North Wales Castles & Mountains
Round trip from Chester, covering the aqueduct, Snowdon, Anglesey, and Conwy to experience the best of North Wales.
Entering and leaving via Chester, this route heads west along the A5 through Llangollen into Snowdonia, loops around to Caernarfon and Anglesey, and returns along the A55 coastline. You will change locations daily, but driving times are short, offering a mix of mountains, castles, and islands. Ideal for travelers with limited vacation time who are already in Northwest England; this itinerary bypasses Harlech and Portmeirion.
The Snowdon Mountain Railway runs to the summit from around May to October; booking in advance is highly recommended during peak season.
Day by day
Day 1 · Chester to the Dee Valley
Chester → Llangollen（Chirk Castle、Pontcysyllte Aqueduct、Llangollen Wharf (Horse-drawn Boats)）
Drive from Chester to Chirk in about 40 minutes, then to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen in about 15 minutes each.
Stay: Llangollen Town Centre
Day 2 · Heading West into the Mountains via A5
Llangollen（Castell Dinas Brân） → Eryri (Snowdonia)（Conwy Falls、Betws-y-Coed、Swallow Falls）
Drive from Llangollen along the A5 to Betws-y-Coed, a distance of about 50 km taking around 1 hour.
Stay: Betws-y-Coed
Day 3 · Cwm Idwal and Snowdon
Eryri (Snowdonia)（Cwm Idwal、Snowdon Mountain Railway、Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)、National Slate Museum）
Drive along the A5 to Ogwen in about 25 minutes, then wind through the pass to Llanberis in about 30 minutes.
The Cwm Idwal circular walk takes about 2 hours; coordinate your schedule with the train departures.
Stay: Llanberis
Day 4 · Caernarfon and Anglesey
Eryri (Snowdonia)（Caernarfon Castle） → Anglesey（Llanddwyn Island、Llanfairpwllgwyngyll、Menai Suspension Bridge）
Drive from Llanberis to Caernarfon in about 25 minutes, then cross onto the island to Llanddwyn and Beaumaris in about 1.5 hours.
Llanddwyn Island is cut off at high tide; check the tide times beforehand.
Stay: Beaumaris
Day 5 · Beaumaris to Conwy and Return
Eryri (Snowdonia)（Beaumaris Castle、Conwy Castle、Plas Mawr） → Chester（The Rows）
Drive from Beaumaris to Conwy in about 40 minutes, then return to Chester via the A55 in about 1 hour.