Want to surprise him with a truly unique Christmas present this year? I know the feeling! With minced pies back in the shops, twinkling Christmas lights being hung up over the streets and festive markets rolling into town, merry season is just around the corner.
And with all the festive feels flying around, you may be wondering how to shop for the special man in your life. We all know him- the one who is notoriously hard to shop for. How do you buy for the person who says 'oh don't worry about me,' 'I don't really need anything,' or seems to already have it all?
The good news? You can forget about your generic golf gifts or aftershave. Put down the novelty tech gadgets! Because Birmingham is brimming with a whole offering of exciting and unique experience gift ideas for him, which will be sure to surprise him this year.
Does he love craft beer? Send him on a special brewery tour and tasting experience! Is he into his fitness? Then gift him a drum 'n' bass boxing session. The second city is full of amazing small businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs, just itching to share their passions. So you can be sure there's an experience gift for every niche, passion, hobby or interest.
Besides all this, we all know how tricky organising the Christmas shopping list can be. One day it's the start of November, and the next it's Christmas Eve! A great part of gifting an experience means you won't have to worry about Christmas delivery times, or the added cost of postage. It's also an eco-friendly and zero-waste alternative to buying your usual material items (and guarantees your present won't end up in the 'pass it on' drawer).
And the best part about giving a gift experience, is you can do the experience together! You'll be getting to spend that quality time together, whilst also doing something a little different and even learning new skills along the way.
So without further ado, here's a closer look at the top experience gifts for him, perfect for dads, brothers, partners or grandads:
Sporty and adventure gifts for him:
If he's a bit of a thrill-seeker, adventure lover, outdoorsy or sporty man, then these ones are for him!
Has he always wanted to try skydiving? Then take him to an indoor skydiving experience! He'll be able to experience the magic of freefall without jumping out of a plane.
Does he love his Viking, Game of Thrones or fantasy action movies? Take him for an axe-throwing or archery experience. He'll be learning the basics before taking aim and unleashing his inner Thor.
Not only will he have something to look forward to, but these sporty experience gifts are perfect for anyone who loves to get active, learn a new hobby or try new things.
So whether he's into adventure sports, boxing or something more wellbeing focussed, gifting him an active experience is a sure way to get his heart racing and those happy endorphins pumping!
🥊 Boombox: night club boxercise session: £12 per person
🪓 Axe Throwing at The Bear Grylls Adventure: £20 per person
🪂 iFLY indoor skydiving session: £52 per person
🏹 Archery experience: £20 per person
🐒 High ropes adventure: £32 per person
🧗♂️ Rock Climbing Taster at Redpoint Birmingham: £12 per person
🧘 Boxing and meditation workshop: £10 per person
Culinary and food lover gifts for him:
Does he love discovering new flavours? Is he a bit of a whizz in the kitchen? Then gift him a cooking experience day! There are plenty of cooking classes, from Thai cooking to delicious Vietnamese, and even a luxury chocolate-making day. He'll be learning how to cook up a storm, as well as gaining a few handy tips from a professional chef.
Or if he's something of a beer or drinks connoisseur (or if he'd rather sit back and enjoy the delicious flavours!), then why not take him on a tasting experience? There's whisky tasting, craft beer and brewery tours to choose from. And you can't go wrong with a classic wine and cheese pairing. He'll be discovering exciting new flavours and hearing fascinating facts behind the bottles.
Whether he wants to apply for Masterchef or he's a budding new cook, these experiences will be sure to get his tummy rumbling.
🥘 Thai cooking workshop: £96 per person
🍫 Deluxe Belgian chocolate truffles masterclass: £45 per person
🇻🇳 Learn to cook Vietnamese food: £96 per person
🥃 Whisky tasting experience: £15 per person
🍷Wine and cheese tasting: £20 per person
🍺 Craft beer tasting and brewery tour: £12 per person
🇮🇳 Bottomless cocktails & Indian street food: £42 per person
Gifts for the keen competitor, gamer or history lover:
Does he love to spend the weekend playing FIFA, trying out new techy gadgets or nerding out on history documentaries? Then why not indulge his inner geek with a techy experience gift or walking tour? He'll be satisfying his competitive streak, learning new things or getting familiar with new pieces of kit!
And as these ones are great for one-on-one time and bigger groups, you could take your friends or the whole family along for the ride. Who's in?
🎮 Virtual reality gaming experience: £30 per person
👻 Ghosts of Birmingham: interactive exploration game: £5.99 per person
🎲 Board games at Sliced 'n' Diced: £5 per person
☠️ 'Life & Death in Birmingham' walking tour: £15 per person
🧌 Play the campaign game 'Kingdom Death: Monster': £5 per person
🚶♂️Heritage walk: discover Birmingham's Catacombs: £15 per person
Luxury gifts for him:
Does he deserve a bit of a treat? If he's had a tough time lately, a full-on year or he just really loves unwinding, then a luxury gift experience is for him!
In these experiences, you will be spoiling him to self-care time that he might not think about taking for himself. From a luxury gent's grooming session to a dreamy massage or healing sound bath, you'll be helping him to shrug the world from his shoulders.
These luxury gifts for him are the perfect way to show your appreciation for all the little and big things he does.
🧘 Restorative candlelit yoga: £10 per person
💆♂️ Relaxing Aveda aroma massage: £39 per person
🌿 Mindfulness retreat in nature: £35 per person
💈 Gents grooming: haircut, straight razor & massage: £57 per person
👂 Healing sound bath & meditation: £15 per person
