Planning a hen party weekend sounds easy enough until you are suddenly juggling twelve people, three budgets, restaurant deposits, a bride who wants “something fun but not too much” and a group chat that has somehow produced 147 unread messages.
A little heads-up before we get planning 💕 This guide contains a few affiliate links, which means The Hen Planner may earn a small commission if you book or buy through one, at no extra cost to you.
The good news? Your itinerary does not need to be military-level organised. It just needs to tell everyone where they need to be, when they need to be there and what they need to know before they arrive.
Below you will find a ready-to-use hen party itinerary template, three sample schedules, realistic planning tips and a few shortcuts that can make organising the weekend much easier.
Need a Hen Party Itinerary Right Now?
Start with this simple 48-hour framework, then swap the activities, restaurants and timings to suit your group.
| Time | Plan | Don't Forget |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 5:00 PM | Arrive at accommodation | Share the address, room plan and check-in details beforehand. |
| Friday 7:30 PM | Welcome drinks & games | Keep the first night relaxed, especially if people are travelling in. |
| Saturday 10:00 AM | Brunch | Double-check dietary requirements with the restaurant. |
| Saturday 1:00 PM | Main activity | Leave enough time to travel there without sprinting through town in heels. |
| Saturday 7:00 PM | Group dinner | Pre-ordering can make life much easier for a big table. |
| Saturday 10:00 PM | Night out | Share the venue and transport plan in the group chat. |
| Sunday 10:00 AM | Brunch & checkout | Check the actual checkout time before everyone disappears for coffee. |
That is enough to create a working itinerary. The magic is in filling in the details before the weekend, rather than trying to answer the same questions fifteen times once everyone arrives.
Planning Shortcut ✨
If building everything from scratch is already making your eye twitch, our Hen Party Planning Spreadsheet keeps the itinerary, budget, guest list and payments together in one editable Google Sheets file.
See the Planning SpreadsheetWhat Should a Good Hen Party Itinerary Include?
A good hen party itinerary is more than a list of times. Think of it as the one place everyone can check before asking, “Wait, where are we going again?”
You do not need to cram every tiny detail onto one page, but everyone should be able to find the weekend dates, accommodation, activity times, addresses, dress codes and any important booking information without digging through the group chat.
| Include | What to Add |
|---|---|
| Weekend overview | Dates, accommodation, address and check-in/check-out information. |
| Day-by-day schedule | Activity times, meals, getting-ready time and travel gaps. |
| Travel information | Train times, parking notes, taxi bookings or meeting points. |
| Costs | What has already been paid and anything guests need to pay separately. |
| Guest notes | Dietary requirements, accessibility needs and anything the organiser should know. |
| Dress codes | Theme or colour plans, plus practical notes if an activity needs trainers or swimwear. |
| Useful contacts | Venue details, lead organiser and important booking references. |
Little tip: keep the guest-facing version nice and simple. You can have the terrifyingly detailed master spreadsheet with every deposit and confirmation number. The hens do not need to see all of that. 😂
How Do You Customise a Hen Party Itinerary for Your Group?
This is the bit that matters more than copying someone else's “perfect” weekend. A packed itinerary might be brilliant for one bride and her personal idea of hell for another.
- Start with the bride. Find out what she actually wants. Big night out? Spa? Activities? Long brunch and several hours to get ready? Build around her rather than TikTok.
- Agree the budget early. You will save yourself a lot of awkwardness if everyone knows the realistic spend before deposits start flying.
- Lock in the dates. Once the bride and core group are available, get the weekend confirmed.
- Choose the accommodation. Where you stay affects transport, restaurants and how much of the weekend can happen at the house or hotel.
- Add the big-ticket plans. Put in the activities or reservations that have fixed times first.
- Build breathing room around them. Hen groups move more slowly than two people popping out for dinner. Allow for taxis, outfit changes and the friend who cannot find her lashes.
If you want the full planning process from start to finish, our step-by-step hen party planning checklist walks through the whole thing in order.
Sorting the outfits too? If your group wants coordinated looks, matching colours or a white outfit for the bride, you can browse Boohoo's hen party dresses here. Keep the dress code fun rather than turning it into another expensive requirement for the group.
Three Ready-to-Copy Hen Party Itineraries
There is no single correct way to plan a hen weekend, so here are three very different starting points. Use them as inspiration rather than rules.
1. The City Weekend
Great for: groups that want food, activities and a proper night out.
| Time | Plan |
|---|---|
| Friday 5:00 PM | Check in and unpack. |
| Friday 7:30 PM | Casual dinner, drinks and games at the accommodation. |
| Saturday 10:30 AM | Brunch. |
| Saturday 1:30 PM | Cocktail class, dance class, pottery or another group activity. |
| Saturday 4:00 PM | Back to the accommodation, snacks and getting-ready time. |
| Saturday 7:30 PM | Dinner. |
| Saturday 10:00 PM | Bars, dancing or whatever “one quick drink” turns into. |
| Sunday 10:30 AM | Recovery brunch and checkout. |
If Edinburgh is on the shortlist, we have a full guide to Edinburgh hen party ideas with activities and inspiration.
2. The Spa & Slow Weekend
Great for: the bride who wants to celebrate without needing a three-day recovery period.
| Time | Plan |
|---|---|
| Friday evening | Check in, takeaway or grazing boards, drinks and easy games. |
| Saturday morning | Slow breakfast and coffee. |
| Saturday afternoon | Spa session, treatments, pool time or a relaxed wellness activity. |
| Saturday evening | Get ready without rushing, then head out for dinner and cocktails. |
| Sunday morning | Brunch, photos and home. |
The original rule still applies here: do not mistake “relaxed” for “nothing planned.” One or two lovely reservations can make the weekend feel thoughtful without filling every hour.
3. The One-Night Hen Party
Great for: smaller budgets, local groups or brides who do not want a full weekend away.
| Time | Plan |
|---|---|
| 4:00 PM | Meet at the hotel, house or first venue. |
| 4:30 PM | Drinks, photos and a game while everyone arrives. |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner. |
| 9:00 PM | Activity, cocktail bar, karaoke or night out. |
| Late | Back to the accommodation for snacks, gossip and questionable takeaway decisions. |
Staying in for most of the night? Our hen party sleepover guide has more ideas for making a house-based celebration feel like an actual event.
How Do You Budget and Collect Money for a Hen Party?
Before you book anything expensive, agree what people are genuinely comfortable spending. Not what sounds reasonable in theory. Not what the loudest person in the group chat wants to spend. The actual number people can afford.
A useful budget should separate accommodation, activities, food, transport and optional extras. That way everyone knows what the main payment covers and what they may still need money for during the weekend.
Some groups cover the bride's share between them, while others split everything evenly. Either way is fine. The important part is deciding early rather than discovering at checkout that everyone assumed something different.
Our hen party budget guide goes deeper into splitting costs and keeping the numbers realistic.
Make payments boring. Give everyone the amount, deadline and what it covers in one message. Keep a tracker. Chase people privately rather than turning the group chat into Accounts Receivable.
What Should You Book First?
In most cases, accommodation should be near the top of the list because it anchors the weekend. Once you know where everyone is sleeping, it becomes much easier to judge travel times and choose activities nearby.
| Booking | When to Start Looking |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | As early as possible for popular weekends and larger groups. |
| Main group activity | Once the date, location and guest numbers are reasonably firm. |
| Saturday dinner | Early enough to secure a table that can actually seat your group. |
| Private transport | Once your main timings and locations are confirmed. |
| Games & printables | Whenever you like. Digital downloads are especially handy for last-minute planners. |
Looking for a house for the group? Sykes has a large-cottage collection that is worth browsing if you would rather keep everyone together than split the group between hotel rooms. Always check the property's rules around group celebrations before booking.
For another start-to-finish breakdown, you can also read How to Plan a Hen Party in 8 Steps.
What Hen Party Activities Actually Work?
The best activity is not automatically the one currently all over Instagram. Pick something the bride will enjoy and that the group can realistically take part in.
For a Chilled Group
- Spa afternoon or pool session
- Private brunch
- Afternoon tea
- Yoga or wellness class
- At-home pamper night
For a Social Group
- Cocktail or mocktail class
- Pottery or painting
- Cooking class
- Life drawing
- Private dining experience
For the Group That Wants More Energy
- Dance class
- Karaoke
- Escape room
- Outdoor activity
- Big night out
You also do not need to squeeze four paid activities into one afternoon. One main activity plus enough time for food, photos and getting ready is often plenty. If your bride loves a packed schedule, add more. If she would rather spend two hours chatting over brunch, protect the brunch.
Our hen party venues, activities and themes guide has more inspiration if you are still deciding what the weekend should look like.
Questions to Ask Before You Book a Venue
- Can the venue comfortably accommodate your full group?
- Is there a deposit or minimum spend?
- What happens if guest numbers change?
- Can they cater for allergies and dietary requirements?
- Are decorations allowed?
- Is the space private or shared with other guests?
- How early should the group arrive?
How Do You Move a Hen Group Around Without Losing Anyone?
The glamorous answer would be “effortlessly.” The real answer is planning more travel time than you think you need.
Ten people do not leave a house as quickly as two. Someone is changing shoes, someone needs the loo, somebody has lost her phone and one person is still curling the final section of her hair while insisting she is “basically ready.”
If you have fixed bookings, work backwards from the arrival time and include the travel period in the itinerary itself.
Example: instead of writing “Dinner: 7:30 PM,” write:
6:45 PM: everyone ready downstairs
7:00 PM: taxis leave
7:20 PM: arrive at restaurant
7:30 PM: booking
That tiny change makes the itinerary much more useful because everyone can see when they actually need to move.
What Should You Pack, and Which Games Travel Well?
You do not need to pack half the internet. Focus on things the group will genuinely use.
A Sensible Hen Weekend Packing List
- Daytime and evening outfits
- Comfortable shoes
- Phone charger or power bank
- Toiletries and any medication you personally need
- Swimwear if the itinerary includes a spa or pool
- Anything needed for the group theme
- A copy or screenshot of the itinerary
If the group has a dress code, send it early enough that guests can work with things they already own rather than feeling pressured into buying an entirely new wardrobe.
Easy Games for the Accommodation or Pre-Drinks
- Drink If for a quick icebreaker
- How Well Do You Know the Bride?
- Bridal Pictionary
- Truth or Dare
- Hen party challenges or scavenger hunts
Want something a little different? Betting on the Wedding is another fun option for pre-drinks or downtime, especially if your group has already played every classic bride quiz known to mankind.
If games are a big part of your weekend, you can also browse The Hen Planner's digital hen party games for instant downloads.
The One Thing Most Hen Party Organisers Underestimate
Transitions.
Not the cocktail class. Not dinner. Not the club booking. It is the completely uninteresting bit between them.
Getting eight or twelve people out of an apartment, downstairs, into taxis and through the door of the next venue takes longer than you imagine while planning the weekend from your sofa.
Instead of adding a vague “buffer,” put the transition into the itinerary as a real part of the plan. 6:00 PM: back to house. 6:00–7:00 PM: get ready. 7:00 PM: taxis.
Suddenly nobody thinks 6:58 PM is the ideal moment to start applying individual lashes.
Another lifesaver: give one other person a job on the day. You can organise the weekend without also being the human version of Google Maps, Find My iPhone and a restaurant hostess.
Seven days before the party, run through our week-before hen party checklist and confirm the boring-but-important things while there is still time to fix them.
Planning the Hen? These Might Help 💕
Whether you are at the spreadsheet-and-deposits stage or have finally reached the much more enjoyable “what games are we playing?” stage, these are some of our digital favourites. They are instant downloads, so there is no waiting for a parcel to arrive before the weekend.
Hen Party Planning Spreadsheet
Keep your budget, guest list, payments and itinerary together in one editable Google Sheets planner.
Take a Look →
Hen Weekend Planning Guide
A printable A4 planning guide with space for your checklist, budget, guest list and full itinerary.
Take a Look →
Drink If
A simple printable icebreaker with 34 cards and your choice of cheeky or family-friendly versions.
See the Game →
Bridal Pictionary
Cut out the cards, split into teams and discover which friend should never be trusted with a marker.
See the Game →
Set of 4 Hen Party Games
Four easy printable games in one pack, ideal for the accommodation, dinner table or pre-drinks.
See the Games →
Bachelorette Weekend Planning Guide
The US Letter version of our printable planner, designed for bachelorette weekends and American bridesmaids.
Take a Look →A good hen party itinerary is not about scheduling every minute. It is about giving the weekend enough structure that everyone knows what is happening while still leaving room for the bits you could never have planned anyway.
Get the important bookings sorted, give yourselves realistic travel time and keep the plan somewhere everyone can find it. Then close the spreadsheet and enjoy the party. 🥂
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