Top 10 Wheelchair Friendly Days Out In South Wales

South Wales has a rich industrial history, breathtaking landscapes and stunning coastline. There is much to see and thankfully there are loads of wheelchair friendly days out you can enjoy, with many of them being free of charge. 

We have listed the top 10 wheelchair friendly days out in South Wales in this post, with the aim to provide you with wheelchair-friendly things to do no matter what the weather – which can be very unpredictable in South Wales!

Jump to a day out using the following links:

1. St Fagans National Museum of Welsh History, Cardiff

2. Cardiff Bay and Across the Barrage to Penarth

3. Newport Parrog Coastal Trail, Pembrokeshire

4. Brecon Canal, Powys

5. Principality Stadium, Cardiff

6. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire

7. Swansea Promenade to Mumbles Pier, Swansea

8. National Waterfront Museum, Swansea

9. Folly Farm, Pembrokeshire

10. Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon

Key:

Non-assisted wheelchair access
Assisted wheelchair access
Rest seats for mobility impaired people
Facilities for mobility impaired people
Accessible toilet
Accessible car parking
Induction loops
BSL interpreters
Facilities for blind or visually impaired people
Assistance dogs allowed
Cafe/refreshments on site
Restaurant on site
Powered scooters available

1. St Fagans National Museum of Welsh History, Cardiff

Address: St Fagans, Cardiff, CF5 6XB Website: https://museum.wales/stfagans/ Hours: 10am – 5pm daily (open Bank Holiday Mondays) Entry: Free

Located just outside of Cardiff on the A4232, St Fagans is one of Europe’s leading open-air museums and Wales’s most popular heritage attraction. It chronicles the historical lifestyle, culture and architecture of the Welsh people, with many buildings being carefully dismantled from their original location and put together brick-by-brick in St Fagans where they can be preserved and cherished forever. 

This is a perfect stop off for a nice dry spring/summer day and can either be a half of a full day out. It’s free entry to the museum itself, and £5 to park the car all day, but if you have a disabled badge you can park for free. 

Many of the buildings are accessible for wheelchairs but you may find it difficult to manoeuvre inside some of the buildings using a larger mobility scooter, so an electric wheelchair which you can navigate with more precision is recommended. 

There are gravel and tarmac pathways throughout the museum with some sloped areas but no major hurdles, such as steps, to stop you getting about. The terrain on the castle side of the museum is steep in places and may be difficult for those with manual wheelchairs and their helpers, so again we recommend an electric wheelchair in this case. A map clearly displaying a suggested path for wheelchair users, and identifying steep gradients, is available from the Main Entrance at a cost of 50p.

The museum is also well catered for the visually impaired with many of the houses having a staff member available to talk you through the history and explain the techniques of any crafts being demonstrated. St Fagans is full of delightful aromas, from the smell of freshly baked bread to the traditional open wood fires. 

When you get a bit peckish, there are accessible eating facilities and picnic areas, plus multiple disabled toilets within the museum itself, so minimal waiting time! There is also a ‘Changing Places Unit’ available, with an electronic bed and hoist in addition to the toilet and other facilities there. 

How to get there 

Public Transport

Frequent, accessible buses run between Cardiff and St Fagans throughout the year and take approximately 25 minutes.

• Easyway 32A – stops in the main car park of the Museum
• 320 – stops at St Fagans village
• 321 – stops at St Fagans village

By Car

The museum can be accessed straight from the A4232 off junction 33 of the M4 (follow road signs for the Museum of Welsh Life).

Parking is £5 for the day or free for blue badge holders.

2. Cardiff Bay & Across the Barrage to Penarth

Address: Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF10 5BW 

Cardiff Bay is a popular destination as there’s something for everyone. Historical buildings line the bay, including the Coal Exchange which in 1901 became a historic landmark, as the location where the world’s first-ever million-pound cheque was signed.  

If you’re hungry there are ample accessible eateries dotted around the bay. I highly recommend a visit to Fabulous Welshcakes for the tastiest welsh cakes you’ll ever try. It’s a tiny shop so you may not be able to get every wheelchair inside, but they cook the welsh cakes right next to the entrance and will assist you with any requests. 

The layout of Cardiff Bay is fantastic for wheelchair users, and from here you can travel right the way across the barrage to the quaint seaside town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan. You’ll pass the Norwegian church on your way, shipped from Norway for the benefit of the Scandinavians working in Cardiff docks during the 1860s. It is also where the literary legend Roald Dahl was christened. 

Once you get most of the way across the barrage you can reward yourself with a hot drink at Cafe Hafren, where all profits made are donated to RSPB. You can’t miss it – it’s a large orange shipping container! They have a ramp to allow wheelchairs to access.

If you wish to break the journey up, Aquabus has accessible tourist boats which you can catch from Penarth barrage back to Cardiff Bay – well worth a trip! You can even stay on-board and do a complete one-hour sightseeing tour which takes you up to the city centre and back to where you boarded.

The cost is £4 for an adult, £2 for under 15’s and free for children 3 and under. You buy the ticket on-board and it is cash-only so make sure you bring change. The boat stops at the barrage only on request, but you can call them on 07500556556 to arrange a pick-up. They run all year round (weather permitting) and boats leave every hour. 

How to get there 

Public Transport

There are multiple wheelchair-friendly buses that run from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay, click here to check bus times. It takes about 15 minutes between these two stops, depending on which bus you take.

By Car

Take junction 33 of the M4 to join the A4232 and follow signs for Cardiff Bay.

There are 12 free, on-street blue badge parking spaces along Bute Place but if you’re not lucky enough to grab a free space there are 74 disabled parking bays in Q-Park Cardiff Bay on Pierhead Street.

3. Newport Parrog Coastal Trail, Pembrokeshire

Address: Parrog Road, Newport, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0RJ

A short half a mile wheelchair-accessible path that skirts the edge of Newport Bay. This route provides breathtaking views across Newport Sands to the cliffs on the other side of the bay and up-river towards the mountains. 

The Parrog used to be a busy harbour for Newport, from which dozens of ships traded across the Irish sea and beyond. A number of pretty historical buildings have been preserved with one of the old warehouses now the home of the town’s boat club.

Start your journey in Parrog car-park, and head up the road back towards Newport. You will see the wheelchair friendly path on the left appear a short distance up the road.

The path is well paved for the most part, with only a few areas that are rockier but pose no problem to most wheelchairs. Whilst the path is predominantly level, it does have slight undulating gradients.

We recommend using an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter for this path; something lightweight that can fold and fit into the boot of a car like the EeZeeGo Lightweight Wheelchair Range would be ideal.

As you follow the gently undulating path to the Iron Bridge you will skirt the south bank of the River Nevern, passing streams, trees and reed beds. Make sure to stop along the way and take in the beauty of the landscape and diverse wildlife that is commonly spotted here. 

The path beyond the Iron Bridge becomes unsuitable for wheelchairs, so you can return the same way you came. It takes approximately half an hour each way. 

If you have time to spare, there is a ramp near the boathouse which allows access onto the sand and a sheltered viewing area where you can relax and take in the beautiful nature that surrounds you. 

You can pick up a leaflet of this walk at the cafe TIC and Morawelon Café near the carpark. A braille version is also available so long as you return it after use. Morawelon Café is also a great spot for lunch, offering delicious local food with wheelchair accessible dining and a disabled toilet. 

Toilets are located in the carpark and there is a disabled RADAR key-accessible toilet.

Please note: this walk can only be undertaken at low tide, so please check the tide table before venturing out.

(Source: www.pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk)

How to get there 

Public Transport

Wheelchair accessible bus from Newport town centre. The 405 ‘Poppit Rocket’ (Cardigan – Fishguard), travels between Newport town centre and the Parrog car park three times a day. Times vary between Summer and Winter, and you can find the timetables here. Plan ahead and get an early bus down, so you can enjoy the day before getting the last bus home.

To get to Newport, you can take the T5 which travels between Aberystwyth and Haverfordwest via Cardigan. This service runs hourly Monday to Saturday but there is limited service on Sunday.

By Car

The carpark is located at the bottom of Parrog Road as you come from Newport town centre. 

There are 14 disabled parking bays in the Parrog carpark and the following charges apply between March 1st and October 31st for cars:

• 1 hour: £0.50 (Car, 1st March – 31st October)
• 2 hour: £0.60 (Car, 1st March – 31st October)
• 4 hour: £1.00 (Car, 1st March – 31st October)

4. Brecon Canal, Powys

Address: Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Canal Wharf, Brecon LD3 7EW Website: www.breconbeacons.org/monmouthshire-brecon-canal 

Take a stroll in your wheelchair along Brecon Canal to the Brynich locks, approximately 3km distance along smooth and hard terrain. The path begins at the northern basin of the canal in the beautiful town of Brecon. There are disabled parking spaces available here opposite the theatre.

As you make your way towards the locks, you pass community art projects, picnic areas with wheelchair accessible tables and even a reconstruction of one of the horse-drawn trams that once worked the length of the canal. 

You can even relax and immerse yourself in the gorgeous green scenery of Wales with a cruise up the canal from Dragonfly Cruises. They operate between March and October and have a wheelchair lift to aid people boarding the boat.

Make sure you check out the theatre near the car park which is also wheelchair friendly and has disabled toilets you can use too.

How to get there 

Public Transport

Buses can drop you in Brecon town centre, and from there the start of the canal trail is only a 4-minute journey away on flat pavements. 

By Car

Follow signs for Brecon and when you get into the town follow signs for the theatre ‘Theatr Brycheiniog’. The carpark is located across the road from the theatre, and have the following charges:

• Up to 10 mins – Free
• Up to 1 hour – 50p
• 1-2 Hours – £1.20
• 2-4 Hours – £2.60
• Over 4 Hours – £3.00
• 5.30pm to 8am – £1.00

5. Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Address: Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1NS Website: www.principalitystadium.wales/tours Tel: 08442491999 Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am–5pm, Sun & bank hols: 10.15am–4pm; tour times are subject to change Price: Pay on the day/at the door prices: Adults £13.75, Concession £11.00, Family £41.80, Children £9.90 (cheaper if purchased in advance).

Located in Cardiff City Centre, the Principality Stadium is one of the most impressive icons of modern Wales and home of the Wales national rugby union team. Tours of the stadium are available providing an educational and historic account of Welsh Rugby and are fully wheelchair accessible. 

On a Principality tour, you get to go in the players changing rooms and enter VIP areas where the Royals would sit! Your guide will explain from the construction of the stadium to the workings of the open and closing roof and much more.  

If you do get the opportunity to watch a live game on your visit – do it! It’s a wonderful atmosphere and wheelchair accessibility is prioritised with the stewards being on hand to assist you with any needs you may have.

For an experience like no other take the Rugby Legend Tour where either Sir Gareth Edwards, Shane Williams or Sam Warburton will show you around. You pay for the privilege here with tickets costing £135pp, but you’ll have memories to last a lifetime.

How to get there 

Public Transport

The stadium is a short distance from Cardiff Central train/bus station. The pavement from the station to the stadium is flat and can be easily navigated by a wheelchair, but taxies are also available from outside the station if required.

By Car

Cardiff is easily accessible from the M4 motorway, approximately three hours from London.

A number of disabled car parking spaces are available and can be reserved by prior arrangement with the Stadium management. 

6. National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire

Address: Middleton Hall, Llanarthne, SA32 8HN Website: botanicgarden.wales Tel: +441558667149 Hours: 1 April – 31 October: 10:00am – 6:00pm. 1 November – 31 March: 10:00am – 4:00pm Price: Adult – £10.45. Children (5-16) – £5. Under 5s – FREE. Carers – FREE.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales is one of the best wheelchair-friendly days out for when the sun is shining. The garden is both a visitor attraction and a centre for botanical research and conservation and features the world’s largest single-span glasshouse measuring 110m long by 60m wide. 

All paths in the garden and most inside the greenhouse are accessible by wheelchair, and there are several manual wheelchairs available on request. The gardens are quite extensive so you may find a manual wheelchair very tasking, however, there is a regular shuttle buggy service to take you to most parts of the Garden and return you to the Gatehouse. 

If you require more freedom, we would recommend you bring your own scooter or electric wheelchair. Lightweight electric wheelchairs are now available that fold down to fit in the boot of your car, an example of this is the EeZeeGo-LW1+ which also features an automatic fold and unfold.

How to get there 

Public Transport

Travelling by train or bus allows you to get half-priced entry into the gardens, plus over 60’s get the journey for free with a concessionary pass.

There is limited service by bus so make sure you plan ahead! 

From Carmarthen: 

• Get the 270 bus from Carmarthen bus station at 11:05am or from Carmarthen train station at 11:08 to reach the Garden at 11:30.
• The return trip is at 4.25pm, calling in again at the train station at 4:47pm and back at the bus station for 4:50pm.
• An earlier bus back to Carmarthen leaves at 1.10pm, but there is no service on Mondays, Fridays, Sundays and bank holidays.

From Swansea:

• One journey a day provided by TrawsCymru Service. Get the T1S from Swansea to the Garden, leaving Swansea City Bus Station at 12noon, reaching the Garden at 12.42pm.
• The return trip is at 4.19pm, arriving back at the bus station at 5.02pm.  The service is provided by First Cymru and is part of that company’s ‘TrawsCymru’ service. 

By Car

The Garden is situated 10 minutes from the M4 and 2 minutes from the A48 in Carmarthenshire, mid-way between Cross Hands and Carmarthen.

Free parking at the Botanical Gardens for everybody, with disabled bays near the entrance.

Source: https://botanicgarden.wales/visit/plan-your-visit-to-the-garden/travel/

7. Swansea Promenade to Mumbles Pier, Swansea

Take a pleasant journey along the promenade that stretches around Swansea Bay to Mumbles, and take in the breathtaking views of the expansive bay. The path is flat and paved making the whole 5-mile stretch wheelchair friendly.

Mumbles is a quaint seaside town that marks the beginning of the Gower Peninsula, the first place of natural beauty in the UK, and it’s not surprising to see why it got that title. From the golden sand to the hills that surround it, it’s truly a remarkable place. 

In Mumbles town make sure you try Joe’s ice-cream. Joe’s ice-cream parlour opened in 1922, producing their famous creamy ice-cream, which even Prince William and Kate Middleton tried earlier this month (Feb, 2020). There are also many wheelchair-friendly eateries and shops around here for you to enjoy.

In the warmer months, why not take the Swansea Bay Rider Land Train which is fully accessible to wheelchair users. Dogs are also allowed on the train if on a lead and under control. You can get on at Blackpill Lido, and it will take you all the way to Mumbles for just £5.25 or £4.20 for concessions.

If you fancy getting out onto the sand Landeez Wheelchairs can be hired for FREE from 360 Beach & Watersports Centre on Mumbles Road. Just ring them beforehand to book a wheelchair.

How to get there 

Public Transport

Swansea has a central bus station with buses from Cardiff and further afield. From the bus station take the 2/2A/2B/2C bus towards Mumbles and get off at Blackpill (lido). You can join the path at a nice spot and follow the coast towards Mumbles.

By Car

Take junction of the M4 towards Swansea City Centre.

There are a number of disabled parking bays along the coast, but we would recommend parking in Knab Rock Car Park on the mumbles side of the promenade which has 10 spots for blue badge holders. 

8. National Waterfront Museum, Swansea

Address: Oystermouth Road SA1 3RD Website: https://museum.wales/swansea Telephone: 029 20573600 Hours: daily 10am–5pm Dates: closed 1 Jan & 24–26 Dec Entry: free

The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea explains merges history with modern technology with interactive descriptions of the rich history of South Wales – what’s more, it’s wheelchair friendly!

South Wales history is deeply rooted in heavy industry, such as the production and manufacture of coal, steel, tin, nickel and copper to be distributed throughout the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

The building itself is a modernised warehouse near the docks and Swansea Marina (which is also wheelchair friendly and worth a wander around). Inside the museum, everything is made to be as wheelchair friendly as possible, with doors operated by large push buttons, multiple disabled toilets, a changing room, and plenty of places to sit. Manual wheelchairs are available on request and a small number of mobility scooters are allowed inside, but check before you travel.

For those with hearing difficulties, there are audio descriptions, interactive touch-screens and real-time BSL interpretation. There is also a fantastic chill-out room for those who need some quiet during their visit, for example, those with autism, dementia or any other conditions.

There is a cafe in the museum, or you’re welcome to eat food you have brought with you in the lunchroom. Other eateries are available in Swansea City Centre and along the waterfront. 

How to Get There

Public Transport

Swansea has a central bus station with buses from Cardiff and further afield. From the bus station, the museum is a short distance away and if you have an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter you will benefit from the flat terrain and drop pavements. Be careful when crossing the busy Oystermouth Road and make sure to use the designated pedestrian crossing.

By Car

Take junction of the M4 towards Swansea City Centre.

Five disabled parking bays are located on East Burrows Place and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. As a backup, St David’s pay and display car park is situated just a short distance from the Museum on Oystermouth Road.

9. Folly Farm, Pembrokeshire

Address: Begelly, Kilgetty SA68 0XA Website: www.folly-farm.co.uk Tel: 01834 812731 Hours: Check website for up-to-date information. Price: £14.50 for disabled adults (£12.33 online) and £12.50 for disabled children and seniors (£10.63 online). Carer – Free.

Folly Farm is a fun and educational day out for the whole family – plus, totally wheelchair friendly! There is so much to do, from seeing exotic animals on the farm to letting the kids play in the fairground and indoor and outdoor adventure play areas.

Folly Farm does a lot for the conservation of endangered animals. In January of this year (2020), by a miracle, a critically endangered baby black rhino was born in the park. There are thought to be fewer than 650 left in the wild and around 87 in zoos across Europe, including this one at Folly Farm – and it is the first to be born in Wales!

The paths around the park are well kept and mostly paved, but some areas near the rhino enclosure and the piggery have firm gravel paths and take particular care during wet weather as the zoo area can get muddy and concrete inside enclosures slippery.

There are several manual wheelchairs which are free to borrow (£10 refundable deposit required), but due to the size of Folly Farm, we would recommend a power-assisted mobility vehicle such as the EeZeeGo-QC2 to save the energy of you or a carer.

Folly Farm has a fantastic land train tractor ride and a Ferris Wheel which both have wheelchair friendly carriages and step-free access. The land train takes you on a tour around the paddocks to see a whole host of animals. For those with difficulty hearing, induction loops are fitted in the interactive centre and theatre. 

Animal experiences, feeding giraffes, penguins, lions and meeting the rhinos are also accessible for wheelchair users, a great experience for anyone but kids particularly go wild for this.

Many different food outlets are dotted across the park which provides hot meals and caters to all sorts of dietary needs, or there is an indoor picnic area. 

There are plenty of disabled toilets throughout the park and a disabled changing room with a full-size changing table and hoist is available.

How to Get There

Public Transport

The 381 bus (Tenby – Haverfordwest/Haverfordwest – Tenby) operated by Taf Valley Coaches stops immediately outside Folly Farm. The bus runs roughly hourly in either direction on Monday to Saturday, with no service on Sundays. 

By Car

If using a sat-nav, use the postcode SA68 0XA. Otherwise take the M4 westbound until Junction 49, then take the A48 towards Carmarthen and on to A40 heading in the direction of Tenby. Folly Farm is well signposted.

Find out more: https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/plan-your-day/disabled-facilities/

10. Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon

Address: Big Pit, Blaenafon, Torfaen, NP4 9XP Website: https://museum.wales/bigpit/ Hours: 9.30am – 5pm daily (last admission 4pm). Underground tours: 10am – 3.30pm Entry: FREE

If you are able-bodied enough to sit in a manual wheelchair, then a visit to Big Pit is one of the most unusual and thrilling days out on this list. 

Big Pit was a working coal mine between 1880 and 1980 and opened as a national coal museum a few years after it’s closure. It is a fantastic example of Welsh coal mining history and gives you insight into the daily struggles of those working in such a dangerous industry, where accidents were no rare occurrence.

You get an opportunity on this visit to travel 90 metres (300 feet) down the Big Pit mineshaft for their famous underground tour where you can get a glimpse into the lives of the miners who spent most of their waking day working hard under the ground extracting coal.

Most buildings at the museum are wheelchair friendly, but it is quite hilly and ramps between levels on the surface can be long and steep so it is required you bring a helper with you. 

For moving around above-ground we would highly recommend a power-assisted chair, but if you wish to go down into the mine, you will have to transfer to a manual wheelchair, which they can provide as no electrical equipment can be taken with you.

If you wish to go down into the mine itself, which is a thrilling and unforgettable experience, then you need to book in advance. Only 4 wheelchairs are allowed underground at any one time due to evacuation policies. However, the tour is free and well worth it!

You can either bring a packed lunch with you, or there are two wheelchair-accessible catering outlets available. The canteen is open all year, with the exception of January, and serves a range of hot and cold food, snacks, selection of homemade cakes, hot and cold drinks and treats.

How to Get There

Public Transport

From Cwmbran Bus Station get the number 30 bus to Lion Street, Blaenafon and from there the number 31 bus to Big Pit.

The number 30 bus runs daily Monday to Saturday, including Good Friday but excluding other Bank Holidays and they run from 7.40am and are hourly. Bus 30 from Lion Street starts at 8.40am and then runs every 2 hours.

Return bus from Big Pit to Lion Street from 10.15am and thereafter every 2 hours at .15 minutes past the hour and from Lion Street to Cwmbran hourly at .40 minutes past the hour until 4.40pm.

By Car

Exit the M4 motorway at Junction 25a (westbound) or Junction 26 (eastbound) and follow brown signs for Big Pit, or alternatively pop NP4 9RL into your sat-nav. 

• Pay and Display parking – £3 or free if you are a blue badge holder.

Designated disabled parking is available on each of the three main levels, but to view the mining galleries it is necessary to ascend/descend a fairly steep slope.

Conclusion

There is no shortage of fun wheelchair friendly days out in South Wales. We hope this list of the top 10 has inspired you to get out and about for a day and experience some of the wonders of the area. 

Do you think we’ve missed any wheelchair friendly days out? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: Be sure to double-check the information in this post before you travel as schedules, prices and other things may have changed since this was written.