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Lake Vyrnwy in Wales, top tour attraction

Best Things to Do in Wales

Iconic Attractions & Hidden Gem Travel Experiences

Wales

Wales is wedged into the southwestern corner of Great Britain, bordering England, the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. While small, with just nine percent of the United Kingdom’s land, it still packs a punch! You’ll find medieval castles, misty mountains, rugged coastlines, vibrant cities, delightful villages, scenic train rides, and a hearty dose of thriving traditional Welsh culture.

Top Wales Experiences

Riding through Snowdonia National Park aboard the steam-powered Ffestiniog Mountain Railway

Touring massive Caernarfon and Conwy castles, dating from the 13th century,

Hiking through  deep green, sheep-dotted countryside

Discovering Portmeirion and the bizarre set of the classic TV series The Prisoner

Walking amid the ruins of Tintern Abbey, celebrated by poet William Wordsworth

Combing through the many bookstores in Hay-on-Wye

Gazing out at the sea from Worm’s Head at the tip of the ruggedly beautiful Gower Peninsula

Snapping photos of the signs for the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the world’s  longest place name

Learning about the distinctive Welsh culture and language

Downing a pint of bitters in a Cardiff pub after a meal of Welsh lamb or fresh seafood

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Things to do in Wales - Expert’s guide

1. Snowdonia National Park

Snowdonia National Park in Wales

The incredible Snowdonia National Park is at the top of many a travelers list when visiting Wales. And for good reason. Snowdonia attracts everyone from adventurers looking to scale the enormous peak to those simply looking for an easy hike or walk among the mountain villages. The national park is incredibly expansive so don’t expect to see everything there is to see on one trip.

2. Pembroke Castle

Pembroke Castle in Wales

If you want to encounter a unique walk through history, visit Pembroke Castle to see where King Henry VII, father of the infamous Henry VIII, was born. The castle provides many fun and educational exhibits throughout and you can wander through on your own or take a guided tour.

The tour is well worth it if you are looking for some in depth context to the castle’s place in British history. Don’t miss seeing the Wogan Cavern, an enormous cave dug out underneath the castle!

3. Aberystwyth

Castle ruin in Aberystwyth Wales

This university town on the far western coast provides a wonderful glimpse into everyday local life in Wales; and offers some stunning sunsets. Relax with a whisky or a Welsh beer overlooking the Irish Sea and do some people watching along the pier. You won’t regret it.

There is also a small castle ruin you can explore, as well as an old railway up a small but sheer cliff-face where you can take in beautiful views over the main town.

4. Harlech Castle

Harlech Castle in Wales

Wales is chock full of castles - all of which are stunning, and worth seeing for different reasons. Harlech is often cited as one of the finest examples of 13th century medieval architecture.

As you walk the battlements notice the ocean - about a miles or so out. When Harlech was constructed, the ocean actually came right up to the castles edge. This made the fortress extremely formidable - very difficult to attack, and very easy to keep supplied.

5. Visit the haunts of Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas boat house Wales

Literature buffs familiar with the works of Dylan Thomas will love learning about and visiting where he used to live and work. By all accounts a brilliant but tortured soul, the legacy of Dylan Thomas can be found in a few key places in Wales, but the best spot is probably in Carmarthenshire a very short walk from Laugharne Castle.

Here you’ll find a small boathouse where he wrote overlooking a seaside estuary and country hills in the distance. There is also another house a bit further on that has become a small museum dedicated to his life and work.  

6. Elan Valley

Dam in Elan Valley

The stunningly gorgeous Elan Valley is a can’t miss drive for the landscape. It’s a long drive along some windy roads, but well worth the trip. The valley is also home to 6 enormous and impressive reservoir dams. Almost everyone is photo worthy, but unfortunately you won’t always find easy pull off points for pictures. Luckily the roads are fairly sparse of vehicles given the expansiveness of the valley. But be wary of blind turns!

7. Cardiff

Cardiff Castle in Wales

While Cardiff is the main city and capital of Wales, it’s actually not terribly exciting as a tourist destination. Nevertheless, most tours will stop in Cardiff either on the way in or out of Wales, and it’s a great place to grab a pint - extra exciting if there’s a rugby game on, explore museums, and do some shopping. Doctor Who fans will love the fact that the show is largely filmed on BBC sound stages in downtown Cardiff!

8. St. David's - Britain’s smallest city

Don’t count on population size to tell you what counts as a town, city, or village in Britain. Some villages are larger than towns, cities are small than villages etc. How is this possible?

Simply put, if a place has a cathedral and/or a university, it is a City. If a place has a church and a market, it’s a Town. No market but a church and a pub, it’s a Village. And if it doesn’t have any shops or pubs, it’s a Hamlet. To confuse things further, Hamlets sometimes have churches (though it is rare).

These definitions are why Wales is able to claim the smallest city in Britain, St. David's. Home to just a few streets of shops and restaurants and a smattering of homes, the real draw of St. David's, is of course it’s massive Cathedral.

9. St. Fagans

St. Fagans park Wales

This unique open air museum is a fantastic way to learn about the history of the Welsh people. Sprinkled throughout with impressive detail, and a docent always nearby to offer more context to the exhibits, the buildings cover a wide area, so be sure to plan enough time to see everything.

You can follow a numbered map around in a large circle or simply wander through at your leisure. One of the more interesting sections involves a row of houses, each decorated with items and furniture of a different centuries. You can literally see time changing as you walk from one to the other.

10. Newton House

Newton House in Wales

There are many haunted dwellings in Wales, probably more so than Newton House. However what sets Newton apart is the intricately set up exhibit as you walk through the house. Downton Abbey fans especially will get joy out of the house, as the exhibit follows the family of the house and their life “upstairs and downstairs” as it were, during the late 19th and early 20th century.

If you're into agriculture and farming, this is one of the only places in the world where you can see a rare breed of white cattle. These cows has lived on the lands around the estate for a thousand years. You may also go on a short walk to spot a herd of deer - though they are elusive.

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Wales Tours Reviews & Ratings

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Excellent
152
Great
58
Average
36
Disappointing
8
Terrible
6
Nat & Jim in MS
·
2023-11-27
Written on
Aer Lingus Vacation Store Company Reviews by Aer Lingus Vacation Store
We choose a AerLingus Rail Pkg out of…
We choose a AerLingus Rail Pkg out of Boston. Flight an hour early into Dublin. Six nights in four star hotels. Yes we had to figure logistics to rail stations. Great to go our own pace for almost 80 year olds. We went to Cork and Killarney. Took a Viator tour of Ring of Kerry, extra but worth it. November 1-8, 2023. Great value
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L. Cummings
·
2023-11-24
Written on
Aer Lingus Vacation Store Company Reviews by Aer Lingus Vacation Store
Pleasantly Surprised - wonderful trip
Despite anxiety over reading poor reviews about Aer Lingus Vacation store, our entire vacation to Scotland was perfect from beginning to end with no problems at all. The Market Street Hotel exceeded our expectations, our hotel transfers were prompt and the drivers were helpful and very informative, all of our chosen activities were great, the trip vouchers were all accepted, our airline seats were fine, and that would be the only advice I'd offer, after AerLingus airlines established our confirmation/number, a few days after booking through the vacation store, I called the airline directly, they looked up our locater number and they were able to assign us seats next to each other on our main flight and our connecting flight- and although we couldn't pick a specific row, she told me what seats were together, that were available to us, there were a few, and she let me choose from that- so we had alittle say in that and most important, we sat together- you just need to plan and be proactive- if you dont do this, you will just randomly be assigned to any available seat.
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Diana Lynn Rex
·
2023-10-28
Written on
Britain and Ireland Panorama
Be prepared for excitement. Just the right amount of history and local sightseeing.
Trusted Customer
·
2023-10-16
Written on
Real Britain by Trafalgar
Real Britain
Good experience on our trip
Patrice Demski
·
2023-10-14
Written on
Wonders of Britain and Ireland
This itinerary gave us a wonderful taste of both Great Britian and Ireland. We were part of big city, and small town cultures. The itinerary kept us hopping, but we covered a great deal. I would not have changed a thing!
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Dorothy K.
·
2023-10-14
Written on
Britain and Ireland Panorama
The itinerary was good but it was way too rushed at each location. Spending more time in each city would have been preferred in order to fully explore the city.
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Visa Information

  Visa Needed? Link
US N (< 90 days) Visas to Wales for United States Citizens
CA N (< 90 days) Visas to Wales for Canadian Citizens
AU N (< 180 days)  Visas to Wales for Australian Citizens
NZ N (< 180 days) Visas to Wales for New Zealand Citizens
IN Y Visas to Wales for Indian Citizens

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