Exeter Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Exeter makes a good base for a Devon break because it combines a compact cathedral city with quick access to both coast and countryside. The centre has a Gothic cathedral, stretches of Roman and medieval city wall, a riverside quay and a set of medieval passages running beneath the streets. Within half an hour you can be on the beach at Exmouth or at the edge of Dartmoor.

Why Exeter works for a staycation

Two nights is enough for the city itself; three or four lets you add a coastal day and a country house or castle. Exeter is on the main railway line from London and the Midlands, and local trains run down the Exe estuary, so it suits a car-free trip. For similar trips, see our guide to UK city breaks without flying.

Where to stay in Exeter

In the city centre

The Turks Head is a traditional inn on the High Street with adults-only rooms and a bar downstairs. Premier Inn Exeter City Centre and Holiday Inn Express Exeter City Centre are simple, central options, and City Gate is a pub with rooms and a garden terrace that accepts dogs.

By the river

Mill on the Exe is a red-brick pub with rooms and waterside gardens overlooking a weir, rated 4.4 from over 3,700 Google reviews. It welcomes dogs and is an easy walk from the quay.

On the edge of the city

Blue Ball Inn at Sandygate is a thatched 17th-century pub with rooms that also takes dogs. The Devon Hotel is set in a Georgian manor house with gardens, and Woodbury Park Hotel and Spa suits a golf or spa break. See all options on the Exeter hotels page.

Things to do in Exeter

Exeter Cathedral is the city's centrepiece, known for its long, unbroken Gothic vaulted ceiling, and the green around it is a pleasant place to sit. A short walk away, Exeter's Underground Passages are medieval tunnels built to carry water under the city, and guided tours take you inside. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery covers Devon's history, world cultures and natural history in a Victorian building.

Down by the river, the historic quayside has cafes, antique shops and walking and cycling paths along the Exe. Follow the river south and you reach the estuary.

Some of the best days out are just outside the city. Killerton is a National Trust house with landscaped gardens and a costume collection, and Powderham Castle is a historic castle full of antiques and tapestries, with parts dating to the 14th century. On the edge of Dartmoor, Castle Drogo is a 20th-century country house built in medieval style. Canonteign Falls has waterfalls, lakes and fern gardens, rated 4.7.

For something more active, Go Ape Haldon runs a treetop course in the forest above the city, and families can head to Crealy Theme Park. More ideas are on the Exeter attractions page.

Where to eat

Rosa's Thai is rated 4.8 from over 2,400 Google reviews. Comptoir Libanais serves Lebanese food, Tyepyedong is a noodle bar with Chinese and Japanese dishes, and Namaste Exeter offers Indian meals with vegetarian options. See the Exeter restaurants page for more.

A two-day plan

Day one

Start at the cathedral, then book a tour of the Underground Passages. After lunch, spend the afternoon at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum before walking down to the quay for an evening by the river.

Day two

Choose a country day out: Killerton for gardens, Powderham Castle for history, or Castle Drogo and Canonteign Falls if you want to combine a house with a walk. Alternatively, take the train to Exmouth for a day by the sea.

Day trips from Exeter

Exmouth has a long sandy beach at the mouth of the Exe and marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast. Further east, Sidmouth is a Regency seaside town and Lyme Regis is known for fossil hunting. Torquay is the main resort on the English Riviera, and Tiverton is a market town to the north. For a longer day, Plymouth has its waterfront and Hoe.

Camping near Exeter

Blackdown Yurts offers dog-friendly yurts in the Blackdown Hills, and Little Harford is back-to-basics woodland camping with campfires, around 15 minutes from Dartmoor. Valleyside Escapes near Bickleigh has tents and glamping. Browse camping near Exeter or cottages in Exeter for more.

Practical tips

Exeter has two central stations, and the city centre is compact enough to walk. Trains along the estuary line are an easy way to reach Exmouth without a car. Our staycations without a car guide has more ideas, and if you plan to walk the coast or Dartmoor, see our best staycations for walkers.