Snowdonia Slate Trail
Contours Walking Holidays
Snowdonia Slate Trail
https://www.contours.co.uk/snowdonia-slate-trail
A historic tour of Snowdonia’s slate mining heritage, from Bangor to Bethesda through the heart of the national park.
From £640 per person
From Bangor and the Menai Strait, head south into the mountains of Snowdonia on the Snowdonia Slate Trail. This ruggedly beautiful route starts its circuit in Bethesda and links together a series of towns built by the region’s slate mining heritage and transformed by Snowdonia’s beauty into brilliant hubs for the outdoors.
The trail enjoys diverse scenery, from wild moorland and high lanes to sheltered forest tracks and riverside pathways. It follows a leg of the North Wales Pilgrim’s Path and winds its way up into mountainous views coloured by the slate-grey cuts of the slate industry. The route tours between towering slate tips and the deep blue quarries that excavated them, with dramatic mountain backdrops above. Expect tracts of wilderness and a series of settlements intrinsically linked to the ground beneath your boots.
Looking out across the quarried slate landscape to outstanding views of the Snowdon Massif.
Wandering through wild scenery and down to the windworn remains of old mining structures.
Giving your walk context with a visit to the National Slate Museum of Wales, where the informative exhibits fill in the history that shaped the region.
Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
---|---|---|---|---|
SST1 | From Bangor to Bethesda(T) | 5 days walking | £640 | |
SST2 | From Bangor to Bethesda(T) | 6 days walking | £745 | |
SST3 | From Bangor to Bethesda(T) | 7 days walking | £850 |
Travel to Bangor where your first night's accommodation has been booked
Bangor to Llanberis. 14 miles (22km) / 2024 ft (617 m) ascent
Llanberis to Beddgelert. 20 miles (32km) / 2825 ft (861 m) ascent
Beddgelert to Llan Ffestiniog. 14.5 miles (23.5km) / 3074 ft (937 m) ascent
Llan Ffestiniog to Betws-y-Coed. 18.5 miles (29.5km) / 2946 ft (898 m) ascent
Betws-y-Coed to Bethesda(T). 17 miles (27km) / 2093 ft (638 m) ascent
Depart from Bethesda(T) after breakfast
This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.
Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites: