Spring break is coming up fast, and if you’re looking for unique things to do on spring break with friends, you’re in the right place. While a week away from the grind is awesome, even if you don’t do anything special, we know that you want this week to be extra amazing, so we’ve scoured the internet and dove deep into personal experience to create the ultimate list of the most unique spring break ideas. Obviously, partying on Florida’s South Beach is a fun way to blow off some steam, but there are so many more great spring break destinations out there. We’ve included something for every kind of traveler, ranging from volunteer trips for high school students to family-friendly destinations and trips for college students too. Let’s roam!
Devoting Time to Your Friends With Adventures From Scratch
Did you know that Adventures From Scratch has an entire adventure book solely devoted to friend activities? Well, now you do! Want some awesome ideas for things to do on spring break with friends? Grab Adventures From Scratch: Friend Edition today and begin scratching off your next adventures. Our books have more than 50 excursions specially crafted to nurture your friendship while you have a blast in the process. We’ve included hilarious conversation starters and a scrapbooking space too, so you can document all your adventures together!
Spring Break Activities for Teens
High school can be really stressful, especially that last year or two, so whether you’re a teenager or the parent of one, consider one of these amazing options to let loose on spring break. Decide to give back and pad that college resume with a volunteer trip. Hang out with friends on a day trip, or invite a friend along on your family vacation.
1. Volunteer Trip to Guatemala
Discover International Volunteer Headquarters offers an awesome trip to Guatemala over spring break that would be perfect for any teen who is looking to dip their feet into the volunteer world. It includes volunteer projects in childcare, teaching, construction, animal welfare, and medical shadowing. It’s the perfect trip to test the waters. Volunteers get to participate in several arenas of serving and see what they like best. Students will be housed in Antigua Guatemala, a lovely and historic Spanish Colonial city in a stunning landscape of towering volcanoes and sparkling lakes. Antigua is a foodie paradise, features wonderful traditional markets, and has fun tourist activities. Take a visit to a chocolate lab, try coffee plantation tours, and go volcano trekking.
The trip is very affordable at just $360 for the week, which includes airport transfer, accommodation, two meals a day, and 24/7 in-person support. If you’re interested in giving back this spring break, this Guatemala trip is the perfect option with a reputable company.
Not interested in Guatemala? That’s ok! There are plenty of amazing options out there. Here’s a list of “The Top 12 Service Trips for Teens.”
2. Camping Trip in Your State Park
If the parents give you the okay and you can drive, pack up the tent and a couple of friends and head for your local state park. Hit hiking trails. Build a bonfire and tell ghost stories. Roast s’mores. Go fishing. Enjoy nature. Relax and recuperate. Being in nature is good for the soul! You might need someone above the age of 18 to rent the campsite and be present, so invite an older sibling or a parent along.
3. Themed Party
If you can’t get away for spring break, it doesn’t mean you can’t do something special and fun. Invite a few friends over and plan an epic party for Friday night. Choose a theme. Design the decorations. Pick out the food, and work together to plan the party activities. Send out invites through your social media and enjoy! Go all out with this DIY party. Planning it is half the fun!
If your area has warm weather in March, have it outside. Build a fire in the fire pit. Play yard games. Set up a photo booth for themed pics and TikTok vids. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, move to the living room and whip out the board games, have a dance party, or play traditional party games.
Check out this list of “25 Fantastic Party Games to Play With Friends.”
4. Road Trip Adventure
If you can drive, take a short road trip to an interesting place in your state. You could consider going snowboarding at the nearest ski park, taking a chilly swimming trip to a nearby lake, visiting an ancient Native American site, or taking a walking tour of a nearby city. For a unique trip, consider visiting several of the small towns in your area and seeing what quirky tourist attractions they have to offer. You might be really surprised at the awesome stuff hidden in these relatively unknown places. While every state is different, there is certainly something in your home area that you didn’t know about, so get out there and explore. The options are endless!
5. Theme Park Extravaganza
Take a few days and hit up all the theme parks in your vicinity. If the waterparks are open, spend a day there. Then, head for the amusement park the next day. On day three, find the closest aerial adventure park where you can enjoy ropes courses, zip lines, and rope swings. Take your friends along for the ride. Enjoying a little adrenaline with good company is the perfect way to let loose and produce those feel-good hormones!
6. Concert or Festival
Have a favorite band? See if they’re playing in a nearby city, or join a spring festival and catch several live shows over the week. Check out the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, the Portland Rose Festival, or Miami’s Calle Ocho. If you can’t get to one of these amazing spots, Google spring concerts near you.
Spring is also a very popular time for lots of other weird and wonderful local events. Consider the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., Frozen Dead Guy Festival in Colorado, or the Nenana Ice Classic in Alaska, which are just a few among the many weird events taking place in the U.S. in March.
Spring Break Ideas for College Students
This section focuses on spring break trips for college students who want to get away from the stress of the semester. These trips offer epic outdoor adventures, laidback beach time, and a chance to plan for the future in a fun way!
7. Road Trip to Arizona
Arizona is an outdoor adventurist’s playground. The dramatic red rock cliffs, iconic national parks, and free vibe of the state make it the perfect spot for a spring break getaway with friends. Rent a mountain bike and hit the trails of Monument Valley. Enjoy a sunset picnic at Cathedral Rock in Sedona. Take part in watersports on Lake Powell, or hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. If you love the great outdoors, Native American history, desert landscapes, and freedom, you can’t do better than an Arizona road trip.
8. Wine Trails of California
Consider yourself a budding oenophile? Then head for Napa Valley and book a trip on the Wine Train. You might need the parents to chip in a few dollars for this one, as it’s not a super cheap trip. You’ll enjoy a window seat on a luxurious train that travels throughout the region, stopping at multiple wineries for tours and tastings.
If you can’t swing the cost of the Wine Train, no big deal. Look on WorkAway and see if you can find a winery or vineyard to work at for your spring break. You and a friend can tuck some vines for an hour a day in exchange for a nice place to stay and an education in the entire process of winemaking.
9. Local Ale Trails
Most major cities have a host of craft breweries these days. Take a few friends. Get your (ale) passport and hop along your local ale trail. Generally, you will visit several breweries and sometimes distilleries along a marked road trip. At every stop, you’ll get a passport stamp, and often, you receive a little something once you complete the entire ale trail. Just make sure you have a designated driver.
10. Bucket List Checkoff
What is that one thing you’ve been meaning to do for months (or years)? Perhaps you have a few things on the list? Now is a great time to check them off. Whether it’s skydiving, trying fresh calamari, or reading War and Peace, utilize your spring break free time to accomplish it. If you don’t have a bucket list, now is kind of the perfect time to make one. After college, you will hopefully have some more free time and a little money of your own to spend as you wish, so you might as well get ahead of the game and start adding fun things to your to-do list!
11. Costa Rica Adventure
March is the dry season in Costa Rica and the perfect time to visit. This little Central American nation is one of the most biodiverse environments on earth for both flora and fauna. It’s the cleanest and safest country in Central America, and it’s very easy to navigate. There are hundreds of English-speaking tours spanning a wide range of wildlife river floats, volcano ATV adventures, hanging bridges in the Cloud Forest, bungee jumping from jungle platforms, and night walks in the jungle. Whether you go as a tourist or a volunteer in one of the nature centers, you will see incredible wildlife, hang on some of the most laidback beaches in the world, and enjoy some of the earth’s best scenery. The list of fun things to do here is neverending, and the food is pretty tasty too!
12. Lounge Days in Puerto Rico
If you’re looking for carefree days on the beach, adventures in the jungle, fabulous seafood, a vibrant culture, and an easy trip, look no further than Puerto Rico. This little Caribbean island is an unincorporated territory of the United States, and citizens don’t need a passport to visit. You can enjoy a tram tour through historic Old San Juan and its mega forts, eat delicious Spanish-inspired food, hang out at the popular beach clubs of Carolina, try out those crazy water jets, go kitesurfing, or zipline and chase waterfalls in the only tropical rainforest on U.S. territory. It’s a beautiful island, and flights are generally pretty cheap from the mainland.
13. Scoping a Future Job City
Believe it or not, your college years will go by fast, and soon, it will be time to get a real job and figure out where you want to live. If you have a few options in mind, take the free time you have on spring break to check out one of the possible cities. Tour apartments and find out what’s going to be available in your price range. Visit your possible future company and shadow a staff member for the day. Take a walking tour and get a working knowledge of the history and layout of the city. Join a food tour to find all the best restaurants. Hop on a Let’s Roam bar crawl and explore the city’s nightlife options. Meet a few locals and start working on connections.
While thinking about the rigors of adult life might be the last thing you want to do on your spring break, touring a possible future home is actually a wise call. Not only will you have an awesome time in a new city, but you’re getting valuable research done and making connections too!
14. Spa Trip With the Besties
There’s nothing more relaxing than a spa day… except maybe a spa week! If your semester has been really stressful, consider packing your bags, inviting a few friends, and heading for the nearest spa city. Hop over to Jimez, Nex Mexico, and lounge in the natural hot springs. Visit the historic bathhouses of Hot Springs, Arkansas, or hang in boutique spas of Sedona, Arizona. Enjoy a long soak in a salted tub and paint yourself with one of those green face masks. Get a massage, a manicure, and a few glasses of champagne. Relax and recuperate with your best buds on spring break!
15. First Timer’s Trip to Italy
Italy in March is divine! The tourist season hasn’t started yet, but the weather is generally nice enough to walk around town with a good jacket. The lines are not so long. The prices are a bit cheaper, and it’s just much more enjoyable.
If you can convince the parents or grandparents to chip in on your grand adventure, grab a friend and take a backpacking trip. If you plan early and spend your money wisely, you can do it for less than $1500 and still get to see everything on your bucket list. For a first-timer’s trip, we recommend visiting Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples or Sorrento, with day trips to the Isle of Capri, Pisa, and Pompeii. This itinerary gives you a good taste of what Italy has to offer, and if you leave a day early, you can spend two nights in each city, which is a whirlwind, but it works!
Family-Friendly Trips With Friends
If you have tweens or teens at home, the idea of a spring break trip with the whole family might sound like more of a nightmare to them than a retreat. If your kiddos seem a little less than thrilled about your spring break plans, consider allowing each of them to bring along a friend or plan a joint trip with another family who has kids their age. Having friends present at this age can totally change the behavior of teens and make the trip more enjoyable for the whole clan. Here are a few trip ideas that are easy to bring extras along.
16. Cruise With a Friend
Cruise lines have really upped their game in the last decade to make their trips more kid-friendly, especially in the tween and teen areas. Major cruise lines now have teen-only arcades, swimming areas, nightclubs, and excursions, giving them some freedom with their friends in a controlled and safe environment. It’s the best of both worlds. You can enjoy a cocktail in a deck chair and know that they’re having fun in a zone made just for them.
17. Staycation in the Backyard
Not every parent can get away for spring break. Unfortunately, that season of life doesn’t transfer into the working world. If you can’t plan a vacation in March, you can still make it a special week for your kids and their friends. Plan a fun staycation camping trip. Let your kids invite some friends for a sleepover in a backyard tent or a living room fort. Bring out the board games, giant yard games, or hire a bounce house. Set up an obstacle course or allow the kids to make a tasty treat in the kitchen. No matter how much or how little you do, your kiddos will love having their friends over for a day or two of staycation, so don’t stress over it. Movie marathons with popcorn are totally acceptable!
18. Scavenger Hunt of Your Hometown
Let’s Roam offers fun-filled scavenger hunts in more than 400 cities worldwide, and the list is growing every day. They’re the perfect day trip for a group of young friends. They’ll explore a limited area on a walking adventure filled with challenging trivia and hilarious video and photo scenarios. They can compete with other groups in a city-wide challenge and share their adventures on social media. The hunts are generally contained within a 1-2-mile radius. Older kids may be able to do them on their own, while younger ones will need a chaperone. Check out all our hunts and choose one or two in your area!
19. Museums of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., is a great option for spring break. Grab a friend or two and head for the nation’s capital for a little education under the guise of fun. Kids can peruse the quirky National Museum of American History, visit the National Air and Space Museum, and the International Spy Museum. The great things about Washington, D.C., for kids are that everything is very contained and walkable, and all the fabulous Smithsonian museums are free to visit!
Spring Breaking With Friends
There you have it, the top 19 things to do on spring break with friends! Whether you’re planning a week away from home or need ideas for a fun staycation, we hope you found something fun on this list. Let us know in the comments where you’re heading!
Planning Note: Spring break is coming fast, you guys! To get the best deals, you need to be booking your trip now. So, don’t wait a second more. Choose one of these great spring break ideas and start planning with your friend group today!
Have you taken a spring break trip in the past that you loved? Don’t keep it to yourself. Share your awesome experience with the rest of us! Just drop it in the comments. We always love hearing from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for something unique to do with your friends this spring break? Grab a copy of Adventures From Scratch: Friend Edition and choose one of our 50+ adventures!
Spring break is a great time to get away with friends! Consider taking a whirlwind backpacking trip to Italy, volunteering in Costa Rica, or exploring the great outdoors in Arizona!
If spring break is proving more boring than thrilling, grab some friends and plan a themed party, visit your local amusement parks, or take a camping trip to your nearest state park!
If you can’t get away for spring break, don’t worry; you can still have plenty of fun! Get creative and pull off a party in your backyard. Get out and see the city on a scavenger hunt tour!