Last Updated: February 3, 2023
With a name like Gareth, you might guess that I have some Welsh heritage. With both parents being Welsh and the majority of my family from Wales, it’s safe to say I’ve spent a fair bit of time in the country over the years.
Essentially a second home for me growing up, Wales holds a special space in my heart. But even with nostalgia aside and looking at the country more objectively, we still think Wales is an awesome place to visit for families.
There is so much to see and do, and the countryside is some of the best in the UK, if not the world.
Huge mountains, beautiful lakes, clusters of waterfalls, towering castles, adrenaline activities. Mix that in with Wales deep history and there’s something for everyone in Wales, including kids.
Wales Family Itinerary
Wales is a pretty small country, but it’s still worth venturing around the different areas to get a good feel for the country as a whole.
If you want to see all the highlights, you’ll need a good few weeks, or you’ll need to make repeat visits.
We recommend a 3 week itinerary (maybe longer if you have the time and want to really absorb everything) for this route below. Although you can potentially squeeze it into two weeks if that’s all you have, we’ve put a suggested 2 week itinerary in brackets.
If you are going for the 2 week version, you will probably need your own wheels to get around this quickly.
An alternative would be to split this itinerary into two and make repeat visits. Maybe hit south Wales for 10 days on one visit and the north for 10 days on another.
However you decide to do it, we’ve outlined some of the best areas below that we think families should visit on their adventure in Wales.
1. Wrexham – 2. North Wales – 3. Anglesey & Caernarfon – 4. Snowdonia – 5. Aberystwyth – 6. Cardigan Bay – 7. Pembrokeshire Coast – 8. The Gower – 9. Brecon Beacons – 10. Cardiff
Wrexham – 1 (1) Night
Wrexham is Wales’ fourth biggest city. And its been recently put on the map with the exciting takeover of Wrexham Football Club by the Hollywood superstars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, well know with kids for his portrayal of Deadpool. And Wrexham city is a good one to get a taste of the urban areas of Wales.
Away from the football and the city itself you can also enjoy some great sites not too far away.
A particular favourite of ours was the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Just a 15 minute drive from Wrexham centre and you can be standing on the highest aqueduct in the UK!
You can walk or sail across this magnificent structure. It can be a daunting prospect if you’re not a fan of heights. And due to the bridge being old fashioned the gaps between the bars are quite wide and little ones could potentially squeeze through. So ensure you keep them close and maybe walk them on the side next to the water (which is reasonably shallow) rather than the drop.
There’s also some nice woodland walks underneath the aqueduct that you can take a stroll around and then view it from below, if you don’t fancy the walk across at height.
North Wales – 2 (1) Nights
North Wales has a number of great towns and areas to explore.
There’s many options to spend a day at the beach. With the picturesque towns of Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and Rhyl to name just some.
Not far from Rhyl is also St Winefride’s Well Shrine. A popular pilgrimage spot with a Well and Pool that allows bathing at certain times. It also has a small exhibition room where you can learn about the legend of St Winefride, who’s legend tells of how she was re-born after being decapitated.
Conwy is another beautiful town you can stop at in North Wales. Where one of the biggest castles resides, with Conwy Castle a very popular one to visit for families.
Anglesey & Caernarfon – 3 (2) Nights
In the top left corner of wales is the island of Anglesey. This island is a must on any welsh itinerary. With numerous small villages, great countryside and beautiful lighthouses to explore.
You can also head to the place with longest name in the UK (and second longest in the world), Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!
If you head into the train station it is spelt out phonetically, so you can give saying it a go as well.
If you are in Anglesey at the right time you can head out to sea and try to spot some cute little puffins around Puffin Island. Best to book this in advance online to get the time you want, we used Sea Coast Safaris and would recommend them. But you can also book at one of the ticket offices in the Beaumaris, which is where the boat tours depart from.
Just south of Anglesey, back on the mainland, is Caernarfon. And it’s here that arguably the best castle in Wales resides. With lots of nooks and crannies to discover with great exhibits and information, Caernarfon Castle is great for families to wonder around.
Snowdonia – 3 (2) Nights
Snowdonia is a Wales biggest National Park and his home to Wales’ tallest mountain, Snowdon!
It’s a great mountain to climb for kids with some reasonable routes to the top that beginners can try. And if you really want to give your kids legs a rest, but still enjoy the summit, you can even take the train up and/or down.
Aside from Snowdon, there are also many other mountain walks. And some lovely walks down below as well, with lakes and valleys to discover. One of your favourites was Llyn Idwal where you can a reasonably short walk around the circumference of the lake.
As well as the amazing countryside, there are also some awesome activities you can do around Snowdonia.
Zip World has numerous locations around Wales and Snowdonia in particular, with lots of various activities to try out. So for thrill seekers you may want to check out some of these on your wales tour.
At the bottom of Snowdonia is also King Arthur’s Labyrinth. Where you can delve deep into the caves and listen to tales from the times of King Arthur. Just watch out for the dragons guarding the caves!
Aberystwyth – 1 (1) Night
After leaving Snowdonia you can head to the picturesque town of Aberystwyth.
And a little further inland you can head to Devil’s Bridge.
Take a walk around the beautiful waterfall and get some great views. Then, take a look at the interesting three tiered bridge and learn the tale of the bridge and how it was used by an old lady to trick the Devil himself when he visited wales once!
Cardigan Bay – 1 (1) Night
Cardigan Bay is a huge bay that the Welsh coast wraps around. Dolphins are often spotted here and sometimes even Whales. So you can take a boat trip out from one of the coastal towns like Newquay or even just watch over the bay from the land to see if you get lucky.
Whilst you’re in Newquay you can visit the Cardigan Bay Wildlife Centre, which is a small centre, free to enter. It has some great info for kids to learn some of the aquatic facts.
Inland form the bay you can also visit the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber. Remains of an old tomb, placed over 5,000 years ago. The stone placement is really amazing, with an optical illusion that make one of the rocks appear to be almost hovering on three others.
Pembrokeshire Coast – 2 (1) Night
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is a glorious coastal route that winds around the welsh coast. It’s a long trail so maybe pick a part of it to take on with the kids.
A walk to blue lagoon is a nice one to try. Once you arrive you can try some cliff jumping (in the right conditions and precautions of course!)
The Gower – 2 (1) Night
The Gower is the pace to come to unwind and relax. A small but beautiful pocket of wales tucked away at the bottom. It arguably has some of the best beaches here.
You can give some interesting walks a go as well. Worm’s Head is a particularly good one. You can only attempt it when the tide is low and have set time to get back before the route is submerged again, so ensure you check the tide times before setting off.
You can also search out Culver Hole. Hidden away in the cliffs of Port Eynon, the cave built in the 13th century was supposedly used by the legendary smuggler John Lucas.
It’s a challenging walk to reach the cave, but worth the effort and kids will love this mysterious place. On the walk you can also pass the old salt house ruins and if you go at low tide you might even be able to spot the shipwreck of the Bluebell.
Brecon Beacons – 3 (2) Nights
The Brecon Beacons is called ‘waterfall country’ due to the amount of these water features the area holds.
One of the best and most popular walks to do is the ‘four waterfalls walk’ in Aberdare, where you can see (yep, you guessed it) four waterfalls all in one trail.
The walk is reasonably moderate and can be done by most children and you can cherry pick areas to branch off or not when you get too tired.
Aside from the hikes, you can try some other fun things to do in the Brecon Beacons.
If you didn’t do the Snowdon train (or even if you did) maybe have a go on the Brecon Mountain Railway. Where you will travel along on a classic steam train and see some of the great areas of the Brecon Beacons.
And probably the best thing to do in the Brecon Beacons (and possibly Wales) with kids is to head to the Big Pit National Coal museum. Where you can head down on a guided tour and discover how miners used to live and work. Then walk around the rest of the museum to discover even more.
The Big Pit is free to enter with donations welcome. And for a free site it is absolutely amazing for kids.
Cardiff – 3 (2) Nights
We finish our tour in the capital of Wales, Cardiff. This vibrant city is great with kids. The city centre holds so much of the city sites that you don’t have to go too far if you don’t want to.
With yet another castle to explore and a great waterfront to walk around as well as museums, shops and restaurants.
And with the National Stadium being right in the city centre, it makes for one of the most buzzing atmospheres you can experience when there is an event on.
Getting Around Wales as a Family
Driving is going to be the quickest and easiest for getting around the rural areas and this will help you get the most out of Wales in a limited time. Car hire is available and you can easily do this in the major towns and cities.
Campervan and motorhome travel is also a great way to get about. The country is very well set up for tourers. The roads can get hilly and windy and sometimes narrow, but just do a bit of research before you head off to avoid the difficult ones where possible and you should be just fine.
If you don’t have wheels or can’t drive, Wales also has a decent public transport system. And this can actually be a adventure in itself.
The Trains are some of the most scenic you will come across. With standard trains and classical steam trains, in various locations, all winding through the incredible welsh countryside.
The best deals on trains are almost always the advanced tickets, so try to nab your tickets as soon as possible to get the best deals. You can easily book tickets through Trainline either online or through the app and then download your tickets to your phone without any hassle of collecting tickets etc.
If you are going to be in the UK for some time it might even be worth getting a family railcard. They only cost around £30 and save a third on tickets. This can easily make up the cost and then some after just a few journeys. So do some maths and work out if you will save.
Both UK residents and International Tourists can get a family railcard and it can all be done digitally with the railcard downloaded to your phone. Easy-peazy!
Coaches are also a great way to get long distances. With National Express and Flixbus two of the most popular and usually reasonably priced choices.
There is currently a long running dispute with industrial action taking place in the UK that may affect both trains and coaches. The strike days are normally declared a couple of weeks in advance, so if you have booked any tickets more in advance than this, make sure you regularly check with the coach or train platform where you booked your tickets for any updates and potential disruptions to your journeys.
Walking is also a way to get about, not just locally, but long distance as well. You can walk the whole of the Welsh coast along the coastal path if you have the time and energy for a slower and more adventurous way to get around Wales!
Other than walking, getting about locally is best done by bus in most places and Wales has a really great choice of buses to get about even the less busy areas. Again, strike action can effect local buses at the moment, so ensure to double check if your bus is running on the day you want to use it.
And Taxis and Uber are readily available in the more urban areas and even some of the rural ones as well.
Eating in Wales as a Family
Wales has a great selection of foods and delicacies to try for families. Welsh Cakes are an absolute must when you are in Wales. Thick, raisin filled, sugary treats that leave you wanting more every time.
Another favourite is Welsh Rarebit. A glorified cheese on toast to the novice eye, but it is so much more. The way the meal is cooked is what makes it special and the added ingredients that go into the cheese sauce (of which there are many variables) also add to the distinct flavour.
Leeks are a national symbol of Wales. Originating from the legend of St David telling his Welsh soldiers to put leeks in there helmets during a battle with the Saxons to help identify there fellow comrades and give them the edge. As such Leek Soup is considered a staple dish of the Welsh.
You can also find great sea food along the coast. And a good old UK favourite of fish and chips must be had at least once in one of the beach towns.
For self catering, you will be easily supplied with choice. Even in the smaller more rural areas. A Tesco is rarely far away to stock up on the goods.
Accommodation in Wales for Families
With delightful small B&Bs in the smaller towns and villages and the larger chain hotels in the cities it’s rarely a struggle to find what you are after in terms of accommodation.
The usual accommodation sites should sort you out such as booking.com or Agoda.
And if you want to experience Wales properly, then the rural stays are some of the best you could hope for. With glamping becoming more and more popular for families, there are some great ones in Wales.
If you have gone for the campervan transport option then you will easily find campervan and motorhome stopovers as you go. From fancy holiday parks to pub car parks, there are many to choose from for every budget.
You can usually book them on the go, although during school holidays and weekends booking ahead might be a bit safer. Apps like searchforsites can be a big help for tourers.
If you are in the car, then purchasing and taking a tent can be a great way to explore Wales. A tent opens up many options when looking for somewhere to stay as there are lots of camping spots around the rural areas.