As summer sneaks up on us, so do the last few weeks to organise Father’s Day celebrations ahead of Sunday 15 June. With this inevitably comes last-minute card shopping, serious sibling negotiations on dad’s favourite beer and religiously checking the weather forecast in the run-up to the family barbecue. If gifts prove too tricky and socks for the third year in a row feel like a step too far, why not give your paternal figures the gift of quality time? Food, football, booze and golf are often a good place to start – but there are also plenty of options that are a little more original. There are whiskies to taste, tandem bikes to pedal and facials to relax dotted across the UK, along with days out doing everything from taking a steak-searing masterclass or hurtling down a zip line over a quarry in Wales. Here are our top picks of things to do with dad for some stereotypical but failsafe fun this Father’s Day. Read more: Where to go in Cornwall to avoid the summer crowds Whiskey connoisseurs (over 18) can spend the afternoon at a range of distilleries across the country this Father’s Day. To enjoy a whiskey tipple in Stourton with Dad, visit the Cotswolds Distillery for their daily hour-and-a-half cask warehouse tour and tasting session of award-winning spirits and liqueurs. Cotswolds Distillery Tour & Tasting with lunch from £37 per person; cotswoldsdistillery.com Read more: Best Cotswolds hotels 2025, reviewed To fine-tune the steak skills of culinary-inclined fathers, a Shaken & Seared cooking masterclass at Sauce by The Langham promises to teach all things preparation, seasoning and sauce. With a welcome cocktail, steak dinner with wine and sharing dessert included in the class, it’s sure to get the well done from Dad. Shaken & Seared cooking class, from £185 per person; saucebylangham.com There’s an activity for every proud parent this 16 June, no matter how you choose to unwind. Treat fathers to a spa day – with a side of golf – at Donnington Valley in Berkshire for some R&R and a round of nine holes. Think energising facials, rolling countryside and a terrace bar for the ultimate family kickback. TempleSpa 85-minute massage, £85; donningtonvalley.co.uk For fathers who savour the finer things, spend some time at Edward Sahakian’s Cigar Shop and Sampling Lounge. This sophisticated space in the Bvlgari Hotel London offers a wide selection of cigars – including some vintage Havanas from Edward's private collection. Even if you don't know a Churchill from a corona but fancy indulging, the experts can assist; there are also heady spirit and cocktail menus to pair with your smoke. Whiskey and cigar pairing experience for two, £250; bulgarihotels.com A ghoulish walk through the dark streets of Edinburgh is not one to be forgotten in a hurry. Thrill-seeking families in the Scottish capital will feel shivers down their spine on this free walking ghost tour through the Old Town, alleyways and graveyards after dark. Free 1.5-hour ghost tour from 7pm daily with Edinburgh Free Tour; fareharbor.com Read more: Best hotels in Edinburgh 2025, reviewed You can treat dad to a mini spa day plus a meal at Bristol’s luxurious outdoor lido. Arrive at 6pm and enjoy two hours use of the heated pool, sauna and steam room before getting back into your clothes for a delicious tapas meal. Dishes include salt cod fritters, scallops and patatas bravas with aioli. Swim and small plates from £50 per person; lidobristol.com If your dad’s got good aim and excellent hand-eye coordination, take a trip to Clays, either in the City of London, Canary Wharf or Birmingham. The indoor target shooting is the ideal place to indulge in a little healthy competition with a cocktail and some calamari, whatever the weather. 40-minute game at Clay’s Canary Wharf, from £8; clays.bar Why not scrap competitive cycling sessions and take a tandem pedal through the Sussex countryside to relive arguments past on who is doing most of the legwork this Father’s Day? We forecast great views, light squabbling and a lot of laughs. Sussex Countryside Four Hour Tandem Bike Hire, £50; virginexperiencedays.co.uk Read more: These neighbouring East Sussex seaside towns are billed as the ‘new Margate’ Tick off a first this Father’s Day with a bucket list 100mph zipline over the Penrhyn Quarry in Bangor. With Snowdonia views and space for a family of four to fly at the same time – 700 feet high – a voucher for Zip World is a great gift for adrenaline junkies to race 1,555m to the bottom of the ‘Velocity’ line. Zip World Velocity day flight for four people for £299; zipworld.co.uk Read more: How a Welsh eco-campsite became a haven for frazzled Londoners If fast cars are dad’s thing, an off-road G-Wagon adventure at Mercedes Benz World offers a nerve-wracking drive through a variety of terrains, inclines, water crossings and obstacles on a foot-to-the-floor 10-acre circuit in Weybridge. Whether learning the skills as a driver or feeling the thrill as a passenger, there’s something for everyone on and off the track. 4x4 G-Class Passenger Ride for three people from £45; mercedes-benzworld.co.uk Read more: The best London hotels for afternoon tea