5 fun date ideas in Leeds that don’t involve drinking

So, you’ve been talking to that guy or gal for a few weeks now and are getting on great, but there’s a small problem – you still haven’t met and are keen to go on a date in Leeds with them. You met on a free dating app and conversation flows easily over text, but what about in real life? Let’s have a look at some date ideas in Leeds.

The most common date is to meet up for a drink. But if you aren’t a big drinker, or don’t want to get tipsy and silly on your first meeting, a date that doesn’t involve drinking might be for you.

5 date ideas in Leeds that don’t involve drinking.

Axe throwing

I went axe throwing a couple of years ago with my friend Amy.

Fun story actually, I met Amy on Instagram. We spent months talking as we went to the same gym then one day we actually spoke IN REAL LIFE. Turns out we get on really well! She moved back to Leeds a while ago which was a bit sad but also an excuse to go axe throwing!

Timberjacks is in Burley. You can book a session online for June 21st and onwards.

Don’t worry if you’ve never thrown an axe before. When you get there, they show you what you need to do and give you a few tips. I got a bullseye on my first shot! It was impressive but went a big downhill afterwards. It’s a lot of fun!

If you want to read my about our visit, see here.

Bouldering

If you’re a sporty pair, why not try bouldering! I went to the Climbing Lab in Leeds with my friend India.

India is another internet friend. She’s actually the first blogger I met. We used to live a couple of streets away from each other when we lived in Burley.

If you’ve never been before, then you will need to book an adult intro. But if you have been before, then you can sign the form to basically take responsibility if you die. There are a few rules you need to know about keeping yourself and others safe around you.

You need a lot of upper body strength for bordering. Also, you need to be a bit fearless with heights. So consider this when deciding if bouldering is for you. Also, take some liquid chalk and cut your nails!

There are different routes for different abilities. It’s a lot of fun because it’s a bit of problem-solving too. You pick a colour and have to get to the top only using that colour. Each colour has a difficulty rating.

It’s worth taking a drink and a snack. I’ve been here and also to Red Goats climbing in York with my partner and we tend to do about an hour, then stop for a coffee and snack and then do another 30 minutes or so before our arms are too tired to carry on.

A walk around Kirkstall Abbey

Kirkstall Abbey is one of my favourite places in Leeds. It’s the place I fell in love with running. I used to live near it and my 10k and half marathon races involved Kirkstall Abbey.

It’s a stunning place to visit and you can even get inside the Abbey for free. You just need to walk through the shop and explore. It’s probably my favourite out of all the date ideas in Leeds!

You can also visit the Abbey House Museum across the road. It’s only £5.75 for entry – the price of a large glass of wine! It’s small, but it gives you a chance to experience what Leeds was like in Victorian times. It’s set up like streets and you can wander around the shops and houses. I spent a lovely afternoon there with my parents one day.

After exploring the Abbey, there are a few pubs close by if you do want to get a drink or something to eat. There’s Vesper Gate, West End House and Kirstkall Bridge in.

Leeds City Museum

In the heart of Leeds city centre you can find Leed city Museum. I’ve visited here about 3 times and have no idea where I don’t have a blog post on it!

Admission is free and it’s a great way to discover the history of Leeds in the called ‘Leeds Story’ section.

I love the Life on Earth exhibition which has over 800, 000 specimens. I also like the Ancient Worlds section which explores the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. There’s even a 3000-year-old mummy there. This would make such an interesting first date in Leeds!

An escape room

Double date? No problem. Ticktock unlock has your back. We have been again since the first time we did an escape room and it’s changed so much since. The rooms are amazing now, but you cannot take photos inside so I can’t show you.

It’s so much fun, I’ve been with friends both times we went.  Even in the old location where everything was a bit office like, rather than themed, we came out laughing and smiling. The escape room really surprised me. It was so much better than I expected and we couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards!

You can book as a team of two but it’s recommended to have between 3-6. More brains really help.

Hope this blog post helped give you ideas for dates in Leeds.

You can also check out my 5 dating ideas for York!

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