What to See and Do in Cardiff

With a large student population and packed calendar of music events, Cardiff has one of the most active nightlife scenes in the UK, its clubs and after-hours takeaways keeping the streets lively into the early morning. It’s a fitting reputation for Wales’s young capital, which only became the country’s main city in 1955. The small walkable centre spreads between a medieval castle and modern waterfront, while a good transport network links leafy suburbs that are well worth exploring.

Overlooking one of the city's main thoroughfares and bordering 130-acre Bute Park, Cardiff Castle is the natural starting point. The fort is a 2,000-year-old patchwork of architectural eras — the ruins date to Roman times, the stone walls were built by the Normans, while the grand mansion was renovated in gothic revival style by Scottish marquesses between 1869 and the 1920s. Take a guided tour of the gilded Victorian interiors for highlights like the Arab Room: on bright days, the sunlight refracts off its stained glass windows onto crystal balls, illuminating the 22-carat-gold ceiling. 

A short walk away, you’ll find the city’s seven Victorian and Edwardian Arcades. Drop into Morgan Arcade for Spillers Records, recognised as the world’s oldest record shop, open since 1894, or family-owned Adamo Gallery for contemporary art. In Castle Arcade, softly lit Maison de Boeuf has a menu of Parisian staples, including French onion soup and steak frites with a buttery, herb-laced secret sauce. On Thursday and Sunday evenings, a live jazz band adds to the romantic atmosphere. 

For something more casual, Castle Quarter’s Cardiff Market is a Grade II listed structure where food stalls trade beneath a glass-and-iron-clad roof. There’s fresh tagliatelle tossed in a cheese wheel at Dirty Gnocchi, while Bao Selecta serves bao buns filled with vegan ‘beef’, sticky ginger-garlic glaze, pickled cucumbers and pink onion. Join the queue at Bakestones for sugar-dusted, currant-studded Welsh cakes cooked on a traditional griddle. 

Come evening, saunter up the infamous ‘Chippy Lane’ (Caroline Street) to award-winning Lab 22, a speakeasy-style bar inconspicuously positioned above a Greggs. It’s a sleek space, with monochrome interiors, gold accents and red and purple neon lights above the counter. Its creative, expertly crafted cocktails include Core Principle, made with Chase rhubarb vodka, Lillet Blanc, prosecco and Welsh apple soda. Alternatively, catch a gig at Clwb Ifor Bach, said to be Cardiff’s oldest grassroots music venue, or settle in at the slate-decked Wales Millennium Centre for everything from opera to cabaret.

There are opportunities to get active, too. Principality Stadium, Wales’s seminal sporting venue and home to its national rugby union team, offers a zip-line experience 60 metres in the air. Glide across the roof canopy, then abseil down to the ground if you’re still feeling brave. Or head to the bay for Cardiff International White Water — buses run from Cardiff Bus Interchange to the International Sports Village and take around 20 minutes.

You can also drift along the River Taff on a waterbus to Pontcanna, a suburb where a community of chefs celebrates thoughtfully sourced produce. Sip coffee made with arabica beans roasted in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park at Canna Deli; tuck in to blistered, wood-fired pizza at Kings Road Yard; or head to Al Ponte Deli to shop for the likes of plump gordal olives or Rock Star cheddar aged in the Llechwedd slate caves. It’s worth swinging by Canton, a 10-minute walk away, for Chapter Arts Centre. The former secondary school now hosts multidisciplinary art displays, including sound installations and sculptures.

A 15-minute taxi ride away in northeast Cardiff, Roath Park is home to the 30-acre Roath Lake and is perfect for a stroll. Start from the north side to finish by the lake’s ornamental lighthouse, a scale model commemorating a 1910 Antarctic expedition, then continue to the Roath Park Conservatory. Step into its humid microclimate, spotting terrapins and whistling ducks in the pond while strolling along a banana- and palm tree-lined walkway. To refuel, Sushi Life is a cosy spot, its ceilings strewn with pink paper blossoms.