30 Best Cheap Date Ideas In London
Looking for cheap date ideas in London? Look no further!
When it comes to cheap date ideas in London, it can be a bit overwhelming to arrange and plan a date as there’s so much on offer in the capital. Not to mention, London is not known for being cheap and dates can very quickly add up!
However, there are plenty of fun, cheap date ideas students can try in London that are either free or super affordable. Or, if you do want to splash out for a special occasion, we’ve got that covered too!
Check out our best cheap date ideas in London below:
Fun and cheap date night ideas in London
1. Take a pottery class
If you want to make memories on your date, pottery classes will not only be a fun and different date idea but you’ll get something to take home with you afterwards!
Whether you want to try your hand at actually making the pottery from scratch or you just want to paint it, there are plenty of pottery classes across London to experiment with.
2. Junkyard Golf — Shoreditch
Junkyard Golf is crazy golf to the extreme. Prepare for loud music, bright lights and a fun atmosphere as you make your way around the course and tackle the different courses.
Of course, you can drink alcohol throughout and there’s a great food menu too so it can be a really fun place to relax after you’ve finished your course too.
Don’t forget your student discount!
3. Flight Club — Shoreditch, Bloomsbury, Islington or Victoria
Flight Club has four locations across London and is a great date activity if you’re competitive. The food and drinks are relatively cheap but the real fun is the interactive darts game that can really unleash your competitive side.
The atmosphere is always super lively and you can even go for brunch on the weekends!
4. Puttshack — Bank, White City and Watford
Puttshack is a fun mini-golf experience that can really unleash your competitive side. One of the most popular locations is at Westfield White City, so if you’re planning a date to go shopping and grab something to eat there it’s worth checking out at the same time.
The interactive courses will challenge you and there’s plenty of food and drink on the menu too for you to enjoy once you’re done.
5. Babylon Park — Camden
Babylon Park is London’s newest “theme park” arcade in Camden and has a whole range of fun things to do on a date. You can buy virtual coins in advance if you download the app, which you can then use to test out the rides and arcades.
There are bumper cars, Ferris wheels, arcade machines and great food and drink too so you could really spend hours there.
6. Cocktail Making
Drinks are a great date idea, but take it that one step further and try your hand at actually making the cocktails yourselves. Mixology is a great place to try this out with multiple venues across London, offering lots of different classes and workshops to show you the science behind perfect cocktails.
7. Secret Cinema
Secret Cinema gives you the chance to step into the film with immersive performances with actors, sets, costumes and food. Much better than a trip to your local cinema!
8. Climb the o2
If you’re up for a challenge, up at the o2 is an unforgettable experience. Challenge yourself and your date as you scale one of London’s most iconic locations and landmarks and treat yourself to dinner and drinks afterwards at one of the o2s many venues.
9. Visit the London Dungeon
If you want to do something a bit different, the London Dungeon is not for the faint-hearted but a great date experience. You can get tickets from just £16 and it’s a great excuse to hold your date’s hand but just try not to scream.
10. Bounce — Farringdon and Old Street
The home of ping pong, Bounce is not only a great activity date to challenge someone to but also a great place for food and drink. They offer brunches, pizza, cocktails and much more so you can sit back and relax after beating your date at a game of ping pong.
Don’t forget your student discount for 20% off food and drinks!
Best first cheap date ideas in and around London
11. Visit rooftop bars
One of London’s highlights is the huge amount of rooftop bars, such as Bar Elba and Pergola Paddington. Of course, these are definitely more summer date locations, but nothing beats taking in the stunning views of London while enjoy a few drinks and some great music while on a date.
12. Visit an outdoor food market such as China Town or South Bank
If you’re a foodie, you will never run out of date ideas in London. Rather than sitting in a restaurant for the first time with someone you don’t know that well yet, opt for one of London’s many food markets to grab something to eat, enjoy the sights and get to know your date.
13. Get coffee
There is no shortage of coffee shops in London. If you don’t want to travel too far into central London for a date, explore your local area and see what local coffee shops are on offer to grab a coffee and a bite to eat for a relaxed first date without too much hustle and bustle of the busy London streets.
14. Boxpark — Shoreditch, Wembley or East Croydon
Boxpark now has 3 London locations and each one is a great place to visit for a casual date. You can choose from multiple different food stands (so you don’t have to get the same thing!) and there are normally plenty of live events and entertainment on, from DJs to Love Island live screenings.
15. Visit a comedy club
London has plenty of comedy club offerings and it’s a great place to go on a first date because let’s face it if it’s awkward at least you can defuse the tension with some laughs. Comedy clubs are also more chilled and laid back than some of London’s fancier bars and restaurants, so it’s a great first date idea.
Cheap date ideas in London
16. Stargazing at Greenwich Observatory
The Greenwich Observatory is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and one of Greenwich’s most famous landmarks. You can view the stars as well as the history at the museum for just £16 per person and what’s more romantic than stargazing together?
17. Visit The Globe
Shakespeare’s Globe theatre is an important historical landmark and tickets for entry are super cheap! You could see a play for as little as £5 and experience theatre just how Shakespeare intended for it to be seen.
18. Hire a bike around the city
As a city, London encourages green travel and you can’t go anywhere without seeing the bikes you can hire. Grab a bike and cycle across one of London’s many parks or challenge your date to a race and reward yourself with lunch at a local park or restaurant afterwards.
19. Get bubble tea
There are so many great bubble tea locations across London from Chinatown and Soho to Brick Lane. Bubble Tea is fairly affordable and you can sit back and enjoy a nice catch-up with your date without having to fork out on expensive drinks at one of London’s many £££ bars.
20. London night bus tour
The London night bus tour is a great way to see the stunning views of London, and it’s cheap too. Of course, you could visit one of London’s many rooftop bars or restaurants to see the sights, but a bus tour will give you plenty to discuss and talk about along the way and is budget-friendly.
21. Take a trip on an Uber boat
Uber boat is one of the coolest, yet most affordable ways to get across London. If you want to take a trip across the Thames but don’t want to fork out on an expensive boat ride, Uber boat is your answer to a fun and affordable date that you couldn’t do anywhere else.
Outdoor London dates ideas
22. Go Ape
Go Ape is a great way to get outdoors and push yourself to do something new if you’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Go Ape currently has 5 central and greater London locations–– Battersea Park, Cockfosters, Ally Pally, Chessington and Black Park and all of them will have you swinging from the trees and climbing new heights.
Even better? You can get a student discount too.
23. Ice skating
This is time of year dependent of course, but come winter time there are loads of stunning ice rinks across London that are fun to try out on dates. From Hyde Park to The Natural History Museum, London’s ice rinks are some of the best places to visit in the capital over the colder months, so definitely take advantage of this once winter rolls around.
24. Take a stroll along South Bank
South Bank offers one of the most iconic views of London, including the London Eye, Big Ben and the river Thames. There’s plenty to do in South Bank anyway by means of food and drink, but if you’re on a budget, nothing beats a riverside stroll looking at some of London’s iconic landmarks.
25. Visit Battersea Power Station
Although it’s not technically all outside, Battersea Power Station is London’s newest hangout when it comes to eating and shopping and is a great place to check out for a date if you haven’t been yet. It has its own shiny new tube station and outdoor space to sit and relax too.
Free date ideas in London
26. Picnic in the park
Nothing beats a picnic in the park and London has lots of beautiful parks for you to take advantage of. From Hampstead Heath to Battersea Park, you can enjoy the beautiful nature of London to the max in summer with a picnic for an affordable but still beautiful date.
27. Visit the Sky Garden
The Sky Garden is free entry which means you get to see some beautiful views of London and the public gardens for free, seven days a week. There are plenty of events on at the Sky Garden as well as a (pretty pricey) restaurant and cafe but it costs nothing to take a trip up there and enjoy the views for a date.
28. Natural History Museum
One of London’s most iconic museums, with free entry and a whole load of cool things to see and visit. From dinosaurs to fossils and wildlife, it’s something that everyone needs to visit at least once in their lifetime and a really cool place to take a date.
29. Visit the Barbican Conservatory
The Barbican Conservatory is one of the most popular places in London, thanks to its unique design. Housing a secret tropical oasis, it’s free to visit and has lots of food and drink options too. Trust us, you could spend all day here.
30. Science museum
The Science Museum is a museum in London that’s not only educational but super fun too. With loads of interactive exhibits from exploring space to just how the COVID-19 vaccination was developed.
If you want to learn something new, this is the place to visit as the exhibits are constantly updated so no visit is the same twice. And plus, it’s free, so it makes for one of the best cheap date ideas in London.
