Church Walks: The Road at the Base of the Orme
Church Walks is the road that runs from Llandudno town centre along the lower slopes of the Great Orme headland towards the tramway lower terminus. It is not the promenade — it sits one block inland, running parallel to the seafront but facing the Orme rather than the sea. The atmosphere is slightly quieter and more residential than the promenade, with terraced Victorian properties on both sides and the limestone mass of the Great Orme rising directly above.
For visitors whose priority is the Great Orme Tramway, the copper mines, the summit walks, or the nature reserve, Church Walks is the obvious place to stay. The lower tramway terminus is at the top of the street; guests who stay here can be at the tram stop without planning, without walking a significant distance, and without competing with visitors who have made their way from the promenade hotels. In high summer, that head start matters.
The Great Orme — the limestone headland above Llandudno that gives Church Walks its character and its most immediate access. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Geograph.
Burleigh House: World-Class B&B, Steps from the Tram
Burleigh House at 74 Church Walks, Llandudno LL30 2HD is literally steps from the Great Orme Tramway lower terminus — one of the most convenient addresses in Llandudno for anyone whose visit centres on the headland. Run by Steve and Julie, it has 8 rooms and holds a 4-star Visit Wales rating. In TripAdvisor's 2025 UK B&B rankings, Burleigh House placed third in Britain and eleventh in the world.
The proximity to the tramway is one of the reasons for its popularity, but it is not the primary one. Burleigh House is consistently described as exceptional in every dimension: breakfast, room quality, host attentiveness, local knowledge. The world ranking reflects something that guests who have stayed there recognise immediately — this is a B&B operated by people who care deeply about every detail of their guests' experience, and who have spent years refining that experience in response to feedback and their own standards.
For Great Orme visitors, the combination of a world-class B&B at the foot of the headland, with the tramway terminus seconds away and the copper mines and walking routes accessible from the same base, is an obvious and attractive one.
Book direct at burleighhouse.co.uk — Tel: 01492 875946 / [email protected].
Empire Hotel & Spa: The Closest Hotel
The Empire Hotel & Spa at 73 Church Walks occupies the plot next door to Burleigh House — 73 and 74 Church Walks are literally adjacent properties, both within steps of the tramway lower terminus. The Empire is family-run for three generations, four-star, with 54 air-conditioned rooms, an indoor swimming pool, sauna, spa treatments, gym, sun deck, and the Watkins restaurant on site.
As the closest hotel of any scale to the Great Orme Tramway, the Empire is the natural choice for those who want hotel facilities alongside tramway access. The spa package — pool, sauna, gym — provides a way to spend evenings and poor-weather days without leaving the building, which makes it a robust choice for a longer stay rather than just a weekend visit. Rates start from around £114 per night.
The Empire's position on Church Walks also means it has a slightly different character from the promenade hotels: quieter, more sheltered, with the Orme directly above rather than the open bay in front. For those who are visiting specifically to walk the headland or ride the tramway, this is an advantage rather than a compromise. The promenade, the pier, and the beach are all within a few minutes' walk.
Book direct at empirehotel.co.uk — Tel: 01492 860555.
The Cliffbury: A Short Walk Away
The Cliffbury on St David's Road is not on Church Walks itself, but it is a short walk from both the tramway terminus and the town centre. A 4-star Visit Wales Gold Star Award winning adults-only guest house, ranked number 10 B&B in the UK by TripAdvisor in 2025, it offers private off-road parking, a non-smoking and pet-free environment, and some rooms with views to the Great Orme and Conwy Mountain.
St David's Road is a tree-lined road characterised by its calm residential quality, a level walk from the promenade and the main attractions. For those who want a well-rated adults-only B&B within easy walking distance of the tramway, and with the benefit of parking solved in advance, The Cliffbury is a strong option.
Book direct at thecliffbury.co.uk — Tel: 01492 877224.
Lansdowne House: Sheltering Under the Great Orme
If Church Walks puts you at the foot of the Great Orme, Lansdowne House puts you on it. Situated in its own grounds on the lower slopes of the headland, shielded from the road by high walls and mature trees, Lansdowne House is the accommodation option in Llandudno that is most physically embedded in the Great Orme itself. The 5-star Visit Wales graded, gold star award winning guest house — adults-only, minimum age 18 — is a short walk from the tramway lower terminus and the start of the walking routes up the headland.
For those whose Llandudno visit centres on the Great Orme — walking the headland, riding the tramway to the summit, visiting the copper mines, exploring the nature reserve — Lansdowne House removes the need to travel to the Orme each day. You wake up already there. The guaranteed private car park within the grounds means arriving by car and not thinking about it again until you leave. Open year-round, which makes it a strong option for off-season visits when the headland is at its most peaceful.
Book direct at lansdowne-llandudno.co.uk — Tel: 01492 877370.
Why Location Matters for the Tramway
The Great Orme Tramway is one of only three cable-hauled trams still operating on public roads in Britain — the others are in Lisbon and San Francisco. It runs from the lower terminus on Church Walks to the summit of the Great Orme at 207 metres above sea level, breaking at the halfway station where passengers change cars. The journey takes around 20 minutes to the summit in each direction and operates from Easter to October, typically from 10am.
In peak summer, the first departures are the least crowded. Staying on Church Walks or within a short walk means guests can be at the lower terminus at opening without planning or rushing. For those who want to walk up the Orme and take the tram down (or vice versa), the Church Walks position means the return journey is a short walk back to the room rather than a trek across the promenade. For families or groups planning to ride the tram multiple times, or for those who want to use it as transport to access the walking routes and nature reserve rather than just as an attraction in itself, being close to the lower terminus is a consistent practical advantage.
Church Walks properties are also convenient for the Bronze Age copper mines, which are accessible from the Great Orme summit after the tram journey. The mines are one of the most significant prehistoric sites in Britain; staying nearby makes a full day on the Orme and through the mines manageable without rushing. See the Great Orme guide for everything the headland has to offer, and the where to stay overview for the full Llandudno accommodation picture.
Day trips