New Tripadvisor survey reveals Wales’ best visitor attractions

Nation.Cymru staff

Choosing where to go for a day out in Wales can be surprisingly difficult. There are castles, beaches, museums and family attractions scattered across the country, and once you start comparing ticket prices, travel time and what other visitors have said, the list can get long very quickly.

Reviews often end up being the deciding factor. A famous name might get somebody’s attention, but thousands of visitors saying they genuinely enjoyed themselves can be much more convincing.

With this in mind, media agency One Day Agency analysed Tripadvisor reviews for 472 attractions across the UK, including 40 in Wales, to find which ones visitors have responded to most positively. The research considered both the percentage of five-star reviews and the total number of reviews received, with arenas and stadiums excluded from the ranking.

Taking first place is Big Pit, with a score of 74.65 out of 100. The former coal mine and museum in Blaenavon has received 3,078 Tripadvisor reviews, with an impressive 89.80% awarding it five stars. The attraction also places tenth in the overall UK ranking.

Pembrokeshire’s Folly Farm follows in second place, scoring 74.14. Its five-star percentage is lower at 81.97%, but this is based on a much larger total of 5,729 reviews, making it the most-reviewed attraction in the Welsh top five.

Completing the top three is the Gower Peninsula in South Wales. More than 88% of its 2,110 Tripadvisor reviews are five-star, helping the coastal destination achieve a final score of 71.49.

Pembroke Castle comes fourth with 71.25. The historic attraction has attracted 3,753 reviews, of which 80.50% gave it the maximum rating. It’s also the highest-ranked castle in Wales, finishing ahead of Caernarfon, Conwy and Cardiff castles.

Not far behind is Rhossili Bay, which rounds out the top five with 70.56. The beach has received 1,996 Tripadvisor reviews, with 86.72% awarding it five stars. That gives it one of the highest five-star percentages in the Welsh top ten.

In sixth is Bodnant Garden in North Wales, scoring 70.02. More than eight in ten of its 2,705 reviewers gave it five stars, placing the garden just over half a point behind Rhossili Bay.

St Fagans National Museum of History places seventh and has the largest review total of any attraction in Wales’ top ten. The museum near Cardiff has attracted 7,654 Tripadvisor reviews, including 73.74% five-star ratings, giving it a score of 69.85.

Another North Wales attraction follows in eighth. Great Orme in Llandudno scores 68.94, based on 7,614 reviews, of which 72.43% awarded it five stars.

Manorafon Farm Park takes ninth place with 68.48. Despite having the smallest review base in the top ten, at 1,358, it has a particularly high five-star percentage of 86.89%.

Rounding out the top ten is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales, with a score of 66.64. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has received 1,824 Tripadvisor reviews, with 76.81% awarding the attraction five stars.

The rest of Wales’ top 15 includes St. Davids Cathedral in 11th with 65.78, followed by The Royal Mint Experience in 12th with 65.67. National Slate Museum comes 13th, Castell Caernarfon places 14th and South Stack Lighthouse completes the top 15 with a score of 64.25.

One notable result is Cardiff Castle, which places just 37th in Wales despite receiving 7,049 Tripadvisor reviews. Only 55.60% gave it five stars, considerably lower than Big Pit’s 89.80%.

The contrast between the two attractions shows how a large review base doesn’t necessarily translate into a high position. Visitors to Big Pit were much more likely to award it the maximum rating, even though Cardiff Castle has attracted more than twice as many reviews.

Alexandra Gonçalves, Paid Media Manager at One Day Agency, said: “Smaller, specialist attractions can have an advantage because the experience often feels more personal. At this type of venue, visitors may spend more time speaking to knowledgeable staff, get closer to the subject and see the enthusiasm of the people running it. Those details tend to stick with people when they leave a review.

“There is usually a very clear promise as well. Somebody booking a visit to a former coal mine or a museum dedicated to one part of history knows roughly what they’re going there for. If the attraction delivers that experience well, there is less room for disappointment than there might be at a major landmark expected to offer something for everybody.

“The difference between Big Pit and Folly Farm is a good example of how review volume changes the picture. Big Pit has a higher five-star percentage, at 89.80% across 3,078 reviews, while Folly Farm has 81.97% across more than 5,700. They still finish only half a point apart. One shows a particularly strong level of enthusiasm, while the other has maintained positive feedback across a larger number of visitors.

“It’s also striking that Big Pit, a former working coal mine, finishes first while Cardiff Castle places 37th. Visitors aren’t necessarily judging an attraction by its fame or cultural importance. They’re judging how the day actually felt, whether the staff added something to the experience and whether they came away feeling that the visit was worth their time.”

Methodology and sources

The study analysed Tripadvisor review data for visitor attractions across the UK.

The Attraction Score is based on the percentage of reviews awarding an attraction five stars, adjusted according to the total number of reviews. This reduces the advantage given to attractions with a very high five-star percentage but a comparatively small review base.