Galentine’s Day in Kent: 12 Girls’ Days Out To Spend With Your Besties

Move over St Valentine - whilst we do love a little romance, this year we’re all about celebrating the special ladies in our lives for Galentine’s Day.

Whether they’ve nursed you through heartbreak, been a patient ear when you’ve needed advice or just been your biggest cheerleader, there’s no underestimating the power of female friendships. 

So, if you’re looking for something a bit different to show your gal pals that you care this year, here is our tried and tested list of great activities for girls’ days out in Kent…

Wine taste your way across the Weald

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to award-winning vineyards in Kent, so why not take the opportunity to visit a few and enjoy some tasters along the way? 

Both Wine Tours of Kent and Vine & Country Tours offer days out visiting two or three beautiful wineries within the county, including relaxed tastings and lunch, without the need to worry about a designated driver. Read our full review of Wine Tours of Kent here.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to focus on visiting just one wonderful winery, I highly recommend Balfour Winery, Gusbourne, Birchden Vineyard and Chapel Down for a wonderful lunch, tasting and tour.

Get your paint brushes out

For a lovely, wholesome and relaxed way to spend time together this Galentine’s Day, get creative with a pottery painting session at one of the many spots across the county.

Manic Ceramix in Tunbridge Wells offers a range of items to paint during their daytime slots, as well late night sessions and even ‘Paint & Pizza’ evenings which sounds very fun. Similarly, Potterati near Sevenoaks run monthly ‘Painting & Prosecco’ evening events in addition to their daytime schedule.

If pottery isn’t really your thing, check out Creative Flow’s ‘Sip & Paint’ events in Ramsgate, Faversham, Margate and Whitstable.

Cook up (and eat!) a feast together

Nothing shows you care quite like a beautiful, freshly-cooked meal and it’s even more fun to enjoy the process of cooking it together.

Kent Cookery School near Ashford run a huge range of workshops and classes, from their fabulous Pasta & Prosecco and Thai Street Food workshops, to their Breakfast Club and Doughnut Masterclass. Read a review of our visit to do their Tapas & Prosecco workshop here.

Ashdown Manna Cookery School just over the border in Blackham, East Sussex, also host a range of brilliant courses including bread making, Indian cuisine and a sushi roll class.

Get into the great outdoors and onto the water

Push yourself out of your comfort zone and zip up that wetsuit for a day out on the water for your next girls day out in Kent. 

Stand Up Paddle Boarding With Ana’s half day sessions are a great introduction to paddleboarding and under her expert tutorship, you’ll be confidently gliding along on your board before you know it. Offering a chance to escape the day to day grind for a few hours, reconnect and take in the beauty of Kent’s wildlife and countryside, you can’t go wrong.

If you’d prefer to keep yourself firmly seated, try kayaking or canoeing with Canoe Wild. Their Sunset or Rise & Shine paddles on the River Stour run between Fordwich and Gove Ferry are another wonderful way to explore the local surroundings. Kayak, canoe or SUP hire are available too for more confident groups.

Get locked up together

If you’re a fan of puzzles and mysteries, then one of Kent’s many escape rooms may be a great way to spend time together.

Clue Cracker in Tunbridge Wells boast an array of incredible, immersive escape rooms which will both challenge and provide a lot of fun. Their newest offering, Saint Nicked, is brilliant, as well as their jungle-themed ‘Temple Quest’ and zombie arcade-inspired ‘Megabite’, all of which are great to do in small groups.

One Pound Lane in Canterbury’s ‘Escape The Towers’ offers a slightly more eerie and gruesome but equally entertaining escape experience with their ‘ Crime & Punishment’ and ‘The Comms Room’ taking place in this historic city jail.

Get your glow on with some candle making

Create some new beautiful, fragrant decor for your home with an insightful and interactive candle making workshop.

Set in calm and tranquil spaces to make your own bespoke candles, both Wax & Whimsy in Broadstairs and The Candle Sanctuary in Tunbridge Wells offer the opportunity to turn your skillset to candle making with hand poured soy wax candles and evocative fragrances.

Providing a fun evening of learning and laughter, you’ll come away with new knowledge, a bespoke candle and memories of a special time together.

See a spectacular show

If you prefer culture over getting crafty, how about visiting one of Kent’s fabulous theatres for a spectacular production.

The Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells has a huge array on offer this Spring to make for a great evening out. From Boyband In The Buff (starring the one and only Gareth Gates) and 80s Live to 2:22 A Ghost Story and Al Murray’s All You Need Is Guv, there’s something for everyone.

Likewise, the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is hosting the ultimate historic girl group with a production of SIX, as well as comedy from Bridget Christie and award-winning drama Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer.

Enjoy a decadent afternoon tea

Sit back and enjoy an indulgent afternoon tea with the girls. Warm scones, rich cream and sticky jam… what’s not to like?

If you’re after a luxury affair, Chilston Park or Eastwell Manor both offer elegant afternoon teas in their stately home settings, with the option to upgrade to sparkling wine. 

Meanwhile, Rochester’s Cafe Nucleus serves afternoon tea daily between 3.30pm and 5pm and includes an array of delicate cakes, petite fours and macarons which are so pretty that you (almost!) don’t want to eat them.

Shake it up with cocktails

Channel your inner Tom Cruise with a cocktail making masterclass this Galentine’s Day.

Maidstone Distillery offers a two-hour hands-on workshop in the art of mixology, creating three premium cocktails to enjoy together. Set in the heart of a working distillery, this brings cocktail hour to a new level!

Alternatively, head over to Boom Battle Bar in Canterbury to get behind the bar and shake some cocktails. Starting with a welcome cocktail (including a transfer tattoo), before moving onto making your own and enjoying 3 shots, it’s bound to be a lively night!

Relax and recharge with a spa experience

If you’re more in need of some R&R, a spa day may be the way to go to enjoy some much deserved “me” time with your favourite ladies.

Sophisticated Champneys spa, Eastwell Manor, offer a full day spa experience including lunch, whilst The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells are hosting a ‘Bubbles & Bliss’ experience in February which includes a 55 minute treatment and access to the spa.

If you’re after something a little more rural and holistic, Green Farm is Shadoxhurst boast a range of indulgent spa packages set in the heart of the Kent countryside, and The Granary Spa have gorgeous pamper packages available.

Create some sweet treats

Forget buying sweet treats this Galentine’s Day - it’s far more fun to make them!

Cocoa & Heart in Bexleyheath run full and half day courses in chocolate and sweet making for small groups. Providing all the necessary equipment, hands-on guidance and plenty of tasting throughout, it’s a relaxing and fun way to spend time together.

Similarly, Temper Temper in Tunbridge Wells has a range of great workshops including truffle and choctail crafting. Their two-hour Valentine’s workshop is a great opportunity to learn to create your own bespoke chocolates guided by an expert chocolatier. 

And finally, embrace a classic - nothing beats a good brunch!

If in doubt, you can’t go wrong with a good brunch to catch up with your favourite ladies. 

With an extensive menu, stylish decor and some incredible seasonal drinks, Cafe Lounge has restaurants in both Rochester and Meopham, both of which are go-to destinations for a long, leisurely brunch. From cinnamon roll lattes and banana bread iced matchas to shakshuka, loaded croissants and apple crumble french toast, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Other personal favourites for brunch include - Life in High in Sevenoaks, Cafe Nucleus in Rochester, Juliet’s in Tunbridge Wels and Frankie’s Farm Shop in Staplehurst.