Summer 2025 was the first major roadtrip I took with friends in the UK and we had such blast! We drove about 6 hours from London to Northwest Wales to spend an extended weekend hiking and exploring a bit of Wales. It was my last country in the main part of the UK and it did not disappoint. Here’s what we got up to.

NOTE: There may be affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting my writing!

The Drive from London to Wales and Back

5-6 hours in the car isn’t a crazy amount for me if you’ve read any of my other roadtrip stories, but it was also more fun because I with friends! The drive up to Wales is actually pretty scenic – the UK countryside is so pretty! We made a couple of stops on the way.

Snugburys Ice Cream

We just happened upon this stop on our drive, but it does seem to be a well-known British company and they really know how to make ice cream! It is located on a farm that has a few other things to do as well, especially if you have kids. You can see in the photo some of the flavors they had the day we went! Some of them are quite interesting! I had the ginger and honey. This was a pretty quick stop for us, just to eat and use the toilet, and then we were on the way again. It’s located pretty close to where we stayed, so we only had an hour left on our journey by that point.

Swallow Falls

This was actually a stop for us on the way home, but was well worth it! It was £2 each for us to get in, and is a pretty chill little walk down to the viewing area. It is mostly stairs to get down closer to the falls, but anyone is able to see the falls from the top, whether they can do stairs or not.

Where to Stay in Wales

We found quite a few options on Air BnB, which I highly recommend. You can find some really cute places that immerse you into the life in this part of Wales. It’s very much the countryside with Snowdonia National Park right there, so it isn’t a lot of big towns with big hotels. Abergele was a great spot because we had easy access to town, but also were staying out on a farm where there were animals (cows, pigs, goats, and dogs), gorgeous sunsets, and a hot tub even that we were able to pay an extra fee to enjoy one night. And there was plenty of space for all 5 of us! We cooked most of our meals at the house.

What to do in Wales

Hiking

I think the most obvious thing to do, especially in the area that I am recommending, is to go hiking. We hiked Mount Snowdon on the Llanberis Path via Pyg Track. This is the longest path, but the easiest in terms of elevation gain over distance. Note that there are many ways to get up to the summit of Snowdon, but for my beginner hiker friends, this was the best route. All of the hikes are listed as hard – so just keep that in mind if you aren’t much of a hiker. Even this “easiest route” was quite difficult at times.

Despite my warnings, we all made it to the top! And it was so much fun, I would not come to this area of Wales and skip out on it! The weather is hit or miss, and by the time we got up to the top, the cloud cover was pretty heavy, but you could see well enough (see photos). I’m hoping to hike more in the UK this year and maybe cross of the other 2 tallest peaks in the UK.

Another side note: I would recommend layering up – even bringing a stocking hat for the top – no matter the time of year. We went in early August and I was in a hat. It is windy and cold in the clouds! Also wet weather gear is a good idea. It’s the UK after all! There is a scramble at the top so wear good shoes. Oh! And if you really can’t manage the hike, you can book and take the train! One of us took it on the way down, so you can even do a one way if they have tickets available. I will say the fumes from the train really hit us at the top because of how the wind was blowing. Not so nice on your fresh air hike!

Zip World

There are a few of these around the UK, but my friends and I knew it was something we wanted to do while we were in Wales! We decided to do the Forrest Coaster and the Sky Ride, both of which were so much fun! Since we were in high season, it might’ve cost a bit more, but we each spent about £45 to do both. You get 3 turns on the coaster, and the sky ride fit all 5 of us. Plus you can buy video footage of you on both if you want!

Explore some of the nearby towns

Not only the seaside towns, but some of the little villages around where we stayed were really pretty and cute. One had a little river running through it, so we stopped for some photos and a pint at the pub. Side note: of course there are shops to buy groceries in the towns if you choose to do what we did, making most meals at home. However, we went the extra step and had the groceries delivered to the house. It was honestly super convenient and I highly recommend. And then it allows you the time to explore and enjoy instead of grocery shopping on your beautiful holiday in Wales!

So that’s what we got up to while we were in Wales! Is hiking Mount Snowdon on your to do list? Now you’ve got the perfect itinerary for enjoying a few days in Wales! Any recommendations for my next trip there? Leave them in the comments!