The best walks in Eryri (Snowdonia) for a first visit

Ten walks from a waterfall you can push a buggy to, to the mountain everybody comes for, and the quiet corners most visitors never find.

By the TRXO team · 27 Oct 2026 · 5 min read

walks: 10
long: 3.7–14.5 km
biggest climb: 1030 m
by public transport: 7
dog-friendly: 8

Eryri is the mountain park everyone has heard of and most people see from one car park: the one at Pen-y-Pass, on a Saturday, full by seven. The park is 800 square miles and the crowds are in about three of them. Walk anywhere else and you'll have a waterfall, a lake or a whole beach to yourself.

These ten walks are the ones we'd give a first-time visitor, in rough order of effort. The first half are easy and spectacular. The second half are the mountains, including Yr Wyddfa itself, by the route that gives the best chance of a good day. Every one has a mapped route, a summit forecast where it matters, and notes on the parking, which in Eryri you have to plan around.

Where they are

1

i
Llywelyn2000 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Abergwyngregyn

Aber Falls (Rhaeadr Fawr)
- 6.7 km distance
- 260 m ascent
- 2–2.5 h time
- Easy grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
A 120-foot waterfall at the end of a gentle valley track from the village of Abergwyngregyn. The nature reserve on the way has old oaks and bluebells, the fall is enormous after rain, and it's the one walk on this list where nobody needs boots. Start here if you've got children or grandparents with you.

Route, map and GPX
2

i
Llywelyn2000 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ogwen

Cwm Idwal and Llyn Idwal
- 5.6 km distance
- 290 m ascent
- 2–2.5 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
The most famous rock in Wales. Cwm Idwal is a glacial bowl under the Glyderau with a lake in the bottom, the cliffs of the Devil's Kitchen at the back and the slabs where generations of climbers learned on one side. A well-built path from Ogwen Cottage loops round it in a couple of hours. Darwin worked out glaciation here; you'll see why.

Route, map and GPX
3

i
Beep boop beep · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Llanberis

Llyn Padarn and Dolbadarn Castle
- 10.9 km distance
- 230 m ascent
- 3–4 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Round the lake at Llanberis, past a Welsh prince's tower, through a country park with the slate quarry terraces above and Yr Wyddfa at the head of the valley. Eleven kilometres but almost flat, and there's a café at every turn. A good day for when the tops are in cloud.

Route, map and GPX
4

i
HowlerMonkeyHowls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Dolgellau

The Precipice Walk
- 4.1 km distance
- 150 m ascent
- 1–1.5 h time
- Moderate grade
- dogs welcome
A Victorian balcony path round a hill above the Mawddach estuary, with the whole north face of Cadair Idris across the water. No climbing to speak of, one narrow stretch above a steep drop, and views most people have to climb a mountain for. The south of the park, where the crowds thin out.

Route, map and GPX
5

i
James Merrington (Me… · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Newborough

Newborough beach and Llanddwyn Island
- 5.6 km distance
- 40 m ascent
- 1.5–2 h time
- Easy grade
- dogs welcome
Not a mountain walk at all, but one of the best days in the park: along a huge Anglesey beach, with the Eryri skyline across the strait, to a tidal island with two lighthouses and the ruined church of the Welsh saint of lovers. Check the tide; the island is cut off for a short time around high water.

Route, map and GPX
6

i
Phil Champion · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Holyhead

South Stack and Holyhead Mountain
- 3.7 km distance
- 240 m ascent
- 1.5 h time
- Moderate grade
- dogs welcome
A lighthouse on an island, 400 steps down to it, cliffs full of guillemots and puffins in early summer, and the highest point on Anglesey for the view across to Ireland. Short, and a good one to combine with Newborough on an Anglesey day.

Route, map and GPX
7

i
Rude Health · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Capel Curig

Moel Siabod from Capel Curig
- 7.5 km distance
- 720 m ascent
- 3–4 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
The first real mountain on the list, and the best viewpoint in the park: from Moel Siabod's summit you can see thirteen of the fourteen 3,000-footers. The route from Capel Curig has an easy ridge finish, or a scramble up the Daear Ddu ridge for those who want one. Half the effort of Yr Wyddfa, half the people, most of the view.

Route, map and GPX
8

i
Neil Thomas · Unsplash
Llanberis

Yr Wyddfa by the Llanberis Path
- 14.5 km distance
- 975 m ascent
- 6–7 h time
- Moderate grade
- by public transport
- dogs welcome
Yr Wyddfa by the long, gentle way, following the railway up from Llanberis. It's the safest route, the one to do with older children, and the one with a café at the top. Nearly 15 km and nearly a thousand metres of climbing, so it's still a mountain day. Start early; the summit is busy by eleven.

Route, map and GPX
9

i
Craig Davis · Unsplash
Pen-y-Pass, Eryri

Yr Wyddfa by the Pyg Track
- 11.6 km distance
- 730 m ascent
- 6 h time
- Hard grade
- by public transport
The classic way up from Pen-y-Pass: rocky, direct, and with the Snowdon Horseshoe's ridges in view all the way. Steeper than the Llanberis Path and much more fun, with one steep zigzag section near the top. Book the Pen-y-Pass car park in advance or take the Sherpa bus; there is no other option.

Route, map and GPX
10

i
Eric Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ogwen

Tryfan and the Glyderau
- 11.2 km distance
- 1030 m ascent
- 4.5–6 h time
- Hard grade
- by public transport
The finest mountain in Wales, where you can't reach the top without using your hands. Tryfan's north ridge is a scramble from the first step to the summit's twin rocks, Adam and Eve, and the continuation over the Glyderau passes the Cantilever and the Castle of the Winds. For a first visit this is the one to earn, after the others. Dry rock, a clear day, and no rush.

Route, map and GPX

Before you go

Pen-y-Pass parking must be booked in advance and sells out; the Sherpa'r Wyddfa buses link Llanberis, Pen-y-Pass, Ogwen and Betws-y-Coed and are the sane way to do the mountains.
Yr Wyddfa, Tryfan and Moel Siabod are mountain days: boots, waterproofs, warm layers, food, a map and compass, and the summit forecast checked on the morning.
Llanddwyn Island is tidal and the Newborough car park charges; check the tide table on the board.
The park is wettest in the west: if the forecast is poor for the mountains, Anglesey and the Dolgellau side are often clear.

Questions people ask

What is the easiest way up Snowdon?

The Llanberis Path: long and gradual, following the railway, with a café on the summit. It's still nearly 15 km with 1,000 m of climbing. The Pyg Track from Pen-y-Pass is shorter and rockier.

Which Snowdonia walks are good for families?

Aber Falls, Cwm Idwal, Llyn Padarn and Newborough beach are all easy, well-made and interesting for children. The Llanberis Path is a good first mountain for a keen ten-year-old.

Do I need to book parking in Snowdonia?

At Pen-y-Pass, yes, in advance and well ahead for weekends. Ogwen fills early. Everywhere else is pay-and-display and usually fine on weekdays.

Is Tryfan dangerous?

It's a scramble, not a walk: hands on rock, exposure, and route-finding on the ridge. In good weather with care it's the best day in Wales. In rain, wind or cloud, choose another hill.

Where they are

Aber Falls (Rhaeadr Fawr)

Cwm Idwal and Llyn Idwal

Llyn Padarn and Dolbadarn Castle

The Precipice Walk

Newborough beach and Llanddwyn Island

South Stack and Holyhead Mountain

Moel Siabod from Capel Curig

Yr Wyddfa by the Llanberis Path

Yr Wyddfa by the Pyg Track

Tryfan and the Glyderau

Before you go

Questions people ask

Read next