Give you and your partner some time away this year with a memorable experience day. Whether you’re craving luxury, adventure or just lots of food, we’ve got you covered with this romantic gift guide.

By Olivia Garrett

Published: Monday, 06 March 2023 at 12:00 am

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Life can sometimes feel like a never-ending string of stresses. With work, family, and a million other responsibilities, it can be hard to find time for proper relaxation and enjoyment, especially when you throw a partner’s busy schedule into the mix.

But sometimes, a moment away with your partner is the perfect antidote to the humdrum of daily life; a time when you can shut out all the pressures and just focus on the person you love.

To help give you those precious moments, the RadioTimes.com team has put together this list of best experiences to do as a couple. Whether you’re the adventurous type, a lover of luxury, or are looking for something really different to try, this guide has it all.

The experiences are spread all over the UK and have a range of prices, so if you fancy a full-on weekend away or a restaurant down the road, you’ll find something here.

Not everything is romantic, either, so if you’re just needing a platonic day out with your best friend, there are plenty of masterclasses, meals, and other days out for you, too.

If you’re looking to treat a specific lady in your life, don’t stick around here. Head over to our best Mother’s Day experiences guide before time runs out. Or, if you’re taking that next step with your partner, check out this list of best hen and stag do experiences.

Jump to:

• Romantic experiences
• Luxury experiences
• Food and drink experiences
• Adventure experiences
• Unique experiences

Best experience days for couples at a glance:

• Couple’s Photo Experience, £19.50
• Entry for Two at Circus London, £29
• Champagne Cinema Evening for Two, £39
• The Bombay Sapphire Distillery Discovery Tour with Gin Cocktail, £40
• Unlimited Sushi for Two at inamo, £49.95
• Bake with a Legend at Home Virtual Masterclass for Two, £50
• Stargazing Experience for Two, £50
• Three Course Meal with Wine for Two at a Brasserie Blanc, £52
• Rage Room Experience for Two, £55
• The View from The Shard for Two, from £56
• One Night Glamping Break for Two, £70
• BYOB Pottery Experience for Two, £76
• Luxury Wine, Champagne and Port Tasting, £89
• Duet Studio Recording Session at Brunel Studios, £99
• Indulgent Spa Day for Two with up to 55 Minutes of Treatments, from £99.99
• Canoe Along the Highest Aqueduct in the World, £109
• Lovers Leap Tandem Bungee Jump, £111.38
• Fortnum & Mason Champagne Afternoon Tea, £120
• Cookery Class for Two at The Jamie Oliver Cookery School, £128
• Foraging, Cookery and Lunch for Two with Totally Wild, £140
• Murder Mystery Evening for Two, £150
• Retro Bicycle Day Hire with Champagne and Strawberries for Two, £150
• One Night Break with Dinner and Steam Train Trip, £184
• The Fastest Zip Line in the World for Two, £224
• Anytime Virgin Hot Air Balloon Flight for Two, £350

Best experience days and UK short breaks for couples in 2023

These are our recommendations on the best UK experience days and short breaks for couples in 2023. From champagne cinema evenings to weekends away, here is some inspiration to treat yourself (or loved ones).

Best romantic couple’s experiences

Couple’s Photo Experience

Virgin Experience Days

Create lasting memories with this couple’s photoshoot experience with a professional photographer. Available at 60 locations across the UK, you’ll be guided through a relaxed and natural photography session complete with clothing and background changes so you can find your perfect picture. You’ll also be given a hair and makeup session beforehand and will receive a complimentary A4 print of your favourite photo.

Buy Couples Photo Experience for £19.50 at Virgin Experience Days

Stargazing Experience for Two with Dark Sky Wales

There’s nothing more magical than the night sky, but with light pollution we don’t often get to see it in all its glory. Well now you can, by visiting the Brecon Beacons Observatory. When there, you’ll be given a portable telescope to give you the best view of the heavens above. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk to one of the expert astronomers on hand.

Buy Stargazing Experience for Two for £50 at Virgin Experience Days

Anytime Virgin Hot Air Balloon Flight for Two

It may seem extravagant, but what could be more glorious than soaring up amongst the clouds in a hot air balloon? With Virgin, you can spend 60 minutes enjoying a beautiful 360-degree view from the air before touching down and toasting each other with a glass of prosecco.

Buy Anytime Virgin Hot Air Balloon Flight for Two for £350 at Virgin Experience Days

One Night Glamping Break for Two at Back-Of-Beyond, Dorset

For those of you who aren’t familiar, glamping means a comfy bed, a proper toilet and sometimes even Wi-Fi, in the middle of a field. You get all the remoteness and beauty of camping without having to sleep on the ground. Win-win!

Buy One Night Glamping Break for Two for £70 at Virgin Experience Days

Retro Bicycle Day Hire with Champagne and Strawberries for Two

For a picturesque day from a ’50s musical, check out this opportunity to hire two retro bicycles complete with champagne and strawberries. In the wicker basket of your Pashley bike, you’ll be kitted out with flowers, champagne and strawberries as well as blankets, flutes and a vintage glass cake stand to help take your picnic back in time. And the cherry on top? There’s a retro leather radio to really add to the ambience.

Buy Retro Bicycle Day Hire with Champagne and Strawberries for Two for £150 at Virgin Experience Days

Best luxury couple’s experiences

Fortnum & Mason Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two in The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

Anyone can say they’ve had afternoon tea, but can they say they’ve had afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason? For more than 300 years, Fortnum & Mason has embodied British elegance and style with its delicacy and *ahem* expense. But now, you can dine like a royal by spending the day at Fortnum’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, opened by the late Queen herself.

Buy Fortnum & Mason Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two for £120 at Virgin Experience Days

The View from The Shard for Two

The best view London has to offer, a trip up the Shard is an unbeatable experience. You’ll start your journey to the top by going up in one of the Shard’s high-speed lifts, which will take you from floor one to floor 68 in less than 60 seconds. Then, you can stay on the observation deck on level 69, or venture even higher to the open-air deck on level 72. Views stretch for over 40 miles and there is no time restriction on your stay.

Buy The View from The Shard for Two from £56 at Buyagift

One Night Break with Dinner and Steam Train Trip on the Spa Valley Railway for Two

Nothing says luxury like chugging along in a steam train with green pastures gliding past beside you. When the weather warms up, grab your partner and head over to Kent for a peaceful journey through Eridge, Groombridge, High Rocks and Royal Tunbridge Wells. Then, alight at the Mercure Tunbridge Wells Hotel, where you’ll have £50 to spend on dinner and drinks before heading up to bed. The next day, you can also enjoy a hotel breakfast.

Buy One Night Break with Dinner and Steam Train Trip for Two for £184 at Virgin Experience Days

Indulgent Spa Day for Two with up to 55 Minutes of Treatments and More

Treat yourself and your partner to a good pampering with this spa voucher. Available to use at Bannatyne, Virgin Active and many more locations, this gift will give you full access to spa facilities, plus a 25-minute treatment each and maybe a spot of lunch if you’re lucky!

Buy Indulgent Spa Day for Two for £99.99 at Red Letter Days

Champagne Cinema Evening for Two

Say goodbye to sticky floors and overpriced pic ‘n’ mix and say hello to a luxury night at the pictures. In Soho, you’ll find the 5-star Courthouse Hotel, a Grade II listed building that used to be the magistrates’ court which famously tried Oscar Wilde. While there, you’ll grab a drink at the prison cell bar before settling down to watch a cult classic film.

Buy Champagne Cinema Evening for Two for £39 at Virgin Experience Days

Best food and drink couple’s experiences

Unlimited Sushi for Two at inamo

Virgin Experience Days

If you’ve ever felt the need to stuff your face with sushi, now’s your chance. Inamo recently expanded to two locations in London which means twice as many opportunities for unlimited food. With this voucher, you’ll get 90 minutes of food heaven, plus access to all of inamo’s arcade games and interactive tables.

Buy Unlimited Sushi for Two at inamo for £49.95 at Virgin Experience Days

Luxury Wine, Champagne and Port Tasting paired with Cheese and Truffles

Think you know your Merlot from your Cabernet? Put your tastebuds to the test at one of Wine Cottage’s exclusive events in central London. You’ll get a selection of seven boutique wines paired with expertly selected fine cheeses, chocolate truffles and dark chocolate. While there, the sommeliers will teach you the art of wine tasting and show you the difference between ‘old world’ and ‘new world’.

Buy Luxury Wine, Champagne and Port Tasting for Two for £89 at Virgin Experience Days

The Bombay Sapphire Distillery Discovery Tour with Gin Cocktail for Two

With this experience, you can get a behind-the-scenes peak into one of Britain’s best gin distilleries. Starting off with a complimentary G&T from one of the self-serve machines, you’ll be greeted by a guide who can tell you all about the history of gin making.

On the tour, you’ll see the 10 exotic botanicals at work in the glass houses and hear all about the rare Vapour Infusion process used to make Bombay Sapphire gin. This is all before you end the experience at the Mill Bar which has a fantastic riverside view.

Buy The Bombay Sapphire Distillery Discovery Tour for Two for £40 from Virgin Experience Days

Cookery Class for Two at The Jamie Oliver Cookery School

If you think your partner needs to up their cooking game, why not tell them in a subtle way with this voucher to The Jamie Oliver Cookery School? Set up by the TV chef, this school has a ton of classes on offer, each one focusing on a different cuisine.

With this course you can master North Indian Thali, Mexican street food or Vietnamese, or if you’re looking for something simpler, you can sign up for a pasta course or one on quick and easy dinnertime classics.

Buy Cookery Class for Two at The Jamie Oliver Cookery School for £128 at Virgin Experience Days

Three Course Meal with Wine for Two at a Brasserie Blanc

With 14 locations to choose from, you can dine in style anywhere you like with this voucher to a Brasserie Blanc. Set up by one of the UK’s most successful restaurateurs, Raymond Blanc, this chain serves all the hearty flavours of authentic French cuisine, which you can enjoy over three courses and a glass of wine.

Buy Three Course Meal with Wine for Two at a Brasserie Blanc for £52 at Virgin Experience Days

Bake with a Legend at Home Virtual Masterclass for Two

If you fancy a cosy night in with your partner, why not consider this virtual baking masterclass? From the comfort of your own kitchen, you’ll be given the guidance to master a baked good of your choice, from scones to swiss rolls. Oh, and the best part is the session is with a former contestant from The Great British Bake Off, who you can chat to afterwards with a Q&A.

Buy Bake with a Legend at Home Virtual Masterclass for Two for £50 at Virgin Experience Days

Best adventure couple’s experiences

Foraging, Cookery and Lunch for Two with Totally Wild

Virgin Experience Days

If you and your partner like to walk on the wild side, this foraging experience is for you. Unlock your inner Bear Grylls with an expert forager who’ll show you the basics of foraging and cooking wild food. Over six hours, you’ll scour the wilderness for natural ingredients before making your own wild lunch. Previous outcomes include risotto, elderflower cheesecake and Eton Mess.

Buy Foraging, Cookery and Lunch for Two for £140 at Virgin Experience Days

Canoe Along the Highest Aqueduct in the World for Two

You don’t often associate canoeing with heights, but at Dee Valley it’s the best of both worlds. At the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in north Wales, you can take in the incredible scenery as you canoe along the highest aqueduct in the world. Beside you is a 126ft drop but you’ll be perfectly safe with your expert guides who are sure to entertain you with games along the way.

Buy Canoe Along the Highest Aqueduct in the World for £109 at Virgin Experience Days

The Fastest Zip Line in the World for Two

It’s the world’s fastest and UK’s longest zip line, located in a historic quarry in north Wales. Reaching speeds of 100mph, this experience is the closest you’ll get to being able to fly. It may be over in a flash, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy the gorgeous views of the quarry lake — and if you look over, you’ll see your partner gliding along beside you.

Buy The Fastest Zip Line in the World for £224 at Virgin Experience Days

Rage Room Experience for Two with DESTROY’D

Sometimes communication is hard in a relationship. Well, if you can’t say it, smash it with this trip to a rage room. Start with a safety briefing and get kitted out in protective gear before you get to the ultimate cathartic experience. You’ll have 30 minutes to obliterate objects like TVs, glass bottles, crockery, printers and much more, in any way you choose.

Buy Rage Room Experience for Two for £55 at Virgin Experience Days

Lovers Leap Tandem Bungee Jump

If you’re not sure how far your partner is willing to go for you, ask them if they would do a 160ft jump… then actually make them do it. Complete with a safety briefing and a bottle of fizz afterwards, you can put your relationship to the test by doing the Lovers Leap Bungee Jump together – perfect for adrenaline junkies.

Buy Lovers Leap Tandem Bungee Jump for £111.38 at Virgin Experience Days

Best unique couple’s experiences

BYOB Pottery Experience for Two with a Studio Tour and Painting Session

Virgin Experience Days

You know that scene in Ghost? Well, it’s like that but no one’s dead and you can bring your own drinks. At a creative arts studio in London, you can learn the basics of pottery from sculpting to painting and become a master of the potter’s wheel.

Buy BYOB Pottery Experience for Two for £76 at Buyagift

Entry for Two at Circus London with a Bottle of Prosecco

Roll up! Roll up! Find yourself in the magical world of the circus with this trip to Covent Garden. At Circus London, you’ll gaze in wonder at everything from fire-breathers and contortionists to aerialists and acrobats, all while enjoying a glass of fizz.

Buy Entry for Two at Circus London for £29 at Buyagift

Murder Mystery Evening for Two

The game is afoot! At one of these 17 locations, you can pick up a magnifying glass and stick on the Poirot moustache for a night of murder mystery. You and your partner can play along or just observe as a murder unfolds and the troupe of actors try to figure out who’s responsible. It comes complete with a three-course dinner, drinks, and plenty of drama, of course.

Buy Murder Mystery Evening for Two for £150 at Virgin Experience Days

Duet Studio Recording Session at Brunel Studios

If you think you missed your calling as a singer, then it’s never too late! At Brunel Studios you can fulfil all your musical dreams by recording a song of your choice. Beforehand, a professional producer will talk you through the basics of how to record a track and then it’s up to you and your partner to sing your hearts out, mix your vocals and emerge with your own CD.

Buy Duet Studio Recording Session at Brunel Studios for £99 at Virgin Experience Days

For more great experiences for groups, check out this list of the best escape rooms and the best London bus tours. 

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