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Cardiff is the capital city of my home country, Wales. And yes, Wales is a country, but also part of the UK. This post is full of ideas on what to see and do in Cardiff and which places of interest to include on your Cardiff tour or itinerary. You could string together a self-guided tour on foot, by car, or using public transport, or book one of the tours we mention below. A guided walking tour would be a very good idea, a knowledgeable guide can point out details you’d otherwise miss. We’ll tell you how to get around Cardiff, and places near Cardiff, along with where to go.
Cardiff is a beautiful city, rich in history and boasting attractions and points of interest from Roman times to the present day. Cardiff Castle stands squarely in the middle of the city, it’s magnificent and not to be missed, but sadly, not free. Cadw membership could save you a lot of money if you plan to see several castles in Wales. Cadw means keeping or preserving in Welsh, and is the historical environment protection agency of the Welsh government.
I’ll warn you at this point that traffic in Cardiff can be terrible, and parking likewise. If you can, stay somewhere with private parking and walk or take a bus into the city.
Let me give you some insider knowledge on how to spend your time in Cardiff – maybe I can give you some budget-friendly ideas and suggestions for the best Cardiff tours too.
I lived and worked in Cardiff for 20 years. I know this area well. I can tell you about some places that only the locals know.
Cardiff Tours
Before you settle on a tour of Cardiff be sure to know what’s free and easy to walk to so that you can assess the value of your tour.
You can walk around the city centre, see the castle, the rugby stadium, the River Taff, the museums and market. Cardiff Bay isn’t really within walking distance. You will need a car to get to places like Castell Coch, The Welsh Folk Museum, Barry Island and other beaches, or you can book a tour.
A lot of the attractions in Cardiff City are suited to a walking tour.
Places to See in Cardiff – Make Sure the Best of These are on Your Tour
- View Cardiff Castle and Grounds from the Outside – FREE
- Walk the Taff Trail – FREE
- Visit Cardiff Museum – FREE
- Visit Cardiff Market – FREE
- The Home of Welsh Rugby, Cardiff Millennium Stadium or Principality Stadium.
- Cardiff Arms Park, the original home of Welsh rugby, still stands and you may be able to find a tour of the stadium. The Cardiff Rugby Museum is an online museum that may open in physical form at The Arms Park.
- Tour Bute Park and Sophia Gardens
Things To Do and See Outside Cardiff City Centre
- Visit the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagans – Highly Recommended – see our post here. This place is super-educational for travelling kids, they can really get a feel for Welsh history.
- Visit Cardiff Bay- FREE
- Visit The Royal Mint, about 25 mins from Cardiff.
- Visit Techniquest Cardiff Bay – a hands-on science museum, great for kids.
- Go fishing! There are loads of fishing trips to take from the South Wales coast, plus piers to fish from. There is trout fishing too, but I’m a sea-fisher woman. Mackerel fishing from Tenby is fun with kids.
- Roath Park, a huge lake, bird life and kids’ playgrounds (my favourite park as a kid!)
- Castell Coch – Outside Cardiff CADW – Highly Recommended – see our post here.
- Barry Island – miles from Cardiff, Famous for Gavin and Stacy, Barry Beach and Pleasure Park – see our post here.
- Visit Llandaff Cathedral, another Dr Who location, as is Llandaff Village (Leadworth Village in the series)
- See the Roman ruins at Caerleon and enjoy the excellent old pubs here. Try The Bull, on The Green, or The Hanbury Arms.
- See what’s left of Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley. (This full day tour takes you to The Wye Valley & Brecon Beacons)
- See Caerphilly Castle, Ogmore Castle, Chepstow Castle, and more.
- Head up the Welsh Valleys to Blaenafon for Big Pit Mining Museum, The old Blaenavon Ironworks and The Blaenavon Steam Railway. Our full post on Big Pit is here, it’s a must-do.
- Travel East to The Gower Coast, Mumbles and Swansea, there are beautiful unspoiled beaches on The Gower Peninsula.
- More Beaches! There are a lot, I’ll mention Nash Point, near Newport and “Bad Wolf Bay” from Doctor Who, plus more.
- If you go to Newport, don’t miss the Transporter Bridge, one of very few in existence, nor the medieval ship pulled from the mud of the River Usk.
- See the waterfalls at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, at Henrhyd Falls.
As you can see, there is quite a lot to see and do near Cardiff. I haven’t mentioned half of the places I know of, really. If you’re looking for a more kid-oriented list of things to do in Wales, you need our Wales with kids post.
Places to See on a Tour From Cardiff
Departing Cardiff there are numerous places of interest nearby, most can be reached on a short tour. Cardiff is only about 2.5 hours from London by car, everywhere in the southern half of England is “near” Cardiff really, to those of us used to driving Australian distances at least!
Walking Tours of Cardiff
I have been able to find one guided walking tour of Cardiff, here. It includes Cardiff Castle and The Animal Wall, Bute Park, The Principality Stadium, The Arcades, and The Old Gallows. I’ve spent almost 40 years of my life living in or near Cardiff and I didn’t know there was an Old Gallows. This is why you need a guide! I still don’t know where it is, there’s no information online that I can find.
The “Animal Wall” is right next to the castle, Bute Park side, and statues of beasts sit on top. I used to love this wall as a kid! Your kids should find it fascinating too, I don’t know the significance, a guide should be able to tell you.
Food Tours of Cardiff
You can easily create your own Welsh food tour in Cardiff and South Wales, or you may prefer to book one.
To follow my Welsh food tour, start in Cardiff Market. At the main entrance, there is normally a huge display of fresh fish and seafood, plus local game, These cold-water fish will probably be very different to what’s on offer in warmer climes. I know we can get none of these fish here in Australia. Check out the shellfish and lava (seaweed).
Hanging at the back of the stall you’ll usually find pheasants, rabbits and other game, maybe venison and wood pidgeon. You can get a lot of very good game in South Wales and it’s delicious.
While most Welsh food is essentially “British Food,” we all eat Sunday roasts and Indian curries, there are some Welsh specialities you should try. Welsh cheeses like Caerphilly and Y Fenny – from Abergavenny, just up the road!
Dishes like Glamorganshire sausages (cheese), Welsh rarebit, bara brith, Welsh cakes, cawl and lava. To try these you’ll probably need to find a good Welsh speciality restaurant. Try Sosban Fach in Cardiff Bay. I haven’t eaten here, but my old favourite Welsh restaurants are closed now. So let us know if it’s good and we’ll go next time!
I used to direct people to Cafe Môr for lava and lobster, but the owners of this excellent food truck now own a beautiful old pub and serve their local specialities there. If you can, head to The Old Point House at Angle, Pembroke. It’s quite a way from Cardiff, near Tenby. The drive should be around 2 hours. You should visit Tenby for sure!
I haven’t been able to find a food tour in Cardiff on Viator or GetYourGuide, but this company seems to offer them. I can’t make any commission on this link, this is here to help you, and them. They also offer Welsh cooking classes. I don’t need a class, I’ve been cooking these dishes all of my life, and I’ve taught my kids. Boo was making Welsh cakes back in our cottage in Romania, if you’ve been with us that long!
Half and Full Day Tours of Cardiff
National Trust Card – Cadw
A Cadw card can score you big discounts if you plan to visit multiple historic buildings or castles in Wales. Admission proices otherwise, are pretty steep.
Find out more about joining Cadw here. Don’t forget that The Museum of Welsh Life is free!
When’s The Best Time To Visit Cardiff?
You can visit Cardiff at any time of year, the weather really makes no difference. It’s nice to visit around Christmas for the holiday markets and ice rink, autumn leaves can be lovely, as can spring flowers. It’s an all-seasons destination! We do, very occasionally get snow in Cardiff, but it’s rare. There is a fair amount of rain.
We have a post on Cardiff at Christmas with its Winter Wonderland festival.
The wettest months in Cardiff are normally October through to January. The driest are March to July. August can be significantly wetter than July, but rainfall dips again in September, at the end of the summer months.
Cardiff can be busy in the summer school holidays and will be busy with shoppers over Christmas.
Cardiff Airport and Train and Bus Station
Cardiff has its own airport but it’s a long way outside the city. The train station, on the other hand, is very large and very central, likewise the bus terminus is in the city. Most people will arrive in the UK at one of London’s airports Heathrow or one of the satellite airports used by budget airlines, you can be in Wales in 2.5 hours or so, by bus or train.
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