18 Unusual Date Ideas in Newcastle, UK

Stimulate your senses with an escape-room challenge at Never Give Up. You’ll need to work together to complete games and escape from themed rooms such as an Egyptian tomb and a mad scientist’s dungeon. With teams as small as two allowed, this is the perfect way to get to know each other.

Built around 122AD, Newcastle Castle, known as the gateway to Old Newcastle, stands proud in the city centre and regularly hosts events and tours that bring history to life. A visit here would make for one of the most unusual dates you could go on.

If you and your date are fans of stand-up comedy, prepare for plenty of belly laughs at The Stand. Local and international artists take to the stage at Newcastle’s leading comedy club, so you’ll never hear the same joke twice.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Leazes Park is situated a stone’s throw from the city’s main landmarks and is perfect for wildlife watching, with plenty of birds and rabbits calling this place home. Pack a romantic picnic and save something for the ducks.

It may be a short drive outside Newcastle, but what’s more romantic than a road trip? Antony Gormley’s contemporary structure is particularly striking in the evening, and is definitely worth a visit.

There’s nothing like the smell of fresh bread, and the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. Impress your date with your kneading skills at the bread-making classes at the Medieval-themed Blackfriars Restaurant & Banquet Hall.

Move at your own pace on a self-guided tour of the city with the Hidden Newcastle app. With this unique walking tour, which lets you uncover Newcastle’s “tragic and macabre” past, you’ll be able to discover a lesser-known part of the city’s history without bumping into any other tourists.

If you and your date are fans of the outdoors, rent a bicycle and head off on a bike tour of Newcastle, including along the picturesque River Tyne. For the ultimate romantic gesture, why not rent a tandem?

For an unusual afternoon together, check out the various painting courses on offer at Newcastle Arts Centre. An oil painting of your beau would definitely make for a unique memento.

The Valley Restaurants offer another unusual experience, this time in the form of the Passage to India Curry Train. Train guests will be greeted at the station and whisked away to the nearby restaurant, with orders taken en route and drinks served in the carriages for a retro transport experience.

Gin lovers, take note! The Dacantus Gin Lab has around 90 speciality gins, and their tasting sessions give you the chance to explore some fascinating flavours. Try one of their unique G&Ts and see if you and your date can agree on a favourite.

Bessie Surtees’s House is a stunning example of 16th- and 17th-century Jacobean architecture and has a romantic past: the eponymous Bessie eloped with her lover from the address in 1772. Take inspiration from their love story, and who knows? Maybe you’ll end up writing your own.

Located in the heart of Jesmond Dene, Pets Corner is a popular animal attraction home to rabbits, goats, pot-bellied pigs and alpacas. Playing with these cuddly creatures will make for an adorable date.

Tyneside Cinema is the last surviving news theatre still operating as a cinema today, and a perfect alternative to the big chains. The Grade II-listed building has four screens, a licensed café-bar, an art gallery and various displays of local heritage items to admire while you wait for your film to start.

St James’ Park, the home of Newcastle United FC, offers fantastic views of the city from inside the ground, but you can gain a whole new perspective from the roof. With a viewing platform 46m (150ft) above the ground, you and your date will be able to see Newcastle in a way you’ve never seen it before.

Beamish is an open-air museum that tells the story of life in the northeast of England during the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s. For an unusual twist on a date, why not jump aboard a steam engine or try your hand at ploughing?

Who says climbing is just for kids? Impress your date (or embarrass yourself) at the world-class bouldering facilities at Climb Newcastle. Their adult coaching sessions are perfect for breaking the ice.

With a two-hour course set high in the treetops, this date is sure to make your hearts beat faster. Head to Beamish Wild Adventure Park, just outside Newcastle’s city centre, to swing between trees, cross wobbly bridges and much more. Just don’t look down…