Hen do ideas: friends raising glasses around a candlelit dinner table

Celebrations · Hen dos

Hen do ideas, by city: eight weekends with taste

These hen do ideas are for a group of friends who would rather have a spa, a long lunch and a boat day than an inflatable. Eight cities, each with one stay, two things to book and what two nights cost each of you.

OurWhisky Foundation, Unsplash

The short answer

The best hen do ideas for 2026/27

Prices checked 19 October 2026

Our eight hen do ideas, cheapest first for two nights with the stay and two activities: Edinburgh (about £178 each), Ibiza (£217), York (£245), Bordeaux (£259), Bath (£288), the Cotswolds (£308), Lisbon (£323) and San Sebastián (£406). Travel, meals and drinks are on top.

That puts most of them close to what people say they spend. GoHen's 2025 figures give an average of £203 a head for a UK hen do and £232 in Europe; Party Houses puts it at £187 in the UK and £207 abroad, before travel, food and drink.

The UK four are whole houses split across ten or twelve of you, which is where the value is. The four abroad are small hotels priced for two sharing a double, because a villa usually wants a full week. If you can stretch to seven nights, our luxury villa rentals list prices six of them for a group.

Every price here is the seller's own, or a booking site's, read on 19 October 2026. Euro prices are converted at about £0.87. Where a price is a 'from' figure, a seasonal offer or dated, we say so under the item.

Planning the trip around it? Start with luxury villa rentals for a group, priced per person and catered ski chalets, for a winter hen week and stag do ideas, if the stag do needs planning too.

No passports

A UK weekend

From about £178 each in Edinburgh

  • A whole house split ten or twelve ways.
  • Trains from London in 1 hour 19 minutes (Bath) to about 4 hours 20 minutes (Edinburgh).
  • Book the house first; it is the thing that sells out.
Start with Bath

Under three hours

A short flight

From about £217 each in Ibiza

  • Lisbon, Bordeaux and Ibiza are direct from London.
  • Small hotels, two to a room.
  • Flights are extra, so check them before you commit.
See Lisbon

Go properly

A food trip

About £406 each in San Sebastián

  • A pintxos tour and a Basque cooking class.
  • Fly to Bilbao, then about 1 hour 15 minutes by coach.
  • The dearest of the eight, before flights.
See San Sebastián

Find your hen do by vibe

Pick what the bride would actually enjoy, and we will show the hen do ideas that fit.

The eight

Eight hen do ideas, from about £178 each

Every one of these hen do ideas is a real, bookable weekend. Tap a city to jump to it.

  1. The Royal Crescent in Bath, a sweep of Georgian stone houses under a blue sky

    Bath Ifeoluwa B., Unsplash

  2. The Great Bath at the Roman Baths, green water framed by stone columns

    The Roman Baths Hulki Okan Tabak, Unsplash

  3. Bath Abbey and the Pump Room around the Abbey Churchyard on a bright day

    Abbey Churchyard Hulki Okan Tabak, Unsplash

  4. The Royal Crescent lawn in Bath in late afternoon light

    Royal Crescent Matthew Waring, Unsplash

  5. The west front of Bath Abbey against a deep blue sky

    Bath Abbey William V, Unsplash

Background: Bradley Pritchard Jones, Unsplash

01 · Spa, Georgian streets and a long lunch

Bath

1 hour 19 minutes by train from Paddington

  • Spa and slow
  • Culture
  • Foodie
Getting there
GWR from Paddington, fastest 1 hour 19 minutes, about every 30 minutes
Stay
Lady Margaret's Townhouse, between the Royal Crescent and the Circus: from £1,600 a weekend, sleeps 10 (12 with extra beds)
Do
Thermae Bath Spa, 2 hours with the open-air rooftop pool, £43 at weekends; Savouring Bath's Saturday food tour, £85 each
Eat
The Beckford Bottle Shop: small plates, cheese and a long wine list
Weekend cost
About £288 each, for 10
Best months
Any month; the spa and the Saturday tour run all year

"a great place to catch the early evening sun"

Harden's diners, on The Beckford Bottle Shop

The easiest hen do in the country to get right. The house is on a pedestrianised Georgian street between the Royal Crescent and the Circus, the spa is the main event, and nobody has to be a big drinker to enjoy it. Bath also tops GoHen's 2025 list of UK hen destinations.

Skip it if you want a weekday deal. Thermae's Twilight package (£55, with a dish and a drink) is Monday to Friday only.

How to book it

Book the house first, through Group Accommodation or the owners via Visit Bath. Then the spa: groups over six can book, but the spa asks you not to gather in groups bigger than six inside, and under-16s are not allowed. Savouring Bath's tours take two to six, so ask for a private tour for a bigger group.

£1,600 for the weekend split 10 ways is £160, plus £43 for the spa and £85 for the food tour: £288 each. A private food tour for more than six may cost differently.

Sources: GWR: London to Bath by train · Group Accommodation: hen party houses in Bath · Visit Bath: Lady Margaret's Townhouse · Visit Bath: where to stay for a hen party in Bath (March 2026) · Thermae Bath Spa: spa sessions and prices · Thermae Bath Spa: Twilight package · Cotswolds.com: Savouring Bath food tours · Harden's: The Beckford Bottle Shop, Bath

  1. A row of honey-coloured Cotswold stone cottages beside a shallow river

    The Cotswolds Magda Vrabetz, Unsplash

  2. A Cotswold stone cottage with a cottage garden in summer

    Cotswold stone Hugo Kruip, Unsplash

  3. A Cotswold stone house on a quiet riverbank with willows

    The Cotswolds Nik Ramzi Nik Hassan, Unsplash

  4. An old stone footbridge over a Cotswold river

    The Cotswolds Uniq Trek, Unsplash

  5. Climbing roses on the front of a Cotswold stone cottage

    The Cotswolds Colin Watts, Unsplash

Background: Pauline Bernfeld, Unsplash

02 · A barn, a cookery class and a vineyard

The Cotswolds

1 hour 33 minutes by train to Moreton-in-Marsh

  • Spa and slow
  • Outdoors
Getting there
GWR from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh, 1 hour 33 minutes, hourly
Stay
Stanton House, a converted barn on 12 acres two miles west of Stow-on-the-Wold: from £1,290 a weekend, sleeps 12 in 6 bedrooms, with tennis and padel
Do
Daylesford Cookery School's Effortless Canapés, £160 each with Prosecco; Woodchester Valley Vineyard's Premium Tour, £40 each
Eat
The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Weekend cost
About £308 each, for 12
Best months
Spring to early autumn, for the garden, the courts and the vineyard

"the quintessential Cotswolds experience"

Square Meal, on The Wild Rabbit

The one for a group that wants to stay in. A barn with its own tennis and padel courts, a morning learning canapés at Daylesford with a glass of Prosecco, and a tutored tasting among the vines. Nobody needs to dress up until dinner.

Skip it if nobody wants to drive. The house, Daylesford and the vineyard are spread out, and Woodchester is in the south Cotswolds, so budget for a minibus or taxis.

How to book it

Book Stanton House through Group Accommodation, then the cookery class: Daylesford's classes take 12, cooking in pairs. The 18 November canapés class is already sold out, so check other dates. Woodchester tours must be pre-booked; private groups of eight or more can go outside public tour times.

£1,290 for the weekend split 12 ways is £107.50, plus £160 for the cookery class and £40 for the vineyard: £307.50 each. Other Daylesford half-day classes run from £95.

Sources: Rome2rio: London to Moreton-in-Marsh by train · Group Accommodation: hen party houses in the Cotswolds (Stanton House) · Daylesford Cookery School: Effortless Canapés · Daylesford Cookery School: courses and prices · Cotswolds.com: Woodchester Valley Vineyard tours · Square Meal: The Wild Rabbit, Kingham

  1. Edinburgh from Calton Hill at sunset, the Dugald Stewart Monument in front of the Old Town

    Calton Hill Connor Mollison, Unsplash

  2. Edinburgh Castle on its volcanic rock above Princes Street Gardens

    Edinburgh Castle Jörg Angeli, Unsplash

  3. Dean Village in Edinburgh, old mill houses above the Water of Leith

    Dean Village Cameron Gibson, Unsplash

  4. Edinburgh's Old Town and castle above the trees of Princes Street Gardens

    Old Town Onofre Quezada, Unsplash

  5. Spires and rooftops of Edinburgh's Old Town

    Old Town Henrique Ferreira, Unsplash

Background: Taisia Karaseva, Unsplash

03 · Whisky cocktails, afternoon tea and a city townhouse

Edinburgh

About 4 hours 20 minutes by train from King's Cross

  • Culture
  • Night out
Getting there
LNER from King's Cross, typically 4 hours 20 minutes (fastest 4 hours), almost every half hour; advance fares from £34.40 each way
Stay
2 Chester Street, a townhouse seven minutes' walk from George Street: from £1,050 for a two-night weekend, sleeps up to 19 in 6 bedrooms
Do
Johnnie Walker Princes Street's Journey of Flavour, three matched cocktails, £30; afternoon tea at Prestonfield House, £60 (£75 with Champagne)
Eat
The Little Chartroom
Weekend cost
About £178 each, for 12
Best months
The festive season, while Prestonfield serves its festive tea

"Divine."

Marina O'Loughlin, The Sunday Times, on The Little Chartroom

The cheapest of the eight, and one of the grandest. A big townhouse split twelve ways costs £87.50 each for two nights, which leaves money for afternoon tea at Prestonfield House and whisky cocktails at a rooftop bar with views of the castle. Non-drinkers get matched alcohol-free drinks at Johnnie Walker.

Skip it if anyone resents a four-hour train. Book Advance tickets early, together, or the travel can cost more than the house.

How to book it

Book the house first through Group Accommodation (2 or 3 nights). Then Prestonfield: afternoon tea on Fridays and Saturdays runs from noon to 4pm only. Book Johnnie Walker's Journey of Flavour for the late afternoon and stay for the 1820 rooftop bar.

£1,050 split 12 ways is £87.50, plus £30 and £60: £177.50 each. The house sleeps 19 but has two bathrooms and three separate WCs, so we split it 12 ways. The Johnnie Walker price is from Time Out in July 2025; check it when you book.

Sources: Seat 61: London to Edinburgh by train · Group Accommodation: 2 Chester Street, Edinburgh · Time Out: the Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street (July 2025) · Prestonfield House: festive afternoon tea · The Caterer: Marina O'Loughlin on The Little Chartroom

  1. York Minster's towers above Dean's Park on a summer evening

    York Minster Karl Moran, Unsplash

  2. York's medieval city walls lit gold at sunset

    The city walls Quan-You Zhang, Unsplash

  3. The Shambles in York, timber-framed houses leaning over a cobbled lane

    The Shambles Sarah, Unsplash

  4. York Minster from the air with the old city around it

    York Al Elmes, Unsplash

  5. A cobbled York street at night under warm lamps

    York at night Marc Markstein, Unsplash

Background: Al Elmes, Unsplash

04 · Gin, Bettys and a medieval city on foot

York

About 1 hour 46 minutes by train from King's Cross

  • Culture
  • Foodie
Getting there
LNER from King's Cross, about 1 hour 46 minutes, every 30 minutes
Stay
The Woolpack, a converted pub in the city centre: from £1,863 a weekend, sleeps 12 in 6 bedrooms, with dining for 12
Do
York Gin Tasting Experience on Skeldergate, six gins and a G&T, £40; Bettys festive afternoon tea in the Belmont Room, £49.95
Eat
Skosh
Weekend cost
About £245 each, for 12
Best months
11 November to 2 January, when Bettys takes bookings for its festive tea

"a restaurant full of energy"

Michelin Guide inspectors, on Skosh

The cosy one. A whole converted pub to yourselves with a table for twelve, a gin tasting with six gins, and a booked afternoon tea at Bettys. Skosh is a Michelin Bib Gourmand, with plates from £4.50 to about £25, so dinner need not be a shock either.

Skip it if you are going in spring or summer. The bookable Bettys tea we price is the festive one, served 11 November to 2 January only.

How to book it

Book The Woolpack through Group Accommodation, then the Bettys festive tea as soon as the date is fixed. The gin tasting meets at The Sawmill, 52 Skeldergate, and runs 1 hour 45 minutes; for a group of twelve, book directly with York Gin.

£1,863 split 12 ways is £155.25, plus £40 and £49.95: £245.20 each.

Sources: Rome2rio: London to York by train · Group Accommodation: hen party accommodation in York (The Woolpack) · Expedia: York Gin Tasting Experience · OpenTable: Bettys York festive afternoon tea · Michelin Guide: Bib of the Month, Skosh, York (April 2025)

  1. A yellow Lisbon tram on a sunny street between tiled houses

    Lisbon Paulo Evangelista, Unsplash

  2. Terracotta rooftops of Lisbon's Alfama running down to the river

    Alfama Liam McKay, Unsplash

  3. Lisbon's rooftops and a palm tree at sunset from a miradouro

    A miradouro at sunset Benjamin Pazdernik, Unsplash

  4. A yellow tram climbing a narrow cobbled street in Lisbon

    Lisbon Mehmet Bozgedik, Unsplash

Background: Lisha Riabinina, Unsplash

05 · Custard tarts, a sail on the Tagus and Alfama rooftops

Lisbon

2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 10 minutes by air from Heathrow

  • Night out
  • Outdoors
Getting there
British Airways and TAP from Heathrow, 74 direct flights a week
Stay
Memmo Alfama, beside Lisbon Cathedral, with a pool and terrace: about £215 a weekend night for a double, rated 9.3 by 1,873 reviewers
Do
A pastéis de nata class at Cooking Lisbon, €65 each; a 2.5-hour sail on the Tagus with a skipper, from €59 each
Eat
Prado
Weekend cost
About £323 each, two to a room
Best months
Spring and early autumn, for sailing weather without peak prices

"Prado paved the way for farm-to-table restaurants in Lisbon."

Rita Geraldes, The Infatuation

The one that feels like a proper trip without a long flight. Bake your own custard tarts in the morning, sail the Tagus in the afternoon, and eat at Prado, which The Infatuation credits with starting Lisbon's farm-to-table cooking. Memmo Alfama is 246 yards from the cathedral.

Skip it if you want the cheapest nights. Kayak's typical weekend rate at Memmo Alfama (£215) is well above its weeknight rate (£157), so a Thursday to Saturday trip saves money.

How to book it

Book flights first, then Memmo Alfama. Cooking Lisbon runs private classes for hens: email them to fix a time. The sailing yacht takes up to 12 with the captain included, so one boat holds the group.

Kayak's average for a Friday or Saturday night at Memmo Alfama over the past two weeks was £215 for a double, so two nights sharing is £215 each. Add €65 and €59 (about £108): about £323 each. Flights are extra.

Sources: FlightsFrom: Heathrow to Lisbon · Kayak: Memmo Alfama, Lisbon · Cooking Lisbon: pastéis de nata class · Getmyboat: sailing yacht on the Tagus, Lisbon · The Infatuation: Prado, Lisbon (July 2023)

  1. La Concha bay in San Sebastián with Santa Clara island and the old town

    La Concha Pierre Archi, Unsplash

  2. A bar counter lined with pintxos in San Sebastián's old town

    A pintxos bar Annie Spratt, Unsplash

  3. A plate of grilled octopus pintxo in San Sebastián

    Pintxos Andrea Huls Pareja, Unsplash

  4. Plaza de la Constitución in San Sebastián's old town, with its numbered balconies

    Plaza de la Constitución Vincent Soleil, Unsplash

  5. La Concha beach in San Sebastián at dusk

    La Concha at dusk Ion Flecha, Unsplash

Background: ultrash ricco, Unsplash

06 · Pintxos, a Basque cooking class and La Concha

San Sebastián

About 2 hours by air to Bilbao, then about 1 hour 15 minutes by coach

  • Foodie
  • Beach
Getting there
Vueling from Gatwick to Bilbao, 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes; Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Southend fly there too
Stay
Villa Favorita, on the La Concha promenade: from £171 a night for a double, 23 rooms
Do
A private pintxos and wine tour of the Old Town, €130 each for 7 to 10; a Basque cooking class with txakoli and Rioja, €140 each
Eat
Ganbara, Parte Vieja: order the wild mushrooms
Weekend cost
About £406 each, two to a room
Best months
Late spring to early autumn, for the beach as well as the bars

"worth the price and the wait"

Marti Buckley, The Infatuation, on Ganbara's mushrooms

The one for a bride who would rather eat well than dance. Five bars and five wines on a guided tour, a cooking class where every pintxo comes with a glass, and a hotel on the La Concha promenade. The dearest here, but the food does the entertaining for you.

Skip it if your group is bigger than ten. The pintxos tour takes up to ten and the cooking class two to eight, so a big hen means splitting up.

How to book it

Book flights to Bilbao first, then Villa Favorita. Both activities sell through the city's tourist office: the tour leaves at noon or 7pm daily, and the class runs on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 4.45pm. Under-12s cannot join the class.

Villa Favorita's cheapest double in the next 60 days was £171.18 a night, so two nights sharing is about £171 each. Add €130 and €140 (about £235): about £406 each. Flights and the coach are extra.

Sources: FlightsFrom: Gatwick to Bilbao · Hot Dinners: how to get to San Sebastián (2017) · Mr & Mrs Smith: Villa Favorita, San Sebastián · San Sebastián Turismoa: private pintxos and wine tour · San Sebastián Turismoa: Basque cooking class · The Infatuation: Ganbara, San Sebastián (January 2025)

  1. The Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux reflected in the Miroir d'Eau at night

    Place de la Bourse Juan Di Nella, Unsplash

  2. The village of Saint-Émilion and its bell tower above the vineyards

    Saint-Émilion Axel DELANSORNE, Unsplash

  3. Stone gateposts opening onto a vineyard track at a Bordeaux château

    A Bordeaux château Omar Sotillo Franco, Unsplash

  4. A pale stone street in Bordeaux's old town

    Old Bordeaux Zdenek Klein, Unsplash

  5. Ripe Bordeaux grapes on the vine before harvest

    Bordeaux vines John Cameron, Unsplash

Background: Benjamin Esteves, Unsplash

07 · Château tastings and a night in the vines

Bordeaux

1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes by air from Gatwick

  • Foodie
  • Outdoors
Getting there
British Airways and easyJet from Gatwick, 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes
Stay
Château Léognan, a wine estate in Pessac-Léognan about 30 minutes from Bordeaux: from £107 a night for a double, 17 rooms including treehouses
Do
A full-day Saint-Émilion tour with three classified-growth châteaux, from £132 each; La Cité du Vin with a glass on the Belvedere, about €23
Eat
La Tupina, Bordeaux
Weekend cost
About £259 each, two to a room
Best months
Any month; La Cité du Vin opens every day except 25 December

"Not just a pretty country inn but a veritable institution!"

Michelin Guide, on La Tupina

The grown-up one. Sleep on a working wine estate, spend a day being driven between three Saint-Émilion châteaux in a group of eight or fewer, and finish at La Tupina, which Fodor's calls a classic for cuisine de terroir. At about £259 each, it costs less than Lisbon or San Sebastián.

Skip it if your group wants to walk out of the door to bars. The château is about half an hour from the centre, so plan taxis for the night out.

How to book it

Book flights, then Château Léognan. The Saint-Émilion tour takes up to eight per minivan, so a group of twelve needs two. La Cité du Vin opens at 10am daily and until 7pm on Saturdays.

Château Léognan's cheapest double in the next 60 days was £107.48 a night, so two nights sharing is about £107 each. Add £132 for the tour and €23 (about £20): about £259 each. La Cité du Vin's €23 is an indicative 2026 price. Flights are extra.

Sources: FlightsFrom: Gatwick to Bordeaux · Mr & Mrs Smith: Château Léognan · Musement: full-day Saint-Émilion wine tour from Bordeaux · Ryo: La Cité du Vin, Bordeaux (September 2026) · TripExpert: La Tupina, Bordeaux

  1. A white Ibiza villa with a pool and palms

    An Ibiza villa Rawness Grow, Unsplash

  2. A turquoise cala on Ibiza's coast with a small beach

    An Ibiza cala Michael Tomlinson, Unsplash

  3. Straw umbrellas and loungers at a calm Ibiza beach club

    A beach club Rawness Grow, Unsplash

  4. Ibiza's Dalt Vila old town above the harbour

    Dalt Vila Raymond Petrik, Unsplash

  5. A pine-backed turquoise bay on Ibiza

    Ibiza Karol Chomka, Unsplash

Background: Ana Maria Tomescu, Unsplash

08 · A beach club, a boat to Formentera and Dalt Vila

Ibiza

2 hours 25 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes by air from Gatwick

  • Beach
  • Night out
Getting there
British Airways, easyJet and Jet2 from Gatwick, 2 hours 25 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes
Stay
Montesol Experimental, on Passeig de Vara de Rey in Ibiza Town: from £119 a night for a double, 33 rooms
Do
A sunbed at Experimental Beach near Las Salinas, €40 a day; an 8-hour catamaran trip to Formentera for up to 12, from €875
Eat
Es Boldado, above Cala d'Hort
Weekend cost
About £217 each, two to a room, for 12
Best months
May, June and September; Experimental Beach closed its 2026 season on 18 October

"come for the giant plates of fresh seafood paella"

Fodor's, on Es Boldado

The calm Ibiza: a hotel Mr & Mrs Smith calls the first of its kind on the island, a day on a sunbed at its sister beach club, and a boat to Formentera split twelve ways. Cheaper than most of the UK picks once the boat is shared, if you can find flights at a sensible price.

Skip it if you are going in winter. Experimental Beach ended its 2026 season on 18 October, and FlightsFrom shows no Gatwick fares for December to February.

How to book it

Book flights first: they set the price. Then Montesol Experimental, then the boat through Click&Boat (skipper included). Experimental Beach takes sunbed reservations from 10am to 1pm; a Balibed for two is €70.

Montesol's cheapest double in the next 60 days was £118.86 a night, so two nights sharing is about £119 each. Add €40 for the sunbed and €875 split 12 ways (€72.92): about £98. Total about £217 each. The hotel price is an off-season rate; expect more in summer. Flights are extra.

Sources: FlightsFrom: Gatwick to Ibiza · Mr & Mrs Smith: Montesol Experimental, Ibiza Town · Experimental Group: Experimental Beach Ibiza · Click&Boat: boat trips and charters in Ibiza · Fodor's: best restaurants in Ibiza

The price ladder

What two nights cost each, cheapest first

  1. Edinburgh£178each, 12 people
  2. Ibiza£217each, boat for 12
  3. York£245each, 12 people
  4. Bordeaux£259each, two to a room
  5. Bath£288each, 10 people
  6. The Cotswolds£308each, 12 people
  7. Lisbon£323each, two to a room
  8. San Sebastián£406each, two to a room

What each of these hen do ideas costs: the stay and the two activities in each city, per person. Houses are split 10 or 12 ways; hotels assume two to a room. Travel, meals and drinks are extra. €1 is treated as about £0.87.

Split the cost

Split the house

A house costs the same however many beds you fill, so the more of you, the less each pays, until it runs out of beds. The four UK houses are whole-house weekend prices; Château Léognan is priced per person, two to a room, for two nights.

Sources: Group Accommodation: 2 Chester Street, Edinburgh · Group Accommodation: hen party houses in the Cotswolds (Stanton House) · Group Accommodation: hen party houses in Bath · Group Accommodation: hen party accommodation in York (The Woolpack) · Mr & Mrs Smith: Château Léognan

  • 2 Chester StreetEdinburgh, two-night weekend, sleeps 19£131each
  • Stanton HouseCotswolds, weekend, sleeps 12£161each
  • Lady Margaret's TownhouseBath, weekend, sleeps 10£200each
  • The WoolpackYork, weekend, sleeps 12£233each
  • Château LéognanBordeaux, per person for two nights sharing, 17 rooms£107each

The numbers

Hen do ideas compared: the eight side by side

The eight hen do ideas with travel time from London, what two nights cost each with the stay and two activities, and when to go. Travel is not in the price.

CityGetting thereEach, 2 nightsBest forBest months
Bath1 hr 19 min by trainabout £288A spa weekendAny month
The Cotswolds1 hr 33 min by trainabout £308Staying inSpring to early autumn
Edinburghabout 4 hr 20 min by trainabout £178Value and grandeurThe festive season
Yorkabout 1 hr 46 min by trainabout £245A cosy weekend11 November to 2 January
Lisbon2 hr 45 min to 3 hr 10 min by airabout £323Food and sailingSpring and early autumn
San Sebastiánabout 2 hr by air, then 1 hr 15 min by coachabout £406Eating very wellLate spring to early autumn
Bordeaux1 hr 35 min to 1 hr 50 min by airabout £259WineAny month
Ibiza2 hr 25 min to 2 hr 50 min by airabout £217Beach and boatMay, June, September

Sources: GWR: London to Bath by train · Rome2rio: London to Moreton-in-Marsh by train · Seat 61: London to Edinburgh by train · Rome2rio: London to York by train · FlightsFrom: Heathrow to Lisbon · FlightsFrom: Gatwick to Bilbao · Hot Dinners: how to get to San Sebastián (2017) · FlightsFrom: Gatwick to Bordeaux · FlightsFrom: Gatwick to Ibiza

Side by side

UK or abroad?

A UK weekendAbroad
Getting thereTrains from 1 hr 19 min (Bath) to about 4 hr 20 min (Edinburgh)Flights of about 1 hr 35 min (Bordeaux) to 3 hr 10 min (Lisbon), plus the airport
Two nights each, our picksAbout £178 to £308About £217 to £406, before flights
Where you sleepA whole house for 10 to 19Hotels, two to a room; villas usually want a week
Typical spend£203 a head (GoHen) or £187 (Party Houses)£232 a head in Europe (GoHen) or £207 abroad (Party Houses)
Good forMixed budgets, no passports, one easy trainSun, a boat day and a trip that feels like a holiday
Watch forTrain fares bought lateFlight prices and winter closures (Ibiza)

Questions

Hen do ideas: what people ask

Where is the best place to go for a hen do?

For most groups, Bath. It tops GoHen's 2025 list of UK hen destinations and is first on Party Houses' list too: one train from London, a spa as the centrepiece and everything walkable. Abroad, Lisbon gives the most for a short flight. On cost alone, Edinburgh is the cheapest of our eight at about £178 each for two nights.

Where is good for a hen do in the UK?

Party Houses' 2025 top ten is Bath, Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Newcastle, York and Cardiff. Of those, Bath, Edinburgh and York are on our list, with the Cotswolds as the pick for a group that would rather stay in a big house than go out.

What are the top hen do destinations in Europe?

By bookings, Party Houses lists Benidorm, Barcelona, Marbella, Dublin, Ibiza, Albufeira, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Valencia and Budapest for 2025, and GoHen's top European pick is Benidorm. For a calmer weekend, we would choose Lisbon, San Sebastián, Bordeaux or the quiet side of Ibiza.

Who usually pays for the hen party?

The guests. Debrett's says all the costs, including the bride's share, should be divided between the people going, and that the organiser should keep everyone's budget in mind. Party Houses gives an example: on a 13-person weekend at £187 each, covering the bride adds about £14.40 to everyone else.

How far in advance should you book a hen do?

Party Houses says the average UK group house is booked about 105 days, or three and a half months, ahead, and popular areas such as Cornwall and Cumbria about 180 days ahead. Book the house or flights first, then the activities: classes like Daylesford's sell out, and San Sebastián's cooking class takes only eight.

How much does a hen do cost per person?

GoHen's 2025 figures give £203 a head in the UK and £232 in Europe. Party Houses puts it at £187 in the UK and £207 abroad for the stay, activities and nightlife, before travel, food and drink. Our eight cost about £178 to £406 each for two nights with the stay and two activities, before travel.

Can you have a hen do without much drinking?

Easily. A spa session, a cookery class or a boat day carries the weekend on its own. Several of our picks include drink but do not depend on it: Johnnie Walker on Princes Street matches non-drinkers with alcohol-free drinks, and Thermae Bath Spa, Daylesford and Bettys need no alcohol at all.

Sources: GoHen: hen party statistics 2025 to 2026 · Party Houses: hen party statistics UK 2026 · Debrett's: the etiquette of hen parties · Time Out: the Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street (July 2025)

How we chose: cities within about four and a half hours of London, each with a named stay, two activities you can book and a published price for each, priced for two nights from the seller's own page or a booking site and split across the group. No one paid to be included. Every price and specification links to where we checked it on 19 October 2026. How we choose.