What is this 6-day itinerary?
Bethesda to Conwy is the morning that sorts these six days. Two climbs, and you touch the sea between them. The Snowdonia Way is unsigned, and the Pass of Aberglaslyn wants care on wet rock. Take the six days only if that long last morning sounds fair.
Read the Snowdonia Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 6-day split work for you?
- Fit walkers who can take Bethesda to Conwy as one day, with two climbs after five earlier days.
- You can navigate. The path is unsigned from the first junction out of Machynlleth.
- A holiday sold as 7 days and 6 nights is six days of walking. The spare day is for travel.
Fitness & effort
You need a long last day in you, 20.6 mi (33.1 km) from Bethesda to Conwy, climbing twice with Aber Falls between. The other big one ends in the gorge at Aberglaslyn. Elsewhere you are on forest track and hillside, and none of it is signposted. If that last morning is too much, the 7-day breaks it on the coast.
Your 6-day route on the map
Toward Conwy
Machynlleth to Conwy in 6 days
Machynlleth to Conwy, valley by valley, with Cadair Idris, Yr Wyddfa and the Carneddau beside the path.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Machynlleth → Dolgellau | 15.2 mi (24.4 km) | Royal Ship, Dolgellau (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Dolgellau → Trawsfynydd | 13.9 mi (22.4 km) | Llety Glyndwr - Bunkhouse |
| Day 3 | Trawsfynydd → Beddgelert | 19.0 mi (30.5 km) | Sygun Fawr Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Beddgelert → Dolwyddelan | 12.2 mi (19.6 km) | Elen's Castle Hotel and Restaurant (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Dolwyddelan → Bethesda | 15.5 mi (25.0 km) | Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 Longest | Bethesda → Conwy | 20.6 mi (33.1 km) | Snowdonia Way Finish |
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Day 1
Machynlleth to Dolgellau
15.2 mi (24.4 km)
Forest tracks leave the Dyfi and climb past the old slate workings at Corris. The high point of the low route, just over 400 m, is the wooded shoulder of Cadair Idris. Nothing on the ground names the path, so have the map out at the first fork. The way into town is down through the woods, and Dolgellau has shops for the evening.
Example stay Royal Ship, Dolgellau (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Dolgellau to Trawsfynydd
13.9 mi (22.4 km)
The climb out of town looks straight back at the northern cliffs of Cadair Idris. A narrow path clings above the Mawddach, and it is easy to lose, so keep the map in your hand. Coed y Brenin is wide forest track once you are in the trees. Open moor above the lake, with the Moelwyns ahead, leads down to the village.
Example stay Llety Glyndwr - Bunkhouse
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Day 3
Trawsfynydd to Beddgelert
19.0 mi (30.5 km)
The long middle day, and the gorge sits at the end of it. The road out of the village runs beside the A470 for a short stretch, then the lake and the Vale of Ffestiniog. You walk through Penrhyndeudraeth with the rock still ahead. Keep something in reserve for the Pass of Aberglaslyn. The rock is narrow above the river, and wet stone makes those last miles slow.
Example stay Sygun Fawr Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Beddgelert to Dolwyddelan
12.2 mi (19.6 km)
Shorter, and it changes character halfway. The morning follows the river, with Dinas Emrys beside you and Yr Wyddfa filling the valley ahead. Bwlch y Rhediad is a real climb onto bare hill, and there is no river to follow on the far side. Dolwyddelan Castle stands over the fields as you drop to the village.
Example stay Elen's Castle Hotel and Restaurant (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Dolwyddelan to Bethesda
15.5 mi (25.0 km)
Easy tracks round Moel Siabod drop you toward Capel Curig, and the Ogwen valley opens under Tryfan. The path stays low, but cloud on the hillside can hide the line, so navigate as you go. Penrhyn quarry's spoil tips mark the way into town. Sleep well tonight, because the long finish over Tal y Fan is tomorrow.
Example stay Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6 Longest
Bethesda to Conwy
20.6 mi (33.1 km)
Two climbs, and the second starts after you have already reached the sea. Open Carneddau hillside gives you Anglesey, then the 37 m drop of Aber Falls. From Llanfairfechan the path rises again onto the moor around Tal y Fan, past the stone circle on Cefn Coch. Conwy Castle shows on the descent, and the last metres run along the estuary.
Finish Snowdonia Way Finish
Cross-check: Snowdonia Way route description . The route page gives six stages and a 97 mile low-level route. Card distances are measured along the trail between the towns. A walk off the path to a bed is extra.
Toward Machynlleth
Conwy to Machynlleth in 6 days
The same beds, starting under Conwy Castle. The moor and Aber Falls come early, and the last day drops through Dovey Forest into Machynlleth.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 Longest | Conwy → Bethesda | 20.6 mi (33.1 km) | Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Bethesda → Dolwyddelan | 15.5 mi (25.0 km) | Elen's Castle Hotel and Restaurant (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Dolwyddelan → Beddgelert | 12.2 mi (19.6 km) | Sygun Fawr Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Beddgelert → Trawsfynydd | 19.0 mi (30.5 km) | Llety Glyndwr - Bunkhouse |
| Day 5 | Trawsfynydd → Dolgellau | 13.9 mi (22.4 km) | Royal Ship, Dolgellau (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Dolgellau → Machynlleth | 15.2 mi (24.4 km) | Machynlleth |
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Day 1 Longest
Conwy to Bethesda
20.6 mi (33.1 km)
Conwy Mountain and the Sychnant Pass are a morning climb, with the stone circle on Cefn Coch along the moor. Tal y Fan then drops you toward the sea at Llanfairfechan. Aber Falls comes later, and Bethesda waits under the Penrhyn spoil tips.
Example stay Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Bethesda to Dolwyddelan
15.5 mi (25.0 km)
The quarry tips fall behind as Nant Francon opens toward Llyn Ogwen. Tryfan stands over the valley all the way to Capel Curig. Forest and open hillside round Moel Siabod bring you down to Dolwyddelan.
Example stay Elen's Castle Hotel and Restaurant (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Dolwyddelan to Beddgelert
12.2 mi (19.6 km)
The climb from Dolwyddelan Castle is bare hillside, and the river does not return until the pass. Yr Wyddfa opens ahead as you drop from Bwlch y Rhediad. The lakes after the pass make an easy finish into Beddgelert.
Example stay Sygun Fawr Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Beddgelert to Trawsfynydd
19.0 mi (30.5 km)
The gorge is the morning's work, close rock above the Glaslyn, and you want dry boots for it. Beyond the rock the country opens into a wide sandy walk on the Dwyryd. The day finishes with a pull onto the moor, the lake below Trawsfynydd.
Example stay Llety Glyndwr - Bunkhouse
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Day 5
Trawsfynydd to Dolgellau
13.9 mi (22.4 km)
Open moor above the lake drops into the wide tracks of Coed y Brenin. The path above the Mawddach is a descent this way, and it is still easy to miss. Dolgellau sits under the cliffs of Cadair Idris at the bottom of the woods.
Example stay Royal Ship, Dolgellau (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Dolgellau to Machynlleth
15.2 mi (24.4 km)
The woodland climb puts Cadair Idris behind you before the morning has settled. The Llefenni valley is then a long forest descent, with slate spoil at Aberllefenni. Machynlleth's clock tower is where the path meets the town.
Finish Machynlleth
6-day itinerary FAQ
Is 6 days a good length for the Snowdonia Way?
It matches the six published stages, for walkers who can take Bethesda to Conwy in one go. That day is 20.6 mi (33.1 km), with two climbs. If you want the finish split, use the 7-day.
Which day is the hard one on the 6-day?
The last, Bethesda to Conwy. The day into Beddgelert is also long, and it ends on the narrow rock of the Pass of Aberglaslyn. The path is unsigned on every day.
Can I download a GPX for the 6-day Snowdonia Way?
Yes. Open this itinerary in the planner (free, no account). Download a full-route GPX or per-day files for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. You can export the preset unchanged or edit overnight stops first.
Personalise this itinerary
This 6-day itinerary is ready as it stands. Open it in the planner to keep these stops, or change where you sleep, then download the GPX for your watch or phone.
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Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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