The Welsh capital city of Cardiff has been named a capital since only 1955 but has strongly embraced the role becoming the cultural hub of Wales and one of Britain’s leading urban centres. The small city is modern yet packed with history and heritage and offers an eclectic mix of things to see and do. Often referred to as the ‘city of castles’, Cardiff is home to a host of romantic landmarks and is also the perfect city base to explore the surrounding region.
Follow the Bute Park Sculpture Trail
Cardiff has more greenery per head than any other British city and the centrally located Bute Park is the largest green space in the city. The park is home to a sculpture trail featuring twenty-one artistic creations from a variety of Welsh artists created by repurposing decaying trees from the park. The magnificent sculptures are so intricately designed and offer great photo opportunities during a visit to the park. With such incredible work, Bute Park is like an open-air art gallery set in the beautiful surroundings of nature.
Price: Free
Hours: 24/7
Visit Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is one of the city’s oldest and most recognisable landmarks with over 2000 years of history held within the heart of the city. The castle is one of the top tourist attractions in all of Wales and home to an abundance of the country’s heritage. Not only does the castle look beautiful with such magnificent architecture but a visit provides an incredibly, informative experience detailing the history of Cardiff and the historic events of the castle. The castle also features the Firing Line military museum, wartime shelters and Roman ruins.
Price: £12.50 adults, £9 children and under 5’s free
Hours: Monday to Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday to Sunday 9am-6pm
Cruise around Cardiff Bay
Cardiff is home to a vibrant waterfront around a freshwater lake with a wealth of activities, attractions and entertainment on offer. In previous centuries, the bay served as the Bute family docks exporting Welsh coal across the globe to bring fortunes to Cardiff. The bay offers a variety of water sports with one of the best ways to explore the bay to enjoy a cruise. Cruising on the lake is a great way to admire the panoramic views of the bay and city.
Price: Varies by operator
Hours: Varies by operator
Wander Cardiff Central Market
Trading since the 1700’s, Cardiff Central Market is the oldest and largest market in the city at home within an impressive Victorian building. The market is a great place to purchase local produce with an abundance of stalls selling fruit, bread and other delicious products and ingredients. Meanwhile, the market also sells a wide variety of other goods including clothing, cosmetics and crafts. You can purchase it all at Cardiff Central Market, an iconic shopping destination in the capital.
Price: Free entry
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8am-5pm
Go behind-the-scenes at the BBC
BBC Cymru Wales is one of the leading broadcasting houses of British television and is one of the BBC’s newest and most advanced studios. The broadcasting centre allows visitors a unique experience to see behind-the-scenes of working studios, discover the secrets of some of the BBC’s best loved programmes and follow in the footsteps of some Welsh famous faces. The tour is a great opportunity to be educated on one of the world’s most successful broadcasting companies and as a working broadcasting centre, no two tours are the same.
Price: £12.75 adults and children £9.25
Hours: Tours are on Thursday’s and Fridays at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm plus Saturday’s and Sunday’s at 10:30am, 11am, 12:30pm and 1pm
Watch a performance at the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is the national arts centre of Wales and also, the most iconic landmark in Cardiff. Instantly recognised as a symbol of the Welsh capital, Wales Millennium Centre was created as a stage for Wales to reflect the spirit of the nation. The events calendar is packed with incredible comedy, musicals, plays, concerts and many more artistic performances. With state-of-the-art technology, Wales Millennium Centre is one of the UK’s best performance venues with famous London theatres failing in comparison.
Price: Varies by performance
Hours: Varies by performance
Discover the National Museum Cardiff
With a busy programme of events and exhibitions, National Museum Cardiff is a world-class art and natural history museum. Home to the national art, geology and natural history collections of Wales, the museum is incredibly detailed and details the heritage and evolution of the country. The art collection in particular is one of the Europe’s finest with over five hundred years worth of work from Wales and across the globe. The museum also features world exhibits in addition to Welsh collections and offers interactive sections throughout.
Price: Free
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am-5pm
Explore St Fagans National Museum of History
This Welsh museum is the most popular heritage site in Wales and is a unique open-air museum. St Fagans allows visitors to immerse themselves in Welsh heritage through the lives of others by exploring the historic houses, buildings and galleries on site. Over forty original buildings have been restored to create this museum town that takes visitors back to a simpler time. St Fagans is brought to life with a variety of traditional crafts and activities incorporated into the day allowing visitors to gain a hands-on insight into the heritage and culture of Wales.
Price: Free
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am-5pm
Admire the work at Martin Tinney Gallery
The contemporary space of Martin Tinney Gallery is the premier commercial art gallery in Wales. Established in 1992, the gallery specialises in Welsh artwork featuring the work of an abundance of talented Welsh artists. The gallery celebrates the most iconic living Welsh artists included Rhys James, Sally Moore and Henry Holland as well as featuring a wealth of 20th century Welsh art. The gallery features both permanent and temporary exhibitions showcasing both established and immerging Welsh artists.
Price: Free
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 10am-6pm
Experience the Doctor Who walking tour
One of BBC’s biggest successes in Doctor Who, a product of BBC Cymru Wales that is filmed primarily in the Welsh capital. The city provided the production with a wealth of filming locations that are highly recognised and often associated with Doctor Who. Whilst a variety of tours to explore the locations of the city are available, the best way to explore is on a walking tour allowing you to take in the Cardiff landscape whilst travelling to each location.
Price: Varies by operator or can be completed independently for free with research
Hours: Varies by operator
The Welsh capital may be small but it is beautiful with a vibrant blend of modern and historic experiences to enjoy. The home of castles and Doctor Who, Cardiff is a unique city to explore with the Welsh culture engrained into every corner of the city. Not only can you explore the vibrant city but Cardiff is also a great base to explore the valleys and surrounding Welsh countryside, a must-visit destination when in this corner of the UK.
