As Wales slips quietly into the new year, January can be an incredibly peaceful time to explore. Yes, this is one of the wettest, coldest months, but if you wrap up warm, there’s a lot to love: from hunkering down in historic country inns to days spent roaming galleries in cool coastal cities and star-spangled nights in the country’s Dark Sky Reserves.
The weather is fickle in Wales in February. Conditions change suddenly: from fog to frost, gale-force winds to heavy rain and snow, but days are slowly getting longer and lighter and night skies shine brightly with stars. Read on to learn more about traveling to Wales in February.
Wales has a real spring in its step in March, with daffodils in the hedgerows and warmer, lighter days on the horizon. While you can still expect the odd downpour, this is a fine, quiet month to combine a city stay with a tour of the coast and countryside. Read on to learn more about traveling to Wales in March.
April is one of the most enticing months to visit Wales: the hills, valleys, and mountains are bursting into new bud and there's plenty of sunshine to break up the showers. This is a fine month for diving into the great outdoors, whether you’re hitting a coast path, hiking around castle ruins, or heading into ancient oak woods misted with bluebells.
May is a glorious month to visit Wales: the countryside is sprinkled with wildflowers and parks and gardens are in full bloom. Calmer, sunnier days make this a terrific time to hit the coast and mountains. Though summer is now definitely on its way, it’s still easy to give the crowds the slip if you so wish. The country is in high spirits and festival season is in on its way: from the literary cachet of Hay to classical concerts at St David’s Cathedral.
Summer has properly arrived in Wales by June, bringing a welcome dose of sunshine to the country. As the weather perks up, the outdoors is more enticing than ever, whether you want to seek out a secluded beach, hit hiking trails in the mountains, watch coastal wildlife, hang out in pub beer gardens or catch one of the many music and food festivals happening this month. This is a great time to visit to sidestep the big crowds that descend on the beaches and cities in July and August.
July is Wales’ hottest month in more ways than one. Temperatures peak, cities and towns heave with people on vacation, roads are busy, coastal digs are fully booked and popular beaches are packed when the sun emerges. If you like things lively, come now for music and food events, beer gardens, and café terraces humming with good vibes.
August is peak season in Wales: the schools are out and there’s a real buzz in the air, with everyone dashing to the coast, hiking in the hills, or clicking into the groove of a summer festival. Crowds swell, the roads are busy and accommodation is often booked solid, but if you like things lively and the weather warm, now is the time to come.
September is one of the loveliest months to visit Wales. The big summer rush is over, the weather is still reasonably warm for hikes on the coast and in the hills, and the woods are beginning to turn golden and russet. This is the month of harvest, with orchards and vineyards now yielding fruit and many a food festival on the agenda.
Fall is here: October is the month when the rains properly arrive and the days get shorter, colder, and darker. But there’s brightness, with the woods turning gold and crimson, and Halloween jack-o'-lanterns glowing at the end of the month. Hit good weather and October can be a fine month for walking and tuning into local music and food festivals.
November is when winter properly rolls in. This is one of the darkest, wettest months in Wales and much of the country goes into hibernation. Thankfully, there are plenty of winter warmers: cozy afternoons spent browsing galleries and curling up in cafés in cities and towns, fireworks and Christmas fairs full of seasonal sparkle, and a riot of cultural festivals.
December is dark, chilly, and wet in Wales, but Christmas brings festive sparkle, fairy lights, and markets to towns, cities, villages, and manor houses across the country. Up in the mountains, you might find snow dusting the highest peaks, and if you venture to the coast when the weather cheers up you’ll find it blissfully quiet.
