Cardiff Castle, Cardiff Castle is number 1 in the things to do in Cardiff! The Castle is Wales’ top heritage attraction, it has been incredibly preserved and is really interactive.
It’s great for adults to visit but it’s especially good when thinking about what to do in Cardiff with kids. For more history, to see some Welsh culture and to try the best Welsh Cakes in Cardiff, head to Cardiff Market which is in the middle of the city and just a few minutes walk from the Castle. Here you’ll find row’s of independent shops and cafes selling local products. Cardiff Market is known as the beating heart of Cardiff making it one of the top places to go in Cardiff and things to do in Cardiff!. There are so many independent cool cafes in Cardiff city centre and I particularly like the ones located in the shopping arcades so you can really enjoy the architecture of the arcades.

National Museum Cardiff

The National Museum Cardiff is located next to Cardiff City Hall which is a hugely impressive grand building and worth visiting just to see it from the outside. Inside you’ll be able to visit one of Europe’s finest art collections and 500 years of paintings, drawings, sculptures, silver, and ceramics from Wales and across the world.

Bute Park - Attached to Cardiff Castle and next to the National Museum Cardiff is Bute Park. Bute Park is a huge park really popular with locals and students, especially on the weekend making it one of the places to visit in Cardiff to get a feel of local life. It is made up of different areas with plenty of gardens, walking paths, cycle paths, playing fields, benches and cafes.

Cardiff Boat Trips- A popular activity in Cardiff is the boat tours that run from Bute Park into Cardiff Bay. You can get on in either Cardiff Bay or Cardiff City Centre in Bute Park near the Castle and use the Cardiff boat cruise as a way to get between the two parts of the city, or you can stay on for the whole 1-hour journey getting off where you started and enjoying the commentary and what you’re passing by on the cruise.

Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay- Cardiff Bay is actually quite big and a lot of it is just residential, so as a tourist to Cardiff, Mermaid Quay is the place you’ll want to go. Mermaid Quay has lots of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Cardiff Bay 10km Trail

For the best way to see Cardiff Bay and get some fresh Welsh air, I recommend taking the 10km trail around Cardiff Bay. You can pick the trail up at any point but starting and ending in Mermaid Quay is a good idea and you’ll see helpful signs along the way pointing you in the right direction. If you have time you can walk the trail but doing the trail by bike is easier and quicker. You can easily hire one of the OVO bikes in Cardiff Bay and drop it off at any other stand when you have finished.

Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve- A short walk from Mermaid Quay is Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, it’s not a big area but there is a great viewing platform looking over the water and lots of chances to learn about the nature in Cardiff Bay because this is a biodiversity hot-spot! Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve is one of the great places to go in Cardiff to get away from the city traffic and things to do in Cardiff with kids as they can run around and will learn something from the many nature signs.

Techniquest- Techniquest is a science and discovery centre located near Mermiad Quay in Cardiff Bay. It’s a really interactive museum and great for children, especially on a rainy day in Cardiff! Not only will you learn more about science but you’ll also learn about Welsh culture in this Cardiff museum.

Penarth Beach- For beaches near Cardiff, Penarth Beach is the best one to visit because it’s the closest! It’s easy to drive from Cardiff to Penarth, get the bus or the train which is why it’s top of my list of places to visit near Cardiff. Penarth Beach is a huge beach although it is not a sand beach. It has a pier and Penarth Pier is open all year round to walk along and has cafes, restaurants and stalls nearby for food and drink.

Castle Coch- a 15-minute drive from Cardiff city centre and well worth visiting if you are looking to visit great Castles in Wales because this is one of the top ones!. Castle Coch is a 19th Century castle built in a gothic style in the woods. It is open to visitors but if you are just passing by trying to save time or money it can also be appreciated from the outside only with a walk through the nearby woods.


Always open to having a chat about other attractions in Cardiff based on what your looking for to make further recommendations during your stay here in Cardiff.