Things to Do in Cardiff

Cardiff is popular for business, sightseeing and its nightlife. Visitors and residents of Cardiff will have plenty to do when they visit the town. The top attractions and things to do in the city include:

Principality Stadium

Guests of Cardiff are urged to sit down in Principality Stadium and enjoy international football or rugby. A loved sport across the UK, the whole city gathers for rugby events with excitement in the air.

Entertainment shows also take place in the venue during some times of the year, with many musicians touring at the stadium.

The British FIM Speedway Grand Prix is set to take place in the venue in 2017, too. Guests can take tours of the stadium and enjoy a hands-on tour of the famous stadium.

St. Fagans: National History Museum

St Fagans is a national museum, and it helps visitors step back in time to a time when life was simpler. Guests can walk around Wales from Celtic times to the modern day world when they visit the museum.

An open-air museum, this is a heritage attraction, and admission is free.

Guests can enjoy:

  • 40 original buildings
  • Kennixton’s farmhouse
  • Six homes from 1805 – 1985 complete with their original contents
  • Iron age farmstead
  • Communal bread oven
  • Bakehouse
  • Numerous farmhouses
  • Mills
  • Barns
  • Cottages

This open museum spans 100+ acres.

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff Bay offers beautiful scenery, and visitors will enjoy numerous shops, boutiques and cafes that offer a great day of shopping for guests. The Bay is a short walk from the stadium and there are a variety of other things to see and do.

Tours are available, too.

This is the hotspot in town, and you’ll find everything, from local coffee to activities and nearby attractions when visiting Cardiff Bay.

Bute Park

Bute Park is close to City Hall. This nature park is huge and a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The park is in the heart of Cardiff, and there are 56 hectares of land available to explore.

You’ll find:

  • Sculpture trails
  • Fitness trails
  • Urban woodland
  • River corridors
  • 3 cafes
  • Toilet facilities
  • Arboretum

The park is behind Cardiff Castle, the next destination that you should visit.

Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle is one of the most interesting structures and places in the United Kingdom. The castle has a deep history that is still being discovered today. The castle’s walls conceal some 2,000 years of history.

Visitors will find:

  • Roman Fort – an old Roman Fort, likely dating to 50AD, suggest that this is one of four forts that occupied the site. The remains of the Roman wall are still standing.
  • Norman Keep: The castle was reconstructed following the Norman conquest. The first keep was likely made of wood and stood on the motte. Archeologists are still finding new medieval fortifications and facts about this castle.

William Burges was tasked with transforming the castle by John Bute, the richest man in the world in the 1860s. Burges undertook the transformation with gothic towers, stained glass, gilding and beautiful décor inspired by Arab and Italian design.

The Bute family kept the castle as their home into the 1930s before it was gifted to the city of Cardiff.

A 50-minute tour of the house is available, with stunning interiors and décor still residing in the former Bute home.

Castell Coch

Castell Coch rests on ancient foundations despite being a modern Victorian creation. The untold wealth of the time allowed for the fabled home to be built. This retreat is also a former residence of John Patrick Crichton-Stuart of Bute to escape from Cardiff Castle.

Dazzling ceilings, furniture and details were used to create the castle.

Burges was given free reign to spend as much as needed to construct the home. This is a great daytime adventure where guests are free to explore the exterior of the castle, go to the café and even stop at the gift shop.

Painted ceilings make this former home or “hunting lodge” come to life.

And this was a former filming location for Doctor Who. The staff is very friendly and will talk to you and answer all your questions.

Wales Millennium Centre

The Wales Millennium Centre is close to the Bay, and it’s a hotspot for theatre shows. The shows provide a fun and relaxing environment where guests can sit back and enjoy the best theatre Cardiff has to offer.

There’s:

  • Accessible seating
  • Coffee shops
  • Ice cream parlors
  • Theatre cars

Mary Poppins famously plays at the theatre. The staff is friendly, and parking is close by, so the theatre is just a short walk from the car.

The centre is open at 10am every day, with free activities to enjoy as well as performances. This is a good choice for some family-friendly fun in the middle of Cardiff.

Cardiff has a lot to do, with some of the top must-visits not discussed, including: Cardiff Bay Barrage, Llandaff Cathedral, Mermaid Quay and numerous parks to enjoy.