North Wales: Things to do in Betws Y Coed
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Betws Y Coed is nestled near the national park Snowdonia. I always forget how beautiful wales is. Betws-y-Coed is known as the gateway to North Wales for a reason — it’s packed with stunning scenery and good vibes. This guide will provide you with things to do in betws-y-coed.
Think lush forests, epic waterfalls, and mountains that are just begging to be explored. This laid-back little village is perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors, whether you’re into hiking, biking, or just chilling in nature.
Where to Stay in Betws Y Coed?
I live in Manchester and always forgot how close we are to North Wales, it can be around an hour and a half drive. Its perfect for a day trip or we stayed in the cutest glamping pod which we booked on Air BnB. It was 12 mins drive away from the cute town.
We recently stayed at the cutest Airbnb, which we found just a couple of days before our trip. The host had only just started the business, and we were the first guests to stay in the charming glamping pod.
I highly recommend staying here; the pod was clean, cosy, and equipped with everything you needed, including cooking facilities, tea, coffee, and toiletries. Nestled in the beautiful countryside, it was incredibly peaceful and surrounded by the gorgeous greenery of the hills
We were treated to free Welsh cakes and cereal, and we were lucky to have sunny weather during our stay. The property even had goats, which some guests were walking, and horses that came over to feed and some of the guests were feeding them.
In May, the area was filled with adorable baby lambs. The host was exceptionally friendly and always made sure everything was perfect with charming details throughout our stay.
The link for the Air BnB is here.
If you use Trusted housesitters – you should keep an eye on the Snowdonia area as you could be lucky and find a housesit here. Read my blog on Trusted housesitters.
Getting to Betws Y Coed
You can get the train to Llandudno Junction which you can get on from Chester & Manchester. Once arrived in Llandudno you can get the bus which links with Snowdon and Llanberis.
If you are driving, we live in Manchester which took us around 1 and 30 minutes (depending on traffic)
Things to Do in Betws Y Coed
Explore the mini town centre
The town centre in Betws Y Coed is small, but it has stone cottages which host as indie coffee shops, outdoor-gear outfitters and art galleries.
I would highly recommend getting a bite to eat from the hangin pizzeria and then finishing with ice cream from Cadwaladers which is just next door. I got the kinder bueno ice cream, which was amazing!!
Luckily when we visited, it was a gorgeous sunny day and we got our food and chilled on the village green.
Llyn Elsi Walk/Hike
We werent going to visit Betws Y Coed, my partner forgot his hiking boots. I ended up looking on AllTrails for a flatter walk and found this lovely walk.
The walk is 6km, you will start the walk behind St Marys Church and you can park at the Royal Oak Pub. You will need to follow the way-markers labelled “Llyn Elsi”
The trail is a circular walk, you can see the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia in the distance. On clear days you’ll spot Moel Siabod to the west. The lake is beautiful Llyn Elsi. It is a serene upland reservoir surrounded by forest and full of charm.
The walk is a moderate walk and it will take around 2-3 hours. It will start with an incline, as its around 250m above sea level. The area is so relaxing. We stopped and took in the views with a snack.
Top Tip: We never did this. When researching Llyn Elsi its a great spot for sunset or sunrise.
Explore Snowdonia
Betws-y-ceod is 30 – 50 minutes away from Snowdonia national park. Its the perfect place to stay if you are exploring the national park. It also means you can keep away from the busyness of the national park.
As previously mentioned, Betws-y-ceod sits on the A5 and Conwy Valley rail line, so day trips are ridiculously easy.
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) via Pen-y-Pass is about 25 minutes drive away and the cute village of Beddgelert is 30 minutes away.
We spent the day in Angelsey in Newborough Beach. The beach is around an hours drive away from Betws-y-ceod. I would highly recommend visitng here if you are in North Wales.
Read my blog on Newborough beach & Anglesey.
Why Betws-y-Coed Belongs on Your North-Wales Itinerary?
Tucked into a landscape of thick forest and the rugged peaks of Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed (pronounced Bets-uh-oy-coid) honestly feels like something out of a fairytale. It’s a small village — easy to wander around in an hour or two — but it’s right at the heart of some of North Wales so you can experience the best adventures.
Whether you’re into relaxed walks, waterfalls and cute cafés or you’re here to hike up Snowdon or the other amazing hikes in Snowdonia national park, this place makes the perfect base.