The festive season is fast approaching and it’s one of the most romantic times of the year. Here are our favourite ways to feel the love with a date night this Christmas – and beyond.
Festive Date Night Ideas
Whether you’re newlyweds, a new couple spending your first Christmas together or recently engaged and just want to celebrate the season with some romantic dates, we’ve compiled a handy list of date night ideas for the festive season.
1. Go Ice Skating
Perhaps the ultimate romantic date night idea, there are myriad ice rinks on offer across the UK this festive season in gorgeous settings, from the Natural History Museum in London to ice skating at Birmingham and Edinburgh’s Christmas markets. Warm up with a mince pie and mulled wine afterwards – but get in there quick, because tickets are already selling out!
2. Watch a Movie at a Winter-Themed Cinema
Watching Love Actually, Elf or The Holiday with your loved one surrounded by a festive winter wonderland scene – what could be more romantic?! Backyard Cinema in London is one of our faves with its Winter Garden and Snow Kingdom and a huge range of movie choices or, this winter, Luna Cinema are offering drive-in cinema experiences to watch your favourite movies in optimum comfort. Don’t forget the popcorn.
3. Visit a Christmas Market
It’s not Christmas without a visit to a romantic Christmas market to really warm your cockles. Luckily, the UK is jam-packed full of them. Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland is a top bet, with endless romantic activities on offer, from rides on the Big Wheel to cosy mulled wine tents and festive food stalls, while across the country, everywhere from Bath to York offers world-class Christmas markets, too. Alternatively, why not head on a super-romantic mini-break to a European city like Berlin or Amsterdam for the perfect festive couples holiday?
4. Go to a Christmas Tree Farm
Whether it’s your first or fourteenth Christmas together, going to a Christmas tree farm to pick out your own tree for your home is one of the most festive activities out there for couples. Wrap up warm, grab a warm drink – and a measuring tape! – and choose your own tree to adorn together in your living room.
5. See a Theatre Performance
The perfect date idea, going to the theatre together is a wonderfully festive activity. Why not buy tickets as part of each other’s Christmas gifts? Whether you want to go classic and see a ballet like The Nutcracker or funny musical like The Book Of Mormon, there’s sure to be something to delight every couple.
6. Go for Dinner and Drinks at a Winter Terrace
Yes, wining and dining is nothing new for a date night idea, but if there’s one thing London does well at Christmas, it’s its abundance of winter terraces. From the highly-Instagrammable Dalloway Terrace to beautiful in-hotel options like the Garden at The Corinthia, there are a whole host of offerings for a super-romantic winter date.
Winter Date Night Ideas
Once Christmas is over, it can be harder to think of romantic date ideas. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a whole range of winter date night ideas, whether you’re looking to propose on Valentine’s Day or just want to get romantic in the colder seasons.
- Visit a Winter Farmers’ Market
Wrapping up warm to sample some cheese, wine and street food is the perfect recipe for a post-Christmas winter date, and there myriad farmers’ markets across the UK perfect to visit in the colder months. Some of our fave picks in London include Clapham’s Venn Street Market, offering everything from cheese and seafood to brownies and hog roasts, as well as Marylebone Farmers’ Market, who serve up fresh sandwiches and French cuisine. The perfect setting for a Sunday morning wander with your loved one.
2. Try Your Hand at a Cooking Class
A great Christmas pressie to redeem in the – sometimes bleak – midwinter, a cooking class is a great way to reconnect while having fun as a couple. Whether it’s learning how to make bread or a fakeaway curry, this is a lovely way to spend a cold winter’s afternoon. It makes for a great Valentine’s activity, too. Check out The Avenue Cookery School or Borough Kitchen for inspiration.
3. Play crazy golf
With a whole range of crazy golf courses available across the UK that now mix in food stalls, craft beer and more, this is a great winter date night idea that’s so much more than just hitting a ball! The likes of Swingers and Junkyard Golf offer cocktails and excellent food, as well as big group bookings that are perfect if you want to make it a fun double – or triple – date.
4. Go on a Winter Walk
OK, this one might sound simple, but we think there’s nothing more romantic than heading out to a beautiful location near you and walking for hours with your loved one – finished off with a cosy pub lunch or movie night at home. Just wrap up warm, grab some hot chocolate and you’re good to go. A winter walk can also be a super-cute way to propose!
Date Night Ideas at Home
Staying at home can provide plenty of romance – and is easier on the pursestrings! Here are our favourite fun and easy date ideas for you and your partner to try from home.
These cocktail masterclasses might just make for the cheapest (and tastiest) happy hour ever. Mix and Twist offer free live online cocktail masterclasses, which take you step by step through their Latin Menu of rum and tequila. If you don’t have the equipment or ingredients, and fancy splashing out, you can invest in a ‘My First Masterclass’ box for £149.
P.S. check out our guide to DIY cocktail recipes for some more inspo.
- Comedy Gig Date Night
Who better to turn to than your favourite comedian for a hilarious night to remember with your other half? Grab the popcorn, a bottle of wine, and turn down the lights as Netflix offers you live recordings of your favourite stand-up comedians.
- Aquarium Live Stream
If you’re craving a change of scene, there are live streams from aquariums and zoos all around the world for you to choose from. For a colourful peek into the coral reef, tune into the National Aquarium’s live stream to see how these aquatic creatures are spending their time in lockdown. From the ‘Blacktip Reef’ to ‘Jellies Invasion’, there are endless aquatic world that you and your partner can marvel at tonight.
- Treasure Hunts
Put your partner to the test by planning a special treasure hunt for them in your home; you’d be surprised by how many hiding places you’ll discover! Test how well you really know each other with romantic riddles, personality questions, and brainteasers to guide your partner from treasure to treasure. If you’re thinking about proposing, but struggling to plan the moment, this is a romantic and easy way to surprise your partner by hiding the ring as ‘hidden treasure’. There are plenty of other ways to pop the question during lockdown, and Wedding Ideas can help to inspire you. Read our top tips for proposing at home.
- Afternoon Tea at Home
An afternoon tea is an indulgent treat, and checking in to a swanky hotel or restaurant to sample their exquisite finger sandwiches and finest Champagne makes for a lovely day date. The famously Instagrammable restaurant, Sketch, offers home delivery for their iconic afternoon tea. The Valentine’s Day tea starts at £49 per person and includes all your favourite treats from the pink Gallery. You can also browse a huge selection of at-home afternoon tea experiences and hampers online at buy-a-gift.
Long Distance Date Night Ideas
Schedule some romantic one-on-one time (even if it does take place through a screen). With endless ways to communicate, organise a video call and try out one of our ‘distance date night’ ideas.
- Stargaze (Together!)
Even if you’re miles apart, stargazing apps can make you feel a lot closer. SkyViewLite is a great one, as you just hold it to a night sky and it will identify the planets, constellations, and satellites that you can both see. It even reminds you of celestial events that you and your date can both step outside simultaneously to witness. If it’s a first date, learn each other’s birthdays and use the app to find their horoscope constellation.
2. Supper Surprise
It’s important to support our local restaurants and food vendors post-pandemic. Luckily for us, many of them now offer a delivery service, so you can support your local cuisines from home. Do some research into which restaurants located near your partner are offering home delivery, while your partner does the same for you. Order each other dinner at the same time, and be surprised by what you receive. This one is a great way to see how well they know you!
- Quizzing
Test each other’s memories with our Mr and Mrs Quiz. It’s not just for married couples either! From their biggest fear to your funniest memory, any couple can get to know each other to a deeper level with our romantic (and revealing) couples quiz.
- DIY Classes
Couples who learn together, stay together. Craft Courses are offering so many online DIY courses for you and your partner to get creative with during your time apart. Schedule a video call, and help each other to create something useful and wonderful.
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