Red Coat Guided Tours

Discover one of the oldest cities in England with Exeter's Red Coat Guides

Operating throughout the year except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, these FREE guided walking tours are the perfect way to explore Exeter. No booking is required, simply choose a tour, meet your Red Coat Guide and spend 90 minutes discovering Exeter. Tours begin outside the Royal Clarence Hotel in Cathedral Yard, or from the Quay House Visitor Centre.

• The Summer Programme
• The Winter Programme
• Group Bookings 
•  Red Coat Guided Tour Programme 2012-13 [1Mb]

All tours are 90 minutes long, except Exeter's City Wall and Exeter's Canal & Boat Trip which last 2 hours, Introducing Exeter which lasts 1 hour and the Custom House tour, which lasts 30 minutes.

Tours available

• Cathedral to Quay
• Cathedral Close & Bishop's Palace Garden
• Churches, Cemeteries & The Catacomb
• Custom House
• Elegant Exeter
• Exeter Old & New
• Exeter's Canal Trip
• Exeter's City Wall
• People, Plaques & Parks
• Exeter's Historic Quayside
• Forgotten Exeter with Tuckers Hall or 21 The Mint
• Ghosts and Legends
• Heart of Exeter
• Introducing Exeter
• Medieval Exeter
• Murder and Mayhem

All tours are on foot. Please note guided tours may be subject to cancellation without notice. Regrettably, dogs (except Guide dogs) are not permitted on the tours. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please be aware that tours may contain steps, slopes and steep or rough ground. However the Red Coat Guides will do all they can to make tours accessible to all so please speak to your guide before the tour about the suitability for your individual needs. The most easily accessible tours are Introducing Exeter and Exeter Old & New.

Topsham Tours

Free informative walking tours of Topsham with Topsham Society Guides are also available. Tours of this historic estuary town take place on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons at 2pm May - September. No booking necessary. Meet by the notice board at Holman Way car park. Group bookings call 01392 875276.

Awards & recommendations

PIQAS

Exeter's Red Coat Guided Tours have been awarded VisitEngland's Place of Interest Quality Assurance Scheme (PIQAS) Award.

Recommended by Simonseeks.com!

The Red Coat Guided Tours have been Recommended by Simonseeks.com, a travel website where a community of travellers, journalists and celebrities can share their holiday reviews.

John Gaye, who is a travel professional, has written a guide for Simonseeks.com called 'Exeter: history, shopping and eating'.  In his guide, John recommends the Red Coat Guided Tours as the best in Exeter.  He has written:

"I started my visit with a totally free guided tour, which lasted over 90 minutes. This was one of a number of different tours which are carried out by volunteers, known as Red Coats. The guides are all highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic in showing visitors round their city."