The UK’s Best Hen Do Destinations for 2025
Before the big day, many UK brides have one tradition they won’t skip: the hen do. The term hen-do has become a popular way to describe the bride-to-be and her closest friends celebrating her final moments of unmarried life.
Traditionally, a hen-do is filled with fun activities, games, food, drinks and plenty of partying. And for many the perfect hen-do means skipping the bride’s hometown and travelling somewhere new for a sense of adventure. Fortunately, there are plenty of UK cities to choose from to make the most of the special occasion.
The owners of Alcotraz prison cocktail bar and its parent company Inventive Productions, set out to find the best cities for hen-dos in 2025 using data-led research. The new league table ranks 25 UK cities from best (1) to worst (25) based on six different ranking factors such as affordability, to variety of hen-night activities on offer.
The Top UK Hen-Do Destinations for 2025
- Aberdeen
- Blackpool
- Cardiff
- York
- Liverpool
- Coventry
- Swansea
- Edinburgh
- Leicester
- Brighton
How We Ranked the Best Hen Do Hotspots
Each city was scored in all six categories, with rankings from 1 (most favourable, e.g., cheapest or safest) to 25 (least favourable). The final score for each city was calculated by adding its rankings across all categories; the lower the total score, the higher the city’s position in the overall hen-do league table.
Top Hen-Do Locations League Table
We’ve split our scores into 6 main categories, as you can see below!
Late Night Venues
Hen do activities
Average cost of a cocktail
| City | Average cost of a cocktail | Average cost of cocktail – ranking | Average cost of a cocktail – Data Source |
| Aberdeen | £7 | 1 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/aberdeen |
| Belfast | £10 | 14 | To calculate the average cocktail price in Belfast, we selected three bars – one high-end, one mid-range, and one more affordable venue. We then recorded the standard cocktail price from each and calculated the average to provide a representative snapshot of local pricing. |
| Birmingham | £9 | 11 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/birmingham-united-kingdom |
| Blackpool | £8 | 5 | To calculate the average cocktail price in Blackpool, we selected three bars – one high-end, one mid-range, and one more affordable venue. We then recorded the standard cocktail price from each and calculated the average to provide a representative snapshot of local pricing. |
| Bournemouth | £12 | 23 | To calculate the average cocktail price in Bournemouth, we selected three bars – one high-end, one mid-range, and one more affordable venue. We then recorded the standard cocktail price from each and calculated the average to provide a representative snapshot of local pricing. |
| Brighton | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/brighton-and-hove |
| Bristol | £16 | 25 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/bristol |
| Cardiff | £8 | 5 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/cardiff |
| Coventry | £8 | 5 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/coventry |
| Edinburgh | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/edinburgh |
| Glasgow | £11 | 22 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/glasgow |
| Leeds | £9 | 11 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/leeds |
| Leicester | £8 | 5 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/leicester |
| Liverpool | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/liverpool |
| London | £13 | 24 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/london |
| Manchester | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/manchester |
| Newcastle | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/newcastle-upon-tyne |
| Northampton | £7 | 1 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/northampton |
| Norwich | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/norwich |
| Nottingham | £10 | 14 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/nottingham |
| Portsmouth | £7 | 1 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/portsmouth |
| Reading | £8 | 5 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/reading-berkshire |
| Sheffield | £9 | 11 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/sheffield |
| Swansea | £7 | 1 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/swansea |
| York | £8 | 5 | https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/york |
Average hotel cost
| City | Median price of cheap hotel | Average hotel cost – ranking | Average hotel cost – data source |
| Aberdeen | £84 | 11 | |
| Belfast | £121 | 15 | |
| Birmingham | £57 | 4 | |
| Blackpool | £55 | 3 | |
| Bournemouth | £145 | 21 | |
| Brighton | £190.5 | 25 | |
| Bristol | £71 | 7 | |
| Cardiff | £71 | 7 | |
| Coventry | £68 | 6 | |
| Edinburgh | £167 | 22 | |
| Glasgow | £137 | 19 | |
| Leeds | £190 | 24 | |
| Leicester | £75 | 9 | |
| Liverpool | £107.50 | 13 | |
| London | £67 | 5 | |
| Manchester | £52 | 2 | |
| Newcastle | £140 | 20 | |
| Northampton | £116 | 14 | |
| Norwich | £123.5 | 17 | |
| Nottingham | £51.00 | 1 | |
| Portsmouth | £138 | 18 | |
| Reading | £80 | 10 | |
| Sheffield | £104 | 12 | |
| Swansea | £122.50 | 16 | |
| York | £168 | 23 |
Average taxi cost
| City | Local taxi fare cost (per km) | Taxi fare cost – ranking (high number = good) | Taxi fare cost – Data source |
| Aberdeen | £1.49 | 6 | |
| Belfast | £1.68 | 9 | |
| Birmingham | £1.19 | 4 | |
| Blackpool | £1.62 | 10 | |
| Bournemouth | £1.78 | 13 | |
| Brighton | £1.72 | 12 | |
| Bristol | £1.31 | 5 | |
| Cardiff | £2.00 | 15 | |
| Coventry | £1.50 | 7 | |
| Edinburgh | £2.43 | 20 | |
| Glasgow | £1.83 | 14 | |
| Leeds | £1.62 | 10 | |
| Leicester | £1.00 | 2 | |
| Liverpool | £1.06 | 3 | |
| London | £2.60 | 22 | |
| Manchester | £2.30 | 18 | |
| Newcastle | £1.53 | 8 | |
| Northampton | £2.30 | 18 | |
| Norwich | £3.11 | 24 | |
| Nottingham | £4.00 | 25 | |
| Portsmouth | £2.50 | 21 | |
| Reading | £3.39 | 23 | |
| Sheffield | £0.99 | 1 | |
| Swansea | £2.00 | 15 | |
| York | £2.00 | 15 |
Local safety
| City | Crimes per 1,000 people [link] | Safety score | Crimes per 1,000 – Data source |
| Aberdeen | 62,7 | 4 | |
| Belfast | 96 | 6 | |
| Birmingham | 121.44 | 18 | |
| Blackpool | 156.07 | 24 | |
| Bournemouth | 100.25 | 8 | |
| Brighton | 101.99 | 9 | |
| Bristol | 134.77 | 22 | |
| Cardiff | 107.77 | 11 | |
| Coventry | 99.72 | 7 | |
| Edinburgh | 30.99 | 1 | |
| Glasgow | 81.2 | 5 | |
| Leeds | 130.45 | 21 | |
| Leicester | 128.46 | 20 | |
| Liverpool | 127.44 | 19 | |
| London | 359 | 25 | |
| Manchester | 164.23 | 23 | |
| Newcastle | 121.03 | 17 | |
| Northampton | 109.09 | 13 | |
| Norwich | 115.12 | 15 | |
| Nottingham | 117.49 | 16 | |
| Portsmouth | 113.93 | 14 | |
| Reading | 108.73 | 12 | |
| Sheffield | 102.13 | 10 | |
| Swansea | 79.59 | 3 | |
| York | 70.88 | 2 |
Final score
| City | Total Sum | Final score |
| Aberdeen | 36 | 1 |
| Belfast | 74 | 13 |
| Birmingham | 84 | 17 |
| Blackpool | 49 | 2 |
| Bournemouth | 89 | 19 (tie) |
| Brighton | 69 | 10 |
| Bristol | 83 | 16 |
| Cardiff | 50 | 3 |
| Coventry | 59 | 6 (tie) |
| Edinburgh | 67 | 8 |
| Glasgow | 92 | 23 |
| Leeds | 91 | 22 |
| Leicester | 68 | 9 |
| Liverpool | 62 | 5 |
| London | 119 | 25 |
| Manchester | 103 | 24 |
| Newcastle | 86 | 18 |
| Northampton | 72 | 12 |
| Norwich | 88 | 21 |
| Nottingham | 77 | 14 |
| Portsmouth | 89 | 19 (tie) |
| Reading | 80 | 15 |
| Sheffield | 70 | 11 |
| Swansea | 59 | 6 (tie) |
| York | 52 | 4 |
Inventive Productions Immersive Hen Experiences
For an unforgettable hen night, Inventive Productions offers unique, theatrical cocktail bars like Alcotraz, where guests don orange jumpsuits and enjoy cocktails smuggled past the warden. Perfect for groups who want more than just a standard night out.
📍 Find your nearest Alcotraz venue and book here!
Final Word
Whether you’re after cocktails by the beach, city nightlife, or quirky immersive fun, the UK has a hen-do destination to suit every style. With our data in hand, you can plan the perfect send-off and make it a night to remember.
