Best Romantic Date Ideas: 55 Great Plans for Romance

According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, over 50% of adult Americans report that they are in a serious romantic relationship. If you are one of these people, 50 great plans for romance are waiting for you. What are some romantic date ideas? Traveling is always a great way to change perspective, but it isn’t always an option. That is why I created this list of romantic date ideas to give some alternatives to romantic vacations.

To navigate more easily, I’ve broken down my great plans for romance into different categories such as adventure, romance at home, nights out, cheap dates, free dates, and of course travel. Included are some links to help you plan your romantic dates. I hope you are inspired to test them out.

Updated 1/5/2023

This post contains sponsored links. Please read full disclosure if you would like additional details.

Fun Outdoor Date Ideas

• Go tandem parasailing. I’m a bit afraid of heights. Therefore, I was hesitant about trying this when we went to Destin, Florida. However, it was amazing. First, you are secured in a harness before being hoisted into the air above the Gulf of Mexico. Then you soar through the air like a bird.
• If you can’t snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, go scallop diving together. It’s snorkeling with a twist. My husband and I tried this a few years ago in Steinhatchee, Florida. Afterward, we cooked up the scallops for our dinner.
• Hot air balloon over the Arizona desert. After helping set up the balloon, you enter the basket and ascend. The view is breathtaking from 5000 feet up. Afterwards champagne is offered as part of the tradition started in France over a century ago.
• Horseback ride through the desert or on the beach.
• Ride a Segway.
• Go spelunking.
• Swim with a sea lion, seal, or perhaps a dolphin.

Be a Kid Again

• Remember Twister? How fun would that be to play with a date? Now they make a larger mat that fits grown ups. Plus you can use Alexa so nobody needs to operate the spinner. You don’t need a whole family for an old fashioned game night.
• Head to the park. Swing on the swings. Then slide down the slide. After that get your goadrenalining by hanging upside down from the monkey bars!
• Go for a bike ride. You can even pack a picnic in a backpack and stop for lunch. You could even do a bit of research to find a place that rents bicycles built for two.
• Spend time in an arcade. Relive the fun part of being a teen by playing video games or skiball together. Grab a burger and a milkshake while your at it.
• Play in the snow. You are never too old to make snow angels or build a snow man. If you are really feeling energetic, build a snow fort or challenge each other to a snowball fight!

Romantic Date Ideas at Home

• These are romantic date ideas at home for him. Turn your bedroom into a massage parlor. First watch a video together on how to give a massage. Then practice on each other. You can buy scented oils in the store or Google how to make your own.
• For free romantic date ideas, read to each other. You can either find an erotic novel or some classic literature, and take turns reading to each other. Once when we were staying at The Artisan Inn in Deland, Florida, we found a copy of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I read it aloud to my husband as we lounged on the couch drinking wine.
• As a unique date idea, become a mixologist. Take an on line bartending class. Then test out new cocktail recipes, or create one of your own. While improvising ingredients for a chocolate martini, we created what we call an Almond Joy.

More Date Night Ideas at Home

• Be a kid again with these movie date night ideas. This is a variation of a rainy day movie day. Curl up on the couch. Then make some popcorn and watch old movies from your childhood. Recently, we watched Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Clash of the Titans, Race for your Life Charlie Brown, and Bon Voyage Charlie Brown. It’s fun to reminisce about simpler times.
• Do it Yourself. For example, plant a garden , put together something from IKEA, or paint a room.
• For a cute at home date idea, gather all of your vacation memories. Then create an album using an online site like Picaboo.
• For something new, learn an instrument. Fender offers reasonably priced online guitar lessons.
• Plan a road trip. First figure out your final destination. Next, decide how long you have for the trip. Then start planning. Don’t forget the journey is half the fun.

Intimate Nights Out

• Look for a local spa. Then enjoy a couples’ massage. This is a great date night idea for married couples who need to try something new.
• Go wine tasting or wine making. This is also a good option for a double date or a first date. Wineries are cropping up in every state and country so it is easy to find something local. In addition, stores such as Total Wine offer cheap classes.
• Old time photos. We stumbled across an old time photo shop because we had some time to kill. Needless to say we had a blast trying on the old clothing and accessories and then having our photos taken.
• For a surprise date idea for him, take him to an Ice Bar. This is a unique date, but make sure you tell him to dress warm first, as the temperatures are literally freezing. We warmed up after by having a dinner date in the fire lounge.
• Get tattoos together.

More Fun Date Ideas

• For a fun date, learn to dance. Take tango or salsa lessons. If you are too shy to try this in public, grab an instructional video from the local library or find one on line for a date night idea at home.
• Enjoy a unique dining experience. For instance, you can make your own pancakes on a table top griddle at the old Sugarmill restaurant in Ponce de Leon Springs, Florida.
• Dine on authentic cuisine while soaking up foreign ambiance. Try the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City for Cuban cuisine served in an old cigar factory, complete with flamenco dancers. Or head to Tatiana Restaurant & Night Club in Hallendale Beach, Florida for a Russian venue, which includes entertainment that is a cross between cabaret and Cirque du Soleil.
• Visit a mansion. Then pretend you lived during that time period as you take a tour. Try Vizcaya in Miami or Oak Alley Plantation in New Orleans. These venues provide romantic settings for picnic date ideas as well as weddings.
• Go to a museum for a cultural date. Check out NOMA in New Orleans. Then explore their unique sculpture garden. It is sure to promote stimulating conversation.
• Looking for romantic date ideas for your boyfriend? Make it an old school date night. Take in a movie, play mini golf, go bowling, shoot pool. Don’t forget to share a pitcher of beer! Likewise, if the weather is warm, share some ice cream.

Cheap Dates

• Go to the beach. What are some examples of romantic things to do on the beach? Spend the day swimming. Then, build a sandcastle. When you get hungry, share a picnic. After that, stroll down the beach. Find a walk up bar.
• For a steamy date idea, take a bath together. Light scented candles. Then open a bottle of wine. After that, turn on some romantic music. Relax.
• Stargaze. For a simple date night idea, head out of town to find a dark place where you can look up and see the stars. See how many constellations you can name. If you live somewhere with too many lights, plan a romantic date at the local planetarium.
• For an anniversary date idea, add some spice. Meet up somewhere new. Pretend it’s your first date. If you want to add spice you can make up different personas, wear a wig, etc. After all, this is a great way to keep the relationship fresh.
• Go camping or alternatively, glamping.

Enjoy some culture

• Enjoy some culture. Wondering what’s cheap and fun to do on a date? Peruse a local art festival or Sunday jazz brunch. Often, these events are free to attend. You may just have to pay for parking.
• Visit a local winery or brewery. Then take a tour or do a tasting.
• Cook a foreign dinner together as a fun date night idea at home. I collect international cookbooks because my husband and I enjoy trying out the recipes. However, you can also find ideas on Facebook or Pinterest. Alternatively explore International grocery stores to buy ingredients. Subsequently, you will feel like you traveled to a foreign country. Then use them to create a meal. Once you have your menu picked out, find music to complement your dinner. Subsequently, you can even take an online cooking class for a home date.

Great Plans for Romance with No Money Involved

• During a summer evening, catch fireflies, or just sit outside listening to the sounds of crickets and cicadas.
• Take romantic drive along the coast or some other scenic byways. If you want to jazz it up, rent a convertible or jeep for your drive.
• Exercise together. Go for a walk, jog or swim. Or you can workout together. Exercise gets the blood pumping and gets you in shape and in the mood for extracurricular activities.
• Of course, you don’t have to let weather get in the way of your date ideas. Instead, embrace the weather, and take a walk in the rain. When you get home, enjoy a warm shower together.
• For stay at home date night ideas, have an indoor picnic. Spread a blanket on the floor, pop in a movie. Then serve a romantic dinner of appetizers and wine. For a romantic date idea for your girlfriend, surprise her with a homemade dinner.

Intimate Plans for Travel

• Stay somewhere that has an outdoor shower such as Home Field Advantage Farmstead.
• Eat dinner on a jazz night cruise. While in New Orleans, we cruised the Mississippi River aboard the Steamboat Nachez.
• When the weather is good, plan a seductive boat ride. Lounge in a gondola in the Venetian in Las Vegas, NV or take a tour of Lake Dora in Florida.
• Take a haunted tour. Whether it’s ghosts and vampires of New Orleans or Jack the Ripper tour in London, it can be a thrill to be scared with your sweetheart.
• Visit each other’s hometowns. Relive each other’s childhood together.
• During warm weather, stay on a houseboat. Of course, enjoy the sun setting over the water.

What are Some Ideas for a Perfect Date?

• Take a carriage ride. We crossed this off our bucket list while spending the day in Central Park in NYC, but many places offer these romantic rides. Surprisingly, you can also find many things to do in NYC for free.
• Take the road trip you planned during your night of romance at home.
• Visit a romantic destination together such as Paris or Niagara Falls.
• Visit a historic monument together. For instance, Ground Zero, in NYC.
• Finally, if you can’t travel the world, travel to Orlando for Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival which is held each fall. This one is expensive. You’ll need admission for the Disney park and also for all the food and drinks you will be trying in each country. However, it is a cheaper and simpler alternative if you can’t actually travel the world.

I hope you enjoyed reading about these 50 great plans for romance. Now it is time to try them yourself. Also, don’t forget to get supplies to bring on your romantic weekend…

• Vanilla massage oil
• Silk rose petals
• Flameless LED candles

Romantic Games

Lingerie

You can find additional ideas on staycations and safe traveling here.

Donna Emperador is a travel and food blogger and copywriter. Donna believes in learning about different cultures while sharing good food and cocktails. She has lived in South Florida for over 20 years and enjoys spending time exploring the road to find unique places to share with readers. She can be found on Facebook,  Instagram, and Pinterest.