Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park costs nothing to enter and never closes — it's open 24/7 year-round, with no permit or booking needed to walk Yr Wyddfa or any of its 1,497 miles of routes. You only pay for the extras: parking (£5–£45 a day), the Snowdon Mountain Railway (£26–£62), and attractions like Caernarfon Castle.
Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park never closes — it's open 24 hours a day, all year, with no gates, no entry fee and no booking needed to walk anywhere, including the Yr Wyddfa summit paths. The paid bits keep their own clocks: the Park Authority's Information Centres at Betws-y-Coed, Beddgelert and Aberdyfi open daily 9.30am–5.00pm (closing for 30 minutes at lunch), and the Snowdon Mountain Railway's first train leaves Llanberis at 9.00am, with further departures every 30 minutes.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday (the park itself) | Open 24 hours | No permit or booking needed to walk on Yr Wyddfa or any of the 1,497 miles of routes. |
| Monday–Sunday (Information Centres) | 09:30–17:00 | 30-minute lunch closure each day; the Aberdyfi centre opens from 28 March 2026. |
| Monday–Sunday (Snowdon Mountain Railway) | First departure 09:00, then every 30 minutes | Tickets sold online and at the Llanberis ticket office from 8.15am; arrive at least an hour before departure — latecomers cannot be accommodated. |
The park itself has no holiday closures, but the railway runs to a strict season: diesel services end on 1 November 2026 and Heritage Steam dates end 30 October, with some trains terminating short at Clogwyn from 5 October for essential works. From 5 October the Clogwyn fares also change (£53 adult / £43 child for the steam return). High winds can shorten or suspend any journey at any time of year, so check conditions on the day. Winter (November–February) is when the park publishes its Yr Wyddfa Ground Conditions Reports, as snow and ice arrive and daylight drops to as little as 7.6 hours.
Entry to Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park is completely free — no permit, no booking, no gates — and it's open 24/7. You only pay for extras: the Snowdon Mountain Railway (£26–£62), parking (£5–£45/day), and the Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus (£1–£5.50).
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| National Park entry & walking | Free | No permit or booking needed to walk Yr Wyddfa or anywhere in the park; open 24/7 |
| Snowdon Mountain Railway — diesel return to summit (adult) | £45 off-peak / £48 peak | 2.5 hours round trip with 30 minutes at Hafod Eryri; £4.00 admin fee per advance booking; services end 1 November 2026 |
| Railway — diesel return to summit (child 3–15) | £35 off-peak / £38 peak | Under-2s travel free; child fare covers ages 3–15 |
| Railway — single up (adult) | £26–£29 | Child single £16–£19; you must be ready to walk down — return tickets are valid only when boarding at Llanberis |
| Railway — Heritage Steam Experience (adult) | £62 return | Original Swiss steam locomotives; Clogwyn return £53 adult / £43 child; steam dates end 30 October 2026, with some services terminating at Clogwyn from 5 October |
| Pen y Pass parking | £25 (up to 8h) / £35 (8–12h) / £45 (full day) | Pre-book via JustPark at least 1 hour ahead until 1 November 2026; only 68 spaces; no motorbikes in booked spaces |
| Nant Peris Park & Ride | £5/day | Card only; 3 miles down the pass, with Sherpa shuttle buses to Pen y Pass |
| Sherpa'r Wyddfa bus | £3 adult single to Pen y Pass / £5.50 day ticket | Children 5–15 £1; group day tickets £10 for 2 adults, £12.50 for 3; contactless accepted, dogs welcome |
| Snowdon Mountain Railway car park (Llanberis) | Free for 30 min, then £6 (4h) / £12 (8h) / £18 (12h) | Arrive at least 1 hour before departure; American Express not accepted, so carry cash as backup |
| Caernarfon Castle (nearby, Cadw) | £14.90 adult / £47.70 family | UNESCO-listed fortress at the park's north-western edge; family ticket covers 2 adults plus up to 3 children; disabled visitors and companions enter free |
The park itself never charges — walking every path, including all six Yr Wyddfa summit routes, costs nothing year-round — though Caernarfon Castle offers free entry for disabled visitors and their companions.
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View All ToursJune and September are the best months to visit Snowdonia: the walking weather is at its most stable, days still average 17–19°C, and the July–August holiday crush hasn't arrived or has gone home. Late September into early October adds autumn colour and quieter trails. Within any day, start before 8am — car parks, summit paths and the 9am first train from Llanberis all fill fast afterwards.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Before 08:00 | Low | Summit paths and Pen y Pass (only 68 pre-booked spaces) are at their quietest, so hikers and photographers wanting Yr Wyddfa to themselves should be on the trail by now. |
| 08:00–10:00 | Moderate | Railway passengers collect tickets from 8.15am for the 9.00am first train, and car parks start filling — arrive at least an hour before your departure time, as latecomers can't be accommodated. |
| 10:00–15:00 | High | This is peak flow on all six summit routes and at Hafod Eryri, the summit café, with departures every 30 minutes bringing fresh arrivals — best suited to visitors sticking to villages like Betws-y-Coed rather than the mountain. |
| 15:00–17:00 | Moderate | Day-trippers head down while the Information Centres at Betws-y-Coed, Beddgelert and Aberdyfi stay open until 5.00pm, making this a good window to swing by for maps and advice after a morning walk. |
| After 17:00 | Low | The park never closes and midsummer light lingers late, so this suits locals and returning walkers for an evening stroll — just plan your route around the daylight left, as little as 7.6 hours come midwinter. |
Most visitors find 3–5 days ideal for Eryri (Snowdonia), and 5–7 days lets you cover the major attractions without rushing. Yr Wyddfa alone is a full-day trip — 6–8 hours on foot, or 2.5 hours by railway. Self-guided trips run longer than guided ones simply because there are nine mountain ranges, 74 miles of coastline and villages like Betws-y-Coed and Beddgelert to fit in; a single long day covers only the Llanberis–Betws-y-Coed highlights.
Pen y Pass has only 68 spaces and they must be pre-booked via JustPark until 1 November 2026 — £25 for up to 8 hours, £45 for the full day — and they sell out fast on weekends. The fallback is Nant Peris Park & Ride, £5/day (card only), with the Sherpa'r Wyddfa shuttle up to Pen y Pass for a few pounds. Start walking before 8am to dodge both the queues and the parking crunch.
In school holidays and fine-weather spells the Snowdon Mountain Railway sells out weeks in advance, so book online (£4.00 per booking) as early as you can. A diesel return to the summit is £45 adult off-peak, £48 peak, with the first train leaving Llanberis at 9.00am and departures every 30 minutes. Arrive an hour before departure — latecomers can't be accommodated, and there are no toilets on board.
A return railway ticket is only valid boarding at Llanberis, so you can't hike up and ride down on it. Down-only singles are sold first-come at the summit, and nothing else. If you want a one-way plan, buy a single up online in advance and be ready to walk down if high wind stops the trains.
June and September give you the most stable walking weather with far thinner crowds than the July–August crush, and late September into early October adds autumn colour to quiet trails. August is both the busiest and among the wettest months, with around 14 rainy days. Midweek days and a pre-8am start are the biggest crowd-beaters you control.
Twisted ankles are among the most common injuries in the park, so wear boots with real grip and ankle support, plus warm layers and a waterproof — it gets markedly colder the higher you climb, even in summer. Check the Met Office mountain forecast before setting out: gusts over 50 mph can blow walkers over. Carry some cash too, since the railway doesn't take Amex and its card machines occasionally fail.
No — Eryri (Snowdonia) is free to enter, needs no permit or booking, and is open 24/7 year-round, including walking up Yr Wyddfa. You only pay for extras: parking runs £5–£45 per day, the Snowdon Mountain Railway costs £26–£62, and attractions like Caernarfon Castle charge entry (£14.90 adult).
A diesel return to the summit is £45 adult off-peak and £48 peak (children aged 3–15 pay £35/£38), while the Heritage Steam Experience return is £62. Every advance booking adds a £4.00 administration fee, and under-2s travel free. Note that American Express isn't accepted and the card machines occasionally fail, so carry cash.
The first train leaves Llanberis at 9.00am, with further departures every 30 minutes subject to demand, and tickets are sold online and at the ticket office from 8.15am. The diesel return takes about 2.5 hours including a 30-minute stop at Hafod Eryri on the summit. Arrive at least an hour before departure — latecomers can't be accommodated, and there are no toilets on board.
Diesel services run until 1 November 2026, and Heritage Steam Experience dates end 30 October 2026. From 5 October, some services terminate at Clogwyn instead of the summit due to essential works. High winds can shorten or suspend journeys at any time of year, so check before you travel.
Yes — until 1 November 2026 you must pre-book via JustPark, at least an hour ahead: £25 for up to 8 hours, £35 for 8–12 hours, or £45 for a full day. There are only 68 spaces and they sell out fast, especially at weekends. The fallback is Nant Peris Park & Ride at £5/day (card only), 3 miles down the pass, with Sherpa shuttle buses to Pen y Pass.
An adult single to Pen y Pass is £3 from any location on the network, a day ticket is £5.50, and children aged 5–15 pay £1. Group day tickets (£10 for 2 adults, £12.50 for 3) make car-free summit days cheap, and all buses accept contactless. Dogs are welcome on board too.
Not without permission — wild camping anywhere in Eryri requires prior consent from the landowner or farmer, and camping in car parks or on roadside verges is banned at all times. Use one of the park's official campsites instead. The Park Authority's website (authority.eryri.gov.wales) handles permission for organised events and commercial filming.
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