Off to the Christmas Market — yellow rubber duck in a festive hat and scarfGood trips start hereOff to the
Christmas Market
Exeter Cathedral and 2019 Exeter Christmas Market

Exeter / Christmas 2026

Exeter Christmas Market

Cathedral-close stalls make the setting part of the visit.

13 November–13 December 2026 · Check the organiser for this year’s entry arrangements and any separately ticketed events.

By The Off to the… team · Updated 24 October 2026

See the 2026 dates

Archive 2019. Photo: David Smith / CC BY-SA 2.0

At a glance

2026 dates
13 November–13 December 2026
Opening hours
Monday–Wednesday 10am–7pm; Thursday–Saturday 10am–9pm; Sunday 11am–5pm.
Entry
Check the organiser for this year’s entry arrangements and any separately ticketed events.
Rail / nearest useful station
Exeter Central or Exeter St Davids; compare the walk for your arrival service.
Best time to go
Weekday daylight visit (our planning suggestion)
Setting
Cathedral Green

Parking: See parking and park-and-ride

Dogs: Compare the published pet policies

Our verdict

Go if…

You want a market framed by Exeter Cathedral.

Skip if…

You want every approach to be flat and straightforward.

Best day to go

Thursday–Saturday: start in daylight and stay for the lights before the 9pm close.

Our top tip

Pair the market with a cathedral visit: admission is by donation during the market, around services and special events.

How we choose and check our guides

The market

Take your time on Cathedral Green: this is a market to wander through with the cathedral in view, rather than a quick row of stalls to hurry past. The organisers describe more than a hundred festive chalets, with gifts, West Country produce, global street food and themed bars gathered around one of Exeter’s great landmarks. Arrive while you can still see the stonework clearly, then make another circuit as the chalet lights take over. A warm drink and a little unhurried browsing are a lovely way to bridge the change from afternoon to evening.

The South West character is the reason to look closely. The market champions local handcrafted gifts and regional produce alongside traders from further afield, so it makes sense to split your visit between shopping and something to eat. Browse the gifts first, leave room for the food stalls, and return to anything that caught your eye rather than trying to decide everything on the first pass. The cathedral is both host and backdrop; its Entry by Donation offer gives you another way to make a proper day of the visit.

The Christmas market began in 2012 and has grown into Devon’s biggest. Its inspiration comes from the historic markets of Germany, but the setting and West Country emphasis give Exeter a character of its own. Keep a little time in reserve for one final look back across the Green before you leave. Plan your cathedral visit and shopping as two unhurried parts of the day. Leave room between them for a food stop, and check any indoor entry arrangements before setting out.

About the market ↗ · About the market ↗

Eat and drink

2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up.

Après Ski

Raclette and tartiflette

A warming Alpine cheese stop from the 2025 trader directory.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Food type: churros with dark chocolate sauce from the Chocolatería San Churro.Churros with Chocolate Sauce - Choclateria San Churro
Food photograph. Photo: Alpha from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia / CC BY-SA 2.0
Chubby Churros

Churros

A sweet snack to share between gift stops.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Food type: Homemade cream sauce and lots of 2-year old raw-milk Vermont cheddar caramelized with the Martelli family's artisanal macaroni from Tuscany (the best pasta in the world!)
Food photograph. Photo: @joefoodie from USA / CC BY 2.0
Cornish Cheese Company

Cornish cheese

A West Country cheese choice for a festive table or a gift.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Edward’s Fudge Kitchen

Fudge

Make room for a little confectionery to take home.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Food type: A box of chocolates
Food type: A box of chocolates, 2013. Photo: ProjectManhattan / CC BY-SA 3.0
Hobbs Chocolates

Chocolate

A chocolate gift stop from last year’s market.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Bosworths Kitchen

Sauces and seasonings

Handmade sauces and seasonings for the keen cook on your list.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Grillmaster German Sausages

German sausages

A savoury market favourite from the 2025 directory.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗

Last year’s favourites

2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up.

Where we’d stay

Cathedral quarter

Choose the streets around Cathedral Green for the shortest return to the market.

Western city centre

Tudor Street puts you between the centre and the riverside; allow for the climb back up.

Eastern centre

Western Way offers another central base, with a longer walk to the cathedral.

See all stays in Exeter ↗

We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.

Book early for weekends. The walking times are measured routes to Cathedral Green; give yourself a little longer for a relaxed stroll through the market.

Map

Find the market streets, arrival points, parking and places to stay. The map loads as you approach this section; mouse-wheel scrolling stays with the page.

Map waiting to load. The places list below works without it.

Market streetsRail & coachParking & park and ridePlaces to stayAccessible toilets

Choose Explore the map to pan and pinch to zoom; choose Finish exploring or press Escape to return to page scrolling. Pins show places, not the precise position of individual stalls.

Open in Google Maps ↗

All map places, as a list

Coordinates: OpenStreetMap contributors. Organiser toilet and access information. Temporary toilet locations use the named street/site as a navigation point; ask staff for the exact unit.

A perfect day

  1. Late morning

    Arrive with time to spare

    Allow time to walk from your arrival point and check the day’s opening time.

  2. At opening

    Make a first circuit

    Browse before committing to your gifts; take note of food options as you go.

  3. Lunch

    Pause for hot food or drink

    Choose from the stalls open on your day and ask directly about allergens.

  4. Afternoon

    Enjoy the city beyond the stalls

    Leave room for the surrounding streets and a quieter break.

  5. After dusk

    Come back for the lights

    Return before closing, with enough time for your journey home.

  6. Last-service example

    Leave room for the journey home

    For travel towards Exmouth, National Rail says the late 23:40 Exeter St Davids service is replaced by a 23:41 bus on Monday–Wednesday, 30 November–2 December 2026. This is a published engineering example, not a promise for your date: confirm the exact journey and station before travelling.

    Check the details ↗

On Instagram

A little inspiration from the cathedral’s festive posts.

A little festive inspiration from organisers, makers and visitors. Tap any tile to load all 4 Instagram posts on this page. Instagram may receive your IP address and set cookies; read the privacy note. Until then, nothing loads from Instagram.

Instagram is off until you choose to load it.

Practical information

Getting there and back

Choose your arrival point on the map and allow extra time for market crowds. Check the transport operator for your exact date before setting out.

Compare Christmas market trips by train from five UK cities

Parking and park-and-ride

Use Honiton Road, Sowton or Matford Park & Ride, or choose Princesshay 2, Magdalen Street or Mary Arches Street for a central parking base.

Park-and-ride

  • Devon County Council lists Honiton Road (bus 4), Sowton (PR1) and Matford (B). Parking is free and passengers buy a bus ticket. Sowton and Matford close on Sundays and public holidays. Overnight parking is not permitted. Official park-and-ride source · checked 24 October 2026.

City-centre car parks

Pre-booking

  • The council provides RingGo online parking payment. This is not established in the information checked as a guaranteed reserved bay, so it should be treated as payment rather than reservation. Official pre-booking source · checked 24 October 2026.

Blue Badge parking

  • Princesshay 2 publishes free parking for vehicles displaying a valid Blue Badge in public bays. Concessions are car-park-specific; the tourism authority excludes Mary Arches and Guildhall from its general free-parking statement. Official blue badge parking source · checked 24 October 2026.
  • Visit Exeter identifies Guildhall and Mary Arches as exceptions to its general council Blue Badge free-parking guidance. Official blue badge parking source · checked 24 October 2026.

Christmas services and changes

On the day

The timeline is a suggested order, not a timed event programme. Adapt it to the published opening hours and your booked journey.

Before and after

Check the organiser again before travelling for weather changes, final stall information and access updates.

Accessibility

Temporary market layouts, queues and street surfaces can affect access. Contact the organiser for the current step-free routes and exact accessible toilet locations.

Frequently asked questions

Questions before you go

When is Exeter Christmas market in 2026?

13 November–13 December 2026

Official market information →

What are the opening hours?

Monday–Wednesday 10am–7pm; Thursday–Saturday 10am–9pm; Sunday 11am–5pm.

Check the organiser’s hours →

Do I need an entry ticket?

Check the organiser for this year’s entry arrangements and any separately ticketed events.

Official entry information →

How can I arrive by train?

Exeter Central or Exeter St Davids; compare the walk for your arrival service.

Check the full guide and sources

Can I bring my dog?

Check the organiser’s current pet-dog rules before travelling. Assistance-dog arrangements are separate; use the accessibility guide for the published information.

Check the full guide and sources →

What access information should I check?

Temporary market layouts, queues and street surfaces can affect access. Contact the organiser for the current step-free routes and exact accessible toilet locations.

Check the full guide and sources

Official links

Keep exploring

More market trips

Back to the full market calendar

How it compares: see our top 15 UK Christmas markets.

More market trips in this region

Christmas markets in south west