Taking to the top deck for a tour of Cardiff

Whether you're new to Cardiff or have lived here your whole life, seeing the city from the top deck of one of its red tour buses will open your eyes to the story behind the  Welsh capital.

Primarily aimed at tourists, the sight-seeing route lasts 55 minutes and includes some of Cardiff's major landmarks such as the National Museum, the Senedd, and the Millennium Stadium.

But the highlight of the journey is undoubtedly the view over the Taff Viaduct, a freshwater lake created in Cardiff Bay as part of the regeneration of Butetown.

The extra height of the bus allows a different perspective on many historic buildings, such as the elaborate Victorian architecture above many of the pubs and clubs of St Mary street.

The Cardiff tour started up in the late 1980s, before being taken over in 2006 by international franchise City Sightseeing.

Tour guide John May, from Tongywnlais, said the buses have to change their route every few year as the city evolves.

"Five years ago we didn't bother going down around the bay because there was nothing there, but now it's one of the main stops on the bus," he said.

John has worked as a bus tour guide for 14 years after retiring from his job as a history teacher in Newport.

He has also written several books about the history of the capital - something that really comes through in his commentary.

"We've got a whole mixture of people doing the commentaries. Most of us are retired. We've found we get different aspects of Cardiff from different tour guides. Every says the same basic stuff but we put our own twist on it."

It seems like John has something to say about every building in Cardiff, making the tour interesting for tourists and Cardiffians alike.

"We get people from all over the world, all sorts of people," he said. "We do get some locals as well, mostly school trips. It's a hop-on hop-off trip so people can get off where they want and get on the next bus."

Nicky James and Hazel Roberts, from Tremorfa, brought their children Harley, 2, and Olivia, 3, on the tour.

Hazel said: "It was really great, we really enjoyed it. Harley didn't like going under the bridges but I think he enjoyed it really.

"It's great as well because the kids get to go free, so it's a good thing to do on a day out."

The buses run from 10am-3pm on the hour from outside the castle. Adult tickets are £9, concessions £7, and tickets are valid for two days. For more information call 02920 473 432.