Distance from Bryn Bella: 1 mile / 3 minutes by car (walkable)
Address: Zip World Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, LL24 0HX
Parking: On-site (charges apply)
Booking: Pre-booking recommended — zipworld.co.uk
Payment: Cashless site (card and mobile only)
Time needed: 2–5 hours depending on number of adventures
Ages: Activities from age 3+ upwards — something for everyone
Dogs: Welcome on leads across the site
Best for: Families, groups, rainy days (Fforest Coaster runs in most weather), team building
Don’t miss: Fforest Coaster — Britain’s only alpine coaster of its kind
Zip World Fforest is the closest Zip World site to Bryn Bella — set in woodland in the Conwy Valley, just outside Betws-y-Coed. While the Penrhyn Quarry site near Bethesda is built around the headline Velocity zip line, the Fforest site has a different character: a woodland adventure park with a broader range of activities, lower minimum ages, and a family-friendly feel that makes it one of the most popular days out in Eryri.
The setting is a managed forest of Douglas fir on the edge of the Gwydir Forest, with views across the Conwy Valley to Moel Siabod. The adventures are built into and around the trees rather than across an industrial quarry — it feels more immersive and enclosed, and younger children who would not meet the restrictions at Penrhyn Quarry can take part here from age three.
The Adventures
Fforest Coaster
The signature attraction and the reason most families visit. The Fforest Coaster is an alpine-style toboggan running on a 1-kilometre rail track through the woodland — the only coaster of its kind in Britain. You ride solo or in pairs on a sledge, controlling your own speed with a brake lever. An uplift tows you to the top; then you fly back down through the trees at speeds of up to 25mph, through twists, dips, and banked turns.
Each ticket includes three rides, which is good value and means you can take the first run cautiously and let it rip on the second and third. The coaster runs in most weather conditions (including rain), making it one of the most reliable activities in the area for days when the mountains are out of the question. Minimum age 3 (children under 6 ride with an adult). From £25.
Treetop Nets
Giant bouncy nets suspended 18 metres (60 feet) up in the Douglas fir canopy — including Europe’s longest net walkway. It is essentially trampolining in the treetops: bouncing, crawling, and exploring across interconnected nets strung between the trees. Open to ages 3+, which makes it one of the few Zip World adventures that genuinely works for very young children as well as adults. Two-hour sessions. A good option when you want the kids to burn off energy in a contained environment with spectacular views.
Zip Safari
A high-ropes course through the forest canopy — 22 zip lines and 10 obstacles (bridges, nets, surfboards, balance beams) at 18 metres above the ground, with views across the Conwy Valley between the trees. The course takes up to two hours and is designed for ages 9+. After a safety briefing and training on the clip-in system, you navigate the course at your own pace. It is physically demanding — upper body strength and a head for heights both help — and genuinely exhilarating when you hit the longer zip sections between platforms.
Tree Hoppers
A smaller, lower high-ropes course designed for younger children (recommended ages 5–12, though older children and adults are welcome). Two courses — Green (easier) and Red (more challenging) — with 12 zip lines and 22 obstacles at 7 metres above ground. A good stepping stone for children who are not quite ready for the full Zip Safari. Allow 30–45 minutes.
Skyride
Europe’s highest five-seater giant swing. You and up to four others are winched 80 feet (24 metres) into the air, overlooking the Conwy Valley — and then one person in the group has to pull the release cord. The swing drops and you hurtle forward with a genuine sense of speed and weightlessness. It is short — the whole thing lasts a couple of minutes — but intense. Minimum age 7. A good add-on rather than a standalone visit.
Plummet
A 100-foot (30-metre) free-fall drop through a trap door — the world’s first tandem freefall experience, meaning you can do it alone or paired with a friend. You stand on a platform, the floor opens, and you drop. A controlled descent system brings you safely to the ground after the initial free-fall. Minimum age 7. It is exactly as terrifying as it sounds, and over in seconds. Not for the faint-hearted, but a genuine talking point.
Ffear Fforest (Seasonal — October)
Every October, the site transforms into North Wales’ biggest Halloween scare event. The woodland is taken over by performers (historically demonic clowns — you have been warned), and visitors tackle the adventures in darkness while being chased and startled along the way. It regularly sells out — book well in advance. From £38. Ages 12+.
Food and Drink
Betws Burritos serves hot food including their signature burritos, locally sourced coffees, teas, and snacks. The Snac Shac kiosk offers lighter bites and drinks. The TiPi Bar serves alcoholic drinks under a tipi canopy in the woodland — a good spot to sit and watch others tackle the adventures while you recover from your own.
Getting There
On foot from Bryn Bella: Zip World Fforest is close enough to walk to from Bryn Bella — about a mile along the road or through the edge of the Gwydir Forest. No need to drive or park.
By car: Signposted from the A470/A5 junction at Betws-y-Coed. On-site parking with charges.
By bus: The Llew Jones 19 bus runs from Llandudno and Llanrwst to Betws-y-Coed, stopping close to the site.
By train: Betws-y-Coed station is about a mile from the site — walkable, or Bryn Bella can arrange a collection from the station if you are arriving by rail.
Fforest vs Penrhyn Quarry — Which One?
Zip World operates both the Fforest site in Betws-y-Coed and the Penrhyn Quarry site near Bethesda (20 minutes away). They are different experiences:
Fforest is better for families with younger children (activities from age 3+), for groups who want variety across a full day, and for visitors who want a woodland setting with multiple lower-intensity adventures plus a couple of high-adrenaline options (Skyride, Plummet). The Fforest Coaster is a standout attraction that has no equivalent at the quarry site.
Penrhyn Quarry is the one for Velocity — the world’s fastest zip line at 100mph+. It is a more dramatic, industrial setting with higher-intensity headline adventures but fewer options for very young children. If the zip line is the bucket-list item, go to Penrhyn. If you want a full family day with variety, Fforest is the better choice.
Both sites can be visited from Bryn Bella within a day, and Zip World offers discounts when pre-booking two or more adventures.
Stay at Bryn Bella
Bryn Bella Guest House is the nearest quality accommodation to Zip World Fforest — about a mile away, walkable through the edge of the forest. For families or groups visiting Zip World, the combination of a comfortable guest house base with an award-winning cooked breakfast, free parking, and the site practically on the doorstep is hard to beat.
Joan and Mark Edwards have run Bryn Bella for over two decades, hold an AA 4-Star Gold rating and the AA Breakfast Award, and can advise on timing, booking, and combining Zip World with other activities in the area.
Five ensuite rooms, free on-site parking, free EV charging for direct bookings.
Check availability and book direct →
More to explore: Accommodation in Betws-y-Coed | B&B near Eryri (Snowdonia) | Driving Roads in North Wales | Local Area Guide