Autumn Date Ideas: Cosy Plans for Crisp Evenings and Lazy Weekends

As the evenings draw in and the leaves start to turn, there is something about autumn that makes you want to wrap up and spend time with someone special. Whether you are a few dates in or have been together for decades, the season offers plenty of chances to swap the usual dinner-and-a-film routine for something a little more memorable.

Get outside while the colours last

• A woodland walk. Pick a route through a forest or country park, take a flask of hot chocolate and kick through the leaves.
• Pick your own. Many farms offer apple or pumpkin picking in early autumn. Afterwards, bake a crumble or carve your pumpkins together.
• A fireworks display. Bonfire night in early November is a classic. Wrap up warm, grab something hot from a food stall and enjoy the show.
• Stargazing. Longer, darker evenings are ideal. Drive somewhere away from streetlights with blankets and a star-map app.

Cosy nights in

Bad weather is the perfect excuse to stay home. Cook a slow-simmering stew or a big pot of soup together, then settle in with a classic autumn film. Or try a themed night: pick a country, cook a dish from there and choose a film set in the same place.

Board games, a jigsaw puzzle and a pot of tea make a surprisingly lovely evening too, especially with the lamps on and the curtains drawn.

Something a little different

Look out for seasonal events near you: a candlelit concert, a cosy pub quiz, a food festival or a spooky ghost walk around Halloween. A class you can do together, such as pottery, wreath-making or cooking, gives you something to talk about and a keepsake to take home.

The best autumn dates do not need to be expensive. Choose something you will both enjoy, wrap up warm and make the most of the season while it lasts.