Top 10 Things to See and Do in Cardiff

Cardiff, the capital city of Wales is a compact city to visit, making it easy to explore in just a few days. A thriving city with the newly developed waterfront area of Cardiff Bay, the city offers lots to see and do, from one of the most magnificent UK castles and a plethora of cultural institutions to an exciting shopping scene and vibrant sports calendar.

Whatever takes your fancy in Cardiff, you can be sure of a warm Welsh welcome while you’re doing it. I have visited a number of times now so here’s my top 10 list of things to see and do in Cardiff.

1.  Visit Cardiff Castle

No trip to Cardiff would be complete without a trip to its castle. You’d be forgiven for thinking that you were looking at three different sites when you see images of this castle. Some show an old Norman keep, some a reconstructed Roman fort and others a Victorian Gothic fantasy palace awash with fairy-tale towers. Three iconic images, but none of them tell the full story.

History of the Castle

Cardiff Castle has an extremely long and detailed history, but how the castle ended up looking like it is was primarily down to the Bute family, a name synonymous with Cardiff.

It was the first Marquess of Bute who instigated the major changes in layout in the 1760’s that left the open vista seen today inside the exterior walls. He employed landscape designer Capability Brown who demolished major ward walls and any building that was deemed ‘in the way’ of attaining the fashionable and highly desired landscape setting for the house, leaving the keep largely as we see it today, perched by itself on the motte. He was accused of a lack of appreciation for the castle’s ancient character and I’d be inclined to agree.

However, it was the 3^rd Marquess of Bute and his collaboration with architect William Burges in the 1860’s that was responsible for making Cardiff Castle one of the most outstanding examples of Gothic revival architecture. Their joint taste for colour and exoticism pervades the entire interior. I’ve never seen such a variety of highly decorated and opulent fireplaces and ceilings. Every room is different but equally lavish; rich with murals, stained glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings.

Perhaps the three most celebrated features of Burges’s castle are:

• The clock tower at the South West corner of the castle walls overlooking the town.
• The roof garden at the top of the Bute Tower, inspired by Pompeii and only visited on the guided house tour.
• The ceiling of the Arab room, made with wood and coated with pure gold leaf.

Cardiff Castle Visitor Information 2020/21

Note: Please check online for up-to-date opening times during Covid-19

Under normal circumstances:

Entry to Cardiff Castle costs £13.50: adults / £11.50: concessions / £9.50: child 5-16.

For an extra £3.75: adult / £3.00: concession / £2.50: child, it’s worth adding on the house tour as you get access to a number of rooms not available on the self guided tour. It takes approximately 50 minutes and provides all sorts of fascinating information. For example, did you know that servants used to be summoned by pushing a nut into a monkey’s mouth? Yep – you couldn’t make that up!

After you’ve done the guided tour, make sure you go back round the self guided part of the castle as you won’t want to miss the most impressive ceiling in the entire castle, that of the Arab room. This is not covered on the guided tour due to its small size and the need to protect its floor.

Make sure you take a walk around the castle walls and up into the Norman keep, both of which offer superb views of the castle and the city from different perspectives.

2. Soak up the Atmosphere at Cardiff Bay

One of the best places to go for a spot of lunch is Mermaid Quay. There are numerous places to choose from that gave the following view of the Bay while dining alfresco.

Cardiff Bay is the city’s Docklands District, once known as Tiger Bay, notorious for its red light district and gambling dens. The area was given a new lease of life in the 1990’s with the construction of the Barrage which plugged the River Taff and Ely creating a large fresh water lake. The tide was considered an inhibitor to development with low tide causing inaccessibility for half the day.

With this now eradicated, development leapt into action and with 8 miles of waterfront, Cardiff Bay is now a top tourist and leisure destination. Many major attractions are located here including The Wales Millennium Centre and the Welsh Assembly.

There is certainly an exciting but relaxed vibe to Cardiff Bay. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves and it’s a friendly and welcoming place. If you like a good bitter, try a pint of the local brew ‘Brains’ while you’re here. I recommend “Salt” at Mermaid Quay which serves Brains Smooth, accompanied by big screens for watching sport too.

3. Take in a Show at the Wales Millennium Centre

Opened in 2004, the Wales Millennium Centre is the Welsh home for performing arts. It houses a 1900 seat theatre designed for opera, musicals and dance; a small studio theatre, a dance house and an orchestral hall.

The centre is one of the UK’s leading cultural organisations with a large community learning and engagement programme. It has made the arts more accessible to those who might not otherwise have had the opportunity.

The inscription on the building frontage “ffwrnais awen” means “furnace of Inspiration” and I can’t help but draw a parallel to my local theatre, The Lowry in Salford, where I worked as a volunteer for 6 years. I was glad to discover another such organisation in the UK.

There is an exciting programme of shows on at the Wales Millennium Centre – check the ‘What’s On’ page for dates, times and prices. (Currently suspended due to Covid-19)

4. Marvel at the Different Architectural Styles

Cardiff is one big mish-mash of architectural styles. Even at the Castle this is the case, but there’s none more apparent than those at Cardiff Bay.

Innovative architecture sits alongside historic buildings.  In just a few hundred yards of each other, you’ll find the aforementioned Millennium Centre, the vibrant orange Pierhead building (built in 1897 as the HQ for the Cardiff Railway Company), the modernity of the Welsh National Assembly and the quirky Norwegian Church.

It’s odd, but somehow it works! You’ll find your favourites of course, but the best part has to be the eclectic mix, no matter what your thoughts are on the individual buildings.

5. Explore The River Taff

One of the best things to see and do in Cardiff is to take a wander up the River Taff from the bridge nearest the southern entrance to Cardiff Central Station up to the castle. This is a very quiet route favoured by runners and walkers (plus canoes at river level) and offers the best views of the Millennium Stadium, now known as the Principality Stadium, home to Welsh rugby.

On your walk you’ll encounter the intriguing sculptures on Fitzhamon Embankment, an artwork representing a range of popular spices created by local artists in collaboration with Riverside residents. A theme that emerged from early discussions was food. It plays an important part in local celebrations, festivals, trading and everyday life and so this was the inspiration for the artwork. A board positioned nearby provides further information.

If you walk back across the river when you reach the bridge leading to the castle, you’ll soon alight upon Cardiff’s endearing animal sculpture wall. This is another architectural feature we have William Burges to thank for. Originally built in front of the castle with nine animals, the wall was moved in the mid 1900’s to its present position to accommodate a wider road. At this time, a further six animals were added.

Subjected to the forces of nature, the wall weathered badly and in 2010 was completely restored for us to enjoy today. The animals include a pelican, anteater, raccoon, leopard, beaver, vulture, hyena, wolf, apes, sea lion, bear, lioness, lynx and 2 lions. Which is your favourite animal? I think mine is probably the sea lion!

6. Walk Out to Llandaff Cathedral

Llandaff Cathedral stands on one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain and dates back to 1107. Much of the ancient City of Llandaff is now a conservation area and therefore the area is comparatively ‘unspoilt’ and a peaceful area to spend a few hours.

Don’t let the fact that the city’s cathedral is not in the city centre put you off visiting. There is a delightful walk up the River Taff from the castle which takes you straight to it and will take about 30 – 40 minutes to walk. Alternatively take a car and park behind the neighbouring Bishop’s Palace.

Unfortunately when I visited the cathedral there was a wedding about to commence so I was unable to go in. I had to content myself by glimpsing from a distance. It’s certainly on the list for my next visit.

7. Head to One of the Many Open Green Spaces

Did you know that Cardiff is a city of parks and has more green space per person than any other UK core city? I didn’t until I spent a long weekend there. I can highly recommend spending some time on any visit to Cardiff exploring one of the city’s parks.

Perhaps extend your trip to the castle by walking round the exterior and into the grade 1 listed Bute Park. There you will see one of the most photographed views of the castle; indeed it’s the one used on the front of the castle guide book.

Or head out to one of the parks in the suburbs such as Roath Park situated to the north. This is considered to be Cardiff’s most popular public park and it’s where you’ll find the iconic and widely photographed Scott Memorial lighthouse. You can walk right the way round Roath Park’s lake in about half an hour and it’s a lovely place to watch the sun go down. There’s a wild garden north of the lake and a botanic garden to the south, as well as an adventure playground.

8. Visit the National Museum Cardiff

If you’re a culture seeker like me, then one of the best things to see and do in Cardiff is to visit the city’s National Museum. The museum is located in Cardiff’s civic centre, which are beautiful buildings in themselves, as well as being home to world class art, geology and natural history. The museum is free to enter and there’s a busy programme of exhibitions and events.

Follow The Evolution of Wales exhibition from the beginning of time to present day, brought to life by film, light, sounds and specimens. Witness the country’s diverse natural history from seashore to mountain top.

The art gallery situated on the upper floor features 500 years of paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver and ceramics from Wales and across the World. This includes a decent collection of Impressionist art and a space dedicated to contemporary exhibits.

I saw an exhibition called “Fragile?” there in 2015 which was a unique ceramics exhibit in that it was more about the fragility of the medium, so featured ceramics being broken, smashed and walked upon by visitors.

Please check opening times and guidelines when planning a visit during Covid-19

The 2020 season will feature exhibitions on star of stage and screen Richard Burton (4th April – 6th Sept); ‘The Rules of Art’ where artists question and re-imagine what art can be (16 May – 6th Sept); and ‘Imagine a Castle’ – a collection of castle paintings from the National Gallery (28th Jan – 10th May).

9. Check Out the Eclectic Shopping Scene

Voted 6^th best shopping destination in the UK, Cardiff has a fantastic shopping centre with a mix of designer labels, high street stores, independent and individual shops. Charming Edwardian and Victorian arcades exist alongside ultra modern shopping centres, the newest being St David’s; and there seem to be thousands of cafes, restaurants and bars to stop at and take a load off.

My favourite arcade is the Castle Arcade which runs in an ‘L’ shape from opposite the castle to High Street. My three favourite establishments can be found in here. The tiny but immensely quirky button shop, “Claire Grove Buttons” is a must for all crafters. The board games store called “Rules of Play” causes my husband and I to spend a lot of money and we never leave empty handed.

Lastly “Coffee Barker” does a mean ice cream milkshake in all sorts of flavours and is served in a milk bottle would you believe?! This place fills almost the full length of one arm of the arcade with comfy sofas, arm chairs and arcade-side seating. The homemade soups are very delicious too.

10. Try Out a New Water Sport

If you are that way inclined, Cardiff Bay is the perfect place to try out a new water sport. After being inspired by a weekend of sport on one of my trips, catching the Cardiff Triathlon and the Extreme Sailing competition while I was there, not to mention Wales’s Euro 2016 match against Northern Ireland, I could almost be convinced to do so too.

You’ll find sailing, power-boating, windsurfing, rowing, fishing, and yes – even white water rafting!

If you like the idea of getting out on the water but don’t want to actually get wet, then take a water taxi  between the Bay and the city centre. You could try one of the Bay tour boats either – these include a 90 minute tour of the Cardiff Bay and Penarth area.

Upping the thrill-seeking level a touch but still staying above water, check out Bay Island Voyages which takes you beyond the barrage, along the coast and out to Flatholm Island. There are many different water tour operators but these are just a few I like.

Get in Touch!

So, there we have it – my top 10 recommendations for things to see and do in Cardiff. I hope this gives you some ideas of things to do when planning your trip.

Which of these places would feature on your Cardiff highlights list? Are there any places you would add?

Please drop me a line in the comments box below and let me know… I’d love to hear from you!

Further Reading on Places to Visit in Wales

Craig-y-nos Country Park in the Breacon Beacons National Park

Go underground at Dolaucothi Gold Mine

Discover Mwnt Beach on the Ceredigion coast

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