Conwy Castle — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Day One: The Medieval Town
Start the first morning at the castle. Conwy Castle deserves at least two hours, and ideally you should arrive when it opens to beat the morning crowd and have the towers and wall walks largely to yourself. Climb every accessible tower and walk the full extent of the battlements; the views from the top change with every direction and the sense of scale and completeness of the medieval fortress rewards unhurried exploration.
After the castle, walk the section of the town walls accessible from the castle end and then make your way to Plas Mawr on High Street for a late morning tour of the finest Elizabethan townhouse in Wales. This will take about 90 minutes with the included audio guide. Lunch near the castle or on the high street, then visit Aberconwy House, the 14th-century National Trust property just around the corner, which can be explored in about 45 minutes to an hour.
Day One Afternoon: The Quay
Spend the afternoon at the waterfront. Walk from the castle down to the Quay and look for the famous Smallest House in Britain at number 72; then walk north to see Telford's suspension bridge and if time allows cross it to the other side of the estuary and back. Stand on the quayside and look at all three bridges together before finding a table for dinner. The evening is ideal for a meal at one of the quayside restaurants, with the castle floodlit across the water as the light fades. Book dinner in advance, especially in summer.
Day Two: Mountain and Valley
Start the second day with breakfast at your accommodation or a town cafe, then head west to Conwy Mountain. The circular walk from town takes two to three hours and provides panoramic views across the estuary, the coast and towards the mountains. Return to town for a late morning coffee and a browse through the independent shops on the main streets. Lunch at a quayside cafe with a view of the water.
The afternoon of day two works well as a half-day excursion: either drive eight miles south to Bodnant Garden for two to three hours of one of Britain's finest gardens (particularly in May and June for the laburnum arch), or head four miles west to Llandudno for the Great Orme and the seaside. Return to Conwy for a final evening drink in one of the town's pubs before departing.
Practical Notes
Book accommodation and popular restaurant tables well in advance for summer weekends. The castle and Plas Mawr are both run by Cadw and a Cadw Explorer Pass gives entry to both, as well as to other Cadw sites across Wales. Aberconwy House is National Trust; NT members enter free. The mountain walk requires sensible footwear but no specialist equipment. Conwy is entirely walkable for day one; a car (or taxi) is useful for the Bodnant Garden or Llandudno excursion on day two.
For those with more than two days, add RSPB Conwy for wildlife, the Sychnant Pass for dramatic scenery, Betws-y-Coed for waterfalls and forest, or Snowdonia for the high mountains. Check Availability on Booking.com
Day trips