A Perfect Weekend in Totnes: A 48-Hour Itinerary for First-Time Visitors

A weekend in Totnes works because the town is small enough to feel walkable, varied enough to give you several distinct days, and well placed for getting onto the Dart, the Dartmoor edge and the South Hams coast within a short drive. Here is a 48-hour itinerary for first-time visitors, built around two nights, with practical timings, parking notes and food recommendations. The plan assumes you arrive Friday afternoon and leave Sunday afternoon, although the order works just as well for any other weekend.

Friday afternoon: settling into town

Arrive into Totnes by car or train. Totnes mainline station is about ten minutes’ walk from the centre, with direct services from London Paddington in roughly three hours. If you are driving, the Steamer Quay long-stay car park is your best base; from there it is a five-minute walk along the river into town.

Check in, then take an orientation wander up Fore Street. It rises from the river up through the centre of town, lined with independent shops, lurking medieval buildings, and the carved East Gate arch about two-thirds of the way up. Most of the bookshops, delicatessens and clothes shops you will want to see are on this single climb.

Dinner. For a relaxed first night, try the Bull Inn on Rotherfold (organic gastropub with an excellent menu and a courtyard), Pie Street on the High Street (sourdough pies, brilliant), or Rumour further up (wine bar with stone-baked pizzas). Book ahead in summer.

Saturday morning: castle and market

Start with breakfast at the Curator, just below the East Gate, or at Brioche on Fore Street. Strong coffee, good pastries. From there, walk up to Totnes Castle on Castle Street. The Norman motte gives you the best view in town, the climb is short and the wall-walk is gentle. Allow an hour. Adult entry around £6.50 in 2026, free with English Heritage membership.

Saturday morning is also the main day for Totnes Market in the Civic Square and Civic Hall. Antiques, vintage clothes, second-hand books, an excellent food court for lunch, and around 80 stalls. The market runs 9am to 4pm. If you can drag yourself away by 12.30pm you will have time for an unrushed lunch.

Saturday afternoon: the Dart and Dartington

After lunch, head down to the river. Two good options. If the weather is fine, take a river cruise from Steamer Quay down to Dartmouth (about 75 minutes each way, run by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company). The Dart is one of the finest river journeys in southern England and you pass woodland, the Greenway estate where Agatha Christie lived, and Dittisham village before arriving at Dartmouth harbour. Plan to spend a couple of hours in Dartmouth before catching the return boat.

If the weather is uncertain, drive (or cycle along the riverside path) the two miles up to Dartington Hall. Walk the 26-acre listed gardens, see the Henry Moore reclining figure in the Tiltyard, and visit the Elmhirst Heritage Centre. Stop at the Cider Press Centre a short walk away for craft shops and a coffee. If you have the energy, the Deer Park trail is a lovely three-mile loop.

Saturday dinner. The White Hart at Dartington if you are still on the estate (estate-grown produce, well-judged menu), or back in town try The Riverford Field Kitchen a short drive away in Wash Barn (long sharing tables, set menu, almost everything grown on site). Booking essential.

Sunday: trains and the Dartmoor edge

Sunday is the day for a steam train. Drive 15 minutes to Buckfastleigh and join the South Devon Railway for the seven-mile ride along the River Dart back to Totnes Riverside. The morning service typically leaves around 11am, and the round trip with the engine shed visit and a coffee takes about three hours. Family tickets in 2026 are around £56.

From the Buckfastleigh station it is a 20-minute walk to Buckfast Abbey, where the working Benedictine community keeps the abbey church open free of charge, with three specialist gardens and a good restaurant for Sunday lunch. The early 20th-century rebuild story is remarkable. Allow two to three hours.

If you would rather have a Dartmoor moment, drive 20 minutes further to Haytor for a breezy walk up one of the most famous granite tors on the moor.

Sunday afternoon: a slow exit

Head back to Totnes for a final lazy afternoon. The riverside path from Steamer Quay along to the Vire Island is good for a wander, the Elizabethan Museum on High Street (small, free, full of local oddities) is a perfect 40-minute stop, and the cafes around the bottom of Fore Street do excellent afternoon cake. For an early supper, the Waterside Bistro on the Plains has views of the river and an unhurried menu, ideal before you head home.

Practical tips for a Totnes weekend

• Park at Steamer Quay if you are staying in town. It is the cheapest long-stay and walking distance to everything.
• Time a Tuesday visit if you can extend the weekend, for the Elizabethan Charter Market with traders in Tudor costume.
• Book restaurants ahead. Totnes punches above its weight on food and the best places fill up.
• Layer clothing. The Dart valley microclimate is famously changeable.
• Pick up a Visit Totnes booklet from the small tourist information point on the Plains for a town map and the current market dates.

A weekend in Totnes is enough to see why people come back. The town has a definite character, somewhere between bohemian Devon market town and serious foodie destination, and the surrounding countryside is some of the most varied in the South West. If you want more inspiration before you book, take a look at our piece on Family Days Out From Totnes for a longer break with children, or the Dartington Hall guide for a deeper dive into the estate.