36 Best Free Date Ideas For UK Couples

Last Updated on 9th April 2024

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best free date ideas for couples on a budget

Are you looking for some tips on the best free date ideas at home? Perhaps you need some inspiration for free date ideas for married couples? This huge guide includes some of the best free romantic date ideas for couples of all ages!

When it comes to finding the best things to do as a couple for free in the UK, you’re often greeted by boring activities that don’t exactly inspire a super fun date night.

However, it’s still possible to enjoy free date ideas in the UK without compromising on the fun. If you need some inspiration on the best cheap date ideas in the UK, you’ve come to the right place!

Below, you’ll find my huge list of the no money date ideas for couples on a budget; this way, you can still spend some dedicated time together without spending a fortune on your date. If you’re looking for fun cheap date ideas in the UK, I’ve got you covered with my ultimate list of fun free things to do as a couple below!

1. Movie night – best free date ideas UK

Let’s start with one of the easiest and most popular free date ideas, the classic movie night.

I’ve always loved movie nights, whether that’s just by myself, with my family or with Matt as a date night. It’s insanely easy to do and usually free as well (providing that you’ve already got a Netflix or Amazon subscription).

Of course, you could go down the “old-fashioned” route and just stick a DVD on!

Movie nights in the form of a date might not differ too much from what you’d usually do on a Saturday night, but if you make a big deal of setting up the room accordingly (cosy blankets, delicious drinks and snacks and all the curtains closed), then it makes for a lovely evening together.

2. Walking/hiking

If getting out and about is more your thing as a couple, but you don’t want to spend a small fortune on activities, then the simplest way to enjoy some fresh, free air together is to go on a long walk or hike.

Whether you choose to drive there (which will, of course, cost you in petrol) or you just stay a bit more local and tackle the whole thing on foot, walking/hiking is a surefire way to save money and enjoy a romantic date as a couple.

3. Camping in your garden

Adding on to the idea of being a more outdoorsy couple, if you’re looking for a little more adventure in your date night, but you don’t really want to spend much money, why not set up a tent in your garden and have a mini camping adventure?

You could set up a little barbecue (weather permitting) and get all snuggled up inside the tent; one of the best parts of camping in your own garden is that you’re only a stone’s throw away from a proper toilet!

4. Games night – free date ideas at night

Games night is one of our favourite ways to have a date night at home together and whether you’re a competitive couple or not, you’ll still have a great time trying to beat each other at your favourite games!

5. Head to the beach – completely free date ideas

Now, unless you’re incredibly lucky enough to live right next to the beach, chances are that you’re going to have to drive there or take some form of public transport, which of course, involves spending money.

If you’re willing to spend a bit of cash on petrol or bus fare, once you’re actually at the beach, you can have a totally free date day of strolling along the sand, and building sandcastles (if you want to rekindle your childhood pastime!) or even braving the sea for a quick dip!

Check out my list of the best seaside towns in Yorkshire

6. Make a meal with ingredients you already have

Cooking together is undoubtedly one of the best inexpensive date ideas, once you’ve actually bought all the ingredients to cook with, of course…

Once you’ve done your weekly food shop, why not plan a weekend at home where you cook up a storm in the kitchen with ingredients you already have? It doesn’t have to be anything complex; sometimes even the simplest noodle dish can go down a treat and it won’t cost you any extra money if you use ingredients that you already have at home!

7. Go on a free walking tour of your city

Of course, this free date idea depends on where you live and whether your city offers free walking tours, but if it does, you’ll be in for a treat for a date day/night and best of all, it’ll be completely free!

Check out your town or city’s local Facebook page for information on any upcoming themed free walking tours of your city to make it that extra bit more special and fun.

8. Go to your local pub quiz

During the UK’s numerous lockdowns my family and I tuned into Jay’s Virtual Pub Quiz almost every single week to play along with his pub quiz hosted on YouTube and it was often the highlight of my week during lockdown (there really wasn’t much else to do a lot of the time!).

However, there’s nothing like a real-life pub quiz, especially when it doesn’t cost you a penny to enter, which makes it one of the best cheap date night ideas in the UK!

9. Attend a free outdoor concert – best free date ideas UK

A free outdoor concert/live event is another one of the best no cost date ideas as it allows you to spend some quality time together while enjoying some awesome live music in the free outdoors!

Websites such as The List and Eventbrite roundup some of the best free live events in the UK, so it’s definitely worth checking to see if there’s a free outdoor concert near you if you want to do something a bit different for your date night, without breaking the bank on expensive concert tickets!

10. Create a scrapbook with old photos

Creating scrapbooks of all your favourite pictures together is one of the best ways to remember all of your adventures and have your photos in one, easy-to-see place.

Creating a scrapbook together is also a great way to spend some dedicated time as a couple and whether you make a book dedicated to your time as a couple or for specific memories and trips together, by the end of the project, you’ll have a great means of remembering all your best times as a couple.

Check out my post on how to create a travel photo book!

11. Go on a road trip with no particular destination

I suppose that a road trip isn’t technically a free date idea as you’ll obviously have to pay for petrol, but if you can get past that technicality (especially if you already have petrol in your car!), then a road trip with no particular destination in mind is always such a fun date idea to enjoy together.

12. Play truth or dare – budget date night ideas

While the game of truth or dare is usually more synonymous with WKD-fuelled 16-year-old parties, it’s still a pretty fun and definitely alternative date night idea to enjoy as a couple.

If you’ve just started dating, then playing truth or dare is sure to be a great way to get to know your new partner better; just be prepared to ask/answer all the risky questions!

13. Visit your local art gallery

I’m not actually really one for art galleries; while I certainly appreciate them to some extent, I just don’t really seem to get it like many other people.

However, if you’re looking for a free date idea and you’re a couple who enjoys learning about new cultures and exploring different artworks, then an afternoon wander around your local, free art gallery is the perfect way to enjoy each other’s company without spending a penny.

14. Go stargazing – cheap date ideas at night

After our first successful attempt at stargazing in South Island New Zealand, it’s now become one of my very favourite pastimes and there’s really nothing more special than gazing up at the clear, night sky, especially if you’re doing so with your partner.

15. Try at-home massages

While I’m sure everyone would love to go and get a proper massage, the idea of spending around £80-£100+ on a full body massage for only 30-minutes just doesn’t sit right with me (especially when it only costs £6 in Bali and Thailand!).

Instead, why not try at-home massages? You’ll save a tonne of money and you’ll both spend the rest of the evening feeling utterly relaxed.

16. Take a bike ride together

A bike ride might seem like a ridiculously simple way to enjoy a date as a couple, but it can also be truly romantic, especially if you incorporate it with the date idea below…

17. Go for a picnic

Al fresco dining is one of the things that I love the most about being somewhere hot and while the opportunities to dine outside in the UK are often far and few between due to our very temperamental summer weather, a lovely picnic offers the perfect opportunity to dine outside when the weather’s nice.

18. Play video games – cheap or free date ideas UK

When we lived in our apartment before we went travelling, Matt came home one night with an old Game Cube and a few games to go with it and we spent many a night having “date night” in front of the TV playing retro video games.

We’re both pretty competitive so it always turned into a proper tournament but it was always so much fun and it’s totally free to do!

19. Build a den and have a Netflix marathon

The whole “Netflix and chill” thing is a little bit “been there done that” now, but it’s still one of my favourite ways to enjoy a simple and free date night. Bonus points if you build a den and fill it with a plethora of snacks and goodies before you settle in for the evening and binge-watch something awesome together.

This is one of the best quick date night ideas to enjoy that’s also super fun and easy to put together.

20. Create an at-home karaoke night

This is actually a date night idea that Matt and I have yet to try out and that’s simply because neither of us is a particularly big karaoke fan.

However, if you are a couple who likes to sing your heart out in front of each other and make a fool of yourself by trying out your best ABBA impression, then an at-home karaoke night is probably right up your street!

21. Have your own at-home wine tasting

My idea of wine tasting is grabbing a bottle (or three…) of Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s finest (and cheapest) white wine and pouring a substantial glass while cosying up on the sofa. While this is very much right up my street, it’s certainly not the most romantic date night, so you could always spruce it up a bit and create your own at-home wine tasting.

Of course, it’s not entirely free as you’ll naturally have to buy the wine, but if you are gifted the occasional bottle of wine, why not save it and stock up a few bottles and then have a dedicated wine-tasting night at home; you won’t have even paid for them yourself!

22. Go cloud-watching – best free date ideas

Cloud watching might very well sound like something that little kids do while playing on a trampoline, but I’m a firm believer in rekindling your inner child as often as possible and one of the best ways to do so is to go cloud watching with your partner – it’s free, it’s romantic and it’s also very fun to see what shapes your partner sees in the clouds!

23. Take your dream car for a test drive

This is something that I’ve not actually done yet, but Matt did it a few years ago and absolutely loved it, so I’m sure it’s something that we’d enjoy doing together. While your dream car might be very far out of your reach right now, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming (and preparing for the day that you’ll eventually own it by test-driving it to see how it performs!) 😉

24. Stay up all night and watch the sunrise

Watching the sunrise is one of the best free date ideas as it’s super romantic and doesn’t cost a penny to head outside and enjoy the world come to life in the morning.

25. Plan your dream trip together – date ideas for every budget

It’s probably no surprise that planning future trips is something I absolutely love to do; after all, it’s something that I do as part of my job!

One of the most exciting parts of planning trips, however, is doing it with Matt so that we can both ensure that we’re planning a trip that will mean so much to both of us. I think trip planning is a great free date idea to take part in with your partner and while the actual cost of the trip might be a little pricey, the planning alone will be entirely free 😉

26. Have a water balloon fight

An activity that’s typically synonymous with children during the summer, water balloon fights are also something that I firmly believe you can enjoy as an adult and when it’s part of date night, especially during the warmer weather, it makes for a great couple of hours of fun.

27. Bake something delicious

Baking really isn’t my forte (I much prefer cooking) but I think any hands-on activity that you can do with your partner is a great excuse for a date. Try baking something new and a little “out there” or stick to a familiar favourite and spend the rest of the evening devouring your creation!

28. Play “song name and artist”

This is a game that Matt and I often play together and it’s ridiculously simple and free; it literally involves flicking through the music channels on the TV and as soon as you recognise the song, you have to name it along with the artist.

Granted, it’s not the most exciting game in the world, but it is insanely easy and requires very little effort so if you’re looking for a fun but laidback free date idea at home, this is definitely one you should consider.

29. Visit a food market and enjoy free samples

If you’re lucky enough to have a food market in your local vicinity, then a great free date idea that you can enjoy together is to head there and enjoy some of the free samples. Of course, if you enjoy what you sample, you may very well be tempted to purchase something which would obviously cost money, but the initial taste testing should be free!

30. Be tourists in your home city – best free first date ideas UK

With the appeal of so many incredible places to explore around the world, it can sometimes be easy to forget what’s on your doorstep, so why not take it back to basics on your next date with your partner and spend some time exploring your home city as “tourists”?

31. Watch funny YouTube videos together

One thing that we love doing (especially if we’re a little tipsy…) is to watch old Vine compilation videos on YouTube and spend a good hour or so cry-laughing at the hilarities that ensue.

Of course, there’s now TikTok that you can spend hours pouring over, but there’s nothing like a classic Vine compilation in my opinion!

32. Find a great sunset spot and watch the sun go down

If you’ve ticked off watching the sunrise from this list of the best free date ideas, then why not head out in time for sunset and watch the sun go down in a romantic spot? Bonus points if you pack a picnic and something fizzy to truly add to the romance of the situation.

33. Play drinking games – free date ideas in the UK

Playing drinking games at home is always so much fun, especially for Matt and I as we’re both rather competitive. If you’re a couple who enjoys a tipple or two together, why not make it a bit more interesting and pull out a pack of cards or try out some new fun drinking games that you can play together?

34. Make your own spa day/night with products in your bathroom

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably have a collection of decadent products that you’ve received for Christmas and birthdays that you’re “saving for best”. Well, a dedicated spa night at home with your partner is a good enough reason as any to make a start on your luxury body lotions and potions and it’ll feel like a real treat to enjoy the pampering together.

35. Try making your own cocktails at home

I’ve always loved the idea of having a proper bar cart, complete with a fully stocked smorgasbord of beverages, but for now, mixing whatever we have in the cupboard to make our own “cocktails” is good enough. Give your best Tom Cruise in Cocktail impression and mix up something delicious!

36. Nap together – best free date ideas

To conclude this list of the best free date ideas, I’m suggesting probably one of the easiest things you can do as a couple and that’s simply just to take a nap together. It’s certainly not the most exciting date idea, but if you’ve had a busy week but still want to spend some proper time together, then an afternoon in bed in your cosiest pyjamas is probably just what you both need!

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Do you have any other best free date ideas to add to this post? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.