If you are staying in Devon for just a short break and time is limited it is well worth considering visiting two of Devon’s top attractions in one day. Not only do some of our sites work in collaboration with other attractions from DATA by offering discounted tickets for sister attractions but many are only a short distance apart so it is very possible to enjoy more than one place in a day.
By visiting two attractions in a single day you can save fuel as well as journey time and leave other days free to travel further afield when you are exploring the county. Of course, some of our attractions have so much on offer that you need a full day to get value for money and really enjoy all the fabulous facilities. Therefore, combining sites wouldn’t be suitable for some of our attractions such as Woodlands, Paignton Zoo, Pennywell, The Big Sheep, Milky Way, Watermouth Castle or Crealy. However, please see below a few suggestions for possible itineraries if you want to combine visits if you’re exploring one area:
Torbay is an ideal destination to start as there are a lot of top quality attractions in a fairly small area. You could, for example, enjoy a fascinating cave tour at Kents Cavern followed by a visit to Bygones packed with over 100 years of British History or Babbacombe Model Village with it’s immaculate gardens and unique models and scenes in the afternoon.
In East Devon you could stroll around and meet the donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary and then on to enjoy the beautiful gardens with play areas and train rides at Pecorama. Another option would be to let the children work off steam at World of Country Life and then have a boat trip with Stuart Line Cruises with their special ticket combo and enjoy time on the water and the scenery along the Jurassic coastline.
If you are staying in Devon then a visit to Exeter is a must for the wonderful independent shops, old buildings and culture of this unique city and certainly it’s well worth visiting the award-winning RAMM (Royal Albert Memorial Museum) with galleries full of 1000s of fascinating artifacts. Less than a half hour drive out of the city and you can soak up the heritage and 600 years of history at Powderham Castle with its deer park and stunning location near the River Exe. Another location of a similar distance away from Exeter is the National Trust’s Killerton with its house, garden and beautiful parkland. Both sites have a full events programme too, well worth checking out if you are staying nearby.
If you’ve brought your dog with you then attractions that cater for your furry four-legged friend are essential so you could visit Canonteign Falls in the morning and discover the waterfalls and fern garden and then head to Haldon Forest for a walk in the afternoon. Other options include exploring the choice of three woodland trails at Becky Falls and then drive down to River Dart Country Park or Buckfast Abbey, all are dog-friendly.
If you are staying in South Devon a browse around the shops in Plymouth and a walk around the famous Barbican and Hoe before stopping off to visit The Box, museum, gallery and archive is a must. In the afternoon you could drive out to South Devon Railway and jump into a world of nostalgia on a steam train and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the River Dart. Make sure you check the timetable on the website first!
If you have booked accommodation in North Devon some good day out combinations would be a visit to RHS Rosemoor and its stunning gardens followed by a factory tour at Dartington Crystal, a drive to Quince Honey Farm, which is open daily all year, for a unique tour and activities or a visit to the picturesque fishing village of Clovelly with all its maritime history.
If you are a local person you may have a membership or annual pass at one of our attractions and after a morning visit at your usual attraction you could then decide to go on to a nearby site to make a full day out at another location. There is such a large variety of attractions in the group that you are spoilt for choice in deciding where you wish to visit, depending on your available time and budget.
It’s a good idea to plan ahead and one great way of doing this, as well as checking the Devon’s Top Attractions website www.devonstopattractions.co.uk is the DATA guide with its detailed map, beach guide, car charging points and attraction locations which makes it an invaluable tool to plan your day out. This will ensure you spend as little time in the car as possible and reduce the cost of fuel or spend on public transport. Many of the Stagecoach buses stop off at our attractions so it is very possible to combine locations by hopping on and off in one trip. Check out the Stagecoach website or download their app for their timetables.
Hope you find some of these ideas and itineraries for visiting two sites in a day useful and will ensure you get the absolute most out of your staycation in Devon!
