Cardiff is a small, walkable capital, and most of what a first-time visitor wants sits within a twenty minute stroll of the castle. The castle, the arcades, the stadium and the civic museums are all in the centre, the Bay is half an hour away on foot, and two more castles are a short trip north. Here is how to plan it.
Know the big sights first
Cardiff Castle is the headline, a Roman fort, Norman keep and Victorian fantasy in the middle of the city, with a ticket that covers the grounds and keep and an optional house tour of the Castle Apartments. The Principality Stadium tour takes you through the dressing rooms and the tunnel of the home of Welsh rugby, and it does not run on match or event days. The two free museums, National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans National Museum of History, give you art, natural history and a full day of Welsh life at no cost. Cardiff Bay adds the Wales Millennium Centre, the Senedd, boat trips and the Barrage walk.
What to book ahead
Book the castle ticket for weekends and school holidays, and ask for a house tour slot on arrival because tours cannot be booked ahead. Book a stadium tour for a date that is not a match or event day. Book a free day ticket for National Museum Cardiff, which recommends it, and remember the museum is closed on Mondays. For Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle, check Cadw's winter hours of 10 to 4, and book Caerphilly online because the castle may take only online tickets.
Getting around
Walk. The centre is compact, the castle, the museum, the arcades and the stadium are all within a short walk of Cardiff Central, and the walk to the Bay takes about half an hour. The Baycar 6 bus and the Bay train help when the weather turns. St Fagans is about four miles west and is reached by bus or car. Caerphilly is a short train ride north, and Castell Coch is easiest by car or taxi, with free parking during opening hours.
How many days
One day covers the castle, a guided city walk and an afternoon at the National Museum or on the Bay. Two days adds the stadium tour, a boat trip and St Fagans. Three days gives you room for Castell Coch and Caerphilly, which pair well on one day, and slow evenings in the arcades. A guided city walk on your first morning is a good way to get your bearings, and a small-group day tour is the easy way to see both castles if you do not want to drive.
Pick the season
Summer brings the best weather for the Bay and the Barrage, but the biggest crowds, and rugby and concert weekends fill the centre and push up hotel prices in any season. Winter is quieter, with shorter opening hours at the Cadw castles, a 4 o'clock last entry at Cardiff Castle, and Christmas events at St Fagans, and the castles close on 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January. Bring a waterproof at any time of year.
A simple first-day plan
Start with a guided city walk in the morning to get your bearings, take lunch in the arcades or Cardiff Market, and spend the afternoon at Cardiff Castle, where the keep climb and the Castle Apartments tour fill about three hours. Finish with a walk through Bute Park, and keep the stadium tour and the Bay for the next day. If it rains, switch to the free National Museum Cardiff and save the castle for a drier morning.
Where to stay
For a five-star stay on the water, choose voco St David's Cardiff. Hilton Cardiff and The Angel Hotel are a minute from the castle, Park Plaza Cardiff adds a pool and spa in the centre, and Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre Stadium is the budget base beside Cardiff Central.
