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Caernarfon
Attractions in Caernarfon

The one to see in Caernarfon: Caernarfon

Caernarfon and its surroundings hold 6 museums, 2 forts and 2 castles. The built-up area itself has 5 places on our list; 9 others are within 5 km of its edge. On the list, 3 places are looked after: 2 by Cadw and 1 by the National Trust. 6 of the places on the list are within 1 km of the middle of town. Go 18 km out for Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle.

Photo: Caernarfon, Nilfanion (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Caernarfon
5
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
9
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
7
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Cared for
3
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Highlights of Caernarfon

Then come 2 museums, a castle and an art gallery, behind Caernarfon.

FortCaernarfonin townCastle · CadwCastell Caernarfonin townMuseumRoyal Welch Fusiliers Museumin townArt galleryOriel Pendeitshin townMuseumMuseumSegontium Visitor Centrein townFort · CadwCaernarfon Town Walls100 m outside town, to the west

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

The lie of the land

Furthest from the centre is Bryn Celli Ddu Chambered Tomb, 7.8 km away.

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The dashed line is Caernarfon’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

By kind

7 museums or galleries and 5 castles or historic places top the count.

Museums & galleries 6 museums · 1 art gallery3 in town · 4 nearby
Castles & historic places 2 forts · 2 castles · 1 historic site2 in town · 3 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 aquarium · 1 theme park0 in town · 2 nearby

Green: inside Caernarfon. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

3 places are cared for: 2 by Cadw and 1 by the National Trust (Castell Caernarfon, Caernarfon Town Walls and Plas Newydd).

Every place

The whole list for Caernarfon

14 places in all: 5 in town and 9 within 5 km of its edge.

The 5 inside Caernarfon come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

250 listed buildings and 4 scheduled monuments are on Caernarfon’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Caernarfon →

Big names nearby

Worth the drive

The standout of the 12 is Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle, 18 km from town.

Castle · CadwCastell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle18 km northeastCastleCastle · CadwCastell Dolbadarn10 km eastCastle · CadwConwy Castle33 km northeastCastle · CadwCastell Harlech33 km southCathedralBangor Cathedral13 km northeastCastleCastle · CadwCastell Dolwyddelan26 km eastCastle · CadwCastell Cricieth25 km southCastle · National TrustPenrhyn Castle15 km northeastMuseumWelsh Slate Museum10 km eastHeritage railwayLlanberis Lake Railway8.9 km eastCastleCastell Aberlleiniog21 km northeastHeritage railwayHeritage railwayWelsh Highland Railway13 km southeast

Places well known beyond Caernarfon (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Seeing Caernarfon: your questions

What are the main attractions in Caernarfon?

The best known inside Caernarfon’s built-up area are Caernarfon, Castell Caernarfon, Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum and Oriel Pendeitsh. In all, 5 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 9 more within 5 km.

Does Caernarfon have a museum?

7 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Caernarfon: Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum, Oriel Pendeitsh, Segontium Visitor Centre and Plas Newydd.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Caernarfon?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Caernarfon, 3 places are cared for: 2 by Cadw and 1 by the National Trust (Castell Caernarfon, Caernarfon Town Walls and Plas Newydd).

What are the best-known days out near Caernarfon?

Within 40 km: Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle (18 km), Castell Dolbadarn (10 km), Conwy Castle (33 km), Castell Harlech (33 km).

Where are Caernarfon’s historic buildings listed?

Caernarfon has 250 listed buildings, 7 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Cadw’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Caernarfon when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (17)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.