Day trip from Llandudno to Beaumaris

I think your priority is Beaumaris Castle. However having said that I think you should have a quick stop in Menai Bridge to view the magnificent suspension bridge and to walk the Belgian Promenade to Church Island. The promenade was built by Flemish refugees from Belgium in WW1.
There were very many such refugees across the UK, a largely forgotten story.
In Bangor there is the Cathedral to visit, and the Storiel Museum (the County Museum).
Not really for today there is Porth Penryn- once one of the biggest slate ports in Wales.
Close by is the National Trust Penrhyn Castle, a stately home, not a Castle. It was built on the back of profits from the slate industry, and the slave trade at sugar plantations in Jamaica. Penrhyn Quarry was also the site of the longest strike in UK history- 2,800 men were on strike for 3 years.

Stuart

Thanks! Do you think we could (for example) get the 10:55 bus from Bangor, get off near the Menai Bridge, spend some time and then pick up the bus leaving Bangor at 12:00 as it comes through near the Bridge? What would the stop near the bridge be called (or numbered?)?

The stop is called Carreg y Borth.

Maybe best just to ask the driver for Waitrose (a food store) to avoid mangling Welsh too much.

The buses #4 to Holyhead and #42 to Llangefni also stop there, all of which can be used on your 1Bws ticket.
There is a 42 at 1020 and a 4 at 1045 on the current timetables.

Suggest that you also try and see Bodnant Gardens - bus 25 from Llandudno.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/bodnant-garden

Bodnant Garden is beautiful but that is a full day trip. Don’t try to do that and Beaumaris the same day. We did Bodnant from Llandudno in June and it can indeed be reached on bus 25 but plan it carefully using the online timetable as that bus only runs about every two hours.
Beaumaris sounds nice but we didn’t make it there. In addition to our day at Bodnant we did a day tour covering Conwy, Snowdonia, Caernafon and a couple other stops, and another day did a second visit to Conwy, which has very frequent bus service from Llandudno. Llandudno is a good choice of base to see that area.

James and Slate,

Thanks! Yes, Bodnant Gardens is another day. We are in North Wales for 4 full days.

Katie,

I've just been going through some paper work this morning. I've never been there but somewhere else you might find interesting is Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens, just north of Menai Bridge Village.

I'm sure someone will be along to keep you on the approved and narrow North Wales Tourist Trail, but they sound interesting to me, so thought I should mention them.
There seems to be a bus stop at the bottom of the access road.

Here are two tips for Llandudno itself. An Italian restaurant called da Venezia is really good. It’s small and popular so reserve well in advance by email. There is a museum called Home Front Museum about north Wales’ WW II experience. It’s a small private museum, doesn’t take too long to see, but worthwhile if you have any interest in that period and time to spare in town. I didn’t see that one listed in any guidebook, but found out about it from the rack of tourist brochures at our B&B. Both of these are in central Llandudno near the seafront promenade and pier.
And in Conwy, as well as the castle, the Plas Mawr Elizabethan town house is very interesting. The audio guide (included with admission) is particularly well done. There is a joint ticket available for this and the castle which will save a few pounds, although we weren’t able to do that as you have to see both the same day, and we were there two days so bought separate admissions.

Stuart

The gardens do sound interesting. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check on how frequent the bus from Bangor to Beaumaris is for making stops along the way.

Slate

Thanks for the suggestions. The Home Front Museum is on my list but I had not come across da Venezia. I think we are going to do the combined ticket for Conwy Castle and Plas Mawr but, like you, it will depend on timing.

Oh darn. Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens are only open in the afternoon in April. Our boat trip is potentially scheduled from 14:30 to 16:00 and we would be doing the castle before that still have to get back to Llandudno.

Katie,

I stumbled by chance this morning on this video about Beaumaris- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrH7ghqWl1o

Thanks! Stuart. Very fun to watch and informative.