Popular Attractions in Cardiff
Castle, bay and coastline, all within walking distance
Cardiff's attractions sit in two clusters. The city centre holds Cardiff Castle, the Victorian arcades and Principality Stadium, all walkable from Cardiff Central. Cardiff Bay, a short train ride away, gathers the waterfront, the Senedd and the Sports Village. Free national museums at Cathays Park and St Fagans sit either side.
Where the attractions cluster
Most of it is two places. The city centre packs the castle, the covered market, the arcades and the stadiums into a few walkable streets. Cardiff Bay, minutes by train from Queen Street, handles the waterfront, the Senedd and the barrage walk across to Penarth.
What costs nothing
Wales funds its national museums, so National Museum Cardiff at Cathays Park and St Fagans both charge nothing to enter. The Senedd and the Pierhead Building are free as well. So is Bute Park, straight out of the back of the castle.
Rain, children, or both
Techniquest and the Sports Village in Cardiff Bay absorb a wet afternoon well. St Fagans is better dry, with a hundred acres to cross on foot. The Museum of Cardiff is shut for repairs at present, so check before you set out.
Popular Attractions in Cardiff
Bute Park
City-centre park and arboretum
About 130 acres of parkland and arboretum, the former grounds of Cardiff Castle, running along the River Taff; open daily from 7.30am to shortly before sunset. Published postcodes vary (CF10 3ER and CF10 3DX), so not asserted here.
North Road, Cardiff
Cardiff Arms Park
Rugby stadium
Home of Cardiff Rugby, immediately alongside Principality Stadium in the city centre; capacity about 12,100.
Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1JA
Cardiff Bay Barrage
Waterfront walking and cycling route
Managed by Cardiff Harbour Authority; free public walkway and cycle route linking Cardiff Bay to Penarth, with locks, play areas and viewpoints. No single street postcode published.
Cardiff Bay, Cardiff
Cardiff Castle
Castle and heritage attraction
Roman fort, Norman keep and Victorian Gothic Revival apartments by William Burges on one site in the city centre; Cardiff's single most-visited paid attraction.
Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 3RB
Cardiff City Stadium
Football stadium
Home of Cardiff City FC and a regular Wales national football venue; capacity about 33,000.
Leckwith Road, Leckwith, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ
Cardiff International White Water
Watersports and adventure centre
Artificial white-water rafting and kayaking course used as a London 2012 training venue; also indoor surfing and adventure activities. Postcode not confirmed in this session.
Watkiss Way, Cardiff International Sports Village, Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Market
Historic covered market
Grade II* listed Victorian indoor market designed by William Harpur, opened May 1891; entrances on St Mary Street, Trinity Street and off Church Street.
St Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1AU
Castell Coch
Castle (Cadw)
Nineteenth-century Gothic Revival fantasy castle by William Burges for the third Marquess of Bute, on a wooded hillside above Tongwynlais; managed by Cadw.
Tongwynlais, Cardiff, CF15 7JS
Flat Holm Island
Island nature reserve and heritage site
Cardiff's offshore island, a Site of Special Scientific Interest with a lighthouse and Victorian and wartime defences; reached by boat trips from Cardiff Bay, weather permitting. No postal address.
Bristol Channel, off Cardiff
Insole Court
Historic house and community heritage site
Grade II* listed Victorian Gothic mansion dating from 1855, with restored gardens, cafe and community events; free to walk the grounds.
Fairwater Road, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2LN
Llandaff Cathedral
Cathedral
Ancient cathedral rebuilt after wartime bomb damage; contains Epstein's Majestas sculpture. Open Monday to Saturday 8am to 5.30pm, Sunday 8am to 4pm.
Cathedral Close, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2LA
Mermaid Quay
Waterfront leisure and dining district
About 150,000 sq ft waterfront development opened 1999, with restaurants, bars, shops and the Everyman cinema; the main visitor focus of Cardiff Bay.
Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF10 5BZ
Museum of Cardiff (Cardiff Story Museum)
Free local history museum
Free city history museum in the 1882 Old Library. TEMPORARILY CLOSED at the time of checking because of a water leak, with no confirmed reopening date published. Verify before listing.
The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1BH
National Museum Cardiff
Free national museum and art gallery
Free entry, funded by Welsh Government. Art across six centuries in 24 galleries including Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gwen John and Hepworth, plus natural history. Closed Mondays.
Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP
Pierhead Building
Historic building and free exhibition space
Grade I listed 1897 red terracotta landmark with clock tower, between Roald Dahl Plass and the Senedd; free entry, houses Senedd exhibitions.
Pierhead Street, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1SN
Principality Stadium
National stadium with public tours
Home of the Welsh Rugby Union, capacity about 74,500, with a fully retractable roof. Behind-the-scenes tours take in the dressing rooms and the tunnel walk.
Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1NS
Roald Dahl Plass
Public square and outdoor event space
Oval basin-shaped plaza named for the Cardiff-born author, fronted by the Senedd and Wales Millennium Centre; used for outdoor events and known from Doctor Who and Torchwood filming. No street postcode published.
Cardiff Bay, Cardiff
Roath Park
Victorian public park
Grade I registered Victorian park with a 30-acre boating lake, the Scott Memorial Lighthouse and a botanical glasshouse.
Lake Road West, Cardiff, CF23 5PA
Senedd
Parliament building open to visitors
Richard Rogers-designed home of the Welsh Parliament, opened 2006. Free entry with a public gallery overlooking the debating chamber.
Pierhead Street, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1SN
Sophia Gardens (Glamorgan Cricket)
International cricket ground
Home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club and a Test and international venue on the west bank of the River Taff; also used for conferences and events.
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, CF11 9XR
St Fagans National Museum of History
Free open-air museum
Free entry. More than 40 re-erected historic buildings in about 100 acres around St Fagans Castle; Wales' most visited heritage attraction. Car parking charged separately.
St Fagans, Cardiff, CF5 6XB
Techniquest
Science discovery centre
The UK's first purpose-built science discovery centre, opened in its current building in 1995; interactive galleries, planetarium and live science shows.
Stuart Street, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF10 5BW
Vindico Arena
Ice arena and spectator venue
Opened March 2016, capacity about 3,250; home of the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team, with public skating sessions. Previously Ice Arena Wales and Viola Arena.
Olympian Drive, Cardiff International Sports Village, Cardiff Bay, CF11 0JS
Cardiff, asked.
Which attractions in Cardiff are free?
National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans National Museum of History are both free, funded by Welsh Government. So are the Senedd, the Pierhead Building, the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Bute Park and the Cardiff Bay Barrage walkway. St Fagans charges for parking only.
How do I get from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay?
Walk five minutes to Cardiff Queen Street and take the Bay branch shuttle to Cardiff Bay station on Bute Street, a couple of minutes' run. Mermaid Quay and Roald Dahl Plass are a short walk from there. Walking the whole way takes roughly 25 minutes.
How do people promote a show in Cardiff?
Audiences here still find a lot on paper. Printed what's on guides, leaflets racked in venue foyers such as Chapter Arts Centre and the Wales Millennium Centre, and posters around Womanby Street and the arcades carry the load alongside listings sites and word of mouth.