The best long distance relationship date ideas in 2023

Long-distance relationships are hard. Before we lived together and got married, Anas and I were long distance for many months, and honestly, it was terrible. Anyone who’s been in a long distance relationship likely agrees that it’s not a long-term solution for most healthy relationships. Being apart is hard, but we have some fantastic long-distance relationship date ideas that we want to recommend to anyone who is living that LDR life.

These are our favorite long distance relationship date ideas to keep your connection strong while waiting to close the distance.

Why long distance relationships are so difficult

First of all, let’s discuss why long distance relationships are so difficult. For those who haven’t been in a long-distance relationship, or who might be new to the LDR life, it may seem a bit dramatic to say that LDRs are so frustrating. Of course, it depends on how long the distance is. Those who are only a couple hours away will likely have a less frustrating time than, say, somebody who lives thousands of miles from their partner.

The time zones

When we were dating, we had 5,500 miles between us. Not only is this an incredible distance, but it’s also 11 time zones. I was living in Alaska, and he was living in Morocco, which made coordinating our schedules and calling and being able to talk to each other extremely difficult. A lot of people who live with or near their partner may not recognize how much of a pain this is to coordinate. Much of the time that I was awake when we were long-distance, my husband was asleep, and vice versa. We had to work hard at harmonizing our schedules in order to talk to each other.

Lack of shared experiences

A big part of relationships is doing life together. The big things, the mundane things, the chores, the activities. When you’re long-distance, you don’t get to do any of that. You’re sort of stuck in a limbo where you have to do all of your life stuff by yourself with your best friend and biggest supporter so far away. This can get emotionally exhausting after a while, which is part of why we wanted to share our long distance relationship date ideas.

You run out of things to talk about

Personally, I’m not a big phone person. I’ve never really enjoyed just sitting on the phone, talking endlessly and I do not like video calls. This makes long-distance relationships extremely difficult, because what else do you have? Maintaining an entire relationship through texting is not ideal either. And think about what you do throughout the course of the day. Probably go to work, maybe school, maybe see Aaron and run errands and do chores. Normal “life” is not super exciting to talk about, which really limits what you and your long-distance partner actually have to say to each other.

Long distance relationship date ideas online

These are some fun, virtual ideas that you and your partner can enjoy together when trying to find long distance relationship date, ideas.

LDR date idea #1 – Play video games together

Alright, this long distance relationship date idea seems weird, but stick with me. There are a lot of online multiplayer games that don’t even require a lot of skill in order to have fun. If you and your partner have a switch or another gaming console, you can use that as well, or you can simply just log onto one of the many online multiplayer games and start exploring with your partner.

You can chat on Discord or in video calls while you complete tasks and fight monsters. It seems a little bit juvenile and childish, however, it’s also a lot of fun and a way for you to do stuff and bond together, despite the distance. Examples of online multiplayer games you can play include Animal Crossing, Runescape, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and so many more.

LDR date idea #2 – Watch movies

There are now watch party apps, like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, where you and your partner can watch movies together at the same time. Gone are the days when you’d have to sync up a movie at the exact same time through Skype or Zoom, you can now enjoy a movie at the exact same time using one of these synchronous apps. Teleparty and Hyperbeam are other apps to use for long-distance date movie viewing. Watch YouTube together here.

LDR date idea #3 – Phone games

Similar to online multiplayer games, you and your partner can play fun games together, like billiards, chess, monopoly, and more. There are endless opportunities for online games through the App Store, or the Play Store, depending on your phone type. You can do this as a set date, or you can simply play together throughout the day as you have time.

LDR date idea #4 – Create a bucket list together

Come up with a list of things you want to accomplish together and individually and discuss possibilities and the future. You can keep it on a virtual mind map or on a Pinterest board or in a Notion document, whatever works for you.

LDR date idea #5: Play a relationship game together

There are many get-to-know-your-partner-better games that can help you grow and develop as a couple.

We’ve compiled 200 of the best long-distance relationship questions to ask each other as well, which you can use as as a sort of game.

LDR date idea #6: Do an exercise video together

Break a sweat and do some cardio, strength training, or yoga together while following the same workout video.

LDR date idea #7: Do an Airbnb Online Experience together

Starting during Covid, Airbnb started doing online experiences where you can virtually attend a tour or workshop. You and your partner can attend one together, virtually. You can attend a virtual wine tasting, virtual cooking class, a virtual museum tour or walking tour, and so much more.

Long distance relationship date ideas IRL (in real life)

LDR date idea #8 – Go on hikes together

There’s nothing saying you can’t get on a video call and take your long-distance partner on a walk or nature hike, show them the scenery and experience the time together. Yeah, it might be a little bit weird if you run into other people who see you on video calls, but this is the 21st century, and people are always being weird on their phones, so it’s not that big of a deal.

LDR date idea #9 – Cook together

One of my favorite long distance relationship date ideas and one we did often is cooking together. You can choose a recipe and cook the same thing, or each cook separately while in a video call. It’s a very sweet, bonding opportunity.

LDR date idea #10 – Read together

Yeah, this might be a cheesy long-distance relationship date idea, but dating is often very cheesy in general, right? Pick a book and take turns reading to each other on video call. You can talk about the book, enjoy a story together, and have a nice time.

LDR date idea #11 – Work on crafting projects

Crafting projects are a great idea for a long-distance relationship date. It allows you and your partner to engage in a creative and hands-on activity together, even if you’re physically apart. Here are a few crafting project ideas you can try:

• Create a personalized photo album filled with your favorite memories and pictures together. You can both work on selecting photos, decorating the pages, and writing captions.
• Take an online painting class together. There are various platforms that offer virtual painting classes where you can follow step-by-step instructions and create beautiful artwork.
• Make friendship bracelets for each other. You can send each other the materials needed and then video call while you both work on creating the bracelets.
• Collaborate on a scrapbook where you can document your relationship milestones, inside jokes, and special moments. Share ideas, materials, and progress updates through video calls.
• Create customized gifts for each other, such as hand-painted mugs, custom-made jewelry, or personalized artwork. Collaborate on the design and creation process, and surprise each other with your unique creations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about long distance relationship date ideas

Long distance relationship date ideas conclusion

What are your favorite long distance relationship date ideas? Were there any good ones that we missed? Please feel free to share your favorite, long distance relationship date ideas below!