Updated May 31, 2020.
Looking for some adventures to have with your loved one? There are definitely some bucket list items out there that are best experienced as a couple, and I hope you’ll find that this list is your ultimate guide!
Go Hiking through Maui’s Bamboo Forest
Hiking as a couple is always a winner—sometimes you have to help each other, sometimes you get to hold hands, sometimes you have the trail to yourself and can steal a kiss behind a tree! One of the most romantic hikes Steve and I ever went on was at the very end of the Road to Hana: the Pipiwai Trail and Bamboo Forest. It was like we had stepped into another world or a movie set! There are other bamboo forests in the world, but this one is our favorite.
Keep reading: Hiking Hawaii: Maui
Get a Private Aerial View of Kauai’s Na’Pali Coast
The magestic views you’ll get from your small plane or helicopter ride will blow you away. This definitely one of the beautiful experiences in life you want to share with someone you love. I was so glad to share this experience with the man I love for our second anniversary!
More here: The Ultimate Kauai Bucket List
Spend Valentine’s Day in Verona, Italy
Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a two-week anniversary trip of a lifetime, make a plan for a romantic retreat this year—no kids, no couple friends, no one but you and your loved one! We took a Valentine’s getaway to Verona this year, and it was truly the most romantic place we’ve ever been. We also make sure to visit an island each year for our anniversary, because there’s only so far you can go, you’re inevitably on easy-going “island time,” and we find islands to be inherently romantic. Choose what makes you feel the love!
Related: Where to Get Engaged in Verona
Visit a Christmas Market
What’s not romantic about the Christmas season?! The lights, the shorter days, the magic, the mystery, the decorations, the special foods, etc., all make Christmas the “most wonderful time of the year!” Make it a goal to get to a Christmas Market this year, whether over in Europe or somewhere closer to home! Walk hand in hand, get a warm beverage, and pay attention if your loved one mentions that they like something—maybe you can make a plan to go back later and pick one up for them!
More here: What to Know Before You Visit German Christmas Markets
Visit a Castle
Or better, yet, stay in a castle! There are countless castles to visit all over the world, so put one on your bucket list and make your Love feel like a Princess or a Knight in Shining Armor. Castles have been used for centuries as fortresses, homes, prisons, and more all over the world. Neuschwanstein near Munich was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle from the Disney movie. Bran Castle in Romania is possibly the infamous Dracula’s castle! Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein still houses a real Prince and his family!
Whether you choose to visit a Medieval castle like the one overlooking Heidelberg, Germany, or Buckingham Palace in London, have fun feeling like royalty!
Read next: What to Know Before You Visit Liechtenstein
Complete the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb
Is one of you afraid of heights? Challenge yourself or show your partner how encouraging you can be climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge! It’s truly not all that physically demanding, so no worries about that, but the views are stunning, and you’ll learn a lot of interesting facts about Sydney and the bridge’s construction along the way! It was a fun thing for us to do on our first trip together abroad!
More here: 10 Reasons to Visit Sydney
Cuddle a Koala
It is illegal to touch a koala… unless you’re supervised at Kuranda Koala Gardens! The picture turned out a little fuzzy, but we didn’t mind—we were too excited to be holding a koala! I mean, who doesn’t like koalas? If your other half doesn’t like koalas, maybe you should re-evaluate the relationship!
Details: 10 Reasons to Visit Cairns
Dress Up for Afternoon Tea and a Play in London
Talk about an epic date night! This takes “dinner and a show” to a whole new level. On our recent trip to London, we got a reservation for Afternoon Tea at the famous Savoy Hotel, then headed over to St. Martin’s Theatre to see The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, the longest-running show in the world!
More here: A Beginner’s Guide to Tea in London
Take a Gondola Ride in Venice
It’s the ultimate in romance: a gondola ride! When Steve suggested we go to Venice, the first thing I asked was that we go on a gondola ride. It was romantic and private, and it truly delighted me! Which also delighted Steve. Win-win! Check out my Ultimate Guide to Gondolas.
More ideas: Romantic Things to Do in Venice
Take in the Views at the Eiffel Tower
Ah, Paris! It’s one of the most romantic cities in the world, and the Eiffel Tower is one of the most romantic sights. Every couple should go up in it at least once to take in the views, eat at the restaurant for a special occasion, or even get engaged!
Take a Lava Boat Tour on the Big Island of Hawaii
My husband Steve and I agree this is one of the most epic things we’ve ever done! The Lava Boat Tours are very much condition-dependent (weather, availability, lava activity, etc.), but the trip out there is so worth it! You will literally see lava spewing into the ocean and creating more land! Not to mention it’s a “steamy” excursion!
Lock Your Love
There are lots of “love lock” locations around the world, but the one I like best is at Two Lovers’ Point on Guam. This beautiful cliff overlooks Tumon Bay and the vast Pacific Ocean, and this is the place where two Chamorro (native Guamanian) lovers threw themselves off the cliff so they could be together in eternity, since everyone was against them being together in life. Hopefully your love story isn’t quite as dramatic, but I’m sure it’s equally worth locking forever in this beautiful paradise in the Pacific!
More here: Romantic Things to Do on Guam
Watch the Sunrise when You’re Jet Lagged Together
My husband and I love to be up early. We can fit our workout in, take our time to enjoy our coffee, and most importantly: watch the sunrise! It’s one of the most beautiful things in the world, and it happens every day… but most people miss it! Use your jet lag for good and go out to watch the sunrise—you’re already up anyway!
More here: Sunrise at Ahu Tongariki
Go to the Top of the Empire State Building
Anyone’s who’s see Sleepless in Seattle or An Affair to Remember knows this is one of the most romantic things to do in America! It’s quite on the pricey side to go all the way up to the top, but the main viewing platform will also do!
Take a Horse-drawn Carriage Ride
The first thing my husband said when I told him I wanted to take a carriage ride through the snow-covered streets of Romantic Montreal was, “Ew,” referring to the stench. But guess what we ended up doing… taking a romantic carriage ride! Happy wife happy life, right?
Love is more fun when it includes travel! Want more romantic ideas? Check out 10 Trips for Happy Couples! What’s on your travel couple bucket list?
For more romantic travels, check out my Travel Tips Page!
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Cathedral Beach looks amazing. I can see why they call it that – it looks like flying buttresses. It also looks like the landforms are tentatively sticking their feet out and dipping a toe in the water.
I love that you got to cuddle a koala (legally!). Jealous!
We’ve eaten at the Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower. Romantic and unsurpassed. Felt like royalty.
Great post.
Wow! That needs to go on our list! So glad you liked the post. It was a lot of fun to write!
We waited too long before booking so could “only” get lunch reservations. (Still, best lunch I’ve ever had, in so many ways.) Next time: dinner. I wrote a blog post about it called Metro Misery in the City of Light if ever you’re interested.
I will look it up!
I love this list. Never heard of a volcanic boat ride in Hawaii, they look like so much fun!
It was amazing! So glad you like the post!
Christmas market has been on our bucket list together for a while! Great list!
Thank you! You will LOVE the Christmas Markets!