--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Exeter, United Kingdom | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Exeter: the cathedral vault, the medieval Underground Passages, RAMM, the Quay and canal, the Exe Estuary Trail, Northernhay Gardens and a train to Topsham." url: https://wimup.com/city/exeter type: City guide updated: 2026-10-21 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Exeter Exeter, United Kingdom · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 10 min read Exeter is Devon's county town, a compact cathedral city on the River Exe with a Roman wall still around much of its centre. Everything inside the wall is walkable, the Quay and canal are ten minutes downhill, and the estuary, Dartmoor and the Jurassic Coast are all within an hour. ## Quick answer Start at the cathedral and its nave vault, then book a tour of the Underground Passages, the medieval water tunnels under the High Street. Give RAMM a morning, walk the Roman wall to Northernhay Gardens, and spend an afternoon at the Quay and along the canal. Keep a second day for the Exe Estuary Trail, a train to Topsham or Exmouth, or a drive onto Dartmoor. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** May · Jun · Sep - **Ideal length:** 2 days - **Budget per day:** $110–190 - **Language:** English - **Getting around:** Walking, trains & buses - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.visitexeter.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Exeter ### 1. Visit Exeter Cathedral Landmark · Cathedral Green, Exeter EX1 1HS There is no central tower, so the vault runs unbroken for just under 100 metres, the longest medieval stone vault in the world. Book a roof tour for the towers and the view, but expect more than 150 steps. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Weekday morning - **Tip:** Roof tours sell out Links: [Website](https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Tour the Underground Passages Landmark · Paris Street, Exeter EX1 Medieval tunnels built to carry clean water into the city, and the only system of its kind in Britain open to visitors. Guided tours run Thursday to Sunday, under-fives are not admitted, and booking is essential in school holidays. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** First tour - **Tip:** Book ahead, Thu–Sun only Links: [Website](https://www.exeter.gov.uk/passages?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Explore RAMM Museum · Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3RX The Royal Albert Memorial Museum is free and covers Devon from its geology and Roman finds to world cultures and a fine art gallery. It is closed on Mondays, so plan a museum morning for later in the week. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday morning - **Tip:** Closed Mondays Links: [Website](https://www.rammuseum.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Wander Exeter Quay Landmark · The Quay, Exeter EX2 4AN The old port at the head of England's first canal with pound locks, cut in the 1560s. The Custom House of 1680-81 is a free visitor centre; walk the towpath south to Double Locks for a canal-side pint. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Summer evening - **Tip:** Check Custom House days Links: [Website](https://exeter.gov.uk/customhouse/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Cycle the Exe Estuary Trail Nature · Exeter Quay to Exmouth A flat, mostly traffic-free path down the estuary from the Quay through Topsham and Lympstone to Exmouth. Ride one way and take the Avocet Line train back, or cross to Starcross on the ferry for a full loop. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Dry morning - **Tip:** Train back from Exmouth ### 6. Walk the Roman wall to Northernhay Nature · Northernhay Gardens, Queen Street, Exeter About 70 per cent of the Roman wall survives, and the best stretch runs past Northernhay Gardens, laid out in 1612 and called England's oldest public open space. The Norman gatehouse of Rougemont Castle stands above it. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Start at Rougemont Gardens ### 7. Step into the Guildhall Landmark · High Street, Exeter EX4 3EB One of the oldest civic buildings in England still in use, its timber-roofed hall behind a pillared Tudor front on the High Street. Entry is free, but it closes for civic functions, so check the council's page the same day. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekday morning - **Tip:** Closes for civic events Links: [Website](https://exeter.gov.uk/guildhall?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. See St Nicholas Priory Museum · The Mint, Exeter EX4 3BL A Benedictine priory turned Tudor merchant's house, furnished as it was around 1600, off Fore Street. It opens on set days only, mostly Mondays, and entry is free with donations welcome. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Monday - **Tip:** Check its open days first Links: [Website](https://nicholaspriory.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Take the train to Topsham Culture · Topsham, Exeter EX3 A former port on the estuary, ten minutes down the Avocet Line, with Dutch-gabled houses, antique shops and a waterfront path. Finish at the Bridge Inn, the first pub Elizabeth II officially visited. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Weekend afternoon - **Tip:** Trains about every 30 min ### 10. Visit the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum Museum · Old Library, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4SB A free museum of the moving image on the university's Streatham campus, from magic lanterns and optical toys to film posters and fan memorabilia. It is a 20-minute walk uphill from the centre, or a short bus ride. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Rainy day - **Tip:** Combine with a campus walk Links: [Website](https://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Historic Exeter Roman wall, Norman gatehouse, medieval tunnels and a merchant port. 1. **Underground Passages** (Ticketed · Paris Street): Medieval water tunnels under the High Street, by guided tour. [Website](https://www.exeter.gov.uk/passages?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Roman city wall** (Free · City centre): About 70 per cent of the circuit survives and can be traced on foot. 3. **Rougemont Castle gatehouse** (Free · Rougemont Gardens): The early Norman gatehouse of the castle William I began in 1068. 4. **Exeter Guildhall** (Free · High Street): A working civic hall on the High Street, free when no function is on. [Website](https://exeter.gov.uk/guildhall?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 5. **St Nicholas Priory** (Free · The Mint): A Tudor merchant’s house inside a Benedictine priory. [Website](https://nicholaspriory.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 6. **Custom House** (Free · The Quay): The 1680s brick customs house on the Quay, now a free visitor centre. [Website](https://exeter.gov.uk/customhouse/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best restaurants in Exeter (2026) A counter tasting menu on Magdalen Road, a cellar wine bar, and pizza on the Quay. 1. **Stage** (Tasting menu · ££ · Magdalen Road): Twelve counter seats facing the kitchen, listed in the Michelin Guide. 2. **Harry's** (Brasserie · ££ · Longbrook Street): A family-run room in a Victorian carver’s workshop since 1993. 3. **Rendezvous Wine Bar** (Wine bar · ££ · Southernhay): A basement wine bar with a walled garden and a daily menu. 4. **On the Waterfront** (Pizza · £ · The Quay): Big pizzas in the cellars of a 19th-century Quay warehouse. 5. **Lympstone Manor** (Fine dining · £££ · Lympstone): Michael Caines’s country-house hotel over the estuary. 6. **Jack in the Green** (Gastropub · ££ · Rockbeare): A dining pub out at Rockbeare, near the airport. ## Best pubs and bars in Exeter Late nights on New North Road, a canal-side inn, and an estuary pub with a royal visit. 1. **The Old Firehouse** (Pub · New North Road): A candlelit city institution that stays open late. 2. **The Hour Glass** (Pub · food · Melbourne Street): An eccentric corner pub near the Quay with a local-produce menu. 3. **Double Locks** (Canal pub · Exeter Canal): An 18th-century inn on the canal, reached on foot or by bike. 4. **The Prospect Inn** (Pub · The Quay): A big historic pub with tables on the Quay itself. 5. **Bridge Inn** (Historic pub · Topsham): A 16th-century inn on the Clyst, run by one family since 1897. ## Exeter outdoors An estuary path, a canal towpath and forest trails within half an hour. 1. **Exe Estuary Trail** (Free · Exe estuary): Flat, mostly traffic-free path from the Quay to Exmouth. 2. **Exeter Canal towpath** (Free · South of the Quay): England’s first pound-lock canal, walkable to Double Locks. 3. **Northernhay Gardens** (Free · Queen Street): Laid out in 1612 under the Roman wall and castle. 4. **Riverside Valley Park** (Free · Riverside): Meadows and paths along the Exe, south of the city. 5. **Haldon Forest Park** (Parking fee · Haldon Hills): Forestry England trails on the ridge west of the city. [Website](https://www.forestryengland.uk/haldon-forest-park?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Shopping in Exeter Independents on Gandy Street and Fore Street, chains in Princesshay. 1. **Gandy Street** (Independents · City centre): A narrow lane of independent shops and cafés off the High Street. 2. **McCoy's Arcade** (Vintage · Fore Street): A restored arcade off Fore Street, with vintage and guitars. 3. **Fore Street** (Independents · West Quarter): Older buildings, arcades and alternative shops running downhill. 4. **Princesshay** (High street · City centre): The open-air precinct of big names beside the cathedral. ## Exeter neighborhoods Inside the wall for the sights, Topsham and St Leonard’s for a slower pace. 1. **Cathedral Quarter** (Central · City centre): The green, the High Street and most sights on foot. 2. **The Quay** (Waterside · South): Warehouse bars, the canal and the river at the bottom of the hill. 3. **St Leonard's** (Residential · Southeast): Georgian terraces and Magdalen Road’s independent shops. 4. **West Quarter** (Local · West): Fore Street’s arcades and the old streets down to the river. 5. **Topsham** (Village · Southeast): An estuary town with its own pubs, ten minutes by train. ## Day trips from Exeter Granite moorland to the west, red cliffs to the east, and a castle on the estuary. 1. **Dartmoor** (Car · Dartmoor): Open moorland and granite tors, about half an hour west by car. [Website](https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Exmouth** (Train · East Devon): The sandy beach at the start of the Jurassic Coast, by train. 3. **Sidmouth** (Bus or car · East Devon): A Regency seafront under red Jurassic Coast cliffs. [Website](https://jurassiccoast.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **A La Ronde** (Car · Exmouth): A sixteen-sided National Trust house above Exmouth. [Website](https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/a-la-ronde?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 5. **Powderham Castle** (Car · Kenton): The Courtenay family seat with a deer park on the estuary. [Website](https://www.powderham.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 6. **Topsham** (Train · Exe estuary): Estuary pubs and old merchant houses, one stop down the line. 7. **Dartmouth** (Car · South Devon): A steep harbour town on the Dart, about an hour by car. ## Festivals & annual events in Exeter (2026) - **Exeter Pride** (9 May 2026): A march through the centre to Northernhay Gardens, with two stages of local acts. - **Devon County Show** (21–23 May 2026): Three days of livestock, food and show-jumping at Westpoint, east of the city. - **Exeter Respect Festival** (6–7 June 2026): An alcohol-free weekend of music and food from the city’s communities in Belmont Park. - **Exeter Craft Festival** (9–11 July 2026): Makers’ stalls and demonstrations on Cathedral Green over three days. - **Heritage Open Days** (September): Free tours of buildings usually closed, including the Guildhall and St Nicholas Priory. - **Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels** (5 November 2026): Burning tar barrels carried through the streets of an East Devon town on Bonfire Night. - **Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market** (13 November–13 December 2026): Wooden chalets of Devon makers and food on Cathedral Green. - **Winter Wonderland** (Late November–December): A covered ice rink and fairground rides in Northernhay Gardens. ## Must-try dishes in Exeter, United Kingdom - **Devon cream tea**: Scones split, clotted cream first, then the jam. - **Clotted cream**: Thick, scalded Devon cream, on scones, puddings and ice cream. - **Devon crab**: Brown and white crab meat from the south coast, in sandwiches. - **Brixham fish**: Day-boat catch from the Torbay port, on most menus in the city. - **Ruby Red beef**: From the Red Ruby Devon, the county’s own breed of cattle. - **Devon cider**: Farmhouse cider from the county’s orchards, still or sparkling. - **Squab pie**: An old Devon pie of lamb baked with apple and onion. - **Thunder and lightning**: Bread or a split with clotted cream and golden syrup. ## Exeter transport & airports - **Exeter St Davids** (Rail): The main station, an uphill walk of about 15 minutes from the High Street. GWR runs direct to London Paddington in about two and a quarter hours, and on to Plymouth and Cornwall. [Website](https://www.gwr.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Exeter Central and the Avocet Line** (Rail): Central is the stop for the shops. South Western Railway runs to London Waterloo, and the Avocet Line reaches Topsham and Exmouth in about half an hour. [Website](https://www.southwesternrailway.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Exeter Airport** (EXT): East of the city off the A30. Ryanair and TUI fly summer sun routes, and Loganair runs UK domestic links; local buses connect to the city centre. [Website](https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Local buses** (Bus): Stagecoach runs the city routes, the Park and Ride sites on the edge of town, and services out to the coast and the market towns. [Website](https://www.stagecoachbus.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Exeter at a glance - **Country:** United Kingdom (England) - **Region:** Devon, the county town - **Population:** 130,709 (2021 census, city district) - **Founded:** As the Roman fortress of Isca, around AD 55 - **Nickname:** The Ever Faithful city - **Language:** English - **Currency:** Pound sterling (GBP) - **Time zone:** GMT · UTC+0, BST UTC+1 in summer - **Calling code:** +44 - **Airports:** Exeter (EXT) - **Power:** 230 V, type G plugs - **Emergency:** 999 or 112 ## Interesting facts - Exeter Cathedral’s nave carries the longest unbroken medieval stone vault in the world. - The Underground Passages were dug to bring fresh water into the medieval city. - The Exeter Canal, cut in the 1560s, was the first in England to use pound locks. - Northernhay Gardens, laid out in 1612, is described as England’s oldest public open space. - Elizabeth II made her first official visit to a pub at the Bridge Inn in Topsham, in 1998. ## Exeter travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Exeter? Two. One for the cathedral, the Underground Passages, RAMM and the Quay, all within walking distance. The second for the Exe Estuary Trail, a train to Topsham or Exmouth, or a drive onto Dartmoor. ### Do you need to book the Underground Passages? Yes, ideally. Tours run Thursday to Sunday, fill quickly and are essential to book in school holidays. Children under five are not allowed on the tour, and latecomers cannot join once it has started. ### How do you get to Exeter from London? By train. GWR runs direct from London Paddington to Exeter St Davids in about two and a quarter hours, and South Western Railway runs a slower service from London Waterloo to Exeter Central and St Davids. ### Is Exeter a good base for Dartmoor and the Jurassic Coast? Yes. Dartmoor starts about half an hour west by car, and the Avocet Line reaches Exmouth, at the western end of the Jurassic Coast, in about half an hour. Sidmouth and its red cliffs are a bus or car ride east. ### Is Exeter Cathedral free to enter? There is an admission charge for visitors, while entry for private prayer and services is free. Roof tours are booked and charged separately, and are not suitable for everyone because of the steps. ## Nearby guides - [London](https://wimup.com/city/london.md): United Kingdom · 10 picks - [Saint-Malo](https://wimup.com/city/saint-malo.md): France · 10 picks - [Chester](https://wimup.com/city/chester.md): United Kingdom · 10 picks - [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 134 cities Part of the [United Kingdom guide](https://wimup.com/country/united-kingdom.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md) ## Sources - [Exeter tourism board](https://www.visitexeter.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Visit Exeter Cathedral (official site)](https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Tour the Underground Passages (official site)](https://www.exeter.gov.uk/passages?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Explore RAMM (official site)](https://www.rammuseum.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Wander Exeter Quay (official site)](https://exeter.gov.uk/customhouse/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Step into the Guildhall (official site)](https://exeter.gov.uk/guildhall?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See St Nicholas Priory (official site)](https://nicholaspriory.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Visit the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum (official site)](https://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Haldon Forest Park (official site)](https://www.forestryengland.uk/haldon-forest-park?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Dartmoor (official site)](https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Sidmouth (official site)](https://jurassiccoast.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [A La Ronde (official site)](https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/a-la-ronde?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Powderham Castle (official site)](https://www.powderham.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Exeter St Davids (official site)](https://www.gwr.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Exeter Central and the Avocet Line (official site)](https://www.southwesternrailway.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Exeter Airport (official site)](https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Local buses (official site)](https://www.stagecoachbus.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.