• The Hayes - The tour begins at The Hayes, the central hub of Cardiff city center, near the John Batchelor statue. Here, the context, background, and overview of the tour are set before exploring the city’s historic shopping arcades.
• Wyndham Arcade - After traversing The Hayes, the first arcade encountered is Wyndham Arcade. The tour delves into the origins, history, shops, and development of one of the city’s oldest covered shopping areas.
• Royal Arcade - Next is Royal Arcade, the oldest and arguably the busiest or most renowned arcade in the city. The tour explores the origins, history, shops, and development of this historic shopping area.
• Morgan Arcade - From Royal Arcade, the tour takes a short walk to Morgan Arcade, known for its distinctive architecture and one of the city’s most famous and noteworthy shops.
• Cardiff Central Market - The tour then moves to Cardiff Market, the city’s traditional shopping centerpiece. Participants learn about the origins, evolution, and future of the central market, as well as its historical significance.
• Castle Quarter Arcade - Castle Arcade stands out for its unique shops, restaurants, balcony, chandeliers, and overall appearance. It offers some of the best photo opportunities in the city, resembling a Parisian arcade.
• Dominions Arcade - The tour proceeds from Castle St towards Queen St to visit the city’s most underappreciated old shopping gallery. Although quieter at times, Dominions Arcade is a nostalgic reminder of early 20th-century Cardiff’s economic success.
• Queens Arcade - Queens Arcade is the most modern ‘arcade’ in Cardiff city center, constructed in 1994. While not as glamorous as its counterparts, it remains noteworthy for its development, location, and occasional TV appearances.
• Duke St. Arcade - Returning to the Castle Quarter, Duke St Arcade overlooks Cardiff Castle. It may not always be the busiest, but it features unique and popular businesses, both past and present, along with beautiful architectural and artistic elements.
• High Street Arcade - The tour concludes by journeying through Duke St Arcade into High St Arcade and onto the High Street itself, summarizing the history and vibrancy of the arcade and wrapping up the tour.

• Professional, experienced native English speaking guide

• Bottled water
• Tea and coffee
• Snacks
• Gratuities

Cardiff’s arcades are a hallmark of the contemporary city and contribute to the Welsh capital’s distinctiveness within the UK. They also represent the city’s industrial prominence, prosperity, and influence during the nineteenth century. Cardiff boasts the largest number and highest concentration of Victorian and Edwardian arcades in the UK, alongside one of the nation’s most vibrant city markets. These arcades are teeming with historic, unique, boutique, and independent shops, cafes, and stores. Embark on a two-hour journey through Cardiff’s shopping district to explore the city’s nineteenth-century rise, its industrial achievements and impact, the origin, development, and culture of the arcades, and their role in modern city life in the twenty-first century.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.