Snowdonia Slate Trail
Self-guided walking holidays along the Snowdonia Slate Trail, with accommodation and luggage transfer.
Snowdonia Slate Trail
https://www.contours.co.uk/snowdonia-slate-trail
Bangor to Bethesda through the heart of the slate mining industry in Snowdonia.
From £460 per person
Walk back in time and explore the slate mining heritage of Snowdonia National Park. The Snowdonia Slate Trail dips into stunning valleys and clambers along drovers’ roads across wild moorland, where the mountainside spills blue slate and the long low buildings of abandoned mining operations preside over the lakes that have long since filled the quarries.
From Bangor and the Menai Strait, the Snowdonia Slate Trail wanders south to Bethesda, one of many towns to sprout from the slate quarrying industry, where it begins its circuit around the heart of Snowdonia National Park. Boasting some steep climbs affording mountain views unlike any you’ll see south of Scotland, this wending trail grants access to some of the most striking landscapes in Wales.
We have partnered with the Snowdonia Slate Trail Trust so that when you book a Contours Holiday along the Snowdonia Slate Trail, 50% of the cost of your guidebook is given back to fund the maintenance of this spectacular route.
From £930 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.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SST1 | From Bangor to Bethesda(T) | 5 days walking | £930 | |
| SST2 | From Bangor to Bethesda(T) | 6 days walking | £1075 | |
| SST3 | From Bangor to Bethesda(T) | 7 days walking | £1220 |
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSTSB1 | From Betws-y-Coed to Llanberis | 2 days walking | £460 | |
| SSTSB2 | From Betws-y-Coed to Llanberis | 3 days walking | £610 |
Travel to Bangor where your first night's accommodation will be 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 in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
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:
Due to the high costs incurred by booking a Solo Traveller on this trail, we can only provide prices on application. Please contact us for further details.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
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.
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:
