Ideas For A Stag Do All Your Mates Will Like

Are you excited about the honour of being best man, but daunted by the prospect of planning an epic bachelor party? Stag party planning is stressful, no question.

The issue can be finding something that all your mates will be able to enjoy. Not everyone has the money to go to Las Vegas or Ibiza. But then you also want to come up with stag party ideas that the groom will love and (grudgingly) thank you for. After all, you want to have a stag night out that will be remembered almost as much as the wedding itself. Right?

So in this guide we’re going to suggest some stag do ideas, and explain how to plan an epic stag weekend that will go down in the annals of history (amongst your friends anyway).

Whether it’s getting on the piss, going full hedonist or escaping the city and relaxing in nature, or a more cultured affair, we’ve got you covered.

Who should you invite on the stag party?

Before you start planning your stag do, you’ll need to know who is going. It’s no good planning a weekend in Krakow, only to then realise you’ve invited wayyyy too many people.

In fact your stag do ideas will likely be influenced by who is coming.

Although it might be obvious that it’ll be the grooms best mates, you might also need to think outside the box. Maybe they have work buddies who they’d like to bring, old student buddies that you’ve heard of but maybe not met, or maybe a family member wants to get involved.

There is no harm asking the groom who he wants to invite and involve. He might also suggest people who he doesn’t want to invite to the stag weekend, for whatever reason.

If you’re trying to plan an epic stag weekend, and an expensive one, you will probably want to keep the stag party tight. This means inviting a maximum of 8 guys who are on the same page as the groom.

The more people you invite the more complicated it gets. Yes, inviting 10 or more guys to Prague or Amsterdam might sound like a fun idea, but factors such as money and timing will mess up plans quickly.

Once you have a decent list of invitees, put together an email or Whatsapp group so you can communicate with all the stags (leaving the groom out of course).

Things to do on a stag weekend

If you’re planning a stag weekend that everyone will enjoy, you need to have some varied activities. Yes, getting absolutely smashed on the local brew is definitely gonna happen. But.. Before that you need to have some real fun. And this means finding good stag activities that everyone will enjoy.

You can (and should) mix and match activities such as:

• A team activity that the groom would enjoy – i.e: a round of golf, a game of 5 a side football or another fun team game
• A tour that lads would enjoy – for example touring local breweries, a cocktail making class or boat cruise/bus tour
• Food and drink in a quality restaurant
• A nightclub, pub crawl, festival or other team focused session. There may or may not be drinking games too…
• Possibly some sleaze such as a strip club if that’s the vibe you’re going for (totally optional)

In general, you want to have at least 3 activities within a day, including the party bit. The day after the big party will probably be the more chilled day, with one or two activities at most.

Remember to leave some time for R&R before the big night out.

You don’t want everyone burned out before you’ve even got to the nightclub.

Fancy Dress or No?

Of course one of the classic stag do ideas is to do fancy dress. At least for the poor groom to be. Whether you make the guy dress up is your choice, and will obviously depend on the kinda guys you are.

Some classic fancy dress stag do ideas include:

• Superheroes
• A big baby (big nappies are funny right)
• Full drag
• Golf outfits
• Suit and tie (dapper guys are more likely to get let into high end bars too)

If you’re looking for some more unusual stag do ideas for fancy dress, try one of these on for size:

• Pirates
• Retro or vintage dress up
• Maximum glam with sequins and silver jump suits

Obviously you should avoid dodgy stuff like Nazi uniforms, black face or anything else thats in bad taste.

Choosing a stag do location

When it comes to a bachelor party weekend (yes, weekend. Let’s not kid ourselves that you will be recovered the next day), it’s vital that you pick a good location, with plenty of potential for stag party activities.

It’s also a good idea to consider the logistics of getting there, as this can put a downer on what would be an otherwise great weekend.

If celebrating outside the UK (or your home country), then booking early with a budget airline like Ryanair or Easyjet is a great way to save more money for the trip itself. These airlines fly from a wide variety of airports across the UK and Europe, including Stansted Airport in London. 

Sharing a car to the airport will make this transition easier as well. And prices for Stansted Airport parking are quite reasonable, especially when split between a group. This also makes getting home much easier at the end of the trip, and gives you a chance to build ambiance on the way there.

If celebrating in the UK, hiring a bus with a driver is probably your best bet (you don’t want one of your mates stuck being designated driver all weekend). Other forms of transport like trains, generally aren’t too excited about having a loud rabble of lads onboard. In addition, you can build ambiance with music and activities in the bus (similar to how you would in the car).

So bearing that in mind, here are some ideas for fun weekends that your groom and the team will love.

UK based stag do ideas

In the UK there are lots of great places where you can enjoy a wild stag party, without needing to travel too far.

• Bournemouth in Dorset is a popular stag party location, with the beach, fun activities on the pier and a good selection of clubs and bars.
• Brighton is another popular stag destination, known for it’s top notch nightlife, restaurants and beach vibes.
• Edinburgh is an excellent spot for a stag party with options to go whisky tasting, nightclubbing, and even hiking up Arthurs Seat.
• Newcastle is seen as one of the best stag locations in the north of England due to the quality of nightlife and many things to do.
• London is obviously packed full of things to do which makes it pretty much the perfect stag party destination. Whatever stag do ideas you have you can probably do them here. From Thames rib tours, your preferred football stadium tour and food and drink galore. Oh and obviously shit loads of nightclubs and bars. Read our London stag do guide for more info.

This is just a small selection of the best UK destinations for stag parties.

Amsterdam for a stag do

While the Dutch city has clamped down on wild and unruly behaviour in recent years, Amsterdam remains a great place for stag parties. Be aware though that the locals have seen it all and if you’re planning a wild one, you might want to be careful.

Having said that, Amsterdam is perfect for a stag weekend full of world class nightclubs, great bars, strip clubs and sex tourism (no cheating though, right fellas) and of course copious amounts of weed.

Cultural stuff to do in Amsterdam includes canal boat tours, bike tours, museums (including sex museums) and fun activities like comedy nights or sports.

Krakow for a stag do

If you want to go somewhere where you can run wild with the stag do ideas for a weekend, then Krakow is an excellent choice. For starters, it has many of the fun stag activities that you’d expect in somewhere like Amsterdam. But its much cheaper and there is a great nightlife scene.

Krakow is a beautiful city in a good location to explore Poland. Some typical stag party activities in Krakow can include bar crawls, visiting shooting ranges, a trip to Auschwitz, or even heading to nearby Zakopane to go skiing (if its during the winter season).

Prague for a stag do

Cheap beer, beautiful women, and incredible clubs. This is the place to go if you are looking to do a weekend of debauchery. Whatever you are looking for, Prague provides. 

This city has an excellent night life, with the Karlovy Lazne nightclub providing a party experience for all kinds. Featuring 5 floors, each floor has a different type of music to cater to those with different interests, and the sheer size of the club makes it an experience in itself.

Another option to consider for a Prague Stag do is to go on a boat party. These events let you party in style while floating down the Vltava River. Often, you can find party planning organizers who will set everything up for you. However, these packages usually don’t include reaching Prague.

So when it comes to getting there, we highly recommend booking the flight with a budget carrier like Ryanair and then taking advantage of the affordable Stansted Airport parking.

Check out our list of fun playboy cities for more inspiration.

Fishing Trip in the Lakes District

Loud cities aren’t really your thing? Then maybe a quiet escape into the wilderness with your closest mates is the way to go. 

A fishing trip in the Lake District will provide you with the quiet solitude and natural respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Men can be men, catching their dinner (although grabbing a few bags of chips is definitely recommended since even the best angler sometimes fails to make a catch), and roasting it over campsite fire. 

Even if things get a little bit wild, you can be sure that you will be far enough away from anyone that you won’t be bothersome. 

Beyond Europe

For a big weekend, venture beyond Europe. Some of the best places for stag dos a slightly longer flight away include:

• Tel Aviv: The Israeli metropolis is a wild city full of fun things to do, including beaches, amazing food and some of the best nightlife in the world. Warning: it is pretty damn expensive though.
• Dubai: Live the playboy lifestyle in Dubai over a long weekend. Enjoy some unusual stag do ideas such as jet ski tours, desert safaris and skydiving above the world’s tallest building.
• Phuket: Thailand is one of the most amazing places to visit, and can make an incredible place for a stag party. Obviously this will be more than a weekend, but expect incredible nightlife, fantastic food and very friendly locals.

Go cultural

For those looking for a more cultured experience, somewhere like Barcelona or Rome are perfect for a weekend with the boys. You can try lots of wine and fantastic cuisine, do some cultural tours – for example in Rome you’ve got the forum and Coloseum, and in Barcelona obviously you’ve got the incredible Nou Camp football stadium, not to mention some great museums and architectural marvels.

Both cities are also amazing for food, and of course drink. And nightlife is also buzzing in both Barcelona and Rome, so you’ll easily find something for all your mates to enjoy on a stag do.

Some other ideas for cultural cities with good party potential include Krakow in Poland, Riga in Latvia, Budapest in Hungary and Bucharest in Romania.

For non-UK stag planners, check out cities like Cartagena in Colombia, Montreal in Canada, and Bangkok or Pattaya in Thailand.

We’ve actually looked at the wildest stag do destinations before – so check that out too…

We hope this article has provided you with some ideas and inspiration for creating the best bachelor party experience for your mate.

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