Gifting an experience instead of a physical item is perfect for couples who love to spend time together and don’t need more “stuff.” Experiences can help couples reconnect, try something new, and create meaningful memories with each other.

I’ve organized this list by interests, so you can easily find the perfect experience to match any couple’s personality. Find experience gift ideas for couples who are travel-lovers, foodies, introverts, outdoorsy, and more!

Gifting an experience sounds expensive, and it can be, but some of the ones on this list are as low as $30.

Most of these experiences can be booked online through reputable activity sites with hundreds of different options. There’s a wide variety of experiences on this list, from virtual at-home classes to cozy weekend getaways.

35+ Experience Gift Ideas for Couples of All Types

How to Choose the Right Experience Gift

When gifting an experience to a couple, it’s best if you know their interests, schedule, and ideal experiences. Especially if you’re booking something with a specific date/time, ensure the couple is available that day or that the activity has a flexible scheduling policy.

They say opposites attract, and that can definitely be true. Just because one couple is a major foodie doesn’t mean their partner would also want to take a cooking class. Ensure you’re gifting an experience that both couples would enjoy.

Is the couple more active and adventurous or laid-back and introverted? I have recommendations for both types of couples. Book an experience that matches their lifestyle to ensure they enjoy it.

Choose something they can do within a few months. Getting a gift and then waiting six to eight months before they can “use” it isn’t ideal. The only time it makes sense to gift an experience that far in advance is if the couple has a scheduled trip that you want to book an experience for.

Where to Buy Experience Gifts

There are a few sites that I use and recommend for booking couples' experience gifts. All of them are popular, reputable sites that offer unique experiences from tons of different businesses and tour operators.

Viator: Run by TripAdvisor, Viator is one of the best websites for booking travel-related experiences, like walking tours, private day trips, and sunset cruises.
GetYourGuide: Similar to Viator, there’s a wealth of travel-related experiences on GetYourGuide. Many are the same ones listed on Viator. They also have classes and workshops available to book.
Uncommon Goods: This is by far my favorite spot to shop for unique gifts for everyone on your list. They also have a fun selection of virtual experiences that are easy to gift, with flexible cancellation and rescheduling options.
Giftory: The ultimate hub for booking experiences and gifting them. Giftory lets you book hotel stay vouchers, in-person and virtual classes, as well as all kinds of tours and experiences.

Travel-Loving Couples

Weekend getaway package: A two-night stay at a hotel is a generous gift for a couple who loves to travel. When they’re not jetting off on international trips, a weekend getaway can be a fun mini trip for them to experience together.
Guided walking tour: If the couple has a trip coming up, you could book them a walking tour on their first day to help them get acquainted with the new destination. Just be sure you know their schedule!
Priority pass/lounge pass: A couple who spend lots of time in airports and don’t already have a lounge pass would benefit from a Priority Pass or specific lounge pass at their home airport.
Travel photoshoot: Companies like Flytographer partner with local photographers in cities around the world. A photoshoot is the perfect way to commemorate a trip, and they’ll think of you every time they look at the photos.
Language class: It’s always helpful to learn a bit of the language of whichever country you’re visiting. A language class (in the language of the country the couple is visiting soon) is a thoughtful and useful gift!

Creative Couples

Couples portrait painting class: An artsy couple can flex their creativity while bonding in this portrait painting class, where they come away with hand-painted portraits of each other!
Pottery workshop: Building something with your hands is a fun way to relax and spend time together. Book a pottery workshop at a local studio or in a destination the couple is planning to visit.
Museum Membership: If the couple enjoys art history and visiting museums, consider purchasing a membership to their favorite museum or a membership that provides access to museums around the world.
Glassblowing workshop: Something a bit out of the ordinary would be a glassblowing workshop. This is a more intense kind of workshop, which would be ideal for couples who like trying new things and are more adventurous.

Outdoorsy Couples

Foraging tour: An outdoorsy couple who enjoys local food may love a foraging tour. These are typically small-group tours with an expert guide, where guests learn about foraging and come home with their foraged goods.
National/State Parks pass: For a couple who likes to road trip in the US, a National Park Pass or State Parks Pass would be an excellent gift if they don’t have one already. They are one-year passes for park exploration all year round.
Hiking tour: Guided hiking tours are a unique way for a couple to experience their regular activity. They may hike often, but with an experienced guide, they may learn more or find new trails they hadn’t yet discovered.
Kayaking/paddleboarding tour: Couples who live near the coast or a body of water would love a kayaking or paddleboarding tour. There are often tours during the day and at sunset. If the couple is more outgoing, a group tour is perfect!
Whale-watching cruise: Whale-watching is a fun, wildlife-focused experience for outdoorsy couples. If the couple lives near a whale migration route, this could be an excellent gift.

Foodie Couples

Cooking class: This one is obvious, but I couldn’t leave it off my list! There are endless types of cooking classes for couples, including pasta-making, chocolate-making, and meal-prepping. Bonus if the couple is traveling soon and you can book them a cooking class in their destination.
Brewery/distillery tour: For the foodies who love beer and/or spirits, a tour of a brewery or distillery is a fun way for them to taste the drinks while learning about the process of making them. Book on Viator or Giftory.
Wine-tasting: Depending on where it is, a wine-tasting experience can range from casual to luxurious. Pair this experience with a bottle of their favorite wine as part of your gift!
Private chef dinner: For a truly luxurious experience, hire a private chef to provide a one-night dinner cooked at their home (or yours!). These dinners often come with leftovers to enjoy for a few days after the experience.
Farm-to-table tour: Some of my favorite experiences are ones that include farm-to-table meals. Find a local farm or book a destination experience for the couple who loves organic, fresh, and nourishing meals.
Virtual tastings: There’s a wide selection of virtual tastings, including tea, olive oil, chocolate, spices, pickles, maple syrup, and coffee.

Introverted Couples

At-home massage: There’s no better experience gift for an introverted couple than a massage in their own home. No need to leave the house or interact with a bunch of people, just two masseuses for a relaxing and comfortable couple’s massage.
Cozy weekend getaway: As an introverted couple who loves to travel, a cozy weekend getaway in a peaceful destination without too many people would be perfect. You don’t need to buy them a whole trip; just gifting the accommodations is generous enough.
Virtual cooking class: An intimate and comfortable way to take a cooking class without strangers is a virtual cooking class. The couple can follow along from the comfort of their own kitchen.

Social Couples

Concert/festival tickets: Get tickets to a band or performer coming to their town or an upcoming festival you know they want to attend. This gift is best given to a couple you know well enough to be sure about what concert or festival they would want to go to.
Pub crawl tour: Local pub crawls are a fun way to meet new people while having an exciting night out. Search for pub crawls in their area, or find a pub crawl in another destination if they’re going to be traveling.
Escape room tickets: One quick way to make new friends (or enemies) is to do an escape room that pairs you with strangers. This is perfect for couples who like to socialize, meet new people, and solve puzzles.
Group cooking class: While there are private cooking classes that are ideal for introverted couples, a social couple may enjoy a group cooking class more.

Romantic Couples

Couples massage: This is a quintessential couples experience gift that most couples would enjoy. As mentioned above, you could gift an at-home massage or get them a gift card to their local spa so they can book their own treatments.
Dance class: A Salsa dance class would be an excellent gift for a couple who love romance and connecting. Dance is the perfect way for a couple to connect on a new level while learning new skills and having some fun.
Sunset sailing tour: Something about a sunset cruise oozes romance. Watching the sun set over the water while out on a yacht is definitely a more luxurious experience and makes a lovely gift.
Hot springs day pass: If the couple lives near nice hot springs or is traveling somewhere with hot springs (like Japan), a day pass to them would be a thoughtful gift.
Your Love Story Mapmaking Class: Couples can create their own fantasy-style map of their relationship in this live virtual love story mapmaking class. It includes a few physical items, which you can wrap to give as a gift.

Animal-Loving Couples

Pet portrait painting class: A couple who love their pets and getting creative would likely enjoy this virtual pet portrait painting class. They’ll learn some new skills and end the class with paintings of their beloved pets.
Wildlife-watching tour: Many areas around the world offer wildlife-watching tours, like bird-watching and dolphin/whale-watching. For a couple who loves animals and being outdoors, this would be an awesome experience.
Doggie massage therapy class: This is for the couple who loves to spoil their dog(s). The doggie massage therapy class is virtual and taught by a certified canine massage therapist who shows how to give your dog a massage.
Your Pet’s Story Mapmaking Class: Couples can create a fantasy-style map with the story of their pet as a beautiful, hand-made keepsake.

How to Package an Experience Gift

When you’re gifting an experience instead of a physical item, the simplest option is a print-out of the booking or a card that says what the experience is. This is a perfectly fine and reasonable way to present the experience.

If you want to get a bit more creative, below are my tips:

Include a related physical item: If you’re gifting a wine-tasting experience, a bottle of wine would be perfect to pair with it. Gifting a painting class? Some frames or art supplies would pair well.
Design a printable ticket: You know those giant novelty checks? This is along the same lines, but normal-sized! You can design a “ticket” (or purchase a design online) for whichever experience you are gifting the couple.
- Uncommon Goods has a downloadable experience voucher that you can print from their website and fold into an envelope shape.
Create a puzzle: You can make the couple work together to solve a puzzle, riddle, or scavenger hunt that reveals the experience once solved. If you’re extra creative, this would be a fun way to present the experience gift!