Coming up with romantic Valentine’s Day ideas that are a little more creative than the predictable dinner and a movie routine somehow seems to trip us up year after year.
It’s easy to opt for making reservations at a crowded restaurant for a typical Valentine's Day date idea. But for the love of your love life, don’t default to this! The last thing you want to do is get stuck in a rut — or worse, end up at an overpriced, and decidedly unoriginal prix-fixe dinner.
Whether you’ve been dating for 20 minutes or 20 years, it’s time to get creative with these romantic Valentine’s Day ideas that are a little more inspired than cuddling on the couch.
Here are 31 romantic Valentine’s Day ideas sure to make this year special.
Jump to Section
- Foodie Valentine’s Day Ideas
- Virtual Valentine's Day Ideas
- Relaxing Valentine’s Day Ideas
- Cute Valentine's Day Ideas
- Adventurous Valentine’s Day Ideas
Foodie Valentine’s Day Ideas
1. Take a Hands-On Cooking Class
Cooking and creating something delicious together is a romantic Valentine’s Day idea that’s bound to be unforgettable.Whether you and your significant other are in the early stages of adventurous love or you are looking for a way to jazz up your usual routine, chef-led cooking classes are the perfect way to spice up a typical Valentine's Day date idea.
Meet up with other couples, try a new cuisine or master a tried-and-true favorite. You could even surprise your SO with a foodie gift card and let them pick the experience! You’ll find cooking classes in San Francisco, cooking classes in Dallas, cooking classes in Ottawa and beyond. Find a cooking class near you today.
2. Book a Gourmet Private Chef Experience
Skip the cooking and kitchen clean-up for an ultimate romantic Valentine’s Day idea at home.Privatechefs will come to you with all of the ingredients necessary to prepare and serve a gourmet meal, no restaurant reservation required. Simply choose your menu, relax and let your chef handle the rest.There areprivatechefs in Los Angeles,privatechefs in NYC, private chefs in Barcelona and many other cities. Find a privatechef near youtoday.
3. Go on a Local Food Tour
Treat your date to a culinary and cultural stroll around your city’s most vibrant and tasty neighborhoods on a food tour led by a knowledgeable guide.By combining sweet and savory tastings with fascinating stories, local culture, history and architecture, a food tour is a perfect romantic Valentine’s Day idea that is equally fun and memorable. You can find food tours in Chicago, food tours in New Orleans, food tours in Brisbane and more. Book a food tour near you today.
4. Fondue for Two
Melted cheese. Melted chocolate. Feeding each other. Fondue night makes for one heck of a romantic Valentine’s Day idea. Stay in on Valentine’s Day and heat things up with gooey cheese and creamy melted chocolate in one of the best fondue pots. Fondue's intimate set-up can make for some pretty romantic dining. Plus, it's super easy (much easier than cooking and serving a multicourse meal) so you can whip it up at the last minute.
5. Share Some Sushi
Indulging in a beautiful plate of fresh sushi is sure to be an inspired and romantic Valentine’s Day idea. Make plans to visit your favorite sushi bar, or grab takeout for a laid-back night at home. Order several rolls to share and experiment trying each other’s favorite flavor combinations, fillings and toppings.
Virtual Valentine's Day Ideas
6. Take an Intimate Online Cooking Class
For a low-key at-home Valentine’s Day idea, head to the kitchen with your sweetheart for an online cooking class! Online cooking classeslet you tune in live to expert instruction from five-star chefs stationed all over the world. Learn how to whip up your own gourmet Valentine's Day dinner, then top the evening off with something sweet inonline baking classesoronline cake decorating classes.
7. Mix Up Some Fun in an Online Mixology Class
Anyone can order oysters and red wine, but it takes a true mixologist to combine and infuse aphrodisiac powers into potent co*cktails to sip this Valentine's Day.Skip the crowded bar scene and enjoy learning the art of mixing up the perfect drink for a romantic Valentine’s Day idea. Online mixology classes will pair you up with top-rated bartenders and mixologists eager to teach you their craft, all from the comfort of home.
8. Savor a Virtual Wine Tasting Experience
The elixir of lovers, wine is romantic and intoxicating, and sharing it with someone you love is always a special and intimate experience. For a romantic at-home Valentine’s Day idea, head to the kitchen for an intimate virtual wine tasting taught live by world-class sommeliers and chefs.
In addition to sampling new wines, you'll also learn recipes for small bites and appetizers that perfectly complement each variety. This is a unique Valentine’s Day idea that is way more interesting than a fancy-schmancy restaurant dinner. And of course, it doesn't hurt to find a few new favorite bottles of wine to add to your date night rotation.
9. Enjoy a Refined Virtual Whiskey Tasting
If your and your loved ones' tastes are more whiskey than wine, a virtual whiskey tasting is the ultimate in unique Valentine's Day ideas. Led by top-rated scotch stewards with years of experience, each live tasting offers insight into the history, process and flavors behind your favorite distilled spirit. You'll also learn about gourmet food pairings and pick up recipes for seasonal co*cktails that shine a spotlight on whiskey, bourbon and scotch.
10. Perk Up With Online Coffee Classes
Why not put a creative spin on a breakfast date with online coffee classes? Live from the comfort of home, you and your special someone can learn how to roast, brew and pour a cup of coffee on par with those from your favorite café.
Expert baristas know all of the tips and tricks to transform your morning coffee ritual into a gourmet experience. This fun at-home Valentine's Day idea will awaken both your senses and your love for each other!
Relaxing Valentine’s Day Ideas
11. Have Breakfast in Bed
Sure, there are plenty of warm and cozy restaurants you could frequent on this sweet holiday. Or, you could stay in your pajamas and enjoy breakfast in bed for a romantic Valentine’s Day idea — especially now that you know how to whip up the perfect cup of coffee!
Prep everything the night before with easy, sensual finger foods like sliced fruit, buttery muffins, fresh-squeezed orange juice and some bubbly. You can even set the coffeemaker in advance, so all you have to do is walk to the kitchen and back to the bedroom to indulge in a true love feast with your sweetheart.
12. Have a Picnic
Sometimes the most classic romantic Valentine's Day ideas are the best. Create an intimate rendezvous for you and your partner by having a picnic on Valentine’s Day. Pack a large blanket and a basket full of your favorite goodies and then head to a tranquil private outdoor area where you and your love can enjoy each other's company.
If the weather isn't right for any of your picnic date ideas, then have one indoors! A picnic may be just the thing to help you celebrate a romantic Valentine’s Day idea. It’s casual, fun, intimate and gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with your date.
13. Try Couples Hot Yoga
Get sweaty and strengthen your core and your relationship in a couples hot yoga class for a romantic Valentine’s Day idea.The benefits of couples hot yoga classes are that they can help you reconnect or find a new level of intimacy. They are also a revitalizing way to spend time with your beloved. The result can be a deeper connection with the building of more trust.
Check out some yoga studios near you to see if they have any special workshops or Valentine’s Day events for couples.
14. Book a Day at the Spa
Instead of worrying about how to spoil the one you love this Valentine's Day, why not indulge in some coed pampering by booking a day at the spa for you both? Warm saunas and pools, massage therapies, and various skin-rejuvenating treatments (plus Champagne) will put you in your sweet spot and leave you both feeling refreshed.
Other than curating a romantic playlist full of sultry, unhurried vocals and harmonies to set the mood, you won’t have to lift a finger for this romantic Valentine’s Day idea.
15. Go for a Bike Ride
Go for a leisurely bike ride together for a sweet and romantic Valentine’s Day idea! You can also stop off at little random locations along your bike ride and just enjoy your time together. For a truly fun thing for couples to do, try renting a tandem bike. It might seem difficult and mildly cheesy, but it is sure to be a genuinely funny bonding moment to look back on.
16. Gaze at the Stars
Stargazing is not only awe-inspiring and peaceful, but it is also an incredibly romantic Valentine’s Day idea. Stargazing can be a little difficult to pull off around Valentine’s Day because often the cloud coverage is so thick during the winter, but don’t fret. Head for a planetarium and take your starry-eyed lover out for a romantic Valentine’s Day date idea to see if your love is written in the stars.
17. Start a Fire
Let the sparks fly by building a roasty-toasty bonfire to snuggle up by for a romantic Valentine’s Day idea. Cool winter temps make this holiday the perfect reason to cuddle up next to a roaring fire with a glass of wine or a couple of hot toddies and the one you love.If the weather isn’t cooperating and you have a fireplace indoors, well, we don’t have to tell you twice.
18. Netflix and Chill
For a relaxing thing to do on Valentine's Day, catch up on your favorite series — or binge-watch a rom-com movie marathon. If you both have busy schedules, a break from the chaos together can be the ultimate way to unwind and enjoy each other's company on Valentine's Day. (Bonus: We've got somefood movie recommendations you're sure to love.)
Cute Valentine's Day Ideas
19. Go for a Car Ride Through the Neighborhood
Pack yourselves a hot chocolate to-go and head out for a leisurely drive around town for a wonderfully nostalgic Valentine's Day date idea. Put together a playlist of your favorite love songs, pay a visit to your favorite neighborhood locales (where you had your first date, perhaps?) and regale each other with stories about all the fun memories you've made together.
20. Write Each Other a Love Letter
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective. For a truly heartwarming and cute Valentine's Day idea, why not write each other a love letter? Jot down the things you love most about your partner and all the ways they make your life brighter by being in it.
Spend 15-20 minutes penning your letter, then exchange them and read together. This is a thoughtful thing to do on Valentine's Day that can go a long way toward strengthening your bond.
21. Do a Craft Together
Get artsy for another cute Valentine's Day idea! Explore a craft like painting, drawing, pottery or woodworking that you can do as a team. Or, give it a solo run and try making each other a homemade, unique Valentine's Day gift. This is a great way to try something new, get the creative juices flowing and it leaves you with a keepsake to remember the day.
22. Go Antique Shopping
Few things are cuter than stopping by your local antique market. See what old treasures you can find amongst the quaint and quirky items scattered throughout. You just might go home with a new favorite trinket!
Adventurous Valentine’s Day Ideas
23. Ice Skating
Need a Valentine's Day date idea as timeless as your love? Ice skating is a classic romantic Valentine’s Day idea and the perfect winter date idea for showing off your entry-level double axle (okay, figure-eight).
Whether you're clinging to your date the entire time or you effortlessly glide while holding hands, there is something incredibly fun about ice skating that brings people closer together and always keeps you laughing — especially when it’s time for a break and you decide to cozy up with a cup of hot cocoa.
24. Set Up a Romantic Scavenger Hunt
This may take a little planning and extra work on your part, but this is one romantic Valentine’s Day idea that is so worth it.Create a series of romantic clues for your partner to follow that will lead them to a special final destination.
Whether it's to a restaurant where you're waiting to enjoy a lovely meal together or it leads them straight to a room where you're surrounded by candles and rose petals, this is a guaranteed romantic Valentine's Day idea for the books.
25. Dance the Night Away
Not at the club — we’re talking real dancing here. Put on your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor with your Valentine for a twirling good romantic Valentine’s Day idea. Try a flirtatious foxtrot or a sensual salsa to heat things up and fill your romance quotient.
You can also take a class or go see some live music that makes you want to groove. Alternatively, you can set up a dance floor at home, play your favorite music, pour a couple of drinks and dance Valentine's Day night away.
26. Check Out a Comedy Club
Who doesn't like to laugh? For a fun (and funny) Valentine’s Day date, spend your evening laughing until it hurts at a local comedy club with your date.
Pick out an improv show, a stand up routine, or see what other shows are taking place in your city’s comedy clubs on Valentine’s Day. Sip on a co*cktail, watch the performances and laugh hysterically with your loved one by your side for an incredibly romantic Valentine’s Day idea.
27. Get Sporty
Couples that participate in sporting activities like tennis often report a stronger, better and healthier romantic relationship. The bottom line: Couples that sweat together, stay together.Playing tennis together for a sporty thing to do on Valentine’s Day is a great way to release some endorphins and enjoy an outside-of-the-box date. If you like your Valentine enough, you might even let them win.
28. Go Rock Climbing
Challenge yourselves and ascend to new heights this Valentine's Day by going rock climbing together.Whether you're actually scaling a mountain face or are content climbing an indoor rock wall, you're likely to feel a powerful connection that'll continue long after you've reached the peak on this romantic Valentine’s Day date. Plus, the one on belay can make plenty of flirtatious remarks about being the one with the best view!
29. Take a Hike or a Snowshoe
Hit the trails to spend some much-needed time checking out wild flora and fauna while breathing in fresh air with the one you love. And as the saying goes, “If you can walk, you can snowshoe.”
Groomed trails never fail to be the foundation of a romantic Valentine’s Day idea, and those with an adventurous spirit are free to blaze a trail wherever Mother Nature has laid down a thick layer of white.
30. Compete at Trivia Night
Cheap drinks, fierce competition and the chance to prove your significant other wrong. What could be more romantic?For a romantic Valentine’s Day idea check out a bar or brewery that hosts trivia night. There are also plenty of places that offer the chance to rouse a little friendly competition with your Valentine’s Day date via games like ping pong, shuffleboard and darts.
31. Attend a Concert
Find out what concerts or music events are playing on Valentine’s Day this year and snag some tickets for a romantic Valentine’s Day idea.
The excitement of being in a crowd watching a powerful performance with the one you love will give you both all the warm fuzzies. There's nothing better than live music and experiencing it with one of your favorite people next to you.
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Valentine’s Day is all about showing the one you love just how much you adore and appreciate them, and you can’t go wrong with any of the romantic Valentine’s Day ideas on this list.
Whether you’re looking for some foodie fun, a little adventure or a laid-back way to relax, you’re sure to find something that fits the bill. Of these romantic Valentine's Day ideas, which one are you most excited to try?
For even more romantic Valentine’s Day ideas, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
