Those off school or work for half term can use discount code CARDIFFDISC23 to get £10 tickets to explore Caerdydd (usually £15) between 25 May to 2 June.
All tours are an hour and a half long and encourage ticket holders to get their steps in with a gentle walk.
Invisible Cardiff has a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor and has welcomed international groups including tourists from New York and the Netherlands. It also welcomes locals who want to know more about the landmarks or Cymru’s capital city.
Invisible Cardiff is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
City of Imagination – Cardiff Bay
Sunday-Friday, 11am. Duration 1.5 hours.
City of imagination is the ultimate love story between people and place. Tour guide Larysa was displaced by the Ukrainian war and has since settled in Wales.
As you walk between the iconic landmarks of Cardiff Bay, stories of adventure, sci-fi and romance come to life.
Starting at Wales Millenium Centre and looping back around via Roath Lock Television Studios, visit sites dedicated to the memories of musician Ivor Novello, author Roald Dahl and adventurer Robert Falcon Scott. Discover the places of fiction that have become familiar through Torchwood and Doctor Who. As your imagination is ignited, you will be introduced to the innovative architecture of Cardiff Bay.
Bravery, friendship and hope frame this walking tour, with plenty of humour and some mischievous gargoyles added in for luck.
City of Layers: Monopoly to Metropolis – City Centre
Saturday-Thursday, 11am & 2.30pm. Duration: 1.5 hours.
Tour guide John starts the cultural conversation about ‘Public History’. Cities shape people, and people shape cities. In this walk, view today’s cityscape with fresh eyes discovering the stories behind the making of the Global Coal Metropolis.
Walk a 1.5 km northernly line through the Caerdydd city space, covering 150 years of history. See why Cardiff was dubbed the “Chicago of Wales”.
Spot traces of the Medieval town, fragments of industrial archaeology and the gothic splendor of the Church of St John the Baptist. The climax of the tour is the architectural triumph of Cathays Park which was the first planned Civic Centre in the United Kingdom, inspiring the American City Beautiful movement.
The tour ends at the allegorical sculpture of Minerva featuring the coal miner as an emblem of the source of Cardiff’s wealth as a port and city.
Poetry, Protest and Place – City Centre
Friday & Saturday afternoons. Duration: 1.5 hours.
Tour guide Johnny skilfully weaves in his craft of poetry, sharing his own work alongside pivotal pieces. This tour is both personal and political, giving you an insight into Cardiff as a creative catalyst.
Starting at the Betty Campbell monument, this tour will lead you into the creative heart of Womanby Street, piecing together how the Romans, Vikings, the Butes and Pirates all made their mark on the city. You’ll hear firsthand experiences of protest from the Occupy movement outside Cardiff Castle, to saving local music venues. The tour will end at the feet of Aneurin Bevan, founder of the NHS and advocate for social housing. This monument has been the starting point for protest in Cardiff for decades and will leave you questioning what you would change if you could.
