25 of the best hen do ideas for 2025
From outdoor adventures to cocktail making to baking contests
Planning a hen do but don't know where to start? Knowing how to keep your bride and a handful of bridesmaids who all want different things happy can feel a bit overwhelming (translation: impossible). While some are eagerly planning a weekend city break, others are hankering after a quiet one at the local pub.
Fear not though, we've rounded up a handy list of various hen do ideas in the UK to help you make the all-important decision. From party houses with pools to welly wanging (yes you did read that correctly) and cocktail masterclasses from the comfort of your own home. What could go wrong?
Pasta making class
Best for: Large groups, sober groups, groups of all ages
The most delicious way to spend an afternoon? Learning how to make pasta while sipping on some prosecco (or non-alcohol equivalent), obvs. And from £65pp you can spend two hours learning how to make pasta with the team at Pasta Evangelists, at the one of their two studios located in London. They also cater specifically for group events, so if you've got a large number in your group drop them a message.
A spa day
Best for: Small groups, sober groups, groups of all ages
Planning a wedding is stressful, so why not treat your bride to be (and yourself) with a much needed spa break for her hen do. Champneys has eight locations across the UK and offers a variety of treatments for your group. You can start the day with a delicious healthy breakfast or end it with a decadent dinner and a glass of bubbles, all before heading back to your hotel room, if you choose to stay.
Boozy bingo with Bongo’s Bingo
Best for: Large groups
Taking place at more than 40 locations all over the country (including Blackpool, Liverpool, London and Manchester), Bongo's Bingo is the ultimate evening out. Combining the quintessentially quaint British pastime of bingo with dance-offs, karaoke, cocktails and nostalgic anthems, you're also in with the chance of winning some hilariously random prizes. Henry Hoover, anyone? This is unrivalled joy and unadulterated escapism mixed into one.
Cocktail making with the Thirsty Farrier brothers
Best for: Large groups
What could be better than a cocktail making masterclass in a location of your choice? For £55 per person (minimum of 15 people and £100 call out fee) you'll get a full set of equipment each to make four of your favourite cocktails, plus a bartender guiding you through it all of course . The perfect afternoon or evening activity.
Go camping in Cambridgeshire
Best for: Large groups
Madhatters is a great party campsite, particularly for hens. Take over the whole shebang and you can have up to 17 guests spread over a mix of glamping tents and pods, but if family and friends have their own tents, there are also ‘grass pitches’ in a nearby wild camping field. Fun extras can include adult party bags, in-tent massages, celebration cakes, hampers and catering. And if there are gin lovers in the party, arrange a local Ely Gin tasting session.
Wild camping pitches from £18.50pn; timber tent from £95pn, minimum two-night stay.
Rent a party house In Cornwall
Best for: Large groups
Up to 26 of you can stay in Polpier, a Mevagissy mansion with views of the palm trees and harbour below, heated swimming pool, tennis court, games room with pool table and even its own mini club - yes, you read that right, this amazing house has a room with a DJ booth and disco lights.
Plan a craft day
Best for: Sober groups, groups of all ages
From jewellery making, to glass painting, to nipple tassel designing the team at The Crafty Hen will set up the ideal craft activity for your hen party. Many of the activities are available as a mobile service so they'll come to you, bringing with them all the necessary materials, so all you need to is sit back, relax and begin thinking of your next creative design.
Sit in a floating hot tub in London
Best for: Small groups
Meet the hot tub tug, possibly the best invention after space travel and Netflix. Not only do you and your hens get to sit in a hot tub (38 degrees year-round!), but you also get to float around Canary Wharf in it with your drinks in an ice bucket, plus towels and robes and sailors hats – the bride gets to keep hers.
From £35 per person.
Do a sip and paint
Best for: Large groups, groups of all ages, sober groups
If you’ve got a creative crew, this may hit the spot. The Paint Club can work with your chosen venue or come straight to your Airbnb or home to create a bespoke sip and paint party. However, note they don't provide the alcohol for private parties, which means you can organise all the fun cocktails you want or if you've got a sober crew leave the drinks out entirely.
Prices dependent on group size.
Have your very own bake off
Best for: Large groups, sober groups, groups of all ages
Does your bride fancy herself a Mary Berry in the making? Or does she have zero baking ability? Either way she and all the hens are guaranteed to have so much fun at the Big Bake, which has locations in London, Manchester and Birmingham. You can either join an existing session or hire out a session for your whole group and compete in pairs to make the best cake. All the ingredients are provided and you're guided through the bake as you go by their experts. And best of all the washing up is all done for you and you can take your home!
Pretend you’re Alice in Wonderland in Brighton
Best for: Large groups
Hire surreal Wonderland House, which sleeps up to 24 guests, and enjoy a Madhatter’s Tea Party, complete with giant tea cup seats. Other options include life drawing classes, chocolate making workshops, a laughter gym (!) and an easy-on-the-eye butler to serve your cocktails.
From £600 per night.
Wang a welly
Best for: Large groups
Book a farmer warrior hen in Yorkshire or Shropshire and you’ll get to welly wang, tug of war, herd pigs and sheep and have a go tractor driving…if your bride-to-be loves all things country, Farm Adventure is a winner. Not that it’s all muddy fields and escaping sheep, hen party packages include barbecues with delicious locally-sourced food, accommodation for up to 32 guests in Yorkshire and 16 in Shropshire and a soak in a hot tub.
Day experience from £60pp, enquire for accommodation details and prices.
Trampoline in a cave in Wales
Best for: Large groups, sober groups
Bounce around in a cavern twice the size of St Paul’s Cathedral at this magical subterranean playground in Llangollen. Catch a train together to the heart of the old mine where you’ll discover beautifully lit caves, vast trampolines, walkways and slides. It’s full-on, adrenalin-pumping fun.
Enquire for prices.
Mamma Mia! The Party
Best for: Small groups, groups of all ages
Who doesn't love a bit of ABBA, seriously? From sitting in a traditional Greek taverna and eating gyros to singing along to the hits of the Swedish pop pioneers, what could be more fun?
You can purchase standard or premium tickets.
ABBA Voyage
Best for: Small groups, sober groups
More ABBA? Oh yeah, we're so here for it. If your hen is ABBA obsessed then a trip to ABBA Voyage is a must do. It's a concert experience like no other, and sees the members of ABBA reunite for a virtual concert experience in specially designed arena located in Stratford.
Zip World - Velocity 2
Best for: Small groups, sober groups
For the adventurer bride and hens amongst us, Zip World is home to the UK's fastest zip wire. Yep, you heard us. Situated in North Wales, and offering the most *spectacular* views of Snowdonia, you and your party can expect to travel up to 118mph whilst you're there.
Adrenaline junkies, you know you want to!
Zip World has 5 different sites if you don't want to go that fast!
Hijingo
Best for: Large groups
Whether you live in London, or you want to travel to the capital for your hen do, Hijingo is a great option. Combining 3 ingredients that make an *incredible* night out recipe - street food, cocktails, and bingo, you and your hens will no doubt have the most amazing time. Oh, and the interior is pretty cool, too.
There are different experiences you can choose from.
Butlin's Big Weekenders
Best for: Large groups
Whether you're into the 80s, 90s, 00s, soul, folk, rock, Ibiza classics or Oktoberfest, Butlin's Big Weekenders offer the ultimate hen experience. Available at an array of venues across the country, pick your favourite theme and party it up all weekend.
Escape Room
Best for: Small groups, sober groups
If deep thinking, problem-solving, and getting your detective on is your idea of a good time, why not book out an escape room with your besties for your hen? This company offers "immersive escape rooms across the UK," including Birmingham, Chelmsford, Coventry, Liverpool, Southend and Stratford Upon Avon, all of which are all perfect for groups of players.
Prices vary depending on group sizes.
Go for afternoon tea in London
Best for: Small groups, groups of all ages
Not just any old afternoon tea though, specifically Sketch’s incredibly opulent dining rooms. It’s the perfect place to tuck into the three-tiered cake stand laden with delicate finger sandwiches, truffle croquets, beautiful slices of strawberry and hibiscus Battenberg and shot glasses of cheesecake. Save room for scones and, finally, an enormous slice of Victoria sponge washed down with bubbly. Cheers.
Sophie Williams is a Freelance Journalist and Copywriter, covering everything from Fashion to Entertainment to music, Lifestyle and Features. She has interviewed a range of musical artists and authors including Alyssa Edwards, Courtney Barnett, Confidence Man, The Vaccines, Loyle Carner, Gabrielle, and John Niven, and has written for publications like Metro, Reader's Digest, ITV's Woo! and Vice’s NBGA. She is also working on a book for HarperCollins about Taylor Swift, due to be published in 2024.
Lydia Venn is Cosmopolitan UK’s Senior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer. She covers everything from TV and film, to the latest celebrity news. She also writes across our work/life section regularly creating quizzes, covering exciting new food releases and sharing the latest interior must-haves. In her role she’s interviewed everyone from Margot Robbie to Niall Horan, and her work has appeared on an episode of The Kardashians. After completing a degree in English at the University of Exeter, Lydia moved into fashion journalism, writing for the Daily Express, before working as Features Editor at The Tab, where she spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Talk Radio. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of Gilmore Girls and 00s teen movies, and in her free time can be found with a margarita in hand watching the Real Housewives on repeat. Find her on LinkedIn.
Beautiful bridal lingerie sets for your big day
15 bridal jumpsuits for the modern bride
36 wedding guest dresses worth the RSVP
Elegant wedding shoes for every bridal style
