Gwynedd

Cities

• 🌍 Bangor – location of Penrhyn Castle, a National Trust mock-Norman edifice of the 19th century and The Spinnies, splendidly situated bird hides with the chance to see little egrets and kingfishers.

Towns

• 🌍 Bala (Welsh: Y Bala) — the glacial lake and surrounding mountains provides an excellent location for many activities.
• 🌍 Barmouth (Abermaw or Y Bermo) — seaside town with an 820 metre bridge offering stunning views of the Mawddach Estuary.
• 🌍 Blaenau Ffestiniog — old slate mining village, with opportunity to go down the slate caverns as well as ride a narrow-gauge railway.
• 🌍 Caernarfon — impressive castle.
• 🌍 Dolgellau — small town at the foot of Cadair Idris.
• 🌍 Harlech — castle is a must visit, as long as you have a head for heights.
• 🌍 Porthmadog — take the narrow gauge train to Blaenau Ffestiniog
• 🌍 Pwllheli — traditional market-town of the beautiful Llŷn Peninsula
• 🌍 Tywyn — seaside resort

Villages

• 🌍 Aberdaron — visit Plas yn Rhiw, a beautiful, though not large, National Trust property in nearby Rhiw.
• 🌍 Aberdyfi — village with opportunities for leisure and sport activities.
• 🌍 Abersoch — popular sailing destination.
• 🌍 Beddgelert — picturesque village, renowned for the grave of Prince Llywelyn's dog Gelert.
• 🌍 Bethesda — try the longest zip line in Europe and the fastest in the world.
• 🌍 Criccieth (Cricieth) — remains of castle with massive twin-towered gatehouse
• 🌍 Corris — King Arthur's Labyrinth slate quarry tour and craft shops.
• 🌍 Dinas Mawddwy — chance to buy woollen items and other traditional goods from mill outlet.
• 🌍 Dinas Dinlle — remains of an Iron age fort on the coast, a great beach and in land, Parc Glynllifon an arboretum and a modern amphitheatre worth seeing.
• 🌍 Fairbourne — small steam railway and a starting point to walk along the Mawddach Trail
• 🌍 Llanberis — National Slate Museum and start point for the train up Snowdon
• 🌍 Nefyn — village on the Llŷn Peninsula
• 🌍 Penmaenpool (Pwll Penmaen) — walk the Mawddach Way along the estuary.
• 🌍 Rhyd Ddu — starting point for walks up Snowdon
• 🌍 Talysarn —

Tal-y-Llyn lake

By car

A5 from Shrewsbury then the A470 and A494, or from Shrewsbury the A458 via Welshpool.

The A55 North Wales Expressway connects Chester to Holyhead via Bangor.

By train

The northern part of the county including Bangor can be reached with the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe and Chester, while the Cambrian Line connects the west coast including Barmouth and Pwllheli from Shrewsbury and Birmingham (England). Note the Birmingham/Shrewsbury train splits at Dovey Junction after Machynlleth part going to Aberystwyth, make sure you are in the correct carriage.

• Conwy Valley Line. Llandudno - Betws-y-Coed - Blaenau Ffestiniog 

By bus

National Express have services to Caernarfon and Bangor from England.