48 hours in North Wales - Discover hidden gems in North Wales
A farm shop, Theatre and the Clywidian Range – all you’ll need to have a whale of a time in North Wales.
In this itinerary you will explore what to do across North Wales to uncover hidden gems in Flintshire, Denbighshire and beyond. At just an hour from Manchester, its amazing what a bit of fresh welsh air can do for the soul. A sea side resort that has had a complete makeover and eateries that will make you come back for more.There is so much to do in North Wales.
Pack your bag, jump in the car and let’s go and discover what to do in North Wales to make amazing memories
Friday afternoon - Your weekend in North Wales begins at Hawarden Farm Shop
Croeso i gymru or welcome to North Wales! As you make your way over the Welsh border you’ll not want to miss Hawarden Estate farm shop. Nestled just off the a55, it’s a great place to stop with the kids, breathe that fresh Welsh air and maybe even catch sight of an iconic Beluga aircraft.
If you’re staying self catering make sure you head to the bakery for supplies! The delicious smell hits you as you walk in; fresh sourdough, seasonal cakes and doughnuts. however will you resist? Don’t forget the butchers for the best bacon in the world -or so my husband says!
My kids love the wooden play area and playing giant jenga or ping pong in the tin shed. I love a mooch around the art garden with a tasty coffee.If you’re feeling peckish have a look at their mostly homegrown menu ( you can even pick your own in Summer) and for pudding we love toasting marshmallows & popping popcorn over the fire pits.
If you’re looking for something more substantial their sister restaurant (it’s just down the road) ‘The Glynne Arms’ serves delicious homemade food.
Friday evening - An unforgettable evening in North Wales at Theatr Clwyd
After checking in to your Welsh retreat – see my recommendations below. A night at Theatr Clwyd is definitely not to be missed. My husband and I met when we toured together on Bill Kenwright’s ‘Evita.’ I looked after the wigs and he did the lighting, it was love at first sight -so we love to support a local Theatre wherever we go.
Not all of them are as special as Theatre Clwyd. It is wales’ largest producing Theatre and the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Vanessa Redgrave have performed here. Their rock & roll pantomine is an absolute must for our family at Christmas time. Throughout the year they host touring productions as well as a monthly comedy night and of course an array of fantastic in-house productions.There’s even a cinema.
During the summer their family arts festival is brilliant, from street performers, theatre workshops, pop up food vendors, and multiple shows all going on at once. It’s my favourite weekend of the year.
Saturday morning - A family day out in North Wales - Get your cozzie on for SC2 splash park
A water park, miniature railway and a perfect picnic spot -find out why Rhylin North Wales is a Rhyl-Ly good day out.
The seaside resort of Rhyl has had a huge makeover in recent years and number one on the must do list -SC2 water park. My boys (age 6 & 4) love it. At £58 for a family of four it’s not a cheap day out, however they do offer some discount for booking online, for shorter sessions and tots sessions where only the smaller slides are open. The changing room is super clean with plenty of cubicles and wrist band operated lockers so no need to remember change, hurrah!!
Walking onto poolside gives you holiday vibes, there’s a tropical heat which is an absolute treat and fun tunes that you can’t help but wiggle your bum to. The sessions usually last 2.5 hours which is plenty of time to enjoy everything the water park has to offer. You can just watch (if you’re boring) and there’s plenty of picnic tables to sit at if you want to grab a tasty pizza, ice cream or Costa coffee from the poolside hatches.
Now the exciting bit, THE SLIDES!! For those over 1.2m there is the boomerang. You can grab a rubber ring and swish up and down the U shaped slide. As a scaredy cat this was definitely above my comfort level but the kids loved it. The anaconda is a pitch black speedy snakey slide but our favourite was the three lane speedster that you can race down and see who can win each time.
For little ones piranha play is perfect, with lots of splashy fountains to run in and out of as well as 4 smaller slides and one medium slide. There’s also a huge play frame where a big bucket dumps water on you periodically -it definitely reminds me of being on holiday here.The beach style swimming pool has floats and some bubble jet seats for a bit of chill time, to close your eyes and imagine being back in Ibiza, all that’s missing is a cocktail!
If it’s a gorgeous day the splash pad will be open outside and if it’s not there is an indoor adventure play and ninja tag.
Saturday lunchtime -Fish and Chips on the beach in North Wales, what else were you thinking?
SC2 is in a central location, it’s perched on Rhyl beach which is 2 miles in length, stretching from Clwyd Estuary to Splash point. There are some arcades opposite, if your kids are anything like mine you can’t walk past without putting a few pennies in the slots!
If you didn’t fancy the rainforest diner at SC2, when in Rome/Rhyl for a typical seaside treat you could walk down to Les & Rita’s for the best fish and chips around. Rhyl is the perfect place to get a sandy bum and eat chips slathered in salt and vinegar right out of the wrapper! Once your tummy is full of chips you might not fancy the half a mile walk to dip your toes in the sea, read below to see where else you can dip your toes for the full seaside experience!
Saturday afternoon -From the seaside’s of North Wales to Marine Lake. all aboard the train! Choo choo
Hop in the car and a few minutes down the road is Marine lake. Car parking is free and there are two brilliant playgrounds, a miniature steam engine surrounding a pretty lake that even has its own man made beach.
I never knew I loved steam trains until I had kids, Rhyl miniature railway is the oldest in the UK. At £3 per adult and £2 per child over (fur babies and under 2’s are free) it’s an absolute bargain and you don’t have to book. Check their website for times the train runs. There are indoor or outdoor carriages depending if you want the wind in your hair and there’s a great little museum as you make your way out. It has some fantastic train models inside, but my boys couldn’t resist pulling the whistle and watching Thomas go around the model railway track.
We have also been here at Christmas for their Santa train which includes a visit to see the big man himself. It is great value for money. Booking definitely advised as it usually sells out.
On our last visit we noticed lots of people crabbing. You could bring your own equipment or just inside the train station entrance you can buy the whole kit for around £6. Although be careful there is no barrier to the lake for those with little ones so make sure to cwtch them tight.
Donkey rides, sand castles and candy floss: as you can see there’s more to Rhyl than a day at the beach. In summer don’t forget there is Rhyl Airshow which is completely free and you never know you might just bump into Darth Vader who resides in this seaside town.
Saturday evening -Head downto Dylan’s in Llandudno. Some tasty grub for the whole family.
The scenic drive at Marine Drive in LLandudno is perfect just before dinner. It is the longest toll road in Britain, at 5 miles in length and it is £3.90 which includes parking at the top. The views over Anglesey and Snowdonia are beautiful at sunset.
Just down the road Dylan’s Restaurant is fast becoming a hallmark name in north wales. They have 3 award winning restaurants ‘with more to open soon’ and one of my favourites is in Llandudno. It is situated on the east parade. All of their food is locally sourced and incredibly tasty. The kids menu is brilliant -handmade chicken Goujons and skinny chips in a basket with a desert for £8.95 My favourite dish is their sea bass tacos with an ‘ormestar martini’ to finish off.
Sunday morning -Welsh Hills you say -My top 5 family walks at Loggerheads Country Park
The perfect way to end your 48 hours in north wales is by walking some of our beautiful countryside. Loggerheads country park has something for everyone. It is ideal if you want to explore the Clwydian Range or Dee Valley and the River Alyn runs through it.There are so many different walks that you could take here.
1.For little legs, prams and wheelchair users the accessible Riverside Trail is a ½ mile circular walk and there’s a lovely little cafe that is open everyday to grab an ice cream or sweet treat.
2.The Cliff-top Trail is 1 ½ miles is a walk with rewarding views across to Moel Famau
3.If you want to go on a more challenging walk The Loggerheads Link Trail is a 2.5 mile linear route from Loggeheads Country Park to Coed Moel Famau.
4.Talking of Moel Famau, if you are sans (small) children. I would definitely recommend a walk up this gorgeous hill. It is the highest hill in the Clwydian Range. It’s a fairly steady walk -I’m not the fittest gal around (I love cake too much) and I managed it. The views are spectacular though. We didn’t pick the best day when we went up. It was so windy we had to crawl up the Jubilee tower at the top. It still only took us an hour and a halfreturnfrom the top Car park.
5.If you do have the kids in tow, further down in the bottom car park, there’s a great little wooden play area and a 1 mile circular route that’s fab for little legs and the public loo is there too.
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