Tourism Guide to Cardiff

The city of Cardiff is a location teeming with life and overflowing with things to see and do. A relatively compact city when compared to London, but the capital of Wales never disappoints. Whether you’re visiting for a long weekend, or a week’s holiday, the vast swathes of Welsh culture will immerse you from the beginning to the end.

Whilst Wales is known for rain, it also provides outstanding sunshine, with warm coastal weather. Taking time to enjoy the sun, you can visit two of Cardiff’s most beautiful parks. Bute Park and Arboretum is located in the centre of the city next to Cardiff Castle and the River Taff, and is equivalent in size to 75 football pitches. Being one of the largest urban parks in Wales, you can enjoy lazing beside the river or hiring one of the available 500 nextbikes from 50 docking stations around the city.

If you travel slightly further out of the centre of the city to the district of Roath, you’ll stumble across the beautifully manicured gardens of Roath Park. Complete with a boating lake where you can hire pedalows and rowing boats, as well as a botanic garden, recreational ground and tennis courts, Roath Park provides a relaxed environment to enjoy a lazy afternoon in the sun.

Heading further towards the sea, Cardiff Bay is a must-see during your visit. Previously the hub of the world’s coal industry, the Bay has now been developed into a freshwater lake for sailing and watersports. Mermaid Quay is also located here, which has heaps of bars, restaurants and cafes for all budgets and appetites.

Walking down from Cardiff Bay is the Barrage, completed in 2001; the kilometrelong dam provides a brilliant walk with spectacular views. The perfect walk to burn off a delicious lunch in Mermaid Quay.

With the sunshine often comes rain, so if you’re looking for somewhere to hide from the drizzle, Cardiff has plenty of beautifully intricate Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades. Filled with quirky designer shops, vintage clothing stores, cafes, art shops and sophisticated bars, the arcades are an unmissable location. Home to the elegant Barker Tea House, where you can enjoy afternoon tea in the High Street arcade, or if you’re feeling like a harder drink, Gin and Juice is a classy and eclectic cocktail bar located in Castle Arcade.

Feeling refreshed from a cake or cocktail, Cardiff Central Market is worth adding to the list of places to visit. Located minutes from the arcades, the market is an impressive, glass roofed, Victorian structure. Home to Kelly’s Records, which was founded in 1969 and boasts an extensive collection of collectable vinyl, you’re sure to find the next addition to your collection with a spot of crate digging.

If you haven’t already found the perfect dinner spot, then these two recommendations will be worth a visit. Chapel 1877 is one of the most luxurious, fine dining experiences in Cardiff. Set in a stunningly restored, grade 2 listed building with three floors, this authentic Welsh restaurant holds an A La Carte Menu in the upstairs restaurant, and a Gastro Bar on the ground floor. Suitable for a splash-out meal of luxury, or the perfect Welsh Sunday lunch, Chapel 1877 does not disappoint.

An entirely opposite style of dining can be found at Chai Street restaurant. This exciting location for Indian street food in a relaxed environment is arguably one of the best curries in Cardiff. Our recommendation would be the Classic Thali; a dish that combines six different flavours of sweet, salt, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy in one single plate served on a metal tray as per Indian food customs. This budget friendly location is perfect for a relaxed dinner among friends, and you’ll even find a Tiger Beer on the menu.

When visiting the capital of Wales, it would be hard to ignore the sporting history that the city holds. With a deep-rooted tradition of Welsh Rugby, depending on the time of year you visit the city, getting last minute tickets to a match is possible. With the Autumn Internationals in the month of November, Wales will play against Scotland, Australia, Tonga and South Africa in the Principality Stadium this year.

Straying from rugby to ice hockey, and the Cardiff Devils are an elite team who play out of the Ice Arena Wales facility in the heart of Cardiff Bay. These fast-paced and roaring games are easy to get lastminute tickets for, and are perfect for the whole family with fun, on-ice games in the intermission, as well as the must-have hotdog among crowd chants.

Looking for your cultural fill, the National Museum is a brilliant stop off. Home to some very famous paintings including Water Lilies by Monet, as well as a range of modern art, there’s plenty to see. After touring the upstairs galleries, downstairs is a natural history section, with a variety of dinosaur and mammal displays paired with interesting information.

If history piques your interest more, then Cardiff Castle is home to over 2000 years of Welsh history. The Castle is at once a Norman Castle, Roman fort and an exquisite Victorian Gothic fantasy palace. Steeped in history, there is plenty to see and explore within the castle grounds.

Nightlife in Cardiff is something to behold. Womanby Street is a hubbub of independent music venues, buzzing with colour and life. As one of the oldest streets in the city, it has recently been part of the ‘Save Womanby Street’ campaign, in order to protect and conserve the brilliant live music scene and wealth of independent venues. This cultural hub provides a home for the live music community in Cardiff. Our recommendation would be to visit Clwb Ifor Bach, nicknamed ‘welsh club’ for a unique and impressive nightclub. Whilst Cardiff houses many popular chain clubs, stepping off the beaten track will ensure a memorable night.

Whether you’re visiting Cardiff with friends, family, or exploring on your own, there is plenty to do and see. A location brimming with culture, music, sport, phenomenal restaurants and bars, and scenic locations, this compact capital city has everything and more.