Snowdonia Way

What is the Snowdonia Way?

Cadair Idris, Yr Wyddfa and the Carneddau stand beside the path, and you walk the valleys rather than the summits. The Snowdonia Way runs 96.3 miles (155 km) from Machynlleth to Conwy, a low-level route through Eryri. The highest point is a wooded shoulder just over 400 m, on the first day.

The early miles are forest track through slate villages, and Cadair Idris fills the view from that shoulder. A narrow path then clings above the Mawddach, with the woods dropping away, before the wide tracks of Coed y Brenin.

The Pass of Aberglaslyn is a rock shelf above the river, and wet stone there is slow. Beyond it the Ogwen valley runs under Tryfan, and Aber Falls drops through a rock cleft. The last miles come down to Conwy with the castle ahead, on a path with no waymarks.

How hard is the Snowdonia Way?

We rate the Snowdonia Way moderate. The ground is forest track, hillside and valley floor. The slow place is the Pass of Aberglaslyn, a narrow shelf that gets worse when the rock is wet.

A usual day sits between 9.3 miles (14.9 km) and 19.0 miles (30.5 km). Walked in one go, Bethesda to Conwy is 20.6 miles (33.1 km), two climbs with Aber Falls between them. A night in Llanfairfechan breaks those climbs apart, which is kinder on a first long walk, as long as someone can navigate.

In low cloud the path is easy to lose, even on the valley floor. Carry a map from the first junction out of Machynlleth. A wrong turn stays wrong until the map shows it.

Snowdonia Way itineraries and official sections

Pick a day count and the 6–9 day splits show where you would sleep each night, or read the route as the official town-to-town sections.

• Itineraries 6–9 day splits with overnight stops mapped out. See how the daily distances change between the fastest and slowest options.
• Official sections The official route split into 6 town-to-town sections. Each section page covers distance, terrain, and where to sleep.

When is the best time to walk it?

June, July and August are the months to aim for. Light lasts long enough to take Aber Falls slowly and still cross the moor toward Conwy. Book the smaller villages before you travel. May and September are a strong time too, on the same hills.

April and October are still fair walking, with shorter days, and you may have to carry your own bag. From November through March it is still a walk, but the daylight is short, so seven or eight days is the safer shape.

Rain comes on about 12 days in May and June, and on about 18 in November and December. The hills of Eryri are wetter than the Welsh lowlands, so waterproofs belong in the pack every month.

How do I get there and back?

Machynlleth station is in the town. Direct trains run from Birmingham New Street, and from Manchester Piccadilly with a change at Shrewsbury. The clock tower stands in the street where the walk begins.

Conwy has trains toward Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. The platform is short and trains sometimes cannot stop, so many people board at Llandudno Junction instead.

A bus between the villages can run on only a few days a week, and missing it leaves you in the wrong valley. Trust the train into Machynlleth, and the one onward from Llandudno Junction.

Frequently asked questions