Are you hoping to take your long term partner or a new romantic love interest out on a perfect date, but are coming up short on fun ideas that are not the classic dinner and movie combo? Then it’s time for you to start working on my bucket list of date night ideas.
I’ve done many of these cute activities and many are great whether you’re meeting for a first date or have been together for over a decade (like me!), or whether you want a fancy evening out or a romantic quiet night at home—and some of them are also entirely free to do!
Fun Date Night Ideas
1. Create Your Own Pub Crawl
Whether you hit hotspots in your own city or explore the scene in a new downtown, a pub crawl is fun and low-key idea for an evening out. It’s best to plan your route ahead of time, but always leave room for the unexpected pub that might pop up!
2. Go to a Trivia Night
If you haven’t been to trivia night before and aren’t the greatest player of Trivial Pursuit, this one may at first seem too nerve wracking to even consider. But hey, you’ll never know how well (or disastrously) you might do until you try! And if all else fails, make it your thing to come up with the most ridiculous answer under the sun to each question.
Don’t want to leave the house? Create your own trivia night at home with some fun games, like …I should have known that! or the classic Trivial Pursuit.
3. Explore a New Town
Although exploring a new town may not be as easy to do as some of these other ideas, it can be an excellent way to test your relationship when both of you are out of your home bases. It also allows for the opportunity to make some incredible memories together.
4. Face a Fear Together
Do both of you share a fear that you’re hoping to conquer? It can be related to your relationship, but also something along the lines of skydiving or bungee jumping. By facing the fear together you both will come out of the experience as stronger people and a stronger couple.
5. Test Drive an Expensive Car
Even if you can’t really afford the car, for one afternoon it’ll be so much fun for both of you to experience firsthand what it could be like to drive around in one. Besides, you never might know if you’ve just found your new car after all!
6. Tour a Museum
Even if neither of you are art connoisseurs or history buffs, touring a museum can be a lot of fun, especially as a date idea for a rainy day. Art and historical museums can be educational and surprisingly interesting, but for something even more fun, try to find the quirkiest museum in your area!
7. Go Camping (or Glamping)
Because camping requires a little more preparation than many other date night ideas on this list, you’ll be impressing your partner by going through with the effort of setting it all up.
Not to mention that sitting by the bonfire and sleeping side by side in a tent surrounded by nothing but nature is crazy romantic and an easy way to escape from the bustling city and tech life that we live in every day.
It’d be a bonus if there was a National Park nearby and you can make a checkmark off the US National Parks Bucket List: 61 Beauties to Visit in America
8. Go Horseback Riding
While horseback riding may not have been the first thing to pop into your mind as a perfect date, unless you were thinking of riding horses on the beach, it is a romantic way for you and your date to get active in an outdoor setting. It may even be possible to combine this date idea with a picnic!
9. Go on a Spontaneous Overnight Road trip
Got some time to spare with a desire to spice up things with your relationship a little bit? Randomly choose a destination within driving distance – or forgo thinking about a destination ahead of time altogether! – and quickly pack up your overnight bags to go on an overnight road trip totally spontaneously, leaving on the same day or a couple of days after coming up with the idea.
It’s a great way to add something new and different into your relationship.
10. Go Skinny Dipping
Skinny dipping is such a sexy and exhilarating activity to do together. It’s also an awesome way to enjoy some intimacy with one another.
11. Go to a Live Concert
If one of you is passionate about a band and they happen to be in town for a gig, it may turn out to be a meaningful date night for the both of you. Or you might also go big and attend a music festival with several bands to jam to.
12. Go to a Farmer’s Market
Farmer’s Markets are an easy way to spend some time outdoors, and can also make for a relatively stress free way to shop for produce that you might enjoy cooking at home later that day.
13. Drink & Eat at Happy Hour
Who doesn’t love a good Happy Hour? Cheap cocktails and snacks are great for when you want to go out but still save a bit of money, but still go out for drinks and grub. It’s also a great first date idea, since they are usually casual activities set earlier in the day.
14. Go to a Jazz Club
A jazz club is an excellent idea for a night where you want to enjoy music but be able to still engage in a conversation with your date. It can also feel like you’re out on a classy date, but without having to spend big bucks to achieve that feeling.
15. Try a New Hobby Together
This way you can both get out of your comfort zones and bond over trying to learn something new together. Your new hobby can be as practical or as out there as you both seem fit. If you don’t know where to start in choosing one, then head over to our Hobbies Bucket List: 100+ Most Popular Types to Try.
16. Go to an Escape Room Challenge
If you want to test your relationship and how effectively you can work together when met with an obstacle, take your date to an escape room. The idea is to solve puzzles and riddles in order to find your way out of a locked room in a limited amount of time. It may sound easy, but it’s not! Escape rooms also make for excellent double dates!
17. Make a Masterpiece at a Paint and Sip Class
A little bit of wine can go a long way in terms of propping up one’s confidence. Some wine can also get you and your date quickly loosening up, all the while indulging in the peaceful activity of painting. If you haven’t thought of it yet, consider checking out a Paint and Sip Class—they are usually pop-ups at local restaurants and bars.
18. Dream at an Expensive Open House
If you’re planning on moving in together, or sizing up, why not incorporate one house out of your price range into the house hunting of it all? It’ll be so much fun to dream what your futures together could be like living in a house like that, and even get you creating goals and plans on how to get to that point in life.
19. Paddle a Canoe
Hopping into a canoe and paddling around a lake is another romantic way to stay active together. Simultaneously it is also slow enough to bring about peace and serenity, with the possibility to quiet down and share the experience of simply listening to the nature around you.
20. Plan Your Next Vacation
Because who doesn’t like going on vacation?! List up some of your favorite destinations to visit (hint: our travel bucket list can help!)and then take to the internet and get to planning, from sights to see to places to stay for the night. Even if your vacation is nowhere around the corner, this can make for a dreamy date.
21. Recreate Your First Date
On occasion, it’s great to go back to the very beginning of your relationship. It can be a special way to celebrate your anniversary together, but it can also be good, reflective and positive to do if your relationship has hit a bit of a slump and you need a reminder of why you fell for each other to begin with.
22. Be Tourists in Your Own Town
Not only is it a fun way to get reacquainted with the city you’re living in and go to all the cheesiest sites it’s got, you may even find yourselves exploring neighborhoods and streets you were totally unfamiliar with before!
If you are so inclined, you may even want to challenge yourselves to accomplish something on that day, whether that is to learn something new about the history of your town or finding the new “best” viewing spot, among any other challenge you may come up with.
23. Sing a Karaoke Duet
Muster up the courage to take to the stage and create a memory that will last a lifetime. You can pick a song that’s close to your heart or check out these top 10 karaoke song duets to pick your special one. The cheesier the better!
24. Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride
Jumping into a hot air balloon will take you on an exhilarating, but romantic ride in the skies. Even better if you can find a hot air balloon ride offered against some gorgeous and dramatic backdrops!
25. Try a New Restaurant/Cuisine
A super easy way to add some spice into your relationship – quite possibly literally so – is by discovering a new restaurant or cuisine together. You may even want to make a thing out of finding a new place or type of food to eat each time you go out on a dinner date together.
Romantic Date Night Activities
26. Create a Date Night Jar for The Future
Based on the inspiration from this bucket list, write down each one on a piece of paper and put them in a jar. You can then pick out one of these date night ideas from the jar whenever you’re feeling uninspired by planning for the upcoming evening out!
You can buy a cute date night jar with preprinted sticks with different date ideas (like this one) or opt for a personalized jar with origami hearts that you fill in yourself!
27. Do Brunch (with Mimosas!)
Believe it or not, brunch isn’t something that just lady friends enjoy doing together, but it can be fun to do as a couple as well. I mean, what’s not to love about delicious food and bottomless mimosas on a lazy Sunday?
28. Get Matching Tattoos
It may seem cheesy and corny, but getting matching tattoos may actually be a really sweet and adorable, not to mention lasting, way to celebrate your love and commitment. You don’t have to tattoo each other’s names onto your body in huge letters, but go for a design that brings some joy and meaning for both of you.
Need cute couple tattoo ideas? Cosmopolitan has 74 great tattoo ideas! If your not committed to a forever tattoo, then check out Etsy’s temporary tattoos (I personally LOVE this simple one.
29. Go on a Dinner Cruise
Though a dinner cruise may feel a little touristy, it’s another romantic activity that works for both couples on a first date and couples that have been together forever. The menus are typically high quality and your dinner will be coupled with some excellent views from a perspective you may not typically experience a city from.
30. Go Dancing
Dancing is an excellent gateway to getting you and your date to touch each other, especially if it’s early into the relationship. If it’s your first date, you may want to take your date to a dance class rather than a club, whereas a long term couple may really enjoy getting wild and dirty with one another in a crowded club setting.
31. Get a Couples Massage
On occasion, it’s great to pamper yourself with something incredibly relaxing, with a hint of luxury added into the mix, and even something as intimate as a massage can be enjoyed together with your significant other. You can also put together a DIY spa day at home, perhaps throwing in some face masks and skin scrubs and whatever else you can think of.
For help on giving the best at home massage check out this article on how to give a romantic massage, or this one: how to give him a massage he won’t forget. Don’t forget the Kama Sutra Massage Oils!
32. Go Stargazing
Venture out to a place far from the city lights to see the clear skies above you. Stargazing in essence can be an incredibly simple activity to do together, one that doesn’t necessarily even require a lot of words. However, just lying there next to each other while admiring the night sky is actually a wonderful way to be intimate and romantic.
33. Go to a Drive-In Movie
If you want to go out on a movie date, but have the option to snuggle up a bit more intimately than you’d dare in a movie theater, then opt for a drive-in movie. It’s a cozy way to spend the evening, with the option of commenting on the movie as it’s on without interrupting anyone.
34. Play a Game of “Would You Rather”
Even if it’s only your first date, a game of “Would You Rather” can make for an excellent way to get to know your potential partner better. You can get personal about the questions, but the best results come from keeping it light and flirtatious. Couples who have been together for a while may also still find out surprising things about their partner with this game.
If you don’t have any ideas for questions to ask, see our 125+ Would You Rather Questions for Couples article, and then get our printable would your rather questions that you can print at home, cut and put them in a jar for random picking. Or buy the game Pick Your Poison that has 300 would you rather cards that create millions of possible card combinations!
35. Rent Bikes to Go Sight-Seeing
If your town is cycling friendly, renting some bikes to see your city from a different point of view may be a fun way to discover all over again, or explore a new place. And there’s nothing better than doing this discovering with someone you’re into! Cycling around will also do amazing things for your fitness levels, trust me.
36. Watch the Sunset or Sunrise
Whether you’re catching it from a mountain top, the beach, or someplace else, sunsets and sunrises are the days at their most beautiful. So find a spot from where you can clearly see it, preferably against nature’s beautiful backdrop, and perhaps bring along a picnic basket and a mat to fully immerse in enjoying the sight.
37. Write Each Other Love Letters
Even if you aren’t the best with written words, there is something incredibly touching and intimate with writing a letter to your loved one. Grab a bottle of wine, sit by a romantic fireplace and write all the reasons your partner is special. The best part is that the letters will end up being a cherished keepsake for years to come.
Cute At Home Date Nights
38. Binge-Watch A New Show
Is there a new hot TV show that’s popped up on a streaming service that you’re both curious about watching? Hole in for a weekend and wolf it down together! Or, alternatively, make a weekly date night of watching an episode or two of that TV show, cuddled up on the couch.
39. Build a Couples Bucket List
Pop open a bottle of wine, settle down comfortably, and begin brainstorming for awesome ideas you want to accomplish during your relationship. Just building the bucket list in the first place will be a great exercise in bonding and setting expectations. Of course it’s just the beginning of it, the real fun begins once you dive into completing each item.
If you need help with ideas, we’ve got you covered with these two articles:
- Couples Bucket List: 68 Fun Activities & Romantic Things to Do
- 1000+ Bucket List Ideas: Adventurous, Fun & Unique
40. Cook a Nice Dinner at Home Together
Food and romance have be linked throughout history, mix in some intriguing conversation and you have the best date night ever. Taking each other out for a fancy dinner is often seen as the classic date, regardless of the length of the relationship. However, cooking dinner together at home can be far more intimate and romantic – not to mention some epic fun if you both happen to be nothing short of disasters in the kitchen!
Here are some helpful resources to get your romantic dinner dinner on the right track:
41. Have a Movie Night
Whether you choose to hit the cinema for the latest blockbuster or have a movie marathon from the comfort of your couch at home, a movie night is a classic way to enjoy a fun, low key date. Especially if you have one at home, you can thoroughly enjoy each other’s company, even wordlessly, while cuddling up to one another.
42. Eat Takeout by Candlelight
Order in from your favorite restaurant, set up the table beautifully with only candles to light your way, and voila! Even if you both show up in pajamas, it’s bound to be a very romantic evening.
43. Go Through Old Photos
Even if it’s not your anniversary, sometimes you simply feel like going down the memory lane and reminiscing about your relationship. In those moments, bring out the photo albums, even digital ones, and make an evening of going through your old photos and reliving those special moments.
44. Have a Board Game Marathon
A cozy date night where you and your partner dive headfirst into your favorite board games. As the dice roll and the cards shuffle, you’ll discover that the best memories are made when you’re knee-deep in a heated battle of wits and rolling your way to victory.
Not sure which games to play? Check out this list: Board Games Bucket List: 50 of the All Time Best Ones to Play
45. Have a Photo Shoot
Even if one of you is a little bit apprehensive about getting their photo taken at first, a professional photo shoot is a brilliant way to get some wonderful tangible memories of your relationship. You may even end up going crazy and having one for each season and milestone!
46. Listen to Your Throwback Music
Are there some particular songs that are attached to some memories, especially positive ones, of your relationship? Make a playlist of them and listen through it during your anniversary, or why not on any random evening you’re both in the mood for some music listening.
47. Make a Craft Together
Whether it’s pottery, knitting, shaping glass, or something entirely else, is completely up to you. But the idea is to get handsy – and not with each other (yet, anyway!) – while creating something together. Even better if it’s something you can put up as decoration in your home together, even if said home is a future one.
48. Create You Own Cocktails at Home
Not only can ordering cocktails in a bar be heavy for the wallet, but sometimes bars are so loud you’ll have to shout to be able to hear each other. So how about you instead get some spirits and mixers to make cocktails at home; you can even dim the lights and put on some music to have your own bar experience right at the comfort of your home!
An additional spark to this can be trying to come up with all new cocktails that you’ve never tried before; either think of your whole new signature drink or choose one from my Classic Cocktail Bucket List.
49. Print and Frame Your Favorite Photos
Take your memory trip through your old photos a step further and choose a couple which you’ll want to print and frame. Then set these framed photos on display around your home, and in a sweet way show anyone who visits just how much your partner means to you. If you don’t have wall space, try creating a photo book using Shutterfly.
50. Take a Bath Together
Once you’ve been together for a while, taking a bath together can become a wonderfully relaxing way to spend some time in each other’s company after a long day. Remember to complete it with some bubbles!
Want to make it the most memorable bath for the two of you? Get inspiration from Romantic Baths for Two and How to Set Up a Romantic Bath.
51. Try Something New in The Bedroom
Whether either one of you has a sexual fantasy you’re yet to try out or there’s a particular position or thing to do that’s trendy at the moment, it may be well worth trying out with your partner. Even if it ends up not being your thing, small changes in your bedroom routine can make all the difference in how you enjoy physical intimacy with one another.
If you don’t know where to start, see the Sexy Bucket List: 25 Fun Things to Try in the Bedroom & Beyond
Fun First Date Ideas
52. Ask Each Other Thought Provoking Questions
It’s so easy for us to settle into a monotonous life routine, especially when life gets rough or busy in some aspect, and along with that we may forget to connect with our partner on a deeper level. If one or both of you are experiencing a period like that in your lives, sitting down to ask some deeper and thought provoking questions, rather than simple “how was your day” ones, over a meal or equivalent, can do great to freshen up one’s mind.
53. Complete a Jigsaw Puzzle
Completing a puzzle together often requires patience and teamwork, both of which are qualities you’re likely hoping to be present in your relationship to begin with. And while putting together the puzzle does require focus, it also leaves plenty of room for you two to chat away about your day or something else.
If you want tips for how to put together a jigsaw puzzle, check out this article on our site: Best 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults (& Tips to Complete One).
54. Play Mini Golf
From putting balls into clowns mouths to miniature windmills, a round of mini golf is a pretty chill place to have a first date. You’ll be having so much fun you’ll forget you’re meeting with this person for the first time! For any couple, really, a putt-putt is a good way to spend some time outside while playing a game where it doesn’t really matter who wins.
55. Play Pool
Another active date on the list, playing pool may get a little more competitive than mini golf, but it also makes room for some physical intimacy if you get the chance of showing your date firsthand how to best play their next shot.
56. Drive Some Go-Karts
If you’re up for some exhilarating fun that may get you two switching to a higher gear in competitiveness, go-karts may be the perfect choice for your next date night. They’re super fun and especially if you’ve never driven them before, or it’s been a while since your last time.
57. Eat Hot Dogs at a Baseball Game
Attending a baseball game together is in essence a great idea for a date night. However, even if you’re all donned up in your team’s clothes, no baseball game is perfect without indulging in some hot dogs loaded with ketchup, mustard and relish, while cheering your favorites on.
58. Go to an Aquarium
Visiting an aquarium for a date makes for a good combination of a relaxing environment and plenty to see. Even if you are initially feeling awkward on your date and nervous about topics of conversation, the cool sea-life around you will give you something to talk about.
59. Go to Live Theater
Much like the ballet, going to the theater for a date night is an opportunity to dress up and feel fancy for the night. However, in comparison to a ballet, a theater show may be easier to digest for someone who isn’t overall that interested and well versed in these types of performative art, therefore making for an easier pick if you’re only starting to introduce your partner to this world of activity.
60. Play Bingo at a Bingo Hall
Often labelled as an old people activity, bingo is in fact a fun and cheap activity for people of any age. Yes, you may be the youngest players at the bingo hall, but that doesn’t make it any less fun, and can instead make for some great memories for the future.
61. Play Games at an Arcade
Another place that makes for a great first date is an arcade that has various games to play. You’ll be too busy having fun laughing and getting competitive to remember to be nervous around your date! And long term couples who are tired of always doing the same old thing may equally find new ways of having fun by taking the date to an arcade, especially if it has some old-school games you both remember playing in the past.
62. Go Wine (or Beer) Tasting
Spend a few hours doing a beer or wine tasting—whichever happens to be your preferred drink! Or, why not do both?! This is a tasty activity, and can work great for newer couples as well since alcohol (in moderation) can be excellent for squashing nervousness.
63. Play the Games at an Amusement Park
Of course, riding all the rides at an amusement park is a must, but don’t skip out on playing the games themselves. And don’t give up until one of you has won that stuffed teddy bear or blow up giraffe.
64. Go Bowling
When you’re looking to have a fun but casual date, bowling works for any type of couple. On a first date it may prove to be the best way to break the ice and decrease nervousness, because you will both be wearing those oh-so-cute shoes and taking your best shot at getting a strike. Bonus bucket list points if you bowl a turkey—three strikes in a row!
65. Go Ice Skating
Whether it’s winter time and you find the perfect iced over lake or any other time of year at an indoor rink, ice skating can be a fun activity for both of you to try. Don’t forget to warm up with some hot chocolate afterwards!
66. Go Kayaking or Stand Up Paddle Boarding
If you want to spend some time outdoors together on a budget and the weather is right, trying out kayaking or stand up paddleboarding may be the way to go. It’s a unique activity that lets you admire some gorgeous views of nature while enjoying each other’s company in an active setting.
67. Go on a Picnic
When the weather gets wonderful, pack up a cute little basket filled with both of your favorite easy eats (like grapes, sandwiches, and so on), and maybe a bottle of wine, and head over to a park, forest or the beach for an afternoon of chill fun. This is a relatively low effort date idea, where you simply enjoy each other’s company surrounded by beautiful nature.
Need a basket? Check out this cute hand woven picnic basket from Picnic Plus or get a modern 2-person picnic backpack.
68. Go See a Comedy Show
Another low effort date idea that’ll bring along laughs and conversation, even on a first date, is attending a comedy show. And, you know, laughter is not only the best medicine it also is also known to be a very attractive quality in a partner.
69. Go to a Ballet
Even if ballet may not instantly seem like your cup of thing, it brings about a great excuse to get dressed in your best and feel fancy for a night. And you just may be surprised by how romantic of an activity going to a ballet together actually is.
70. Go to The Batting Cages
Going to the batting cages for a date is fun for a number of reasons. For one, it’s fun to see just how many balls you can hit, and let your competitive sides out with some healthy competition over who can hit more. For another, it’s an excellent way to destress after an awful day of work or when you’re in need of a distraction from other stressful things in your life.
71. Hike The Nearest State Park
If the two of you are interested in the outdoors, being active, or exploring something new, or the combination of all three, perhaps it’s time to take your date on a hike?
Not to mention you get to enjoy the beautiful nature around you and, if you choose a less beaten path, you’ll be quite secluded in simply the company of each other.
72. Jump at a Trampoline Park
Long gone are the days when trampolines were reserved for kids! There are trampoline parks popping up all over the place that are made for adults and children alike. This is an active way to spend time together, and you’re both guaranteed to get a whole lot of laughs out of it.
73. Smack Some Balls at The Driving Range
If a unique date that not everyone has gone on is what you’re after, a driving range should be at the top of your list. You may be amazing at hitting the golf balls, or absolutely disastrous, and it won’t even matter, you’ll both still have a terrific time.
74. Take a Cooking Class
Much like cooking dinner together at home, taking a cooking class is a great bonding activity, with a delicious reward waiting for you at its end. Pick a theme together for what type of food and cuisine you want to try, book your space in advance, and get ready for an evening of giggles.
75. Volunteer at an Animal Shelter
There is nothing like bonding over selflessly helping out, whichever volunteering opportunity you choose to go with. Volunteering at an animal shelter can be one of the most rewarding ones long term, however, as you two just might walk out with a new furry family member by the end of it!
When it comes to the date night, the most important thing is simply getting to spend some quality time with your love (or crush!). But it never hurts to have a list filled with date night ideas, just in case you’re seeking to go on a new kind of a date you haven’t been on before, or you and your partner simply love switching things up on the regular.
Even if you only end up choosing a few ideas to rotate between, you’ve done a great job of spicing up the romance aspect of your relationship.
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Wow! Such an amazing list of ideas to go on a romantic date with your special someone. I can’t believe you have listed 75 of them . I also loved the concept of buying a cute date night jar with preprinted sticks with different date ideas to pick one when in doubt or probably create a checklist to accomplish the rest of the ideas as and when time permits!
Yes I also love that idea, it’s unpredictable and fun.
This is a great list
Thank you for suggesting doing a craft together like pottery. I’ve been wondering what kind of date to arrange for my husband and I this weekend. This seems like it could be a fun thing to do together.
Wow, I have always needed dating ideas and tips. Very useful information you have here. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for your suggestion to go to a comedy show. I’ve been trying to get some date ideas for my husband’s birthday coming up. I’ll be sure to try this out since we’ve never been to one before.
This really helped me and I am so excited. Thank you so much!