Cardiff in 2 Days: The Castle, City Centre and Bay

Start with the Norman keep and the Victorian rooms inside the castle walls. The decorated interiors are the main paid visit of the morning; the surrounding walls also reveal the site’s Roman foundations.

Leave the castle for the paths through Bute Park beside the Taff. Make a loop through the gardens and trees, then return towards Cathays Park and the museum.

Give the art galleries and natural-history collections a proper afternoon visit. Permanent collections are free, with Welsh landscapes and European paintings alongside the story of Wales’s changing environment.

Look at the stone façade, dome and clock tower from Cathays Park beside the museum. This is an architectural stop on the walk back towards the shopping streets, without needing an interior tour.

Finish among the food stalls and shops beneath the market’s glass-and-iron roof. It is open Monday to Saturday and closed Sunday, so use this stop on the Saturday of a weekend visit.

The red-brick clock tower belonged to the former docks company and stands beside the Senedd. The buildings open Monday to Saturday; on a Sunday Bay walk, this is an exterior stop on the waterfront.

Walk around the copper-coloured frontage and the Welsh and English lettering above the entrance. The public concourse introduces the arts venue; an evening show is a separate booking.

Follow the quayside for views across the Bay and a lunch stop among the waterfront food options. Continue east past the Pierhead towards the Norwegian Church and the path to the barrage.

This former church served Norwegian seafarers in the docks and now houses a small gallery and café. Its white timber building stands beside the water on the route towards the barrage.

Choose this free open-air museum for a half-day of Welsh social history, with buildings moved from across the country. It lies west of Cardiff and replaces part of the central route rather than fitting into it.

Choose the hilltop castle near Tongwynlais for its Victorian interiors and woodland setting. It needs a separate journey north of Cardiff; combine it with a woodland walk as an alternative half-day.

Book the stadium tour for a look behind the scenes of Wales’s national rugby ground. It is an alternative central visit for sports fans, rather than a required stop on the museum day.

Choose the hands-on science centre on the Bay for a family visit, with interactive exhibits taking up much of an afternoon. Substitute it for part of the longer waterfront walk.