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Heading to Cardiff and want to know the best tours to take?
You’ve come to the right place!
As someone who has lived in the UK for over 10 years, I’ve been to Cardiff countless times to visit and to bring family and friends, and I’ve learned that one of the best ways to see this gorgeous Welsh city is with a Cardiff tour.
⏳ Don’t have time to read the whole list?
The best Cardiff tour is this private guided walking tour through Cardiff.
Whether you want a walking tour of Cardiff, a boat tour of Cardiff, or even a self-guided Cardiff tour where you don’t even need a guide physically there with you, choosing one of these tours will let you see the city in all of its charm in a whole new way.
Cardiff is a really fascinating city that is on a huge revitalization kick in recent decades, and the architecture is some of the most interesting in all of the UK.
If you’re like, just tell me which one is the best one, then no worries: this Cardiff City Private Guided walking tour is the best Cardiff tour.
But if you want to see my other picks, keep reading!
PS – exploring more of Wales? Check out my guide to the best tours in Wales.
Easy Guide: Best Cardiff Tour Picks
Best Tours in Cardiff
1. Cardiff City Private Guided Walking Tour
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 62+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
Enjoy a two-hour Cardiff City Private Guided Walking Tour, a personalized exploration of the Welsh capital’s history and present.
Unlike conventional group tours of Cardiff, you’ll get a private experience, ensuring an intimate journey with the ability to ask as many questions as you want.
As you wander through iconic landmarks such as Cardiff Castle, Bute Park, and the Principality Stadium, your knowledgeable guide will share colorful stories, spanning Tudor history to the heartwarming tales of Welsh rugby.
If you’ve only got time for one tour in Cardiff, this is the one I recommend!
2. Cardiff Bay Boat Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars, 270+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 45 minutes | ✔️ BOOK NOW
You’ve got the gorgeous Cardiff Bay right at your doorstep, so why not see the city by boat?
Enjoy this Cardiff cruise with expert on-board commentary that will shed some light on all of the regeneration taking place in the city, including landmarks like the Barrage, the Wales Millennium Centre, the Welsh Assembly, the Old Docks, and the Wetlands Nature Reserve.
It’s relaxing, it’s only 45 minutes so it won’t take a ton of time out of your day, and it’s a unique way to see the city if you don’t want to walk and instead just want to…float!
3. Doctor Who Cardiff Walking Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars, 25+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
Doctor Who fans, this is the tour for you.
Cardiff is Doctor Who Central, and on this Cardiff tour, you get to see memorable locations from the series like Rose Tyler’s workplace, where Danny Pinks died, and so much more.
You’ll get Doctor Who stories, trivia, and local lore about their time filming in Cardiff while also checking out Cardiff Castle and the National Museum of Wales.
Your guide will be a fellow Doctor Who fan, so rest assured they’re fangirling/guying about seeing the TARDIS library as well!
4. Small Group Cardiff City Walking Tour with Professional Guide
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 20+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
Looking to see Cardiff with a small group?
With just 7 people at maximum, this tour will take you through Cardiff’s hidden alleyways as you explore some of the top sites.
Experience Cardiff Castle with 2000 years of history, check out the Morgan Arcade which is one of the most distinctive shopping experiences in all of Wales, and learn more about Welsh rugby as you pass Principality Stadium.
Wander through Bute Park, helping to make Cardiff one of the UK’s greenest cities, and finish at City Hall, where you’ll find the National Museum and so much more.
5. Cardiff Like a Local: Customized Private Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars, 19+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2-6 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
This is a completely customized tour option, which means that you get to decide what sorts of things you’re interested in and let the guide come up with a personalized tour just for you.
You’ll get to choose the meeting time and place, you can tell them, “hey! Show me all of the cool pubs” or “I’m really interested in nature” or “I’ve got my young kids with me – can you take us around and show us all the cool things for the little ones?”
Cardiff is your oyster with this personalized tour and your local friendly guide.
6. Cardiff’s Bay and Waterfront: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour | ✔️ BOOK NOW
This self-paced and self-guided tour experience is all done from your smartphone, making it easy to stop and start whenever you want or break it up over multiple days or hours.
Get those Wales Instagram captions ready to go!
All you have to do is download the app and you’ll let it take you through the Cardiff Art Trail, Waterfront Pair, Pierhead Building, Wales Millennium Centre, and more.
The directions will work if you don’t have data, and you’ve got the audio narration option to enjoy so it’s a much cheaper way to explore the city if you don’t feel like a traditional guided tour, but still want all of the fun facts about Cardiff!
7. Cardiff Private Dark History Tour
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars, 9+ reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 2 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
Get ready for a chilling adventure as the Cardiff Dark Side Tour unveils the spookier side of the Welsh capital.
Beyond Cardiff’s famous castle and rugby stadium, this tour delves into the city’s dark past, from hangings and executions to eerie graveyards and tales of disease.
Wander through The Hayes, now a chic shopping hub but once a breeding ground for disease in infamous housing courts, and discover the House of Fraser’s unexpected history as a former execution site and chapel.
8. A Silent Disco Adventure in Cardiff
⭐️ RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 1 hour | ✔️ BOOK NOW
You’ve probably never been on a tour quite like this one – if you’re up for a unique experience, take the Silent Disco Adventure tour where you’ll wander through the city while dancing, singing, and walking to the beats of theme songs and favorite hits filling your personal headset.
It’s part tour, part flash mob, all silent disco, and is a hilarious way to see the city and something fun to do for groups and parties.
9. Cardiff Mystery Adventure: Cardiff’s Missing Masterpiece
⭐️ RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours | ✔️ BOOK NOW
This giant outdoor escape room tour takes you through the city as you attempt to solve clues, figure out “who dunnit” and unlock the next hints.
It’s a self-guided treasure hunt, of sorts, that is great to do with friends for something unique to do in Cardiff, while solving puzzles and learning about local history.
