Things to Do in Exeter: The Complete 2026 Guide by Category

Exeter is small enough to cross on foot in twenty minutes and old enough to have something worth stopping for on almost every street. That combination is what makes it such a good city for a day out, a weekend, or a life. The problem is rarely finding something to do. It is knowing which of the many options suits the day you actually have: raining, skint, with children, on your own, or with friends who want to eat well.

This page is the starting point. Each section answers one question, names the places worth your time, and then points you to the deeper guide we have written on that slice of the city. Everything named here was checked as open and operating in September 2026 against the venue's own website or official listing. Opening days change seasonally, so always check before you travel.

What are the must-see things to do in Exeter?

If you only have one day, do these five. They cover two thousand years of history, cost little or nothing, and sit within a fifteen-minute walk of each other.

Exeter Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St Peter is the reason most visitors come, and it earns it. The vaulted ceiling of the nave is the longest uninterrupted stretch of medieval Gothic vaulting in the world, and the Cathedral Green outside is the city's shared front garden, full of picnickers on any dry lunchtime. The Cathedral runs guided tours, including roof tours on selected dates. Our Exeter Cathedral visitors' guide covers tickets, tours and the best times to go.

RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum)

RAMM on Queen Street is free, open Tuesday to Sunday, and far better than a city of this size has any right to expect. It won the Art Fund Museum of the Year prize in 2012 after its redevelopment, and the collection runs from Roman Exeter to world cultures to natural history. It is the best free hour in the city.

The Underground Passages

Beneath the high street run the medieval tunnels built to carry clean water into the city. They are the only passages of their kind in Britain open to the public. Guided tours leave from the visitor centre on Paris Street. The underground tour itself takes about 25 minutes, and there is an exhibition in the visitor centre before you go down. Under-fives are not allowed on tours, the passages are narrow, and weekend slots sell out, so book ahead through the city council. Our Underground Passages guide explains what to expect.

A free Red Coat guided tour

The Exeter Red Coat Guides are volunteers who have been running free walking tours of the city for decades. Themes range from the Roman walls to Tudor and Georgian Exeter to ghost walks, and several tours run every day. It is the quickest way to understand how the city fits together. If you would rather go at your own pace, try our self-guided walking tour of Exeter's hidden gems.

The Quay

Exeter Quay is where the city relaxes. The old Custom House, the warehouses turned into cafés and antiques shops, and the river itself make it the best place in Exeter to spend a sunny afternoon. More on that below, and in full in our Exeter Quay guide.

What is there to do in Exeter for history lovers?

Exeter's history is unusually easy to see. Large sections of the Roman and medieval city wall survive, and you can walk much of the circuit through Northernhay Gardens, which dates from 1612 and is often described as the oldest public open space in England. Rougemont Castle's gatehouse is still standing at the top of the gardens.

For the Roman story, from the legionary fortress to the bath house under the Cathedral Green, read our Roman Exeter guide. The Blitz of May 1942 destroyed much of the medieval centre, and the way the city rebuilt explains a lot about today's high street. Our Exeter Blitz and rebuilding guide covers it.

What is there to do on Exeter Quay and the river?

Hire a boat. Saddles & Paddles, on Kings Wharf at the Quay, hires canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and bikes. All boat users must be able to swim 25 metres. The classic trip is along the Exeter Ship Canal, one of the oldest pound-lock canals in England, to the Double Locks, a canalside pub that is still trading and makes a natural turning point.

On foot or by bike, the Exe Estuary Trail follows the canal and river down towards Topsham and beyond. The Quay itself has antiques shops in the old warehouses, cafés and bars along the waterfront, and the Custom House, one of the oldest surviving brick buildings in the city.

If you would rather be in the water than on it, our guides to river kayaking and canoeing in Devon and wild swimming spots in Devon go further.

What are the best cultural things to do in Exeter?

Exeter has a stronger arts scene than its size suggests, built around a handful of venues:

• Exeter Northcott Theatre, on the university campus, is the city's main producing and touring theatre.
• Exeter Phoenix, off Gandy Street, is the arts centre: cinema, gigs, comedy, exhibitions and a good café-bar.
• Exeter Corn Exchange hosts touring comedy, music and talks.
• Exeter Picturehouse on Bartholomew Street West is the independent cinema.

For listings and what each venue does best, see our guides to theatre and comedy in Exeter, live music venues and cinemas. The city's murals are worth a walk too; our Exeter street art tour maps them. For festivals and seasonal events across the year, check what's on in Exeter.

Where should you eat and drink in Exeter?

Start with Gandy Street and the Cathedral Quarter for independents, Magdalen Road for the city's best neighbourhood strip, and Topsham for an evening out that feels like a trip. We keep separate, verified guides for each:

• Best restaurants in Exeter
• Best pubs in Exeter
• Best brunch spots and coffee shops
• Cocktail bars and craft beer taprooms
• Food markets and street food
• A foodie's guide to Topsham
• Magdalen Road and Gandy Street and the Cathedral Quarter

What is there to do in Exeter with friends or in the evening?

For a group, the easy wins are a pub quiz, a board game café, an escape room or axe throwing, or a competitive night out. Our guides to pub quizzes, board game cafés and escape rooms, axe throwing and unusual activities cover the options. If you want to make something, try a pottery painting or craft workshop.

For sport, Exeter City play at St James Park and Exeter Chiefs play rugby at Sandy Park. On match days the city has a real buzz, and our sports bars guide covers where to watch away games. If your idea of a good evening is a long table and new people, that is what our own dinners are for.

What can you do in Exeter for free or on a budget?

A surprising amount. RAMM is free, the Red Coat tours are free, the Cathedral Green, Northernhay Gardens and the city wall cost nothing, and the canal path is free to walk or cycle. Exeter Riverside parkrun is free every Saturday morning. Our free things to do in Exeter guide lists more than twenty, and Exeter on a budget covers cheap eats and discounts.

What is there to do in Exeter when it rains?

Go underground, go to a museum, or go to a show. The Underground Passages, RAMM and the Cathedral are all indoors, and the Phoenix and Picturehouse run daytime screenings. Add a board game café or a long lunch and a wet day becomes a good one. Our rainy day ideas for Exeter has the full list.

What is there to do in Exeter with kids?

RAMM, the Quay, canoe hire (for confident swimmers) and a picnic on Northernhay Gardens will fill a day without much spending. Bigger days out nearby include Haldon Forest Park, run by Forestry England, with waymarked walking and cycling trails, and Powderham Castle, the Courtenay family's home on the Exe estuary. Our family-friendly Exeter guide goes into detail.

What is there to do in Exeter on your own?

Exeter is an easy city to explore alone. A Red Coat tour gives you company for an hour and a half with no commitment, RAMM and the Cathedral reward slow wandering, and a counter seat at a good café is never awkward. Our solo guide to Exeter has ideas, and if you are new to the city, start there.

What are the best days out from Exeter?

Exeter sits between Dartmoor and the coast, so the best half-day trips are short. Topsham is ten minutes by train. Haldon Forest and Powderham are a short drive. Further afield:

• Dartmoor
• Beaches near Exeter
• Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton
• Dartmouth and Totnes
• Walking routes around Exeter

Our best day trips from Exeter guide compares them for groups.

How should you spend a weekend in Exeter?

Day one: Red Coat tour, RAMM, lunch in the Cathedral Quarter, the Underground Passages, then dinner and a show. Day two: cycle the canal and Exe Estuary Trail to Topsham for lunch and take the train back, or paddle to the Double Locks for lunch and back. Our 48-hour Exeter itinerary sets it out hour by hour, and our hotels guide covers where to stay.

The best thing to do in Exeter is do it with someone

Most of what makes Exeter good is better shared: a tour you can talk about afterwards, a canoe that needs two people, a table that needs filling. If you have the list but not the company, that is exactly why we exist.