Have you heard of Alphabet Dating? We have tons of ideas to help you on date nights.
This year, we decided to try alphabet dating to keep things fresh and exciting. Last year, we completed 52 unique dates, which I’ll admit was too ambitious.
Coming up with new and unique ideas weekly became stressful, and at a certain point, it became more about the idea than the date. This time around, we decided repeats are perfectly fine.
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Last Updated: April 19, 2024
A-Z Alphabet Dating: Fun Date Ideas from A to Z
The idea of this alphabet dating challenge is to get you out of a dating rut and give you plenty of ideas to try new things. I first put together this list in 2015 and have continued adding to it since. If not for this list, we would often default to a standard dinner and a movie;
Thanks to the Scrabble dictionary, we came up with all the ideas. It only took me two days to read through every word in existence. Now, I will dominate Scrabble!
The alphabet dating examples are open to interpretation. For instance, burgers can be going out to compare your city’s best tacos, staying in and making tacos together, or simply eating at your favorite taco joint. We also added places since this is a travel blog. If you can’t travel to a destination, you can get creative and put together a themed night.
Generally, people go in order from A to Z for the alphabet dating challenge, but we’re giving ourselves the freedom to go randomly.
A Date Ideas
A Activities: Afternoon Tea, Apple Picking, Archery
Places: Alaska, Antarctica, Asheville NC
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with A
B Date Ideas
B Activities: Beach, Brewery Tour, Broadway
Places: Beijing China, Big Bend National Park, Bryce Canyon NP
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with B
C Date Ideas
C Activities: Candle Making, Coffee, Climbing
Places: California, Canada, Charleston
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with C
D Date Ideas
D Activities: Day Tripping, DIY Project, Drive-in Theater
Places: Death Valley National Park, Denali National Park, Destin Florida
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with D
E Date Ideas
E Activities: Escape Rooms, Eighties, Espresso
Places: Ecuador, Egypt, El Paso
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with E
F Date Ideas
F Activities: Festival, Flower Fields, Food Tour
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with F
G Date Ideas
G Activities: Getaway, Gondola Ride, Glamping
Places: Galapagos Islands, Georgia, Grand Canyon, Greece
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with G
H Date Ideas
H Activities: Hike, Hot Air Balloon, Hot Springs
Places: Ha Long, Havasupai, Hawaii
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with H
I Date Ideas
I Activities: Ice Climbing, Ice Cream, Ice Skating
Places: Iceland, Indonesia, Italy
See More: Your Complete List of Date Ideas that Start with I
J Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Java, Jetski, Jigsaw Puzzle
J Activities: Jacuzzi, Jams, Jam Out, Java, Jazz, Jeep, Jetski, Jewelry, Jigsaw Puzzle, Jog, Jousting, Judo, Juggle, Jungle, and Junk Food.
Places: Jackson, Jacksonville, Jamaica, Japan, Jasper NP, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, Jordan, and Joshua Tree National Park.
See More: 15 Most Beautiful Travel Puzzles
K Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Karaoke, Kayak, Kite Flying
K Activities: Karaoke, Kayak, Kebabs, Keg, Kinky, Kite Flying, Kite Surfing, Kickbox, and Knit.
Places: Kanab UT, Kansas (Kansas City), Katmai NP, Kenai Fjords NP, Kentucky, Kenya, Key West FL, Kings Canyon National Park, Kissimmee, Knoxville, Kobuk Valley NP, Kyoto, and Kyrgyzstan.
See More: 7+ Remarkable Things to Do in Key West Florida
L Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Lake, Leaf Peeping, Local Adventure
L Activities: Lagoon, Lake, Languages, Lantern Festival, Lantern Release, Lasertag, Leaf Peeping, Learn, Legoland, Leisure, Lessons, Lettering, Library, Lightshow, Limo, Line Dancing, and Literary. Live Music, Live Taping, Local Adventure, Lodge, Loom, Lotto, Lounge, Luau, and Lunch.
Places: Lake Clark NP, Lake Havasu City AZ, Laos, Las Vegas, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lima, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Louisville, Lucerne, and Luxembourg.
See More: 17 Stunning Road Trip Destinations for the Best Fall Foliage in the USA
M Date Ideas
Our Top 3 Alphabet Dating M Ideas: Meteor Shower, Murals, Musical
M Activities: Magic Show (or Magic Castle), Mahjong, Mail, Make, Makeover, Marina, Market, Massage, Masquerade, Meadow, Meal, and Medieval Festival. Memoir, Mess, Meteor Shower, Mine, Mini Golf, Mixed Tape, Mixology, Mosaic, Morning, Movies, Mud Run, Murals, Museum, and Musical.
Places: Madrid, Maine, Manchester, Marfa TX, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Melbourne, Memphis, Mesa Verde National Park, Mexico (Mexico City), Miami, Milan, Minnesota (Minneapolis), Missouri, Montana, Montreal, Morocco (Marrakech), Moscow, and Mount Rainier NP.
See More: 13 Stargazing Events You Won’t Want to Miss
N Date Ideas
Our Top 3: National Parks, Nature, Netflix and Chill
N Activities: Nails, Nap, Narrows, National Parks, Nature, Nerdy, Netflix and Chill, New, NFL, Night Market, Nightclub, Nineties, Noodles, Novel, Novelty, Nudist Beach, and Nursery (Plants).
Places: Nashville, Nevada, New Mexico, New Orleans, New York, New Zealand, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Cascades NP, North Dakota, and Norway.
See More: Your Complete List of All National Parks in the US
O Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Observatory, Ocean, Orchard
O Activities: Obligatory, Observatory, Ocean, Opal Hunting, Opera, Orchard, Ordinary, Origami, Outback, Outdoors, Outing, Oxygen Bar, and Oysters.
Places: Oaxaca, Ohio, Olympic National Park, Ontario, Oregon, and Orlando.
See More: The Ultimate Orlando Bucket List
P Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Picnic, Pickleball, Pinterest Project
P Activities: Paddleboat, Padel, PADI, Paella, Pageant, Paint, Pajamas, Palace, Parade, Park, Party, Pasta, Pedicab, Performance, Petting Zoo, and Photography. Piano Bar, Piazza, Pickle, Picnic, Pickleball, Piercing, Pinball, Ping Pong, Pinterest Project, Pirate, Pizza, Plane, Planetarium, and Plant a Tree. Plateau, Play, Poetry, Pokemon, Poker, Polar Bear Plunge, Pole Dance, Pontoon, Pool, Popcorn, Popular, Porch, Potluck, Pottery, Prairie, Pregame, Pub, Pumpkin Patch, Puppet, Putt-Putt, and Puzzle.
Places: Palm Springs, Paris, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh), Perth, Peru, Petrified Forest NP, Philippines, Phoenix, Phuket, Pigeon Forge TN, Portland, Portugal (Porto), Prague, and Puerto Rico.
See More: 11 Best Places to Visit in Paris France
Q Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Quadruple Date, Quiet, Quiz
Q Activities: Quadruple Date, Quarters, Quartz Hunting, Quiet, Quilt, Quirky, Quickie ;), and Quiz.
Places: Qatar, Quebec City, Queens, and Quito.
See More: 15 Can’t Miss Things to Do in Quebec City Canada
R Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Recipe, Rock Climb, RV
R Activities: Race, Racquetball, Railway, Ramen, Ranch, Random Act of Kindness, Rappel, Read, Real Estate, Recipe, Relax, Remodel, and Rent. Replica, Repurpose, Reruns, Resort, Restaurant, Retail, Reunion, Ride, Ring Shop, Riverboat, Road Trip, Roast, Rock Band, Rock Climb, and Rocket Launch. Rodeo, Roller Coasters, Roller Skate, Romantic, Rom-Com, Rooftop Bar, Routine or Ritual – switch to your SO’s for the day, Rowboat, Rugby, Ruins, Rum, Run, and RV.
Places: Redwood National Park, Reno, Rhode Island, Rio de Janeiro, Rocky Mountain National Park, Romania, Rome, Russia, and Reykjavik.
See More: Mom’s Korean Recipes
S Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Salsa Dance, Stargaze, Subscription Box Dates
S Activities: Safari, Salsa Dance, Samples, Sand Castles, Scavenger Hunt, Scramble, Scrapbook, Scuba Dive, Sea, Seafood, Seventies, Sext, Shooting Range, Shop, Show, Shower, Shuffleboard, Siesta, Sing, Sixties, Skate, Ski, Skinny Dip, Skydive, Skygaze, Skyline, Sled, Snorkeling, Snowboarding, Snuggle, Souffle, Spa, Spinning, Splurge, Stadium, Starbucks, Stargaze, Staycation, Storm Chasing, Street Art, Studio, Subscription Box Dates, Summit, Sundaes, Sunrise, Sunset (bonus if it’s sunrise and sunset in one day), Surf, Sushi, Sweets, Swim, and Symphony.
Places: Saguaro NP, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Sarasota FL, Saudi Arabia, Savannah, Seattle, Sequoia NP, Seward AK, Shanghai, Shenandoah NP, Singapore, Sonoma Valley, South Africa, South Carolina, South Dakota, South Korea (Seoul), Spain, St George UT, and Switzerland.
See More: 13 Stargazing Events You Won’t Want to Miss
T Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Tea Tasting, Travel, Tubing
T Activities: Tacos, Tailgate, Takeout, Tandem Bikes, Tango, Tapas, Taping, Target, Tasting, Tattoos, Tavern, Tea Tasting, and Techno. Technology-Free Date, Teepees, Tennis, Tenting, Tequila, Test Drive, Theater, Theme Park, Themed Night, Therapy, Thrills, Thunderegg, and Tidepooling. Tie-Dye, Toons, Topless Beach, Tour, Tourist Attractions, Toy Store, Trail, Train, Transit, Travel, Trivia, Trampoline Park, and Trapeze. Treat Yo Self, Tree Climbing, Trek, Trendy, Trip, Tropical, Truffle Hunting, Truth or Dare, Tubing, Tunes, TV or Trashy TV, Twenties, and Twinning.
Places: Taiwan (Taipei), Tampa, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Tokyo, Toronto, Tucson, Tulsa, and Turkey.
See More: How to Shoot the Hooch – Everything You Need to Know
U Date Ideas
Our Top 3: U-Pick Farm, Unplugged, Upscale
U Activities: U-Pick Farm, Ukulele, Underground, Underwater, Unplugged, University, Unwind, Uplifting, Upscale, and Urban.
Places: Uganda, Ukraine, UNESCO Sites, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Utah, Uruguay, Utrecht, and Uzbekistan.
See More: 101 Things to Do in Utah State – Your Ultimate Utah Bucket List
V Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Vacation, Vino, Volunteer
V Activities: Vacation, Valley, Vampire, Variety Show, Vegan, Vegetarian, Viaduct, Video, View, Viewing, Villa, Vineyard, Vino, Vintage Shops, and Violin. Virtual Reality, Voice Lessons, Volcano, Volleyball, Volunteer, Vow Renewal, Voyage
Places: Valencia, Vail, Valley of Fire, Vancouver BC, Venezuela, Venice, Vermont, Verona, Victoria, Vienna, Vietnam, Virgin Islands National Park, Virginia, and Voyageurs National Park.
See More: 15 Incredible Things to DO in Valley of Fire State Park
W Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Walking Tour, Waterfall Hike, Whale Watching
W Activities: Waffles, Walk, Walking Tour, Waltz, Wander, Wanderlust, Water Sports, Waterfall Hike, Wedding, Weekend Getaway, Weird, Western, and Whale Watching. Whiskey Tasting, White Water Rafting, Wildflowers, Wind Sailing or Surfing, Window Shopping, Wine Tasting, Winery, Wings, Wish List, Whirly Ball, Woods, Woodworking, World Map, Wrestling, and Writing.
Places: Washington, Washington DC, Wind Cave NP, Wisconsin, Wonders of the World, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Wyoming.
See More: 15 Best Places to Whale Watch in the US + When to Go
X Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Xbox, Xplore, Xtreme Sports
X Activities: Xbox, Xplore, Xhibit, and Xtreme Sports.
Places: Xalapa, Xi’an, Xiamen, Xinzhou, and Xochimilco.
Y Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Yard Sale, Yelp a New Restaurant, and Yes
Y Activities: Yacht, Yard Sale, Yellow – Go Out and Photograph Everything Yellow, Yelp a New Restaurant, Yes – Go All Day Saying Yes, Yoga, YouTube, and Yurt Camping.
Places: Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yellowstone NP, Yemen, Yogyakarta, Yokohama, York, and Yosemite National Park.
See More: Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park
Z Date Ideas
Our Top 3: Zipline, Zodiac, Zzzz’s
Z Activities: Zero Gravity Flight, Zipline, Zodiac, Zombies, Zoo, Zoomer, and Zzzz’s.
Places: Zagreb, Zambia, Zangye, Zhangjiajie, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai, Zimbabwe, Zion National Park, and Zurich.
See More: 11 Best Walking Dead Locations (Self-Guided Walking Dead Tour)
Regardless of how busy or crazy life gets, Jacob and I have been challenging ourselves to make time for our marriage. We would love for you to join us in alphabet dating this year!
When was the last time you prioritized dating, and can you think of more dates starting with the letters E, Q, X, and Z? Comparatively, those were the tough ones to come up with for alphabet dating! Would you enjoy an alphabet dating challenge like this?
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
Follow on Instagram (E + J), YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.