Want to spend some time together and do some romantic things; then you’ll be spoilt for choice in Cardiff Bay. Yes, really! With a great mix of Cardiff attractions, entertainment, events, vibrant bars and shops, Cardiff Bay is a unique place to create romance. Check out these date night ideas in Cardiff Bay:
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Date Ideas Cardiff Bay | Cardiff Date Ideas
Visiting the waterside area, known as The Docks or The Bay by locals, is a must. With attractions, activities, food and drink, there are plenty of things to do in Cardiff Bay.
Looking for some fun date night ideas in Cardiff Bay? Look no further! There are so many great things to do in this vibrant area. Start your evening off with a stroll along the waterfront, taking in the stunning views of the bay. Then, head over to Mermaid Quay, where you’ll find a variety of restaurants and bars to choose from. If you’re in the mood for some entertainment, catch a movie at the Everyman Cinema or a show at the Wales Millennium Centre. For a more active date night, try your hand at bowling at the Red Dragon Centre. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to have a memorable and romantic evening in Cardiff Bay.
When you get up the next day, you can also make a personalised memento of the experience to recall the fun times you had. For example, take a picture of you together, a unique building you saw or a beautiful spot and customise it into pin badges. It would also make a lovely surprise gift to your partner.
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Fun Activities in Cardiff for Adults
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first date or just some time with your partner; you’ll be able to impress and bag those brownie points in Cardiff Bay. If you’re looking for fun activities to do with your partner, the city is amazing! Whether they’re an adventure seeker, film buff or foodie, there are many things to keep you both entertained. Make sure you hire a van in Cardiff downtown to ensure your comfort for a fantastic date.
Date Night Restaurants Cardiff
Cardiff Bay has fantastic restaurants, from breakfast to brunch, quick bites at lunch, and casual dining to fancy dinners. The Cardiff Bay restaurants are beautiful, many of them look out on the water, and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Flat Holm Island.
You can enjoy bottomless brunch with food and unlimited drinks in several locations. I’m a massive fan of Hubbox, which has out-of-this-world burgers, dirty fries and mac and cheese. Las Iguanas is one of the cocktail bars in Cardiff, with indoor and outdoor seating. Cosy Club allows you to add unlimited bubbles with your breakfast, or Thomas Restaurant serves bottomless afternoon tea with two hours of free-flowing Prosecco.
Get 50% off food in Cardiff
We all need to refuel and rehydrate. If you love food and drink, do you have a Tastecard? You get 50% off the food bill or two meals for the price of one. There are over six thousand participating restaurants across the UK, including Cardiff Bay. Get a 90-day free trial here:
Laugh together!
The Glee Club is the place to be every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. It hosts some of the best touring comedians and, over the years, including Alan Carr, Michael McIntyre, Sarah Millican, Ross Noble, Rhod Gilbert and many more on the stage.
My gorgeous friend Mel Owen, a brilliant up-and-comer on the comedy scene, has also been on the stage several times!
Everyman Cinema
A date to a movie can be cliché, but Everyman Cinema is a bit different. There are the latest blockbuster releases, independent films and cult classics to see. Prepare to swap your soft drink for a glass of wine and a slice of freshly made pizza, served right to your seat – which is a big squashy armchair.
Go to an Event
See a show together at the Wales Millennium Centre. There are musicals, West End productions, ballet and contemporary dance and performances by the Welsh National Opera. There is also a brand new Cabaret in Cardiff venue where you can see the very best in drag, comedy, live music and cabaret shows.
Roald Dahl Plass is a huge public square in Cardiff Bay. Many events occur here throughout the year. These include the Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival, the Cardiff Bay Beach and sailing days. There’s also live music at Alexandra Head and Tramshed.
DEPOT is also one of Cardiff’s most popular event venues, with something different happening every week. It is a big warehouse on Dumballs Road, regularly transforms depending what’s on. Highlights include By Order Of (a Peaky Blinders experience), Bingo Lingo, Ginstock and Fanhub, where you can watch the biggest sports games on enormous screens.
First Date Ideas Cardiff
Want to break the ice (see what we did there?!) You can put your skates on at the Ice Arena Wales and take to the rink. Unleash your Torvill and Dean! Book a private lesson or one of the public sessions. Glide around hand in hand, or race each other to the other side. Or, if you want something more adrenaline-fueled, watch the Cardiff Devils play ice hockey.
Cheap Date Ideas Cardiff
Take a romantic walk and don’t spend a penny. Enjoy the views and walk across the Cardiff Bay Barrage if you love being outside. It’s a relaxing stroll with views over the Severn Estuary to Flat Holm, and you’ll pass a children’s play area, skate park, and outdoor gym. Remember to take a selfie with the Enormous Crocodile! Ideally, hand in hand with an ice cream.
Biking for the Win
The local charity Pedal Power has various bikes for hire. The most brilliant thing about Pedal Power is that there are different inclusive adult and child bikes, child seats, tagalongs and buggies. Perfect for accessing the Cardiff Bay Barrage 10km cycling route, Cardiff Bay Wetlands or the Taff Trail.
Dip in the Water
Cardiff International White Water has the perfect activities to get the heart racing if you’re more of an adventurous couple, from white water rafting to canoeing or a stand-up paddleboard yoga session. You can even get harnessed up and cross the high tower above the white-water course and try the challenging Burma Bridge, Monkey Swing, Barrel Crawl and Zip Wire.
During the summer months, there’s Aqua Park. Measuring over 100m by 80m, the floating inflatable Aqua Park has climbing walls, trampolines, balance bars, slides, blast bags and monkey bars, making it the ultimate date idea.
Strike it Lucky
Bowling together is another one of the fun date ideas in Cardiff. Hollywood Bowl at the Red Dragon Centre has 12 lanes. Alongside this, there’s food, drink and awesome arcades. Take to the wheel and go head-to-head on the latest racing games, or try and get your score to the top of the arcade leaderboards.
Evening Activities Cardiff
The lively casino in the heart of Cardiff Bay has hosted beauty pageants and fashion shows. Grosvenor Casino also has numerous Roulette, Blackjack and Poker tables with popular slot games like Cleopatra and Lucky Lady’s Charm to make your gaming experience the best in town. It’s also your spot to watch live sports, including late-night boxing.
Take a Boat Ride
Princess Katherine is an Aquabus which runs hourly from Cardiff Bay to Cardiff City Centre for £7 per person. The journey takes 25 minutes through the wetland’s nature reserve to Bute Park in the Cardiff Castle grounds. From here, you could explore the National Museum Cardiff, try street food at Cardiff Indoor Market, shop in the historic arcades, play games in NQ64, Play At Pins, Golf Fang, Treetop Adventure Golf, Roxy Lanes or Flight Club, or have a cocktail in one of the rooftop bars.
You can also get on a boat to Flat Holm Island, just 4 miles off the coast of Cardiff. It has a history that dates back to the 6th Century. Get lost in the wilderness together (don’t worry, the island is only half a mile long) and enjoy the seclusion.
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Stay the night
If you know when you’d like to travel, try to book in advance and as soon as possible. Prices tend to rise the closer you get to the travel date. However, there is a vast array to accommodate all budgets.
Hotels in Cardiff Bay
Future Inns in Cardiff Bay has 197 bedrooms with everything you would expect of a 4-star hotel. There are many home-away-from-home comforts, such as tea and coffee-making facilities, bottled water, vegan-friendly toiletries and a guest laundry room. The hotel offers all guests free parking, electric car charging, free WiFi and free entry to Simply Gym.
For a romantic night away, I recommend upgrading to a King Suite. The bedrooms are twice the size of the Standard Rooms, with a separate living room. An exclusive welcome pack in the fridge includes a bottle of Cava, large bottles of still and sparkling water and a fresh fruit basket.
Address: Hemingway Road, Cardiff Bay, CF10 4AU
easyHotel Cardiff
The easyHotel Cardiff is in the city centre, it has double rooms (with or without a window), accessible bedrooms and twin rooms. Found a short walk behind Cardiff Queen Street train station, the budget hotel has en-suite bathrooms, heated rooms in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. WiFi is free; pay and display and multi-storey car parks are nearby.
Radisson Cardiff
The Radisson Blue Hotel Cardiff is in the city centre. The 4-star hotel has smart TVs in the bedrooms, private bathrooms with complimentary toiletries, laptop-compatible safes, and limited onsite parking.
Radisson Hotel Discount Code
Get 15% off 3 or 4-night stays, 20% off 5 or 6-night stays, or 25% off for 7 or more nights in luxury rooms and suites. When you use the Radisson Hotel Promo Code LONGER, you’ll also receive complimentary high-speed WiFi on unlimited devices. More information
Dog friendly hotels in Cardiff
Your perfect dog-friendly escape in Cardiff awaits! Before I had my rescue dog, Ivan, I didn’t think Cardiff was very dog friendly. How wrong was I? The dog friendly hotels in Cardiff include national chain hotels, budget brands, pubs and country houses.
The Copthorne
The Copthorne, part of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, is a traditional 4-star hotel in Cardiff that is ideally located between the city centre and the coast of Barry Island. Ideal for business travellers, couples or families, it is a perfect base. You can expect free Wi-Fi, an indoor pool and modern in-room amenities. Book early and save up to 20% off:
The Hilton Cardiff
For a luxurious stay, The Hilton Cardiff, in the heart of the city centre, has beautiful amenities, including a pool and health club. With Hilton Honors, you get exclusive perks when you stay at more than 6,700 hotels around the world. Members receive Points on every stay, which can be turned into free nights.
Plan a Trip with Expedia
Booking a hotel via Expedia is a seamless experience that offers convenience and choice at your fingertips. With just a few clicks, you can browse through a wide array of cosy boutique hotels to luxurious resorts, tailored to your preferences and budget. Compare prices, read reviews from fellow travellers, and explore amenities, ensuring you find the perfect place to stay for your trip.
Create your Itinerary
Using TripAdvisor when booking a hotel allows you to access a wealth of reviews and ratings from fellow travellers, helping you make an informed decision on where to stay, while also providing recommendations and insights on planning things to do during your trip.
The surrounding areas
Don’t be afraid of staying out of central Cardiff either. Penarth, Barry, Caerphilly, Pontypridd, and Merthyr Tydfil are the surrounding areas connected by regular buses and trains. You can also plan with LastMinute.com. Stay at great hotels at a fraction of the price.
Cottages and Houses
The award-winning business, Sykes Cottages, has properties across the UK, and the ones near Cardiff are beautiful. From cosy lodges with traditional woodburning stoves to contemporary accommodation with a hot tub. With all the amenities you could need, including parking, WiFi and many dog-friendly places, check out Sykes Holiday Cottages.
Pre-book your parking and save!
NCP Park Pass is an easy way to save money on parking. Not only do you access special parking deals, but you also don’t need to remember where you put the ticket collected at the barrier – mine always gets lost in the handbag. As payment is contact-free and cashless, you do it on your phone.
You can always pre-book your parking online and save money if that’s not your thing. Find a car park, choose your date and time, enter your details and make your payment. Once you’ve booked your parking online, you will receive a booking confirmation email detailing your booking and how to enter and exit the car park.
FREE Visit Cardiff Checklist & Guide
Get your FREE Visting Cardiff Checklist and Guide with over 25 pages full of travel tips, how to get around, places to visit, food and drink, shopping, parks and green spaces, some Welsh phrases and a travel itinerary.
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I have to say the glee club or the everyman cinema are my usual go toos for a date night down the bay but some great ideas here!