3 DAYS

Cardiff City Break

2 nights Cardiff — Cardiff Castle – Castell Coch, St Fagans & Cardiff Bay – Caerphilly Castle

Day 1. Arrival & Cardiff Castle

Arrive in Cardiff — the capital of Wales, a compact and vibrant city of extraordinary Victorian arcades, a magnificent castle and extraordinary Welsh cultural institutions. Cardiff Castle — the extraordinary medieval fortress and Victorian Gothic mansion in the centre of the city, with the most extraordinary Victorian interiors in Wales, created for the 3rd Marquess of Bute by William Burges. Overnight in Cardiff.

Day 2. Castell Coch, St Fagans & Cardiff Bay

Morning excursion to Castell Coch — the extraordinary Victorian Gothic fairy-tale castle in the woods north of Cardiff, another Bute/Burges collaboration, with extraordinary conical towers and lavishly decorated interiors. Afternoon: St Fagans National Museum of Welsh Life — the extraordinary open-air museum with 40 re-erected historic Welsh buildings from across Wales, one of Europe's finest open-air museums. Evening: Cardiff Bay regeneration district — the extraordinary former docks transformed into a vibrant waterfront with the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), the Wales Millennium Centre and the Mermaid Quay. Overnight in Cardiff.

Day 3. Caerphilly Castle & Departure

Morning excursion to Caerphilly Castle — the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in the UK after Windsor, an extraordinary 13th-century fortress surrounded by water, with a remarkable leaning tower (leaning more than the Tower of Pisa). Transfer to Cardiff Wales Airport for onward travel.

Cardiff Bay waterfront with the Wales Millennium Centre and Pierhead Building reflected in the water

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

Cardiff Castle

Castell Coch

Wales Millennium Centre

ACCOMMODATIONS

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Cardiff

★★★★★

St David's Hotel Cardiff Bay
Park Plaza Cardiff
Voco St David's Cardiff

★★★★

Marriott Hotel Cardiff
Clayton Hotel Cardiff
Hilton Cardiff

★★★

Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre
ibis Cardiff City
Holiday Inn Cardiff City

Bright hotel room with warm timber finishes

Must try

FOOD

Cawl

A traditional Welsh soup or broth widely recognized as a national dish of Wales; it is a hearty winter staple typically made by slowly simmering bone-in lamb or beef with seasonal root vegetables like potatoes, swedes, carrots, and leeks.

Welsh Rarebit

A dish of hot cheese sauce, often including ale, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, served on toasted bread; the bread is toasted on both sides, then the cheese is toasted on one side and laid on the toast – the other side is then browned and rubbed over with the ale, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Welsh Cakes

Also known as bakestones, griddle cakes or pics, this traditional sweet bread from Wales is a small, round, spiced cake that is cooked on a griddle or bakestone rather than baked in an oven, giving it a distinctive, different texture from a biscuit, scone, and pancake.

RESTAURANT

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Halal Certified

Cardiff

Mint & Mustard Cardiff – Award-winning Indian halal restaurant, South Asian fine dining
Al-Bab Cardiff – Middle Eastern halal cuisine near Cardiff Bay, mezze and slow-cooked meats
Istanbul Cardiff – Turkish halal grill in the city centre, large portions and good value
Spice Quarter Cardiff – Indian halal food in Cardiff Bay, balti and tandoor specialties
Mediterra Cardiff – Halal Mediterranean restaurant near the Principality Stadium, mixed grill