title: "50 Fun Things to Do with Friends in 2026 | GetTogether" meta_description: "Looking for fun things to do with friends? Here are 50 ideas for every budget, season, and group size — plus the easiest way to actually make plans happen." slug: /blog/fun-things-to-do-with-friends
50 Fun Things to Do with Friends (That Actually Happen)
You know how it goes. Someone drops "we should hang out soon" in the group chat. Everyone reacts with a fire emoji. Then... nothing. Three weeks later, someone tries again. The cycle repeats until someone — probably you — actually steps up and makes a plan.
If you're tired of being the one who lets fun things to do with friends die in the planning stage, you're in the right place. This list has 50 ideas covering every mood, budget, and group size — from low-key nights in to bucket-list-worthy adventures. And because picking an activity is only half the battle, we'll show you how GetTogether makes the actual scheduling part painless.
Bookmark this, share it in the chat, and let's actually make something happen.
Fun Things to Do with Friends at Night
When the sun goes down, the options open up. Here are 10 night-out ideas your crew will actually be excited about.
1. Rooftop Bar Crawl Scout two or three rooftop spots in your city and turn the evening into a mini-tour. The changing views keep things fresh and the walks between bars give everyone a chance to talk. Check Yelp's bar listings to find the best spots near you.
2. Karaoke Night Few things bond a friend group faster than watching each other butcher a classic. Private karaoke rooms are worth the extra cost — no stage fright, no strangers judging your Mariah Carey impression. It's the controlled chaos your group needs.
3. Escape Room One of the most consistently fun things to do with a group of friends. Book a room with a theme everyone can get behind — thriller, horror, adventure — and watch the competitive side of your crew come out. Most cities have a handful of options; Eventbrite often lists escape room deals and group discounts.
4. Bowling Classic for a reason. Add a little stakes by playing for something (who buys the next round?) and suddenly a low-key activity becomes a memorable night. Most alleys have late-night rates that are easier on the wallet too.
5. Comedy Show Local comedy clubs are criminally underrated. Tickets are affordable, the drinks flow, and a great set leaves the whole group in a good mood for hours afterward. Check out TimeOut's comedy listings for what's on near you.
6. Wine Tasting Whether it's a wine bar's tasting flight or a guided evening at a local winery, this one works for any group size and always sparks conversation. Pair it with a charcuterie spread and you've got a full evening sorted.
7. Live Concert Seeing a band together — even one that's new to half the group — is the kind of shared experience that becomes a core memory. Check Eventbrite and local venue calendars for upcoming shows.
8. Night Market If your city has a night market or a lit-up street fair, this is one of the most effortless and fun places to go with friends. Wander, eat, shop the vendors, take photos. Zero planning required beyond showing up.
9. Murder Mystery Dinner Part theater, part game night, part dinner party. These are a blast for groups of 6–10 and work for birthdays, milestones, or just a random Saturday when you want to do something different. Many restaurants host regular murder mystery events — TripAdvisor's entertainment listings are a good starting point.
10. Stargazing Trip Drive 20–30 minutes outside the city, bring blankets and snacks, pull up a stargazing app, and spend an hour or two just talking and looking up. It's free, it's beautiful, and it's the kind of night everyone remembers.
Fun Things to Do with Friends at Home
Sometimes the best hangout is the one where no one has to drive anywhere. These home-based ideas are low-effort to set up and high on fun.
11. Game Night The trick to a great game night is variety. Start with something fast and chaotic (Exploding Kittens, Codenames) and work up to something more involved (Jackbox games on the TV, Catan). Keep snacks flowing and arguments friendly.
12. Cooking Competition Give everyone the same 4–5 ingredients and 45 minutes. Then eat the results and vote. It's a Chopped episode in your kitchen, and the meal afterward always tastes better with a side of bragging rights.
13. Movie Marathon Theme it. Horror films only. Sequels of sequels. Director-specific. Having a theme turns a regular movie night into an event. Vote on the lineup beforehand with GetTogether so no one feels steamrolled.
14. Wine + Paint Night Grab a canvas set, find a tutorial on YouTube, pour wine, and see what happens. The bar for "good painting" is low when everyone's laughing. Bonus: everyone goes home with a piece of art.
15. Themed Dinner Party Pick a cuisine — Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Moroccan — and have each person bring a dish that fits. A simple theme makes it feel intentional, not just a potluck. Add a playlist and maybe a dress code for full commitment.
16. Karaoke at Home A Bluetooth speaker, a free karaoke app, and some confidence you didn't know you had. Home karaoke means you control the song list, the volume, and the crowd. Lower stakes, same amount of fun.
17. Poker Night You don't need to be a card shark. Low buy-ins, peanuts as chips, and beginner-friendly rules make poker a great leveler. It drags a two-hour hangout into a four-hour night without anyone noticing.
18. Spa Night Face masks, foot soaks, cucumber water, ambient music. This is one of those activities to do with friends that sounds simple and ends up being genuinely restorative. Everyone leaves looking (and feeling) better than they arrived.
19. Craft Night Pick one craft: candle making, tie-dye, friendship bracelets, holiday ornaments. Set up a station, pull up a playlist, and make something together. The activity keeps hands busy and conversation easy.
20. Potluck with a Twist Assign a course rather than a dish — appetizer, main, side, dessert — and add a rule: the dish has to be something no one has ever made before. It turns dinner into an adventure and guarantees at least one impressive culinary moment.
Fun Outdoor Activities with Friends
Fresh air and a friend group is genuinely one of the best combinations. Here are 10 outdoor ideas for every season and energy level.
21. Hiking Pick a trail based on the group's fitness level and make sure there's a view at the end worth the effort. Bring more water than you think you need, snacks that don't melt, and a loose sense of time. Need inspiration for your area? Browse AllTrails via TripAdvisor for trail reviews.
22. Picnic This one's underrated. A blanket, a good playlist on a portable speaker, a spread of food, and two hours in the sun beats almost any expensive activity. Assign dishes potluck-style to keep it simple.
23. Beach Day Pack a cooler, grab a frisbee, and commit to a full day. Beach days work best when they're actually full days — not rushed — so pick a date that works for everyone early and lock it in with GetTogether.
24. Kayaking or Canoeing Most cities near water have rental spots. No experience needed — a few minutes of instruction and you're good. It's the kind of outdoor activity to do with friends that feels adventurous without requiring any real gear.
25. Outdoor Concert Lawn seats at an amphitheater, a free concert in the park, a music festival day pass — outdoor concerts are among the best friend group activities because the energy is contagious. Bring a blanket, layer up, and show up early for good spots.
26. Farmers Market Morning Meet up early, get coffee from a market vendor, wander the stalls, and shop for ingredients for a group lunch. It's casual, it's social, and it turns a Saturday morning into something worth doing.
27. Group Bike Ride Rent bikes or use a bike-share program and pick a trail or a scenic route through the city. Add a coffee stop at the halfway point and you've got a solid half-day plan that's free outside of rental costs.
28. Camping Trip Even one night outdoors resets the whole group's dynamic. No screens, no distractions — just a campfire, bad campfire cooking, and conversations that go longer than anyone expected. Need a site? TripAdvisor's outdoor activities section has campground reviews.
29. Outdoor Movie Night Some parks and cities screen movies outdoors on summer evenings, and a backyard projector setup is surprisingly affordable to rent or borrow. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and far too many snacks.
30. Beach or Park Volleyball You don't need to be good. That's the whole point. A friendly game of volleyball with your crew is one of those things that sounds low-key and ends up being wildly competitive by the second set.
Fun Things to Do with Friends on a Budget
You don't need to spend money to have a great time. These 10 ideas prove it.
31. Free Museum Days Most museums offer free admission on specific days or evenings of the month. A little Googling reveals when. Spend a couple of hours wandering exhibits and you'll leave with more to talk about than you would from a bar night.
32. Park Hangout Simple and consistently good. Bring lawn games (bocce ball, ladder toss, frisbee), snacks, and a speaker. A park hangout can stretch from an hour to an entire afternoon with the right group.
33. Thrift Store Crawl Hit three or four thrift or vintage stores with a challenge: find the most ridiculous outfit or the most inexplicable home item. The winner gets bragging rights. Everyone leaves having spent less than $20 and laughing more than expected.
34. Sunrise Hike Set an alarm, complain about it in the group chat, do it anyway. The light at the top of a trail at sunrise is unlike anything else, and the early-morning camaraderie from dragging yourself out of bed together is genuinely bonding.
35. Board Game Café Pay a small cover, get access to hundreds of games, order coffee or food, and stay for hours. It's one of the cheapest and most fun places to go with friends that most people never think of. Look for local spots on Yelp.
36. Open Mic Night Most bars with open mics have no cover charge. The lineup is unpredictable, the talent varies wildly, and it's endlessly entertaining. You can also actually participate if anyone in your group has been quietly practicing their set.
37. Community Events Festivals, block parties, art walks, cultural fairs — your city's events calendar is full of free things happening most weekends. Check Eventbrite's free events filter to see what's coming up.
38. Photo Walk Pick a neighborhood neither of you knows well, bring your phones, and spend an hour just photographing whatever catches your eye. Compare results over coffee afterward. It's creative, it gets you outside, and it costs nothing.
39. Book Club Meetup Pick a short book or even just a long article, and meet over coffee or wine to talk about it. You'll be surprised how much a single shared text gives a group of adults something substantive to discuss. For more ideas on how to plan a get together, we've got a full guide.
40. Food Truck Rally Many cities host weekly or monthly food truck gatherings. Split costs by sharing dishes, sample from five different trucks for the price of one restaurant meal, and wander while you eat. Eventbrite and local Facebook groups usually announce these.
Unique Friend Group Activities
If your crew is up for something outside the usual rotation, these 10 activities will make for genuinely memorable stories.
41. Axe Throwing It sounds extreme. It's actually very approachable, fully supervised, and one of the most surprisingly fun group activities for adults out there. Most venues have packages for 6–10 people and walk-ins are usually welcome.
42. Pottery Class Everyone's on an even level, the instructor keeps things moving, and you leave with something you actually made. Pottery classes are the kind of unique group activity that works just as well for a Saturday as it does for a birthday celebration.
43. Go-Kart Racing Zero age limit on how competitive this gets among adults. Racing your friends around a track is pure, uncomplicated fun and the post-race trash talk lasts for weeks. Great as a standalone activity or as a warm-up to dinner.
44. Trampoline Park Yes, even as adults. Maybe especially as adults. An hour at an open-jump trampoline park is pure childhood regression in the best way, and the exhaustion afterward is deeply satisfying.
45. Hot Air Balloon Ride Splurge-worthy and genuinely unforgettable. Sunrise rides are the most scenic, and most operators can accommodate groups. It's one of those things that sounds like a one-day-maybe and should actually just happen. Plan it with a group of four to split costs.
46. Cooking Class A professional instructor teaches your whole group how to make something — pasta, sushi, Thai street food, French pastries. You eat what you make at the end. It's dinner, it's an activity, it's an education. Eventbrite's cooking classes are a great place to start searching.
47. Zip Lining Get outside, feel the rush, and watch your friends scream. Zip line parks are usually within an hour's drive of most cities and groups get discounts. Pair it with a hike or a picnic for a full adventure day.
48. Trivia League Not just one trivia night — join a league. Committing to a recurring event gives your group a standing weekly reason to get together, and the team chemistry that builds over a season is surprisingly real. Check local bars for league sign-ups.
49. Paint and Sip A step up from DIY wine-and-paint night — guided instruction, nice venue, better wine. Look for local studios that offer private group sessions. It's one of the most popular girls night out ideas in Chicago, bachelorette party ideas in Nashville, and everywhere in between.
50. Ghost Tour Most cities have a walking ghost tour that combines history, folklore, and just enough creepiness to keep things interesting. They run in the evening, usually last 90 minutes, and are genuinely fun even for skeptics. Check TripAdvisor's tours section for options near you.
How to Actually Make Plans with Your Friend Group
Here's the part nobody talks about in these lists: having 50 great ideas means nothing if you can't actually get everyone to commit to a date.
The problem isn't the activities. The problem is the group chat.
You throw out an idea. Someone says "yes!" Three people leave it on read. Someone suggests a different weekend. The original person can only do the first weekend. A fourth option gets floated. Everyone goes quiet. Six days later, nothing is scheduled and the thread has drifted back to memes.
This happens to almost every friend group, not because people don't want to hang out, but because coordinating schedules over a chat app is genuinely chaotic. There's no way to see everyone's availability at once, no way to vote on options cleanly, and no accountability to actually lock something in.
That's exactly what GetTogether is built to solve.
Here's how it works in three steps:
- Create a plan — Pick your activity from this list (or bring your own idea) and add it to GetTogether. Takes about 60 seconds.
- Share with your group — Send a link to your crew. Everyone votes on which date works best — no app download required.
- Lock it in — GetTogether tallies the votes and confirms the plan. Everyone gets a reminder so no one "forgets."
No more playing calendar coordinator in a 14-person thread. No more plans that evaporate. Just an actual event on an actual date with actual people showing up.
Whether you're planning a bachelor party in Miami, a bachelorette in Nashville, or just a low-key dinner with your usual crew — GetTogether makes the logistics invisible so you can focus on the fun part.
Start planning your next get-together — it's free and takes 60 seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
What are fun things for a group of friends to do?
Great group activities include escape rooms, game nights, hiking, cooking competitions, karaoke, trivia nights, bowling, outdoor concerts, and themed dinner parties. The best activities are ones where everyone can participate regardless of skill level — think collaborative over competitive whenever possible. For a full breakdown organized by vibe and budget, see the 50 ideas above.
How do you plan a group hangout?
Planning a group hangout is easiest when you use a tool like GetTogether to propose a few date options and let everyone vote — instead of trying to coordinate availability through a group chat. Pick a date at least a week out, assign simple tasks (who brings what, who picks the playlist), and confirm the plan 24 hours before. Keep the headcount manageable; 4 to 8 people is usually the sweet spot. For a more detailed walkthrough, see our guide on how to plan a get together.
What are fun activities for adults with friends?
Adults love activities that mix socializing with a little novelty: wine tastings, pottery classes, escape rooms, axe throwing, cooking classes, trivia leagues, comedy shows, and paint-and-sip events. Anything that gives you something to talk about — and laugh about — works. The activity is really just the backdrop for hanging out.
How do you decide what to do with friends?
The easiest way to decide is to offer 2 or 3 concrete options rather than asking "what does everyone want to do?" Open-ended questions produce paralysis; specific choices produce decisions. Use a free poll in GetTogether to let your group vote on both the activity and the date at the same time. This cuts out the back-and-forth and means plans actually get made.
What are cheap things to do with a group of friends?
Plenty of great group activities cost little to nothing: free museum days, park hangouts, sunrise hikes, potluck dinners, community events, board game nights, thrift store crawls, open mic nights, photo walks, and food truck rallies. Most cities also post free event calendars on Eventbrite and local neighborhood sites. See the full budget-friendly section above for 10 detailed ideas.
Have a favorite group activity we missed? Drop it in the comments — and don't forget to actually send this to your crew. You know, the one that's been talking about hanging out for three weeks.