Unique Date Ideas in Melbourne

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Whether you want to make a memorable first impression, score a second date or simply break from the tired dinner-and-a-movie routine, these unique date ideas are sure to impress.

Leave your ego at the door, and hit the dance floor to really impress your date at a salsa class. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never danced before or don’t know you cha-cha from your foxtrot, the Salsa Foundation welcomes beginners and runs free classes every Wednesday and Thursday where even those with two left feet can learn a move or two. Can’t get enough? Sign up for their advanced classes. Date ditched you? No problemo, you don’t even require a partner to dance a day away here.

Keep the mystery alive by taking your date to Underground Cinema, a spot that aims to create immersive worlds that merge traditional forms of storytelling and cinema. The themed events encourage people to deck up in fancy dress and show up at an undisclosed location, to watch a mystery movie that is only revealed when the film starts rolling. From a warehouse to a forgotten ballroom, you never know where the Underground Cinema will appear.

For an out-of-this-world date, visit the Melbourne Planetarium where you can recline under the stars and watch an awe-inspiring cosmic presentation across the 16m (53ft) domed ceiling. Contemplate the mysteries of the universe together as you watch a dazzling audio and visual display followed by a live presentation of the night sky, guaranteed to make your affections skyrocket.

Melbourne’s first urban winery Noisy Ritual allows visitors the opportunity to make their own wine. Get your hands and feet dirty in a grape-to-glass experience which not only demystifies the process of winemaking, but also makes for a memorable and hilarious date. Noisy Ritual also offers wine-making workshops and barrel tastings.

Break the ice at Australia’s only ice bar, where you and your date can play giant avalanche Jenga and enjoy a drink in subzero temperatures. Upon arrival, the staff will provide you with snow capes, gloves and snow boots, but if that doesn’t keep you warm enough, just snuggle up with your love for the night.

For a decadent date, book a spot on Chocoholic Tours’ Chocolate Lanes and Arcades Tour. Indulge your sweet tooth on a chocolatey trail through the city with 10 chocolate tastings, including a raw cacao tasting. This delicious tour also includes in-store offers, morning or afternoon tea as well as a chocolate and wine pairing. The perfect date for when a box of chocolates just won’t cut it.

Locked in a room and forced to unravel cryptic puzzles, you and your date could form a strong sense of camaraderie during a date at the Escape Room. Discover each other’s strengths and join forces to solve a range of enigmas through lingual, visual, mathematical, spatial, physical and lateral brain teasers within the time limit. There are six locations around Melbourne.

Take your relationship to new heights as you scale the walls at Hardrock Climbing, a climbing gym that has 28 lead climbing walls overlooking Swanston Street. A fee of 30 Australian dollars (£15.10) covers entry as well as a harness, shoe hire and unlimited all-day climbing, where you can build trust as one person climbs and the other belays (holds the rope). Hardrock also has a centre in Nunawading.

Enjoy a romantic punt ride through Melbourne’s iconic Royal Botanic Gardens and see the picturesque gardens from a whole new perspective. Sitting side by side, you’ll glide through the shallow waters of the Ornamental Lake, watching for adorable turtles. Tours last 30 minutes and each punt can seat up to eight people.

A typical date usually includes dinner, but there’s nothing typical about this unique dining experience. Secret Foodies is a surprise culinary event hosted at a mystery location that is only disclosed via text after tickets have been purchased. If you’re dating a foodie but don’t have any skills in the kitchen, this will be an evening they won’t forget.

Skate into your next date at the O’Brien Group Arena in Docklands, Australia’s largest ice-skating rink. Together, you can learn the basics in a free 15-minute session before circling the rink hand-in-hand gliding over the ice at the world-class facility. Afterwards, you can nurse each other’s bruises as you enjoy a warm drink in the on-site café.

The spine-tingling range of night tours run by the Old Melbourne Gaol includes a Night in the Watch House, the Hangman’s Night Tour and the ‘Ghost? What Ghost!’ tour. Cast in candlelight, these haunting tours provide the perfect opportunity to hold tightly onto one another as you listen to frightful stories of the prison and executions, including that of Ned Kelly.

A longstanding summer favourite, Zoo Twilights is a unique picnic and concert experience created for support against wildlife extinction. Set against a backdrop of growling lions and gleeful birds, Melbourne Zoo hosts 17 concerts over 17 nights with a lineup including local and international acts. Gates open at 5.30pm, allowing you to roam through the zoo before the concert starts.

Show off your golf skills in the dark at the smallest yet grooviest mini golf course in Australia, featuring 10 holes under UV lighting. Putt through Australia’s iconic attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Outback with glow-in-the-dark clubs and balls. Remember to wear your best fluoro or bright whites for maximum effect.