If you’re a fan of the weird, wacky, and slightly obscure things in life, then this is the perfect guide for you as I’ll be ditching the most popular things to do in Wales and uncovering the more unusual activities I’ve come across on my travels.
1. Visit the Baked Bean Museum of Excellence
Without a doubt, the award for the most unusual thing to do in Wales is the Baked Bean Museum of Excellence. Yes, that exists and it’s located in Port Talbot in South Wales.
The museum is the brainchild (or rather bean child) of Captain Beany and claims to be the “world's first and only visual haricot bean museum”. Inside, you’ll find lots of baked bean memorabilia including a Heinz bean kitchen and a Branston bean toilet.
Keep in mind that the museum isn’t open all the time so you’ll need to contact Captain Beany to arrange your visit.
2. Play Underground Mini Golf
Mini golf might not be the strangest activity you’ve come across, but when you’re playing 500 feet below the surface in an old mine and you have to take the world’s steepest cable railway to reach it, things certainly seem a lot more bizarre.
That’s exactly what you can do at Zip World Llechwedd which is based in disused slate caverns near Blaenau Ffestiniog in Snowdonia. Other activities at this site include a four-person zip line, a deep mine tour, and an underground assault course.
3. Get a Photo Next To the Smallest House in Britain
At just 72 inches wide, Quay House in Conwy is officially the smallest house in Great Britain and even has a Guinness World Record to prove it
The house was declared unfit for living in, however, owner Robert Jones saved it from demolition and turned it into a tourist attraction.
During the summer season, you can take a tour of the house, albeit a very short tour since it just consists of one bedroom upstairs and a basic living area downstairs. During the winter season, you can still get a selfie outside this odd little building.
4. Go Bog Snorkelling
Wales is home to the World Bogsnorkelling Championships, it sure doesn’t get much weirder than that. During this annual competition, competitors wear fancy dress and snorkelling gear before snorkelling through Waen Rhydd bog in Mid-Wales.
The event takes place on the August bank holiday weekend and attracts competitors from all around the world. Whether you’re taking part or not, it’s a great day out with food and drinks stalls, children's crafts, live music and an on-site bar.
5. Explore an Italian Village in North Wales
Did you know there’s an Italian-style village nestled away in North Wales? The picturesque village of Portmeirion was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in the early 20th century after he was inspired by the fishing village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera.
The village has all the charm that you’d expect from Italian architecture but is set against the stunning backdrop of Welsh mountains from Snowdonia national park.
Visitors can explore the village with a free guided tour (entry fee still applies), stay in a hotel or self-catered apartment within the village, or enjoy a meal in one of the restaurants. There are also several shops selling local arts and crafts and they hold an annual music festival there too.
6. Sleep in a Hobbit House, a Castle, or a Treehouse
For the ultimate quirky experience in Wales, check out one of the more unusual accommodation choices. Ditch your typical hotel or guesthouse and instead opt for staying in a castle, camping in a treehouse, or living like you’re in the shire with a cosy stay in a hobbit house.
Just because you’re opting for something out of the ordinary, don’t think that you won’t have the home comforts you expect. Many come with hot tubs, picturesque views, and outdoor BBQ areas.
I’ve put together a full guide with some of my favourite quirky places to stay in Wales to inspire your trip.
7. Take a Ghost Walk Around Tenby
When you typically think of evening activities, you might conjure up images of going to a bar or a live show. But the seaside town of Tenby in West Wales has something else on offer. Here, you can take an evening ghost walk around the town.
Led by expert local guide Marion Davies, you’ll take a walking tour of the town where you’ll be told stories of ghosts, witches, and fairies. You’ll learn about some odd Welsh customs and maybe you’ll even spot some unusual goings-on during the tour.
Don’t worry, this is very much a tongue-in-cheek tour and it’s perfectly suitable for the whole family.
8. Trek With Alpacas
Trekking through the Welsh countryside is fun enough as it is, but you can make the experience even better by taking some fluffy alpacas along for the journey.
Although they might seem like sheep from a distance, Alpacas are actually closely related to camels and come from regions of South America where the climate is fairly similar to Wales.
They are bred in Wales for their fur which is super soft but many farms are now allowing tourists to take them for a short walk. Alpacas are very friendly, especially when you have food on hand, so it’s a great way to spend an hour or so with the children.
I tried out Pembrokeshire Alpaca Trekking near Tenby in West Wales and loved the experience. There are several other places you can do this across the country including Alpaca My Boots in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia Alpacas in North Wales.
9. Go Trampolining in a Cave
Also located at Zip World Llechwedd (where the underground mini golf is also found) is Bounce Below, an underground trampoline park with 6 giant trampolines built into an area the size of St Paul's Cathedral.
To make things even more exciting, the trampolines are all on different levels and you can move between them via slides. Imagine having an hour to bounce your way around an entire cavern below the surface of Snowdonia.
10. Ride an Alpine Coaster
North Wales is home to the UK’s only alpine coaster where you can glide along a 1km track through the forests of Snowdonia at speeds of up to 25 mph, twisting and turning between the trees as you go.
To add to the excitement, you are in total control of speeds and braking so you can go as slow or as fast as you like. Plus, you’ll get three goes with one ticket so you can really learn the track and hone your skills.
11. Visit the Grave of Dobby the House Elf
Freshwater West is one of the best beaches in West Wales with golden stretches of sand, dunes, and great surfing. However, Harry Potter fans can enjoy one additional treat here because it was used as a filming location in the final two Harry Potter movies.
It was where Shell Cottage was located and also the place where Dobby’s death was filmed. Although Shell Cottage was built especially for the movies and no longer exists, there is still a shrine to Dobby on the beach.
You can go here and pay tribute to your favourite house elf, however, the local authorities ask that beach-goers no longer leave painted pebbles, socks, or trinkets at the shrine because these items can be dangerous for local wildlife. See my full guide to visiting Dobby’s grave.
12. Have a Drink at a Haunted Pub, the Skirrid Inn
The Skirrid, located in the Brecon Beacons just north of Abergavenny, claims to be the oldest pub in Wales with a bar that dates back to Tudor times and apparently was a meeting point for supporters of Owain Glyndwr when he revolted against the monarchy.
It is said that one of the rooms upstairs was used as a courthouse for crimes such as sheep stealing and capital punishments, such as hanging, took place here.
Today, the pub claims to be haunted and has been featured in Britain’s Most Haunted with Yvette Fielding and Extreme Ghost Stories. From tales of coachman-like characters appearing at night to guests being held down in the bath, there has been a lot of chatter about paranormal activity going on here
13. Visit Ianto’s Shrine
[image-missing src="https://walesguidebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Iantos-Shrine-1024x576.jpg"]
If there’s one thing we love in Wales, it’s a shrine to made-up characters. I’ve already shared Dobby’s grave, but this one is even more niche.
Ianto was a character on BBC Torchwood, a spin-off of the hit TV show Dr Who which was filmed almost entirely in Cardiff and the surrounding areas.
Despite the fact that he series finished back in 2011, over a decade later there is still a shrine to one of the show’s favourite characters who came to a bitter end after a gas poisoning by aliens. The shrine is located in Cardiff Bay and is looked after by the show’s loyal fans.
14. Become a Castaway
If you fancy bringing out your inner Bear Grylls, the Gower Castaway adventure is an unusual activity in Wales where you’ll put your bushcraft skills to the test.
After taking a high-speed boat around the Gower coastline before being abandoned in a remote location and left to fend for yourself (with the help of an experienced guide of course).
In this time, you’ll learn how to navigate using a compass, start a campfire without matches, build a shelter, and you’ll learn how to survive by eating local plants.
15. Visit an Odd Museum at the Morbitorium
The Morbitorium is a house-turned-museum full of strange and unusual exhibits. This includes Ouija boards, creepy dolls, taxidermy, and more.
But don’t worry about getting too freaked out, the museum is very family-friendly. It’s also totally free to visit but allow up to an hour to fully explore this tiny house which is crammed full of weird and wonderful items.
There’s also an odd little gift shop selling a range of unusual items from tarot cards, to crystals and smudge sticks. If that wasn’t weird enough for you, you can also book on to taxidermy classes and witchcraft workshops.
16. See Dinosaur Footprints on the Beach
Whilst most fossils can be found in a museum, if you head to Penarth beach in South Wales, you can discover the 200 million-year-old footprint of a dinosaur from the Triassic period hidden along the shoreline.
The footprints are believed to be from sauropodomorphs and the number of them suggests that it was a place where these dinosaurs gathered
To find out exactly where to look, visit the RNLI shop in Penarth and pick up one of their free guides that gives you exact details of how to find the footprints.
17. Get Spooked at Craig y Nos Castle
What could be more unusual than a paranormal encounter in Craig Y Nos Castle, one of the most haunted spots in Wales?
Craig-Y-Nos castle is a former manor house in the Brecon Beacons and is now a hotel that you can stay in. But it’s hiding a surprise because the castle is said to be haunted by opera star Adalina Patti, who once owned the castle
You can book a room to stay there and see if you experience any odd happenings, but the best thing to do is book a ghost tour where you can
18. Enjoy Afternoon Tea With Sheep
I’m always the first one to recommend an afternoon tea, but this one is unlike any other you can get in Wales. Tea with Sheep is exactly what it says on the tin. Instead of a fancy manor house or cute café, you’ll be having your afternoon right in the middle of a field surrounded by sheep.
Pin This:
Published: 27 December 2022 · Last updated: 23 August 2023