20 Best Date Night Ideas (2023)

Every couple needs to leave the house and have fun once in a while. But planning the perfect date is really hard and dates can go really well or really bad. But when they go well, the wonderful experiences and memories you end up sharing with your partner last a lifetime. To help you plan the perfect date for that special someone, we have compiled a list of 20 Best Date Night Ideas to help you out. These activities are also perfect for first dates and are guaranteed to impress your crush.

1. Fine Dining

This is one of the best options for people who want to spend quality time with each other and still enjoy a nice meal while at it. Making reservations for a lunch/dinner date out is the most crucial part of this date idea because most places get fully booked and not getting a table is the last thing you need on such a special day. To give your date a bit of an edge from the norm, having a brunch date instead is also an idea you can consider. The recipe for a lovely dine-in date has to start with the two of you of course. So dress up, make an effort to look nice and extra sexy… Valentine’s Day happens once every year. The date venue should check all three boxes i.e. great ambiance; the place should look beautiful to set the mood for the date with good table arrangement which isn’t squeezed so that gives you a chance to have an intimate dinner/lunch. And lastly, the place should preferably be in an environment that is reasonably quiet that will give you the privacy you need and not a packed, noisy place. A bottle of wine would be a perfect way to top of a nice meal. A few examples of great restaurants in Nairobi perfect for dates would include The Talisman, INTI- A Nikkei Experience who offer great Japanese Peruvian cuisines, About Thyme restaurant, Thai Chi restaurant, Graze Steakhouse, and Sikia Fine Dining. If you are in search of a great budget-friendly date, we definitely got you sorted with a selection of the best restaurants that can offer you a beautiful affordable date option. These include restaurants like the Urban Point Restaurant, Kafe Afrikana and Kilimanjaro Jamia along Kimathi Street. So this had to open my list on 20 Best Date Night Ideas.

Check out our “Top Ten Places to Eat In Nairobi” for inspiration

2. Spa date & Massage

If candlelit dinners and lunch dates or going out aren’t really what you’re up to this year, why not pamper you and your significant other with a visit to the spa this Valentine’s? A spa date gives you the perfect chance to zone out with your partner and at the same time enjoy romantic quality time with your partner as you relax and unwind with a perfect massage or spa treatment of choice. A day at the spa involves different forms of treatment including body scrubs, full-body exfoliation, aromatherapy, a soak in the jacuzzi, full body massage, a steam room session, hot stone massage, deep tissue massage, and maybe some alone time afterward in a secluded area of the spa. All these depend on the spa packages chosen and the spa of choice. A bottle of wine or champagne to complement the great experience is also a great idea. Some of the spa centers are wellness centers that offer additional services like swimming and gyms as an extra before your session. Places that offer great spa services include Serenity Spa in Gigiri-which has a particular package specially curated for couples – Devarana Spa, Revitalize Wellness Spa, and Angsana Spa Sankara. So a spa date was

Check out our “Top 10 Spas in Nairobi” for inspiration

3. Camping /Glamping

Whether on a hiking trail or a safari, nothing beats a great night out in the wild with your loved one. This would definitely be a good change from a usual night indoors which can sometimes get quite monotonous. Fitness guru or not, there’s always a first time for everything. For camping, there is an endless list of great hiking trails known to have the best camping sites. These places include hiking the Mt Kenya trails and Laikipia plateau in Nanyuki,  a Mount Longonot hiking experience in the Rift Valley where you get to appreciate the inactive volcano and crater lake here plus the terrain itself, or hiking in the Aberdares in Central Kenya. For a classier out in the wild experience, a night stay at the glamping sites on the Samburu nature trails and The Mara are definitely the place for you with places such as the Emaiyan luxury camp, Mara Eden camp, and the Samburu Intrepids Camp.

Check out our “10 Best Camping Spots in Kenya” for inspiration

4. Beach getaway

Is your idea of a perfect Valentine’s, a getaway? Well, a trip to the coast will be a great way to spend some quality time off work or both your busy schedules and get a marvelous out-of-town experience enjoying the beautiful sandy beaches. A beach getaway gives you a chance to get some much-needed alone time and still so many activities that you can enjoy together. These could include such as a visit to the marine park at Watamu which is such a beautiful experience, snorkeling, and deep-sea diving together, a boat ride where you can get to watch the dolphins, sky diving together at Diani for a unique adrenaline rush-filled experience, jet skiing/water skiing, swimming, and sightseeing.

Lunch at a seafood restaurant and trying out different places together will definitely be something to look forward to. For a romantic dinner, a great plan would be to have a chill evening having dinner by a seafront restaurant of your choice by the beach enjoying a magnificent view of the ocean. A nice walk in the sunset by the beach together afterward will be a perfect way to end the day.

5. Couple’s Yoga

Yoga is often known to be a great method to connect with one’s mind, body, and soul thus helping to achieve inner peace beside the obvious fitness and flexibility advantages it possesses. A guided couple yoga session is a great way to bond and strengthen the connection with one’s significant other. In couple yoga, you do coordinated yoga positions together unlike the normal yoga class where you do the poses individually. Yoga instructors guide couples through this know-how to make the experience both fun and intimate. This kind of yoga is known to improve communication between couples and enables you and your partner to experience touch and movement differently. This idea might be a bit out of the comfort zone of most people but definitely something to try out.

6. A Home-concert

In the light of the pandemic, a live concert might not be your ideal choice of a way to spend your Valentine’s. BUT- what if there was a way to get to enjoy a live music performance that you love at the comfort of your home? Yes, this is very much possible for you and your loved one. Live performers such as Tetu Shani do great home-edition concerts. To make it more exciting, you can invite other close friends of yours and their significant others and still have an intimate experience. The great thing about this idea is that it’s cozy and it facilitates social distancing. Tetu Shani’s home concert is a perfect blend of story-telling, singing, and playing of instruments. This is definitely the perfect way to surprise your significant other!

Check out our “Top Ten Festivals In Nairobi” for inspiration

7. Art and Pottery Class

A sip and paint couple’s date is another great idea for your Valentine’s date this year. “Sip and Paint” refers to doing art while enjoying some wine or any drink of your choice. For beginners, an art class at Nairobi Art Centre would be just perfect for you two. The experience is intimate, private and you get to spend quality time together learning a new skill. It’s also quite fun because even under instruction on how to do it, you get to catch up and talk with your significant other as you paint.

An alternative option to this is a pottery class which is a hands-on creative, fun, and chill way to get your hands dirty and still spend time with your partner. What may come to mind when you hear pottery maybe pots or something of the sort but the exciting part of pottery is that there are so many things you can make from vases to mugs, to bowls to flower pots. This you can get to do at Nairobi Art Centre. If you want to get artsy, this is definitely an experience worth trying out.

8. Hotel Getaway

A quick short getaway for a weekend or a few days would be a great idea for your Valentine’s plans this time around. Taking time off to spend the night somewhere different away from the kids or family or just for a change is needed once in a while. Time away from your usual home setup allows you to unwind and refrain from distractions like work, people, and unnecessary technology giving you a chance to just focus on you and your partner. Booking a nice hotel with room service allows you to get spoilt for a change and give each other undivided attention. Spending time in an intimate setting like a hotel room just for the two of you is a romantic set up that reignites intimacy and connection since you get to spend quality time together without distractions. A candlelit dinner can be arranged with the management at the hotel to spice up your stay there. Additional facilities like on-site bars, restaurants, and pools enhance your getaway experience at the hotel Making your stay comfortable and memorable for you and your loved one. Examples of great overnight stays include a stay at Ibis Styles, Four Points by Sheraton, Radisson Blu, and The Social House. Budget-friendly alternatives ranging at about KSh7500 per night include Kingfisher Nest, The Monarch Hotel, and Chester Hotel and Suites (KSh5000). So this was an easy entry into my 20 Best Date Night Ideas.

Check out our “Top Ten Staycation Spots in Nairobi” for inspiration

9. Picnic Date Night

Picnics are often done during the day but here is a great option if you are one to have a busy work schedule and still want to make this Valentine’s special for your significant other. This option is budget-friendly and can be done in the comfort of your home. However to make things a bit different and the set up special, contacting a picnic organizer to set up the place to give it a romantic mood and setting is necessary and worthwhile.

So many picnic organizers can be found on online platforms like Instagram. For instance, Lux_pics.ke do great picnics setups for your romantic picnic date with a projector to spice up the evening with a huge “on-screen” movie setting as you enjoy each other’s company and a glass of wine of your choice. Pre-planning this with an organizer is necessary so that it can all be done in time and nothing goes wrong when the time comes. Romantic and special is the goal and delays aren’t an option when it comes to making this day memorable for your loved one.

Check out our “Top 10 Picnic Spots in Nairobi” for inspiration.

10. A Dancing Date

Dancing is a wonderful form of artistic expression and one of the most underrated dating ideas. Slow and sensual dancing is a good way to bond and connect with your partner. The best dances for couples are Kizomba, Salsa, and Bachata since these deal with the coordination of both parties, and proximity between both of you while dancing makes it all the more fun and romantic.  For those with two left feet, in this case, four, a dancing date is not completely off the table since you can book a dancing class for and your significant other. It will be a great chance to let loose so be open to the new, fun, and exciting experience. Private dance classes can be organized for a more intimate experience however this can still be done otherwise. Dance classes organized in Kenya are by Dance Centre Kenya and the Nairobi Dance Project.

Check out our “Top Ten Clubs In Nairobi” for inspiration

11. A Movie at Century IMAX

You can never go wrong with a movie date, especially during Valentine’s. And Century Imax at the Garden City Mall is the best theatre in Nairobi. Hence making it the perfect place to have a movie date. The cinema usually screens a large number of valentine themed movies on the 14^th of February. Therefore, you will have a large selection to choose from. The convenient location of the cinema next to numerous restaurants also adds to its allure as the perfect movie date spot. So IMAX had to be in my 20 Best Date Night Ideas.

12. Romantic camping date at Kiboko Luxury Camp

Kiboko Camp is one of the most romantic luxury camps in The Rift Valley. Kiboko Camp is located next to Lake Naivasha on a beautiful and well-maintained campsite covered in lush gardens. Giraffes, antelopes, and warthogs are frequent guests of the campsite, and you can get up-close with them while enjoying a picnic on the grounds. From the balconies of the permanent tents, you can view the hippos, and at night you can hear them as they come ashore. Boat rides into the lake are also offered by the Camp. The staff here are also friendly and helpful and I highly recommend this camp for dates.

Check out our “10 Best Camping Spots in Kenya” for inspiration

Check out our “Top 10 Glamping Sites in Kenya” for inspiration

13. Afternoon Date at the Geothermal Spa in Hell’s Gate.

If you want to have a unique and memorable date that will leave an impression on your spouse, then the Geothermal Spa in Hell’s Gate is the place for you. The spa has a huge pool filled with turquoise blue water that is naturally heated by a nearby geyser. The hot water makes you feel cleansed and rejuvenated. I recommend spending a few hours of your afternoon here with your loved one and enjoy each other’s company over a glass of wine. This is a must do in my 20 Best Date Night Ideas list.

Check out our “Top 10 Spas in Nairobi” for inspiration

Check out our “Top 10 Spas in Mombasa” for inspiration

14. Bowling Date at Village Bowl.

If you and your partner enjoy activity-filled dates, then bowling should be a consideration for your Valentine’s Day date. And Village Bowl located inside the Village Market is one of the best places to go on a bowling date. The facility sells both food and alcoholic drinks, so you can enjoy a long island while bowling, which is the only right way to do bowling. The proximity of Village Bowl to restaurants in the mall is also a huge advantage. So, when you’re done with bowling you can enjoy a romantic dinner, right within the shopping mall. This makes this a must do in my Top 20 Date Ideas to-do-list.

15. Paint-balling at Paintball Fury.

If you and your date are adrenaline junkies, then paintballing should be on your Valentine’s Day itinerary. Paintballing is a really exciting sport and both of you are assured to have fun. A lot of exciting things happen during a paintball match, and those will provide really fun and exciting conversations on your next date. However, the game is really tiring so make sure to make plans for food after the match. So I added this into my 20 Best Date Night Ideas for the adrenaline junkies.

16. Romantic Pizza Date at Mambo Italia.

Mambo Italia is one of the best restaurants for not only Valentine’s Day dates but also dates on ordinary nights. The restaurant sells a wide variety of Italian food, and their Pizza is one of the best in Nairobi. Especially their Angry Buffalo Pizza, which is my personal favorite. The candle lights within the restaurant create the perfect atmosphere for a romantic meal and the live band plays romantic music throughout the night. If you want a traditional Valentine’s Day date, you can’t go wrong with Mambo Italia.

Check out our “Top 10 Pizza Joints in Nairobi” for inspiration

17. Romantic Evening at Wildebeest Eco Camp

Glamping dates are some of the most enjoyable dates, especially for Valentines. And Wildebeest Eco Camp in Langata is one of the best places to do it. This luxury campsite is equipped with an infinity pool from where you can enjoy wine while looking up at the stars. The camp is also right next to the Nairobi National Park and you can book a safari if you want to finish off your Valentine’s getaway in style. So this is a must try in my 20 Best Date Night Ideas list.

Check out our “10 Best Camping Spots in Kenya” for inspiration

Check out our “Top 10 Glamping Sites in Kenya” for inspiration

18. Couples Massage at Bamboo Ocean Spa.

Bamboo Ocean Spa is one of the best spas to get a couple’s massage. This is because the spa is located on a cliff with amazing views of the ocean. Here you will get to enjoy relaxing massages, as the sea breeze cools your body on a hot night. Creating a memorable and romantic atmosphere. After the massage, you and your valentine can take a deep in the hot tubs overlooking the ocean as you enjoy a glass of wine while watching the sunset rays bounce over the ocean. The incredible experience is why I added it to my 20 Best Date Night Ideas.

Check out our “Top 10 Spas in Nairobi” for inspiration

Check out our “Top 10 Spas in Mombasa” for inspiration

19. Romantic Night at The Tribe Hotel’s Penthouse

Shacking up in a Pent House during this weather sounds like the perfect plan. Even better when they have room service and a fireplace, and there is no better night to do this than on Valentine’s Day. The Tribe Hotel’s penthouse is the best in Nairobi and covers two levels of the 5-Star Hotel. With over-sized couches, a 55-inch LED Smart TV in the living room and a 40-inch LED Smart TV in the bedroom, a guest bathroom, double-volume floor-to-ceiling windows, luggage storage, a walk-in closet, and a hot tub, this penthouse screams luxury. Your spouse will enjoy an unforgettable night of pampered living and fine dining here.

Check out our “Top Ten Staycation Spots in Nairobi” for inspiration

20. Bike Ride in Hell’s Gate National Park.

If you and your spouse love wildlife and live an active lifestyle, then you need to try out Hell’s Gate on Valentine’s Day. This is one of the few national parks where you are allowed to walk and ride a bike, enabling you to get up-close and personal with the wildlife. After the ride, you can enjoy a spa date at the Geothermal Spa, and camping in one of their campsites with beautiful views of The Great Rift Valley. If you and your spouse are daring you can also do some rock climbing. A date in Hell’s Gate never gets boring and you will have a lot of activities to fill up your Valentine’s Day.

Check out our “Top 10 Hiking Spots Around Nairobi” for inspiration

These concludes my 20 Best Date Night Ideas.

Click the links below to get more insightful tips and tricks:

Top 10 Spas in Nairobi
Top 10 Spas in Mombasa
20 Things to do with Kids in Nairobi
Top 10 Nightclubs/Pubs in Nakuru
Top 10 Nightclubs/Pubs in Mombasa
10 Best Camping Spots in Kenya
Top 10 Places to have Lunch in Nairobi
The Best 10 Pizza Joints in Nairobi
Top 10 Things to do in Nakuru County

By Angie Ngugi and Ron Simiyu