Manchester To Cardiff Day Trip: What To See & Do

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This post will share the details of my Manchester to Cardiff Day trip, including what to see and do.

Anytime I can’t find a convenient flight abroad, I go somewhere local.

While I’ve just been able to explore about one-third of the U.K., I feel like there’s so much more I can do.

Once I couldn’t find a flight, I took a 6.30 am train ticket to anywhere that was three hours away after a while.

I’ve covered most of the capital cities in the North, Midlands, and South of England.

I’ve also done Scotland and Ireland.

The only capitals left for me are Northern Island and Wales.

This is why I was thrilled to find a £19 train ticket to Cardiff on a Saturday morning.

While I wasn’t expecting a lot from Cardiff, I was excited to take the train to another country.

Day Out In Cardiff: Places To Visit On A Day Trip

Getting To Cardiff From Manchester

I always prefer to take direct regional and cross-country trains around the U.K.

I don’t particularly appreciate having to stop and change trains on a three-hour journey.

So, as much as possible, I try to find direct tickets even if they cost slightly more.

I’m always lucky, more often than not, and the difference isn’t too crazy.

So, about two days before, I bought a one-way ticket for £19. I got a slight discount with my 26-30 railcard.

But I didn’t buy a return ticket because I wasn’t exactly sure when I would leave.

This turned out to be a massive mistake because I ended up paying £45 instead of £19.

I was so upset.

I would have stayed in a hostel overnight and taken the cheapest train on Sunday morning.

But I couldn’t for the life of me find affordable accommodation.

So I just paid and came back home. That almost ruined the entire trip for me.

Moving Around Cardiff

As with most of my trips, I always prefer to move around on foot.

Aside from burning calories, I also get to bask in the city’s energy, rather than hopping from one bus or train to another.

Plus, Cardiff is pretty compact with the essential attractions, and it is within walking distance of the city centre.

If I were going to stay longer, I probably would have jumped on the bus to explore the city further.

But I wasn’t, so I just hung around the city centre until I was ready to go home.

Here’s a handy guide to my walking tour:

Here Are 9 Must-See Attractions On A Manchester To Cardiff Day Trip

During my day trips, I typically start at the train station and look for the nearest attractions according to Google Maps.

Obviously, I usually have an idea of the major attractions in the city, but this method helps me discover hidden gems along the way.

Principality Stadium

Believe me when I say I was shocked to find Principality Stadium in the middle of the city centre instead of the outskirts.

Typically, cities that have significant stadiums are not found in the middle of the city because they require a lot of space to function.

So seeing this stadium immediately confirms to me that Welsh people consider Rugby their entire personality. No offence.

Opened in June 1999, the stadium is the national one of Wales and home to several Rugby, football and boxing games.

With a sitting capacity of over 74,000, it is the fourth-largest stadium in the U.K.

Not too bad at all!

Thankfully, when I went, there was no game playing.

I can imagine how packed and busy the city centre would have been.

It is also a multi-functional stadium used for many other functions, such as concerts, events and filming locations.

Sophia Gardens

A stone throw from the Principality Stadium is the Sophia Gardens, adjacent to Bute Park.

It’s a large public park named after Sophia Crichton-Stuart, Marchioness of Bute (1809–1859), who championed the idea of having ample open space for recreational purposes.

In 1947, it was acquired and managed by the Cardiff City Centre.

Part of the Sophia Gardens is a cricket ground that has hosted international test cricket and county matches in recent times.

Bute Park

Once you’re done with the Sophia Gardens, you’ll find that there’s a continuous pathway into what seems like another park, and you’ll be correct.

The Bute Park and Arboretum is a large park in Cardiff.

It is 130 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland, which used to be part of Cardiff Castle.

Right now, it houses a collection of arboretums, flower gardens, and recreation grounds.

They include:

Summerhouse Kiosk; a mini cafe.
Blackfriars Friary
Animal Wall: a sculptured wall that depicts 15 animals.
West Lodge: currently used as a tea room.
Mill Leat

A few bridges also connect the park, including Blackweir and Cardiff Bridges.

If you need somewhere to relax away from the chaos of the city centre, this is a great park.

Cardiff Castle

If there is one attraction I was looking forward to, it is Cardiff Castle, built in the late 11th century.

Since travelling around England, I’ve been to a handful of castles, so I have a decent expectation of them.

Surprisingly it was free to enter, so I took full advantage and just walked around.

It wasn’t as huge as I thought it would be, but it’s probably big enough when you consider that Bute Park was once part of the castle.

Some significant parts of the castle you should look out for include;

The Norman Keep
The Clock Tower
Animal Wall
Swiss Bridge
Roman Wall
The Black Tower

If you want to explore the ins and outs of the castle fully, I suggest you book tickets.

National Museum Cardiff

This is an art gallery and museum in Cardiff located opposite Bute Park.

It’s part of the Association of National Museums in Wales, which comprises seven museums all over Wales.

Entrance is free, and you’ll find collections of botany, fine and applied art, geology, and zoology.

It is also shared with the National Museum of Art, which has a collection of Old Master paintings, including works by all of the notable Welsh artists.

You can easily spend two to three hours here, depending on your interests.

Cardiff Market

Next was the Cardiff Market, which is a five-minute walk from the castle.

It was so easy to miss the Victorian indoor market until I saw the signage with the large H. Samuel clock hung above its entrance.

Like many other indoor markets, the Cardiff Market offers fresh produce, cooked food, and artisan items.

If you want to get unique gift items for yourself or your loved ones, you can try the Cardiff Market.

Cardiff Story Museum

Still amid the shopping arcades is the Cardiff Story Museum which exhibits the city’s history.

There’s no better way to locate this kind of museum than in the centre.

Entrance is free, and you can find over 3000 Cardiff-related objects and artefacts donated by Cardiff residents.

This is such an exciting concept.

Usually, wealthy and influential people donate their collections and findings to museums, not regular residents.

It is interesting to know that the museum, which is now located, was formerly called the Cardiff Free Library or the Old Library until it was transferred to another building in 1988.

This is a great place to spend of free time exploring Cardiff’s history.