Cardiff & Swansea Free Walking Tours

1. Are the tours really free?

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The tour is free to join for anybody. All that is asked is for guests to contribute what they feel the tour was worth at the end. You're promised the best tour of Cardiff possible, and your generosity allows this initiative to continue in the future and to grow further. 

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2. Do I need a booking for the tour?

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If you are a large group, school group or sports team for example, please get in touch in advance, as there is not always space for such groups on the public tours.

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On public, or free, tours, advanced booking is preferrred. It is highly unliukely that you will ever be turned away without a booking, but in some rare instances if there are not enough pre-bookings then a tour may be cancelled. Therefore, it is better to book in advance to avoid this scenario.

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3. Do the tours take place in the rain?

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Of course, the tour runs rain or shine. All tours run as advertised. as long as there are enough people booked or as long as everyone doesn't cancel in advance. This is Wales and rain is always a possibility, so it's best to be prepared anyway. 

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4. Are the tours wheelchair/pushchair accessible?

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Yes, Cardiff is quite a flat city and wheelchair friendly. All of the Cardiff based tours don't involve crossing too many busy streets either. The Swansea Tour involves a little bit more road crossing but is also wheelchair accessible.

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5. How long are the tours in duration?

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The regular Cardiff city centre tour is slightly over two hours long. If it starts at 11am for example, it will finish at 1:15pm more or less. All of the other tours (Swansea, Cardiff Bay, Arcades & Dark Side), are all two hours in durations on average. 

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6. Where do the Cardiff based tours finish?

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The following are all where each tour usually finishes on the standard public, or free, versions of the respective tours...

- The Cardiff city tour finishes in front of Cardiff Castle.

- The Cardiff Bay tour finishes outside the Wales Millennium Centre

- The Cardiff Dark Side tour finishes outside St. John the Baptist Parish Church.

- The City of Arcades tour finishes on High St in central Cardiff. 

- The Doctor Who tour in Cardiff is only a private tour, but usually finishes in Cardiff Bay, but this can change on request. 

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7. Where does the Swansea Tour finish?

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The Swansea tour finishes at Swansea Castle, opposite where we begin on Castle Square.  

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8. Are dogs welcome on the tours?

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Yes, dogs are welcome to join all of the tours. The city is dog friendly, the tour routes are all manageable for any dog and the Cardiff tour includes plenty of time within parks. Dogs have come along on all of the different tours over the years and it has never been a problem, so dogs are always very welcome.

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9. Are the tours suitable for children

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Yes, children are more than welcome, there is more than enough interesting information for people of all ages. However, the Cardiff Dark Side tour does refer to executions and ancient torture methods for example, so that's something to keep in mind. Children have come along before and nobody has found it unsuitable yet. Also, something else to keep in mind is that Doctor Who tours, at least the full version from the city to the Bay, involves a lot of walking, although shorter versions are available on request. 

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10. Is there space for large groups of children, school groups or student groups?

 

Preferably, any large groups (e.g. school groups, university groups, conferences, children's sports clubs etc) will make contact in advance, as larger groups can not always be accommodated on the public tours. In this instance, a private tour would be more appropriate. 

We reserve the right to deny participation on the 'free' tours if necessary.   

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11. Does the tour include entry to any places of interest?

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No, for example, entry to paid attractions such as Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium are not included on the tour. Although they are definitely discussed. 

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12 Is it possible to do multiple tours in the same day.

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Yes, on days when there are multiple tours taking place, it is possible to do more than one tour. The schedule is designed so that there is time to finish one tour and get to another. Sometimes time between tours can be tight but generally there is time to take a break, have something to eat and get to the next start point. These scenarios or most likely to arise on particular weekends, such as Easter, bank holidays or Halloween, or perhaps thoughout summer subject to demand.

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13. Is it possible to pay by card?

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Yes, card payments are gladly accepted the vast majority of the time. The tour guide almost always carries a card machine, but this may change depending on the guide on the given day. Payments via Revolut, bank transfer and Paypal are usually accepted also.

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14. What social distancing measures are in place?

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Since tours returned and we eased out of the different lockdowns, certain safety measures applied to all tours during that time, including...

 

- Anyone who has shown symptoms, or has been around people with symptoms, in the last two weeks will not be allowed participate.   

- 2m distance between all participants will be maintained. 

- Tours will be restricted to 30 people maximum.

- We will adhere to the handy arrow system that's been created upon Cardiff's streets.

- We will not be entering any buildings or enclosed areas, and the entirety of the tour will take place outdoors.

- Card payments are now possible also, in order to limit physical contact.    

- Face masks are also encouraged, however the guide will not wear one in order to aid those who are harder of hearing. 

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These measures have eased gradually over time since 2020/21. For example...

- Tour numbers are no long legally, technically, restricted to 30 but we try to keep that as a maximum capacity anyway for customer (and guide) comfort.

- Card payments and other online methods are still possible as people don't always carry cash as much anymore. 

- People are very welcome to wear masks if it makes them more comfortable.

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