Where To Drink In Cardiff
Pubs worth a stop, and where the city centre goes out.
Best pubs in Cardiff
Things To Do In Cardiff: Castles, Bay, Stadium And Beyond
A Norman keep inside a Victorian castle, free national museums, a stadium in the middle of town and a waterfront at the end of the Taff. Start with the day you have.
Best Things To Do In Cardiff If You Only Have One Day
One day works if you stay on one axis. This route runs from the castle through the arcades and the museum to the Bay, and most of it is a walk.
1Morning
Cardiff Castle
Start inside the walls: the Norman keep, the wartime shelters and the Victorian apartments. Allow two to three hours.
2Midday
Cardiff Arcades
Seven covered Victorian and Edwardian passages sit around the Castle Quarter, with cafes for lunch.
Free3Afternoon
National Museum Cardiff
Art, dinosaur fossils and the Evolution of Wales gallery, open Tuesday to Sunday.
Free4Evening
Cardiff Bay
Finish at the waterfront by the Wales Millennium Centre, the Senedd and Mermaid Quay.
FreeThe Best Things To Do In Cardiff, With Prices
Eight places that earn the trip, with what each one gives you and what it costs to get in.
Adult £16.50 Online
Cardiff CastleA Roman fort, a Norman keep and a Victorian gothic revival interior, in the middle of the city.
Adult £19.50 Online
Principality StadiumHome of Welsh rugby, in the middle of town, with guided tours Monday to Saturday.
Free
National Museum CardiffWelsh and European art, fossils and the Evolution of Wales gallery.
Free
St FagansAn open-air museum of historic buildings moved from across Wales.
Adult £10.40
Castell CochA storybook castle in the beech woods five miles north of the city.
Free
Wales Millennium CentreCardiff Bay's landmark arts venue, with a free foyer and concourse.
Free
Bute ParkA riverside park behind the castle, running up the Taff toward Llandaff.
Free
SeneddThe Welsh Parliament on the Bay waterfront, open to walk into.
4,129 traveller reviewsacross 46 checked tours
From $22cheapest paid tour today
Prices checkedagainst the booking page, refreshed monthly
Which Cardiff Tour Is Right For You?
Forty-six tours and tickets cover Cardiff, from castle walks to Brecon Beacons day trips. Three quick questions sort them into a shortlist for your dates.
Showing eight of the best-reviewed tours to start you off. Tap an answer below and the list rebuilds itself.
- Valleys Or Swansea Bay Choice from $108 ★ 4.9 (460 reviews) Check availability
- Cardiff Bay Boat Tour from $22 ★ 3.8 (427 reviews) Check availability
- Gower Cliffs & Mumbles, 8 Hours 8 hours from $106 ★ 4.9 (266 reviews) Check availability
- Cliffs, Beaches & Castles, 8 Hours 8 hours from $106 ★ 4.9 (258 reviews) Check availability
- Mountains & Waterfalls, 8 Hours 8 hours from $106 ★ 4.9 (255 reviews) Check availability
- Golden Gower Coast & Maritime 8 hours from $131 ★ 4.8 (211 reviews) Check availability
- Wye Valley & Brecon Beacons 8 hours from $132 ★ 4.9 (169 reviews) Check availability
- Alcotraz Cocktail Experience from $79.45 Check availability
- Doctor Who Locations, 2 Hours 2 hours from $26 ★ 4.8 (153 reviews) Check availability
- Wandering Bard Valleys Tour 8 hours from $99 ★ 4.8 (149 reviews) Check availability
- Castles & Steam Railway, 8 Hours 8 hours from $158 ★ 4.7 (139 reviews) Check availability
- Guided Cycle Tour from $34 ★ 5 (131 reviews) Check availability
- City Highlights Walk, 2 Hours 2 hours from $24 ★ 4.8 (127 reviews) Check availability
- Mumbles & Gower Day Tour 8 hours from $132 ★ 5 (119 reviews) Check availability
- Private Guided City Walk from $202 ★ 5 (114 reviews) Check availability
- Doctor Who Locations Walk from $27 ★ 4.7 (106 reviews) Check availability
- Cliffs, Beaches & Castles Day Trip from $108 ★ 4.9 (86 reviews) Check availability
- Guided 8-Waterfalls Hike 8 hours from $152 ★ 4.9 (74 reviews) Check availability
- Gower Cliffs & Mumbles Day Trip from $108 ★ 4.8 (71 reviews) Check availability
- Mountains & Waterfalls Day Trip from $108 ★ 4.8 (67 reviews) Check availability
- City Highlights Walk from $24 ★ 4.7 (67 reviews) Check availability
- Private Walk With A Local from $56 ★ 4.7 (59 reviews) Check availability
- Private Walk with a Local 2 hours from $55 ★ 4.6 (57 reviews) Check availability
- Tintern Abbey & Three Castles 8 hours from $351 ★ 5 (43 reviews) Check availability
- Castles & Steam Railway Day Trip from $160 ★ 4.7 (37 reviews) Check availability
- Golden Gower Coast Day Trip from $133 ★ 5 (29 reviews) Check availability
- Tintern Abbey & Three Castles Day Trip from $357 ★ 4.9 (23 reviews) Check availability
- Private Castles Day Tour from $579 ★ 5 (19 reviews) Check availability
- Food Tour, 8 Tastings 3 hours from $118 ★ 4.9 (18 reviews) Check availability
- True Local Walk from $66 ★ 4.8 (18 reviews) Check availability
- Alcotraz Prison Cocktail Experience from $78 ★ 4.9 (16 reviews) Check availability
- Bay & Glamorgan Coast, 7 Hours 7 hours from $132 ★ 5 (13 reviews) Check availability
- True Local Guide, 2 Hours 2 hours from $65 ★ 4.9 (12 reviews) Check availability
- 4-Waterfall Hike, 9 Hours 9 hours from $171 ★ 5 (11 reviews) Check availability
- Private Three Castles Tour from $471 ★ 4.9 (10 reviews) Check availability
- Hay-on-Wye Medieval Heritage 8 hours from $311 ★ 5 (9 reviews) Check availability
- Ghost Walk & Paranormal Investigation from $32 ★ 4 (9 reviews) Check availability
- Stadium Zip Line, 1 Hour 1 hour from $44 ★ 4.7 (7 reviews) Check availability
- Stadium Roof Walk, 1.5 Hours 1.5 hours from $29 ★ 4.6 (5 reviews) Check availability
- Castle & National Museum, 7 Hours 7 hours from $113 ★ 5 (4 reviews) Check availability
- Private Dark History Walk 2 hours from $219 ★ 4.9 (4 reviews) Check availability
- Three Cliffs & Worms Head from $189 ★ 5 (3 reviews) Check availability
- Welsh Food Walk, 2h 30m from $70 ★ 5 (2 reviews) Check availability
- Castles, Mountains & Heritage 8 hours from $146 ★ 5 (1 review) Check availability
- Stadium Abseil Drop from $29 ★ 5 (1 review) Check availability
- Free Walk, Pay What You Want Free, pay what you want ★ 4.98 (111 reviews) See this free tour on GuruWalk
Things To Do In Cardiff With Kids
Hands-on science, open-air history and wide parks work better than long museum hours with children.
TechniquestA hands-on science centre on Stuart Street in Cardiff Bay.
St FagansHistoric buildings, gardens and farm animals, with free entry.
Roath ParkA lake and lakeside gardens, a short bus ride from the centre.
Family GuideWhat suits which age, and how much walking a day needs.
Things To Do In Cardiff Bay
The old coal dock is now a freshwater waterfront of civic buildings, restaurants and a barrage walk to Penarth.
Wales Millennium CentreThe foyer is free to walk into.
SeneddPublic galleries and free guided tours that can be booked.
Cardiff Bay BarrageA free walk across the mouth of the Bay to Penarth.
Things To Do In Cardiff When It Rains
Rain falls on about 153 days a year, so the plan is covered: free museums, glass-roofed arcades and indoor castle rooms.
National Museum CardiffGalleries from Welsh art to dinosaur fossils, free to enter.
Cardiff ArcadesSeven covered passages of independent shops and cafes.
Rainy Day ItineraryMuseums first, then the covered streets.
Things To Do In Cardiff At Night
St Mary Street and the Bay stay lively into the evening, and match days at the stadium change the whole centre.
Nightlife GuideWhere to go out, from St Mary Street to the Bay.
Best PubsPubs worth a stop, area by area.
Evening At The CentreThe foyer stays open late on performance days.
Alcotraz CocktailsAlcotraz Prison Cocktail Experience4.9 from 16 reviews · from $78Check availability
Free Things To Do In Cardiff
National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans, Bute Park, the Senedd and the Barrage walk all cost nothing, and a tip-based guided walk can set you up in the centre.
Free Walk, Pay What You Want
5.0 from 111 reviews · free, pay what you want
See this free tour on GuruWalk
Where To Eat In Cardiff
Welsh cakes and cawl are the two to order, the Victorian arcades hold the cafes, and Cardiff Market keeps the stalls.
Welsh Cakes
A staple of the Welsh menu, found in market stalls and bakeries.
Cawl
The lamb broth that anchors traditional Welsh menus.
Cardiff Market
A Victorian market hall with food stalls, open Monday to Saturday.
Where To Drink In Cardiff
Pubs worth a stop, and where the city centre goes out.
Best pubs in Cardiff
Cardiff On The Map
Loading the map. Every place is also listed below.
Click the map to zoom with the scroll wheel. Numbers match the list.
- Cardiff CastleCardiff Castle, where most first days start
- National Museum CardiffLandmark or museum · 0.3 mi from Cardiff Castle
- St Fagans National Museum of HistoryLandmark or museum · 4.1 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Principality StadiumLandmark or museum · 0.3 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Wales Millennium CentreCardiff Bay · 1.4 mi from Cardiff Castle
- SeneddCardiff Bay · 1.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Pierhead BuildingCardiff Bay · 1.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cardiff Bay BarrageCardiff Bay · 2.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Castell CochCastle · 4.9 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Llandaff CathedralLandmark or museum · 1.8 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Bute ParkPark or garden · 0.3 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cardiff City HallLandmark or museum · 0.2 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cardiff Central MarketLandmark or museum · 0.2 mi from Cardiff Castle
- TechniquestCardiff Bay · 1.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cardiff UniversityLandmark or museum · 1.7 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Insole CourtPark or garden · 2 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cathays ParkPark or garden · 0.4 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Roath ParkPark or garden · 1.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- The HayesNeighbourhood · 0.3 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Mermaid QuayCardiff Bay · 1.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Norwegian Church CardiffCardiff Bay · 1.7 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cardiff Central railway stationGetting there · 0.5 mi from Cardiff Castle
- Cardiff AirportGetting there · 9.1 mi from Cardiff Castle
Day Trips From Cardiff
Bannau Brycheiniog, the Gower coast and the border castles each make a full day by guided tour, and Caerphilly and Bath work by train.
Mountains
Brecon Beacons
Bannau Brycheiniog is 40 to 50 miles north, a 1 to 1.5 hour drive each way.
Coast
Gower Peninsula
Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with Rhossili Bay and the Mumbles.
Castles
Tintern Abbey
The ruin in the Wye Valley, about an hour's drive, on a route that adds Caerphilly and Castell Coch.
The Severn Estuary Tide Near Cardiff Bay, Right Now
At the last reading, the Newport gauge on the Severn Estuary reads -2.63 m above ordnance datum and is rising.
- Water level
- -2.63 m AOD
- Newport gauge, Severn Estuary
- Trend
- Rising
- vs. the previous 15-minute reading
- Reading
- Newport station
- observed 2026-10-02 17:45 UTC
Data: Environment Agency flood-monitoring API, Newport tide gauge, under Open Government Licence v3.0. Cardiff Bay itself is impounded by the barrage and has no live gauge of its own; Newport is the nearest live station on the same Severn Estuary tidal system.
Cardiff, Month By Month
Tap a month. Figures are Met Office 1991 to 2020 climate averages for the Cardiff Bute Park station.
Cardiff gets rain on about 153 days of an average year, yet its total annual rainfall of roughly 1,203 mm comes in below the Welsh average, so the wet reputation is more about frequency than volume.
- Monthly rainfall (mm)
- Mean temperature (°C)
| Month | Mean temp | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| January | 5.5°C | 126.97 mm |
| February | 5.8°C | 92.97 mm |
| March | 7.6°C | 85.29 mm |
| April | 10°C | 72.07 mm |
| May | 12.9°C | 78.45 mm |
| June | 15.7°C | 73.54 mm |
| July | 17.5°C | 83.58 mm |
| August | 17.2°C | 104.82 mm |
| September | 14.9°C | 86.31 mm |
| October | 11.6°C | 129.05 mm |
| November | 8.2°C | 130.65 mm |
| December | 6°C | 139.58 mm |
Data: Met Office, Cardiff Bute Park station, 1991-2020 long-term averages, Met Office, Cardiff Bute Park station, 1991-2020 long-term averages.
Where To Stay In Cardiff
Pick the area first. The city centre puts the castle, the arcades and the stadium on foot, the Bay trades some of that for the waterfront, and Pontcanna sits quietly beside Bute Park.
City Centre
Best For First VisitsThe castle, the arcades and the stadium are all on foot from Cardiff Central.
- easyHotel CardiffHotelCheck rates
- The Parkgate HotelHotelCheck rates
Cardiff Bay
Best For The WaterfrontThe Wales Millennium Centre, the Senedd and Mermaid Quay are on the doorstep.
- Future Inn Cardiff BayHotelCheck rates
- Cwtch Cardiff BayGuest houseCheck rates
Pontcanna
Best For A Quieter BaseA leafy area beside Bute Park, west of the castle, with independent restaurants.
- Elgano Guest HouseGuest houseCheck rates
- Pontcanna InnHotelCheck rates
Getting To Cardiff
Cardiff Central is the main rail hub, with direct services from London and along the south Wales coast, and Cardiff Airport sits southwest of the city with a bus link into the centre.
- Cardiff Central Station: What To Know Before You ArriveTrains, redevelopment works and walking times from Cardiff's main station to everywhere a visitor needs.
- Cardiff Airport Guide: Flights, Transfers And Getting To The CityFlights, transfers, parking and terminal tips for Wales' only airport.
- Where To Eat In Cardiff: The Best Restaurants, Neighbourhoods And DishesWhere to eat in Cardiff: neighbourhoods, dishes, prices and the food tours worth booking.
- Getting Around Cardiff: Buses, Trains, Walking And Car Hire ExplainedBuses, trains, walking and parking in Cardiff, explained with real figures.
- Bottomless Brunch In Cardiff: Prices, Times And Honest AdviceCompare current bottomless brunch prices, days, drink inclusions and food-tour alternatives in Cardiff.
- Where To Eat In Cardiff Bay: The Best Restaurants And Dining GuideFind the best places to eat in Cardiff Bay, from street food halls to waterfront dining rooms.
- Museums In Cardiff: A Complete Guide To Every Gallery, Castle And Science CentreEvery Cardiff museum compared, with real admission prices, hours and day-trip options.
What Is Cardiff Famous For?
1
Cardiff Castle
A Roman fort, a Norman keep and a Victorian gothic revival interior in the city centre.
2
Principality Stadium
The home of Welsh rugby, in the middle of town beside the Taff.
3
Free National Museums
National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans both cost nothing to enter.
4
The Victorian Arcades
Seven covered passages of independent shops threading through the Castle Quarter.
5
Cardiff Bay
A former coal dock turned freshwater waterfront of civic buildings and restaurants.
6
Doctor Who
The city has been the filming base for the series, and several locations can be walked.
Is Cardiff Worth Visiting?
Cardiff is one of Britain's most compact and best-value capital cities, with a 2,000-year-old castle, free national museums and a regenerated bay, all walkable from the railway station.
What Is Cardiff Famous For?
Cardiff is famous for Cardiff Castle, Welsh rugby at the Principality Stadium, the free National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans, its Victorian shopping arcades, the regenerated Cardiff Bay waterfront and its role as the filming base for Doctor Who.
How Many Days In Cardiff Is Enough?
Two full days covers the castle, the museum, the arcades and Cardiff Bay comfortably. A third day earns you a castle or coast day trip. Here is how to match your stay to what you actually want to see.
Is Cardiff A Walkable City?
Cardiff's city centre is compact enough that most visitors never need a car, or even a bus. This page breaks down the real walking distances, the one hill that matters, and the few trips that justify wheels.
Is Cardiff Worth A Day Trip From London?
Direct trains from London Paddington reach Cardiff Central in under two hours, which puts the Welsh capital firmly inside day-trip range. Here is what the journey, the costs and a realistic one-day route actually look like.
What Airport Do You Fly Into For Cardiff?
Most travellers assume Cardiff means a connection through London or a long drive, but the city has its own airport 12 to 15 miles from the centre, and Bristol's larger airport sits just across the Severn. Which one you pick changes both your flight options and your transfer time.
What Is The Best Area To Stay In Cardiff?
Cardiff is compact enough that almost nowhere in the city is far from the action, but the area you pick still shapes the trip. The city centre wins for first-timers, Cardiff Bay for a calmer waterfront base, and Pontcanna for restaurants and a local feel.
What Is The Number One Tourist Attraction In Wales?
St Fagans National Museum of History topped the Welsh visitor tables again in 2025, and it does not charge a penny for entry. Here is what that means for a trip to Cardiff.
What Visitors Say About Cardiff Tours
★★★★★
“Richard was very knowledgeable, had lots of anecdotes as has been an extra in some episodes which gave the tour a lovely feel, we were able to ask lots of questions and were shown locations from a wide range of doctor who episodes.”
Lily, United Kingdom, operator-listing review of Doctor Who Locations, 2 Hours
★★★★★
“Ildi was among the best food tour guides we’ve had, and we’ve done food tours in North America, Asia, South America and Europe. Not only did she provide us an excellent food experience, she combined it with Welsh history, Cardiff history, and a severance and respect for Welsh culture and people. It was a truly amazing experience. She checked in with us frequently and kept the pace to our comfort. This was truly top notch. A must!”
Doug, United States, operator-listing review of Food Tour, 8 Tastings
★★★★★
“Excellent tour if you want to see much of Cardiff in one day. We were on holidays March 31, 2026 with kids and it was an unforgettable experience: the castle, boats, the museum, walking in the city centre, eating traditional Welsh food etc. All that - in one tour! Our guide Ildi was marvellous. She knows everything about Cardiff and guided us through the city with colourful stories. Absolutely gorgeous! I highly recommend this tour with Ildi as a guide!”
Verified traveler, Ukraine, operator-listing review of Castle & National Museum, 7 Hours
Reviews shown are real, verbatim guest reviews from the operators' own verified booking listings, reproduced exactly including any reviewer wording.
