The Local's Guide

Things to Do in Exeter

Eat and drink your way around the city

Exeter's food scene has quietly become one of the best in the South West — independent-led, walkable, and far cheaper than Bristol or London.

• The best restaurants in Exeter

  From Stage's tasting menus to the bookings everyone fights over.

• Magdalen Road: Exeter's coolest street

  A whole independent high street — bakery to tasting menu.

• The best fish and chips in Exeter and Devon

  City chippies and the award-winning seaside legends.

• Afternoon tea, done properly

  Michelin-starred manors to £5.50 cream teas.

• The best breakfast in Exeter

  Award-winning fry-ups and quayside brunches.

Meet people while you're at it

The best things to do in a city are the ones that come with company. These are the activities where turning up alone is completely normal.

• Pub quizzes, every night of the week

  Monday to Sunday, £1–£2 a head, teams welcome strangers.

• parkruns and running clubs

  Free timed 5ks and clubs with no-drop policies.

• Book clubs and literary events

  Including Silent Book Club — no set reading, no pressure.

• Exeter's best social clubs

  Regular groups for every interest and age.

• Dinners With Friends events

  Book a seat at a table of friendly strangers — meeting people is the whole point.

Get outside: Devon on your doorstep

Twenty minutes from the city centre you can be swimming in a Dartmoor river pool, walking a sea wall, or watching dolphins off the coast.

• Wild swimming spots

  Sharrah Pool, sea coves and Devon's art-deco lidos.

• Dawlish and Teignmouth by train

  Brunel's sea-wall railway — the easiest seaside day out.

• Kayaking and canoeing for beginners

  Calm estuary paddles and river adventures.

• Day trips from Exeter

  Topsham, Totnes, Dartmouth and the north coast.

• Stargazing on Dartmoor

  An international Dark Sky Reserve within reach of the city.

Rainy-day Exeter

It rains in Devon. These are the indoor options locals actually use.

• Board game cafés

  Hundreds of games and hosts who teach the rules.

• Escape rooms and axe throwing

  The unusual stuff, ranked honestly.

• Cinemas, from multiplex to arthouse

  Including the beloved Exeter Phoenix.

• The underground passages

  Medieval tunnels under the high street — genuinely unique.

• Art classes and workshops

  Pottery, painting, and sip-and-paint evenings.

Free things to do

Exeter rewards walkers: a thousand years of history is scattered across a compact, hilly, green city.

• Roman Exeter

  City walls, bathhouse history and the ancient street plan.

• Gandy Street and the Cathedral Quarter

  The prettiest lanes in the city, cost: nothing.

• The best walking routes

  Quayside loops and the Green Circle.

• Photography spots

  Where the postcard shots actually get taken.

• What's on in 2026

  Festivals, markets and free events month by month.

Frequently asked questions

What is Exeter best known for?

Exeter is best known for its 900-year-old cathedral, medieval underground passages, the quayside on the River Exe, and its position between Dartmoor and the south Devon coast — with a fast-improving independent food scene.

What can I do in Exeter for free?

Walk the Roman city walls and Cathedral Green, explore Gandy Street and the quay, follow the Green Circle walking route, or time a visit for the free festivals — the sea shanty festival and street markets cost nothing.

What should I do in Exeter when it rains?

Board game cafés, escape rooms, the medieval underground passages, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, cinemas including Exeter Phoenix, and art workshops all keep you dry.

How can I meet new people in Exeter?

Pick recurring social activities: pub quizzes, parkrun, book clubs, running clubs — or book a Dinners With Friends table, where sharing dinner with new people is the entire point.

Is Exeter worth visiting for a weekend?

Yes — two days covers the cathedral quarter, the quay, Magdalen Road's food scene and a seaside train trip to Dawlish or Teignmouth, all without a car.