — white-water rafting, the Bala Lake Railway and the Aran mountains.
View town guide → -
Seaside
Barmouth
Sandy beach · viaduct · Mawddach
A traditional seaside town on Cardigan Bay — a long sandy beach, the Victorian railway viaduct across the Mawddach Estuary, and Cadair Idris beyond.
View town guide → -
Dee Valley
Llangollen
Aqueduct · railway · Eisteddfod
A lively Dee Valley town — the UNESCO Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the heritage Llangollen Railway, Valle Crucis Abbey and the International Musical Eisteddfod.
View town guide → -
City
Bangor
Cathedral · pier · gateway to Anglesey
A university city on the Menai Strait — one of Britain's oldest cathedral sites (c. 525 AD), a restored Victorian pier and the gateway to Anglesey.
View town guide → -
Llŷn Peninsula
Pwllheli
Marina · market · Llŷn beaches
The market town and main centre of the Llŷn Peninsula — a large marina, a weekly market and the gateway to Abersoch and the peninsula's hidden beaches.
View town guide → -
North Coast
Colwyn Bay
Welsh Mountain Zoo · pier · Rhos-on-Sea
A North Coast town with the Welsh Mountain Zoo, a restored promenade and the sandy beach of Rhos-on-Sea, looking across the bay to the Great Orme.
View town guide → -
Seaside
Rhyl
Beach · SC2 waterpark · funfair
A classic North Wales seaside resort — a broad sandy beach, the SC2 waterpark, the SeaQuarium and the Ocean Beach funfair.
View town guide → -
North Coast
Prestatyn
Offa's Dyke · Blue Flag beaches
The northern end of Offa's Dyke Path — sandy Blue Flag beaches and a traditional seafront where the 177-mile National Trail to Chepstow begins.
View town guide → -
Vale of Clwyd
Ruthin
Medieval square · gaol · Nantclwyd y Dre
A medieval market town in the Vale of Clwyd — Nantclwyd y Dre (the oldest timbered townhouse in Wales), Ruthin Gaol and a fine square of historic buildings.
View town guide → -
Vale of Clwyd
Denbigh
Castle · town walls · Vale of Clwyd
A hillside market town in the Vale of Clwyd — a ruined medieval castle, surviving town walls and the gateway to the Clwydian Range.
View town guide → -
City
Wrexham
Largest city · Erddig · St Giles' Church
The largest city in North Wales — St Giles' Church (one of the Seven Wonders of Wales), the National Trust's Erddig Hall, and Wrexham AFC.
View town guide →
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your priorities. Llandudno is the best all-round base — the largest resort, with the widest choice of accommodation, good rail links and 30 minutes from both Conwy and Snowdonia. Betws-y-Coed is the most central base for Snowdonia. Llanberis is best if Snowdon is your main goal. Conwy suits history and a compact, walkable old town.
Llandudno is the finest — a grand Victorian resort with two bays, a mile-long pier and the Great Orme headland. Barmouth and Criccieth offer traditional charm on the Cardigan Bay coast, while Rhyl and Prestatyn are the classic family seaside towns of the north coast with broad sandy beaches.
Llanberis is the principal base — the start of the easiest path to the summit and the home of the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Pen-y-Pass (above Llanberis) is the trailhead for the Pyg and Miners' tracks. Beddgelert and Betws-y-Coed are good alternative bases within easy reach of the mountain.
Many are. The North Wales Coast Line serves Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Bangor and Holyhead. The Conwy Valley Line runs inland to Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog. The Cambrian Coast Line links Harlech, Barmouth, Porthmadog and Pwllheli. Ruthin, Denbigh and the interior of the Llŷn Peninsula need a car or bus.
Caernarfon, Bala and the Llŷn Peninsula towns (including Pwllheli) are among the most strongly Welsh-speaking communities in the country, where Welsh is the everyday language. Caernarfon combines this living culture with a UNESCO World Heritage castle and intact town walls.