Father’s Day in 2019 falls on Sunday the 16th June. This year it will be my husband’s third father’s day, and I’m looking forward to us spending it together as a family. Spending time as a family is a great gift and I think any one of these would be a lot of fun – in fact, when I asked my husband what gift he wanted for Father’s Day, his response was simple, to spend time together. I’ve compiled a list of things that the family can do in Cardiff and South Wales for Father’s Day 2019.
Whilst I did my best to ensure that these details were correct at the time of publication, you should contact the organization or venue before traveling to ensure that these details are correct.
What to Do for Father’s Day 2019 in Cardiff and South Wales
A Family Fun Game of Mini Golf
Pitch and Putt Golf at Parkwood, Heath Park – A 9 hole game of Pitch and Putt at Heath Park will cost just £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. There’s no need to book, you can just turn up on the day and it’s open from 9am until 2pm on Saturday 16th June and 2:30pm until 7pm on Sunday 17th June.
Treetop Adventure Golf – Located on the top floor of the Capital Shopping Centre, you could easily pair this with a great lunch out or some shopping. These two 18-hole mini-golf courses are super fun, with a tropical or ancient explorer theme. There’s no need to book and prices start at £4-£8.50 (1 course) or £6.50 to £13.50 (2 courses). If you turn up before midday, you’ll get both courses for the price of one! They’re open from 10am to 11pm on Saturday 15th June and 10am to 10pm on Father’s Day so very flexible on timing.
Tee Rex Golf Cardiff – Open on weekends from 9am to 6pm this dinosaur themed adventure golf would be fun for all the family on Father’s Day. If you’ve got little ones with you, there’s also a brand new for 2018 soft play and cafe on site. It’s located at Cardiff Golf Centre in St Mellons and prices range from £5-7. You can also book online if you’re worried about it being busy.
Afternoon Tea options with a twist!
Afternoon Tea is for Dad’s too!
Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea is a bit of a new idea that’s been taking off recently. It takes the traditional afternoon tea theme and adds something different in the mix. Afternoon tea is often seen as quite a dainty and sweet offering, whilst gentleman’s afternoon tea is supposed to appeal to the more hearty and savoury appetite. I’m not entirely sure that Afternoon Tea needs a gender, but hey, any excuse to do something a bit different. There are also other afternoon teas around Cardiff with different twists and these could all be a great option for Father’s Day.
Park Plaza Cardiff – At the Laguna Kitchen and Bar in Park Plaza Hotel you can swap finger sandwiches for mini venison burgers, scones for chorizo scotch eggs and macaroons for Sirloin stuffed Yorkshire puddings. £22.95 on weekends. Now that’s an Afternoon Tea for Father’s Day!
Celtic Manor Resort – Celtic Manor have several Afternoon Tea’s on offer. They have a Spring Afternoon Tea which is fairly traditional, and then a Mulberry Bar Afternoon Tea which includes Mulberry Treats and cocktails in their sumptuous Mulberry Bar. Then there’s the Rib’s Slider Afternoon Tea, which is a southern-inspired smokehouse afternoon tea. The menu includes sliders of bacon and cheese, pulled chicken, Thai fishcake and prawns, venison burger, bone marrow beef burger and skin-on fries. Now that’s a different style of Afternoon Tea for sure!
The Admiral, St David’s Hotel, Cardiff Bay – Chicken satay skewers, Welsh Rarebit, Pork Pie, Mini Beef Sliders and more replace the traditional sweet Afternoon Tea. £24 per person (which is also a quid cheaper than last year, so there’s a win). Unlike most venues, St. David’s also offers a specific Children’s Afternoon Tea for £14.50 which will make them feel way more grown up then just having a sandwich for them on the side! This is also a 10-15 minute walk from the Red Dragon Centre, where you could pair some bowling or a movie.
Miskin Manor – Miskin Manor offers both traditional High Tea and a Savoury High Tea at £19.50 per person, with children’s options available at £9.75 for under 10s. The Savoury High Tea offers a contemporary twist with filled savoury scones, mini pastries, pies and burgers. This offers excellent value in a lovely historic setting, just outside Pontyclun. Savoury High Tea switches the traditional scones for pastries, pies and burgers.
Of course if dad is keen on a traditional afternoon tea experience (and I don’t blame him, it’s a firm favourite in our house for a decadent treat), check out my review of The Deck, Cardiff Bay for some seriously high quality baked goods, Jasper’s Tea House for a small, homely surrounding, or The Exchange Hotel for a great atmosphere. If he’s into gardening you could even go for a shopping spree at the Blue Diamond Garden Centre (previously Wyevale Garden Centre) in St Mellons, where you can get afternoon tea at a budget price.
White Water Rafting
White Water Rafting is available on an artificial course in Cardiff and is an adrenaline fueled action packed activity that might be perfect for Father’s Day. Family Rafting is a two hour adventure which is suitable kids from age 6 and priced at £25 per person, so it’s something the whole family can do. Adult sessions are a bit more intense and start from £40 per person. There’s also canoeing and kayaking, paddleboarding, hot dogging, gorge walking, indoor surfing a climbing air trail (suitable for 107cm plus, so a good option for the family) and a climbing wall with a height restriction of 107cm also. If mum isn’t quite into the workout, there’s a cafe to chill in on site too.
Go on a Boat Trip
Cardiff Bay offers lots of boat trips, from action packed, high speed RIB trips to gentle cruises around the barrage. You can head over to Flat Holm Island, into town or over to Penarth. You can even hire a boat for the day and explore yourself!
Bowling and a Movie at the Red Dragon Centre
Check out the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay, ideal for pairing with a nice meal. We had a fabulous date night there and I think it would be something fun for Father’s Day. You can take the kids as it’s extremely family friendly, or go once the kids are safe with the babysitter and watch something a bit more action packed. I highly recommend the Odeon Gallery experience. Best seats in the house and unlimited popcorn, nachos, chocolate and soft drinks? Yes please!
Ride the Brecon Mountain Railway
You can ride this classic steam train from Pant to Torpantau and back, which takes 1 hour 40 minutes with a 30 minute stop at Pontsticill. The Mountain Railway Station has a large free car park, cafe and facilities and is located approximately 40 minutes North of Cardiff and 10 minutes north of Merthyr Tydfil. You’ll find beautiful scenery and a really unique experience and can take a longer stop at Torpantau if you’d like to do some sightseeing! Tickets are available for Saturday 16th June and Sunday 17th June and the whole family can join in. Adults cost £14.50, children are from £6 and under 3s are free. There’s a special offer for Father’s Day where dads travel at the same price as a child, saving you enough money for a cream tea at the station.
Explore the Father’s Day Feastival at Big Pit
The Bit Pit National Coal Museum is an interesting look at Welsh history on any day, but on Father’s Day 2019 you can head to the Father’s Day Feastival – local food and drink stalls, family entertainment, live music, a brewery tour of Rhymney Brewery and a ride on the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railways. There’s a free cuppa and a welsh cake for every dad!
Penderyn Distillery – for adults and older teens
We’ve been to the Penderyn Distillery quite a few times, as we’re a massive fan of their spirits, in particular Merlyn, their cream liquer, as well as Brecon Gin and Vodka. The distillery is about 45 minutes north west of Cardiff or 20 minutes north east of Neath. It’s tucked away in winding countryside and is well worth a visit in my opinion. There’s a shop selling all of their spirits, including special gift sets and limited editions you won’t find in the supermarkets and it’s usually cheaper than the supermarket too! The tour can be booked online in advance and takes about an hour. It costs £9 for adults and £4.50 for children aged 14-17 and are running every hour on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th from 10am to 5pm. They do only take 20 people per tour so I would definitely recommend booking. This would pair lovely with the Brecon Mountain Railway!
Unfortunately since it is a working distillery with a production area, those under 14 can’t join the tour and those under 18 don’t get a tasting at the end. If you’re in the area anyway, it might be worth a stop after the Brecon Mountain Railway just to check out the gift shop, or perhaps mum could entertain the kids for an hour (and be the designated driver) whilst dad enjoys a well deserved tipple!
Cardifferent Historic Pub Tour – adults only
This historic pub tour starts at The Angel Hotel and takes you around different pubs in Cardiff for a drink and to learn about the history. It’s a guided tour full of fun and facts and is running on Friday 14th or Saturday 15th June, starting at 6:30pm and spanning around 2.5 to 3 hours. It costs £15 a ticket and is obviously strictly 18+. But if you want to take it the week after Father’s Day, a voucher would be a lovely gift and something to look forward to.
Finally there’s absolutely nothing wrong with staying him and having a cuddle and I’ve put together some mix and match date night ideas that you can do at home if that’s more your style!
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