Real, curated ideas for Exeter — the cathedral, the underground passages, the quay and where to eat, filtered by who's actually with you.
Exeter is Devon's county city and the one place in this guide where a day out is entirely weatherproof. It has a cathedral with the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England, a set of medieval underground water tunnels you can crawl through, Roman and Norman city walls, and a quay that has been converted into one of the nicest waterfronts in the south west.
Two things here are free and genuinely excellent. The Red Coat guided tours run several times a day, cost nothing, and the guides are volunteers who are properly good at it — reviewers consistently rate them as the highlight of a visit. The Custom House Visitor Centre on the quay has a museum, a film about the city's history and all the maps you need.
The quay is where to spend the afternoon: independent shops, cafés on both sides, kayak and paddleboard hire, a 40p ferry across the water, and flat paths suitable for a pushchair or wheelchair. Follow the river south and you are into Riverside Valley Park within minutes.
Listings last checked: September 2026
The converted riverside warehouses south of the centre — quirky shops, cafés on both banks, a good pub, kayak and paddleboard hire, and a 40p passenger ferry across the water. Flat enough for a pushchair or wheelchair throughout, with public toilets and parking a short walk away.
Meadows and river paths running south from the quay, good for walking, running, cycling and paddleboarding, with open fields for dogs. Herons and kingfishers along the water. Easy to reach on foot or by bike from the city centre.
Believed to be the oldest public sensory garden in the world, tucked beside a children's play park in Belmont Park. Small — a stop rather than a destination — but a pleasant place to let children run about with a bit of history attached.
The longest uninterrupted Gothic vaulted ceiling in England, an astronomical clock and an interior that photographs badly and impresses hugely in person. Time a visit for the 5.30pm evensong when the choir and organ are on — reviewers rate that above the daytime tour.
Medieval tunnels built to bring clean water into the city, explored on a guided tour with a hard hat. About fifty minutes, groups of fifteen, and booking ahead is essential. Most of it is walkable; one optional section means crawling on all fours. Closed Monday to Wednesday.
Free volunteer-led walking tours on several themes — medieval Exeter, the city walls, cathedral to quay — and genuinely the best-rated thing in the city. Guides are knowledgeable and funny rather than dry. No booking, just turn up. Around two hours.
The city's information centre on the quay, with a local museum upstairs, a changing gallery downstairs and a fifteen-minute film on Exeter's history. Free, and where the Red Coat tours are booked. Maps and leaflets for everything else.
Long-running soft play at Marsh Barton with a well-regarded sensory room and areas for a wide range of ages, plus a café with plenty of table space. Sessions are two hours and that includes eating — order food early or you will run out of time.
A free enclosed indoor play area on the first floor of the Guildhall shopping centre, with a climbing structure, AstroTurf, seats for parents and baby-changing with free nappies. You can bring your own food. Ideal for burning off five minutes of energy in the rain.
England's highest man-made waterfall, twenty minutes west towards Dartmoor, with a fern garden, lakes and a good café. Take the right-hand path up for the viewpoints. Steep in places but well maintained, with a flatter lower route for anyone who needs it.
Middle Eastern cooking on South Street and the highest-rated restaurant in Exeter — lamb chops and ribs, adana, complimentary lentil soup and hot bread with hummus to start. Generous portions at fair prices. Open midday to eleven every day.
Small plates on Commercial Road near the quay — charred cabbage, duck breast, bavette steak, mussels, home-made limoncello. Live music on Sunday evenings. It fills up fast, so book. Breakfast from nine most days.
Turkish cooking on Sidwell Street — cold mezze platters, mixed grills, Turkish brunch with fresh bread and coffee. Free breads and dips brought to the table, and reasonable prices for the quantity. Open eleven till eleven every day.
A rustic pub just off the high street doing a Sunday roast that people travel for, including gluten-free Yorkshire puddings — rarer than it should be. Fish tacos and nduja pasta on the regular menu. Book: they turn people away. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
The pub on the quay, with a good outdoor space facing the water and a serious commitment to dogs — beds and bowls throughout. Strong draught range and well-liked pub classics. Closed Mondays.
A large converted warehouse by the quay with an outdoor bar, sport on the screens and a well-regarded Sunday lunch. The best spot down here for a group. Service can be indifferent, but the setting carries it.
Hanging kebabs and camembert baked into a sourdough loaf, in the Guildhall centre, with live music on Friday nights and opening until two at weekends. Fun rather than refined, and good with a group.