Want to give the ultimate waste-free gift, or buy someone something they didn’t even know they wanted? Then try an experience they won’t quickly forget, or stash away at the back of a kitchen cupboard.

You can experience almost anything these days, from pig petting to a “smash it” rage room where you choose a weapon and break things (yes, really). But for this guide, I tried seven more palatable experiences to suit a range of tastes, ages and budgets: experiences that felt unusual but that your recipient might actually enjoy – and some (as I did with life drawing) they might want to take up as a hobby. Most experiences were local to me in London, but all activities selected have alternatives nationwide, of which we’ve listed a few below.

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The best experience gifts for Christmas

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Immersive theatre

If, like me, your recipient loves any excuse to dress up and century-hop for a while, then I have the activity for you. Immersive theatre has gained a lot of traction in recent years, with large-scale productions such as Secret Cinema allowing us to prance about like we’ve got a bit-part in movies such as Grease.

Now we have the Lost Estate. This interactive theatre experience in Earl’s Court yanked me back a few decades to tropical Havana, with the help of some excellent live Latin music, impressive dance sequences (some performed by professionals, others where dancers and waiting staff encouraged us to join in), a lively retelling of Cuban myths and legends – and more than a few frozen daquiris.

It was fun, silly and ended up with my date and me doing the conga at four in the afternoon (a win all round, even if it did feel a bit like being on a cruise ship). Tickets are pretty pricey – and the food definitely isn’t the bit you’ll remember – but I’d wholeheartedly recommend any of the Lost Estate experiences if you want to impress a new romantic partner, or do something a bit escapist with friends or family.

Paradise Under the Stars (set in Havana) ran until the end of September, but tickets are now available for 58th Street (set in jazz-age New York), which runs into 2026. And the Chat Noir! cabaret, set in 1890s Paris, opens in March 2026. I’m going to dig out that corset …

Give this gift to … a new romantic prospect, a family member who needs a bit of escapism, your work wife/husband.

I tried: The Lost Estate, Earl’s Court, London, from £69.50pp
Alternatives: Motown supper immersive dining and live show for two (available in London, Manchester and Birmingham), £122, Virgin Experience Days; City of Spies immersive espionage experience, Whitehall, London, £226, WonderDays.

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Life drawing class

I hadn’t realised there were quite so many ways to draw someone naked. From neon life drawing to drag life drawing, the options for capturing someone in the buff are now endless.

Still, I was nervous about sitting in a hall with 20 strangers as someone walked in and disrobed – until I did it. And something amazing happened.

Far from giggling, blushing or offending the model with my terrible sketching, which I haven’t done since A-level art, I was influenced by everyone around me, who took it seriously. And what I produced in an hour using the charcoals and pencils provided was – well, if not objectively good, then at least passable. I felt artistic! It was deeply absorbing, and nice to exercise the creative side of my brain.

The class reaffirmed my love of the human body – yes, even my own.

Give this gift to … anyone in their 40s and 50s who’s dealing with the existential crisis that comes with ageing: forget Botox – try life drawing, instead.

I tried: London life drawing, Bethnal Green, London, £13
Alternatives: Bristol private life drawing class workshop, Bristol, from £35pp, Experience Days; life drawing workshop, Manchester, £16-20; Sheffield male life drawing, from £29.50pp; life drawing party in Leeds, £25pp

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A head spa

You’ve probably never wondered what your scalp looks like magnified and projected on to a screen. Yet this is how my treatment began – a closeup of my follicles and the “problem areas” we’d be aiming to tackle. Thankfully, there was nothing too sinister to report – so I opted for the relaxing lavender face mist and a hydrating head massage with conditioning treatment, as part of a 90-minute “ultimate” head spa.

There was hair washing, a facial, a hand and arm massage, an insanely great twisty-rolly machine (I had my eyes closed so I don’t know what was going on up there on my head), and as soon as that was over, it was time for the metal-spider-plungey-contractor (scalp massager) that made every single nerve in my head tingle. Delicious. Finally, I was left to relax in the spa before being treated to a posh blow-dry and an impromptu analysis of my dating life (she was right, by the way, I’m glad I dumped him).

This is, to put it clumsily, a very posh, very pricey hair wash: like when you go to the hairdresser and you wish they’d wash it for longer, because it feels divine to have someone massaging your scalp.

To say it’s a luxury would be an understatement.

Give this gift to … the person in your life who has everything.

I tried: the head spa at Cloud Twelve, Notting Hill, London, from £245
Alternatives: Ultimate head spa, Lee Marston hotel, Birmingham, vouchers available, £100; head spa day, the Abbey hotel, Redditch, vouchers available, £135

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Burlesque dance class

I don’t remember exactly what our effervescent instructor Julie Jade said during our burlesque dance routine, because a) my friend and I had drunk two cocktails beforehand and b) I was focusing very hard on trying not to fall over, having been gifted with two left feet. But I do recall we were all “gorgeous creatures” and “naughty boys”, there to pucker our lips, wiggle, shake and flap our paper fans in front of our faces like Dita Von Teese.

What I hadn’t realised was what a workout the class would be. We would have been sweating, except that in the burlesque world, women don’t sweat – they glow. I learned an entire, choreographed dance routine for the first time in my life – and somehow, unthinkably, felt sexy doing it. An absolute win. I will definitely go back – I might even sign up for a whole course.

Give this gift to … your best friend (and go with them).

I tried: Julie Jade’s class at City Academy, London, vouchers available, £15
Alternatives: House of Burlesque four-week beginner’s burlesque course, London, £160; burlesque chair dance, nationwide, vouchers available, two classes for £16

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Driving a Ferrari

I was taken out for a six-mile driving experience on a private former runway close to North Weald airfield in Essex. Thankfully, I was with an instructor who actually knew how to drive a Ferrari, so I felt perfectly safe when he hit the accelerator and the torque and horsepower (new terms to me) took us from 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds and reached a top speed of more than 100mph. The car emitted such a deep, throaty “hmmmm!” engine revving noise that I actually screamed, clapped my hand to my chest and closed my eyes.

After being taken round a single lap of the track at breakneck speed for about a minute, I was allowed into the driver’s seat myself. I put my foot on the gas and crept forward at dazzling speeds of … 30mph. I was too scared to go any faster, but it was a beautiful drive: the machinery, the precision and responsiveness of the car – the slightest tap on the gas and it was raring to go.

As someone who doesn’t even like theme parks, thrill-seeking of the “drive really fast” kind wasn’t high on my wishlist, but I do feel cool now I’ve done it, and have the pictures to prove it.

Give this gift to … a thrill-seeker, a petrolhead, your dad.

I tried: Ferrari driving experience and high speed passenger ride, at North Weald driving centre, Essex, from £89
Alternatives: Supercar driving experience, in 20 locations including Brands Hatch, Canterbury, Devon, Dunsfold, Lochgelly, Tockwith, Wigan, Oxfordshire, North Weald, Leicestershire, Curborough, Sywell and Aldershot, from £34.99; Ferrari v Lamborghini passenger ride, available at 22 locations, £179, Virgin Experience Days; the Ultimate four-car Ferrari driving experience for one, available at 22 locations including Brands Hatch, Lichfield, Elvington, Pembrey, Wareham, Three Sisters, Derby and Snetterton Circuit, £119.99

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Wizard afternoon tea and potion-making

“This place really is magical,” my nine-year-old son breathed as we arrived for our wizard afternoon tea at the Georgian House hotel in Victoria, London. And it was – although the most magical part for me was being given pointy black hats to wear, which I insisted we keep on for the entire day.

I was provided with a “potion set” that contained several test tubes of colour-changing liquids, one of which (for me) was gin. The kids got “goblin goo” (DIY bubble tea) and “werewolf fur” (candyfloss), which we mixed into some goblets (which were so pretty that I then spent the next five minutes trying to find them on Google – and telling my daughter I’d like some for Christmas). Then it was time to get stuck in to the tea itself: miniature egg mayonnaise and cream cheese sandwiches, salmon and avocado mousse canapes, an array of miniature cakes and desserts, scones with clotted cream, jam with popping candy … oh, my!

What made this experience really special – aside from the standout dry ice cauldron that welcomed us to the table – was that they went above and beyond to cater for our diets: no butter on the sandwiches, thanks, and my son only eats Marmite. A rare family outing where everyone came away happy – and full up.

The all-important review? “Fun – really fun,” my Harry Potter-obsessed son said.

Give this gift to … your kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren or wannabe wizards of any age.

I tried: the Wizard Experience at the Georgian House hotel, London, gift vouchers available, from £20 (kids) to £40 (adult) – potion-making extra (from £20pp)
Alternatives: the Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros studio tour, Watford, vouchers available, from £45 (child) to £56 (adult) or a family ticket (two adults, two children) £188; the Oxford Harry Potter tour, Oxford, from £75pp

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Gong bath

To say I was cynical about gong baths would be correct, because I’ve never been much of a believer in activities you might file under “woo-woo”. But then, I’d never had a gong bath – also known as a sound bath – before. What I discovered, once I lowered my sceptical eyebrows and gave it a chance, was that modern life doesn’t give much room to stop and rest.

It’s “normal” to race around madly from work to school pick-ups to exercise classes to that dinner with friends you really wish you’d cancelled months ago. So the idea of taking an hour out – with 20 strangers, while someone talks about how the vibrations can do “magical things” because the human body is mostly made of water and the gongs can pick up on that – is laughable.

That’s why I’m so glad I did it. Sure, it was weird, woo-woo and well out of my comfort zone to lie still and listen to a giant cymbal crashing in my ears (and half the class when they started snoring), but it did lure me into a sort of hypnotic state. Afterwards, I can only describe the feeling I had as “zen”.

If you want to get someone a relaxing gift that feels a bit different from a massage – and is marginally more affordable – then this is a great option.

Give this gift to … a friend or family member who needs to switch off, or yourself.

I tried: the Akasa deep connection and relaxation gong bath, London, from £23.46
Alternatives: Farm Club yoga and sound bath serenity session for two, Cheshire, £50, Virgin Experience Days; the Sound Alchemist 1:1 sound therapy session, Knaresborough, Yorkshire, from £50; Sound Spa, Amersham, £18, private 60-minute sound bath, Middlesex, £60.

For more, read the Christmas gifts that Filter readers have loved the most and the best Christmas gifts for 2025

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Victoria Richards is a freelance columnist, opinion editor and agony aunt. She has more than 20 years of experience working for national newspapers and magazines, and is a published poet. She’s currently writing three books at once while also wrangling two children and a feisty black cat