Cardiff's visitor levy
From 1 April 2027 Cardiff will charge £0.75 to £1.30 per person per night, depending on where you stay. Babies and children pay the full rate too, except under-18s in shared hostel rooms and on tent pitches.
Nothing is charged until 1 April 2027. What follows is the scheme as agreed.
How the visitor levy works
Wales passed its visitor levy law in September 2025, letting each council decide whether to charge. Cardiff is the first to say yes: from 1 April 2027 every overnight stay in the city costs £1.30 per person per night, or 75p per adult in shared hostel rooms and tents.
It is charged on bookings made from 28 September 2026 for stays from 1 April 2027, so a room booked now for next spring already carries the levy. Cardiff expects about £3.5 million a year, spent through a Visitor Levy Partnership Forum with local businesses.
Other Welsh councils are holding back: Conwy deferred its decision and Gwynedd delayed one in September 2026, and Anglesey decided against.
Rates by type of stay
Each kind of accommodation has its own rate.
| Where you stay | Tax |
|---|---|
| Hotel, B&B, guest house, self-catering, holiday let, Airbnb, caravan or glamping | £1.30 per person per night Every guest pays, whatever their age, babies included. |
| Shared hostel or bunkhouse room, or a tent pitch | £0.75 per person per night Under-18s pay nothing at this rate. |
An example stay
Hotel, B&B, guest house, self-catering, holiday let, Airbnb, caravan or glamping
- £1.30 per person per night4 guests × 3 nights × £1.30
- £15.60
Tax on this stay£15.60
Who doesn’t pay
- Bookings of 32 nights or more are not charged at all.
- Under-18s staying in shared hostel rooms or tents.
- People staying for work as employees, contractors or apprentices, where the employer arranges it.
- Refunds for guests who were caring for a disabled person, temporarily homeless, or fleeing harm or domestic abuse at the time of the stay.
Paying it
The accommodation provider charges it and pays the Welsh Revenue Authority, which collects it for Cardiff Council. Every provider in Wales must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by 31 March 2027.
Your trip in the calculator
The calculator applies Cardiff's rules to your dates and party. It's an estimate: your host works out the exact figure.
Booking a stay in Cardiff
Before you book, open the price breakdown. Some listings fold the tax into the price; others leave it to pay when you arrive.
Sources
We last checked these on 28 September 2026. Rates often change at the start of a year or a season, so check the official source before you pay or file a return.
- Welsh Government: visitor levy, how much official
- Welsh Government: before the levy starts official
- Welsh Government: a small contribution, a lasting legacy official
- Cardiff Council newsroom: visitor levy approved (26 March 2026) official