North Wales with Kids: Our Favourite Places to Visit

Are you planning to visit North Wales with kids? If so, read on for a whole host of inspiration of family-friendly things to see and do in this gorgeous part of the world. 

I may have mentioned from time to time on my blog that we love to visit North Wales. It is honestly one of my favourite places in the world, mostly due to the stunning mountains of Snowdonia and the golden beaches of Anglesey and the Llyn Peninsula. I have been holidaying in North Wales since I was a kid because my grandma has a cottage there, and I love returning now and showing my three all the wonderful places we used to visit, as well as discovering new places too. It’s a long drive for us, but we feel it is totally worth it.

I have put together a list of great places to visit with kids, with some suggestions from some of my fellow family travel bloggers too. So read on to discover our favourites.

Aber Falls

There is something quite magical about a waterfall, and Aber Falls doesn’t disappoint. After a walk along a fairly family friendly track (a walk which isn’t so hard that you wish you hadn’t bothered attempting with kids, but challenging enough to make you feel it was worth the effort) you will come to the beautiful falls.

There is a bridge across the water so you can get a great view from both sides, and continue on a circular walk if you wish, and if you’re careful you can get right up close which is a real adventure for kids.

The Beaches of Anglsey

I have written before about my favourite beaches on Anglesey, there really are just so many to chose from. Perfect for either fun summer holiday days, with buckets and spades, or blow the cobwebs away walks on colder days, there is something for everyone. 

I think if I was pushed to chose just one beach, I would for Trearddur Bay. For me it has the perfect combination of golden beach with that seaside holiday feel, and rugged cliff walks for a bit of adventure. 

Caernarfon Castle

The castles of North Wales are impressive, and there are so many to chose from. Caernarfon Castle is a great one to visit with kids as there is parking easily available nearby, there are an abundance of twisty staircase and turrets for them to explore, and if you need to get them any more excited there is even a Go Jetters episode all about this famous castle!

Greenwood Forest Park

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When I discovered Greenwood Forest Park a few years back I was both excited and a tad dissapointed at the same time – disappointed purely because it had taken me all those years to realise that this absolute gem of a park was literally a five minute drive from our holiday home! 

Our kids absolutely LOVE Greenwood, and pester us to visit every time we are in North Wales. With rollercoasters, waterslides and treetop towers for older kids (and grown-ups!) and soft play and animals for younger ones, it is ideal for a family day out.

I love these pictures of my three from over the years, all riding the Green Runs – which seem to have become a little bit of a rite of passage in our family! These sledge runs are great for young and old, with a Great Run and a Little Run catering for all. At a fantastic 70 metres long, the Great Run is is the longest sledge run in North Wales.

Harlech

It would seem that Penny from Parentshaped loves North Wales as much as I do, and has written all about it in this wonderful post. In particular she has recommended the town of Harlech, and based on her review I am now desperate to visit too. She says “I spent many happy years on family holidays in Harlech. Wales has the perfect mix of everything a child needs for a happy holiday – long sandy beaches, castles full of adventure, mountains in the distance, steam trains, beautiful countryside to run wild in and myths and legends galore to fuel those adventures. I love all of Wales, but Harlech has had my heart since I was four. There is a tiny pottery shop where I bought a little ceramic owl as a child and took my kids back to buy one too.”

Beddgelert

Beddgelert is a picturesque village in Snowdonia that is rich with the legend of Gelert – The Faithful Hound. I remember having the sad tale of Gelert the dog told to me as a child, and I have spent long walks along the river in the beautiful village recounting the story to my own children.

In a field alongside the river, not too far from the village, you will find a stone monument at the foot of a tree and if you continue along the path a little way you can find a statue of the dog himself, inside some stone wall ruins. A great way to get children’s imagination running wild whilst enjoying the beauty and fresh air of Snowdonia!

Criccieth

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A gorgeous beach, an imposing castle ruin, and a village with boutique shops, fish and chips and an ice-cream parlour with views of the sea all make the little town of Criccieth perfect for a family friendly day out. 

And if you venture to the castle, make sure you take the kids into the small interactive display next to the gift shop. I thought it was brilliant: the perfect balance of being fun and informative. I was surprised to find such a fab kids interactive display at such a small castle, it wouldn’t have been out of place at Caernarfon Castle. 

Walking in Snowdonia

Even if taking on the summit of Snowdon itself is too adventurous, there are so many wonderful walks in Snowdonia which are perfect for families. 

We love walking in the foothills of Snowdon, along the Watkin Path which is just stunning and not toooo tricky for little legs. 

Trish from Mum’s Gone To took on the trickier Cwm Idwal walk with her teens and despite it being quite challenging a walk, she said it was completely worth it for some amazing views. I have fond memories of hard walks in Snowdonia when I was a teen, and this is definitely something I’d love to do with the kids when they’re older. 

Porthdinllaen

Despite holidaying in North Wales for over 30 years, we haven’t ventured to the Llyn Peninsula nearly enough. We only discovered the beautiful beachside village of Porthdinllaen after reading this post by A Typical Mummy.

And what a gem of a place it is! 

Being so tiny means that it is not accessible via car, you either have to walk along the beach, or over and down the hillside, with of which make for a great adventure. 

There is even a brilliant little pub, the Ty Coch Inn, which is dog and child friendly, serving lovely pub grub and kids meals. 

Surf Snowdonia

Now this is one that I haven’t been to myself, but that I would absolutely love to because I have heard so many amazing things! This artificial wave pool is in a stunning setting in Snowdonia and as well as surfing lessons there are also a whole host of other activities for families like water obstacle courses for older kids and soft play for youngsters.

I read this post from Mini Travellers a while back and thought it looked just perfect, and then more recently Katy from Otis and us headed there with her family too, also staying in one of the amazing looking glamping pods. 

I think this is something that my boys especially would adore and I am looking at booking for our next visit! 

So, there you have it, our favourite things to do in North Wales with kids. This list is by no means exhaustive so please do get in touch if you have anything to add!