moonlineJoin the waitlist

Ideas

40 long-distance date ideas for any night

By the moonline team · Updated · 3 min read

Two moonline bugs leaning their heads together under the stars.

Quick answer

The best long-distance dates mix a shared activity with a little ritual: cook the same recipe on a call, watch a movie in sync, play a game, take a virtual walk, or fall asleep together on a timed sleep call.

A good long-distance date isn’t about the activity. It’s about doing something together, at the same time, on purpose. Here are 40 ideas, grouped by mood.

Cozy nights in

  1. Cook the same recipe on a call. Pick it together, shop separately, cook “side by side.”
  2. Movie night in sync. Press play together, or use a watch-together feature like SharePlay on FaceTime.
  3. Order each other dinner. Use a delivery app in their city and surprise them.
  4. Fall asleep together. End the night on a sleep call with a timer that hangs up for you.
  5. Read to each other. One chapter a night, taking turns.
  6. Tea and a slow chat. Same drink, no agenda, phones on the pillow.
  7. Spa night. Face masks on, video on, laugh at each other.
  8. Bake for each other. Bake something and mail it, or bake the same thing and compare.
  9. Rewatch the first thing you watched together.
  10. Build a blanket fort on both ends. Bonus points for fairy lights.

Playful

  1. Online board games. Chess, card games or co-op puzzles.
  2. Two-player video games. Many games support cross-country co-op.
  3. 20 questions, couples edition. Go deeper each round.
  4. Drawing guessing game. One draws, one guesses. Send sketches to their home screen.
  5. Trivia night. Quiz each other on your own relationship.
  6. Would you rather. Silly first, serious later.
  7. Scavenger hunt. Send a list; first to find everything in their home wins.
  8. Karaoke battle. Same song, both ends, no judgment.
  9. Escape room online. Plenty of virtual ones are built for two.
  10. Compare your skies. Step outside and describe what you see. Same moon.

Creative

  1. Make a shared playlist. Add one song a day with a note on why.
  2. Write each other letters. Real ones, with stamps.
  3. Start a two-person book club.
  4. Draw each other from memory. Then compare.
  5. Paint the same thing. Same subject, two styles.
  6. Make a photo diary. One photo a day, swapped at night.
  7. Write a story together. One sentence each, back and forth.
  8. Learn something together. A language, an instrument, a dance.
  9. Record a voice memo podcast. Just for the two of you.
  10. Make “open when” letters for the hard days.

Planning the future

  1. Plan your next visit in detail. Hour by hour, if you like.
  2. Build a dream-trip board. Where would you go with no limits?
  3. Count down to your next hug. Pick the date and count the sleeps. (Try the countdown.)
  4. Tour apartments online in a city you could live in together.
  5. Write a bucket list for two.

Free and simple

  1. Virtual walk. Call while you each walk around your neighborhood.
  2. Stargazing. Lie outside on a call and point out stars.
  3. Sunrise and sunset. If the time zones work, watch one of each together.
  4. Do nothing together. Work, study or tidy on a quiet call.
  5. Send a squeeze. On busy days, a one-tap squeeze is a tiny date of its own.

How to make any date feel special

  • Put it in both calendars. A date you planned beats a call that just happened.
  • Dress for it. Even a little. It changes the mood.
  • Give it a name. “Pasta Thursdays” is a ritual. “A call” isn’t.
  • End softly. Say goodnight properly, or drift off together.

Frequently asked questions

What can long-distance couples do together online?

Watch a movie in sync, cook the same recipe on a call, play online games, take a virtual museum tour, read the same book, plan your next visit, or fall asleep together on a sleep call.

How often should long-distance couples have a date night?

There's no rule, but many couples plan one proper date a week, on top of daily check-ins. A regular, planned date gives you something to look forward to.

What are free long-distance date ideas?

Stargazing on a call, a playlist swap, a virtual walk, reading to each other, a drawing game, writing letters, or planning your dream trip together are all free.