The Top 12 Fascinating Things to Do in Llandudno

The town of Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales. Situated on a peninsula between the Great Orme and the charming village of Conwy, this is where you can enjoy a lovely holiday on the beach, sightsee on the Great Orme, or enjoy the Victorian shops around town. Because there is so much to see and do on a Wales road trip, here is a list of the top 12 fascinating things to do in Llandudno on your next visit.

Llandudno Town Trail

The Llandudno Town Trail is a map of walking trails for you to see historic sites around the city. Fifteen locations are describing landmark buildings and nearby places of interest. You can spend a beautiful day walking around and seeing all the sites and learning about the historic heart of Llandudno.

Architecture in Llandudno

If you enjoy photographing architecture, you will love visiting Llandudno. There are so many Victorian and Edwardian buildings throughout the town that it feels like you are stepping back in time. You might even get a neck kink looking up at all the splendid architecture surrounding you. Plus, the pastel-colored buildings are the perfect embodiment of a seaside town. 

Llandudno North Shore Beach

The sandy North Shore Beach is where you will find tons of families enjoying their holiday in the sun. I was surprised to see so many people swimming even when the weather was only in the 50-60 degrees. But, spending a summer in Wales, I have found that when there is a sunny day you make the most of it. Another fun thing to do at the beach is that you can even get fun sport boat rides in Llandudno Bay. There is another quieter beach on the West Shore if you want to escape the crowds, which you can take a train across the town to reach.

Llandudno Promenade

The Llandudno Promenade built-in 1884 curves along the North Shore Beach and is lined with Pastel-colored Victorian hotels. Starting at the Llandudno pier, the wide paved lane is 2 miles in length and ends at a children’s paddling pool. You can do some people watching along the Promenade. You will see joggers, families, speed walkers, and tons of dogs, as dogs are prohibited on the beach.

The highlight every week along the Promenade is that the Llandudno Lifeboat comes out for display each Sunday. The Lifeboat until 2017 was unique as it was the only inland station in the United Kingdom. It could launch from either the North Shore or West Shore beaches.

Llandudno Pier

One of the must-visit places and things to do in Llandudno is to visit the Llandudno pier. At 2,295ft, it is the longest pier in Wales. You can find all sorts of arcade games and rides on the pier. Also, snack shops and souvenirs are plentiful along the pier. At the end of the pier is a large deep-water standing stage where you will find several fishermen trying their luck. And if you look out far enough, you can see the wind turbine farm. Hanging out on the pier can be a great way to enjoy a sunny day in Wales and watch the sun glisten over the Llandudno Bay.

Punch and Judy

On the Llandudno Promenade, you can find Codman’s Punch & Judy. The show started in 1860 by Richard Codman, who, as a traveling showman, was stranded in Llandudno. He gathered driftwood from the beach and hand-carved the puppets, Punch & Judy. His puppet show has been continually showing on the Promenade every summer for the last 150 years and now is being run by his 5th generation family members. The half-hour show is run entirely by donations from the audience. The show that I saw was a little dark, I thought for kids, but everybody seemed to be having a great time. Although I believe that some parents would have to have some conversations afterward.

Llandudno Cable Car

Spanning one mile and 40 feet, the Llandudno Cable Car is the longest in Britain. You can hop on at Happy Valley and take a ride to the Great Orme Summit. Along the way, you will get panoramic views of the Irish Sea, Anglesey, Puffin Island, the Snowdonia Mountain range, and all the cute little sheep grazing in the fields below. The single-trip fare is £10.50, and a complete return ticket is £11.00.

The Great Orme Tramway

The Great Orme Tramway transports you from the town of Llandudno up to the summit of the Great Orme. You can also choose to get off at the halfway station to visit the Great Orme Bronze Age Copper Mine. At the halfway station, you will have to change trams, but you can enjoy reading the exhibits. Displays are showcasing the remarkable history of the engineering needed to build the funicular railway system. Full return tickets are £8.10. And well-behaved dogs are allowed onto the tram.

The Great Orme Summit Complex

Plan to spend some time at the summit of the Great Orme. Once you get off the tram, you have many choices. You can go through the Great Orme Visitor Center, grab some food in the Cafe, play a round of miniature golf, or explore the Great Orme. With the amazing views, you will want to make sure you bring your camera. It is very windy at the top, so be prepared or embrace it. I accidentally dropped my camera lens cap, and I had to chase it for a bit before I caught up to it.

The Great Orme

The Great Orme, meaning sea serpent from an Old Norse word, is a limestone headland on the north coast of Wales. Parts of the Great Orme are managed as a nature reserve, but other areas you can explore. You will find sheep and even Kashmir goats grazing among the fields and along the hiking trails. And you can see plenty of sea birds floating on the wind very close to the summit.

Along with the animals, you will be able to photograph the beautiful flowers growing in the shallow limestone earth, such as the pyramidal orchid, common rockrose, and wild thyme which carpet the grassland. Be careful where you are stepping as the ground is very soft, but also, the animals are free to roam, and their droppings are everywhere.

Bishop’s Quarry

Bishop’s Quarry is where they mined limestone on the southern part of the Great Orme. The area is rich in fossils, and you might find some still in the quarry. But, it is protected so, leave everything exactly how you found it. I had some fun trying to capture my jumps of joy with my camera while dodging sheep droppings. It took some skill and many attempts to get these photos.

The Great Orme Bronze Age Mine

Don your hard hat and head down into ancient copper mine tunnels for a fun thing to do in Llandudno. The Great Orme Bronze Age Mine can be reached with a short walk from the Great Orme Tramway halfway station. The entrance is through the gift shop where you can purchase your ticket and watch a short introductory film. Then you walk through an interesting exhibit depicting mining, smelting, and what life was like in the Bronze Age before heading outdoors.

The exploration of the 4,000-year-old cavern is self-guided. The cavern is dark, damp, and some areas can get a little tight going through. There are educational signs throughout the cave that give insights into what you are seeing. Once you are done exploring the tunnels, you can walk ave and around the perimeter to get a panoramic view of the site. The mine is opened daily, starting at 9:30 a.m. The last entry is at 4:30 p.m. Admission fee is £8.00.

Haulfre Gardens

You can find the Haulfre (Welsh for Sun-Hill) Gardens on steep ground on the west side of the Great Orme headland above Llandudno. I found it walking west from the Victorian tram station and turning to walk up a hill. There are several formal and woodland paths for you to explore. The flowers are arranged interestingly. It was almost like they were put in as mini gardens for you to find, then the next batch of flowers would be at the next garden. There are some amazing aerial views of the city from this garden.

Alice in Wonderland Town Trail

One of the most surprising things to do in Llandudno is to follow the White Rabbit. The Alice in Wonderland Trail is an exciting scavenger hunt for the character statues around town. The trail is based on the connections of Alice Liddell, who is the real Alice in Wonderland, and lived in the resort during the 1860s. You can pick up a map at the tourist center, which will show you the way to follow 55 bronze cast Rabbit footprints along the trail.

Summary

Llandudno is a wonderful day out when you are visiting North Wales. As the largest seaside resort in Wales, you can find all sorts of activities in the water, land, and air for you to have fun. I hope you enjoyed this list of things to do in Llandudno and that it helps you plan your next visit. Let me know if I missed anything in the comments or better yet, let me know if you have visited Llandudno before and what made it special for you.

If You Enjoyed These Things to Do in Llandudno Post, Sign Up To Receive Posts By Email or…

Join us on Facebook for regular updates and related articles
Check us out on Instagram to see what we are up to in photos
Follow us on Twitter for links to great travel articles curated just for you
View and purchase your favorite of my travel photos on SmugMug. And if you don’t see the one you want on the site, send me a comment below, and I’ll add it.
Or share this “The Top 12 Fascinating Things to Do in Llandudno” with others by pinning on your Wales or United Kingdom Travel Pinterest board!

Further Reading

If you are coming to Wales for a visit, check out these posts for further travel inspiration:

• Top 12 Things to Do in Portmeirion
• Harlech Castle: Turbulent History Turned into an Artistic Showplace
• The Art of Crabbing in Wales
• Every Animal But Puffins on the Puffin Island Cruise
• The Top 12 Things to Do in Caernarfon, Wales
• Welsh Highland Railway: Journey Through Snowdonia National Park in Style
• Behind the Camera Lens at the Dingle Nature Reserve
• Penrhyn Castle: Sordid History and Victorian Opulence
• The Top 14 Things to Do in Conwy
• The Top 7 Amazing Sites to See at Beaumaris Castle
• 17 Captivating Things to Do in Beaumaris