Deciding where to go hiking in Wales isn’t easy. The country’s vast selection of stunning forests, moors, coastlines, hills, mountains, and valleys can leave walkers bemused by choice. But help is at hand. In this guide to the best hikes in Wales, you’ll find routes of varying difficulty leading through various landscapes, some of which weave past mysterious prehistoric sites and others by legendary locations including the home of the Lady of the Lake and the mythical dwelling place of the Welsh dragon.

Four Waterfalls Walk

This hike through an area of the Brecon Beacons National Park known as ‘waterfall country’ winds through thick woodland alongside two rivers and past four magnificent waterfalls. The first waterfall, Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, is a steep, perfectly rectangular, double-decked drape of white water. The second, Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, topples off a wide concave curve of cliff edge, cascading onto an irregular natural stairwell of water-smoothed stone. The next is Sgwd y Pannwr, a multi-tiered fountain of nature that arcs down into a large plunge pool. Sgwd yr Eira is the fina of the four. It stands like three ethereal columns of mist shouldering the cliffside and the forest canopy above.  

The route includes a section that passes behind the roaring curtain of Sgwd yr Eira and an option to explore a large cave through which an underground river flows. Although the Four Waterfalls Walk is only four miles long, gaps in the discernible path and the occasional need to scramble up rocky inclines make the hike an exciting challenge. You may also want to include an excursion to the nearby Henrhyd Falls – the real-world location of Batman’s lair in The Dark Knight Rises.

Preseli Hills Walk

There’s more to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park than the name suggests. Its northern borders stray inland to encompasses the Preseli Hills. The views from the summits of this low mountain range extend for miles, sweeping out over Cardigan Bay, up to the distant peaks of Snowdonia, and, on a crystal-clear day, across the waves to the emerald shores of Ireland. 

A mystical aura shrouds these hills. It’s believed that they are the place from which the monoliths of Stonehenge were quarried 5,000 years ago. The trail of the seven-mile Preseli Hills Walk is thought to have existed since the Stone Age and is the perfect guide through these ancient peaks and valleys. It runs through Pantmaenog Forest, past the Bronze Age burial cairn of Foel Feddau, up over the rocky tor of Carn Bica, which overlooks the eye-shaped Neolithic standing stone monument Bedd Arthur, and nears its end at Foel Drygarn, an Iron Age hillfort. Foel Cwmcerwyn, the highest peak of the Preseli Hills, is just a short detour from the trail.

Llangollen Canal Path

Llangollen Canal Path is one of the best hikes in Wales if you’re looking for an option that’s gentle on the legs, but no less of a reward for the eyes. Because the 6-mile route is all towpath it remains level for its entire length. The course meanders through tranquil countryside before reaching its climactic final stretch across Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is a World Heritage Site, the longest aqueduct in the UK, and the highest canal aqueduct in the world. The walkway spanning its length commands spectacular panoramic views across the Vale of Llangollen.

Cwm Idwal Walk

The 4-mile Cwm Idwal Walk loops around Cwm Idwal, an amphitheatre shaped valley scooped out of Snowdonia’s Glyderau mountain range by a glacier. Cwm Idwal is renowned for its dramatic mountain landscape, rugged rock formations, and rare plant life. At its centre lies the lake of Llyn Idwal. One section of the trail provides a stunning view of another lake, Llyn Ogwen, which legend identifies as the home of the Lady of the Lake and the resting place of King Arthur’s sword.

Rhossili Headland Walk

The Gower Peninsula Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is home to Rhossili Bay, one of the most beautiful stretches of golden sands and soaring cliffs in Wales. The best views of the bay are found along the 3.5 miles of the Rhossili Headland Walk. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can extend the hike by including a visit to Worm's Head, a rocky tidal island that lies just off the far west point of the headland. Information is available at the coastguard lookout that advises the best times for making the crossing. After finishing the hike, you can head to the beach to relax, sunbathe, surf, or build yourself a sandcastle.

Dinas Emrys Walk

Dinas Emrys is a wooded hill and the legendary home of the dragon that adorns the Welsh flag. According to myth, the wizard Merlin advised the semi-mythical King Vortigern that his attempts to build a castle on the hill were repeatedly failing because of two dragons, one red, the other white, fighting beneath its surface. The story goes that after King Vortigern ordered a hole to be dug into the hill to release the dragons, the white one fled and the red one remained. The castle was built, the hill renamed in honour of Myrddin Emrys (Merlin), and the red dragon became the national symbol of Wales. 

Dinas Emrys Walk leads through oak woodlands, past waterfalls, and up to the summit of the hill. There, alongside the remains of a real castle built by the Princes of Gwynedd, you’ll be rewarded with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and countryside.  

All of the trails featured in this guide to the best hikes in Wales can be comfortably completed in a day. If you want a longer hike, consider the three National Trails in Wales.