Cardiff Castle Tours

Cardiff Castle showing a castle, heritage architecture and heritage elements

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A fortified tower from the 12th century, World War II tunnels and Welsh military history make a fascinating day out at this magnificent castle.

Cardiff Castle is a medieval stronghold and Victorian Gothic mansion with approximately 2,000 years’ worth of history. The magnificent structure was built on the site of a Roman fort and a Norman castle and during its existence also served as a home, a concert venue and a World War II shelter.

Start your exploration of the castle at the Interpretation Centre and watch the short film presentation about the stronghold’s history.

Then go on the House Tour, a 50-minute guided tour that runs on the hour and takes in some of the sumptuous and richly decorated rooms. These include the Winter Smoking Room and Lord Bute's bathroom and bedroom. The Bute noble family owned the castle for nearly 200 years, from 1776.

Climb up the steep stone steps to investigate the 12-sided Norman keep. The original fortified tower was constructed around 1091, while the structure you see today dates back to the 12th century.

Venture into the tunnels, which were used as air-raid shelters during World War II and housed kitchens, bunks and toilets. Peruse more war accounts at the castle’s museum. Exhibits commemorate over 300 years of the serving history of Welsh regiments, including their time at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and recent missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among the other highlights of a visit to the castle are the remains of the Roman wall and a replica of a 13th-century siege engine.

Find the castle in the center of the city, about a 10-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station. For drivers, there’s metered street parking nearby. Alternatively, use the Park and Ride service. There are three sites, each one running bus services to and from the center.

Cardiff Castle is open daily except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Admission charges apply with discounts for students, senior citizens and children aged between 5 and 16 years. Younger children get in for free. Note that the House Tour has a small supplementary charge.

Browse tours and tickets to explore Cardiff Castle

Reviews of Cardiff Castle

4.6
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
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" "5 - Excellent 63.44086021505376%
4 - Good
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" "4 - Good 31.182795698924732%
3 - Okay
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" "3 - Okay 5.376344086021505%
2 - Disappointing
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1 - Terrible
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4/5 - Good

Verified traveler
Sep 2, 2019

Was a fun night with dinner in the Castle, but unfortunately 3 people in our group got food poisoning!

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
May 10, 2019

Fantastic and fantastical place. Unbelievably beautiful! We had a delicious lunch of Welsh pies directly across from castle at The Goat Major.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
Jan 3, 2019

It is immediately across the street.

3/5 - Okay

Mark
Sep 29, 2018

If you want to see a real castle, Cardiff isn't the castle for you. The keep is authentic, but the rest is 19th century Gothic. That said, its impressive and located right in the city center

5/5 - Excellent

Liz
Sep 7, 2018

it's a stop on the Hop-on/Hop-off sightseeing bus tour, which is brilliant

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