17+ Fun & Easy Late Night Date Ideas

Co-authored by Mark Rosenfeld and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: November 3, 2022

Are you looking to spend extra time with your significant other on late-night dates? Conflicting work schedules and other obligations can strain your relationship, but late-night dates are a great way to ensure you still get lots of quality time with your partner. Read on for a thorough list of fun, fresh, and super easy late-night date ideas for you to enjoy!

Things You Should Know

Casual activities like nighttime walks, stargazing, and bowling give you time and space to talk with your date.
Hit the town and do a tour with your date, or visit a lounge with live music. You could also grab a drink or visit a night market.
Do things in the comfort of your home, too. You could always watch movies, create a DIY spa experience, or cook dinner together.

1

Do some stargazing together.

Stargazing is easy, inexpensive, and very romantic. Spend a few hours talking, cuddling, and looking for constellations together in a scenic spot. All you need is a soft blanket to lay on with your date while you look up at the night sky!^{[1]
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- Try using a telescope to take your stargazing date to the next level. You and your date can take turns looking at the stars through it.
- If you can, bring your date to a nice park or a beach to do your stargazing. Otherwise, your yard works just as well.

2

Enjoy a moonlit picnic.

Picnics are a picturesque and relaxed way to share dinner (or a snack). Plan a picnic by making a simple meal, grabbing takeout from your favorite restaurant, or putting together an assortment of your favorite snacks. Set up a picnic spot in your yard, park, or beach, and treat your date to a late-night picnic.
- If you have the picnic in your own yard, you can also go a little further to create a romantic ambiance. Set up string lights or perhaps a couple of candles for the date.
- Alternatively, turn that picnic into a camping trip! Set up a tent in your backyard (or a nearby camping area) and spend the whole night snuggling with your date.

3

Go for a romantic nighttime stroll.

Walks are simple but romantic and allow for lots of conversation. The best dates are the ones where you can spend the whole time getting to know each other better and enjoying one another’s company. When in doubt, just take a long, relaxing walk together! Explore your neighborhood, a park, or an area of town that’s safe and busy—even late at night.
- If you can, try exploring someplace new that neither of you has seen before!

4

Create a luxurious spa night.

Spa nights are relaxing and give you the chance to pamper one another. Set aside a night to give each other massages, do facials, and even take a warm bath with scented bath salts and soaps. Be sure to light plenty of candles and play soothing music for the ultimate DIY spa experience.^{[2]
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5

Play a game together.

Game nights are a fun and easy way to challenge one another. Pick a favorite board game, card game, or video game to play together. If you have time, bring out several games for you and your date to try out together. You could even create a series of challenges—like who can win the most Mario Kart races.
- Try creating your own game! Make a late-night TV bingo sheet for anything you might find (silly infomercials, cheesy TV movies, old comedy reruns), and start flipping channels.

6

Take some couple’s quizzes.

Quizzes are an entertaining way to bond at any relationship stage. Go online and find a few couple’s quizzes to take. Look for lighthearted quizzes about which type of couple you are, how well you know your partner, or what your love languages are. Quizzes like that will help you learn more about each other in a fun, playful way!
- For example, there are lots of goofy online quizzes about what movie couple you and your date are most like or what Disney couple you act like.

7

Plan your dream couple’s vacation.

Give yourselves something to look forward to by planning a trip. If you and your date fantasize about getting out of town on a romantic trip together, why not make that dream a reality? Spend the night picking a vacation spot you’re both dying to see, and then look up things to do and places to stay there.
- Plan a vacation that suits your style as a couple. Maybe you’re both adventurous and want to backpack across the country, or maybe you’d like to crash on a beach and drink cocktails.
- Complete the date by setting out snacks or ordering some dinner so the two of you can eat, drink, and enjoy the planning process together!

8

Have a cozy movie night.

Movies give you plenty of time to relax and snuggle with your date. Watch one of your favorites, pick a new movie you’ve both wanted to see, or do a throwback night and watch a classic film you’re both interested in. Pop some fresh popcorn and lounge on the couch with your date and a bunch of blankets.
- If there’s time, you could even make it a double feature. Pick a movie and have your date pick the other, so you can show one another a movie you love.
- Try building a blanket fort in your living room and cuddle up with your date inside it (with lots of pillows) while you watch the movie!

9

Cook a late meal together.

Dinner is an even more romantic activity when you cook it together. Come up with a delicious dish you’ll both enjoy, pick up the ingredients beforehand, and spend some time making dinner with your date. Then, enjoy the final product together with some wine, candlelight, and mood music.^{[3]
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- You could also do something a little unconventional, like having breakfast for late-night dinner. There’s never a bad time to make sweet, fluffy pancakes!
- If your date is late enough that you’ve both already eaten, skip dinner and go straight to dessert. Prepare dessert and eat it together—with mood lighting and small talk.

10

Hit up a late-night karaoke bar.

Karaoke is a great way to learn about one another’s taste in music. Take your date to a karaoke bar for some musical fun. Order some drinks, have a couple of snacks, and pick out songs to sing together—some you both enjoy and others you’d like to introduce your date to (and vice versa).^{[4]
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- If you’re not in the mood to go out, just set up DIY karaoke at home by queuing up karaoke versions of songs on YouTube or Spotify!

11

Eat out at a 24-hour diner.

A 24-hour diner lets you have a romantic dinner out at any time. Most restaurants close after typical dinner hours, but not all diners! Bring your date out for dinner and spend the night chatting in a booth over dinner and drinks. It’s simple, fun, and usually quite affordable.
- Alternatively, order takeout and eat a restaurant-quality meal together at home. If you order early, you can get food from your favorite place and heat it up during dinnertime.

12

Check out the local bars.

Get creative and try cocktail making or attend a wine tasting. You and your date can hit up a bar any old day; to make the late-night date feel special, look for unique opportunities like wine tasting (or any kind of liquor you both enjoy, like whiskey or beer). Take a class to learn cocktail-making, and make fancy drinks for one another to try.
- If you decide to go to a bar, turn it into a late-night pub crawl so you and your date can sample lots of delicious drinks. Try ordering cocktails for one another to spice things up!

13

Visit a bowling alley.

Bowling is a great way to play games and still have time for small talk. Plus, lots of bowling alleys are open late! Check out your local bowling places to find one that fits your schedule, and spend the night bowling with your date. Be sure to grab snacks together, too!
- You could also find a pool hall and play billiards. Like bowling alleys, there are plenty of late-night pool halls to visit on a date.

14

Explore a night market.

Markets provide an engaging backdrop for a late-night stroll together. Just like taking a regular walk, you can spend your time at a night market chatting, exploring, and getting to know one another. As a bonus, you can also do light shopping and look through colorful artisan stalls!
- If you both have the funds, make a game out of it. Search the market for a small gift you think the other would like and exchange gifts at the end of the date.

15

Check out a nightclub or lounge.

Clubs and lounges are great spots to dance and listen to music together. Find a venue nearby that offers live music for an extra-romantic atmosphere. Go to a club if you and your date prefer lots of noise, crowds, and dancing, or visit a lounge if you’re looking for a more laid-back experience.^{[5]
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- Many other places might have live music, too! For example, you might find a group that plays Irish music at a local pub.

16

Go on a city tour.

Tours are an entertaining and informative way to experience your city. Do you and your date love ghost stories? Or maybe you’re both film buffs or art enthusiasts? Regardless of your interests, most cities will have a late-night tour that suits your interests. Check local travel agencies to find out what tours are being offered.^{[6]
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- For example, you could go on a nighttime ghost tour of the city or a tour of iconic film spots if you love movies.

17

Watch the sunrise.

Start your day with a romantic twist by watching the sunrise together. Wake up early, meet your date, and find a spot with a great view to watch the sunrise. This could be your porch, yard, roof, or a nearby park. If you need a pick-me-up, head over to a coffee shop with your date afterward.^{[7]
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- You and your date could also spend the previous night together, either doing one of the above activities or just talking! Then, head outside to watch the sunrise.