Pen-y-Fan is the highest peak in Brecon Beacons, providing a popular hiking trail to its summit which attracts around 350,000 people annually. The route begins at Pont ar Daf car park and involves a steep but simple ascent up to Corn Du followed by a short descent before reaching Pen-y-Fan. Along the way, hikers can also explore a Bronze Age burial chamber.
Absolutely stunning. We arrived early in the morning to secure a parking it fills up quickly. The path is easy to follow but it's a very challenging for us coz it's our first time to climb 886 meters uphill to the Pen y Fan and a bit scary as you go to the top so windy and chilly.
Reaching the summit was a great achievement. The scenery and views are excellent! Incredibly amazing the hills,valleys and mountains.It's a well worth the climb. It was indeed a great adventure!
Inday&Arvin Travel adventure — Google review
We took the circular route and enjoyed it thoroughly. Around 6 hours all around from a further car park. Even at -7 degrees and ridiculous wind speeds, we had a fantastic time climbing. We met a lot of lovely fellow hikers on the way & some wild horses too! Very well marked trail. Will be back in the summer!
Karolina Opilowska — Google review
Beautiful views from Pen Y fan. The hike up is a little steep but not too strenuous. Incredible feeling once on top. Great hike especially when the weather is nice.
Samson Wong — Google review
Lovely walk with the pup, wore trainers and managed fine on the well maintained path. Views were absolutely beautiful however does get a little windy at the summit! Was free to park but looks like that may change with building works present in car park.
Anita — Google review
What a beautiful way to spend the day. Winds were brutal but still had views from the top. Amazing 360 degree panorama at the top. The climb isn't easy and you should be reasonably fit for this climb.
Allan Lee — Google review
One of the most rewarding hikes in Brecon Beacon! We've started our walk at the car park opposite the Storey Arms Outdoor Education Center. The first part was a bit challenging as we decided to walk up the steep side of the hill, quite muddy, slippery and rocky (mind you this route is really steep and may discourage hikers that aren't quite fit). However the views all the way up are just breathtaking and well worth giving it a go! We've been surprised how popular the trail was at that time; doubt I've seen so many people at once on other trails in Brecon...
Reaching the summit was just another wonderful experience! Lucky with the weather, we could enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys, the town of Brecon, the Brecon Beacons Park, the Black Mountain and the Black Mountains, as well as the other famous peaks in this chain of mountains: Cribyn and Fan y Big.
Leaving the summit we've chosen a less challenging route, that led us down the mountain towards Pont at Daf car park - the only place in the area where you can actually find a portable loos and a couple of fast food vans :)
Anita Walkowska — Google review
Was a great overall walk/hike. Took some time to get all the way across but the view is definitely worth it. The trail to head up is pretty clear, you can usually tell by the amount of people already walking up it. It can be a very calming experience when you get higher up, it gets quite quiet and peaceful.
Cameron Carnegie — Google review
I’ve been there twice and loved the hike. It’s easy short walk, and nice to spend 1 day out enjoying the mountains and nature. It’s beautiful. Lots of people hiking there, it seems as a popular place to spend the weekend.
Marianna Zavedeeva — Google review
Fantastic views with a varied selection of footpaths catering different abilities. Those that infrequently ramble/hike I would recommend doing your home work. Weather conditions can vary at different points of the climb and some paths are simply not suitable for inactive people. Those with little experience, want more of a leisurely walk, and/or lack fitness I would recommend the path that leaves directly into the newly built Storey Arms car park. As you look directly at the Storey Arms it's the path on the LEFT.
We had a wonderful time.
Grant Griffiths — Google review
Stunning views if the weather is good. Best to go for the horse ridge hiking route even if you have to take short breaks along. 10 miles but well worth it however hiking footwear and wind/waterproof wear is highly recommended
Pramod Varadarajan — Google review
Always a great walk up from the storey arms. Wear the correct footwear and you're in a better position. So many people wearing jeans, trainers and t-shirts. At least wear the correct footwear as the weather up top is unpredictable.
Today (30/03/24) there was people queuing for a photo at the top, first time I've ever seen that and I've been up the mountain for decades.
Parking is always tricky, carparks fill up early so it's recommended to get yourself there early.
Marcus — Google review
Absolutely breath-taking views!! We did the circular and parked at Storey arms, but you can park at Pont ar Daf. It is quite busy, but not too busy. The walk is long, but a must -do if you're staying in the area and are able to do long walks. An amazing walk!
Toby robson — Google review
I took the circular route up Pen Y Fan ascending along "the highway" and coming back down a much quieter route. Easy hike, pretty much every man, his dog and his nan took this route and was fine with it!
Easy trail, clearly marked with excellent views of the top! Recommend for a Sunday walk!
Next time I'll be picking a quieter route, however...
Chloe Davies — Google review
Which ever trail/path you take to the summit is up to you some are more challenging than others. Bit if prepared well it could be a interesting day out or a enjoyable night/weekend exploring and camping on the mountain or surrounding area which are all rural.
Be safe follow the country code and enjoy what is on offer on our doorstep.
Neville Braithwaite — Google review
Beautiful Hike, 886m up, 3km there and 3km back. Really nice path the whole way in terms of the terrain. Very straight forward to follow, you cross over the bridge from the car park, follow it up to the top, talk a slight left and from there it's straight forward to the summit.
As someone who has previously hiked up Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis this one was nice and easy for me. I had a partner with me with zero hiking experience and he smashed it, we was up in 1 hour 15 minutes (including breaks) I would recommend this one for anyone wanting to start out hiking, nice one to ease yourself in.
Summit was clear for a little bit when we arrived but the rain quickly came in and the views were soon clouded over.
Lucy Dominey — Google review
Please check your shoes and weather before you go to trekking.
As the extreme or expert route might become very wet and hard to walk and the view on rainy day was not that great. I would not recommend the expert route track to a complete beginner. It's better to have some previous Trekking experience otherwise the walking might be painful for you. However, the view without the rain is so breathtaking and really worth the height !
Definitely a trekking path that you should try !
Pitchaya Tangtanawirut — Google review
Spent an amazing day here this week, even the dog managed the trip to the summit. Not too busy, path easy to navigate and worth the trek for the views. Did the circular route back down with ease with a few stops for the pooch to catch his breath. New NT facilities look great.
David Beckett — Google review
The route up to Pen Y Fan is a really straightforward trail (if you are taking the main ‘motorway’ route). It is completely manageable, although, as with any hike - fail to prepare, prepare to fail. The path is clear and in very good condition. I went in very wet and windy weather, but there were no extreme weather warnings (always check before heading out). Visibility was very low but I still loved the hike. It was a steady incline, some more steeper parts near Corn Du but nothing too demanding.
I went on a Thursday morning in October before 8am and there weren’t many people around. It was nice to be in nature without any crowds.
Car park is £7.50 cash for the day. Make sure you have coins. Toilets and visitors centre opens a little later in the morning. Facilities are clean and accessible. Plenty of car parking spaces.
I did the trail to Corn Du and Pen Y Fan and back in 1hr 40 mins and I stopped to take photos and have an explore.
Highly recommend.
Helen M — Google review
The view is spectacular. We didn't climb from the usual start point but on the opposite side. Hiking shoes a must. 2 and 1/2 hr return. Pay and display carpatk. Wind gusts can pick up quite quickly.
Amanda Fisher — Google review
There’s all of these little sheep along the rolling hills as you hike up and the hike gives beautiful views of the countryside. Definitely worth the drive out to Wales.
Grace Mitton — Google review
Pen y fan is a beautiful place to get outside and push yourself if you're not much of a walker or exercise for that matter like myself.
There are a few different ways to get to the top. I have always gone from the easiest point, which still takes a fair amount of energy and endurance to complete.. if you are looking for a spot to just enjoy the scenery, you can do that too without going up too far.
There are two summits you can stop off and enjoy the views from, but only one is the true top as it has the plaque at the top.
Christopher John — Google review
What a gorgeous area for a hike! This national park isn’t far at all from Cardiff or Swansea and is a great half day trip to get a hike in!
We did the 9.2 mile Horseshoe loop and had some great weather. It drizzled a bit here and there but the trails were in good shape and there were almost always ways to you could get around the wet spots. The steep spots generally had stones placed intentionally to offer ample grip and traction as you ascended and descended
The hike had beautiful 360 views of the Welsh countryside and valleys and the towns below like Brecon.
Seth Thomas — Google review
Beautiful walk. And from the close car park it's really easy to see the sunset and get back down (2 miles) before it gets dark.
Beautiful pics today for my first visit.
Alex Samuel — Google review
We walked from Pont ar daf carpark. This was the easier side for our children to climb. 14 and 7 years. Absolutely stunning views. Just because it is the easy side, it was still hard going. Takes around 2 to 3 hours. Lovely waterfalls. It is breathtaking. Which is very literal when you get to the top, with how windy it was on the day we climbed it. It's definitely an adventure the kids will remember.
Christina Penaluna — Google review
Wonderful place for trekking. Make sure you do research on weather conditions before you plan your trek and pack the items accordingly. Best place to watch Sun rise.
samyak jain — Google review
I was going to have a mountain bike ride on the Brecon Beacons but decided against it with all the snow.
I took Bob Dog out for a walk to enjoy the Snow and I wasn't disappointed. The Snow had come the night before so the weather was perfect
Choose your day to visit and try and time the weather. However there are a few walks from different directions but all are good. Everyone is friendly and chatty and this climb is kid and dog friendly if you take the gentle route.
Worth a visit and walk.
Joe Upsall — Google review
An incredible walk that takes in the breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. The horseshoe walk is well worth it if you fancy ticking off all 4 major peaks, but it is a little more strenuous than just walking up Pen-y-Fan.
We were enroute for a special weekend in mid-Wales and stopped off here for a break on the journey.
When we arrived, we knew we were in for a treat. We paid for parking, which was excellent value for what the visitor centre had to offer.
We bought drinks, using our travel mugs, to have with our picnics and sat outside, looking up towards Pen-y-Fan and the surrounding hills.
We walked over the hills, visiting the pools and settlements before continuing our journey.
This centre appears to be relatively new and a great experience, enjoyed by everyone and one we will return to.
The cafe offered a good selection of various drinks and food and the shop was well stocked and large.
I would say arriving early would be an advantage as the car park is not very big; and there are electric charging points.
The play area has been well planned and laid out, and ideal for children.
There were plenty of picnic tables and open spaces for family picnics.
Anthony Hurdidge — Google review
Easy walks across the common with great views of the mountains. The food in the cafe was simple but good. Staff friendly and helpful.
Martin Arrowsmith — Google review
Great open spaces with spectacular views all around, great place to clear the mind and get away from the daily grind. Highly recommended for those who love the outdoors
Mike Nicholl — Google review
Great place for families. Say in garden with tea and cake when family went for a hike. Very comfortable. Lots of wasps but not a nuisance. Only downside was disabled toilet a long way from cafe. Staff helpful
mama rebelle — Google review
We had a lovely time at the Mountain Centre. We walked across the Common and up Mynydd Illtyd. It’s a nice steady gradual climb and reveals the most fab views of Pen y Fan and Corn Du. If you are feeling energetic, you can carry on and climb Twyn y Gaer which is just behind, be sure to look out for the Alpacas from ‘Alpaca my Boots’.
The centre is packed with information about the area and is filled with unique gifts made by local crafters. We had a lovely chat with the guy that was working in the shop, who also makes great leather gifts that are on sale.
We popped in to the cafe to have a quick drink and some ‘skin on fries’ which seemed to have lost their skins lol! They were just a bowl of fries but still lovely.
The centre has a lovely big garden with lots of picnic benches, a fantastic park for the kids and a smaller garden accessible from the shop. Plenty of parking, disabled parking and electric charging points.
Simply a lovely place to visit.
Anna-Marie Sorroll — Google review
Lovely cafe, great cake and ice cream also has a children's play area and big shop stocking lots of different local things. Fantastic spot to start a walk, we did a short walk but there was amazing views all around.
Rachel Ball — Google review
Great place to park up go for a nice walk and see beautiful views The cafe was ok ,cake was nice but service a bit odd
Tracey Parker — Google review
Our planned day hadn't worked out, so I stopped here on the way back to our holiday rental. We just wanted to spend some quiet time with nature, and here it was. We only had a coffee and an hour there, but we fed the birds, and it was exactly what we needed! The shop was really nice, with lots of great things to buy. But the number of friendly, hungry birds made our day! You need to bring your own bird food, but it's worth it!
Simon Douglass — Google review
Such a nice staff. They were so helpful.
The cafe offers many good dishes and even had a choice of gluten free cakes.
Chris McCollough — Google review
Wonderful center with a very nice Cafe with great food. The views from the outdoor seating is amazing, looking over Brecon and can see Pen Y Fan mountain in the distance.
If you have kids there's a play and climbing area for them and a shop that sells all sorts of Brecon Beacons souvenirs.
Highly reccomend a visit if your passing through or looking for somewhere to go on a clear day.
Nathan Windsor — Google review
It is a good place to stop off on the journey.
You need to make an effort as it is off the main road in the hills a little, but it's worth it.
Enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and helpful staff, but above all the quietness while looking at the hills.
Plenty of parking with a small payment to help support the centre.
Stuart Turner — Google review
Great little oasis where you can refresh for more hiking or driving through the beautiful Brecon Beacons
Paul Wingfield (PWingers) — Google review
A great place wild and magnificent views,depending on cloud cover. An updated visitor centre providing toilets and information with a much needed hard core car park