There's nothing better than a cool experience with someone you love, so gift your significant other, best friend, or family member an experience this holiday season. Not only will they have two gifts (one being excitement for a new adventure and the other being a day spent with you), but they will also be given a memory and possibly a new hobby.
An experience can mean so much more than a holiday gift because that's how you build memories with that special person and give each other something to look forward to in the meantime.
Celebrating Christmas in Tampa Bay? Here are some of the coolest and most unique experiences in the area to give someone instead of a gift this holiday season.
Related Read: Christmas Traditions to Celebrate With Friends and Family
Unique Holiday Gifts in Tampa Bay
McCormick’s Wakeboard and Cable Water Sports Park
Put on your wetsuit and head to Thonotosassa for an adventure on the water! An hour on the cable only costs $25, two hours are $28, four hours are $35, and an all-day pass for $48. After a 20-minute drive outside of Tampa, you can wakeboard, water ski, and much more at the McCormick Wakeboard and Cable Park. This is a place for riders of all skill levels; whether you're a beginner or self-proclaimed expert, this is an experience you won’t forget anytime soon!
Tampa Bay Rowdies Tickets
Get Rowdy for Tampa Bay’s USL soccer team! If you know someone who loves soccer and hasn’t been to a Rowdies game yet, you’ll have to grab a pair of tickets to their next home game. Al Lang Stadium is a beautiful waterfront field in Downtown St. Pete, so you can make a whole day out of the trip. Stop by MacDinton’s or Yard of Ale for a pre-game beer with to get your competitive spirits going. Check out their holiday ticket package for special pricing on this rowdy date!
Not a soccer fan but still enjoy live sports? You can always purchase tickets to a Tampa Bay Lightning game at Amalie Arena or a Tampa Bay Bucs game at Raymond James Stadium!
Vertical Flights
If living in Tampa Bay teaches you one thing, it’s that the best place to watch sunset is Clearwater Beach! Instead of watching the sunset over the ocean as reflects off the clear blue waters, check it out in aerial view with Vertical Flights. They take you on a 30-minute exploration of Clearwater Beach, Tarpon Springs, or the Skyway Bridge so you can take aerial shots of the sunset or beach below you! For $99, you can take that someone special on a helicopter ride they’ll never forget this holiday season.
Related content: Unique Gift Ideas if you Live in Tampa Bay
iFly Indoor Skydiving
Do you know someone who has skydiving on their bucket list? If so, check out iFly for an indoor skydiving experience in Tampa Bay! There's no need to feel scared: this isn’t Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and, you're not Charlie, so they'll teach you the proper body positioning and hand signals before you enter the flight zone. After that, you'll be sent into the wind tunnel for 60 seconds, an average of 15 seconds longer than you would be in the air if you actually jumped out of a plane!
Related content: Your Guide to Hosting Holiday Parties in Tampa
Pedal Pub
It’s not a dive bar…. it’s a drive bar! Pedal your way through the scenic Downtown St. Pete with your significant other or group of friends and crack open a beer or two while you do it! This two-hour adventure is $375 to $420 to fill all 14 seats or $34-$38 per person. Eight of the people in your group must be willing and able to pedal throughout the entirety of the ride while six of your laziest friends can sit back and just enjoy the experience!
Amalie Arena Concerts
Amalie Arena welcomes an all-star line up in the first few months of 2019 in Tampa Bay. There’s a show on this list for everyone! Grab tickets today to impress someone special this holiday season by showing them you’re listening to them when they rant about their favorite artist!
Are you the only one in the relationship that knows how to make a decent meal? Take your significant other to a cooking class this holiday season at Sur La Table so they can return the favor and make you a nice meal every once in a while! A local chef will teach them how to make steaks, desserts, pastas, and more during these 90-minute classes. Check out their calendar for the month of January to see their diverse selection of classes, ranging from $70-$85.
All aboard! Rent a boat for you and someone dear to you with a licensed captain and galavant on the open ocean or across Tampa Bay to St. Pete this holiday season! Spend a day fishing or basking in the sun as you relax and get away from the city. Download the Anchor app, choose a boat, choose a captain, and schedule a time for takeoff. A day trip with Anchor will make you feel like you just took a vacation!
Guest Wings
Tired of being home all day every day staring at the same walls? Many are this year so what better gift to give than a home away from home? With Guest Wings, you can stay in a 23 foot Airstream trailer. Also, a great idea if you have family or friends visiting and you are tight on space!
There are plenty of experiences in the Tampa Bay that you can gift this year, so forget shopping and wrapping a present and give your loved ones the gift of adventure instead this holiday season!
For more ideas for Christmas in Tampa Bay by registering on 813area, your free local guide to everything in the Bay area.
Cover photo courtesy of Unsplash
