A day trip to Brecon Beacons National Park from Cardiff is an absolute must for nature-lovers.
Much as I’d wanted to visit Brecon Beacons during my stay in Wales last September, I somehow could not find any truly detailed review and/or travel guide of this place. In fact, I kind of knew there were trekking trails and stuff, but I also really wanted to see real photos and stories of those who had taken a day trip there. A quick search from Google yielded limited results, most of which were not so informative anyway.
And that’s why here I am, doing what I think should have been around long before. In this post, I’ll be sharing details about our day trip to Brecon Beacons from Cardiff, including transportation, things to do, and other considerations as well.
You can also read about other amazing day trips from Cardiff here.
How to get to Brecon Beacons from Cardiff by public transport?
The Brecon Beacons National Park is about 1 – 2 hours away from Cardiff by bus. From the bus stop called Castle Stop KA (right in front of Cardiff Castle), you can catch the bus TrawsCymru T4 directly there. This bus also stops at the Central Station Cardiff and the Royal Hotel. Check here for the full timetable of TrawsCymru T4.
Note: Remember to prepare the exact amount of money to pay your bus fare, as drivers cannot give change. A day ticket (£10 for adults / £7 for children / £25 for the group) is the best option if you also want to drop by Merthyr Tydfil during your day trip. Otherwise, single and return tickets are also available. View the exact amount of bus fares to Brecon Beacons here.
- If you want to trek to Pen y Fan (the highest peak in South Wales), stop at Storey Arms. Read more about 4 ways to reach Pen y Fan here.
- If you want a less challenging visit (with no less stunning scenery), stop at Libanus. This is what we did. Read on to the next section for more info about what to do once you’ve stopped here.
What to do for a day trip to Brecon Beacons?
There are many things to do and see in Brecon Beacons, such as trekking, cycling, photographing, or just enjoying a cup of tea in the tea room overlooking the breathtaking view around here.
After stopping at Libanus, we started walking up a steep hill to the National Park Visitor Centre. It’s a narrow path right on the left-hand side of the road, first going through some houses and then completely bordered by trees on both sides.
The climb would have taken 30 minutes on average. However, since we stopped frequently on the way to take photos and appreciate the breathtaking surrounding landscape, we reached the top after 45 minutes.
There were lots of sheep roaming around on the meadows we passed by. As we tried to approach them for photos, we realised they were quite scared of strangers and would run away.
The path became more muddy and slushy as we got closer to the top. Thus it’s a good idea to wear dark-coloured waterproof shoes. Also, be careful not to step into a pool of rainwater or onto a pile of sheep poo!
Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre
There are many things to do at Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre, such as:
- Have a tasty lunch with a cup of aromatic tea while enjoying the spectacular view of the mountains (Don’t forget to try faggots – a traditional dish in South Wales!)
- Shop for some lovely souvenirs
- Let your children play on the indoor and outdoor playgrounds
- Have a picnic
- Ask for information about trekking, walking, and cycling trails around the area
After lunch, we decided to take a one-hour stroll around this amazing area. The sheer beauty of Brecon Beacons rendered me speechless! There are many trekking/walking/cycling trails that you can follow. Just ask the friendly people at the Visitor Centre for all available options!
Other things to keep in mind for a smooth day trip to Brecon Beacons from Cardiff
- Check the weather beforehand. I can’t stress enough how important this is, as the weather is accountable for 80% of your trip’s success. There were intermittent rains during our day trip to Brecon Beacons, but we were lucky to have some hours of sunshine as well.
- Bring comfortable dark-coloured waterproof shoes. Mud, sheep poo, and water pools are ubiquitous here.
- Check the bus timetable and plan well beforehand, especially the last departure time. Bus T4 runs every hour or even longer. This means if you come back to the bus stop at the wrong time, you might have to wait for up to an hour for the next one. Also, I’ve realised that bus T4 is not always on time, so don’t get panicked if it’s 10 minutes late for your journey back to Cardiff.
- Bring enough water and snacks/protein powders with you. If you become exhausted during your trek, it can take hours to walk to a place with facilities.
- If you have time and have purchased a day ticket with bus T4, consider visiting Merthyr Tydfil on the way to Brecon Beacons. Merthyr Tydfil is most famous for the Cyfarthfa Castle, a 19th-century magnificent mansion now repurposed into a museum and gallery. We did not stop there because we started our trip quite late during the day. However, had we managed to catch the 8 AM bus, for example, we would definitely have stopped at Merthyr Tydfil for several hours afterward.
Well, I really wish we could have spent more time in Brecon Beacons to enjoy more peaceful moments at this beautiful place. All in all, our day trip to Brecon Beacons was totally worth it in the end.
If you have been to Brecon Beacons before, don’t forget to leave a comment below and tell us what you did there! I can’t wait to hear more from other people about their amazing trips to this wonderful national park!
–> Pin this for future reference <3
I have never heard of the Brecon Beacons before. It looks like a great place to spend the day outdoors and discovering the English countryside! Great tips for first time visitors in this post too.
Welsh countryside.
How absolutely glorious – and I am so glad you put in the tiny details that make a trip a heck of a lot easier. I had to laugh at your meal tip – try some faggots, as a person who has had them I couldn’t agree more but for those of you from N. America it really is just a tasty meatball smothered in gravy a must to try and don’t let the name put you off…lol…
Everything looks so pretty and green! Now we’re back in the UK we must make more of an effort to see the beautiful countryside. You’ve inspired us to visit Brecon Beacons National Park, thanks for your tips!
I’ve heard of Cardiff but never Brecon Beacons. It’s so amazingly green and lush. The countryside in England is beautiful and it is something that I would like to explore one day.
Wales, not England. Otherwise you will upset welsh people.
Great heads-up tip for bringing water-proof shoes. Heaven help us all if we manage to step in sheep poo with good shoes on! Cardiff is absolutely beautiful. I remember having mostly good weather when I visited. You’re right – great weather makes all the difference!
I am in the uk at the moment visiting my parents… and this is so awesome!! was looking for things to do in the area and just love this!
Brecon Beacons definitely looks like a place that I would love to visit, specially to hike. So much green! Thanks for including info on transportation.
Those countryside greeneries is so refreshing to the eyes. Valuable tips here 🙂
Wow! I’ve never given much thought to visiting Wales but it seems like I might need to add it to my list! Gorgeous pictures.
Forever ashamed that I haven’t seen more of the UK! I live in England now so I’m hoping to travel around closer to home more. Thanks for inspiring another trip 🙂
I love how detailed this post is! and I specially like that you explain how to get there with public transportation, I don’t drive and let’s be honest, everybody’s posts don’t really explain how and how much it takes to get there. And I love the picture of the Cyfarthfa Castle so much!
Great post. Having lived in Cardiff all my life I’ve often visited the beacons and it’s still one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. It’s incredible in the winter ^_^
The food looked amazing. I could fall asleep in those field of greens too. I’ve never been to Wales, but it seems like a place with a lot of natural beauty.
Ugh this looks lovely! I’ve heard Wales has absolutely killer scenery! The perfect place to explore the countryside! Thank you for the guide, I will definitely use this in future 🙂
Such lush surroundings! Looks gorgeous and can’t wait to go one day!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’m visiting in January, and the weather looks decent enough so I want to make it up to Brecon for the day, but there are no tours offered in January. Plus I prefer to do things on my own through public transportation anyways so this is perfect!
I hope you’ll have a great trip there! 🙂
Thank you very much for all of the information and good advise!
Just as you, I was looking at official sites and Google, but couldn’t find anything helpful. I was even thinking of taking the Beacons out of our schedule, but thankfully I’ve come across your post!
Now I just have to convince my boyfriend to walk all the way up to Pen y Fan with me 🙂
Warm regards from Argentina!
Great to know my blog post was helpful to you! I wish you a wonderful hike up Pen y Fan! 😀
– Fiona
Just to give you all a quick note
1. T4,T14 buses are free on saturday and sunday..
2. There is another town called Brecon, dont get down there, get down at Libanus to reach the national park visitor center, no one tell you this , even on their own websites
Thank you very much for your feedback 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/Laurasdinerbreconfourfall/
Laura’s diner for Vegan meat lovers and gluten free food and Welsh ice cream
**not to be missed **
Cf440yx Google maps at the start of the four falls trails yestradfellte 6 minutes south of pen y fan and 3 minutes north of penderyn distillery and antiques x
Thanks for your suggestion!
I haven’t yet heard of Brecon Beacons until now but it looks so immaculate! I always love finding castles in my travels, feels like a real world fairy tale! Have added this to my list of must sees 🙂
I’d love to share and pin the day trip to Beacons. The national park is very greenery and during the trip there have place for children if traveler come with family. Kids can play both indoor and outdoor playground. The cycling trails around the area make the traveler enjoy with nice view. Also, the suggestion and preparation to travel to Beacons is so useful. Thank you for suggestion.
Thank you. This is useful. I am going there next month.
Thank you a lot for the instructions on how to get to Breacon trails without a car! It’s really helpful!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.