Cardiff Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Cardiff is a refreshingly compact capital. The castle, the national museum, the Victorian shopping arcades and the Principality Stadium all sit within a few minutes' walk of each other, and the regenerated waterfront at Cardiff Bay is a short hop away. With free national museums, castles on the doorstep and the Brecon Beacons within reach, a weekend in Cardiff is easy to plan and good value.

How long to stay

Two nights covers the city centre, Cardiff Bay and St Fagans. Add a third for Castell Coch and a day in the hills or on the Gower. The city fills up on international rugby and big concert weekends, so check the fixtures before you book.

Where to stay in Cardiff

The choice is between the city centre, close to the castle and the shops, and Cardiff Bay, with its waterfront restaurants and quieter evenings. See the full list on the Cardiff hotels page.

City centre

The Parkgate Hotel is a five-star in a Grade II listed Edwardian former post office that shares a wall with the Principality Stadium, rated 4.6 from over 1,900 Google reviews. Hotel Indigo Cardiff sits just off the Dominions Arcade, and Park Plaza Cardiff on Greyfriars Road has a spa with a pool, hot tub and steam room. Novotel Cardiff Centre, between the stadium and the bay, suits families.

Cardiff Bay

voco St. David's Cardiff is a five-star on the waterfront, with a spa, a pool and balconies looking over the bay, and it accepts dogs. Future Inn Cardiff Bay is an independent four-star with free parking, and Premier Inn Cardiff Bay is by Mermaid Quay, within walking distance of the Wales Millennium Centre.

Above the city

New House Country Hotel sits on the hills north of Cardiff, with wide views and a reputation for hearty breakfasts.

Things to do

Browse everything on the Cardiff attractions page. These are the highlights.

Castles

Cardiff Castle sits in the middle of the city, combining Roman walls, a Norman keep and lavish Victorian Gothic interiors, with wartime shelters in the walls. Bute Park stretches out behind it along the River Taff. A few miles north, Castell Coch is a fairytale Gothic Revival castle in the woods, built for the same Marquess of Bute.

Museums

National Museum Cardiff in Cathays Park is free and holds art, natural history and archaeology, including a strong Impressionist collection. On the western edge of the city, St Fagans National Museum of History is an open-air museum of Welsh life, with historic buildings moved from across Wales and rebuilt in the grounds. It is free and rated 4.7 from over 12,000 reviews.

Cardiff Bay

The waterfront is good for a stroll along the barrage and past the Senedd, home of the Welsh Parliament. Wales Millennium Centre stages opera, musicals and ballet, and nearby Techniquest is a hands-on science centre for children. For something different, Ice Arena Wales has public skating and is home to the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team.

With children

Cefn Mably Farm Park on the edge of the city lets younger children feed animals and play outdoors.

Where to eat

Mermaid Quay in the bay and the streets around the castle and arcades are the main areas for food. Pho serves Vietnamese noodle soups and street food, and Cosy Club Cardiff is a relaxed all-day option. See more on the Cardiff restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Start at Cardiff Castle, then walk through Bute Park along the Taff. After lunch in one of the Victorian arcades, spend the afternoon at National Museum Cardiff, and finish with dinner in the city centre or a show at the Millennium Centre.

Day two

Spend the morning at St Fagans, allowing at least half a day to explore. In the afternoon, head down to Cardiff Bay for a walk along the waterfront and the barrage, then dinner at Mermaid Quay.

Day trips from Cardiff

Swansea is the gateway to the Gower peninsula and its beaches. Merthyr Tydfil sits on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons, and Newport is close to the Roman fortress at Caerleon. Across the Severn, Bristol is under an hour by train, and Bath makes a longer but rewarding day out.

Camping and cottages near Cardiff

Under the Oak Glamping near Caerphilly has glamping pods and lodges within easy reach of the city and of Caerphilly Castle. For more choice, browse all campsites near Cardiff or Cardiff cottages.

Practical tips

Cardiff Central has direct trains from London Paddington and Bristol, and the city centre is flat and walkable, with trains and buses running down to the bay; see staycations without a car. With free national museums, Cardiff is a good choice for rainy-day staycations, and castle fans should read historic staycations: castles, ruins and ancient sites.