Team Outing Ideas: 20 Destinations for Summer, Winter and Small Budgets

What makes a good team outing

A team outing differs from an in-house team event above all in one respect: the team leaves its familiar surroundings together. The journey, waiting for the train or the lunch break in an unfamiliar place already create opportunities for conversations that would never happen in the office. Whether it is a department outing with twelve people or a company outing with the whole workforce, three questions help with the choice:

• Who is coming? Age, fitness, mobility, family commitments and dietary habits determine what is feasible.
• What should the day achieve? Relaxation and thanks, getting to know each other after a restructuring, or deliberate work on how people work together.
• How much time and budget is available? Distance, programme density and catering depend on this.

If you are mainly interested in joint tasks and exercises in the open air, you will find suitable activities in our guide to outdoor team building. This page focuses on destinations and on organising the outing itself. The home page on team building activities gives an overview of all formats.

Nature and exercise

Nature trips are the classic among summer team outing ideas: they are comparatively inexpensive and leave plenty of room for conversations while walking.

1. Guided walk with a stop at an inn

• Half day to full day
• €–€€
• low to medium fitness

A circular route of eight to twelve kilometres with a stop at an inn or mountain hut. A local walking guide tells you about the landscape and history along the way and takes care of navigation. Plan a shortcut option so that nobody has to push their limits. With a pushchair or wheelchair, only possible on designated low-barrier paths.

2. Bike tour with an e-bike option

• Half day to full day
• €€
• medium fitness, cycling required

Riverside cycle paths and former railway lines offer flat, low-traffic routes. A hire shop with e-bikes evens out differences in fitness so that the team stays together. Set break points where the group gathers again, and clarify in advance who does not cycle – for these people, a support vehicle or a meeting point at the destination can be a solution.

3. Nature tour with a ranger or forester

• Half day
• €
• low fitness, partly low-barrier

Many nature parks and protected areas offer guided tours on forests, wildlife, moorland or herbs. The pace is leisurely, the learning effect high, and for once the conversation is not about work. Ask about routes with a firm surface if participants with limited mobility are taking part.

Culture and the city

Urban destinations are easy to reach by train and public transport, less dependent on the weather than nature tours and therefore suitable for any season.

4. Themed city tour

• 2–3 hours
• €
• low fitness, can usually be planned low-barrier

Instead of the standard tour, choose a focus that suits your team: industrial history, architecture, crime stories, food or the city's famous figures. Many city tours can be booked as an exclusive group tour. Ask about routes without stairs and with places to sit.

5. Museum or exhibition with a group tour

• 2–3 hours
• €–€€
• low fitness, often accessible

Technology, art or history museums offer tours specifically for groups, sometimes with an interactive part. A link to your own industry works particularly well – for example a technology museum for a team of engineers. Museums are an ideal plan B for rainy days.

6. A look behind the scenes of another business

• Half day
• €–€€
• low fitness, check access in advance

Factory tours, logistics centres, airports, ports or industrial heritage sites show how others work. This invites comparison with your own processes – a good starting point for conversations about processes and collaboration. Many businesses have minimum or maximum group sizes and safety requirements, for example sturdy footwear.

Food, drink and crafts

Food and craft outings combine experiencing with doing. Make sure alcohol is never the focus and that there are always equivalent alcohol-free alternatives.

7. Visit to a local brewery or craft workshop

• 2–4 hours
• €€
• low fitness, check access in advance

Whether brewery, coffee roastery, glass-blowing workshop, chocolate or paper manufacturer: craft businesses show production processes up close, often followed by a tasting or a small hands-on part. Workshops with no connection to alcohol are a particularly good choice for mixed teams.

8. Farm or winery visit with a tasting

• Half day
• €€
• low fitness, terrain partly uneven

A walk through vineyards, orchards or a farm, followed by a tasting of regional products. Many farms also offer juice, cheese or farm-shop tastings. Plan the return journey so that nobody has to drive themselves.

9. Cookery course together at a cookery school

• 3–4 hours
• €€–€€€
• low fitness, usually low-barrier

In small groups, the team prepares a multi-course menu and then eats together. This gives the outing a natural highlight. Ask about allergies and dietary preferences in advance and pass them on to the cookery school.

Adventure and action

Action outings provide adrenaline and something to talk about – but they can quickly exclude people. So always offer a quieter option at the same location.

10. Mountain railway and summer toboggan run

• Half day to full day
• €€
• low fitness, cable car often low-barrier

Up the mountain by cable car, a short panoramic walk at the top, the toboggan run at the bottom: this combination works for very different teams because everyone chooses how much of a thrill they want. The ride up alone is an experience.

11. Activity combo in the nearest big city

• Full day
• €€–€€€
• low to medium fitness

An escape room in the morning, lunch in the old town, bowling, mini golf or an indoor leisure centre in the afternoon: combining several short programme items keeps energy levels high. One advantage is that it does not depend on the weather. You will find more indoor formats in our guide to indoor team building.

On the water

Water outings are a typical summer team outing. Check beforehand whether everyone can swim, and provide life jackets and sun protection.

12. Boat trip on a river or lake

• 2 hours to full day
• €€
• no fitness required, boats often low-barrier

A scheduled or chartered trip with food on board is probably the most relaxed team outing of all. On deck, the groups mix by themselves. The trip can be combined with a shore excursion, a city tour at the destination or a walk back.

13. Stand-up paddleboarding or pedalos on a bathing lake

• Half day
• €–€€
• medium fitness, ability to swim required

A bathing lake with a hire station, a short briefing, then onto the water – anyone who prefers to stay on the shore organises the picnic. For beginners, pedalos or larger group boards are a good choice. If you want to give the team a real joint task on the water, you will find ideas such as raft building on the outdoor page.

Team outings in winter

A team outing in winter is rarer – and that is precisely what makes it special. Shorter days and the cold, however, require shorter programme units and warm places to retreat to.

14. Snowshoe hike with a hut stop

• Half day to full day
• €€
• medium fitness, not accessible

Snowshoeing can be learnt in a few minutes and requires no skiing skills. A guided tour with hired equipment leads through snowy landscapes to a hut with a hot meal. Important: the avalanche situation and weather are the responsibility of the guide – only book qualified guides.

15. Ice stock sport with a tournament

• 2–3 hours
• €–€€
• low fitness

Whether on natural ice, an artificial ice rink or a covered asphalt lane: ice stock sport, a curling-like game popular in the Alpine region, is quickly explained, sociable and also suitable for people without sporting ambitions. A small tournament with mixed teams and hot drinks rounds off the afternoon.

16. Sledging and an evening in a hut

• 1 or 2 days
• €€–€€€
• medium fitness, not accessible

Toboggan runs with a lift or ascent aid, followed by an evening in a mountain hut – with an overnight stay if desired. Plan a winter walk or time in the hut for those who do not want to sledge, and make sure you set off in good time before dark.

Outings with a team building module

These two ideas deliberately combine the change of scene with a facilitated part that focuses on working together.

17. Outing with a facilitated team event at the destination

• Full day
• €€–€€€
• low fitness, can usually be planned low-barrier

An outing programme in the morning, a facilitated team event at a conference venue or outdoors at the destination in the afternoon. One example is BITOU's Wind Park: teams build wind turbines and coordinate with each other to generate as much energy as possible for the whole wind park. According to the provider, the format can be run indoors and outdoors, lasts 90 to 150 minutes and is suitable for 4 to 500 participants.

18. Future workshop in the countryside

• 1 or 2 days
• €€
• low fitness

A walk or bike ride in the morning, followed by a half-day workshop in a country inn or seminar house: what went well last year, and what do we want to change as a team? The exercise beforehand loosens people up, and the new location opens up new perspectives. Our guide to the team building workshop describes how to structure such a part.

Low-cost or free team outings

A tight budget is no reason to do without a day together. These ideas cost little or nothing – and are particularly suitable for a team outing close to home.

19. Picnic in a park or local recreation area

• Half day
• €
• no fitness required, a low-barrier location can be chosen

Everyone brings something to eat, and the company provides drinks and blankets. Add simple games such as boules, kubb or frisbee to the picnic – or one of the short team building games that need no materials. In some municipalities, public barbecue areas have to be booked in advance.

20. Discovery tour of your own city

• Half day
• €
• low fitness, route can be adapted

Each team member suggests a favourite place in the city or surrounding area: a viewpoint, a café, a park, a special building. The group visits the places by public transport, and at each stop the person who suggested it explains why it matters to them. This way you get to know the place and your colleagues in a new way.

Half day, full day or two days?

The duration determines how far you can travel, how much programme makes sense and how much effort organisation and budget require. The table shows typical schedules as a guide.

Half day: ideal for small teams, tight budgets and destinations nearby. The journey should take no more than an hour. Full-day trip: the standard for a company outing – enough time for a programme, a meal and a team building element. Two days: worthwhile for distributed or newly formed teams. The evening is often the most valuable part, but it also requires consideration for people with caring responsibilities. Announce such dates early.

Travel: coach, train or car sharing

• Coach: everyone sets off together, nobody has to drive or plan changes, and the journey itself becomes part of the outing. Sensible from about 20 people or for remote destinations. Check the accessibility of the vehicle in advance.
• Train and public transport: environmentally friendly and often inexpensive, especially with group tickets. Allow a buffer for delays and reserve seats for larger groups.
• Car sharing: flexible and practical for small teams. Agree in advance who drives, how travel costs are reimbursed and that drivers do not drink alcohol. Make sure the groups in the cars are not formed only by department.

A fixed meeting point with a list of names, a phone number for the organisers and a message with the schedule and clothing recommendations the day before prevent most mishaps.

Bad-weather plan B: when it rains, storms or is too hot

An outdoor team outing stands or falls with the weather. So decide at the time of booking what will happen in the event of rain, thunderstorms, heat or ice:

• Check the cancellation and rebooking conditions of all providers in advance.
• Plan a covered alternative at the same location, such as a museum, craft workshop, cookery school or indoor programme.
• Set a binding decision time, for example 2 pm the day before.
• In hot weather, move the programme to the morning and make sure there is shade and enough water.
• Inform participants in good time about clothing, rain protection and footwear.

Organisation and checklist in brief

1. Clarify the goal and frameworkDefine the occasion, budget, date, group of participants and duration.
2. Involve the teamPut two or three destinations to the vote and ask about needs such as mobility, diet or caring responsibilities.
3. BookMake firm reservations for the programme, catering, travel and plan B.
4. InviteCommunicate the schedule, meeting point, clothing and contact person.
5. Follow upShare photos, gather feedback and record the agreements from the reflection.

You will find a detailed checklist from eight weeks out to follow-up, as well as guide figures for costs, in our guide to team building planning and costs. BITOU has a dedicated page on company outings with formats and answers to frequently asked questions: planning a company outing with BITOU.

Company outings: working time, insurance and tax

Working time: if an outing takes place on a regular working day, many companies treat it as working time. Anyone who does not want to take part usually works as normal in this case. If the outing is at the weekend or goes beyond normal working hours, attendance is usually voluntary. What counts is the employment contract, company rules and agreements.

Statutory accident insurance: in Germany, company social events can be covered by statutory accident insurance if certain conditions are met – for example, that the event is supported by company management and open to all employees of the unit concerned. Cover may be questionable for private detours, risky additional activities or the late-evening wind-down. In other countries, check the local rules and your company's insurance.

Tax: in Germany, whether and to what extent a tax allowance for company events applies depends on several conditions. The section team building and tax on our planning page explains the details of the €110 rule. Other countries have their own rules, so check with a local tax adviser.

More than an outing: team building module and reflection

A nice day on its own rarely changes collaboration in the long term. With two small additions, the outing becomes team development:

• A short module: 60 to 120 minutes with a joint task in which planning, coordination and roles become visible. This can be an exercise you facilitate yourself or a format from the team building activities at BITOU, which are offered indoors, outdoors or hybrid depending on the format.
• A reflection: 20 to 30 minutes at the end of the day. Three questions are enough: what worked well today? Which of this do we also experience in everyday work? What do we want to focus on in the coming weeks?

Record the results and come back to them at the next team meeting. Such agreements can grow into shared rules for good teamwork. Which module suits the current situation depends on the team's stage – the article on the stages of team development gives guidance.