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National Slate Museum, Caernarfon

National Slate Museum, Caernarfon: Our most recommended tours and activities

From Llandudno: Snowdonia & the Three Castles Tour

1. From Llandudno: Snowdonia & the Three Castles Tour

Immerse yourself in Welsh culture, heritage, and history on an unforgettable sightseeing day trip. Visit numerous attractions in the area including Snowdonia National Park, Caernarfon Castle, and Conwy Town and Castle all from the comfort of a minibus.   Start your day with a drive on the Great Orme Road, with spectacular views of cliffs, wildlife, and the Irish Sea and Anglesey. Your first stop may just be the highlight of your day: take a tour of the ancient Conwy Town and Castle. Walk the castle walls, stroll along the Conwy estuary, see some old Tudor houses, and take in traditional Welsh art and craft shops. In town, you’ll also see the finest surviving townhouse of the Elizabethan era to be found anywhere in Britain, as well as Great Britain’s smallest house and the world's first suspension bridge built in 1819. Drive along the beautiful north wales coastline before heading into the mountains. Visit the fierce fire breathing Welsh dragon guarding the Snowdonia National Park and Welsh from invaders, hidden within the trees Then, drive into the glacial Nant Ffrancon Pass and Roman Road, and Ogwen Valley in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, where you’ll take in views of the lakes, mountain villages, and the towering Snowdonia mountain range. Stop at Llyn Ogwen and learn the history of a fascinating find on the shores of the lakes from the 5th century. Soak up the 360° panoramic and spectacular view of Snowdonia Viewpoint. Possibly the finest view in Wales. Here, your guide will share with you some local history, Welsh myths, and legends along the way, including a drive down the famous Pen Y Pass. Breath-taking Llanberis and Padarn Park National Slate Museum is tlhe unch stop and is set within some of the most spectacular scenery in North Wales . Slate industry was one of the main economic motors of Wales. Step back in time and immerse yourself in a variety of talks and demonstrations to give you a real insight into the hardships of past quarry life. Admire the spectacular setting of Dolbadarn Castle ruins through the forest to the gateway of Snowdonia to learn about its fascinating past. Finally, visit Caernarfon Village and Castle. Take a walk around this UNESCO World Heritage Site, before heading back to the starting point.

From Manchester: 3-Day Tour of Snowdonia, Wales, and Chester

2. From Manchester: 3-Day Tour of Snowdonia, Wales, and Chester

Day 1: Manchester to the border of Wales Depart from Manchester by coach for your first stop of the day, Conwy. Explore the town and its award-winning, picturesque harbor. View a castle perched by the sea, the "world’s smallest house", and traditional restaurants boasting the best fish and chips. Travel to the Llanberis Slate Museum, after you've soaked up the sea air, and learn about the history of the second largest slate mine in the world. Continue to Beddgelert, known as the "loveliest" village in Snowdonia. Admire the beautiful architecture of the stone houses and arched bridges. Travel through the heart of Snowdonia as the evening comes, arriving at your overnight stop in Aberystwyth. Day 2: Aberystwyth to New Quay Set off from Aberystwyth in the morning for the colorful seaside town of New Quay. Enjoy a relaxing stroll along the picturesque beach or grab an ice cream. Visit Laugharne, and stand in awe before this village’s towering castle. Carry on towards Carreg Cennen, an imposing fortress perched on top of a hill, nestled within the Brecon Beacons National Park. Roam across the ramparts and experience stunning views of the surrounding natural landscape. Make your way to Newton House, a palatial building that boasts rich gardens, unique architecture, and famous ghost stories, before returning to Aberystwyth later on that evening. Day 3: Harlech Castle and Chester Watch Snowdonia’s mountains fly by as you make your way to Harlech Castle, one of the most popular castles to see in the whole of the UK. Take the chance to witness the sea views and learn about its war-torn history. Stop for lunch in the little village of Betws-Y-Coed before journeying to one of England’s most historic towns, Chester. Head to the cathedral, rebuilt in the Gothic style from 1250 onward. Arrive back in Manchester in the early evening.

Snowdonia, Bodnant Gardens & Castles Private Tour

3. Snowdonia, Bodnant Gardens & Castles Private Tour

Discover the history and heritage of Wales on this day tour. Together with an expert guide, spend the day exploring the locations that made this country what it is today. Visit Bodnant Garden, Snowdonia National Park, waterfalls, castles, and more. Start at the jewel of the Welsh seaside resorts and see the beautiful bay of Llandudno and its Victorian heritage of architecture. Drive the Great Orme Road, the longest of its kind in the UK, in search of the world-famous Kashmiri goats. Marvel at the showcase of spectacular cliffs, wildlife, and elevated views out to the Irish Sea and Anglesey. Head to the ancient medieval castle town of Conwy to view the castle’s domineering and towering walls, whose magnificent towers stand tall over the beautiful estuary. Marvel at Great Britain’s smallest house, a little gem set upon the bank of the estuary and built into the castle walls. With arms outstretched, you can touch either side. Walk across the historic worlds first suspension bridge built in 1819 Visit the world-famous Bodnant botanical gardens, the UK's regular award winner with intimate corners, sweeping lawns, grand terraces, and verdant woodland. Reconnect with nature as you explore the 80 acres of formal hillside terraces, riverside dells, woods, and meadows. A gardener’s dream and a lovers’ paradise, there are many things to love at the Bodnant Garden. Later, visit the unrivaled awe-inspiring Snowdonia National Park and its spectacular rugged landscaped driving routes. Stop at viewpoints, witnessing great lakes such as Mymbyr, Gwynant, and Padarn. Spot glacial valleys, rivers, Mount Snowdon where we stop at the 360 panoramic viewport and other surrounding summits. Drive down spectacular route of Pen-y-Pass, one of Wales’ most spectacular drives. Visit the National Slate Museum next. The slate industry was one of the main economic motors of Wales. Step back in time and immerse yourself in a variety of talks and demonstrations to give you real insight into the hardships of past quarry life. Stop at the village of Llanberis and Padarn County Park, set within some of the most spectacular scenery in North Wales. Venture to the spectacular setting of the Dolbadarn Castle ruins through the forest to the gateway of Snowdonia to learn about its fascinating past. Visit the dramatic location of menai bridge and and stunning location along the straights. Finish the day with a pleasant scenic drive along the coastline returning to Llandudno

Llandudno: Private Bus & Day Tour of Snowdonia Slate Trail

4. Llandudno: Private Bus & Day Tour of Snowdonia Slate Trail

We pass through the old castle town of Conwy. We will see the towering ancient castle and the beautiful Conwy estuary and historic village Our first stop is the dramatic Penrhyn Quarry. Here we see first hand the early beginnings of the slate industry, and how the modern era now uses these dramatic landscapes and lakes for the adrenaline and adventure industry. We drive through this glacial valley of Nant Ffrancon carved out during the last ice age. Here the mountain's tower around us. Llyn ogwen's spectacular driving route and views, passing the famous lake, we reveal ancient myths and legends of this area and dramatic location. Snowdonias most iconic view without climbing the summit. Snowdonia viewpoint has a 360 panoramic spectacular photo opportunity. Sygun Copper Mine is one of the wonders of Wales – a remarkable and impressive example of how our precious industrial heritage can be reclaimed, restored and transformed into an outstanding attraction. A self-guided audiovisual tours allow you to explore the old workings on foot. There are winding tunnels and large, colorful chambers, magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations and copper ore veins which contain traces of gold, silver and other precious metals. Another breathtaking drive down Aberglaslyn Pass, traditional snowdonia farmland, lakes and history surrounding us everywhere. An age gone by. Take a gentle 2-mile stroll around the disused quarry. There are many old buildings and ruins, tunnels and a Cornish Beam Engine to explore, as well as flooded mines and an insight to the history of slate mining in years gone by. This place will literally blow your mind. The workings of men practically everywhere, the views, the now empty and disused old buildings and machinery left within. The old barracks where workers would live in freezing, cramped conditions. This is a place where all wish to return. Visit our Slate Museum. Set within some of the most spectacular scenery in North Wales. The slate industry was one of the main economic motors of Wales. Step back in time and immerse yourself in a variety of talks and demonstrations to give you a real insight into the hardships of past quarry life. Relax. A beautiful scenic drive along the north wales coast back to our drop-off location

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What people are saying about National Slate Museum, Caernarfon

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 28 reviews

Enjoyed our nine hour trip around a small piece of Wales. Chris was very passionate about his country and its history. We learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed his stories of Welsh history. The sites were what we hoped to see and the portion of the trip through the Snowdonia Mountains was breathtaking. Loved every minute of our adventure. Only advice would be a better stop for lunch. Very little choice and we were quite hungry. Highly recomend this tour.

We had a fabulous time with Chris, hearing history, stories and personal accounts of the land. We felt so pampered as he took us to the many sites and truly seemed to enjoy explaining the sites and answering all our questions. It was worth every penny and much more! Though it was a cloudy day, it turned out magical after all.

We enjoyed our trip with Chris who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Wales and kept us entertained the whole journey. We highly recommend this activity as we saw many items of interest that we would otherwise have missed.

Wonderful. Would definitely recommend. Guide is passionate about Welsh history and had wonderful backstory for each site we visited, really made the history come alive.

Wonderful guide! Informative of course, but also lighthearted and didn't mind sharing personal stories to really bring to life the beauty of the land.