Best walking routes in Exeter

12 routes ranked on sights, efficiency, hills & length — real foot distance and elevation.

3.6 scoreHills 1/104.8 kmBest May, Jun, Sep
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Ranked routes

Same score for every walk. Click a card to expand details on the map.

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#1
Viewpoint

Exeter Old Town Walking Tour

Old town

11 stops3.1 km2 h 10 min

3.1 kmdistance2 h 10 minwith stops11stops+44 mgain
1.9 sights7.2 efficiency0.7 hills9.0 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 45 min+ up to 3 h 5 min insides+44 m climb along route
  1. St David's Church, Exeter
  2. St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham, Exeter
  3. Rougemont Castle
  4. St Martin's Church
  5. Exeter Cathedral
  6. St. Mary Major
  7. Exeter city walls
  8. Sacred Heart Church, Exeter
  9. Exeter Synagogue
  10. Church of St Mary Steps
  11. Old Exe Bridge
8–60 m

Photo: ViewpointJulian P GuffoggCC BY-SA 2.0

4.2/10
#2
Viewpoint

Churches & Cathedrals of Exeter Walk

Churches

11 stops3.5 km2 h 30 min

3.5 kmdistance2 h 30 minwith stops11stops+29 mgain
1.4 sights7.3 efficiency0.5 hills9.9 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 50 min+ up to 3 h 20 min insides+29 m climb along route
  1. St David's Church, Exeter
  2. St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham, Exeter
  3. St Pancras Church, Exeter
  4. St Martin's Church
  5. Exeter Cathedral
  6. St. Mary Major
  7. Sacred Heart Church, Exeter
  8. George's Chapel, Exeter
  9. St Olave's Church
  10. Church of St Mary Steps
  11. St Thomas the Apostle's Church, Exeter
4–45 m

Photo: ViewpointAlan HughesCC BY-SA 2.0

4.1/10
#3
Viewpoint

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Exeter

Walking tour

11 stops5.8 km2 h 15 min

5.8 kmdistance2 h 15 minwith stops11stops+97 mgain
1.6 sights7.6 efficiency1.6 hills7.1 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 20 min+ up to 2 h 45 min insides+97 m climb along route
  1. Livery Dole
  2. Old Exe Bridge
  3. St Nicholas Priory
  4. St Mary Arches
  5. Exeter city walls
  6. St Stephen's
  7. Rougemont Castle
  8. Northernhay Gardens
  9. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
  10. Mary Harris Memorial Chapel of the Holy Trinity
  11. Northcott Theatre
8–83 m

Photo: ViewpointPymoussCC BY-SA 4.0

3.9/10
#4
Viewpoint

One Hour in Exeter: A Short Walk

1 hour

6 stops1.6 km50 min

1.6 kmdistance50 minwith stops6stops+0 mgain
2.1 sights6.8 efficiency0.0 hills7.9 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 20 min+ up to 2 h 45 min insides+0 m climb along route
  1. Rougemont Castle
  2. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
  3. Guildhall
  4. Exeter city walls
  5. St Nicholas Priory
  6. Old Exe Bridge
8–60 m

Photo: ViewpointRougemont_Castle_gatehouse,_2010.jpg: Juan J. Martínez from Exeter, UK derivative work: Nev1 (talk)CC BY-SA 2.0

3.9/10
#5
Viewpoint

Exeter in One Day: Walking Itinerary

One day

27 stops8.3 km5 h

Inside visits push a full day to ~6 h 5 min.

Inside: Rougemont Castle (~45 min) + Exeter Cathedral (~20 min). Estimates only.

8.3 kmdistance5 hwith stops27stops~6 h 5 minfull day+127 mgain
1.4 sights7.1 efficiency2.1 hills8.3 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 55 min+ up to 6 h 25 min insides+127 m climb along route
  1. Livery Dole
  2. Barnfield Theatre
  3. Theatre Royal, Exeter
  4. Rougemont Castle (inside ~45 min)
  5. Exeter War Memorial
  6. Northernhay Gardens
  7. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
  8. St Pancras Church, Exeter
  9. Devon County War Memorial
  10. St Martin's Church
  11. Exeter Cathedral (inside ~20 min)
  12. Exeter city walls
  13. St. Mary Major
  14. Exeter monastery
  15. George's Chapel, Exeter
  16. Sacred Heart Church, Exeter
  17. Corn Exchange
  18. Old Exe Bridge
  19. Church of St Mary Steps
  20. St Nicholas Priory
  21. St Olave's Church
  22. Exeter Synagogue
  23. St Bartholomew's Cemetery
  24. St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham, Exeter
  25. St David's Church, Exeter
  26. Mary Harris Memorial Chapel of the Holy Trinity
  27. Northcott Theatre
8–83 m

Photo: ViewpointChris' BuetCC BY-SA 2.0

3.9/10
#6
Viewpoint

Churches of Exeter in 2 Hours

Churches

8 stops2.3 km1 h 45 min

2.3 kmdistance1 h 45 minwith stops8stops+25 mgain
1.7 sights7.4 efficiency0.4 hills6.5 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 30 min+ up to 2 h 20 min insides+25 m climb along route
  1. St David's Church, Exeter
  2. St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham, Exeter
  3. St. Mary Major
  4. Exeter Cathedral
  5. St Martin's Church
  6. Exeter monastery
  7. Sacred Heart Church, Exeter
  8. Church of St Mary Steps
14–46 m

Photo: ViewpointRüdiger Wölk This photo was taken by Rüdiger Wölk. Please credit this photo Rüdiger Wölk, Münster. View all photos (large page) of Rüdiger Wölk I would also appreciate an email to rudiger.wolk@gmail.com with details of use. Für Hinweise auf Veröffentlichungen (rudiger.wolk@gmail.com) oder Belegexemplare bin ich Ihnen dankbar.CC BY-SA 2.5

3.7/10
#7
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of Exeter in 2 Hours

Hidden gems

8 stops3.8 km1 h 50 min

3.8 kmdistance1 h 50 minwith stops8stops+31 mgain
0.7 sights7.1 efficiency0.5 hills9.1 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 50 min+ up to 1 h 20 min insides+31 m climb along route
  1. Barnfield Theatre
  2. St Pancras Church, Exeter
  3. Exeter War Memorial
  4. St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham, Exeter
  5. St Bartholomew's Cemetery
  6. Corn Exchange
  7. St Olave's Church
  8. St Thomas the Apostle's Church, Exeter
4–48 m

Photo: ViewpointDavid P HowardCC BY-SA 2.0

3.6/10
#8
Viewpoint

Old Town of Exeter in 2 Hours

Old town

8 stops1.6 km1 h 20 min

1.6 kmdistance1 h 20 minwith stops8stops+0 mgain
2.2 sights7.2 efficiency0.0 hills4.6 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 20 min+ up to 2 h 5 min insides+0 m climb along route
  1. Rougemont Castle
  2. St Martin's Church
  3. Exeter Cathedral
  4. Exeter city walls
  5. St. Mary Major
  6. Exeter monastery
  7. Church of St Mary Steps
  8. Old Exe Bridge
8–58 m

Photo: ViewpointLewis ClarkeCC BY-SA 2.0

3.6/10
#9
Viewpoint

Easy Churches Walk in Exeter

Churches

11 stops5.5 km2 h 50 min

5.5 kmdistance2 h 50 minwith stops11stops+29 mgain
1.2 sights7.9 efficiency0.5 hills4.3 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 15 min+ up to 3 h insides+29 m climb along route
  1. Polsloe Priory
  2. Church of Saint Michael and All Angels, Heavitree
  3. George's Chapel, Exeter
  4. Sacred Heart Church, Exeter
  5. St. Mary Major
  6. Exeter Cathedral
  7. St Martin's Church
  8. St Pancras Church, Exeter
  9. St Petrock's Church, Exeter
  10. St Olave's Church
  11. Church of St Mary Steps
19–54 m

Photo: ViewpointDavid SmithCC BY-SA 2.0

3.3/10
#10
Viewpoint

Exeter Loop Walk from Underground passages

Loop

22 stops6.4 km3 h 55 min

6.4 kmdistance3 h 55 minwith stops22stops+72 mgain
1.2 sights6.7 efficiency1.2 hills5.7 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 25 min+ up to 5 h 25 min insides+72 m climb along route
  1. Underground passages
  2. Barnfield Theatre
  3. Exeter city walls
  4. Devon County War Memorial
  5. St Petrock's Church, Exeter
  6. Sacred Heart Church, Exeter
  7. George's Chapel, Exeter
  8. Old Exe Bridge
  9. St Nicholas Priory
  10. St Olave's Church
  11. Corn Exchange
  12. St Mary Arches
  13. Exeter Synagogue
  14. St Bartholomew's Cemetery
  15. St Michael and All Angels Church, Mount Dinham, Exeter
  16. St David's Church, Exeter
  17. St Pancras Church, Exeter
  18. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
  19. Northernhay Gardens
  20. Exeter War Memorial
  21. Rougemont Castle
  22. Theatre Royal, Exeter
8–60 m

Photo: ViewpointSimon BurchellCC BY-SA 4.0

3.2/10
#11
Viewpoint

Easy Hidden Gems Walk in Exeter

Hidden gems

11 stops5.6 km2 h 35 min

5.6 kmdistance2 h 35 minwith stops11stops+30 mgain
0.6 sights7.7 efficiency0.5 hills4.0 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 15 min+ up to 1 h 40 min insides+30 m climb along route
  1. Exeter War Memorial
  2. Rougemont Gardens
  3. St Pancras Church, Exeter
  4. Guildhall
  5. Devon County War Memorial
  6. St Petrock's Church, Exeter
  7. St Olave's Church
  8. George's Chapel, Exeter
  9. Barnfield Theatre
  10. Church of Saint Michael and All Angels, Heavitree
  11. Polsloe Priory
30–56 m

Photo: ViewpointDerek HarperCC BY-SA 2.0

2.9/10
#12
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of Exeter: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk

Hidden gems

11 stops9.6 km3 h 15 min

9.6 kmdistance3 h 15 minwith stops11stops+115 mgain
0.7 sights7.6 efficiency1.9 hills0.0 length
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h 10 min+ up to 1 h insides+115 m climb along route
  1. Polsloe Priory
  2. Church of Saint Michael and All Angels, Heavitree
  3. Livery Dole
  4. Barnfield Theatre
  5. Devon County War Memorial
  6. Corn Exchange
  7. George's Chapel, Exeter
  8. St Thomas the Apostle's Church, Exeter
  9. St Bartholomew's Cemetery
  10. Exeter War Memorial
  11. Northcott Theatre
4–80 m

Photo: ViewpointSmalljimCC BY-SA 4.0

2.4/10

Hills: higher = steeper along the walk. Stairs (when shown): metres of mapped stairways near the route — approximate, not a step countvisit times are estimates.

Exeter walking stats

From the 12 rated routes145 stops total36 unique places.

Most climbExeter in One Day: Walking Itinerary+127 m along route
Most stops / kmOld Town of Exeter in 2 Hours4.9 stops per km
Least climbOne Hour in Exeter: A Short Walk+0 m along route
Most stairsChurches & Cathedrals of Exeter Walk~95 m mapped stairways (approx., not step count)
Longest / shortest9.6 km1.6 kmHidden Gems of Exeter: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk / One Hour in Exeter: A Short Walk
Places on routes36unique stop ids
How we score. Same formula for every route: Sights 50% (how notable the stops are)Efficiency 25% (less backtracking between stops)Hills 10% (how steep the walk is)Length fit 15% (distance vs the kind of walk). Stairs stay a fact in metres, not a quality bar. Avg score in the hero is the mean across all ranked walks.

Exeter FAQ

Short answers from this city’s data.

Best first-visit walk?
Exeter Old Town Walking Tour (3.1 km, 2 h 10 min with stops) ranks #1 here.
Best months to walk Exeter?
May, Jun, Sep are usually the nicest months for walking.
Shortest walk?
One Hour in Exeter: A Short Walk1.6 km, walking 20 min.
One hour in Exeter?
One Hour in Exeter: A Short Walk: walking 20 min, with stops 50 min, 6 stops.
One-day plan?
Exeter in One Day: Walking Itinerary: 27 stops, ~5 h on-route; suggested insides on marked stops; full day ≈ 6 h 5 min. Visit times are estimates.
Stairs and hills?
Hills is 10% of the score (higher = steeper along the walk). Stairs are not scored — when shown, they are metres of mapped stairways near the route (approximate; not a step count). Example: stairways ≈ 0 m.
Can I change stops?
Yes — open in Maps, edit, then paste into Lineo for a cleaner order.
Why are some Google Maps links split?
Google Maps caps how many stops fit in one directions link (we use 11). Longer walks are split into numbered buttons (1/2, 2/2, …). Open them in order — each part starts where the previous one ended.