Read on to discover some of the best National Trust sites in North Wales and if you need somewhere to stay, just click the button below to browse our full collection of cottages in North Wales.
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Penrhyn Castle, Bangor
Like something out of a fairy tale, this is one of the top National Trust castles in North Wales. Inside Penrhyn Castle, the rooms have been restored, including the atmospheric kitchens - and be sure to look out for the 1-tonne slate bed made for Queen Victoria!
Outside, there are enchanting gardens and grounds to explore, all beautifully maintained by the National Trust in Snowdonia/Eryri: hide in the thatched hut in the Bog Garden or get active in the outdoor gym. For a little peace and quiet, take a stroll through the pretty walled garden. Discover more magnificent fortresses with our guide to the top ten castles in Wales.
Facilities: There’s a little tearoom housed in the old servants’ quarters of the castle where you can stop for lunch. Serving homemade cakes and lunches all prepared by the staff with local ingredients, it’s a lovely way to end your day.
Access: There is allocated parking and a drop-off point. The terrain is a little uneven with cobbles, but the castle has a ramped entrance and there are adapted WCs in the kitchen courtyard.
Stay nearby: Daffodil House | sleeps 4 guests + 1 dog

Erddig, near Wrexham
One of the most beautiful National Trust properties in North Wales, Erddig is a much-loved country home, garden, and 1,200-acre estate, that tells the 250-year story of a gentry family’s relationship with its servants.
Alongside the main house with its treasure trove of fine furniture, tapestries, portraits, and porcelain, you can explore its vast grounds by way of a horse-drawn carriage, discovering a joiner's shop, smithy, stables, and bakehouse. There is also a fully restored 18th-century walled garden to potter around, with fruit trees, exuberant herbaceous borders, avenues of pleached limes, formal topiary, and a nationally important collection of ivies.
Facilities: When you fancy a spot of tea and cake, there is a tearoom and restaurant. During the spring and summer, you can purchase peat-free plants and pick up a bottle of homemade cider from the gift shop. There are also WCs, baby changing facilities, a 2.5-acre natural play area for kids, and free parking within 200 yards.
Access: The grounds are partly accessible, with grass, loose gravel paths and slopes. There is a ramped entrance to the main building, lift access to the restaurant and three wheelchairs are available. Dogs are welcome in the country park, tea garden, and midden yard, but not allowed in the house, garden, restaurant, stables and play area.
Stay nearby: Cae Haidd Retreat | sleeps 4 guests + 2 dogs

South Snowdonia/Eryri
This is certainly one of the most beautiful National Trust sites in North Wales. Snowdonia’s southern edge is bordered by two estuaries, the Dyfi and the Dwyryd, and backed by the towering mountains that give the national park its name. The mountain ranges of Cader Idris and the Rhinogydd dominate the scenery, while the coastline of South Snowdonia/Eryri includes some of the most ecologically important sand dunes in the British Isles. Also head to the strange Italianate village of Portmeirion, or the gorgeous beaches around Barmouth and Harlech.
There’s so much to see and do here; a walker’s paradise - head up a mountain, around the lakes, or through pretty woodland to find a crashing waterfall. The gorse-covered hillside of Dinas Oleu is a particular highlight. Read our blog to the top things to do in Eryri/Snowdonia National Park for even more inspiration.
Facilities: At Dolmelynllyn there are picnic benches in the woodland below the car park, there is a car park and WC opposite Ganllwyd village hall, a National Trust car park at Cregennan, and a car park, WCs and shops at Dinas Oleu.
Access: Some parts are more accessible than others. There is an accessible footpath around Barmouth into the town centre, around the lake near Cregennan, and around Ganllwyd village. There are steep steps in Barmouth into the old town, and around Dolmelynllyn can be uneven and steep in places.
Stay nearby: Hermon Bach | sleeps 4 guests + 1 dog
Snowdonia/Eryri holidays

Plas Newydd, Anglesey
Cared for by the National Trust in Anglesey, Plas Newydd is an enchanting stately mansion with exquisite gardens and spectacular views across the Menai Strait to the mountains of Snowdonia/Eryri. It is the ancestral home of the Marquess of Anglesey and was elegantly redesigned by James Wyatt in the 18th century. Within these decadent walls is an iconic romantic mural by Rex Whistler, along with the largest exhibition of his works. There is also a military museum demonstrating Anglesey’s role in previous wars.
Outside, the extensive grounds are carpeted in colourful climbers, wildflowers and massed hydrangeas, and there’s a gorgeous Australasian arboretum and an Italianate-style summer terrace. This is an exemplary National Trust house in North Wales; well worth a visit with your loved ones.
Facilities: A couple of cafes offer a great choice of hot and cold food and there is a second-hand bookshop and two gift shops to pick up a memento of your day. For kids, there is an adventure play area and baby-changing facilities.
Access: A buggy shuttle service is available for visitors with reduced mobility as well as three wheelchairs. The ground floor is accessible to wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Dogs are welcome in the Old Dairy Cafe, shops and garden, excluding the Italianate terrace garden.
Stay nearby: Island Hide | sleeps 2 guests + 1 dog
Anglesey holidays

Llŷn Peninsula
Encompassing arguably some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK, the National Trust Llŷn Peninsula is a dazzling stretch of soft sand, sparkling seas, and stunning panoramas. You can access the Wales Coast Path for breathtaking coastal views and visit the beaches of Llanbedrog Beach, Porth Meudwy, Porthdinllaen and Porth Ceiriad, all cared for by the National Trust in Gwynedd.
A must-see is the whistling sands of Porthor: the sand whistles as you walk across it due to the peculiarly shaped grains. Discover more beautiful National Trust beaches in Wales with our guide to the best beaches in Wales.
Facilities: There are many pretty coastal towns along the Llŷn Peninsula. Head to Aberdaron to take a boat trip out to Bardsey Island, or to the little village of Morfa Nefyn where you can stop in a cosy pub and taste a fresh catch.
Access: Parts of the Wales Coast Path are accessible – just check on the National Trust website before you visit.
Stay nearby: Hafod | sleeps 4 guests + 3 dogs
Llŷn Peninsula holidays

Hafod y Llan, Caernarfon
Stretching from the valley bottom at Nant Gwynant up the steep, dramatic southern slopes of Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa on the Watkin Path, Hafod y Llan is one of the most unusual National Trust sites in North Wales, in that’s it’s a historically important hill farm - records extend back to the 12th century.
Home to hardy Welsh mountain ewes, pedigree Welsh black cattle and a couple of alpacas, part of the farm is also a designated National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is rich in blanket bog, heath and juniper habitats as well as important oak woodlands.
Facilities: WCs can be found in the car parks at Craflwyn, Nantmor, and Bethania. Tearooms, pubs, and shops can be found in Beddgelert 3 miles away.
Access: The walk through the farm and up to Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa includes gravel paths, stiles, gates, steep inclines, and muddy sections. Dogs are allowed on a lead.
Stay nearby: Bryn Llinos | sleeps guests 5 guests

Chirk Castle, near Wrexham
The 700-year-old marcher fortress of Chirk Castle is one of the most popular National Trust places to visit in North Wales, surrounded by vast open spaces and bordered by elaborate gates and ancient trees. This is the last medieval castle in Wales still lived in today, occupied by the Myddelton family for over 400 years.
Wander through lavish and eclectic staterooms, including the 17th-century Long Gallery, grand 18th-century saloon with its rich tapestries, servants' hall, and creepy dungeon, learning all about the lives of the families who have lived here. There are plenty of hands-on activities for kids and you’ll often find the castle garrison demonstrating weapons and offering pike drills for budding young soldiers. We’ve found even more great days out in our guide to the top 10 things to do in North Wales.
Facilities: Tuck into a tasty cream tea or something delicious from the seasonal menu of the café, pick up locally sourced gifts from the shop and if you’re bringing kids, make the most of the activity rooms, dress-up, children’s trail, and play areas.
Access: There is wheelchair access to the lower East Wing rooms only and a volunteer visitor shuttle bus service operates between the car park and the castle. Dogs are welcome on the estate on a lead, but not in the formal gardens, Pleasure Ground Wood and the cafe.
Stay nearby: Border Retreat | sleeps 2 guests + 2 dogs

Bodnant Garden, Conwy
Set in 80 acres of grounds, the plants and flowers of this garden cared for by the National Trust in Conwy, have been meticulously collected from seedlings during expeditions and trips all over the world, by five generations of one family.
Offering stunning views of Eryri/Snowdonia, Bodnant Garden is superbly located and one of the best National Trust gardens in North Wales. There are sweeping lawns, pretty ponds, wooded valleys, and streams to admire, all showcasing the spectrum of colours that the seasons bring.
Facilities: There is a lovely tearoom offering homemade cakes and locally produced wine and beer. Dogs are only permitted in the car park on leads. There is a picnic area close to the car park as picnics are not permitted in the garden.
Access: There is a waymarked path that is suitable for wheelchair users and baby changing facilities are available.
Stay nearby: Conwy Valley Manor House | sleeps 8 guests + 1 dog

Cemlyn, Anglesey
Situated on the wild north coast of Anglesey, Cemlyn is a ruggedly beautiful coastline of craggy rocks, small, secluded bays, and dramatic headlands. Owned by the National Trust in North Wales, this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and wildlife haven is an incredible place to visit.
It is recognised for its nature reserve managed by the North Wales Wildlife Trust, home to breeding colonies of the sandwich, common, and Arctic terns. Explore the rock pools at the shingle beach of Cemlyn Bay, before heading over the ridge to admire the birds and butterflies of the shallow lagoon just behind.
Facilities: There are two car parks, situated at either end of Cemlyn Beach – check tide times before using the car park at Bryn Aber as it is liable to flooding at high tide. There are no other facilities.
Access: The Anglesey Coastal Path passes through Cemlyn where you can watch the birds flying back and forth overhead, as they return from the sea with fresh catches of sand eels and fish. Walking the full length of the shingle ridge can be very strenuous and the steep shingle makes it unsuitable for prams and wheelchairs. Dogs are welcome on a lead but must be kept away from nesting birds.
Stay nearby: Black Seal Barn | sleeps 4 guests
Stay at a self-catering holiday cottage in North Wales
With so many National Trust attractions to visit in North Wales, why not stay in one of our holiday cottages in North Wales so you can see them all? From romantic retreats just for two to big, beautiful boltholes for the whole family, you’re sure to find somewhere to create special memories within our collection of self-catering accommodation. Just click the button below to browse our full collection of North Wales cottages.