The 10 best castles to visit in Wales

For a small country, Wales certainly goes big on castles. Of the 600 or more built over the country’s long history, some 427 survive today, from tottering ruins exposed to the elements to brilliantly restored fortresses that offer a glimpse of the ostentatious lifestyles enjoyed by their former occupants. 

With castles popping up on every spare spot of elevated ground, it can be difficult to know where to start. You would have to be dedicated indeed to visit all of Wales’ castles – but if you only have time to see a few, it pays to focus on the best.

Many of the most impressive castles owe their existence to historical conflicts between England and Wales, particularly the arrival of the Normans in the 11th century. The so-called marcher lords built a string of fortresses along the England–Wales border and around the Welsh coast to facilitate their conquest of this corner of the British Isles. 

The castle tally swelled in the 13th century thanks to Edward I. As well as besieging Scotland, this notorious English king stormed into Wales, subduing the local rulers and constructing substantial castles at sites such as Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech to support his grab for territory. 

Whether you like them old and craggy, lavishly renovated or simply steeped in national history, Wales has castles to spare. So where do you start? To help you out, here are 10 of the best castles in Wales.  

Tips for visiting Wales’ castles

With a castle in seemingly every other town and village, castle-hopping in Wales can mean a lot of entry fees. Keep a lid on costs by signing up for a membership at one or more of the organizations that look after Wales’ castles.

Many castles are administered by the Welsh government’s heritage arm, Cadw – including Caernarfon, Caerphilly and Beaumaris. Memberships cost £63 per year for adults and £94.50 for families, and grant free entry to all Cadw properties, plus half-price entry to sites managed by English Heritage in England and Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland. 

The National Trust also looks after many castles, including Powis Castle and Penrhyn Castle in Bangor. Annual memberships cost £96 for adults and £168.60 for families, and grant free entry to National Trust properties across the UK. 

Wales’ castles can get busy (for good reason). Try to visit on weekday mornings close to opening time to avoid the crowds. Weekends tend to be extra-busy with sightseers, particularly in summer and during school holidays; school groups gather by mid-morning on weekdays. 

Consider the weather when visiting Wales’ ruined castles. You’ll be out in the elements, so the drier summer is the best time for scrambling around grassy slopes and exploring roofless keeps and crumbling battlements. 

1. Enjoy dense history downtown at Cardiff Castle, Cardiff

Defiant, impressive and hulking, Cardiff Castle has presided over the Welsh capital for two millennia. Surviving many turbulent periods, it’s an amalgamation of them all: a strategic Roman fort, a defensive Norman stronghold, an opulent Victorian Gothic home, a makeshift air-raid shelter – and today, a symbol of Welsh national pride. 

History and culture collide in this incredible fortress. Inside the walls, neatly trimmed lawns stretch out to the Norman shell keep – a 12-sided defensive building from the early 12th century, perched atop a tall motte (earth mound). From the top, you can see the conical towers of the castle’s sibling, Castell Coch, far in the distance to the north. 

Other highlights include sections of the Roman-era walls and the grand residential quarters, created in the 1500s but lavishly upgraded by the 3rd Marquess of Bute and architect and designer William Burges in the 19th century. Tours will take you to sections of the palace that are otherwise off-limits, such as the extravagant rooms inside the clocktower. 

Planning tip: After exploring the c astle, take some chill-out time in the green expanse of Bute Park, which sprawls along the River Taff outside the castle walls.

2. Feel the medieval military might of Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd

Towering over the Menai Strait on the edge of the Welsh mainland, fairy-tale Caernarfon Castle is the grandest and most formidable of Edward I’s “iron ring” of fortresses, built to force the kings of Wales into submission. A masterpiece of military design, it was built as a royal stronghold between 1283 and 1330 by the castle-mad Edward and top architect Master James of St George.

The castle’s substantial defenses take inspiration from imperial Roman architecture, with thick curtain walls, polygonal towers and towering walls enclosing parts of the surrounding town. It was all designed to convey a simple message to the Welsh princes: “The English are here, and we’re not going anywhere!” 

The Eagle Tower at the heart of the fortress was the residence of Edward and his queen, Eleanor, and the birthplace of Edward of Caernarfon (later Edward II), the first English Prince of Wales. Both the title and birthplace were strategically chosen to confer legitimacy on an heir who would go on to rule both England and Wales. 

Detour: Continue the education in history at the ruined remains of Segontium Roman Fort, founded around 77 CE to facilitate the Roman domination of Wales. With a little imagination, you can picture the fort in use as you explore traces of the bathhouse, strongroom and basilica.

3. Explore British royal history at Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire

Walkers are drawn to scenic Pembrokeshire by the stunning coastal landscapes along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Yet this classic walking route also passes a string of castles – most importantly Pembroke Castle, the birthplace of Henry VII, founder of the dynasty that would give the world Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

This spectacularly forbidding castle was constructed by Arnulph de Montgomery in 1093, not long after the Norman invasion; most of the present buildings date from the 13th century. It’s a great place for families to explore, with walkways and passages running along the walls from tower to tower, and vivid exhibitions detailing the castle’s history.

Detour: More historic fortresses dot the Pembrokeshire countryside. Make time for centuries-spanning Carew Castle, inland from Pembroke; Manorbier Castle near Tenby; and the Victorian-era fort on St Catherine’s Island. 

4. Soak in the drama of Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly 

With its riot of grand towers and duck-filled lake, Wales’ biggest fortress is like a fairy-tale castle made real. Built by the marcher lord Gilbert de Clare in 1268 to flaunt his power in the face of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, Caerphilly Castle has cameoed as a filming location in numerous historical dramas, from Wolf Hall to episodes of Doctor Who.

This was one of the earliest castles to use lakes, bridges and a series of concentric fortifications for defense; the on-site museum will catapult you through its layered history. The real showstopper is the leaning southeast tower – Wales’ very own Leaning Tower of Pisa – which looks as though it will topple over with the faintest puff of wind. 

Planning tip: Try to come on the last weekend in August, when the grounds of Caerphilly Castle host fun and games, fireworks and cheese tasting for the Caerphilly Cheese Festival. 

5. Absorb the wild, romantic setting of Carreg Cennen, Carmarthenshire

Wales is covered with ruined castles and tower houses – essentially mini castles, built by wealthy medieval families – and some are particularly evocative. A remote ruin poised on a limestone crag above the River Cennen, Carreg Cennen is Wales’ ultimate romantic castle, visible for miles in every direction. 

Carreg Cennen was originally a Welsh fortress. The current castle dates to Edward I’s conquest of Wales in the late 13th century; it was partially dismantled in 1462 during the War of the Roses, before being abandoned. Legend has it that the cave below the castle, reached via a stone-vaulted passage, contains a sleeping warrior – perhaps even King Arthur himself – awaiting a call to arms from the Welsh people.

Planning tip: Set in a converted barn below the castle, the Carreg Cennen Tearoom is an appealing stop, with a menu of hearty dishes such as cottage pie and cawl, a thick Welsh vegetable soup.

6. Marvel at the engineering of Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey

Famous as “the greatest castle never built,” half-finished Beaumaris Castle on the coast of Anglesey is the most ambitiously designed of all Wales’ great medieval castles. Constructed in 1295, this was the grand finale of Edward I’s ambitious castle-building spree in Wales. Here, medieval might blends with architectural elegance, all wrapped in a perfectly symmetrical design that still wows today.

Beaumaris isn’t just any old fortress. It’s a textbook example of concentric castle design, its intricate layout planned to make every step challenging for intruders. The formidable outer wall with its arrow slits and murder holes envelops an even sturdier inner wall, creating a fortress within a fortress. As you explore its vast courtyard, look for the ingenious latrine systems and hidden spiral staircases that added to the castle’s defenses.

Planning tip: Climb up to the battlements for magnificent views of the Menai Strait, stretching toward the majestic peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. 

7. View Asian treasures at Powis Castle, Powys

Not every Welsh castle was built just for defense. Near the Powys town of Welshpool, Powis Castle stands on the foundations of a 13th-century castle built by Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, prince of Powys. But the current red-gritstone structure is more of an ostentatious show-home, created to flaunt the wealth of the Herbert and Clive families. 

Surrounded by 17th-century Italianate terraces, gigantic, clipped yew trees and an Edwardian formal garden, the castle is best known for the fascinating Clive Museum. On display are exquisite treasures obtained (partly through colonial plunder) from India and other parts of Asia by Clive of India, who seized Bengal for the British East India Company at the Battle of Plassey in 1757.  

Planning tip: The castle is just over a mile south of Welshpool, off Berriew Rd. The best way to get here is on foot, via a pretty walk from the center of town.

8. Appreciate the symbolism of Harlech Castle, Gwynedd

Poised dramatically on a rocky crag near Porthmadog, with sweeping views over the Welsh coast, Harlech Castle mixes a magical setting in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park with groundbreaking 13th-century military innovations. Constructed between 1282 and 1289 as part of Edward I’s circle of Wales-suppressing castles, Harlech was completed in a record-breaking seven years by Master James of St George. 

The castle is noteworthy for its highly defensible walls-within-walls design and its use of natural defenses. The ingenious “Way from the Sea” – a daunting set of 108 steps carved into the rock face – allowed crucial supplies to reach its defenders by ship, keeping the fortress fed and watered during sieges (such as the uprising led by Madog ap Llewelyn in 1294). 

Its massive walls and towering gatehouse, armed with murder holes and portcullises, were built to repel Welsh forces – yet Harlech became a symbol of the Welsh resistance when it was captured by Owain Glyndŵr, the last of the Welsh princes, during his uprising against English rule in the 1400s.

Planning tip: Within easy walking distance of Harlech, the heather-covered granite hills of the Rhinogs offer demanding ascents and fantastic views across Cardigan Bay – and you're likely to have them almost to yourself. 

9. Walk the walls of Conwy Castle, Conwy 

Conwy is home to yet another 13th-century castle built by Edward I on his ruthless conquest tour of Wales. Built in less than four years, Conwy Castle still towers over the town some seven centuries later, its tangle of defensive walls stretching for nearly a mile.

Eight soaring towers linked by thick walls hint at the grandeur and strategic brilliance inside. Visitors can wander through remarkably well-preserved rooms and ascend narrow spiral staircases to the top of the battlements for epic views over the wide Conwy Estuary and the town. 

Detour: For some bonus history, visit Plas Mawr, built in 1576 for merchant and diplomat Robert Wynn. This is arguably Britain's finest surviving Elizabethan town house, with a vivid interior full of colorful friezes, heraldic motifs and superb plasterwork. 

10. Cross the moat to Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire

Wales’ last great medieval castle, Raglan Castle was designed more as a swaggering declaration of power than a defensive fortress by Sir William ap Thomas and his son William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its centerpiece, the hexagonal, moat-ringed Great Tower bears a massive wound from the civil wars of the 1640s, when it was besieged by Cromwell’s soldiers. 

As if in a Game of Thrones plot line, the young Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) spent his childhood here as a ward of William Herbert, before ascending the throne in 1485. The courtyards beyond the damaged walls show hints of the fortress-to-palace transition, with ornate windows and fireplaces, gargoyle-studded crenelations and heraldic carvings. 

Detour: For more castle action, try the Three Castle Walk, a 19-mile loop through the gently rolling countryside of Monmouthshire, which knits together a trio of medieval strongholds, Grosmont, Skenfrith and the White Castle, all founded after the Norman invasion. 

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Wales guidebook, published in June 2025.