Things to see in Cardiff

Tourist offices

Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre (The Tube)

Address: Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Tel: (029) 2087 7927.
Opening Hours:1000-1800 daily. www.visitcardiffbay.info.

Cardiff Tourist Information Centre

Address: The Old Library, The Hayes (city centre), Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Tel: (029) 2087 3573.
Opening Hours:Mon-Sat 0930; Sun 1000-1600. www.visitcardiff.com/

Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Milleniwm)

Located on the hallowed turf of the former Cardiff Arms Park, the 72,500-capacity Millennium Stadium is one of the most modern sports venues in Europe. Since it opened in 1999, the stadium has proved to be a great success by hosting big sports events and huge arena concerts. At the 2012 Olympics, the stadium played host to the football matches. Guided tours take visitors to the pitch, dressing rooms, royal box and the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame, which has a selection of sporting memorabilia. A riverside walkway runs alongside the stadium.

Opening Times:  Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1000-1600. Check with stadium for match and event days.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Westgate Street, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: 0870 013 8600.
National Museum Cardiff (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd)

This magnificent museum tells the story of the evolution of Wales from the beginnings of time to the present day. Its collections are extensive and beautifully displayed, covering geology, botany, natural history, zoology and archaeology. The exhibits include Bronze Age treasures and Celtic artefacts. It is also home to the National Museum of Art. The art gallery has works spanning 500 years and is one of the finest collections in Europe. It is home to an impressive collection of impressionist paintings as well as a regular programme of temporary exhibitions.

Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 and Bank Holiday Mondays.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Cathays Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2057 3000.
Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd)

Cardiff Bay juxtaposes outstanding modern architecture and 19th-century dockland heritage. The Cardiff Bay Barrage, opened in 2001, created a new freshwater lake and 12km (7.5 miles) of waterfront with parks, entertainment complexes, shops, bars and restaurants. Boat tours around the Bay and out to the Barrage are available. The Bay is home to the Techniquest Science Discovery Centre, Craft in the Bay, The Senedd (the Welsh Assembly's debating chamber at the Pierhead), Butetown History and Arts Centre, Goleulong 2000 Lightship, the Wales Millennium Centre and the Norwegian Church Arts Centre.

Opening Times:  Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address: Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2087 7927.
Doctor Who Experience

Follow the time-travelling Doctor on an interactive journey through time and space in this temporary exhibition. Based on the popular BBC TV series, the Doctor Who Experience moved here from London in 2012 and will remain in Cardiff until 2017. The exhibition starts with a short film that sets the scene for the rest of the visit, which includes an interactive episode featuring the Daleks. Visitors are also free to explore the two floors of memorabilia, costumes and props that were used in the series. Entry is by timeslots, so tickets should be booked in advance, especially during school holidays.

Opening Times:  Weds-Mon 1000-1700.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Discovery Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: 0844 801 3663.
St Fagans: National History Museum

This museum is situated in the grounds of the Elizabethan mansion, St Fagan’s Castle, in the village of the same name, just to the west of Cardiff city centre. It is an open-air museum where visitors can explore over 40 Welsh buildings that have been brought in from all over the country and rebuilt in the extensive gardens. The buildings include a 19th century farmyard, a pottery, a tannery, a Victorian schoolroom, a post office, tollhouse and a workmen's institute. There are also six homes with contents showing life in Wales from 1805 to 1985.

Opening Times: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: St Fagans Castle, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2057 3500.
Cardiff parks

Roath Park is one of the city's most attractive parks, with rose gardens, a boating lake and a memorial to Captain Scott, who set sail from Cardiff on his Antarctic expedition. Bute Park, formerly the grounds of the castle, is also a delightful place to stroll. Few cities can boast such a green route directly into its heart as the Taff Trail, a cycle route that winds its way north to south from Brecon through Cardiff city centre to Cardiff Bay.

Opening Times: Daily 0730 until 30 minutes before sunset.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Roath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2068 4000 (Cardiff Council Parks Service).
Castell Coch

Castell Coch is a flamboyant gothic fantasy that was created as a rural retreat for the Marquis of Bute. It was commissioned to complement the opulence of Cardiff Castle, the Marquis’s main residence. The architect William Burges was given free rein and didn’t hold back. The result is a fairytale castle, with round towers, dazzling walls and ceilings, and red turrets. It stands as an example of an unbounded Victorian imagination combined with pots of cash. Castell Coch is situated in woodlands at Tongwynlais, just outside Cardiff. It is easily accessible by train or car.

Opening Times: Daily 0930-1700 (Mar-Jun and Sep-Oct); Daily 0930-1800 (Jul-Aug); Mon-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1100-1600 (Nov-Dec and Feb-Mar).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address: Tongwynlais, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2081 0101.
Llandaff Cathedral (Eglwys Gadeiriol Llandaf)

Llandaff Cathedral is located in a quiet conservation area just 3km (2 miles) from the city centre. Founded in the 6th century by Saint Teilo, it stands on one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. The present cathedral dates from 1107 when the original church was replaced with a larger building. It was extended further in 1220 and its West front stands as an important example of mediaeval architecture. In the sanctuary is St Teilo's Tomb which, before the Reformation, made the church one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Wales.

Opening Times:  Mon, Fri and Sat 0900-1900, Tues-Thurs 0700-1900, Sun 0700-1930.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Cardiff Road, Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2056 4554.
Norwegian Church Arts Centre

The Norwegian Church dates from the 19th century when it acted as a home away from home for the Norwegian sailors who transported timber from Scandinavia. The wood was used in the coalmines as pit props, and the ships returned to Norway with coal. It was in this church that Roald Dahl was christened, so it is no surprise that he was president of the organisation that raised funds to restore it after it fell into disrepair. The church was dismantled and moved from its original site as part of the redevelopment of the docks and today it hosts an art gallery and café.

Opening Times: Daily 1100-1600.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Harbour Drive, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2087 7959.
Penarth Pier

Crowned Wales’s Most Treasured Landmark in a 2014 competition by the National Trust Wales, this Victorian pier stretches out from the pebbly shore of Penarth, Cardiff’s prettiest suburb. Wales’s crowning jewel has not always shone so brightly, with devastating fires, costly boat collisions and rotting wood leaving the structure in a state of disrepute for many years. Happily, after numerous restoration projects, the pier is looking better than ever, with a revitalized art deco style pavilion housing an art gallery, quirky cinema, and café overlooking the sea that’s frequented by both locals and tourists alike. 

Opening Times: Mon-Wed 1000-1700, Thurs-Sun 1000-1800. 
Admission Fees: No (excluding cinema viewings)
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address: Penarth Pier Pavilion, The Esplanade, Penarth, United Kingdom
Telephone: (029) 2071 2100.
Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.