50 Romantic Winter Date Ideas That'll Turn Up the Heat

The colder months are perfect for amping up the romance between you and your love, and there are so many winter date ideas out there to enjoy.

Whether it’s staying in watching films and sipping on mulled wine or getting out to explore Christmas markets, there are dozens of awesome winter date ideas in the UK to keep you busy during the festive season.

Because it doesn’t matter if you’re planning a first date or celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary, winter date activities are especially important at this time of year when it comes to connection, comfort and combating the seasonal blues. Thankfully, our selection of great winter date ideas offers fun ways for you and your partner to connect and boost your mood at the same time.

Plus, we know how tight wallets can feel during the winter, either because Christmas is on the horizon or just passed, so we’ve also found you the best cheap – and even free – winter date ideas. You’re welcome!

Best Winter Date Ideas: 50 Cosy, Cheap & Cute Ideas to Turn Up the Heat

Let’s be honest, life is not like the rom-coms; there aren’t any carriage rides in the snow on this list. Instead, we’re talking pub quizzes, hot tubs, independent cinemas, gingerbread house making, board games and all those other things that make winter the best time of the year, whether you’re looking for winter date ideas in London or across the rest of the UK.

• Cosy Winter Date Night Ideas at Home
• Outdoor Winter Date Ideas
• Cheap & Free Winter Date Ideas
• Winter Date Ideas in the UK
• First & Second Date Ideas for Winter
• Winter Date Night Outfit Ideas

Cosy Winter Date Night Ideas at Home

Winter is the season to up the romance factor at home, get cosy and spend true quality time together. Elevate your evenings with our favourite and most romantic date night winter ideas indoors

1. Have a Gingerbread House-Making Competition

Each person gets a gingerbread house kit; either go for a ready-made set or, if you fancy yourself as a younger Mary Berry, make and bake your own using cookie cutters.

The idea is that you each get the same items to decorate with – icing, sweets, strawberry laces, sprinkles, Smarties, etc – and then 20 minutes to create your masterpiece. At the end, it’s reveal time!

2. Make a Relationship Scrapbook

Cosy up in front of the fire – or your favourite TV show – and spend a winter date night putting together a scrapbook of your entire relationship so far.

All you need to do beforehand is get lots of pictures printed (a chance for you to go down memory lane) and shop for snacks, of course!

3. Do Some Christmas Crafting

Another one for the creatives and the Pinterest fans! From Christmas cards to stockings and cute decorations for the tree, there’s something seriously wholesome (and romantic) about Christmas crafting at home.

Turn up your Spotify playlist, crack open a bottle of wine and get making. Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.

4. Build a Fort

They’re not just for kids, you know. Take the cushions from the sofa, build yourselves a magnificent hideout and top the whole thing with a blanket. Bring in some torches, snacks, a pack of cards and some (spiked) hot chocolate.

Tempted to spend the entire night in there? Go ahead – you might have more fun than in your bedroom.

5. Indulge With a Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate fondue kits are pretty cheap, and we promise you’ll bring it out on more than one occasion! They’re powered by a tea light so get your choccy melting and set yourselves up for a midnight feast.

Strawberries, frozen grapes, marshmallows, brownie bites, mini meringues, honeycomb, banana… sometimes you can create a dessert way better than any restaurant.

6. Upgrade Your Movie Night

Mull yourselves some wine, wrap yourselves in blankets and snuggle up in front of a film. So simple, but seriously romantic.

If you want to go the whole hog, buy a projector and set it against a white wall or backdrop and surround yourself with all the blankets and cushions you can find. It brings a whole new meaning to Netflix and Chill. We even rounded up our top Christmas films for you to browse – and they’re all perfect for winter dates.

7. Have an Indoor Picnic

Too cold to venture out? Indoor picnics are the way to go. Throw a warm rug on the floor, put on that classic Christmas film (The Holiday on repeat, always), open a bottle of wine and order in some takeaway or picky bits. It’s cheap, fun and one of our favourite cute date ideas for the winter that you can do again and again.

8. Cook Together

It sounds simple, but one of the most tried and tested winter date ideas is to simply cook your partner’s favourite meal and plan a candlelit dinner at home.

Either shop for their favourite dishes and tell them to relax as you prepare the dinner of dreams (this will go down a treat if they’re the one who usually cooks) or have fun shopping and cooking up a storm in the kitchen together.

9. Spend a Night by Candlelight

Try a whole date night pretending the power’s gone out and use only candlelight. Firstly, it’s super flattering. Secondly, you’ll only be able to eat things cooked over the flame of a candle – think toasting marshmallows or melting a fondue. Or you could get a takeaway, of course.

Finally, you won’t be distracted by things like the TV – instead, why not play a board game or spend quality time writing a bucket list.

10. DIY a Spa Evening (or Day)

If you’ve got sheet masks, bath bombs and massage oil at home already, then this is a completely free date idea!

An at-home spa experience is all about pampering and finding the time to truly relax. Take a bath together or trade massages for a romantic night in.

11. Make a Hot Chocolate Station

Make some hot choc and then go wild with all your favourite toppings: cream, crushed biscuits, chocolate chips, marshmallows, caramel sauce, candy canes… whatever takes your fancy!

The one who can squeeze on the most toppings is the winner.

12. Read to Each Other

It might sound cheesy but reading to each other has been scientifically proven as a way to foster intimacy and connect with your partner.

Find a great book (try Waterstones’ books of the month if you’re stuck for ideas) and take it in turns to read a chapter cosied up on the sofa. Much more enjoyable than an audio book, in our opinion.

Outdoor Winter Date Ideas

Outdoor dates in winter are always a good idea – it’s just about knowing what to do (and wearing the right clothes, of course). These cool winter date ideas are some of our favourites to do outside

13. Explore a Winter Market

Often under the twinkling lights of an enormous Christmas tree, you’ll find delicious food, drinks crafts, carol singers and more on a winter market date.

This website lists Christmas markets around the UK – there’s definitely going to be one near you where you can top up your dose of good cheer!

14. Visit a Christmas Lights Display

Lots of stately homes, gardens and National Trust properties across the country now host their own magical Christmas lights displays. Wrap up and head out after dark to enjoy a wander through the grounds for Insta-worthy tunnels and photo-spots aplenty (and sip a mulled wine or hot chocolate en route).

Don’t want to pay for a ticketed event? You might even find some impressive displays in your neighbourhood. Have a stroll and follow up with a visit to the pub to warm up.

15. Do a Winter Photoshoot

If you’re looking to capture some cute couple snaps, hiring a photographer to shoot you is one of our fave winter date ideas.

You only need them for a few hours to capture some seriously magical portraits of you. A snowball fight, playing outside with your pet or wandering in nature are all great photo shoot ideas.

No money? Set the self-timer and use your iPhone instead!

16. Be a Tourist in Your Own City

We’re talking off-the-beaten-track touristy things. The best place to find something really unusual to do is by searching Atlas Obscura – it lists all the cool, unusual and tucked-away things to do in your region.

Secret gardens, awesome arcades, hidden museums and art galleries; they’re all waiting for you if you just go looking!

17. Go Ice Skating

One of our favourite cute winter date ideas that’s straight out of the movies is taking your love ice skating.

If you can’t skate (ahem, guilty) you can hold each other up at the side of the rink and have a laugh as you slip and slide your way around, followed by a much-deserved hot chocolate. If you can skate, you’ll feel like the rink’s resident Torvil and Dean as everyone watches on in awe.

It's the perfect way to spend an hour and during the winter months you’ll find a number of seasonal outdoor rinks, many of which go on until the end of January.

18. Spot the Stars

A clear night is the perfect time to get outside and spot some constellations. An app like StarView Lite is a free planetarium in your pocket; all you need to do is point it at the sky and it’ll identify the stars, satellites and more above your head.

You can also take your winter date night to the next level and buy stargazing experiences where your own astronomer will set up telescopes and guide you through a tour of the solar system.

19. Catch a Match

Rugby and football season in the UK takes place across the autumn and winter months, so make the most of the events with one or two sporty date days.

Sports fans can find local games on nearby or pester a pal with a season ticket to let you take your beau on a date to a big-name match.

20. Go Christmas Tree Shopping

Is it even December if you’ve not been tree shopping, argued about whether or not a six-footer will fit through the door and had a very heated debate on how said tree will be decorated?

Inevitable bickering aside, Christmas tree shopping can be a really romantic day date idea in winter – not only will it get you in the festive spirit, but you can make a day of it too. Grab a coffee and wander round your local garden centre or hit the high street for a faux fir and discuss colour schemes over lunch.

21. Head to the Rooftops

Whether you’re in Birmingham or Manchester, Liverpool or London, you’ll never be short of places to see your home city looking festive at one of the UK’s best winter rooftop bars.

Whether it’s hot cocktails at Wagtail in London or the Sky Lounge in Leeds, many will boast fire pits, heaters, cosy blankets and plenty of candlelight. Lush.

22. Go on a Festive Coffee Crawl

From gingerbread lattes to eggnog frappes, coffees spiked with Baileys and salted caramel mochas, November marks the start of festive coffee season, and we couldn’t think of a more fun winter date idea for caffeine lovers than coffee shop hopping to find a new fave.

From Instagrammable cafés to winter markets, your local town or city will be awash with great coffee spots to keep you caffeinated throughout the colder months. Just pack your Keep Cup and plan your route!

Not a coffee drinker? A hot chocolate crawl will be just as fun. Though how many marshmallows is too many, exactly?

Cheap & Free Winter Date Ideas

Dialling up the romance doesn’t have to mean splurging, as these cheap winter date ideas prove. Even better, some won’t cost you a penny!

23. Play Christmas Lights Bingo

Get that scarf on and head outside into your local area for one of our favourite free date ideas in winter. Step one is to write yourselves a bingo card of Christmas light displays – Rudolph, Santa climbing up onto the roof, a house with enough fairy lights to be visible from space, a nativity scene… you get the picture!

Next step – go for a wintery walk and shout 'bingo' when you’ve ticked off a whole row. Last one to get a full house buys the drinks/cooks dinner/walks the dog. It’ll also give you lots of ideas on how to decorate your own place, which is your task for the next day.

24. Have Breakfast for Dinner

Pancakes, waffles, French toast: breakfast really is the best meal of the day. Cook yourselves up a breakfast treat for dinner or head to a restaurant like The Breakfast Club or Where the Pancakes Are for an all-day breakfast dining treat.

We love this as a January date idea – there are few things more warming and comforting than a delish stack of pancakes!

25. Take a Hike

It might sound predictable – or even a little bit crazy – to suggest a long walk outside as one of our favourite inexpensive dates ideas for winter but hear us out. That cold, crisp air paired with a really good matcha can make for a great couples activity. Enjoy the crunch of leaves underfoot, head out at the first sign of snow… it’s a free winter date that you can do any day, any time.

26. Play a Board Game

We love winter date ideas that make the most of what you already have at home – and this is one of them! Either pull out one of those old games gathering dust in a drawer or head to a board game café for a cheap few hours of winter date fun.

You could even elevate the at-home version with a charcuterie board and a bottle of wine. How cute!

27. Try Hot Yoga

Freezing outside? Warm yourselves with a hot yoga session as a winter date idea!

You can do hot – or Bikram – yoga at any level of fitness, it involves doing a series of poses in a room heated to between 35 and 42C. There are loads of physical benefits to the heat and you might even discover a new hobby that you love doing together.

28. Pub Quiz Time

Get a group date going at a pub quiz or tackle one as a pair. A little competition is healthy, so hit it off with some intellect-testing trivia and good conversation (it always helps if you win the bar tab at the end, too).

If you have a joint interest – Harry Potter, Love Island, the films of Steven Spielberg… have a go at finding something more niche!

29. Cosy Up in a Bookshop

Warm? Indoors? Romantic? Tick, tick, tick. Diving into your local bookshop is one of the most perfect daytime date ideas in winter. Set each other little challenges like finding the silliest or funniest titled book you can, or an author with the same name as you.

End the date by buying each other one of your favourite books as a present; it’s a hugely enlightening way to get to know someone and adds a thoughtful element to your winter date.

30. Host Your Own Cocktail Party

You know all those half-drunk bottles of spirit and liqueurs gathering dust in the back of your cupboard? Maybe they’ve been left over from a party or used once in a recipe? Well, we say put them to good use on a cold winter night and get mixing.

It's one of those fun date ideas for the winter that utilises what you already have at home and can even be made into a group activity. Get your friends round for a double date and task yourself with creating a festive cocktail out of all the forgotten booze.

31. Pick a Random Groupon Date

On the Groupon website you’ll find a section called Things to Do with tons of offers in your local area. Make a pact that you must do one of the first 10 activities that show up, whether that’s indoor skydiving, trampolining or a bargain murder mystery! They’re all excellent value and guaranteed spontaneous fun.

32. Visit a Free Museum

Most big cities have free museums that you can visit, and almost all will have special seasonal activities going on, perfect for winter dates. Stately homes and even garden centres are fab for activities too: normally you can sign up for cheap activities like storytelling sessions, card printing or theatre performances, or stop by a Santa’s grotto – it's not just for little ones!

33. Volunteer Together

Animal shelters, soup kitchens and homeless charities need even more help in the winter months when the weather turns cold. Choose a cause that means something to you both and get volunteering for a winter date that gives back – it's also a great way to find out even more about each other’s values.

If you don’t have a lot of time to spare, spend some quality time walking a cute pooch: find one on Borrow My Doggy or take out a friend’s.

34. Get Out in the Snow

If there’s a nice layer of snow on the ground, make full use of it for a totally free winter date idea. Snowball fights, building a snowman and making snow angels are totally cute, while a plastic sledge is cheap as chips and you can have so much fun on the hills near your house.

Warm yourself up with a hot chocolate after (we won’t tell if you add a little rum).

35. Go Charity Shopping

Vintage, second-hand or charity shops are goldmines for ugly Christmas jumpers. See who can pull together the most garish outfit – for each other, of course. Loser has to buy at least one of the items and wear it for the rest of the day (hey, at least you’re supporting a charity).

Winter Date Ideas in the UK

There are tons of regional attractions and under-the-radar spots across the UK that make brilliant winter date ideas

36. Do a Brewery Tour

Most basic brewery tours start at around £20 with tastings and a pint included – you can’t ask for better value than that for a winter date idea. And if beer isn’t your thing, gin distillery tours or guided wine tastings are often brilliant too.

Prefer to splash the cash? Try the ‘brew your own’ activity at London Beer Lab where you can collect your own bottles three weeks later when it’s ready to drink – the perfect excuse for a follow-up date!

37. Dine in an Igloo

Another of the best date ideas in London in the winter is the array of igloos that pop up at some of the capital’s most exciting restaurants and bars. One of our favourites is Aviary – they’re set up on the rooftop, so you get all the gorgeous views while staying cosy in your winter-themed dome. So cute.

38. Seek Out a Hot Tub

Most day spas will have hot tubs – you can check out some of our favourite couples’ spa retreats across the UK – or combine it with a weekend away and hire somewhere that comes with a private hot tub.

There’s nothing quite like sinking into a warm, bubbling tub with a cold glass of fizz to escape the chilly air around you!

39. Sit at a Chef’s Table

Getting a front row seat at a chef’s table in one of the UK’s finest restaurants is a real treat at any time of year, but since you’re so close to the action and they’re always inside, they’re definitely better suited to winter dates.

There are some stunning restaurants to visit that offer this kind of experience, from the 3AA-Rosette-winning Josh Barnes at Swinton Estate in North Yorkshire to Northcote at Langho in Lancashire, and even the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Benares in London, expect nothing less than incredible personal service for a date night to remember.

40. Visit Winter Wonderland

Perhaps one of the most popular winter date ideas in London, Winter Wonderland is a must-do, whether you’re a tourist in the city or not – though preferably off-peak when the crowds aren’t so big.

From karaoke bars and ice sculpture workshops to fairground rides, circus acts, comedy clubs and more, you can literally spend an entire day exploring, eating and drinking your way around Hyde Park.

41. See a Film

The cinema is always one of the best date night ideas for winter when it’s pouring with rain outside and there are tons of options across some of the UK’s biggest cities.

For something a little more immersive, Backyard Cinema is showing the critically acclaimed Romeo + Juliet across Liverpool, Leeds, London, Bristol and Manchester – think candlelit aisles and a live choir. Incredible! 

42. Do Kew in the Dark

Wedding venue and botanical hotspot Kew Gardens in Richmond always offers the most incredible seasonal activities, the best one being its Christmas at Kew event which runs every year.

The whole place comes alive with larger-than-life illuminations for couples and families to enjoy, with plenty of mulled wine, hot chocolate and street food stations along the trail.

43. Enjoy Some Christmas Karaoke

Maybe you fancy doing some Christmas crooning just the two of you or pairing up with some pals and making it a double date. Either way, stepping up to the mic for some Christmas karaoke in one of the UK’s karaoke bars or booths will be some of the most fun you’ve ever had.

K2 Karaoke in Manchester is a nightclub and karaoke bar that stays open until 3am, while BAM Karaoke in London will host anywhere from two to 40 in one hit.

Whether or not you allow your date to upload your rendition of All I Want For Christmas to their IG stories, well… that’s totally up to you.

44. Head Off on a Weekend Getaway

Go on a road trip to a cute country hotel where you can go on long walks, snuggle up in front of a fire and plan your retirement in the sweet little villages nearby.

A winter sun break might sound more appealing – particularly if you’re looking for January date ideas – but we promise the UK in the winter months is where the romance is really at. We’ve even rounded up some of our favourite minimoon hotels in the UK to inspire you!

First & Second Date Ideas for Winter

Wondering what’s a good first date idea for winter? We’ve got you covered with these early date activities

45. Go to a Comedy Club

No better way to get your date laughing – and find out what their sense of humour is really like – than at a comedy club. It’s such a great winter first date idea but also great for second or third date ideas, and even a night out with your long-term love!

You can go to a comedy club in your own town or city but some of the best, under-the-radar comedians can be found at open mic nights in your local pub. Even if they end up dying on stage, you’re guaranteed a laugh for less than a tenner.

46. Take a Cooking Class

Cooking classes are great dating ideas for winter because they involve you working together and get you something delicious to eat at the end.

At this time of year, most cookery courses will cover vibrant and warming cuisines to help keep the dark nights at bay – think Mexican street food, Thai feasts and Bombay café favourites.

47. Go Indoor Rock Climbing

50. Try Your Hand at Axe Throwing

Winter Date Night Outfit Ideas

Wondering, what should I wear on a winter date? Your outfit choice will primarily come down to the activity you plan to do for your date.

Those planning a date night at home might choose to dress up for the occasion or keep it cosy in their best pjs or fave cashmere jumper, while for those heading out to the cinema, a restaurant or bar, date night outfit ideas for winter might include long-sleeve or turtleneck dresses, tights, a long leather skirt, chic ankle boots, perhaps some suede over-the-knee boots or maybe even a fabulous faux fur coat.

If you’re planning on heading out for a fun date day, keep it cute with fingerless gloves (for easy handholding, obvs), ear muffs and cosy flat boots that work well for long walks.

And remember, if it’s a first date, don’t be tempted to ditch the tights or warm clothing just because the idea of feeling ‘sexy’ has long been synonymous with showing skin (yawn). You’ll look and feel sexy when you feel confident, which will go hand in hand with being comfortable and toasty! 

Want more date ideas? Check out our roundup on the best at home date night ideas, perfect for cosy evenings together.