Posted by
James Trenchard
30th Birthday Plans
Birthdays seem to get more extravagant as the numbers increase, so we're going to discuss some of the best 30th birthday ideas in this article. We'll give you a run through of some activities which will give you some great memories for the big 3-0! We're always at the end of a phone if you want to call about your 30th birthday ideas, to see how we can help with the process.
Failing that, carry on reading and you'll see the huge amount of great things you can choose to do for a great and memorable 30th birthday.
Planning Your 30th Birthday Ideas
A sensational 30th birthday means planning it. Let's be honest here, you've probably had plenty of notice with the date being the same every year! You should have an idea of what the birthday person would like to do, so it's just a case of working out the details, starting with the vague details:
1. What - What is the birthday person into? What hobbies and/or interests do they have? Is there anything they've spoken about doing in the past but not gotten around to yet?
2. Where - Is there somewhere that has a significance to the birthday person? Would they just like a nice trip somewhere to a destination they've not visited before?
3. Who - Which family/friends/colleagues would make the trip special? Is there anyone they haven't seen in ages and would love to see?
Once you've got these 30th birthday ideas roughly worked out, it's time to sort out the nitty gritty. Start looking into specific venues for the activities you're looking to do and working out alternatives if they aren't easy to find in your preferred location. If you're travelling away from home, look into where you're going to stay. Will you all stay in a private hire house, hotel or is everyone going to book their own accommodation for themselves?
- You may have known the date for some time already -
Once all of the 30th birthday ideas (travel, accommodation and activities) are sorted, it's time to start planning the extra bits in. If you're planning to go out for lunch or dinner and want a cake, could the restaurant provide this or can they bring it out if you provide it? Could the hotel add something a bit extra to the room? All of these little details will be sure to make the 30th birthday weekend that bit more special.
30th Birthday Activity Ideas
The activities you choose as the bulk of the 30th birthday ideas will create some fantastic memories for the birthday person. We've assembled a list of top, 30th birthday activities to choose from and sorted them into neat categories, so you can see all activities from chilled to mad in an orderly fashion and then mix and match however you like!
There are loads and loads more on our website if you fancy having a little look.
Casual 30th Birthday Ideas
If you want to have a chilled-out activity for at least part of the weekend, have a look at the following 30th birthday ideas.
Afternoon Tea
If you want to stay classy like San Diego (I hope someone gets that reference), book an afternoon tea and spend a couple of hours sampling delicious cakes, sandwiches and various other treats, all washed down with tea... or maybe some bubbles.
Evening Meal
Whether it's posh nosh, an all-you-can-eat buffet or something in between, having a meal out is one of the nicest ways to bring everyone together to celebrate, making for one of the best 30th birthday ideas.
- Fill up on good grub, surrounded by friendly faces -
Spa treatments
Getting pampered is the most chilled-out of our 30th birthday ideas and why should the birthday person be treated like a VIP? There are loads of day spas and hotels which offer various packages, so it's well worth having a look to see what's available.
Escape Room
It's not the most relaxing of these 30th birthday ideas, but it's pretty casual and you'll be stuck in a room with clues and puzzles to solve. If you manage to solve everything, you'll escape.. if not, well, we don't remember the last time we spoke to anyone who didn't solve the puzzles, so who knows.
Active 30th Birthday Ideas
If the 30th birthday ideas above were a bit tame, or you're looking to add something more active to them to keep things interesting, take a look below and see which great activities you might choose:
Assault Course
Get a bit mucky for during the birthday weekend, by throwing yourself over, under, through and around various obstacles. They often involve water of some description and are usually open whatever the weather.
It's A Knockout
Something a bit silly for a 30th birthday? It's A Knockout provides big inflatables, plenty of foam and plenty of chances to make the birthday person look and feel silly. It's not available everywhere, but
Axe Throwing
As 30th birthday ideas go, lugging some axes at wooden stumps isn't the most commonly thought of, but we say that it should certainly have more awareness. It's great fun, lets off some steam and potentially demonstrates how people have underestimated how scary you can be!
Quad Biking
Take on dirt tracks on powerful quad bikes. It's unlikely that this doesn't appeal to a lot of people and so it should! There are centres offering 'off-road safaris' all over the place and they are mega fun, especially if there's been a bit of rain!
- Take to woodland tracks, lumps and bumps for ultimate off-road fun -
Clay Pigeon Shooting
If you don't like pigeons or clay set in discs, this will suit you perfectly. Head to one of the many clay pigeon shooting venues spread around the UK and have a go at smashing lumps and/or obliterating clay pigeons with the aid of a real shotgun.
Canoeing and bushcraft
Something a little bit different from the 'normal' 30th birthday ideas, head out for a 24 or 48 hour canoeing and bushcraft trip. These take place in wild locations in a few places around the UK and offer you the opportunity to get away from busy streets. Get on your canoes and paddle to a wild camp site, learn some great survival and bushcraft skills then head home for a nice hot shower.
Zorb Football
This is probably the most viscous of our 30th birthday ideas, but one of the more memorable too. There will be 10 of you dressed in big bubbles and as well as charging around and trying to bash the birthday person around, you'll play plenty of different games, including something possibly resembling football.
Indoor Go-Karting
If you want to stick to something with less running around, karting is a great 30th birthday idea. With loads of tracks placed throughout the UK and various event/race types, there's a karting session out there to suit anyone.
As well as all of these, there are loads more ideas for any group here.
Nightlife 30th Birthday Ideas
Our list of great 30th birthday ideas wouldn't be up to much without listing some activities to have for the evening(s). Take a look and see if there's something to suit your 30th birthday weekend.
- Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you -
Cocktail Making Masterclass
If you like alcohol and fancy learning a party trick, this might be one of your favourite 30th birthday ideas. Couple it with a 2 or 3 course meal and you won't have to travel back and forth between different venues, but it will depend on your view of if eating is cheating or not.
Murder Mystery
Get into character as someone you'd never normally be (unless you are very eccentric normally) and spend an evening picking apart everyone's actions and the things they say. It's an extremely popular 'whodunnit' activity and adds something really fun and memorable to a 30th birthday weekend.
See a whole article about them here.
Comedy Club
Have a laugh by going to watch a comedy night. There are comedy clubs in almost every major town and city, so check out your preferred venue to see if any of your favourite comedians are going to be coming to perform around the time of the birthday weekend.
Party Boat
With private and public party boat trips available in several locations around the UK, choose your favourite spot and party the night away on board a boat. The trips usually include a bar, some food and music, to make sure you can party until you can no more.
Party Bus
Woop woop, all aboard! Party bus trips are great for a night out as they will take you between some great pubs and clubs, so you won't all have to worry about finding taxis. There are some private hire buses which can offer extras too, like champagne, so it's up to you what you want from the trip!
A Summary of 30th Birthday Ideas
Here is a list of our favourite 30th birthday ideas, which we think any group will be happy to choose from.
- Afternoon Tea
- Spa treatments
- Escape Room
- Evening Meal
- Assault Course
- IAKO
- Axe Throwing
- Clay Pigeon Shooting
- Canoeing and bushcraft
- Zorb Football
- Indoor Karting
- Quad Biking
- Cocktail Making Masterclass
- Murder Mystey
- Comedy Club
- Party Boat
- Party Bus
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