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Winter
Christmas marketsChristmas markets Europe-wide: ten weekends from about £775 for two
UK Christmas marketsThe best Christmas markets UK-wide: ten weekends from about £451 for two
New Year's EveTen New Years Eve breaks, from about £990 for two
HogmanayTen ways to do Hogmanay Edinburgh, from free to £11,460Journeys
Rail · 5 trains
Luxury train journeys
Five great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.
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Cities · 1 perfect day
One day in Rome
Sunrise to midnight: the walk, the tasting menus and a view of St Peter's.
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Islands · 12 months
The Maldives, month by month
When the sea is glass, when the mantas come, and when the price halves.
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Wild · Jul to Oct
The Great Migration
Where two million animals will be, and where you should be waiting.
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Rail · London to Venice
The Orient Express
When it runs, what each cabin costs, and the best month to board.
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Flights · Door to door
Emirates business class
From the car at your door in London to the lights of Dubai, in ten moments.
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Winter · 5 nights
Lapland holidays
Huskies, reindeer, glass igloos and the fox fires, told as five Arctic nights.
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Celebrations · 50th birthday gifts
These 50th birthday gift ideas are for a group of friends who would rather pool their money for one present worth having than hand over ten bottles and a card. Ten of you at £100 each is £1,000. Here is what about £300, £750, £1,500 or £3,000 buys that they will actually remember.
Cody Chan, Unsplash
The short answer
Prices checked 19 October 2026
Our six 50th birthday gift ideas, cheapest first: a helicopter tour of London for two (£495), a night in Champagne for two (about £532), two days at Rick Stein's Cookery School for two (£720), a night at Gleneagles (from £950), ten years of Glyndebourne membership (£1,070) and a Spitfire flight (£3,250).
Split ten ways, that is £49.50 to £325 each. All six are things to do, and every one can be bought now and handed over on the day, as a voucher, an e-gift or a welcome pack.
The experiences mostly come for two, so the birthday person brings whoever they like. Most vouchers run for 12 months, which matters when a helicopter flies only from April to October and a Spitfire only from May. The Champagne gift runs to April 2028.
Every price is the seller's own, or a gift site's where that is the only way to buy it, read on 19 October 2026. Where a price is a 'from' figure or was converted from euros, we say so under the item. For a younger birthday, our 30th page does the same job at a lower budget.
Planning the trip around it? Start with 30th birthday gift ideas, the same idea for a younger friend and supercar driving experiences, for a day on track instead of in the air and luxury train journeys, if the group wants to send them further.
About £500
About £50 each, for 10
About £1,500
About £95 to £107 each, for 10
£3,000 and up
About £325 each, for 10
Pick what suits the birthday person and we will show the gifts that fit.
The six
01A 50-minute helicopter tour of London for two£49.50 each, for 10
02A night in Champagne for two, on a wine estate£53.20 each, for 10
03Two days at Rick Stein's Cookery School, for two£72 each, for 10
04A night at Gleneagles for two, with breakfast£95 each, for 10
05Ten years of Glyndebourne membership, paid up front£107 each, for 10
06A flight in a two-seat Spitfire£325 each, for 10Photos are illustrative placeholders, not the gifts themselves.
01 · Red Letter Days
For two · voucher, 12 months to book
Fifty minutes in a jet-powered helicopter at about 1,000 feet over the Thames: the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's, the London Eye and Tower Bridge, with a glimpse of the O2. It flies from one of four sites in the South East (Camberley, Redhill, Westerham or Woking), and parking is free. It is the London they know, from where they have never seen it.
Skip it if they weigh over 114kg, or the party is in winter and they want to fly soon: flights run April to October only.
How to give it
Buy the voucher from Red Letter Days and put it in the card. They have 12 months to book and can exchange it for another experience on the site. A co-pilot seat costs extra when available.
£495 is the list price; the page showed £396 with the GIFT20 code on the day we checked. Red Letter Days refunds vouchers within 30 days if bought direct.
Sources: Red Letter Days: 50 minute City of London helicopter tour for two
02 · Vinotrip
For two · one night, with cellar visits including Taittinger
A Champagne house tour and a stay in one price: a night at Clos Corbier, a guesthouse on a wine estate in Mareuil-sur-Ay, a guided cellar tour and tasting of two cuvées at Maison Taittinger, three cuvées at Champagne Pierre Mignon, and a blind tasting and tour of the vineyards, press and cellar at the estate itself. The rest is theirs: Hautvillers, Épernay and the Avenue de Champagne on their own.
Skip it if they want a full weekend away. It is one night, and travel to Champagne is not listed as included. The page lists a Champagne lunch among the inclusions but also prices an optional lunch (€40 each) and dinner (€66 each), so check what is covered before booking.
How to give it
Buy it as a gift on vinotrip.com: a free e-gift box sent instantly by email, or a printed gift box for €5 more, delivered in 4 to 6 business days. They choose their dates, March to October, before 19 April 2028.
Vinotrip prices in euros (€315 a person). We converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate for 16 October 2026, £0.84385 to the euro; your card's rate will differ.
Sources: Vinotrip: weekend discovery from Reims to Épernay, a stay at a winemaker's estate · European Central Bank: euro reference rate for sterling (16 October 2026)
03 · Rick Stein's Cookery School, Padstow
For two · Two-Day Kitchen Skills, in Cornwall
"The course is an excellent way to get lots of practical, guided experience."
Daisy Meager, delicious. magazine
Two days by the estuary in Padstow learning the things that make every later meal better: knife skills, food preparation and cooking methods. The school's courses run on chef demonstrations and hands-on cooking in pairs, in classes of up to sixteen, with lunch at the family table looking over the estuary and a glass of wine or two along the way. It is a cookery course and a weekend in Cornwall at once.
Skip it if they would rather be cooked for. Padstow is a long way from most of the country, and the course price does not include a room.
How to give it
Book two places on the course page for dates that suit them (two places saves 10%), or buy a Cookery School gift card and let them choose. The school also sells two-day courses on Not On The High Street as an e-voucher, with a signed Rick Stein cookbook.
The course page lists Two-Day Kitchen Skills at £400 a place and says booking two places saves 10%. It did not show dates or gift card values when we checked.
Sources: Rick Stein's Cookery School: courses and prices · Rick Stein's Cookery School, Padstow · Not On The High Street: two-day course at Rick Stein's Cookery School (what a day includes) · delicious. magazine: Rick Stein's Cookery School review (September 2016)
04 · The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire
For two · bed and breakfast voucher, by email or post
"I have never seen a more thorough hotel refurbishment in my life."
Rob Burgess, Head for Points
The Scottish grand hotel, on 850 acres of Perthshire: an overnight stay for two with a full Scottish breakfast and unlimited use of the leisure facilities. Bought from the hotel's own voucher shop, it is one fixed gift with the hotel's name on the envelope, which is half the point at fifty. If the pot runs further, add dinner for two in The Strathearn (£250) or drinks in the American Bar (£100).
Skip it if the date is fixed. The hotel arranges the night with them and says it cannot guarantee a specific date. Vouchers are non-refundable after 14 days.
How to give it
Buy the One Night Bed & Breakfast voucher and schedule the email for the morning of the party (up to 40 days ahead), or have it posted in the branded wallet. Collection from the hotel is free with 24 hours' notice.
'From £950' is the starting price; the voucher has several options. The voucher site does not state an expiry date, so ask the hotel on +44 (0)1764 662231 before buying.
Sources: Gleneagles: gift vouchers (One Night Bed & Breakfast) · Gleneagles vouchers: delivery information · Gleneagles vouchers: terms and conditions · Hotels Above Par: Gleneagles, arguably Scotland's best hotel · Head for Points: Gleneagles review (Rob Burgess, April 2019)
05 · Glyndebourne, East Sussex
Gift membership · joining fee and ten years of subscriptions
The present that runs to their 60th. Membership brings priority booking for the summer Festival and the Autumn Season, member events, the annual Members' magazine, better returns and refunds, and no exchange fees. The first year adds a Festival programme book and half price on a pair of member event tickets. £1,070 covers the £110 joining fee and ten years of subscriptions at today's £96.
Skip it if you want the tickets in the box. Membership is the right to book early, not the seats: tickets and the interval picnic are extra. For the first year only, the standard gift membership is £206 (£110 to join plus £96).
How to give it
Buy the gift membership online and choose the ten-year prepaid option. The welcome pack holds an activation code; have it posted to the organiser so it can go in the card, and the birthday person activates it themselves.
Sources: Glyndebourne: gift membership 2026
06 · Red Letter Days
For one · a 20-minute flight over the Channel coast
A 20-minute round trip over the English Channel coast in a two-seat Spitfire TR9, one of eight the page says still fly worldwide. They choose sightseeing, aerobatics or both, and the day runs up to five and a half hours with the briefing and training. It flies from Chichester or Lee-on-the-Solent, with a flight suit included.
Skip it if they are over 109kg, under 4ft 7in or over 6ft 6in, or have limited mobility, and any medical condition must be declared. Flights are cancelled for weather and rebooked. It is for one person only.
How to give it
Buy the voucher and give it on the day. They book a date between May and October, Wednesday to Sunday, and read the risk information form before flying. If there is money left in the pot, a 4K 360-degree video is £200.
Red Letter Days listed this at £3,250 with 'no code needed'. The page does not name the flying school.
Sources: Red Letter Days: flight in a Spitfire over the English Channel
The price ladder
The full price of each gift. Split ten ways, that is £49.50 to £325 each.
Split the cost
Move the slider to the number of friends putting in, and see what each of you pays for five of the gifts. Every price is the full price of the gift, for two people where it is an experience for two.
Sources: Red Letter Days: 50 minute City of London helicopter tour for two · Rick Stein's Cookery School: courses and prices · Gleneagles: gift vouchers (One Night Bed & Breakfast) · Glyndebourne: gift membership 2026 · Red Letter Days: flight in a Spitfire over the English Channel
The numbers
The full price, what each of ten friends pays, who it suits and where to buy it.
| Gift | Price | Each, for 10 | Good for | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London helicopter tour for two | £495 | £49.50 | A new view of home | Red Letter Days |
| Night in Champagne for two | about £532 (€630) | £53.20 | A trip abroad | vinotrip.com |
| Rick Stein two-day course for two | £720 | £72 | The cook | rickstein.com |
| Gleneagles bed and breakfast for two | from £950 | £95 | A night away | Gleneagles vouchers |
| Glyndebourne, ten years prepaid | £1,070 | £107 | Opera lovers | glyndebourne.com |
| Spitfire flight for one | £3,250 | £325 | Aviation fans | Red Letter Days |
Sources: Red Letter Days: 50 minute City of London helicopter tour for two · Vinotrip: weekend discovery from Reims to Épernay, a stay at a winemaker's estate · Rick Stein's Cookery School: courses and prices · Gleneagles: gift vouchers (One Night Bed & Breakfast) · Glyndebourne: gift membership 2026 · Red Letter Days: flight in a Spitfire over the English Channel
Side by side
| A day out | A night away | |
|---|---|---|
| Our picks | The helicopter, Rick Stein, Glyndebourne, the Spitfire | Champagne, Gleneagles |
| Price range here | £495 to £3,250 | about £532 to £950 |
| Good for | A story they tell for years, and home the same evening | Two people getting away together |
| On the day | A voucher or e-gift in a card | A voucher, e-gift or welcome pack in a card |
| Watch for | Season limits (the helicopter and Spitfire fly spring to autumn), weight limits and expiry dates | Dates that book up, and travel, which is not in the price |
| Best when | They would rather do something than own something | They never take a night off |
Questions
Something they would not buy for themselves, and something that marks the year. For a group, that usually means one bigger present rather than ten small ones: a night at Gleneagles (from £950), a Champagne trip for two (about £532) or, with a big group, a Spitfire flight (£3,250). On a smaller budget, a helicopter tour of London for two is £495.
Gold. Jewellers such as Ross-Simons call gold 'the traditional choice' for a 50th. Our list sticks to things to do, so if you want gold, buy it from a named jeweller or The Royal Mint, and check the price on the day: it moves with the gold price.
From our six: a Spitfire flight (£3,250) if he looks up at every old aircraft, two days at Rick Stein's Cookery School for two (£720) if he cooks, or a helicopter tour of London for two (£495) if he likes a view. None of them is gendered.
Something she will use or remember: ten years of Glyndebourne membership (£1,070), a night at Gleneagles for two (from £950), two days at Rick Stein's Cookery School for two (£720) or a night in Champagne for two (about £532). The Spitfire flight works just as well; we would not split the list by gender.
There is no rule, and big birthdays usually cost more. In a survey of 1,000 UK adults for the card company thortful, 15% of millennials said they spent £101 to £150 on a present. Chipping in changes the sum: £100 each from ten friends is £1,000, enough for a night at Gleneagles or ten years at Glyndebourne.
One person organises. Agree the gift and a fixed amount per head, collect the money before buying, then buy in the organiser's name with delivery to the organiser. Pick a voucher with a clear expiry date, check seasons (the helicopter flies April to October, the Spitfire May to October) and sign one card from everyone.
Sources: Ross-Simons: 50th birthday gifts (gold as the traditional choice) · thortful: how much do milestone celebrations cost? (survey of 1,000 UK adults) · Glyndebourne: gift membership 2026
How we chose: 50th birthday gift ideas that a group of friends can buy together, each one real, bought or booked in the UK or online from a named seller with a published price, read on the seller's page or a gift site's, and split ten ways. Nothing novelty, nothing personalised for the sake of it, and no jokes about age. No one paid to be included. Every price and specification links to where we checked it on 19 October 2026. How we choose.
The journey · RailLuxury train journeysFive great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.
Pair it withThe Orient Express, month by monthAt its best: Mar, Apr, Jul, Aug, Nov.
Pair it withJapan, month by monthAt its best: Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov.
Where to stayKyoto ryokan: the shortlist11 ryokan, each one recognised by named judges.
