Top 15 Things To Do in Exeter, New Hampshire

Exeter compresses New England history, riverfront calm, and contemporary food and craft scenes into a walkable downtown that rewards slow exploration. This guide maps 36 city-tour experiences — from guided history walks and culinary tastings to self-guided architecture rambles and riverside bike loops — designed to help visitors savor Exeter’s layered past and easy-access outdoor edges.

Exeter is a compact, rideable New England town where riverfront lanes, quiet side streets and easy access to coastal trails make bike rental the perfect way to explore. Whether you want a family-friendly cruiser for a riverside loop, a hybrid for mixed pavement and packed gravel, or an e-bike to extend your range into neighboring Seacoast towns, Exeter's rental options pair small-town charm with practical routes and quick access to outdoor complements like kayaking, birding on Great Bay, and seaside cafes in nearby Portsmouth.

Exeter invites a close-up kind of sightseeing: quiet riverfront streets, red-brick civic buildings, and the curated oddities of a town that has quietly shaped New England history. Sightseeing tours here range from guided walking tours that stitch together Revolutionary-era stories and architectural highlights to boat and kayak outings that reveal the tidal rhythms of the Squamscott and Great Bay. These tours are intimate—short distances and long stories—perfect for travelers who like detail, context, and the comfort of a route that never feels crowded.

Exeter unfolds as a compact, rideable portrait of New England — tidal estuary views, a tree-lined Main Street, and a patchwork of quiet backroads and converted rail corridors that make it ideal for short bike tours and multi-stop days. Expect family-friendly greenways, mellow road loops that connect to Portsmouth and the Seacoast, and gravel sidetracks across farmland and forest edges. This guide focuses on how to plan rides through Exeter’s mix of protected estuary, village centers, and country lanes, plus when to go and what to pack for a successful day on two wheels.

Exeter is a compact town where history, riverine landscapes, and brick sidewalks meet in comfortable, strollable segments. This guide centers on walking tours—self-guided and guided—that thread the town's colonial architecture, academy campus, riverside mills, and tidal estuary access. Whether you're tracing Revolutionary-era streets, following the curve of the Squamscott, or slipping into quiet neighborhood lanes, Exeter's walking tours offer layered stories and easy logistics for travelers seeking short, memorable outdoor experiences.

Where river meets sea, Exeter is a compact gateway to New Hampshire’s estuarine and small‑stream fishing. Anglers come here for tidal flats, bridge and dock access to migrating run fish, and quiet upstream pockets for bass and trout. The scene blends low‑key hometown access with quick drives to deeper saltwater charters and scenic paddling opportunities.

Exeter sits a short drive from New Hampshire’s narrow coastal fringe, where Atlantic energy meets sandbars and seasonal wind. Surfing here is defined less by perfect point breaks and more by an intimate relationship with tide, swell, and weather: beach-break peaks, quick summer learning waves, and raw, winter nor'easter surf that tests gear and nerve. This guide maps the surfable coastline and the practical choices a visitor must make to turn a seaside day trip into an authentic New England surf experience.

Exeter sits where tidal estuary and small river currents meet small-town New England ease — a perfect launch point for kayaks, canoes, SUPs, and small motorboat outings. Boat rental in Exeter is less about high-speed thrills and more about quiet waterways, salt marsh vistas, birdlife, and accessible on-water exploration for families and experienced paddlers alike.

Exeter’s eco tours unfurl the quiet theater of New England’s coastal ecology: salt marsh mudflats that breathe with the tide, tidal creeks braided with eelgrass, and river corridors where history and habitat overlap. These guided experiences—paddles, shore walks, and wildlife cruises—translate complex ecosystems into approachable stories about migration, restoration, and the resilient species that call Great Bay home.

Tucked inland from the tidal marshes of Great Bay, Exeter offers a surprising mix of river-edge walks, old-growth town forest trails, and rolling glacial hills. Hikes here are intimate and varied—ideal for morning loops, family outings, and short escapes from the Seacoast bustle.

Exeter's quiet riverside streets, red-brick Main Street, and tidal estuary light make it an unexpectedly rich canvas for photographers. This guide focuses on photography tours: curated walks, workshop-style sessions, and private field lessons that help photographers of all levels shoot architecture, river reflections, intimate street scenes, and seasonal landscapes without leaving town.

Exeter’s quiet river corridors, tree-lined country lanes, and proximity to the Great Bay estuary make it an ideal base for short, scenic e-bike outings and longer coastal connectors. This guide focuses on choosing the right e-bike routes around town, reading terrain and trail surfaces, and planning rides that pair easy mileage with cultural stops and wildlife-rich shoreline scenery.