Somewhere right smack bang in the middle of lockdowns, we finally made Wales the 26th country we have visited as a family! We took a day trip to Cardiff City right before they went into lockdown for the second time in September 2020, and here is what we got up to…
About Cardiff
Cardiff is located in southern Wales. It is one of the youngest capital cities in Europe, having only received the title in 1955. The city is relatively small in itself, but joins onto other villages/towns as it has grown.
Getting to Cardiff
Plane – Find a full list of places you can fly into Cardiff from here.
*Bristol airport is not far from Cardiff and is also an option.
Train – Check out trainline for route planners and ticket prices.
Bus – Check out National Express and Megabus for routes and ticket prices.
Places to visit
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is located in the city centre. With over 2000 years of history it is easy to see why it is a popular tourist attraction.
Sadly, due to Covid-19 restrictions, tours of the Castle were not able to take place during our visit. We knew this was the case in advance, so weren’t disappointed!
However, luckily for us the Castle green was open, so we were able to wander around and have a look at the Castle keep and pose for some pictures with the Castle’s very own dragon.
We spent around an hour relaxing in the grounds with a coffee and some tasty tea cakes from the Café.
More information on tours and the history of the Castle can be found on their website.
National Museum Cardiff
We hadn’t actually planned a visit to the Museum, having only one day in Cardiff we didn’t think we would be able to squeeze it in. Thankfully though, the staff at the door could not have been more helpful, quickly securing us tickets for the last admission of the day, just a few hours before our train back to Bristol!
Inside, the building itself is amazing, with impressively tall ceilings and grand staircases.
The ground floor of the museum is all about natural history telling the story of the evolution of Wales from the big bang to the present day. The exhibits are beautifully displayed, with heaps of information in both English and Welsh.
A highlight for Megan was learning about the woolly mammoths and dinosaurs which used to roam around Wales.
The upper floor of the museum is an art gallery. Usually not really our sort of thing, but we absolutely loved taking in the paintings and sculptures from all around the world.
We cannot recommend this museum enough for family visitors to Cardiff.
Opening hours and ticket availability can be found on the National Museum of Wales website.
Cardiff Bay
This once industrial docklands is an interesting mixture of old and new, making it a great place for people of all ages to visit.
Our walk took us through the vibrant Mermaid Quay, along the Roald Dahl Plass, past some wonderful looking government buildings, and out towards the Norwegian Church where Roald Dahl was baptised.
You’re able to walk even further, but the weather was taking a turn for the worse, so we headed back. In the summer months there are boat tours and water taxis which go back into the city centre.
More information can be found on the Cardiff Bay website.
Cardiff Indoor Market
Cardiff indoor market is located in an old Victorian building on St Mary Street.
There are over 100 traders here selling everything from fruit and veg to vinyl records. There is even a fortune teller to found.
Megan found herself a second hand bookshop, and dug out some Roald Dahl books to read on the train ride home.
Make sure you call in, who knows what gems you will leave with!
The market’s opening hours can be found here.
Sport
We love our sport and attempt to tie trips in with matches. Sadly on this occasion no matches were on, but I have experienced match day in Cardiff and the atmosphere is electric. If you’re lucky enough to be in the city on match day, make sure you get yourself a ticket.
Kingdom of Sweets
A personal highlight for Megan was a visit to ‘Kingdom of Sweets’. Here she treated herself to a pic-a-mix, with Mummy and Daddy’s bank card obviously!
Would we recommend Cardiff for a day trip
Cardiff is a brilliant city with so much to do and see. We have plans to return to Wales in the near future and explore other parts of the country, and maybe return to Cardiff to tour the Castle and see a match!
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post.
The Lewis Family.