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Devon: Dartmoor & the English Riviera: 5-Day Plan You Can Actually Drive
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The 5-day version for June: every day fits real transit, opening hours and daylight. Prefer more or fewer days? 3-day plan · 4-day plan · 5-day plan · best time to go.
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5
days
155 km
distance
7.6 h
driving
27
curated stops
💡 Good to know for this plan
- ~16.2 hours of daylight in June — the plan keeps days inside a realistic window.
- Dartmoor's tors dry out for walkers, Salcombe's estuary turns Mediterranean-blue, and the crab boats land daily — June before the school holidays is the sweet spot.
- Light day: day 4 has one stop and time left over. Local tours and day trips are the way to fill it — each day links to what is bookable in its own town.
Day 1 Exeter
- Transit
- 0h39
- Finish
- ~15:55
- Temperature
- 11.3°C–17.5°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.2h
09:00
Enjoy the parkland campuses and the sculpture walk.
50 min · Exeter
10:00
Stroll the grounds and see the remaining Norman structures of this event venue.
50 min · Exeter
11:00
Browse the exhibits in this museum and art gallery.
50 min · Exeter · Free
open: Tu-Su 10:00-17:00
12:00
13:00
Admire the Gothic architecture and the longest unbroken stone roof beam in the world.
50 min · Exeter · Adult £8.50, senior/student £6, child free
14:05
14:55
Overnight here
e.g. Globe Backpackers · Premier Inn Exeter Central St Davids
Day 2 Dartmoor
- Transit
- 3h26
- Finish
- ~17:05
- Temperature
- 11.3°C–17.5°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.2h
09:55
You will see a grand, imposing castle with intricate stonework and towering turrets.
50 min · Dartmoor
10:55
12:55
14:50
16:15
Day 3 Plymouth
- Transit
- 1h16
- Finish
- ~16:35
- Temperature
- 11.3°C–17.1°C
- Rainy days
- ~11
- Daylight
- 16.2h
09:35
Take in waterfront views and historic legends from this iconic park.
50 min · Plymouth
10:35
Admire this white and red lighthouse, a landmark on the Hoe.
50 min · Plymouth · £5
open: Apr-Oct 10AM-5PM
11:35
Enjoy outstanding views and 17th-century baroque architecture.
50 min · Plymouth · Adults £5, children £4, concessions £4
12:35
Discover diverse collections including natural history, pottery, and rotating special exhibitions.
50 min · Plymouth · Free
open: Tu-F 10AM-5:30PM; Saturday and Bank Holiday Mondays 10AM-5PM
13:40
Discover Robert Adam's finest interiors in this preserved Georgian house.
50 min · Plymouth · Adults £10, children £5, families £15-25, adult groups £8.50; reduced rates for garden-only entry
14:45
Buckland Abbey nationaltrust.org.uk read more
Wander through Sir Francis Drake's former home, featuring furnished rooms and Drake's Drum.
50 min · Plymouth
15:35
Cap'n Jasper's capn-jaspers.co.uk map ↗
Indulge in world-famous fine food at this Barbican eatery.
60 min · Plymouth
open: 8AM-11PM
Overnight here
e.g. Copthorne Hotel · Crowne Plaza Plymouth
Day 4 Salcombe
- Transit
- 0h49
- Finish
- ~10:40
- Temperature
- 13.4°C–15.5°C
- Rainy days
- ~9
- Daylight
- 16.2h
09:50
Explore the seaside home of inventor Otto Overbeck and his scientific legacy.
50 min · Salcombe
Time to spare on this day
One stop and a free afternoon. We don't book activities, but these partners do.
Day 5 Torquay
- Transit
- 1h24
- Finish
- ~17:25
- Temperature
- 11.3°C–17.5°C
- Rainy days
- ~10
- Daylight
- 16.2h
09:55
Explore a subterranean wonderland once home to early man for 700,000 years.
50 min · Torquay · Adult or senior £21.50, child (3–15 years) £17.50
open: Daily from 10AM
10:55
Discover fascinating exhibits ranging from Victorian relics to the world of Agatha Christie.
50 min · Torquay
open: Daily 10AM-4PM
11:55
12:55
Discover one of England's finest model villages.
50 min · Torquay
13:55
15:35
The Babbacombe Cliff Railway offers scenic rides between cliffside views and sandy shores.
50 min · Torquay
🔍 Check before you book
Every stop is a real, sourced place, but opening hours change, roads close and businesses move. Check anything you're paying for before you book.