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Wales

Visit fairy-tale castles brimming with history, fine country houses and glorious gardens in Wales. From the rocky peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) to wild unspoilt beaches, enjoy an unforgettable trip to a Celtic land steeped in myths and legends. Croeso i Gymru.

Places to visit

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The walled garden at Penrhyn Castle and garden is covered in frost.

Gardens and parks in Wales 

Visit an amazing collection of gardens and parks in Wales. From walled gardens to arboretums and countryside estates, there’s plenty to explore.

A view of the front of the red mansion house

Houses and buildings in Wales 

Explore magnificent Welsh mansions and their collections, from ancestral homes to buildings designed by renowned architects. Discover the history and tales from bygone days, in breath-taking settings across Wales.

Penrhyn Castle, North Wales, in autumn

Castles and forts in Wales 

Step into a medieval fortress with dungeons at Chirk or visit the home of the Welsh princes at Powis Castle. Discover some of the finest and most famous castles in Wales.

View of a river running through a valley of mountains

Countryside and woodland in Wales 

Explore dramatic and beautiful valleys, ancient woodlands and river walks or have an adventure through the wild Welsh mountains and visit some of the country’s most iconic peaks.

A view down to towards Barmouth, Gwynedd, from the gorse-covered cliffs at Dinas Oleu. Beyond the rooftops of the town, a beach and the sea beyond is visible.

Coasts and beaches in Wales 

Explore 157 miles of Welsh coastline protected by the National Trust, from long golden beaches to rugged clifftops.

Christmas days out

Christmas decorations at Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales

Christmas in Wales 

Whether you’re looking for castles bursting with ornate decorations, places to meet Father Christmas, a day out at a Christmas market or simply enjoy a crisp winter walk, we have plenty of places in Wales for a festive day out.

A little girl decorating a wooden snowman at Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan

Family days out in Wales 

With fun-filled activities and exciting events, there are plenty of great family days out to be had in Wales. Explore vast Welsh castles, tick off some ’50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities, or let off steam in natural play areas.

Winter highlights

A view of Snowdonia in the snow during winter from the Terraced Garden at Bodnant, Conwy, Wales
Place
Place

Bodnant Garden 

In winter, Bodnant Garden becomes a serene wonderland. The Winter Garden blooms year-round, feeding birds and pollinators, while seedheads provide food for wildlife. Explore 80 acres of garden with bare trees, towering evergreens, wintry lake reflections, and panoramic views of snow-capped mountains, all while spotting diverse birdlife.

near Colwyn Bay, Conwy

Fully open today
Powis Castle and Garden in the snow
Place
Place

Powis Castle and Garden 

Discover the winter charm of Powis Castle, where frosty terraces and bare trees create a tranquil landscape, while evergreen beauty offers year-round interest. Friendly festive robins brighten the garden, and migrant birds feast on yew berries, with fieldfares and mistle thrushes adding to the seasonal spectacle. You might even spot Egyptian geese in the Dairy Pond or hear deer rutting on the estate as you arrive.

Welshpool, Powys

Closed now
Dyffryn Gardens in winter
Place
Place

Dyffryn Gardens 

This winter, Dyffryn Gardens offers a peaceful escape, with frost-kissed herbaceous borders and a sunken garden full of evergreen charm. Birds flock to the garden, feasting on winter seed heads and yew berries, with fieldfares and mistle thrushes adding to the seasonal spectacle. The tranquil atmosphere and rich wildlife make it the perfect winter retreat from the city.

St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Partially open today

Find a walk

View of Snowdonia with mountains in the background and a rocky landscape and wooden bridge in the mid ground

Walking in Wales 

Explore wide open landscapes, gentler coastal strolls or energetic hikes for something a little more challenging. We've rounded up some of the best places to walk in Wales.

Visitors walking through woodland in winter at Llanerchaeron estate in Ceredigion, Wales
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Accessible walks in Wales 

Find out about our multi-use trails at the places we care for across Wales that are pushchair-friendly and perfect for wheelchair users and those with mobility aids.

Top winter walks

Deer on grassland in the Dinefwr deer park, with the sun shining through bare branches of trees on top of a hillock to the left
Trail
Trail

‘Capability’ Brown walk at Dinefwr 

Walk beside historic ancient trees on a circular route in a landscape designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, with the chance to spot the resident fallow deer.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 1.5 (km: 2.4)
A river fast-flowing over rocks, flanked by a wooden walkway on the left and autumnal trees on the right
Trail
Trail

Aberglaslyn, Bryn Du and Beddgelert walk 

A circular walk through ancient woodland, across mountain scenery that also goes past Gelert's grave at Beddgelert and to Aberglaslyn gorge.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 3.5 (km: 5.6)
The wildflower meadow in February, Colby Woodland garden, Pembrokeshire
Trail
Trail

Colby Woodland Garden walk 

Follow woodland paths, discover historical features, and enjoy plenty of wildlife on this family trail, with the option of a longer walk to Amroth beach.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 1.19 (km: 1.9) to miles: 2.17 (km: 3.47)
Couple walking in the garden at Plas Newydd with mountains in the background
Trail
Trail

A gentle walk at Plas Newydd 

This easy trail around Plas Newydd's grounds offers fun for the whole family, including a treehouse and adventure playground, against the backdrop of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 1 (km: 1.6)

Places to visit with your dog

Children and dog at Bosherston Lake, Stackpole, Pembrokeshire

Dog-friendly places in Wales 

From mountains and beaches, to gardens and parklands, find a dog walk in Wales that both you and your four-legged friend will love. Here’s your guide to some of the best dog-friendly places to visit in Wales.

Volunteering

A group of staff and volunteers sit cleaning the copper items in the castle collections in the Victorian Kitchens

Volunteering in Wales 

Discover how you can make a difference by volunteering at one of the places we look after in Wales, from historic houses to mountains and coastlines.

Volunteer room guide speaking with visitors at Tredegar House, Wales
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Supporter groups in Wales 

Join a supporter group in Wales to support local places through fundraising and volunteering, meet new people and enjoy special interest talks, trips and events.

Latest news

The gilt room at Tredegar House richly decorated with gilded wood
Press release
Press release

Tredegar House and Dyffryn Gardens brought to life at 2024 National Eisteddfod as National Trust Cymru celebrates nature and history on the Maes 

Visitors to this year’s National Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf can get a taste of two of National Trust Cymru’s properties on their doorstep as they step into miniature versions of Tredegar House and Dyffryn Gardens this August.

Marsh fritillary butterfly at Welshmoor in North Gower, South Wales
Press release
Press release

Major nature charities highlight the need for £594 million annually to support nature friendly farming in Wales 

New independent economic report finds that Welsh Government needs to significantly increase investment in nature-friendly farming - to £594 million per year - to ensure legally binding nature restoration and climate targets are met.

View of the wellbeing garden created for the Royal Welsh Show in 2024 and designed by National Trust Cymru gardeners.
Press release
Press release

National Trust Cymru and the Royal Welsh Show team up for new wellbeing garden to support nature connection 

Visitors to this year’s Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells can enjoy a moment of nature connection at a new wellbeing garden created by National Trust Cymru in partnership with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.

A photo of a man with grey hair wearing a Plantlife jacket and a man with brown, curly hair wearing a National Trust jacket holding a rosy saxifrage plant. They are surrounded by bushes and are both smiling.
Press release
Press release

Extinct plant reintroduced to the wild in Wales after 62 years 

A beautiful mountain plant that once clung to cliff edges in Eryri (Snowdonia) has been successfully reintroduced in to the wild in Wales after being extinct since 1962.

Glyn Smith holds retirement portrait with other historic prints behind him, in house at Erddig, Wrexham, Wale
Press release
Press release

New portrait – the first in over 100 years – joins unmatched collection of historic staff portraits at National Trust Cymru’s Erddig estate 

For nearly 200 years, the cherished household staff and servants at Erddig near Wrexham were recorded in a unique collection of portraits, photographs and verses. Now, for the first time in more than a century, a new portrait is temporarily joining the historic display to mark the retirement of the estate’s long-serving Head Gardener.

A stone farmhouse standing on a hillside above a low stone bridge.
Press release
Press release

Cultural gem, Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, to get £294,000 boost to help celebrate its special story and unique Bible collection 

The nearly £150,000 funding from the Wolfson Foundation, gifts from Welsh charitable trusts including the Vronhaul Charity and Gaynor Cemlyn-Jones Trust as well as significant investment from National Trust Cymru will help to protect, celebrate and share Tŷ Mawr for everyone, for ever.

Beekeepers carefully rehoming honeybees from the roof of Plas yn Rhiw
Press release
Press release

Meeting the bees needs - 50,000 unusual residents protected during National Trust Cymru repairs to historic house 

For the first time in 200 years the buzz in a National Trust house in Gwynedd, North Wales has been stilled, as a rare species of wild bees living in the roof have been moved to a new home during conservation work.

The conserved portrait of John Wilton in the servants' hall at Chirk Castle
Press release
Press release

Conservation of rare full-length portrait of an 18th century servant reveals tantalising clues about his identity and role 

A rare full-length, life-size portrait of a servant at the National Trust’s Chirk Castle in Wrexham has gone on display following conservation and research to reveal some remarkable clues about his background.

Eating and shopping

Someone slicing into a Victoria sponge cake

Places to eat and shop in Wales 

Whether you’re looking for a light lunch, a hot drink or the perfect gift, you’ll find something at our cafés, tea-rooms and shops in Wales.

A family is sitting on a blanket and having a picnic at The Kymin, Monmouthshire. A child is reaching out to accept some food from another family member.
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Article

Perfect picnic spots in Wales 

Plan the perfect picnic in Wales and eat al fresco on a grand estate, a pretty beach, or a wooded wildlife haven, with views of the great Welsh outdoors.

Places to stay

The exterior of Gwernouau Cottage, Betws-Y-Coed, Gwynedd
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Article

Holiday cottages in Wales 

Cosy or characterful, coast or countryside, discover some of the best holiday cottages in Wales for a perfect break.

Upcoming events

Event

50 Peth i'w Gwneud - annibynol / 50 Things to do - self led 

Stackpole Estate, near Pembroke, Pembrokeshire

Rhowch gynnig ar 50 peth i’w gwneud cyn eich bod yn 11 a ¾ wrth inni nesáu at dymor yr Hydref a’r Gaeaf. / Have a go at 50 things before you're 11 and 3/4 as the season moves into Autumn and winter.

Event summary

on
19 Nov 2024 to 31 Dec 2025
at
08:00 to 17:00
+ 407 other dates or times
Event

Trail in a Bag 

Powis Castle and Garden, Welshpool, Powys

Come and join us on a mindful trail that has been designed for people of all ages. Collect a bag from the Ticket Office and start your sensory visit. Collect, draw, spot and listen.

Event summary

on
19 Nov to 29 Nov 2024
at
10:00 to 16:00
+ 10 other dates or times
Event

Sensory Reflection Trail at Dyffryn Gardens 

Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Engage with nature and notice it in a different ways by using all your senses to ground yourself in the beautiful season of autumn.

Event summary

on
19 Nov to 30 Nov 2024
at
10:00 to 16:00
+ 11 other dates or times
Event

A celebration of autumn at Dyffryn Gardens, Into the Canopies 

Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Relish the turning of the seasons this autumn with a series of events and installations specially designed to help you experience nature in new ways and from new perspectives.

Event summary

on
19 Nov to 30 Nov 2024
at
10:00 to 17:00
+ 11 other dates or times
Event

Autumn walk at Dyffryn Gardens 

Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Look out for bursts of colour as autumn arrives on this self-guided walk.

Event summary

on
19 Nov to 30 Nov 2024
at
10:00 to 17:00
+ 11 other dates or times
Event

Into the Canopies creative kits at Dyffryn Gardens 

Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Free-to-borrow creative kits to help visitors of all ages engage with nature through creativity.

Event summary

on
19 Nov to 30 Nov 2024
at
10:00 to 17:00
+ 11 other dates or times
Event

Behind the scenes tour at Dyffryn Gardens 

Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Gain access to parts of Dyffryn you'd never normally have access to on this behind the scenes tour of the Gardeners Yard which includes the large plant nursery and potting sheds.

Event summary

on
19 Nov 2024
at
11:00 to 12:00
Event

'50 things to do before you're 11 ¾' at Dyffryn Gardens 

Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan

Every Tuesday and Sunday throughout October and November there will be a '50 things to do before you're 11 ¾' activity led by a Dyffryn Gardens member of staff.

Event summary

on
19 Nov to 24 Nov 2024
at
11:00 to 15:00
+ 1 other date or time
Man holding a child up in the air as they both smile, in the grounds at Powis Castle, Powys

Where will you visit next?

Discover lots of gardens, historic houses, days out at the coast and more.