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Under an hour from Cardiff, underground marvels await!
Head out of the city and up towards the Brecon Beacons, and in a little under an hour you reach a place where you can walk straight into the mountainside.
Three showcaves, carved through limestone rock that were here long before any of land became Wales. As day trips from Cardiff go, few are this easy to reach, and fewer still are this surprising.
This is Dan-yr-Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales.
The limestone here formed on a tropical seabed 315 million years ago, when this part of Wales sat under a warm sea. Water did the rest, carving the passageways slowly over millions of years.
Dan-yr-Ogof Cave offers twisting, winding passageways to explore, and stunning cave formations to see; the first cave to be discovered back in 1912.
Cathedral Cave is one cave people tend to remember. The pathway carries you between two waterfalls inside the magnificent final cavern, awe-inspiringly peaceful, giving rise to hushed tones as you absorb some of nature’s finest work.
Bone Cave is intriguing, and one of the attraction’s most fascinating historic areas. It holds Bronze Age history going back to 3000 BCE along with finds like silver rings, Roman pottery and fine bronze jewellery. On a clear day, the views over the valley from this point are incredible.
All three caves are self-guided, so you take them at your own pace. It stays cool inside the caves whatever the weather!
Back to the surface, the day is far from over. Set into the same hillside, amongst palms and ferns, is one of the largest collections of life-sized dinosaurs models in the world - over 250 of them, appearing around corners as you walk. A full-sized Tyrannosaurus stands right over the path, and for that moment you’re transported back to Jurassic times!
And there’s more – all on the same ticket! The Iron Age Village is a reconstruction built with similar materials to those used around 700 BCE, from timber and straw to bracken and turf. The Museum gathers the geology, the history, and the story of cave exploration, plus there’s gold panning, the Fossil House, and the Stone Circles besides. Down at the farm, meet the friendly farm animals and the incredible Shire horses, the gentle giants of the farming world of the past. All on one ticket, a coffee shop for when you need a break, and a gift shop for that special present or simply a memento of your day…
The kids love the farm animals, playgrounds and dinosaur trail, and the caves genuinely tick the box for every age, adults and children alike. There’s gold panning, an Iron Age Village, and a little Fossil House to discover, too.
Children aged 2 and under go free, it’s all on one ticket, and there’s no charge for parking!
Dan-yr-Ogof is under an hour from Cardiff; the drive north into the Brecon Beacons is a pleasure in its own right, and parking on site is free. One ticket covers everything. Give it the best part of a day!
Opening times, availability, and directions are on the Plan Your Visit page.
Book Your Tickets Here.
Ten attractions all included in the one entry ticket - there is plenty to see and do for all ages (site hub).
