A plan for Cardiff

Cardiff is on the south coast of the South Wales plain, with a shoreline on the Bristol Channel. It lies at the mouth of three rivers: the Taff, the Ely and the Rhymney, with the Taff flowing through the city centre and all three reaching the sea at Cardiff Bay. Cardiff is quite a flat city, a characteristic that helped it become one of the world's leading ports for the transport of coal from the rugged south Wales Valleys.

Around 12% of the residents of Cardiff speak some Welsh, and all public signs in the city are in both Welsh and English. However, as elsewhere in Wales, English is universally understood.

Visit Cardiff, Cardiff Castle, Castle St. Mar-Oct: Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun 9AM-5PM; Nov-Feb: Mon-Fri 10AM-4PM, Sat Sun 9AM-4PM. The Visitor Information Point hosts a variety of literature including brochures, flyers and maps. (updated Jan 2024)

City

Cardiff's city centre is in the southern portion of the city just north of Cardiff Bay. It is traditionally centred at the castle, bounded to the north by the historic civic centre, large Bute park arboretum and university buildings, by the River Taff to the west, and by the Valleys and National rail lines to the east and south respectively. Growth is pushing the city centre beyond these boundaries, especially in regard to commercial office and residential provision. In particular, the area south of the original city centre towards and including Cardiff Bay has been almost completely redeveloped.

A unique feature of the city is its friendly local population; you can strike up a conversation with almost anyone you meet and speak as if old friends, whether on the bus or in the queue to buy something in a shop. These brief friendly interactions throughout the day make Cardiff an ideal city for lone travellers. The city has a long history of inter-racial marriages and a thriving gay scene making it one of the most welcoming and tolerant cities in the UK.

Landmarks

1 Cardiff Castle (Welsh: Castell Caerdydd), ☏ +44 29 2087-8100, fax: +44 29 2023-1417. Mar–Oct: Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM, Sat Sun 9AM-6PM; Nov–Feb: Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun 9AM-5PM. Last entry one hour before closing time. Castle St. Cardiff Castle is a large castle whose foundations are based upon a Roman fort. In the 19th century, it was one of the homes of the Marquis of Bute. The Norman fort in the centre, the Welsh regimental museum and excavated Roman ruins are open, and tours of the Bute household are available. The Bute part of the castle is quite amazing. The interior was all done in the early 1900s in a very idiosyncratic and interesting style. There is barely an inch that is not adorned with some sort of artistic work. Yet, it is not overwhelming. The craftsmanship is well worth a look. Adult £14.50, child (age 5–16, with an adult) £10, senior/student/disabled (single carer free with each disabled ticket) £12, family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £39, under 5s free. (updated Jan 2024)

2 The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), Westgate Street, CF10 1NS, ☏ +44 844 847 1881, info@principalitystadium.wales. Also known as the Principality Stadium. A 74,200-seater stadium, opened for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and now home to the Wales national rugby team. It hosted the FA Cup Final for some years during the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium in London and is still the largest stadium in Europe with a completely retractable roof (good for those rainy days). A must see for any sport lover, tours are available online or at the ticket desk. Tours cost £16.50 for adults, £12 for children. (updated Jan 2024)

Relax in Bute Park or in the grounds of the castle, for a break from the hustle of the city centre.

Visit Cardiff Bay a truly cosmopolitan experience full of restaurants, bars and cafes. A good place for a 'passeggiata' on a Sunday afternoon. Boat rides in the Bay (permanently water-filled since the barrage was built), a few shops, and a children's playground at the far end (near the historic Norwegian church) along with beautiful views across to Penarth.

Take a speed boat ride as it makes 360-degree turns in the water at 70 mph.

Walk along the bay from Mermaid quay to the barrage (near Penarth) to see for yourself how the water comes into the harbour from the sea. It is a 2 km walk with the harbour on one side of the path and the sea on the other. If you don't feel like walking you can hire a bicycle (you will come across the rental company on the way) or take a ride on the road train.

At near-by Penarth, cruise the Bristol channel during summer months to the likes of North Devon, Gower Peninsula and even occasionally Pembrokeshire on the paddle steamers Balmoral and Waverly. Penarth to Ilfracombe is particularly spectacular, taking in the massive cliffs of North Devon.

Next to Cardiff Airport, Barry is a port-town, which has a theme park, casino and heritage railway. With the closure of the docks, it has attracted more attention thanks to a beautiful beach and a popular BBC series, called Gavin & Stacey. The amusement park on Barry Island contains several funrides.

Go on the Taff Trail, some of the sights close to the city centre are breathtaking and the tranquility offers a great contrast to the busy city centre.

Go to the Brecon Beacons. 40 minutes drive from Cardiff, this Welsh National Park is a scenic retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, offering activities such as climbing, paragliding, sailing and many more.

Go for a pint of Cardiff-made Brains beer in one of the city centre pubs on a match day at the Millennium Stadium.

Canyoning Wales, Cardiff (Via A470), ☏ +44 845 057 3588. 9AM-9PM. Blue Ocean Activities & Adventure offer fantastic trips around Wales, whether up the mountains canyoning or gorge walking. Blue Ocean Adventure offer full safety gear, training and support.

It can be very difficult to book a table in the better restaurants on a Friday or Saturday evening. As a rule of thumb Mermaid Quay and the city centre are jam packed full with a varied contrast of eateries allowing you to experience many different tastes within a small area.

Vegetarian options are easy to find, and vegan options reasonably so.

In the centre see Cafe Minuet (Marcello's) in Castle Arcade, The Potted Pig on High Street. In Riverside try Madhav's for unusual vegetarian Indian food. In the Bay avoid all the chains at Mermaid Quay and look at Mr G's Soul Kitchen for Caribbean. In Canton try La Cuina (Catalan food) on Kings Road. Head to City Road for a massive variety of world cuisines.

Budget

There are lots of small eateries with reasonable, plentiful and quite tasty takes on the Full English breakfast, sandwiches, fish and chips, etc.

Also, there is the Brewery Quarter, which contains a few well known and different restaurants. Also there are small cafes in the Indoor Market offering typical cafe food from toast to full roast dinners. prices typically range from 50p to £4. good deal for a quick fix.

1 The Prince of Wales, 81–83 St Mary Street, CF10 1FA, ☏ +44 29 2064-4449. A great city centre location offering great food all day at some good prices considering its very central location. This is a typical Wetherspoon pub. However less central Wetherspoons outlets are cheaper. (updated Feb 2023)

2 Blue Bell, 33 High Street, CF10 1PU, ☏ +44 29 2151-0043, info@bluebellcardiff.co.uk. Friendly pub with some Welsh dishes on the menu. Good vegetarian and vegan options. £9–15 (March 2022). (updated Feb 2023)

3 The Rummer Tavern, 14 Duke Street, CF10 1AY. Sun-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri Sat 10AM-midnight. Famous as the oldest pub in Cardiff still running! Friendly pub with tasty food and drink at very reasonable prices. Live music events, rugby and football events and karaoke Wednesday evenings. Sunday roasts and Christmas bookings. £4.15 to £7.25 for a pint (Dec 2022). (updated Feb 2023)

4 Vegetarian Food Studio, 115-117 Penarth Road, Grangetown, ☏ +44 29 2023-8222, enquiries@vegetarianfoodstudio.co.uk. Indian restaurant with an entirely vegetarian and vegan menu. Bring your own drink. (updated Feb 2023)

Cardiff is one of top nights out in Britain having the most pubs per square foot than anywhere else in the country. It has many late night pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants. In the city centre, St Mary's Street, Greyfriars Road and Mill Lane are especially lively and offer a variety of establishments to suit all tastes. Mermaid Quay is a lively, albeit smaller option to spend a warm summer night.

Cardiff is a place to drink, favoured by stag and hen parties from all over the UK. St Mary St contains many pubs and shops and becomes wild and exciting on Friday and Saturday nights. There are numerous clubs only a block short walk from Central Station that are bumping into the wee hours. An extensive venue and events list, including gigs and live bands can be found at What's on in Cardiff guide.

For a quieter drink, seek out:

1 Cardiff Cottage, St. Mary's St, CF10 1AA, ☏ +44 29 2033-7195. (except weekends and matchdays).

2 The Old Arcade, 14 Church St, ☏ +44 29 2021-7999. Drinks in these venues, and other traditional pubs may vary from around £1.50-3.50 for a beer.

3 Zero Degrees, 27 Westgate St, CF10 1DD, ☏ +44 29 2022-9494. Microbrewery has a utilitarian feel but fantastic beer brewed onsite, TVs with sport and excellent pizzas.

4 Pen & Wig, 1 Park Grove, CF10 3BJ (northern edge of the city centre), ☏ +44 29 2037-1217, penandwig.cardiff@stonegatepubs.com. Pleasant traditional pub with beer garden at the northern edge of the city centre, offering a wide choice of draught real ales. (updated Aug 2020)

Fly By Night, 11 High Street. Upmarket wine bar serving a decent selection of wines by the glass or bottle. (updated Aug 2020)

5 Gin and Juice, 6 Castle Arcade, CF10 1BU (off Castle St), ☏ +44 29 2022-1556. Gin bar offering a wide choice for all palates. (updated Aug 2020)

6 The Head of Steam, 18-19 Church St, CF10 1BG, ☏ +44 29 2037-2582, cardiff@theheadofsteam.co.uk. Modern pub offering an extremely large selection of draught real ales and craft beers. (updated Aug 2020)

Prego Italian Wine Bar, 23 High Street, ☏ +44 29 2132-1231, relax@pregocardiff.co.uk. Casual Italian-style cafe-bar offering a range of Sclavia and other wines, lager and coffees as well as a small selection of food such as paninis and pizzas. (updated Aug 2020)

On foot

Cardiff is a large city with two reasonably compact central areas - the city centre and Cardiff Bay. The walk between Cardiff Central Library in the city centre and the Bay is approximately one mile along flat, roadside pavements. Llandaff Cathedral and Cardiff Metropolitan University are further out - approximately two miles from Cardiff Castle in the centre, and approximately 3.5 miles from the Bay.

Attractions in the city centre are signposted. Some of the main shopping areas, including parts of St Mary's Street, The Hayes and Queen Street are pedestrianised. These wide boulevards have no access to vehicular traffic.

Attractions in Cardiff Bay are also signposted. The Wales Coast Path is also signposted through the Bay. From west to east, the route covers Penarth, the Barrage, the Norwegian Church, The Senedd, the Wales Millennium Centre, Atlantic Wharf, Splott, Tremorfa and the Wentlooge Levels.

By bike

Cardiff is a flat city with network of signposted cycling routes, many "segregated" from other road traffic. There are two formal river "trails" for cyclists through Cardiff.

The Taff Trail is National Cycle Network Route 8, which is kept by Sustrans and follows the River Taff:

Roald Dahl Plas

Principality Stadium (opposite bank)

Bute Park (opposite bank)

Sophia Gardens

Cardiff Metropolitan University (opposite bank)

Llandaff North

Route continues to Taff's Well, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontsticill and Brecon. National Cycle Network Route 8 continues to Builth Wells, Harlech, Caernarfon, Bangor and Holyhead.

The Ely Trail is also kept by Sustrans and follows the River Ely:

Cardiff International Sports Village

Sanatorium Park

Ely

St Fagans and the St Fagans National Museum of History

There is plenty of free bike parking throughout the city centre, but you will need your own lock.

The city has bike lockers on the street. For as little as £1, you can store your bike securely by using the app associated with the locker. Operators include Spokesafe and Bikedok, as of July 2026.

Or, venture to The Bike Lock cafe. As the name suggests, it's a cafe where you can safely store your bike.

Check for cycling restrictions on a select number of paths and subways, including Queen Street, where cycling is prohibited.

Cardiff is quite a safe city, and certainly safer than most other major cities in the UK, with the centre having less overall crime than much smaller cities like Gloucester, Northampton and Derby, and far less than in the centre of London, Birmingham, Liverpool or Leeds. However, Cardiff has a relatively high rate of car theft crime rates. Make sure you remove all valuables from your vehicle, especially from show; and don't park at night in badly-lit streets in inner-city neighbourhoods such as Adamsdown, Splott, Riverside or Butetown. If you do need to leave a car overnight, several of the city-centre car parks offer cheap rates for all-night parking and are completely safe. Cardiff seems not to be plagued with a prominent red light district akin to many of the similarly-sized cities in England. However, areas such as Ocean Way in Adamsdown may be wise to avoid in the nights and early evenings in winter, as the area is known for prostitution. Anyone caught curb crawling is likely to be stopped and questioned by police, although more often than not, you will just be told to move on.

Alcohol-related violence is common in parts of Cardiff, especially on the weekends in the clubs and bars concentrated around St Mary Street and Greyfriars Road, so take extra caution to avoid offending anyone. (Cardiff Bay is usually less raucous at these times and attracts much less trouble.) In addition, as in any city, there are areas to avoid after dark: again, these include Adamsdown, Splott, Butetown, and the southern half of Riverside. Bute Park is largely unlit at night so also best avoided.