Fifty pounds and good shoes. The Great Orme is free if you climb it yourself, and the climb is the better story. Add a museum, a picnic with the best view in North Wales and fish and chips on the prom, and you will not feel short-changed.
The Day, Hour by Hour
9:30amBuy a picnic from a bakery on Mostyn Street. Pasties, sandwiches and something sweet for the top.
10:00amWalk up from the pier end of town through Happy Valley, following the Great Orme walk. It is a steady climb rather than a scramble; allow an hour and a half with stops.
11:30amReach the summit. The visitor centre is free, the view reaches Anglesey and Eryri, and the Kashmiri goats are complimentary.
12:15pmYour picnic, eaten on the grass with the whole of Llandudno bay laid out below.
1:30pmWalk down by a different path, past St Tudno’s Church, which has stood on the headland since the twelfth century and still holds open-air services in summer.
2:45pmThe Llandudno Museum, £5 each. Roman finds, Bronze Age finds from the headland you have just walked over, and the story of how the Mostyn estate built a town from scratch.
4:00pmThe free Mostyn Gallery, then a slow lap of the pier, which costs nothing to walk.
6:00pmTakeaway fish and chips on the promenade and an ice cream to finish.
What It Costs
| For two | Cost |
|---|---|
| Llandudno Museum | £10.00 |
| Bakery picnic (allowance) | £10.00 |
| Takeaway fish and chips (allowance) | £22.00 |
| Ice creams | £6.00 |
| Total (of £50) | £48.00 |
That leaves £2.00 in hand. Exactly the price of a go on the coin machines and a cup of tea.
If It Rains
Skip the climb and spend the morning in the Llandudno Museum and the Mostyn Gallery, both indoors. Eat your picnic in the pier’s covered shelters and save the Orme for tomorrow.
Adjusting the Budget
Spend a Little More
- Take the tram one way for about £11 each and walk the other.
- Add the Home Front Experience for £8.80.
- Sit down for your fish and chips.
Spend a Little Less
- Make your own picnic and save a tenner.
- Share one portion of fish and chips with extra chips.
- See Free Things to Do in Llandudno for days that cost nothing.
Miss Mostyn Advises
- Check the weather before you climb. The summit is exposed and can be several degrees colder than the town.
- Carry water; there is a café at the summit but you are trying not to use it.
- The museum is closed on Sundays.
- The paths are well marked, but take a map or phone in case cloud comes down.
Questions Visitors Ask
Is it free to walk up the Great Orme?
Yes. Footpaths to the summit are free and open all year. Only the tramway, cable car and mines charge.
How long does it take to walk up the Great Orme?
Around an hour to an hour and a half from the town centre at a steady pace.
How much is the Llandudno Museum?
Adult admission is £5, with concessions at £3. It is open Monday to Saturday from February to mid-December.
Prices were checked in October 2026 and are for two adults. Fares change, the tramway and cable car run seasonally (roughly late March to the end of October) and the cable car stops in high wind, so check before you set out.