10 Alternative Ideas for the Best Hen Party

Organising a hen-party can be stressful. It’s not so much the organising, that’s the easy bit. It’s more the pressure of getting it right. Pleasing everyone (most importantly the bride-to-be) and coming up with something original. Here are some alternative ideas for the best hen party weekend.

We’ve all seen those classic hen parties and have most likely taken part in a few. You know the ones, all aboard the plane to Marbella or train to Brighton, phallic drinking straws (secretly we like these, yer?) at the ready for a weekend full of laughs, accompanied by some heavy drinking and of course a buff butler, or a stripper or two! As fun as they are, you might be craving some adventure to really make the weekend one to remember…

So I thought I’d come up with 10 alternative ideas for the best hen party weekend ever! You can do these ideas alone or combine with a weekend on the tiles too, it’s entirely up to you.

10 alternative ideas for the best hen party weekend

Head to beautiful Bristol

If you’ve been put in charge of planning a Bristol hen weekend, then you must check out the floating bars and nightlife along the riverfront. Bristol is one of my favourite cities and their nightlife really is unique.

The ‘cider boat’ is a converted Dutch barge that serves up the finest selection of ciders. Or head to Under The Stars for pizza and cocktails in the most quaint setting, before the wild night out begins!

Consider a hen weekend in Wales

If you fancy a weekend in lovely Wales, then for the best Cardiff activities, Welsh Games have you covered. Get the ultimate dose of fresh air and fun in their outdoor, local take on “It’s a Knockout.” There’s even surfing or whitewater rafting or Europes longest zip wire.  Wales and North Wales have a lot to offer a hen and her chicks.

Forget Glamping, go camping!

Now I know I’m a little more adventurous than most, but to me, the idea of Glamping is expensive and well, not as fun! As long as you’re fully prepared, take a few home comforts with you and pack like an absolute pro, you will have the best time ever.

Go Outdoors have put together this amazing ‘first timers’ guide to camping, which coverers pretty much everything you need to know before you go!

You could even take the dogs on a camping hen do too. Here are all my tips for camping with your dog.

Zen party…. Yep, that’s a thing

When I first heard about these I was a little baffled. But, if you’re teetotal and booze just isn’t your thing then these are an amazing idea. Also, if the bride to be is expecting then something a little more low-key might be on the agenda.

A Zen party sees all your hens gather for a yoga session, relaxing spa treatments and even meditation. It might sound boring to some, but this is one sure way to make sure your bride is a chilled as possible before her big day.

Go on a Treasure Hunt!

This might be a faint memory from childhood (unless you have kids now, of course!) but Hunt Fun design these great treasure hunts that take you on an adventure. Their City Explorers show you another side to the city and will have you all competing for a prize at the end of the hunt. Sounds like great fun, a good team activity that also teaches you about a new location too, amazing!

Go and dance in a field to your favourite bands or DJs

With so many amazing music festivals to choose from these days, I think it would be amazing to go on one for a hen party.

Gather your favourite girls, pop on your wellies and some bohemian headwear, pray for sunshine and go and dance the weekend away in a field!  If you can time it for Glastonbury then all the better!

Go on a Segway city tour!

Riga, Munich, Prague, Andros! Segways are a great way to get around a city. And kind of hilarious, don’t you think? You can book city tours in almost every city these days, but as it’s a special occasion, book somewhere a bit different and extra beautiful like the ones I’ve suggested.

Get physical

Love watching Strictly? Or the classic film, Dirty Dancing? Then why not learn how to dance on your hen party. Belly dancing, swing, salsa or even the classic moves from Dirty Dancing. You can book pretty much any kind of dancing party to learn yourself some new moves for the dancefloor…

Chill out in a hot tub in a forest

If it’s a chilled vibe you’re after, and especially if your party is in autumn, get yourselves a log cabin. They come complete with a wood burner, luxury hot tub and are set in the most serene surroundings.

If camping is a definite no-go, consider this. Forest Holidays have some incredible hot tub cabins, all at very reasonable prices and the huge hot tubs are amazing! They even connect you to local woodland activities, like Go Ape… Which if you haven’t done yet I urge you too, it’s brilliant!

Dine in the Dark

And if all of the above doesn’t tickle your fancy, maybe your bride-to-be is a bit of a foodie? Well, Dans Le Noir restaurant (meaning in the dark) in London has been voted this year’s ‘Dining Experience of the Year’ by the UK Restaurant Awards… And trust me, it really is an unusual but awesome experience.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my fun alternative ideas for different hen parties. If you like this post, save it to Pinterest for later using the image below, and let me know if you have any different hen party ideas!

I’ve also got lots of great ideas for a countryside hen do too. I speak from experience of organising lots of hen dos!

This post was in partnership with the cool kids at West Country Games… Can another friend have a hen do in Bristol please so we can make use of all their awesome activities!