Located on the western shores of Great Britain, Wales might be small, but this is a nation with proud Celtic roots that’s evolving into one of Europe’s best destinations. Wales, with its soaring highlands, long sandy beaches, and rugged coastline, is a land that’s steeped in natural beauty.
The Welsh language and accent are soft on the ears, but the fiery passion of the locals is unmistakable when you’re in the midst of a rugby or football game – especially if Wales is playing England.
You can see this ancient cross-border rivalry in the castles and forts that are strewn across Wales, the majority of which were built by the English in fruitless attempts to conquer the Welsh people in the medieval era. You can hike endless coastal trails in Pembrokeshire, delve into national museums in Cardiff, and brave the depths of industrial coalmines and slate quarries in the north.
With so many things to see and do, you might not know where to begin. That’s why we’ve compiled our list of the best things to do in Wales for you. Stick to these fun and unique Wales bucket list items, and there’s no doubt you’ll have a fabulous time exploring this beautiful corner of the United Kingdom.
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25 Fun and Unique Things to do in Wales
1. Start Your Trip with a Visit to Cardiff Castle
Did you know that Wales has the highest concentration of castles to be found anywhere in Europe? Thanks to centuries of warfare with their neighbors, and with each other, Wales is literally littered with castles, with an estimated 600 or so to be found across the country.
This number includes Iron Age hillforts and Roman ruins, but of course, the best-preserved dates back to the medieval era. In Cardiff, the Welsh capital, you can start your visit with a trip to Cardiff Castle, where you can delve into 2,000 years of local history.
Cardiff Castle is by no means the largest castle in Wales (try Caernarfon Castle if you want to see the biggest), but it does offer a fascinating insight into different eras in Welsh history. Being located in the capital, it’s also one of the easiest castles to visit.
Step through the gate, and inside the museum, you’ll learn how Cardiff Castle can trace its origins back to the Roman era, when the invading legions built a fort in the same spot. The Normans, many centuries later, constructed a motte-and-bailey castle during their Welsh invasions before adding the stone keep and walls you see today in later centuries.
Much of the castle and its grounds were then turned into a Victorian mansion in the 19th century, losing much of the medieval remains in the process. Today, the mansion stands next to the remains of the old keep, alongside a modern museum, and by reconstructions of the Roman defenses, offering a unique view of 2,000 years of Welsh history in one panorama.
2. Visit the National Museum Cardiff
A visit to the National Museum Cardiff is one of the best things to do in Wales – and it’s free! This excellent museum is a great way to explore more of Wales’ history while also offering an opportunity to admire one of the finest collections of art in the country.
The National Museum Cardiff has a fantastic location within the Welsh capital’s Civic Centre, a short stroll from other great local attractions like Cardiff Castle and the Museum of Cardiff. It’s the perfect place to start any Welsh adventure, as you can begin by stepping back millions of years into the past at the “Evolution of Wales” gallery.
This excellent gallery takes you back to the prehistoric era, and you’ll learn how dinosaurs once roamed the land we now call Wales, how the Welsh valleys were formed when the glaciers retreated after the Ice Age, and much more.
At the museum’s Clore Discovery Centre, you can get hands-on and pick up a unique range of historic objects, including bronze-age swords and millennia-old fossils. There are exhibitions on botany and geology, a new augmented reality tour, and, best of all, an extensive collection of fine art, which includes historic paintings from old masters and more recent works by renowned artists like Turner and Van Gogh.
3. Go to St. Fagans National Museum of History
If you’re a history buff, then the St. Fagans National Museum of History is one of the must-do things in Wales.
First established in 1948 on the grounds of an old country house just outside Cardiff, this open-air museum ambitiously attempts to tell the story, myths, and history of the Welsh people through its extensive recreations of traditional dwellings and historic buildings.
There are at least 40 unique buildings to explore in St. Fagans National Museum of History, each of which offers a different snapshot into different eras. There’s an Iron Age Roundhouse, a Medieval peasant’s farmhouse, and a post office built in 1936.
Many of the buildings have been moved from their original sites in order to protect them, while the water mill and blacksmith forge are still working, offering demonstrations of these traditional crafts.
The museum is home to a 16th-century castle and gardens, alongside modern galleries which feature everything from Neolithic ax heads to First World War uniforms.
4. Fall in Love with the Romanticism of Tintern Abbey
In the late 18th century, the Wye Valley Tour through the Welsh borderlands became one of Britain’s first tourist trails, as the gentry and aristocracy of the day sought out the wild beauty of Wales.
The Wye Valley is where Welsh tourism really began, and in the 19th century, the scenery and mysticism of the land were further embellished by a generation of poets known as the Romantics, which included famous writers like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Wordsworth was drawn to the River Wye’s historic relics, many of which he viewed as being in a state of romantic decay. He popularized one place in particular when he wrote his poem, “Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey.”
Tintern Abbey, with its stone balustrades and echoing cobblestones, is still one of the best things to see in Wales. The abbey dates back to 1131 AD, but it was abandoned after Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries during his reign in the 16th century.
Located just north of Chepstow, where the Wye Valley begins in earnest, visit Tintern Abbey on a misty, early morning, and it’s not hard to imagine why the sight enthralled the romantic poets so much.
5. Pick Up Second-Hand Books at the Hay Festival
The Welsh border town of Hay-on-Wye is one of the top places to visit in Wales. This gorgeous village overlooks the banks of the River Wye, and it’s known the world over for its literary love affair.
Hay-on-Wye is home to the largest concentration of secondhand bookshops in the world, and thanks to the efforts of secondhand bookseller Richard Booth, it also became the world’s first “Town of Books.” Booth started buying up old books in the 1970s, founding a secondhand bookshop empire that brought international attention to sleepy Hay-on-Wye.
Booth was something of an eccentric, and he helped to put his town (and bookshops) on the map on April 1, 1977, when he declared himself to be king of the newly independent Kingdom of Hay. He crowned himself in the town square, and soon, the town was inundated with tourists.
The bookshops did a roaring trade, and in 1988, the town took advantage of its success by founding the Hay Festival. The festival is a celebration of literature, and for two weeks in May, tens of thousands of book lovers attend readings, debates, workshops, talks, and concerts in Hay-on-Wye. If you’re a bibliophile and you’re looking for unique things to do in Wales, the Hay Festival is a must!
6. Go Underground at the Big Pit National Coal Museum
Wales has a long, long history of mining, and the best place to learn more is at the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon. People have mined raw materials from Wales since the Iron Age, but it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that deep seams of coal below ground were tapped into by hardy miners.
In Blaenavon, a large ironworks factory required incredible quantities of coal every day, so they burrowed deep into the mountainsides in search of more raw materials. Nearby, the “Big Pit” evolved from the 1880s onwards, as miners sunk deeper and deeper shafts in search of more and more coal.
Mine shifts went down some 90 meters, and the Big Pit remained in operation until 1980. After this, it was preserved as a museum in order to protect an integral part of Welsh industrial history.
Visit today, and you can go underground yourself to experience the cramped conditions the miners worked in. Tour guides here are trained miners, and you’ll need to kit up with a helmet and lamp before taking the elevator down into the dark depths below.
After the underground tour, you can visit the above-ground exhibitions at your leisure. You can learn about the history of mining in Blaenavon, about miners’ strikes, the disasters that occurred underground, and much more. The Big Pit National Coal Museum is part of the wider Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
7. Visit St. David’s, the Smallest City in the UK
Travel to southwest Wales, and in Pembrokeshire, you’ll find the ancient city of St. David’s. Surrounded by countryside, close to the rugged shores overlooking St. George’s Channel, this city is unusual because it only has a resident population of around 1,800 people.
That makes St. David’s the smallest city in the United Kingdom, and one of the most fun things to do in Wales is to find out why. Despite its tiny population, St. David’s is home to a cathedral, which is one of the traditional requirements needed to be met in order to gain “city status” in the UK.
Visit St. David’s Cathedral, and you’ll discover that this is the final resting place of St. David, the city’s namesake and the patron saint of Wales. St. David is said to have been born and lived in what’s now Pembrokeshire in the 6th century AD, where he performed numerous miracles and cemented the Christian faith in Wales.
After his death, St. David’s became an important pilgrimage site, and in the 12th century, this was recognized when the small settlement was granted city status. Today, you can visit the cathedral, explore life in the UK’s smallest city, and then make your way to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park nearby.
8. Take the Boat from Tenby to Caldey Island
Overlooking the (generally) calm waters of Carmarthen Bay, the seaside town of Tenby is one of the best places to visit in Wales for a beach break.
With over 3 miles of golden sands to enjoy, Temby’s beaches are consistently ranked by British newspapers as some of the best in the country. The small town, with its colorful seafront homes and hotels, has been a popular tourist destination since the Victorian era, and there’s much to do along this glorious stretch of the Welsh coastline.
This is Pembrokeshire at its best, and you’ll have easy access to the rugged cliffs and beautiful beaches of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. You can explore the ruins of a 13th-century Norman castle and the preserved remains of Tudor houses, or you can walk the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
Best of all, though, is the short boat ride across Carmarthen Bay to Caldey Island. This small island has long been considered one of the holiest places in Wales, and there’s been a monastic presence here for around 1,500 years. Today, the island is home to a small community of Cistercian monks who make chocolate and bake cakes for the day-trippers from Tenby.
9. Climb Mount Snowdon (or Take the Train!)
At 1,085 meters in height, for hikers, tackling the summit of Mount Snowdon (or Yr Wyddfa in the Welsh language) is one of the best Wales activities you could add to your itinerary. If you haven’t got the legs for the hike, don’t worry because outside of the winter season (between March and October), there’s a scenic railway that takes you right to the top.
Whether you’re hiking or taking the train, you’ll start your ascent of Mount Snowdon from Llanberis in northern Wales. Here you can jump on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a 19th-century railway that whisks you up the steep incline for 4.5 miles. This is the ultimate way to climb mountains in comfort, and when you arrive at the summit, you’ll even find there’s a cafe serving tea, coffee, and refreshments.
If you’re hiking, you’re in for a more challenging ascent. There are six waymarked trails leading upwards each with a different difficulty level, but roughly the same length (around 4 miles long). The classic route up is the Llanberis Path, which is said to be the easiest as it roughly follows the same path as the railway.
At the summit, you’ll have sweeping views across Wales and out to the Irish Sea on a clear day. Given the altitude, you’ll want to pack in preparation for the worst weather, even in summer.
10. Visit Portmeirion, a Piece of the Mediterranean
If you’re looking to travel to a piece of the Mediterranean, then strangely, you might just be in the right place. Wales might be best known for its foggy coast and rainy mountains, but in Gwynedd, in North Wales, the village of Portmeirion offers a decidedly different experience.
We can’t guarantee the weather, of course, but a visit to Portmeirion is certainly one of the most unique things to do in Wales. The village is home to an unusual array of Mediterranean-inspired buildings that wouldn’t look out of place on the Amalfi Coast, although Portmeirion overlooks the River Dwyryd rather than the sea.
The village was designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who transformed a crumbling country estate into a colorful tourist village. New buildings were added from 1925 onwards, and today, the village functions almost exclusively as a tourist resort and attraction. We recommend staying at the Hotel Portmeirion, which is one of the most famous hotels in all of Wales.
11. Cross the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
One of the most impressive manmade Wales attractions is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a stunning work of engineering that crosses the River Dee at a height of 38 meters.
Designed by Thomas Telford, the aqueduct was first opened in 1805, at the height of the Industrial Revolution. The aqueduct has 18 tall stone archways that rise high above the river below. Surrounded by the lush countryside of the Welsh borders, the aqueduct is the most well-known section of the larger Llangollen Canal.
The aqueduct is UNESCO World Heritage listed, and the best way to experience its industrial beauty is on a narrow boat cruise. You can rent narrow boats (also known as canal boats) along the Llangollen Canal, and after a crash course in using the locks, you’ll be set free along the canal.
Canal boats are typically equipped with beds, kitchens, and lounges, so you can spend a few days exploring the Llangollen Canal at your leisure, with the highlight, of course, being a crossing of the Llangollen Aqueduct. If you’re pressed for time, we recommend visiting the village of Pontcysyllte and then hiking to the aqueduct. The best views aren’t just from the top but from the valley directly below the aqueduct!
12. Escape to the Beauty of the Gower Peninsula
Jutting out from the urban limits of Swansea – the second-largest city in Wales – into the tidal waters of the Bristol Channel, the Gower Peninsula is the perfect place for an outdoor escape.
The Gower Peninsula’s rugged beauty has long been known by the Welsh, and this was the first place in the United Kingdom to be protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) when it was designated in 1956.
You’ll understand why when you start exploring the Gower Peninsula’s long coastline, which is home to sandy and pebbly beaches, tall sea cliffs and deep caves, and postcard-perfect villages. Highlights of the Gower Peninsula include the long beach at Rhossili Bay, where you’ll also find the “Worm’s Head” promontory.
Three Cliffs Bay offers wonderful views of the surrounding coastline and excellent walking, while the Gower Way is a 35-mile-long hiking trail that explores the interior of the peninsula rather than the coast.
13. Tackle Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons (which recently reverted to its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog) is one of the most spectacular national parks in Wales.
Located in Powys, the Brecon Beacons National Park is home to the highest mountain peaks in the British Isles south of Snowdonia. This stunning region forms the natural borderland between Wales and England, and the steep hills and peaks are often dotted with the ruins of hillforts, watchtowers, and castles, the oldest of which date back to the Neolithic era.
The highest peak in the Brecon Beacons is Pen y Fan (actually a twin peak!), which sits at 886 meters above sea level. It was often thought that this tall peak was King Arthur’s Seat, and when you see the mountain swathed in mist, you’ll understand why. There are several walking routes to the top, the shortest of which is around 5 miles there and back.
14. Dive into Medieval History at Caernarfon Castle
Strategically located on the banks of the River Seiont, overlooking the Menai Straits leading to Anglesey, Caernarfon Castle is one of the most important medieval sights to see in Wales. This staggering work of solid stones and timbers is exactly how you would imagine a castle to look, and with a history dating back to the 11th century AD, there’s much to explore.
Caernarfon Castle was originally built as a small motte and bailey fortification in the style favored by the Normans during their conquests. After subduing the English, the Normans turned their attention to the Welsh, who didn’t give in quite so easily. After several centuries of war, Edward I finally claimed to have conquered Wales in the 13th century, and he began construction of a stone castle on the same site as the older motte and bailey.
Caernarfon Castle cost a staggering sum of money and took 47 years to build. Edward I employed the best stonemasons and architects of the day, and the castle was designed with layer upon layer of tall walls, bastions, and towers.
It was designed as a symbol of Edward I’s might and power in Wales, and even today, many Welsh see it as a symbol of enduring oppression by their English neighbors. Visit the castle today, and after walking through King’s Gate, you’ll be awed by the views from the walls that still dominate the town below.
15. Ride the Welsh Highland Railway
One of the best things to do in Wales is journeying along the Welsh Highland Railway, a spectacular heritage railway line that can take you from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. At 25 miles in length, this is the longest heritage railway in the United Kingdom, and you’ll love being transported across Gwynedd in vintage carriages dating back to the Victorian era.
The railway line dates back, in places, to the 1860s, although the narrow gauge railway was variously closed, reopened, and restored over the next 150 years. The Welsh Highland Railway operates two authentic steam locomotives (named Russel and Gertrude), as well as diesel locomotives when the steam engines are having a rest.
You might find yourself in the same carriage that Prime Minister William Gladstone rode in the 19th century, or you can upgrade to a first-class Pullman-style carriage with a gourmet dining service.
Sit back and enjoy the views as you depart from the station in front of Caernarfon Castle before cruising into the foothills of Snowdonia, crossing the spectacular Aberglaslyn Pass, and ending in Porthmadog, where you can then switch to the 13.5-mile-long Ffestiniog Railway to extend your journey on another heritage railway to the slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
16. Ride The Great Orme Tramway
Not far from the popular seaside town of Llandudno in northern Wales, you’ll find the musty realms of The Great Orme, one of the top Wales attractions. This great limestone headland juts out precariously into the ocean waves, and it’s a place that’s long been revered for its natural beauty.
Legends abound on the headland, which is just 2 miles long and 1 mile at its widest extent. The Vikings thought it was a sea monster (the name “Orme” is derived from a Norse word meaning Sea Serpent), while many a hermit spent their days on its misty, barren cliffs.
These days, you can hike here from Llandudno, ride The Great Orme Tramway, or take the Llandudno Tramway. All routes lead to the 200-meter-high peak in the center of the headland, where on a good day, you’ll have views of England, Anglesey, and even the Isle of Man.
17. Watch a Rugby or Football Match in Wales
Sport is deeply rooted in Welsh culture. It might be a small country, but Welsh fans are some of the most passionate in the world, and you’ll love the atmosphere, whether it’s at a local, professional, or national level.
The national sport of Wales is always considered to be rugby, a sport which the Welsh excel at. The national team regularly competes with the best in the world, and you can watch the best games at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Things get particularly exciting when Wales are playing their closest neighbors at rugby, especially if it’s their ancient rivals, the English.
But while rugby is seen as a quintessentially Welsh sport, there’s also no denying the fact that football has more players and supporters across Wales. The best Welsh football teams play in the English Football League, with Swansea City being one of the top performers.
The Welsh national team played in the last World Cup in 2022, but it’s Wrexham, the team that was taken over by Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, that has stolen the show after finding fame through their Disney show.
18. Visit the National Roman Legion Museum
If you’re fascinated by ancient history, then a visit to the National Roman Legion Museum near Newport is one of the best things to do in Wales.
This brilliant museum is itself one of the oldest in Wales, dating back to the 1850s when Victorian antiquarians began putting their finds on display for the public. The museum is located within the excavated remains of a Roman fort called Isca Augusta, which is thought to have been constructed around 74 BC by the invading Roman legions.
The fort was one of the most westerly in the Roman province of Britannia, and it soon expanded to include an amphitheater, baths, a forum, and all the trappings of Roman civilization you’d expect, even on this distant frontier of the Empire.
Explore the ruins (including the only remains of a Roman barracks in Europe) before heading inside the museum, where you’ll find an extensive collection of artifacts collected from the surrounding sites, including weapons and armor used by the legions.
19. Dig into Wales’ Industrial Heritage at the National Slate Museum
Visit Llanberis, in northwest Wales, and you can dig deep into the country’s industrial heritage at the National Slate Museum.
The museum tells the surprising story of Welsh Slate, an industry that has existed since at least the Roman era when the first slate quarries were dug. Wales’ rocky terrain ensured that it became one of the world’s leading suppliers of slate from the Industrial Revolution onwards, and even today, Welsh Slate is revered as a high-quality building material and is found all over the UK.
Like much of Wales’ industry, though, the slate industry fell into decline in the 20th century. The museum is located within the vast excavations of the Dinorwig Quarry, which closed in 1969. Many of the old buildings within the quarry have not only been preserved, but they are still working sheds, where volunteers show tourists the tools of the slate trade.
The National Slate Museum is a prized piece of Welsh heritage, so much so that it formed the nucleus of the country’s latest UNESCO World Heritage listing, the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, which was inscribed in 2021.
20. ZipLine at Penrhyn Quarry Adventure Park
In the 19th century, Penrhyn Quarry was the largest working slate quarry in the world. Located near Bethesda, in the heart of Wales’ slate country, today, the quarry is largely devoted to pursuits of an adrenaline-inducing nature, thanks to the Zip World Penrhyn Quarry.
Part of the quarry is still in use, but larger parts have now been turned over to adventure activities like ziplining and downhill mountain biking. The steep sides of the quarry, and its sheer scale and size, ensure that the zipline is the fastest in the world!
If you dare, then strap in as you experience one of the most fun things to do in Wales. You’ll soar 500 meters over the vast quarry below, as you rapidly descend into its depths. After the zipline tour, you can recuperate with a well-earned cup of tea or pint of beer in the Blondin Restaurant and Cafe.
21. Get Cultured at the National Eisteddfod of Wales
If you’d love to learn more about traditional Welsh culture, there’s no better place to be than the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Held annually (generally in the summer, but dates and locations vary each year), the National Eisteddfod of Wales is a celebration of the country’s Celtic past and traditions. This 8-day-long event is the largest festival in Wales, and it’s largely devoted to Welsh poetry and music.
The main event at the National Eisteddfod of Wales is the poetry competitions, which see people from all over the world competing for elusive prizes. The tradition traces its origins back almost 10 centuries to the Welsh bardic competitions that were once held across the country, so of course, the focus is always on Welsh language performances.
The festival is a colorful way for Wales to showcase its Celtic heritage, and you can learn more about the bards of old, join Welsh language classes, listen to Welsh choirs, and much more at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
22. Hike Offa’s Dyke Path
If you’re looking for a long-distance adventure, then hiking Offa’s Dyke Path is one of the best things to do in Wales. This beloved National Trail traverses the English-Welsh borderlands, following the rough route of Offa’s Dyke from its southern start point in Chepstow to the Irish Sea in the north.
Offa’s Dyke was a monumental work of engineering that first divided the English from the Welsh in the 8th century AD. Constructed on the orders of King Offa of Mercia, the huge ramparts, mounds, and forts still shape the landscapes to this day.
Offa’s Dyke Path attempts to follow the route of this ancient border, which itself largely follows the route of the modern border between England and Wales. The path is 177 miles in length, and around 50 of those miles see you walking along Offa’s original dyke.
If you don’t have time to tackle the whole route (you need at least two weeks to enjoy it in full), then you can have a taste of the path at Chepstow, where it extends into the Wye Valley. Alternatively, head to Knighton, where you can find Offa’s Dyke Centre and some of the best walks in the remote Welsh borderlands.
23. Try Local Dishes Like Welsh Cakes and Rarebit
Welsh cuisine is hardly world-renowned, but that doesn’t mean that the local cuisine isn’t world-class. When you’re in Wales, there are a few local dishes you have to try. Welsh cakes, a type of buttery, sugary cake, are one of the best, and they’re best served hot, straight from the griddle.
Welsh rarebit is a fancier version of cheese on toast, consisting of toasted bread smothered in melted cheese and then topped with Worcestershire sauce. Conwy mussels are sublime when steamed, laverbread is an acquired taste, given it’s prepared from seaweed, and locally sourced Glamorgan sausages and Caerphilly cheese are some of the best items to take home with you!
24. Try to Walk the Entirety of the Wales Coast Path
The ultimate hiking challenge is the Wales Coast Path, a mammoth 870-mile-long walking path that traverses the entire country’s coastline.
This long-distance walking path starts (or ends) at Queensferry in the north, where you’ll walk along the Dee Estuary to meet the Irish Sea. Follow the coast west, and you’ll pass Prestatyn and Llandudno, then onto Caernarfon and Anglesey.
The path leads south once you’ve tackled the Llyn Peninsula, along the coast of Ceredigion, then onto the shores of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Path. Soon enough, you’ll be following the southern shores overlooking the Bristol Channel, stopping at Tenby, navigating the Gower Peninsula, and then finally, ending in Chepstow, where the Rivers Severn and Wye meet on the border with England.
25. Take a Welsh Language Class
Over 500,000 people in Wales speak Welsh, so why not learn a little of the local language when you’re visiting? Welsh is one of the oldest languages found in the United Kingdom. With Celtic origins, old Welsh (or Brythonic) was spoken by early Britons long before the English language ever evolved.
Being a Celtic rather than an Anglo-Saxon language, Welsh is very different from English. With the help of a tutor, though, you can get to grips with the double vowels and the pronunciation, even if it’s just to say a few words of greeting or thanks when you’re in Welsh-speaking areas of the country!
There you have it! The 25 best things to do in Wales. What’s your favorite thing to do in Wales?
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