Date ideas
Date ideas for every mood and every city
First date nerves, a rainy Saturday, a tight budget or a night you both want to remember: here are date ideas that actually work, with honest notes on cost and time, plus a fun way to ask so your idea turns into a yes.
The essentials
Start here if you just need a great idea.
First, second, third date
The better you know each other, the bolder a date can be.
First date ideas
30 good first date ideas: classic, playful, cheap, evening and rainy day picks, plus what to skip and how to ask.
Read →Second date ideas
25 second date ideas: callbacks to date one, playful activities, food, culture and cheap 2nd date ideas, plus what to skip.
Read →Third date ideas
22 third date ideas: favorite places, cooking together, day trips, classes and cozy nights, plus what the third date means.
Read →Coffee date
Is coffee a date? How to tell, how to make it clear, picking a coffee shop for a first date and 12 coffee date ideas.
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By season
Cozy winters, golden fall days and long summer evenings.
Winter date ideas
40 winter date ideas: snow days, cold-weather outings, warm-up spots, cozy nights in and winter south of the equator.
Read →Fall date ideas
32 fall date ideas: apple picking, foliage drives, ghost tours, cozy nights in and Friendsgiving for two.
Read →Christmas date ideas
35 Christmas date ideas: markets and lights, shows, cozy nights in, summer Christmas down under and the days after.
Read →Summer date ideas
34 summer date ideas: beach and lake days, outdoor movies, fireflies, food crawls, road trips and ways to beat the heat.
Read →Spring date ideas
30 spring date ideas: tulip fields, hanami picnics, kite flying, patio season, Easter and spring down under.
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Indoors, outdoors, at home
For rainy days, couch nights and sunsets.
At-home date ideas
40 at-home date night ideas: food and drinks, movie nights, games, creative projects, cozy romance and ideas for parents.
Read →Picnic date ideas
30 picnic date ideas: first date picnics, a French or bento picnic, a night picnic with lanterns, food that travels and a packing list.
Read →Hike date ideas
30 hike date ideas: rail trails, waterfalls, fire lookouts, a pub walk, fossil hunting and an honest guide to hiking safely as two.
Read →Date night dinner ideas
30 dinner ideas for date night: easy recipes for two, cook-together projects, romantic menus, desserts and great dinners out.
Read →Rainy day date ideas
32 rainy day date ideas: one-umbrella walks, indoor dates around town, cozy plans at home and the best picks for a first date.
Read →Date night movies
34 date night movies by mood: first movie night, rom-coms, classics, funny, scary, animated and seasonal picks, plus what to skip.
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For every mood
Cheap, cute, romantic, spontaneous or a little bit wild.
Fun date ideas
34 fun date ideas: snack showdowns, GPS hearts, dueling pianos, silent discos, cardboard mini golf and more.
Read →Cute date ideas
37 cute date ideas: carousel rides, a butterfly house, homemade fortune cookies, pancake art, an unbirthday party and more.
Read →Cheap date ideas
34 cheap and free date ideas: tide pools, star parties, open house weekends, a $20 date challenge, fish and chips by the sea and more.
Read →Romantic date ideas
30 romantic date ideas: candlelight concerts, a lighthouse at sunset, a surprise trip, a private chef and gestures that cost nothing.
Read →Unique date ideas
36 unique date ideas: dinner in the dark, a flying lesson, cheese-making, a bioluminescent paddle, a rodeo and a night in a fire lookout.
Read →Date ideas for couples
30 date ideas for couples: swapping roles for a day, a check-in dinner, relearning your first dance, a cookbook challenge and weekly rituals.
Read →Alphabet date ideas
Alphabet dating explained, with a main idea and three backups for every letter from A to Z. Yes, even X.
Read →Last-minute date ideas
23 last-minute date ideas you can start within the hour, plus spontaneous date games and texts for asking tonight.
Read →Long-distance date ideas
23 long-distance date ideas: video call dates, dates by mail, small daily rituals and ideas for time zones.
Read →Date ideas for parents
Date ideas for busy parents: 20 minutes after bedtime, school-hours dates, babysitter nights and a sitter note to copy.
Read →12 months of dates
How to make a 12 months of dates gift: one envelope per month, a date idea for each and envelope wording to copy.
Read →Active date ideas
Is mini golf a good first date? Plus 30 active date ideas: duckpin bowling, pickleball, curling, fencing, ziplines and a surf lesson.
Read →Double date ideas
35 double date ideas for two couples: pickleball doubles, progressive dinners, canoe races, team trivia and how to split the bill.
Read →Teen date ideas
36 teen date ideas for middle and high school: walkable, cheap, group-friendly, with Valentine's ideas and tips for parents.
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Special occasions
Valentine's Day, anniversaries and days that matter.
Valentine's Day date ideas
30 Valentine date ideas: low-key first Valentine's, romantic date nights, cheap ideas, Galentine's and summer V-Day down under.
Read →Anniversary date ideas
Anniversary date ideas for one month, one year, five, ten and twenty-five years, with traditional materials turned into dates.
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Date ideas by city
Real places and what to do there together.
Date ideas in Austin
A swim in Barton Springs, a million bats at sunset and a two-step lesson at a honky-tonk: 16 Austin date ideas by time of day.
Read →Date ideas in Berlin
A runway turned park, a 1913 ballroom and a sausage stand under the U2: 18 Berlin date ideas for English speakers.
Read →Date ideas in Boston
Cannoli in the North End, a glass globe you can walk through and jazz at Wally's: 17 Boston date ideas by mood and season.
Read →Date ideas in Chicago
The Lakefront Trail, a river cruise, the Green Mill and ZooLights: 15 Chicago date ideas by season and mood.
Read →Date ideas in Dallas
A free vintage trolley, an old movie palace in Oak Cliff and a sunset walk over the Trinity: 16 Dallas dates sorted by neighborhood.
Read →Date ideas in Houston
A Turrell sunset at Rice, a walk through an old underground reservoir and a food crawl on Bellaire Boulevard: 20 Houston dates by area.
Read →Date ideas in Kansas City
Ride the free streetcar, lie under the Shuttlecocks, hear jazz at 18th and Vine and cross into Kansas for Kaw Point: 20 KC dates.
Read →Date ideas in London
Primrose Hill, the South Bank, Kew and a proper pub: 17 London date ideas sorted by situation.
Read →Date ideas in Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory, the Venice Canals, the Getty and a night at the Hollywood Bowl: 15 LA date ideas.
Read →Date ideas in NYC
Brooklyn Bridge, the High Line, the Cloisters and a free ferry: 16 NYC date ideas by situation.
Read →Date ideas in Philadelphia
Boathouse Row lit up at night, a mosaic maze on South Street and a cheesesteak taste-off: 17 Philadelphia date ideas for every mood.
Read →Date ideas in San Antonio
A light show on a cathedral, a bike ride to 18th-century missions and pan dulce under year-round Christmas lights: 16 San Antonio dates.
Read →Date ideas in San Francisco
Lands End, Dolores Park, the Ferry Building and a late night at the Exploratorium: 14 SF date ideas.
Read →Date ideas in Seattle
A ferry at sunset, a glass treehouse of a library and a beach fire in Ballard: 19 Seattle date ideas sorted by weather.
Read →Date ideas in Sydney
A ferry to Manly, a secret garden in Lavender Bay and jacarandas in November: 19 Sydney date ideas by mood and season.
Read →Date ideas in Toronto
A ferry to Ward's Island, a garden shaped like a Bach suite and jazz on Queen West: 19 Toronto date ideas by mood and season.
Read →Date ideas in Vienna
Coffee house rules, a wine tavern with a pine branch over the door and a waltz at a real ball: 17 Vienna date ideas, explained.
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psst … this makes it easier
Turn your idea into an invite
- Scratch card, spin the wheel, quiz or secret code
- Your date picks the day and the food right away
- Free, no account, sent as a link