How Do I Plan A Full Day Date?

“Wanna grab a drink?”

“Catch you for a coffee?”

There are a lot of really vanilla date ideas out there. How much can you really learn about your match over an oat milk flat white?

If your go-to dates are getting as stale as a Starbucks croissant, then it’s time to get creative. By exploring different activities with your date, you’ll get a better idea of whether you mesh.

And it’s also an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. I’ve scrolled through my friends’ contacts to see Starbucks Guy 1 through 4 saved. Don’t be Starbucks Guy 5.

How to avoid it? All-day dates might work!

Whether you have promised your match a full-day date and now have to deliver, or you’re wondering how to surprise the person you have been seeing for a while, the formula is the same. 

The thing is, full-day dates are really versatile. There are so many things you can pack into a full-day date, but don’t go crazy. An all-day date needs a range of activities, and you also need some downtime for you and your date to recharge. On top of that, you have to consider what your date will enjoy.

Everyone loves surprises but, when it comes to a seriously long date, communication is key.

Find out what kind of activities your date might enjoy, how much walking or traveling they’re willing to do, and how much chill time they think they’ll need on an all-day date.

Of course, it can’t hurt to sprinkle some unexpected additions in there. But nobody wants to find out last-minute that they’re swimming across a lake to a remote island when they haven’t brought their trunks!

What Is Your Date’s Personality Type?

Without going full Myers Briggs, you can set out towards the perfect all-day date by first thinking about your date’s personality type. This will give you a framework around which to plan your day.

Hopefully, you’ve got a sense of who your date is already. And honestly, a full-day date might be a gamble for your first date, where you’re stepping into the unknown. For unique first-date ideas that don’t last 12-24 hours, click here.

So does your date fall into any of the following categories, personality-wise?

• Sporty/active types
• Foodies
• Culture hounds
• Party animals
• Introverts
• Extroverts

Is your date going to love the idea of tagging along to a house party full of strangers? Or is three a crowd for them?

Are they going to get an exercise itch if they’re sitting still, or are you going to take their breath away (in a bad way) if you get sporty?

Most people don’t fit neatly into boxes, so don’t go all-in on any one kind of activity for a long date. Plan a bit of diversity into your day, while making sure you tick the boxes for your date’s personality and likes and dislikes.

Full-Day Date Ideas

Full-day dates work best when they have a focal point, like the beach or the farmers market, but you still have room for spontaneity and rest.

Try to let serendipity play a role in your full-day date. Stumble upon in-season asparagus at the market? Let it inspire your evening dinner plans. Or hit the thrift stores to find a new outfit for the house party later…

Here are the best full-day date ideas to get you started.

• Start out by cooking your date breakfast

• Find a sunrise spot for the dawn of a new relationship

• Go for a run together to get the endorphins flowing

• Build your own Bloody Marys at brunch

• Get cultured at art galleries and museums

• Go bargain hunting at thrift stores or antique collections

• Hunt for hidden gems at local yardsales

• Indulge a sleepy Sunday with coffee and a crossword

• Have a movie marathon

• Take the tour at a local winery

• Get lost in a new neighborhood

• Hit the trails on a day hike

• Shop at your local farmer’s market and plan a meal

• Get handsy with arts and crafts classes

• Spend the day drifting on the beach

For these full-day date ideas, make sure you get a hearty breakfast. You’re going to need the energy!

Morning Date Ideas

Not everybody is an early riser, so planning fun date activities for the morning can be hard. Do you wake up raring to face the day or are you a slow starter? Here are some daytime date ideas for early birds and sleepy heads.

1. Cook Your Date Breakfast

If you have a big day planned – whether you’re hiking or shopping – then a good breakfast is the best way to start the day. Maybe you’ve perfected your porridge recipe over the years (a pinch of salt is the key), or you’re a maestro with the eggs. 

Cooking for date breakfast has traditionally come after the night before – but meeting up for breakfast is a great way to flip things… like a pancake… and build an intimate base for spending the day together.

2. Go For A Run Together

Hey, don’t groan! The spiritual, chemical, and emotional benefits of doing exercise in the morning are well documented – so tap into some endorphins and take them with you on your all-day date.

For an average run, you should stick to a pace at which you can hold a conversation. That makes it a perfect start to your all-day date.

3. Skip Breakfast And Make It Brunch

Of course, brunch is always an option for a morning date. Brunch is a hybrid affair, like the griffin of meals. It’s breakfast and lunch of course, but it can also be healthy, or boozy, or both… (I’m not sure which of these is the lion and which is the eagle here). And brunch can be a sociable opportunity to introduce your date to your friends, or it can be an intimate experience. Avocado toast for two?

Brunch can also turn into an activity of its own. Find a bar that lets you build your own Bloody Mary and challenge your date to a cocktail-off. But be careful though, it’s probably not even noon yet!

4. Hit Those Yard Sales

Yard sales are a Saturday morning institution, standing up to the ubiquity of eBay and Amazon in the modern world. They’re packed with hidden gems and can take your all-day date in an unexpected direction – stumble upon a Nintendo 64, for example, and you can ask your date to Mario you.

5. Go For Coffee And Crosswords

Some people are slow starters and an action-packed morning might be their worst nightmare. Coffee and crosswords let your date start off as easy as Sunday morning.

Impress your date with a fine selection of pastries from the local bakery and get stuck into a crossword together. Sometimes dating can be a cryptic game, but find a quick crossword to make it simple.

6.  Catch The Sunrise

On the other hand, the early bird gets the worm. Getting up to watch the sunrise casts an intimate glow across your all-day date, so pick a local highpoint and turn to the east. Plus, Before Sunrise is one of the most romantic movies of all time – if it worked for Ethan Hawke it’s sure to work for you.

7. Enjoy A Lazy Morning Movie Marathon

Movie nights might be classic, but if you want to marathon your favorite trilogy you’re going to need an early start. Whether your date’s a Lord Of The Rings buff or a Marvel Universal fanatic, a morning movie marathon lets you drag the comforter to the couch and curl up with your coffee.

Afternoon Date Ideas

Whether you’re lazing on a Sunday afternoon or picking up the pace from a sleepy morning, there are loads of fun date activities for the middle of the day. Here are the best daytime date activities to have your date swoon in the afternoon.

1. Explore A New Neighborhood

No matter how long you’ve lived somewhere, there’s always more to explore. Shake up your routine by exploring a new neighborhood with your date.

There might be a hot new lunch spot to lure you somewhere new, or you could just start walking and let the streets be your guide. Look out for graffiti, thrift stores, or anything else that catches your eye.

2. Take An Arts And Crafts Class

Taking an arts and crafts class lets you get hands-on with your date. Doing something tactile like a ceramics class can create an intimate and memorable experience – you might discover an untapped skill, or just laugh at your hideous creations. Both work!

3. Get Your Skates On And Go Ice Skating

Unless you’re a stone-cold skating pro, chances are you’ll be falling all over each other on the ice. Ice skating makes a great date because skating rinks have all the ingredients of a good time – an enjoyable activity alongside some food stalls and seating where you can catch your breath.

4. Get Cultured At Art Galleries And Museums

Chances are your city (or the closest one to you) is packed with museums and art galleries and with ever-changing exhibitions, there’s always something new to discover. Exploring the nooks and crannies of your local gallery is a great way to spend an afternoon, and you can unpack what you thought of the art over a drink in the evening. Picture perfect.

5. Find Dinner Inspiration At The Farmer’s Market

Another afternoon date idea that can inspire your evening activities is a trip to the farmer’s market. If your date is a food fanatic then a stroll through the fresh produce at your farmer’s market will get taste-buds tingling. Go without an agenda and let the seasonal spread inspire your dinner plans.

Evening Date Ideas

Traditionally, the evening date is what it’s all about. From dinner and a movie or a drink in your favorite dive bar, I’m sure you’ve got some evening date ideas already.

But after spending all day together, you might need a change of pace. If you’ve been on your feet all day, then maybe a night on the tiles isn’t the way to go. With a full-day date, you can get creative with your evening.

1. Try A New Restaurant

It’s a classic and, if you’ve been on your feet all day, you’re going to have worked up quite an appetite. If your date is a foodie, then dinner plans are something to look forward to all day, and they can inspire a bit of extra activity in your morning or afternoon. Trying a new restaurant gives you a whole new menu to taste – sharing is caring on an all-day date.

2. Catch A Show

Whether it’s music or comedy, catching a live performance is a great way to spend an evening. Comedy shows are often seated which, after a long day, your legs and your date will thank you for.

Seeing a local band can also be the perfect end to an all-day date. And gig tickets for smaller shows are usually available cheap and last minute, so you don’t need to be overly committed if you feel like changing it up.

3. Treat Your Date To Home Cooking

Eating out is great, but after a long day, you might be looking for some home comforts. Cooking for your date is a great way to show off your culinary skills,  and can be a lot more relaxed compared to fine dining. And the bonus – the sofa is only a room away for winding down.

4. Test Your Lungs At Karaoke

For the performer in you, karaoke is a cheesy good time. The fun and comical atmosphere at karaoke will have you and your date laughing, and it’s not something you’d do every day. Of course, the idea of getting up on stage could strike fear into the heart of an introverted date – this one doesn’t make a great surprise.

5. Double Up And Make It A Double Date

After spending all day as a twosome, it’s okay to acknowledge that you could use some company. Double dates are a great way to get to know your date’s friends, and whether you’re out to dinner or doing an activity together they help to keep the conversation flowing.

6. Try Stargazing

For an evening date at a more gentle pace, cast your gaze up for inspiration. You don’t need to be a constellation connoisseur to enjoy stargazing. There are apps that scan the sky, bringing its shapes to life, but getting creative about what you and your date see can also be a fun game. 

For the best view of the night sky, you’ll want to get away from the light pollution of the city – that means it’s guaranteed to be peaceful and intimate. Find a nearby park and stroll until you can see the sky. Don’t forget to bring a blanket for added comfort – then you’ll be the star of the show.

7. Dance The Night Away

Party animals, it’s your time to shine. If you don’t want the fun to end then hit the clubs and dance the night away. Indulge your hedonistic side and cast your cares aside on the dancefloor and let the date carry on into the small hours, or even roll over to tomorrow!

Downtime During Your Date

Nobody can operate at 100% all the time. You take coffee breaks from work and study breaks from exam sessions – so plan some downtime for your all-day date.

Downtime doesn’t have to be boring – it can be cozy, restful, and intimate. It’s an opportunity for you and your date to recharge. A change of pace on a date lets you get to know your match in a new way – if you’re going to work as a couple, there has to be some downtime after all!

Downtime might involve sitting down and resting those weary legs – but it’s equally important to take a break from the constant conversation of a date. Getting your nose in a book or watching a movie takes the pressure off the date performance – and often gives you something to talk about later.

So let’s get down to the business of downtime.

1. Catch A Matinee Movie At The Theater

Settling down into the comfy seats at a movie theater gives you and your date a chance to switch off. I would choose an accessible movie like a new action film and giggle at the goofy dialogue – you’ve ticked the culture box at the art gallery so now it’s time for guilty pleasures.

2. Find A Coffee Shop In A Bookstore

Just stepping into the peaceful ambiance of a bookstore can take a weight off your shoulders. Wander through the aisles to find something to stick your nose in, and then settle in at the coffee shop for a chapter or two.

Reading side-by-side gives you and your date an opportunity to get comfortable with each other. Silence is golden.

3. Chill With A Picnic In The Park 

Let the fresh air inspire a breather in your all-day date activities. A laid-back picnic date is always a great date idea and on an all-day date, it’s a great opportunity to rest your weary legs if you’ve been walking through the city or its galleries and museums all day.

The park’s a great place for people-watching which always breeds a conspiratorial atmosphere with a date.

All-Day Date Activities

An all-day activity is a bit of a gamble on a date. If you or your date isn’t into it, there’s nowhere to go. But it takes the pressure off planning, and a long date can put you and your date in new scenarios where you really get to know each other.

1. Stretch Your Legs On An All-Day Hike

It’s becoming a bit of a meme to say you love hiking on your dating profile, so be honest if it’s not for you. If it is, though, a hike is a great all-day activity for true lovers of the outdoors.

But an all-day hike for a date takes planning – you’ll need to bring the right clothes and equipment, plan your route and watch the weather. Planning a hike together can be part of the fun, but make sure you and your date are on the same track in terms of genuinely liking a very big walk!

2. Go To A Wedding

Weddings are an all-day extravaganza and they can be a fun date – if you pitch it right. If you and your date are still getting to know each other, it could be overwhelming if the couple are close family friends – you don’t want your extended family crashing your date. But if you’ve got a plus one for a wedding that looks like a fun affair and isn’t anyone too close, this could be an all-day date that sparks romance to remember.

3. Hit The Beach

Honestly, the beach is a good date any time, but it’s a great place for an all-day date because it’s equally suited to activities or just lounging around. You can hit the surf, explore the rockpools or just catch some rays on your beach towel. Take a book and some snacks and you’ll have no trouble whiling away the hours with your date – just watch out for sand in the nooks and crannies. 

4. Take A Tour At A Local Winery

The world of wine attracts some serious snobs but you shouldn’t turn your nose up to a winery tour for an all-day date. With stunning vineyards in countryside settings, a winery gets you out of the city without feeling like you’re roughing it. A tour gives you a few hours of activity and then you can put your feet up with a glass of red.

Is A Full Day Date a Good Idea?

Spending a whole day with someone you don’t know well can be intimidating. Are you getting cold feet about your full-day date?

If you’re asking if a full-day date is a good idea, then let me reassure you – it totally is. It’s a great way to try new things with a new person, you’ll get to know someone better than you ever could in a few hours. And the worst thing that could happen is you learn you’re not such a great match after all.

As long as you leave some wriggle room in your all-day date for a change of plans, and keep communicating with your date about what’s happening next, you’ll have a blast.

On an all-day date, you have to live in the moment. Don’t watch the clock, or fixate on the next activity. It’s about spending quality time with someone new, so put your date at the center of the experience.

Final Thoughts

Think of an all-day date like an all-day breakfast.

Sweet blueberry pancakes balanced by the savory of bacon and eggs. Fried, scrambled, or poached? Well, that’s down to you.

And just like when you’re tucking into a giant plate of breakfast, on an all-day date you’re going to need to take some breaks.

Pace yourself or you’re not going to have room for your muffin. A bench at the park for a while, a long lazy brunch before a busy afternoon, a little break, and a snack before your evening activity. These are all great ways to enjoy all-day date burnout!

Anyway, now you’ve got full-day date ideas coming out of your ears, it’s time to find a match to spend the day with. Try the free Tinder Hacked guide to get the most out of Tinder, or check out our dating app quiz to figure out which app is going to help you find the toast to your butter.