What to do in South Wales

Activities, attractions and tours

Bracelet Bay Beach which includes a bay or harbour, rocky coastline and landscape views
Neath featuring a ruin, a garden and heritage elements
Swansea showing boating, general coastal views and a marina
Swansea featuring street scenes and night scenes
Rhossili Beach showing landscape views and a beach

South Wales Attractions

Let Expedia help you to experience the best that South Wales has to offer! If you’re planning a trip to South Wales, we can provide you with a list of the top sightseeing attractions, as well as helping you to find unmissable activities. Whether you’re travelling to South Wales with your family, planning a romantic trip with your loved one, or visiting on business, we’ll make it easy to plan an unforgettable holiday that checks all the boxes.

Places of interest in South Wales

South Wales is crammed with must-see places to visit and things to do. We can help you decide where to stay in South Wales, and make it a breeze to explore South Wales and the surrounding areas with our guides on where to go, what to see and when to see it. No matter how long your stay, it’s easy to find places of interest in South Wales to make sure that you enjoy your holiday to the fullest and don’t miss a thing. Leave the local knowledge to us and leave the hassle behind.

If you’re planning a visit to South Wales, why not check out our handy guides to places of interest in the area? You can browse lists of things to do, learn about the most popular attractions, and get help with planning the details of your trip. Expedia makes it easy for you to check out all the top sights in South Wales.

South Wales attractions

South Wales has something for everyone, so whether you’re planning to get active on a summer holiday, put a spring in your step with a romantic rendezvous, or pamper yourself with a leisurely winter trip, you’ll find plenty of attractions in South Wales to keep you entertained. Expedia makes it easy to book your flight, hotel and rental car in advance, making for hassle-free travel and freeing you up to explore the sights of South Wales.

Looking for things to do in South Wales can be time-consuming, but we can take the hassle out of planning your holiday. Whether you’re looking to get active in the great outdoors, sample the cuisine of South Wales or catch up with the vibrant local culture, our guides to South Wales attractions ensure that you’ll have a successful trip, whatever the season. Happy trails!

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Top places to visit

1. Brecon Beacons National Park

The park is made up of 519 square miles of mountain ranges, river valleys, rolling hills, forests, lakes, waterfalls and hidden caves. In among this stunning natural beauty, you will also find some of Wales’ most colourful towns, pubs, farmers’ markets and Michelin-starred restaurants. The quaint village of Llanddewi Skirrid near Abergavenny is particularly worth a visit.
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Brecon Beacons National Park which includes rainforest, a waterfall and a lake or waterhole

2. Principality Stadium

Opened in June 1999 complete with the first fully retractable roof in the UK, it has hosted some of the world’s most famous sporting events as well as concerts featuring the biggest entertainers in show business, from Take That, One Direction and Oasis to Madonna, Rihanna and Beyoncé.
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Millennium Stadium featuring a river or creek and modern architecture

3. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Established in 1952 and covering 240 square miles of spectacular landscape, it is Britain’s only predominantly sea-based national park. Dolphins, porpoises, whales and seals are a common sight in the crystal blue coastal waters, while the cliffs and islands are home to vitally important breeding populations of sea birds.
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Pembrokeshire Coast National Park featuring a sandy beach, general coastal views and boating

4. Cardiff Castle

A 12-sided medieval keep offering panoramic views across the city from a platform at its top is at the castle’s heart, but the site is also full of later additions that capture the imagination. Fabulous mock-Gothic features, including an extravagant banqueting hall and clock tower, were added during the Victorian era.
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Cardiff Castle showing heritage architecture, château or palace and heritage elements

5. Tenby Beach

While all of these beaches are worth exploring, it’s Harbour Beach, at the rear of the harbour, which offers the best protection from the wind and must be considered one of the most child-friendly beach destinations in Pembrokeshire. Recently named the finest beach in Europe, Harbour won out over competitors from Portugal, Croatia and Italy. Considered the jewel in the crown of Pembrokeshire’s tourism portfolio, it’s postcard-perfect, if a little crowded during peak season.
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Tenby Harbour at low tide

6. Barry Island Beach

Sun worshippers have been flocking here since Victorian times to what is essentially a small island, though joined now to the mainland since 1896 by a small pier. The site of a Butlins holiday camp during the 1960’s, Barry Beach is perfect for families, with its signature calling card being Barry Island Pleasure Park. Come here for crowds, candy floss and sticks of rock, the scream of the rollercoaster and the thump of the dodgems.
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Aerial panorama of Barry Island, Wales, UK

Recommended things to do in South Wales

Number of things to do
83
Cheapest thing to do on Expedia
The Ghosts of St Fagans: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: £7
Top 5 things to do
Half-day tours
With kids

What to do in South Wales

Popular places to visit

Millennium Stadium featuring a river or creek and modern architecture

Principality Stadium

The spiritual home of Welsh rugby, the Principality Stadiumin Cardiff is one of the most famous sporting arenas on the planet, envied the world over for its cauldron-like atmosphere and state-of-the-art facilities.

Principality Stadium
Pierhead Building, a Grade One listed building of the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay, Wales. A Cardiff's landmark taken from Cardiff Bay.

Cardiff Bay

Explore the waterfront in Cardiff with a trip to Cardiff Bay. Discover the lively bars and acclaimed theatre scene in this relaxing area.

Cardiff Bay
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park which includes hiking or walking and general coastal views

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Running the length of the beautiful coastline of south-west Wales, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park takes in rugged cliffs, craggy offshore islands, fabulous beaches, pretty moorland hills and an amazingly diverse range of wildlife.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Cardiff Castle showing heritage architecture, château or palace and heritage elements

Cardiff Castle

Located in the heart of the city centre, Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ most important cultural attractions. A rich history spanning 2,000 years is contained within its walls and fairytale-style towers.

Cardiff Castle
Tenby Harbour at low tide

Tenby Beach

Visitors to Wales are often staggered by quite how picturesque it can be here and nowhere more so than at Tenby, probably the most iconic seaside town in the country. Tenby Beach is the generic name given to not one but four of its beaches, all of which offer sheltered, deep blue water and outstanding views.

Tenby Beach
Aerial panorama of Barry Island, Wales, UK

Barry Island Beach

If you’re looking for a quintessential Welsh seaside experience, look no further than Barry Beach in the picturesque Vale of Glamorgan.

Barry Island Beach
Panorama of Pen y Fan and Cribyn from a drone, Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, England

Pen y Fan

Commune with nature and explore the great outdoors at Pen y Fan during your travels in Glyn Tarell. Wander the lakeside or discover the area's countryside.

Pen y Fan
D6WYKM Aerial photograph of the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

Utilita Arena Cardiff

Cardiff Motorpoint Arena is located on Mary Ann Street in the heart of Cardiff. It was opened in 1993 and is the largest purpose-built facility for staging exhibitions and concerts in South Wales.

Utilita Arena Cardiff
Three Cliffs and the Bay viewed from a hilltop

Three Cliffs Bay Beach

Why not spend a care-free afternoon at Three Cliffs Bay Beach during your travels in Swansea? Stroll along the marina in this quaint area or visit its lively bars.

Three Cliffs Bay Beach

Explore areas of South Wales

Cardiff aerial view panorama in Wales capital cityscape 360 panoramic skyline feat. River Taff, Principality Stadium, Cardiff Castle, famous landmarks and city center downtown streets from above in UK

Cardiff City Centre

4/5(888 area reviews)

Gourmet restaurants interesting history and top sights from St. David's to Utilita Arena Cardiff – discover Cardiff City Centre, a destination also famous for its shopping.

Cardiff City Centre
Castle Arcade, Cardiff. #red

Castle Quarter

Cosy bars interesting history and top sights from Cardiff Market to St. David's – discover Castle Quarter, a destination also famous for its shopping.

Castle Quarter
Pier Building, Cardiff Bay. UK

Butetown

4/5(275 area reviews)

The abundant dining options and relaxing spas are top of the list for many visitors to Butetown. A stop by Wales Millennium Centre or Mermaid Quay might round out your trip.

Butetown
Beautiful flowers by the banks of the River Taff in Cardiff

Grangetown

3.5/5(8 area reviews)

You'll enjoy the bars and live music in Grangetown. You might want to make time for a stop at Cardiff Bay or Cardiff International Sports Village.

Grangetown
Another one of Swansea’s popular murals that sprinkled throughout the city! #Trovember #Swansea #wales #murals

Castle

4/5(231 area reviews)

Castle is known for its lively bars, and you can plan a trip to Grand Theatre and LC Swansea while you're in town.

Castle
A bridge over the River Taff in Cardiff against a blue sky

Pontcanna

4.5/5(70 area reviews)

Bars, historical sites and gardens highlight some of the notable features of Pontcanna. Make a stop by Swalec Stadium while you're exploring.

Pontcanna

 

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Day trip destinations from South Wales

Wills Memorial Building which includes a city, heritage elements and night scenes

Bristol

Cardiff which includes street scenes, a city and night scenes

Cardiff

Looking across the River Wye to Hereford Cathedral on a beautiful spring day in Hereford, Herefordshire, UK. A mobile phone photo with some phone or tablet post processing.

Hereford

Tintern Abbey

Tintern

Monmouthshire & Brecon canal

Abergavenny

Brecon Beacons National Park which includes a lake or waterhole, farmland and land animals

Brecon

Aerial view of Porthcawl beach harbour and fun fair in South Wales UK

Bridgend

Carmarthen Castle is a ruined castle in Carmarthen, West Wales, UK. First built by Walter, Sheriff of Gloucester in the early 1100s, the castle was captured and destroyed on several occasions before being rebuilt in stone during the 1190s

Carmarthen

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