What is this 7-day itinerary?
Seven days is the Snowdonia Way with the finish split, a night in Llanfairfechan on the coast. You still walk the long valley day from Trawsfynydd to Beddgelert, pass and all. Start here if this is your first week on an unsigned hill path in Eryri. The longest day is that valley, not the walk into Conwy.
Read the Snowdonia Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 7-day split work for you?
- The one to start with. The author's six stages, plus a night in Llanfairfechan.
- A first long walk, if you are steady on hills and someone can use a map and compass.
- A holiday sold as 8 days and 7 nights means these seven walking days. One day is for travelling.
Fitness & effort
Card days run from 9.3 mi (14.9 km) to 19.0 mi (30.5 km). Most of the ground is valley path, and the pinch is the narrow rock of Aberglaslyn at the end of the longest day. You want hill fitness and a map. Book Beddgelert before a summer weekend, because the village fills. A first long walk fits here if a 21 mile finish does not.
Your 7-day route on the map
Toward Conwy
Machynlleth to Conwy in 7 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 Longest | 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 | Bethesda → Llanfairfechan | 11.3 mi (18.2 km) | Penybryn Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 | Llanfairfechan → Conwy | 9.3 mi (14.9 km) | Snowdonia Way Finish |
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Day 1
Machynlleth to Dolgellau
15.2 mi (24.4 km)
A full introduction, on tracks that can be quick where the surface is good. Dovey Forest passes the slate villages, and Aberllefenni sits deeper in the trees after Corris. Cadair Idris comes into view on your left as you round the flank. The drop into town is woodland. Book the first night ahead for a summer weekend, because the town fills.
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)
People lose the line on the hillside out of town, where the path is narrow and the view back is the whole point. Give that slope your attention before the trees close in. Under Coed y Brenin the stride eases and you can look up. The last hour is open ground dropping to a village set beside the reservoir.
Example stay Llety Glyndwr - Bunkhouse
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Day 3 Longest
Trawsfynydd to Beddgelert
19.0 mi (30.5 km)
This is the day you remember from the seven, and it saves the gorge until you are tired. The morning leaves on the road, with a short stretch beside the A470, then the path west of the lake. The vale after that is wide and sandy, with the sea in front of you. Croesor sits under Cnicht just before the handrails, and wet rock there is the slow part.
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)
Legs are likely tired, so the morning is the kind half. The river, the lakes and Yr Wyddfa in view, without a big climb yet. Bwlch y Rhediad is the afternoon's work, and the far side is bare hill. Moel Siabod shows for the first time on the way down. The castle over the fields means the village is close.
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)
You walk through Capel Curig and on into the Ogwen valley, Tryfan and Carnedd Llewelyn overhead. The path under them is gentle. The cloud on the slopes is not, so keep the map where you can reach it. Ogwen Falls marks the end of the water, and the spoil tips at Penrhyn lead down into Bethesda.
Example stay Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Bethesda to Llanfairfechan
11.3 mi (18.2 km)
Splitting here is what keeps the finish from becoming a 21 mile day. The northern flank of the Carneddau is open hillside, with Anglesey and the sea below. Aber Falls, a 37 m waterfall, deserves a proper pause. A Roman road drops to the seaside town. The moor of Tal y Fan, and its stone circle, waits until morning.
Example stay Penybryn Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 7
Llanfairfechan to Conwy
9.3 mi (14.9 km)
Coast and moor, after a week of valleys. The climb past Penmaenmawr reaches the open ground around Tal y Fan, and a stone circle stands on Cefn Coch. The Sychnant Pass leads round Conwy Mountain. The castle appears above the estuary, with shops under it for the evening. For the train, Llandudno Junction is the reliable stop.
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 7 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 | Conwy → Llanfairfechan | 9.3 mi (14.9 km) | Penybryn Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Llanfairfechan → Bethesda | 11.3 mi (18.2 km) | Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Bethesda → Dolwyddelan | 15.5 mi (25.0 km) | Elen's Castle Hotel and Restaurant (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Dolwyddelan → Beddgelert | 12.2 mi (19.6 km) | Sygun Fawr Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 Longest | Beddgelert → Trawsfynydd | 19.0 mi (30.5 km) | Llety Glyndwr - Bunkhouse |
| Day 6 | Trawsfynydd → Dolgellau | 13.9 mi (22.4 km) | Royal Ship, Dolgellau (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 7 | Dolgellau → Machynlleth | 15.2 mi (24.4 km) | Machynlleth |
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Day 1
Conwy to Llanfairfechan
9.3 mi (14.9 km)
Conwy Mountain is a climb straight from the castle, the Sychnant Pass above the town. Cefn Coch and its stone circle are the high, open part of the day. The drop past Penmaenmawr lands on the sea at Llanfairfechan.
Example stay Penybryn Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Llanfairfechan to Bethesda
11.3 mi (18.2 km)
The Roman road climbs out of Llanfairfechan, and Aber Falls is on that climb. The northern flank of the Carneddau stays open hillside the rest of the way. Bethesda sits below the spoil tips of Penrhyn quarry.
Example stay Victoria Bunkhouse (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
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 4
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 5 Longest
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 6
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 7
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
7-day itinerary FAQ
Is 7 days a good length for the Snowdonia Way?
Yes, if this is your first long walk on the path. It is the six published stages with the finish split at Llanfairfechan. The longest card day is Trawsfynydd to Beddgelert, 19.0 mi (30.5 km).
Where does the 7-day split the route?
At Llanfairfechan, between Bethesda and Conwy. The last published stage is by far the longest, and it can be broken there. The other nights stay on the published stage ends.
Can I download a GPX for the 7-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 7-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.
Open in planner Back to the comparison
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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