Sunrise start time
1. Pick a path
2. Pick a day
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Best day this week
Our own guide, not an official rating: a weather score from the same rules of thumb as the warnings (gusts, rain, cloud, wind chill, freezing level), lowered on days that are usually busy. Busyness uses Eryri's 2025 walker counts by weekday and month, so it shows a typical pattern, not a crowd forecast. Tap a day to see it.
Sunrise hike: what time to start
- You will walk up in the dark: carry a head torch with spare batteries, and a second light. Eryri advises carrying a torch and whistle in case you are caught on a summit after dark.
- It is much colder before dawn and at the top: pack extra warm layers.
- Navigation is harder in the dark: know the path, and carry a map and compass and the skills to use them.
- Early buses may not run yet: check the first bus time, or the parking rules, before you plan the start.
- Go with others, tell someone your plan, and turn back if the weather is poor.
Hour-by-hour forecast: Yr Wyddfa summit (1,085 m)
Wind and gusts in mph. Freezing level in metres above sea level. Forecast data: Open-Meteo.
Before you go, also check the Met Office mountain forecast, MWIS and Eryri's ground conditions reports.
3. Getting there
Map
The route map (OpenStreetMap) loads when you scroll here.
How busy it gets
How we work it out
- Time to the top: Naismith's Rule as given by Ordnance Survey: 1 hour per 5 km plus 1 hour per 600 m of ascent, using half of the there-and-back distance. For the Rhyd Ddu Path, where Eryri does not publish the ascent, we use half of Eryri's time.
- Your pace setting adds half of its extra time to the climb.
- Start = sunrise − time to the top − how early you want to arrive.
- Open the "Sunrise hike" section in the planner above to see it.
- Sunriselive, from Open-Meteo
- minus time to the topNaismith's Rule
- minus how early you want to arriveat sunrise, 30 minutes or 1 hour before
- Start walkingwith a head torch
Walking in the dark
- Head torch with spare batteries, and a second light.
- Extra warm layers: before dawn is the coldest part of the day.
- Know the path in daylight first, and carry a map and compass.
- Check the first bus or parking rules before you set your start time.
- Tell someone your plan. Turn back if the weather turns.
Stay safe
- Ask the AdventureSmart three questions: do I have the knowledge and skills, do I know what the weather will be like, and am I confident I have the right gear?
- In an emergency, dial 999 or 112, ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.
- Register your phone for emergency texts before you go: text register to 999.
- Do not walk on the Snowdon Mountain Railway track. Keep dogs on leads near livestock.
- Turn back if the weather turns or you are behind time. The summit will still be there.
Frequently asked questions
What time should I start to see sunrise on Snowdon?
Work back from sunrise: take off the time to reach the top and the time you want to arrive early. The planner does it for each path using Naismith's Rule and the live sunrise time.
How long does it take to walk up Snowdon in the dark?
Longer than in daylight. Naismith's Rule gives about 3 hours for the Llanberis Path ascent; allow more in the dark and choose a slower pace in the planner.
What do I need for a sunrise hike?
A head torch with spare batteries, warm layers, hat and gloves, a map and compass and the skills to use them, food and drink, and a charged phone. Eryri advises carrying a torch and whistle in case you are caught on a summit after dark.
Which path is best for a Snowdon sunrise?
Pick a path you already know in daylight. Navigation is much harder in the dark.
Sources
- Ordnance Survey: Naismith's Rule
- Eryri: safety advice
- Eryri: choosing the right path up Yr Wyddfa
- Open-Meteo forecast API
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on 20 October 2026.