Valentine’s Day 2020 date ideas: the most unusual and romantic activities in Leeds to surprise your date

Here are a few ideas for injecting your Valentine’s Day with a bit of excitement.

Go on a hot air balloon ride

On Valentine’s Day, Virgin Balloon Flights are offering half price balloon rides for those looking to see Leeds in a way they never have before. Float in the air together over amazing landscapes with a ride that lasts around an hour.

You can find out more on the Virgin Balloon Flights website.

Check out the secret bars Leeds has to offer

Even if you’ve lived in Leeds for years, chances are you’ve walked past a hidden bar without even knowing about it. Why not check out The Liquorist - you’ll need to look out for the special box box and dial the secret number where you’ll be given instructions on how to gain access to the spectacular cocktail bar.

There’s a whole host of secret bars to choose from, so no matter you or your partners taste, there will be something to fit the bill.

Get competitive with some adult crazy golf

Crazy golf is no longer just for kids thanks to the likes of Junkyard Golf Club - you and your partner can battle your way through nine-hole crazy golf courses with a cocktail in hand.

Their cocktails like Ribena Turner and Hotling Ting come garnished with your favourite childhood treats like party rings and fizzy laces.

This Valentine’s Day, Junkyard Golf Club is donating all their golf proceeds to their partner charity Love Support Unite which is a grassroots charity dedicated to changing lives everyday through sustainable development in Malawi.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, you can book online on the Junkyard Golf Club website.

Get physical with some combat archery

This bizarre sport incorporates elements of dodgeball and archery, where you and your partner will get to play in a variety of thrilling games like capture the flag, bullseye and every man for himself.

This activity is perfect for the Hunger Games lover in your life - find out if they’d really be the victor with combat archery.

The bows are made with specially designed foam tips, and you’ll be provided with safety masks and vests, so whether you want to work as a team or battle against each other, this course has it all.

You can book online using the National Archery website.

Take a tour of the Emmerdale studio and set

If you or your partner are a fan of Emmerdale, this is the perfect Valentine’s Day outing - and even if you’re not, the experience of seeing a real working TV set and studio would be interesting enough in itself.

On the studio set tour, you’ll be guided through an indoor journey of working and replica sets and an insider look at how the cast and crew create the storylines of Yorkshire’s favourite soap. On the village tour, you’ll be able to step into the stunning Emmerdale Village situated on the outdoor set that acts as the home to stars of Emmerdale.

You should be aware that the studio experience and the village tour are situated in two separate locations, but are only about a 25 minute drive apart from each other, so you could do both if you fancied.

You can find out more and book online on the Emmerdale Studio Experience website.

Try your hand at geocaching

Put you and your partners teamwork skills to the test and take part in the world’s largest treasure hunt. There are boxes hidden around Leeds with an object inside - in order to find these boxes, you and your partner will need to solve a series of clues that give you their coordinates.

These clues can lead you all over the place, discovering the likes of local landmarks, public art and more.

To get involved, you’ll need to download the Geocaching app onto your phone, use the app to find a nearby geocache and once you’ve found it, sign and date the log book. You’ll then put the box back where you found it.

Take on an escape room

If the weather isn’t quite conducive to an outdoor adventure, you and your partner can still put your teamwork and puzzle solving skills to the test.

There are loads of escape room companies to choose from around Leeds, so you’ll have plenty of stories and scenarios to choose from - like this Hotel Heist room from LockedIn Games. You’re the manager of a five star luxury hotel when one morning you receive a call saying that Lady Murdoch-Westwell has had a diamond necklace and a sapphire ring stolen from her room - can you figure out who did it?

Regardless of what game you decide to play, you and your partner will be locked in a room for 60 minutes where you’ll need to work together to solve the clues and make it out in time.