The 10 best free attractions in Wales revealed

Nation.Cymru Staff

A new study by outdoor experts has revealed the ten most popular, free, and family-friendly attractions across Wales.

GO Outdoors analysed search results, Google reviews, and the attractions’ popularity to reveal the best free activities to visit over Whitsun and the summer holidays.

The attractions were then ranked with an overall score based on interest and visitor feedback, with six in south Wales, one in west Wales, one in mid Wales and two in north Wales.

In first place, the Big Pit National Coal Museum achieved a score of 9.83/10. The free museum, located in Blaenavon, explores the unique industrial landscape and the valley’s mining heritage.

Visitors can pay a fee of £5 to be taken on an underground tour by a Miner, exploring the lamp room, tram circuit and offices before travelling 90 metres (300 ft) down the Big Pit mineshaft to see the seams below.

The museum has a 4.8 rating on Google, with visitors calling it a “thoroughly enjoyable day out”.

St David’s Cathedral takes second place, with a score of 9.53. Originally built in 1181, the cathedral is visited by thousands of tourists each year, hosting events such as music performances and family fun days.

St David’s Cathedral is rated 4.8 on Google, with visitors referring to it as a “beautiful, peaceful place”.

St Fagans National Museum of History completes the top three. The museum is less than ten miles from Cardiff, and visitors can catch a direct bus from Cardiff Central Station.

Standing in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, visitors can explore over forty original buildings from different historical periods, among them houses, a farm, a school, a chapel, and a Workmen’s Institute.

Llandaff Cathedral, which takes fourth place, achieved one of the highest search volumes in 2025 and a strong Google review score of 4.7.

Dating from 1107, it is still an active place of worship, but welcomes visitors and those interested in its history to look around or wander the grounds.

Group tours are available with a suggested donation of £5 per person. A guide will explain the the cathedral’s story from the first settlement on the site in 560AD, to its restoration following World War II, as well as famous artworks such as the cathedral’s Pulpitum, the Majestas and the Rossetti Triptych.

Rounding out the top 5 is the National Museum Cardiff. Founded in 1905, the natural history museum and art gallery is a common stop for visitors to the Welsh capital.

As well as a 4.56 billion-year-old meteorite, a replica of a mammoth skeleton named Tom Bones, and artworks by Renoir and Monet, the museum hosts a variety of exhibitions.

Entry is kept free through Welsh Government funding, and the museum recently received a grant to repair the roof and undertake multiple renovations in the interior.

Also in the top ten are the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, which traces the history of the area that ‘roofed the world’. It is due to reopen later this year.

St Asaph Cathedral “where prayers have been offered daily for 1,450 years” also earned a spot alongside Swansea Museum, the oldest museum in the country.

Finishing off the rankings are the National Wool Museum near Newcastle Emlyn, which is developing a new ‘family trail’ for summer 2026, and Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth.

Natalie Wolfenden, Author and outdoor expert at GO Outdoors, said: “The UK has an abundance of places to visit and activities to take part in. From walks in the Lake District to heritage sites, there is plenty on offer – and lots to do for free.

“If you are visiting an outdoor attraction, I would recommend packing for all weather conditions. A lightweight waterproof jacket and a pair of well-fitting shoes can make all the difference. No one wants to be wet and uncomfortable on a day out!”

For more information, visit GO Outdoors site here.