Walking Holidays in Wales
On a walking holiday in Wales, you’ll discover a country of spectacular scenery that constantly changes and excites the senses.
Walk Through Wales’ Ancient Paths and Stunning Coastlines
Wales’ compact countryside encompasses three National Trails, three National Parks and more National Landscapes (areas of outstanding natural beauty) than any other part of the UK.
Including the historic Offa’s Dyke National Trail, a wonderfully satisfying walking holiday, coast-to-coast through Wales amidst a tremendous variety of unspoilt scenery and the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Britain’s only Coastal National Park and rated one of the World’s top five coastlines.
Walking in Wales
Wales has long been a popular destination for avid walkers and adventurers, due to its unspoilt beauty but relative accessibility. Most famous is undoubtedly Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) with Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) taking pride of place, but Yr Wyddfa really is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding wonderful walks. More about Welsh place names in our destination guide section.
Celtic Trails offers more coastal walks in Wales than anything else and with very good reason. Wales has 870 miles of coastline and almost all of it is unspoilt and spectacularly beautiful. In 2012, the Wales Coastal Path was opened, making Wales the first country in the world to offer a footpath around the entirety of its coastline and allowing walkers unlimited access to its wonderful scenery. If you don’t have the time to do it all, there are plenty of shorter options, with the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path being the most popular.
Those looking for more mountainous terrain should head up to North Wales for the really dramatic peaks, a number of which are included on Glyndwr’s Way. Alternatively for broader but nonetheless challenging mountains, try the Beacons Way in South Wales.
Finally, if you’re looking for a more moderate walk featuring charming market towns and some local history, head for the borders. Offa’s Dyke, and the Wye Valley walk offer plenty of each.
Key Features
Best Time to Visit Wales
Wales is one of the milder parts of the UK and can be visited at any time of the year, however it is worth noting that it does experience high rainfall and cool temperatures, particularly in late autumn and winter. For this reason the best months to visit are between mid March and late October.
North Wales is generally cooler, often experiencing wet and cold winters, particularly in the high ground around Eryri (Snowdonia). South Wales on the other hand is usually warmer and dryer and is the safer option during autumn and early spring.
The main school holiday period in the UK runs for 6 weeks from mid July to the end of August, which can make certain touristy spots, particularly around the coast, quite busy. If you would like to travel in summer but avoid crowds, we would recommend travelling in June, early July or early September.
How to get to Wales
By Plane: Wales has just one international airport, Cardiff International Airport, which flies to a small number of destinations in Europe. This includes Amsterdam, which can be a useful transfer point. From Cardiff airport, there is a bus service into Cardiff city centre where you can connect onto other buses or trains.
Alternatively, it may be easier to fly into an English airport. London Heathrow and London Gatwick are approximately 2-3 hours from South Wales by either car, bus or train. Bristol airport is less than an hour from South Wales and also has good public transport connections. If you are visiting North Wales, then your nearest airports are Manchester or Birmingham, both around 2 hours away with good bus and train connections.
By Ferry: Those visiting from Europe may wish to consider travelling to the UK by Ferry. If travelling from mainland Europe, the nearest port to Wales is Portsmouth (connections to Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, St Malo, Bilbao, Santander and the Channel Islands) which is approximately 2 ½ hours drive from South Wales and also has direct train connections through to South Wales. Dover is the other main ferry port in England serving Europe (connections to Calais), however it is approximately 4 hours drive from South Wales.
Eurotunnel: The Eurotunnel connects to the UK in Folkestone, which is approximately 4 hours drive from South Wales.
By Train: The UK can be reached by train from Paris, Brussels and Lille using the Eurostar. The Eurostar arrives in London, and from there you will find excellent connections to Newport and Cardiff in South Wales and also to the city of Chester on the north Wales border.
Wales Client Reviews
4.7/5 based on 1215 reviews
"The team at Celtic Trails are very knowledgable about the walking holidays they provide. The walk packs are very detailed which is extremely helpful. Everything on the trips I have booked through Celtic Trails has made the whole experience from start to finish hassle free. This has allowed me to enjoy the hiking knowing that my accommodation is booked and my luggage will be transferred for me."
"Good, Celtic Trails manage with a 'light touch'. It cleared my head and hurt my knees."
"Everything was prepared perfectly, there is no need to call or look for assistance as you have everything very well explained. The walk, though challenging on some sections, was exceptionally relaxing. All those beaches are too spectacular to just pass through. Definately thinking about another coastal walk. Maybe Wales again ;)"
"Well organised and relaxing"
"The paths are very well signed posted, we liked very much the combination of walking along the coast and looking at the sea and taking a swim in small bays. Celtic Trails were very helpful and over all it was a wonderful holiday for us. The rugged coastline with its ever-changing rock formations, the turquoise sea, and the vastness of the horizon are simply fantastic."
"Good al, round value"
"Good al, round value"
"It has given us the confidence to know that although in our 70's we still have the legs (and knees) for a long distance walk"
"Excellent customer service, good itineraries, consistently good accommodation and very informative and clear walking pack. We like distance walks because it is totally absorbing experience which enables us to switch off and tune in with our surroundings."
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