So you’ve been tasked with the duty of planning your best mate’s stag do? Need to deliver the mother of all Bachelor parties? Well, my friend, we’ve got you covered.
Whether you’re planning a trip to one of the best stag destinations abroad, or something closer to home, no sweat.
You might be planning a stag weekend, or just a day of stag activities. But planning activities that fit with everyones requirements can be tricky. So we’re going to look at how to plan a stag do that won’t leave anyone (too) skint, but will ensure that you’re remembered for being the guy who planned a legendary stag do.
Get the stags on board
First things first, when organising a stag do, you’ll need to work out the invite list. Knowing who the group members are before you start planning is going to make the whole process much easier, and will help you with a rough idea of who will be up for what.
As always, there’ll probably be a diverse bunch, with different tastes and budgets.
Sound out some ideas in a Whatsapp group or email chat (don’t invite the groom until the day you leave of course). See what the general consensus is about planning a trip to your local bars, or hopping on a plane to somewhere cool.
Remember though – you’ve been tasked with planning the party. So, when it comes to the crunch, you make the decisions. Sometimes with planning a stag weekend, too many cooks can really make a mess of your plans.
If they can’t decide between Brighton or Berlin, that’s your call. Don’t be afraid to lay down the law and tell people that it’s not THEIR party – but it’s your duty to ensure the groom has a great send off.
Budget your party
What you need to remember is that the stag ain’t paying for anything. You guys have all got him covered for his last night of freedom, so remember to price that in to the total budget.
When planning your bachelor party, make sure you draw up the costs of everything from the transport, the fancy dress, the accommodation and the food, as well as the drinks (of course, right).
If you’re not the planning type, this might come back and bite you on the ass. So get your calculator out and make sure you’re not shooting yourself (and everyone else) in the foot. After all, you’re the party planner. Plan it right!
Money can be an issue for some people, so make sure to give people a ballpark figure at least before you start booking.
If you need to budget, use this outline:
- Travel costs
- Accommodation costs (try to get breakfast included which will save you on hangover days)
- Prices for activities
- Factor in drinks, club entry and other sundries
Once you have the guys on board with your weekend itinerary, you can start planning the actual details and organising the money side of things.
The essential details
If you’re planning your stag-do close to home, then logistics such as transport and accommodation might be easier to plan.
But for those planning an overnight (or multi-night) bachelor party, you’ll need to factor in:
- Affordable accommodation for all – A good idea is to hire an aparment. Bear in mind that many places don’t accept large groups of men. And you can appreciate the fact that your stag party might get rowdy, so respect that decision.
- Restaurants and re-fuelling – Have a selection of good places to eat, and ideally book at least one or two meals. Pubs and high end bars often serve food too, so factor this in.
Make sure you also factor in time slots for things like eating and even taking a break. Although a memorable stag weekend will focus heavily on the fun stuff, you’ll also need to make sure there is some free time for people to relax, grab a cheeky nap or even go and do their own sightseeing.
The perfect stag do doesn’t have to be constant action. So factor in some down time too.
The stag weekend itinerary
OK, down to the fun part. Every man on his stag do wants to be assured of the biggest and best send-off with his closest crew by his side.
This means, action, adventure, a bit of ritual humiliation, and probably a shit load of beer.
So as the best man, you’ll be planning the weekend itinerary. Where do you start?
A one day stag do will normally involve:
- An activity – such as paintball, zorb football or bungee jumping
- Another more sedate activity – perhaps a brewery tour, boat cruise or something less intense
- The social – often a trip to a pub, nightclub or something similar
If you’re stretching your bachelor party over multiple days, then this will require more careful planning. But- don’t overdo it.
Just because you’re in Barcelona for three days doesn’t mean you have to cram every day with activities.
Let’s assume you are doing a three day stag:
- Day one – Arrival, drinks and light sightseeing, possibly a trip to the local landmark. A meal and then a trip to a local bar or sports event for a *relatively* low key first night.
- Day two – This is where you’ll do most of your heavy activities, with your jetski safari, ziplining and parading though town in a fat suit. This will also, most likely be your biggest night out – with super clubs, strip bars and copious amounts of tequila.
- Day three – Bearing in mind everyone will be hungover or tired, find a sedate activity such as a boat cruise, bus tour or something else where people can feel like shit in peace. Don’t give them an excuse to hate you…
Now, those stag party activities can be a tricky one to plan. It will depend mainly, of course, on your stag, and what he would appreciate.
Picking the best things to do
What are the best activities for a stag party or bachelor party? Remember that the guys pay for the stag, so depending on how many group members there are, you’ll need to add an extra percentage to cover the big guy.
As for activities… Focus on your stag first, and everyone else is second. Think of how you can give him the most fun send off, but also somehow put him though his paces and probably embarrass him.
Popular stag do activities are:
- Skydiving
- Driving super cars
- Go-karting
- Sailing
- White-water rafting
- Skiing/snowboarding
- Paintball
- Bungee jumping
- Golf
- Escape games
- Waterskiing and jet ski
- Fat suit sumo
- Wine or beer tasting
- Boat cruise or bus tour
This is just a small selection of the kinds of things you could get up to on a bachelor party.
If you’re looking for the best things to do in a specific location, and get the best prices, we highly recommend Viator.
Browse things to do in your chosen stag do location on Viator.
You might also want to do more general activities such as:
- Heading to a music festival
- Going for a sport event weekend, for example Formula One or fooball/soccer
- A trip to a horse racing event (Aintree or The Grand National in the UK for example)
If you’re based in the USA, check out Adrenalin, who offer great fun things to do for bachelor parties, such as skydiving and driving cool cars.
Make time to have fun
Remember, you want to make the day fun and action packed. BUT… You don’t want to over-do it and have a busy itinerary.
Make time to have fun and enjoy each other’s company. Accommodate the fact that you’ll need to eat, rest and perhaps even get some sleep.
And most of all, enjoy it!
Heading to Krakow? Check out our guides to stag dos in Krakow.
Got any other tips for how to plan a stag do or bachelor party? Share them in the comments below…
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