The Best Winter Date Ideas – 32 Romantic Winter Dates

Last Updated on 9th May 2024

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Winter is arguably the most romantic season of all and it’s the perfect time to indulge in a cosy date with your significant other.

The nights are darker and longer, giving you more opportunities to spend quality time together, there’s so much delicious food to be enjoyed on a romantic winter date at your local restaurant or at home and there’s so much beauty and romance in the air thanks to the festive celebrations.

If you’re looking for the most romantic date ideas for the winter season, I’ve put together this guide of 32 best winter date ideas for couples to get you through the cold months!

The best winter date ideas

Whether you’re looking for things to do on a cold day such as cosying up on the sofa in front of the TV with your partner or you’d rather head out on a romantic walk in the snow, I’ve got you covered with my ultimate list of the best winter date ideas below!

1. Ice skating – best winter date ideas

Ice skating is one of the very best romantic date ideas to enjoy in the winter. It’s the perfect excuse to wrap up warm and hold your partner’s hand while you glide around the rink.

Even if you’re not a professional skater, ice skating is still a great winter date to enjoy as a couple as it gives you the chance to spend some quality time together while embracing the cold.

2. Watch your favourite Christmas films

There’s nothing better on a freezing cold day than donning your finest festive pyjamas, making a mug of something hot and delicious and curling up on the sofa to watch your favourite Christmas film.

There are so many awesome Christmas films on both Netflix and Amazon Prime!

Read more: The Best Christmas Films On Netflix UK

3. Decorate the Christmas tree together

Decorating the Christmas tree is one of the best holiday date ideas and it’s definitely one of the most romantic things to enjoy as a couple in the winter.

Light all the candles, put a festive film on in the background, get a mug of Baileys or hot chocolate (or both!) and transform your house into a Winter Wonderland!

4. Go on a long walk – best winter date ideas

A ‘long’ walk might be a bit of a push here, especially when the temperatures outside are insanely cold, but if you wrap up warm and huddle up together, then going on a long walk can be incredibly cute and romantic.

It’s even better if it’s snowing as you can take “candid” pictures of each other frolicking in the snow that you’re sure to look back on fondly for many years to come!

5. Cook a delicious meal together

Cooking together is often cited as one of the best date ideas to enjoy as a couple, but cooking together in the winter is arguably even better.

Even if you’re not particularly gifted in the kitchen, the act of making something scrumptious together is such an enjoyable activity and you get to enjoy a yummy meal together afterwards!

6. Go Christmas shopping together

Christmas shopping isn’t an activity that many couples would consider to be romantic, but if you manage to get all your gift-buying done in one go, you can then reward yourselves with a yummy hot chocolate or a romantic meal in a local restaurant after.

7. Build a blanket fort – best winter date ideas

This alternative approach to simply just laying on the sofa watching films can be incredibly fun and very romantic. Get all your cosiest blankets, duvets and cushions and make an awesome fort.

Make some hot chocolate, order a huge takeaway and get all the best Christmas episodes of your favourite TV shows and binge-watch them all night. You could even sleep in the blanket fort and put fairy lights all around it to make it even more cute and romantic.

8. Start a new Christmas tradition as a couple

Starting a new Christmas tradition together is a great winter date idea as it’s something that you could do every single year as a couple.

It could be something like buying a new bauble or Christmas decoration every year or attending a Christmas carol service together.

9. Go on a hot chocolate date

This is a great first date idea in the winter as it can be as casual or as romantic as you’d like and it’s also a great way to break the ice (romantic winter date pun intended!).

Head to your favourite coffee shop and spend an hour or two warming up in the cosy cafe and indulge in a delicious festive drink with all the trimmings.

10. Play in the snow – best winter date ideas

Of course, this winter date idea is entirely dependent on the weather, but if it does happen to snow this holiday season, turn it into a cute cold weather date idea and have an afternoon playing in the snow!

Build a snowman together, have a snowball fight and make snow angels before heading back inside to get warm.

11. Bake something delicious

Baking isn’t an activity that many couples typically enjoy together, but if you’re looking for a cute and unique date idea this winter, why not give festive baking a go?

Even if you’re not very good at baking, the fun of creating something together is sure to be a memory that you’ll cherish forever.

12. Have a cheese and wine night

A cheese and wine night at home can be as luxurious and fancy or as cheap and cheerful as you want to make it!

Buy some fancy cheese and wine from a luxury deli or peruse the cheese aisle in your local supermarket for a fun and cheap winter date!

13. Spend an afternoon wrapping Christmas presents together

Very few people enjoy wrapping gifts, but you could turn it into a cute Christmas date by spending an evening wrapping your Christmas gifts together.

This holiday activity for couples is best paired with a delicious glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate, accompanied by festive songs playing on the radio.

14. Visit a Christmas market – best winter date ideas

Visiting a Christmas market is a super cute Christmas date idea to enjoy as a couple and it could even be a new tradition that you enjoy together each year.

Most major cities in the UK host their own version of a Christmas market and you could even tie it in with a festive weekend away if you want to go one step further.

Read more: The Best Christmas Markets In The UK

15. Play board games and card games

Playing board games at home is one of the best cheap date ideas for winter as you don’t have to spend a penny on your date evening, providing that you’ve already got plenty of board games and a pack of cards at home.

16. Host a festive couples’ dinner party

A festive dinner party is one of the best Christmas date ideas for couples as it allows you to spend time with all your closest friends while eating some delicious festive dishes.

17. Go to the cinema – best winter date ideas

This is another one of the best first date ideas in winter as it takes the pressure off having to spend too much time taking part in small talk, but it can still be super cute and romantic, especially if you watch a new festive release.

18. Take a tour of a local brewery

This is a great cold-weather date idea, especially if it’s raining as you can enjoy the cosiness of a warm brewery while sampling lots of delicious beer.

19. Have an indoor picnic

Picnics are usually synonymous with summer dates, but that doesn’t mean to say that you can’t enjoy them as a romantic Christmas date as well.

Of course, you’ll need to move the picnic indoors, but it will allow you to create a lovely, cosy space with a picnic spread of the most delicious festive treats such as pigs in blankets, mince pies, chocolate and more.

20. Create your own at-home spa day

An at-home spa day is one of the best cheap winter date ideas as you can use all the bath and beauty products in your home to create a makeshift spa experience.

It won’t be quite the same as going to a fancy spa hotel, but it will certainly be much cheaper!

21. Go for a couples’ massage

Alternatively, if you do want to splash out on a luxury date as a couple, head out for a professional massage where you can spend an hour or so relaxing before braving the cold again!

22. Plan a festive trip – best winter date ideas

In the midst of the cold winter weather, it can be easy to want to escape somewhere warm, so one great date idea to enjoy in the festive season is to plan your next summer holiday.

Alternatively, if you’re a couple who enjoys the cold and loves to soak up every second of the holidays, why not plan a festive trip to somewhere snowy and romantic?

Check out my list of the best winter city breaks here!

23. Volunteer at your local food bank together

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to give back to your local community, so a winter date at your local food bank is not only a great way to spend some quality time together, but it also gives you the chance to help those in need during the cold winter months.

24. Make (and drink!) mulled wine – best winter date ideas

Making mulled wine is another good cheap winter date idea as you don’t have to spend a fortune to make it and it will certainly be much cheaper than buying it from bars and restaurants in the city!

It will also make your home feel and smell super festive and yummy.

25. Decorate a gingerbread house together

Decorating gingerbread houses is usually aimed more towards children, but that doesn’t mean to say that you can’t enjoy it as a teenage or adult couple as well!

It will give you the chance to show off your creative and fun side and you’ll get to eat the finished product after!

26. Go on a pub crawl

A pub crawl is another good first date idea in the winter as it gives you the perfect opportunity to talk to your date in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Providing that you don’t get too drunk, a pub crawl date in the winter allows you to enjoy warming cocktails in front of a fire and you could even tuck into a hearty pub meal while you’re there too.

27. Do some festive crafts

An afternoon spent doing festive crafts might not be to everyone’s taste, but if you’re a couple who enjoys getting creative together, then this is the perfect winter date for you.

28. Spend an afternoon playing video games

The winter months are the perfect time of year to avoid going outside as much as possible, but if you want to liven your dates at home up a bit, why not spend an afternoon playing old video games together?

Bonus points if you can find any festive-themed video games to play together!

Read more: 30 Best Stay-At-Home Date Ideas For Valentine’s Day

29. Go bowling – best winter date ideas

Bowling is another great indoor date idea for the winter months when the weather outside is just too miserable to do anything fun outdoors.

30. See the lights in your neighbourhood

This is a great Christmas date idea, especially if your neighbourhood or local town is prone to going all out with festive decorations on their homes.

Wrap up warm and head out on a walk to see all the beautifully lit homes in your neighbourhood.

31. Cosy up around the fire

For a simple yet effective romantic winter date, if you have a fireplace in your home, now is the perfect time of year to light it up and get all cosy in front of it with a pack of cards or your favourite TV show on in the background and plenty of festive treats.

32. Take a food tour in your local city

Going on a food tour might not seem super appealing in the cold weather, but it’s actually a great way to explore the culinary scene of your local city and many food tours will cater to the weather during the winter months, so most stops will likely be in cosy pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Read more: Split Food Tour – Best Places To Eat In Split, Croatia

Related posts:

• The Best Free Date Ideas For Couples On A Budget
• 30 Best Stay-At-Home Date Ideas For Valentine’s Day
• 50+ Fun, Unique & Adventurous Date Ideas For Every Couple
• 16 Affordable Date Night Ideas For Every Couple On A Budget
• Ultimate Cosy Autumn Date Night Ideas For The Perfect Date

Pin for later – best winter date ideas

What are your favourite romantic date ideas for winter? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @imjustagirl_16.