Family Days Out in Wales

This summer if you fancy an adventure with the kids that you’ll all enjoy, then you can’t go wrong with a trip to Wales. Home to some of Britain’s most scenic coastlines, magnificent castles and local attractions, there’s enough to see and do that you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Castles

Wales has an abundance of castles, more than 500 in fact, many of which are still in superb condition and any of which can make a memorable day trip. Those in the North of Wales, built by Edward I, are popular tourist destinations. Caernarfon is particularly impressive, partly because its entire fishing town is enveloped within grand stone walls, with the castle taking a defensive position in front. Now a world heritage site, it is steeped in history both ancient and modern – our very own Prince Charles, received the title of Prince of Wales in this very castle in 1969.

Visit Wales has a number of lists of castles that you can visit for a day trip, and some of the more unusual castles in Wales as places to explore.

Beaches

Breath-taking scenery isn’t just limited to mountains and valleys, but also some of Britain’s best beaches. While Wales has no shortage of coastline to explore, if you’re looking for a day out the family will remember why not visit a beach with an unusual feature?

Whistling Sands on the Llŷn Peninsula, for example, is a picturesque stretch of coastline situated on a National Trust estate. The beach takes its name from the squeaking noise the sand makes underfoot, a surprising novelty for the kids to have fun with and a lovely spot for a picnic.

Scenic drives

There are many memorable drives you can enjoy in Wales with the family. If you are a driving enthusiast you may want to check out the A4069 Black Mountain Road in Powys. This drive is charming; with some stretches of complete clear visibility for miles ahead, which offers a striking landscape. However it must be said, this mountain road isn’t for the road-shy due to its narrow corners.

This particular driving route gained popularity in 2011 after it was featured on Top Gear, with Jeremy Clarkson driving the AMG SLK on this very route. The road has many twists and turns, dips and dives as it takes you through the scenery of Brecon Beacons National Park.

Attractions

If your idea of the perfect day out is to venture around the shops, Cardiff has some of the best shopping places in the country, with a multitude of shopping districts, malls and arcades to browse.

Why not start off with the Royal Arcade, the oldest shopping arcade in Cardiff before heading to the more modern St David’s Dewi Sant?

If you get to a point where you need to take a break, Cardiff has no shortage of places to grab a bite to eat and recharge your batteries before venturing back out for more retail therapy.

If you think you’ll need more than just a day to explore Wales (and you probably will), our article about saving money on your holiday will help you plan the perfect, cost-effective break.