Exeter packs a lot into a small space. The historic centre is walkable end to end in about twenty minutes, there's a free museum that's one of the best in the South West, a network of medieval tunnels you can only find here, and Dartmoor is half an hour away.
It's also one of only four cities in Roman Britain to have had a legionary fortress, and you can still walk the wall.
Here's what's worth your time, and what it costs.
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The Free Stuff
RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum)
Free, central, and genuinely one of the best museums in the South West. The collections cover Devon's history, archaeology, natural history and a strong set of World Cultures galleries, in a restored Victorian building.
The touring exhibition programme changes regularly, which makes it worth going back rather than ticking off once. If it's raining and you've got two hours, this is the answer.
Red Coat Guided Tours
Free guided walking tours run by volunteers, most days of the week, covering different themes and parts of the city. Some of the themed ones need booking online, but the standard tours are free and turn-up.
The best-value orientation you'll get in your first week.
The Roman city wall walk
Sections of the original Roman wall survive and form a walkable circuit around the centre. Free, self-guided, and it gives you a much better sense of the city's shape than the cathedral does on its own.
Look out for the medieval touchstone — a small block set into the wall near Cathedral Yard, below the Burnet Patch Bridge, thought to be from the old South Gate demolished in 1819. Travellers used to touch it before passing through the gate.
Northernhay and Rougemont Gardens
Free, side by side, and next to Exeter Castle and the Roman walls. Northernhay claims to be the oldest public open space in England. Both are a two-minute walk from the High Street and are where half the university goes to sit in the sun.
Cathedral Green
You don't need a ticket to sit on the green in front of the cathedral, and on a decent day it's the best free spot in the city.
The Exeter Green Circle
A 12-mile waymarked circular walking route linking parks, suburbs, countryside and riverside paths around the city. Free, and you can do it in sections rather than all at once.
Exeter Cathedral And The Underground Passages
Exeter Cathedral
Over 900 years old, and it has the longest unbroken stretch of Gothic vaulting in the world. Entry is ticketed, but the exterior and Cathedral Green cost nothing.
If you do pay to go in, the rooftop tour is the thing to book — on a clear day you can see the coast and the moors.
The Underground Passages
The most distinctive thing to do in Exeter, and it doesn't exist anywhere else in the UK. A network of medieval passages built in the 14th century to carry fresh water into the city, now open on guided tours and designated an ancient monument.
Ticketed, guided tours only, and worth booking ahead in term time.
The Quayside
About 15 minutes' walk from the city centre, and where most students end up on a sunny afternoon. The old warehouses are now cafés, galleries, independent shops and craft workshops, and the paths along the River Exe and the Exeter Ship Canal are flat and wide enough to cycle.
Saddles & Paddles on the Quay hires out canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and bikes. The classic Exeter thing to do is paddle or cycle down the canal to the Double Locks pub — a red-brick pub with an enormous beer garden, and one of the largest fireworks displays in the area on bonfire night.
The Exeter Ship Canal is the oldest working ship canal in England, which is a better pub fact than it sounds.
Getting Out Of The City
Exeter's real advantage is what's within half an hour.
Dartmoor National Park — around 30 minutes, and proper open moorland
Topsham — take the Avocet Line train, one of the most scenic short rail journeys in England, to an estuary town full of pubs
The Jurassic Coast — reachable for a day trip, and a World Heritage Site
The South Devon coastline — beaches within a short train ride
If you're doing this regularly, a 16–25 Railcard pays for itself quickly on these routes.
Where To Use Your Student Discount
A few brands with Exeter branches worth knowing about before a day out:
Franco Manca — 20% off the total bill, Sunday to Thursday, minimum spend £12, eat in only. Sourdough pizza, and the best-value sit-down lunch on this list.
Toby Carvery — 20% off mains, Monday to Friday, one voucher per 6 guests. Excludes drinks, breakfast, takeaway and set menus.
Little Dessert Shop — 20% off, and there's a branch at 142 Sidwell Street, EX4 6RT.
Top Tips For Things To Do In Exeter
RAMM is free. Two hours, central, and the obvious wet-weather move.
Book the Underground Passages. Guided tours only, and they fill in term time.
Do a Red Coat tour in your first week. Free, and you'll actually learn the city.
The Quayside is 15 minutes' walk. Hire a bike or a paddleboard from Saddles & Paddles and get down the canal.
Get a railcard. Dartmoor, Topsham and the coast are all short journeys and it pays back fast.
Cathedral Green is free. The cathedral itself isn't.
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