Exeter Red Coat Guided Tours

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Tour programme for 1 April to 30 September 2025

Discover one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in England, with Exeter's Red Coat Guides.

These FREE guided walking tours operate daily throughout the year, offering a wide range from which to choose. Simply meet your Red Coat Guide at the starting point and discover historic Exeter for yourself.

Tours will only go ahead with a minimum of two people and may be subject to cancellation without notice. There is also a limit as to the number of people that can join each tour but there is no need to book in advance.

These walking tours depart from the Hooker Statue on Cathedral Green (*apart from the Historic Quayside and the Canal Boat) and last approximately 90 minutes. All times start promptly at the time advertised.

Only assistance dogs are permitted on tours, and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Group tours and talks

Group tours, coach commentaries and talks must be booked in advance and incur a small charge. A minimum of 14 days notice is required please.

If you wish to make a group booking, please contact guidedtours@exeter.gov.uk

Tours at a glance

DAY	TOUR	START TIME
Monday	Forgotten Exeter & St Nicholas Priory	11am
	Cathedral to Quay	11.30am
	Medieval Exeter	2pm
Tuesday	Tudor Exeter	11am
	Markets, Merchants & Mariners	11.30am
	Exeter's Historic Quayside	2pm
	Ghost & Legends	7pm
Wednesday	Exeter's City Wall (2hours)	11am
	Canal Boat (July - August - 1 hour)	11am
	Medieval Exeter	11.30am
	Introducing Exeter (1hour) and the Devon & Exeter Institutue (optional)	2pm
	Cathedral Close & Bishop's Palace Garden**	2.30pm
Thursday	Forgotten Exeter & Tuckers Hall	11am
	Exeter Old & New	11.30am
	Georgian Exeter	2pm
Friday	Tudor Exeter	11am
	Cathedral to Quay	11.30am
	Churches, Cemeteries & the Catacomb***	2pm
Saturday	Introducing Exeter (1 hour)	11am
	Royalty in Exeter	11.30am
	Medieval Exeter	2pm
Sunday	Exeter's City Wall (2 hours)	11am
	Exeter Old & New	11.30am
	Exeter's Historic Quayside	2pm

Please note, online booking for our public tour programme is no longer required.

Forgotten Exeter

Monday 11am & Thursday 11am

Be intrigued by hidden corners and curios of the city, long since gone from the memory. The tour is mainly focused on the north west corner of the city and within the city walls. Monday's tour finishes outside St. Nicholas Priory and Thursday's tour finishes outside Tuckers Hall on Fore Street.

Please note, this tour is not accessible to wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Cathedral to Quay

Monday 11:30am & Friday 11:30am

Starting in the picturesque Cathedral Close, proceed into elegant Southernhay before viewing the impressive city wall. The tour then continues to the river Exe and finishes on Exeter's Historic Quayside.

Medieval Exeter

Monday 2pm, Wednesday 11:30am & Saturday 2pm

This tour celebrates the time when Exeter grew rich from the woolen cloth trade. See many of the surviving medieval buildings, including 'the house that moved', then walk across the Medieval Exe Bridge to view the restored Cricklepit Mill. The tour finishes on Exeter's Historic Quayside.

Tudor Exeter

Tuesday 2pm & Friday 11am

Some of the buildings from the turbulent Tudor period.

Markets, Merchants and Mariners

Tuesday 11:30am

Exeter's commercial prosperity, past and present, will be highlighted by this walk through some of its lesser known areas. It will also introduce you to some truly fascinating characters whose lives contributed to the story of this ancient city.

Exeter's Historic Quayside

Tuesday 2pm & Sunday 2pm

Starting at the Custom House, discover the port of Exeter which was once one of Britain's busiest, and hear about its fascinating history. Stroll out and back along the river and canal, and finish at the Custom House.

Ghosts and Legends

Tuesday 7pm

Find out why Exeter is reputed to be one of the most haunted cities in the country. Visit many of Exeter's historic buildings and listen to chilling tales about their ghostly history. Suitable for all ages.

Exeter's City Wall

Wednesday 11am (2 hours)

Discover the fabulous history of the Roman's city wall, of which 70% still remains. Some uneven surfaces and steep slopes.

Canal Trip

Wednesday 11am (1 hour)

A brief description of the Historic Quayside, followed by a 20 minute one-way trip along the canal as far as Double Locks pub. There is a fee for this tour, you may wish to buy a return fare on the boat. This tour starts outside the Custom House on Exeter Quay.

Introducing Exeter

Wednesday 2pm & Saturday 11am (1 hour)

This circular taster tour does exactly what it says in the title; glimpses of over 2,000 years of history and introducing visitors to Exeter of its rich and varied past. On the Wednesday afternoon tour there is an opportunity to finish the tour with a visit to the Devon & Exeter Institution.

Cathedral Close & Bishop's Palace Garden

Wednesday 2:30pm

Learn how the buildings in the Close have evolved through time and visit the peaceful gardens.

Exeter Old and New

Thursday 11:30am & Sunday 11:30am

Learn about Exeter's history from pre-Roman times to the present day. Visit the 11th century Castle Gatehouse - probably Britain's oldest Norman building - and Northernhay Gardens, the first public gardens in the country.

Georgian Exeter

Thursday 2pm

Hear how Exeter's transformation came about, from industrial hub into an elegant Georgain city. Discover how trade was replaced with commerce. Explore the architectural splendours of Southernhay and find out about some of the colourful characters that resided in Exeter at the time. This tour finishes in Princesshay.

Churches, Cemeteries and the Catacombs

Friday 2pm

Visit some of the city's medieval churches and burial grounds, and if the bats allow, discover the cathedralesque Victorian Catacombs.

Royalty in Exeter

Saturday 11:30am

A new tour that highlights visits to the city by Royalty, from Alfred the Great in the 9th century through to the present day. And they weren't all gracious visits!

SPECIAL TOURS

Online booking essential in advance.

All special tours start at the Devon War Memorial on Cathedral Green unless stated otherwise.

Exeter Blitz

Sunday 4th May 2025, 11:15am & 3pm

Book online and find out more

VE Day and After in Exeter

Thursday 8th May 2025, 11am

Talk at Exeter Guildhall (£5 fee per ticket)

Book online and find out more

Tales of the land and songs of the sea

Sunday 8th June 2025, 12pm