Are you looking to get away from it all, even if it’s just a few days? Then a trip camping in Llanberis in North Wales may just be the place for you. Situated within the boundaries of Snowdonia National Park, this small town has always had a wild side. Walk down the streets and nestled amongst the colourful buildings, you’ll find shops selling hiking and outdoor gear. The tallest peak in Wales looms in the distance, just waiting for you to take that first step towards the summit. Are you ready?
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Discover the best camping In Llanberis, Gwynedd
Where is Llanberis
The town of Llanberis is located about 11 miles outside of the city of Bangor. The town is located in North West Wales, in a county called Gwynedd. A fun fact about Gwynedd is that it contains the highest proportion of Welsh speakers out of all the counties in Wales, with two-thirds of locals speaking the lingo. Llanberis is the perfect base for exploring Snowdon mountain. The Llanberis path will lead you to the top. And for those not keen on walking, the Snowdon mountain railway also departs from the town to a station close to the summit.
How to get to Llanberis
The easiest way to get to Llanberis is to drive. However, it Is possible to reach the town if you don’t have a car.
The nearest train station to Llanberis is Bangor which is well connected to lots of major cities such as London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Upon arrival in Bangor, you can opt to get a taxi, which should cost approximately £25 each way. You can also get a bus You need to get on either the number 5 / 5A / X5 bus. They depart Bangor every 15 minutes during the daytime. The service runs less in the evening, operating hourly.
Camping In Llanberis Campsite and Glamping Yurts
The urge to hike Snowdon
One day on a whim, I was hit with a sudden urge. “I want to hike up Snowdon!” The highest peak in Wales first captured my interest in an A-Level Geography lesson, when we were studying this area of Wales and the effects of tourism. I looked at pictures of the mountains, and thought “Yep, I’ll have a bit of that.”
The urge to get high, 3,560 feet to be exact was too strong. The next thing I knew it was a Thursday evening and I was researching somewhere to camp near the mountain, ready for a day of exploration.
I came across the Camping in Llanberis website whist searching for ‘campsite near Snowdon’, and bish bash bosh next thing I knew I was booked in, and getting my car packed for the weekend’s antics.
Arriving at the campsite
Driving into the village of Llanberis, and up a steep hill which makes you thankful for handbrakes, I was greeted by a quaint stone building and sloping green fields with rugged mountains popping up all around. “Now this is a view to wake up to.” I thought, trying to find the perfect place to pitch my tent to ogle the mountains till my heart’s content.
It wasn’t until I was safely tucked into my sleeping bag that night, trying to drift off into the land of nod that I realised I made a very rookie mistake. My love for the view blinded me as I parked our tent right on a slopey hill. Throughout the night I slowly slipped down the tent, my feet inching towards to door a centimetre at a time. Once my feet hit the door, it was time to wake up, shuffle up the tent, and do it all over again in 30 minutes. oops.
Facilities at Camping in Llanberis Campsite
This campsite is a no-frills affair but in the best of ways. There are toilet blocks with warm showers. Big enough to do what you need to do, and kept clean. The showers are operated by using a new £1 coin, so make sure to bring some along.
There is a drying room, which is a godsend after you take a dive in a lake, or get caught out in the unpredictable Welsh weather and get your last pair of socks soaked through. There’s also a tumble drier hidden away in there should you need it.
Another nice little extra is the shop at the reception of the campsite. They sell you necessities such as cold drinks and chocolatey goodies. They also sell firewood so you can have a nice little campfire – so don’t forget the marshmallows. Also in the summer, the shop sells BBQ packs with meets from the farm where you’re camping. It’s always a plus to eat locally and support small local businesses wherever you are!
How much does camping in Llanberis cost?
This rustic campsite is a budget-friendly gem! A basic camping pitch, with no electricity, starts at just £10 per night! You can easily book your pitch online here.
If you are looking for a cosy home from home, why not choose to instead stay in one of the glamping yurts? I had yurt envy when I saw how snug they looked after arriving at the campsite! There are four different yurts available to book, starting from £90 per night. You can find out more here, including how to book your yurt.
Camping in Llanberis Review
As I am sure you can tell from reading all of the above points in this post, I was a big fan of the Camping in Llanberis campsite. The location was perfect, the onsite facilities were just what you would need and the onsite store was handy. However, there are a few things to note. Firstly, don’t expect anything too glamorous. The campsite is more about enjoying a connectedness with nature, so no fancy pools or restaurants here. Also, don’t be like me and be mindful of where you pitch. You will not have a good night camping on a hill slope. You will spend the entirety of the night wriggling back up your tent, before slipping down again. I highly recommend the campsite, and would love to return to give one of their beautiful glamping pods a try!
Where to eat in Llanberis
If you fancy eating out during your time at the campsite, there are some great local eateries to try just a short walk down the hill in the main town centre of Llanberis.
Padarn Hotel
We popped into the restaurant of this bar and hotel to grab something carb-heavy after a session of paddle bearing and wild swimming in the nearby lake. I recommend you came and try one of the local beers on offer here. I had the
Pantri
Oh my gosh, it does not get much better than starting your day with breakfast at the local cafe Pantri! We both ordered the pancakes, mine with berries and mascarpone, and the other half had banana, maple syrup and bacon. We could not decide who choose the best, because both options were just scrummy!
To wash it all down, we had coffee, a pot of tea, a huge pink milkshake and an amazing rocky road/ brownie hybrid that made me want to go and buy them all to take home and munch.
The Peak Restaurant
Sadly I didn’t get a chance to eat here, but it came highly recommended, so definitely visit it during your time in Llanberis. The Peak Restaurant serves comfort food at its best. Think of a juicy rump of welsh lamb with crispy roast potatoes! The restaurant can be popular therefore it is recommended you book this one.
Hiking Mount Snowdon from Llanberis
So you’ve had a good snooze, woken up with heavenly pancakes, and you’re ready to go. Time to hike up Snowdon! The campsite is the perfect location to set out on your mountain adventure.
In the campsite reception, you’ll find the poster pictured on the left, detailing the different paths up Snowdon. Below is a section telling you how to join the Llanberis path straight from the campsite itself – result!
Obviously, for the more thrill-seeking amongst you, there are plenty of other routes to tickle your fancy. One day I would eventually love to come back and tackle Crib Goch – aka the scary one!
Check out this post to read my full guide on hiking Snowdon.
Other things to do when camping in Llanberis, Snowdonia
Paddleboarding on Llyn Padarn
What better way to spend a sunny day in Wales than paddleboarding on a beautiful lake? on the banks of Llyn Padarn, you’ll find Snowdonia Watersports. Here you can hire a range of equipment such as paddleboards, kayaks and wetsuits for affordable prices. We hired a paddle board each, with a website and buoyancy aid for £25 per person for 2 hours.
The centre offers supported swims throughout the summer season and instructed lead paddle sessions with a qualified instructor. You can check out the Snowdonia Watersports website here to find out more and book.
Take on an extreme challenge and climb the 15 highest peaks in Northern Snowdonia
Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough! One day I would LOVE to come back and take on this testing 15-peak challenge. Are you ready to push yourself to the limits with the Welsh 3000’s Challenge?
During one epic trip, you’ll summit the 15 peaks in Wales that are 3000 feet or higher. The journey will take you through three mountain ranges, The Snowdon Massif, The Glyderau, and The Carneddau. For this challenge, you have to be super fit, so if you don’t think that’s you, but love the idea of the challenge fear not. Why not set yourself this challenge to work towards?! To find out more I recommend checking out the Raw Adventure website here.
Zoom down a zipline at zip world
Want to feel like a flying squirrel strapped to a jetpack? Time to visit Zip World. There are a few different zip world locations dotted around Wales, but I recommend visiting Zip World Penrhyn Quarry, which is about a 25-minute drive from Llanberis.
At Zip World Penrhyn Quarry you’ll find the fastest zipline in the UK, The mega Velocity 2! The zipline is 155 meters long, and you can reach instance cheek wobbling speeds of over 100mph.
You can find out more and book tickets on the Zip World website here.
Visit the Vivian Dive Centre whilst camping in Llanberis
You may not think that a Unesco-protected old slate quarry and diving go together hand in hand. Well, you’d be wrong. Vivan Dive site is proud of its picturesque location, and excellent visibility due to the lack of silt. The quarry is great for all diver levels.
If you are a beginner, why not take a PADI Discover Scuba Dive course at Vivan Dive Centre? I think that’s one for the adventure bucket list.
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3 comments
What a gorgeous campsite! The food looks so great too!
I hiked up Snowden with my eldest when he was 5 years old. He went on to captain his local rugby team for three years and travels the world as a digital nomad. I’d like to think I kickstarted all that.
Anyways, fancy doing the Camino. These things are always better when there’s more than one.
Llanberis looks like a wonderful place for a nature getaway and what a beautiful view from the tent! Snowdon is a very attractive mountain let alone with that glorious sunshine you had. I’ll make note of this campground for when I’m next in Wales!