DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
CARD-27
COST
£1595
DAYS
5
TOUR CODE
CARD-27
COST
£1595
Our tour will take in a selection of Cardiff’s cultural highlights, from iconic castles and galleries, to lesser-tread churches and the wonderful, open-air St Fagans National Museum of History.
Overview
A thriving city with historical appeal, Cardiff offers an abundance of landmarks and monuments through which to explore Welsh heritage. Our tour will unravel the past through visits to a variety of sites, from iconic castles to churches and unique museums.
Castles in this region attest to the tumultuous history between Wales and England during the medieval period, and we will spend time exploring three major sites, their magnificent architecture, art and fascinating pasts. Cardiff Castle was originally established as a 3rd century CE Roman fort before later developing into a Norman Motte and Bailey structure, and currently presents lavish Gothic revival interiors and gardens. Castell Coch, nestled in the ancient woodlands of Fforest Fawr, known as the ‘red castle’, evokes a fairytale scene with its enchanting spire and sumptuous interiors. We will also encounter the grand vision of Caerphilly Castle, its stone edifice surrounded by a ring of shallow lakes originating from 1216, that claims the title of oldest surviving concentric castle in the world.
Museum visits will enhance insights into the history and culture of Wales, including a tour of the collection at the National Museum Cardiff. St Fagans National Museum of History, meanwhile, offers a unique way to experience Welsh heritage by recreating aspects of communities from across the country over time. Set within 100 acres of parkland, this open-air museum includes 17th century cottages and farmhouses with native breeds of livestock and regular demonstrations, along with the medieval church of St Teilo with itspre-Reformation interiors, a splendid Workmen’s Institute and the recreation of Llys Llywelyn Royal Court of the Princes of Gwynedd, used during the 13th century.
Further visits in Cardiff Bay will invigorate our understanding of the city as a cultural capital, including a guided tour of the Senedd – the Welsh Parliament building – which offers interesting temporary exhibitions. The unusual landmark of the Norwegian Church Arts Centre was constructed in 1868 for Nordic seamen who came to Cardiff during the Industrial Revolution. We will also consider Cardiff’s connection to the wider legacy of art in the UK at Llandaff Cathedral, which houses Christ in Majesty by Jacob Epstein, one of the inspirations for Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North.
Tour Director
Suzanne Fagence Cooper
Our Tour Director Suzanne is an art expert, historian and curator, and looks forward to exploring a diversity of Cardiff’s cultural riches with travellers.
This tour will be led by Suzanne Fagance Cooper, MA, PhD, a curator and historian whose specialisms include 19th and 20th century British and French art. An Arts Society accredited lecturer, she was a curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum for 12 years and has collaborated with many of Britain’s regional museum collections. She is the author of To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters (2019) and How We Might Live: At Home with Jane and William Morris (2022). Suzanne curated the 2019 exhibition Turner, Ruskin & the Storm Cloud at York Art Gallery and the 2025 exhibition Beauty of the Earth: The Art of May, Jane and William Morris at The Arc, Winchester.
View tours with Suzanne Fagance Cooper
Our Accommodation
We will stay throughout at the Hilton Cardiff, a modern and comfortable hotel, chosen for its ideal proximity to our visits and Cardiff Central Station.
Itinerary
Day 1
Tour assembles 1330 at Hilton Cardiff Hotel for four nights.1400 orientation walk. Evening lecture: An Introduction to the Arts in the National Museum Cardiff.
Day 2
Morning: National Museum of Wales. Afternoon: Church of St John the Baptist (dating back to the 12th century) and Cardiff Castle (origins as 3rd century Roman fort and Norman Motte and Bailey structure; its lavish Gothic revival style with beautiful landscaped grounds designed by Capability Brown in the 1860s). Free evening.
Day 3
Morning: Cardiff Bay for the Senedd (Welsh Parliament building), Millennium Centre (exterior) and Norwegian Church Arts Centre. Afternoon: ferry to Penarth (Cardiff’s seaside resort where Guglielmo Marconi lived and sent his first ever radio message – ferry subject to confirmation) for St Augustine’s Church followed by Llandaff Cathedral (housing Christ in Majesty by Jacob Epstein, one of the inspirations for Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North). Free evening.
Day 4
Morning: St Fagans National Museum of History (wonderful open-air museum with historical recreations of Welsh settlements and culture from ancient to modern periods). Afternoon: Caerphilly Castle (stone edifice surrounded by a series of moats and watery islands).
Day 5
Morning: Castell Coch (the ‘red castle’ originally built in the 13th century, appears today in a Gothic revival style designed by William Bruges encasing sumptuous interiors). Tour disperses approx 1200 at Cardiff Central Station, followed by the hotel.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
A high level of fitness and mobility is required for this tour. Participants should be prepared for a moderate amount of walking, sometimes in a busy city environment, and standing during visits. Our itinerary features visits to multiple castles which involve navigating narrow staircases, dimly lit interiors and uneven surfaces that can be slippery when wet, particularly at Caerphilly and Castell Coch. St Fagan’s is an extensive open-air museum where the ground is mostly flat, however pathways can sometimes be uneven. There are 80 steps to access Llandaff Cathedral from the main street. Please note that the ferry to Penarth is subject to confirmation, and care must be taken getting on and off the boat. For ACE’s minimum fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Cost Details
Cardiff: A Cultural Capital
March 30 - April 3, 2027
Included: accommodation based on sharing a Hilton twin or double bedded room, four breakfasts, one lunch, two dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £255.
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