13 Unforgettable Birthday Surprise Ideas For Your Best Friend

Looking for birthday surprise ideas for a best friend to celebrate one of your favorite people? We get it! Planning a birthday surprise is one of the best ways to show someone you care about them. You not only plan their birthday party, but you also go to the extra effort of hiding the surprise the whole time you’re planning, until the day of the big reveal.

If you get other friends involved, your best friend is sure to feel incredibly loved and cared for. It will be an incredible way for them to begin the next year of their life. Ahead, we’ve put together 13 birthday surprise ideas for your best friend so you can plan a surprise that your bestie will never forget!

As you keep reading, you’ll notice that we’ve included information about Peerspace listings that would make excellent venues for the various ideas we’re suggesting. Peerspace is the internet’s most extensive marketplace for hourly event venue rentals, with thousands of surprise birthday party-worthy venues in cities across the globe. The platform is also super simple to navigate so you can find a space to plan your best friend’s birthday surprise with only a little bit of effort! So now, let’s get to the list.

1. Host a wellness-centric yoga party

We’re starting off this list with a suggestion for birthday besties who need to focus on their self-care routine. Treat your best friend and other guests to an afternoon at a gorgeous local yoga studio run by a professional instructor who can provide a private yoga party. It’s a great way to help your friend unwind while reminding them how much you care about their wellbeing.

Not sure where to go to find the perfect yoga spot for your surprise party? Then you need to hop on Peerspace! We offer you access to amazingly stylish, private, and well-equipped yoga studios in every corner of the globe. For instance, check out this light-filled studio space in Victoria, Australia. It has space for 50 guests and comes equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, blonde wood floors, adjustable lighting, and yoga gear for your surprise birthday party event.

“Beautiful studio,” shares a Peerspace reviewer. “and the host Melissa, very communicative! Would definitely book this space again.”

2. At-home spa day

A riff off our first surprise birthday party suggestion for more beauty-centric besties is a surprise at-home spa day. Supply the sheet masks, the pedicure materials, and everything else you need for a full day of incredible pampering. Don’t forget the snacks and drinks, and consider inviting over a few of your other friends to make it an even more festive occasion.

And by the way, if you need a space that would work well for a self-planned spa day that isn’t your own home, you might go ahead and rent a space like this chic Atlanta beauty studio. It’s a luxurious and chic space that boasts several double-sided salon stations, comfy seating, and adorable neon lighting. This salon will give the whole day a more professional feel while providing plenty of excuses for taking selfie after selfie!

In fact, as a Peerspace reviewer shares: “Our hostess was helpful and kind. The space was beautiful and clean, and our guests really enjoyed how instagrammable the location was!”

3. Ask all your friends to write letters to your bestie

The typical birthday card only includes a few lines of hand-written notes to the recipient, more perfunctory than anything else. A real letter of at least a few paragraphs is sure to be significantly more meaningful.

Therefore, ask all your best friend’s other friends to write a letter from the heart wishing them a happy birthday. Take the opportunity to reflect on the history of their relationship and the growth they’ve experienced together over the years – stuff like that. Present the letters to your friend as a big surprise and get ready to see their face as they read all the heartfelt notes.

What’s like an Airbnb for birthday parties? Find out here!

4. Surprise trip somewhere special

If your best friend is open to spontaneity and loves travel, taking them on a trip somewhere special is an amazing way to commemorate their birthday. Just imagine how shocked and excited they’ll be when they hear about the trip you’ve planned!

Though everyone has different personalities and tastes, it’s hard to imagine anyone not loving an excuse to hang out at this Hollywood Hills Mediterranean oasis. You, your bestie, and your other guests can enjoy the palm tree-hedged pool, the poolside loungers, and the antique-strewn interior. Not only that, but the host has luxury cars on-site that you can take pictures with!

This is one of those Peerspace party-perfect venues that has tons of loving reviews from past renters. As an example: “This place was amazing, gave my photos such a great look and an amazing host as well. Super fun and I will definitely be booking again.”

5. 24 hours / 24 gifts

This birthday surprise idea for your best friend comes from Birthday Inspire. Give your best friend one gift for every single hour of their birthday. That’s a lot of gifts, but not all of the gifts have to be something big. Just the idea that you would go to the trouble of surprising them with this many gifts will make your best friend feel incredibly loved and honored on their birthday.

6. If you’re a friend who lives far away – visit!

Perhaps one of the best birthday surprise ideas for a best friend who lives far away is to plan a surprise visit! Your best friend will be so delighted to see you and spend time with you that any other activities will just be the cherry on top.

No matter where they’re located, book a Peerspace so that your bestie doesn’t have to host their own birthday surprise party spur of the moment. There are comfy, private, and stylish Peerspace available in cities across the globe, so plan ahead, book a great one in their city, and lead the birthday person and your friends there for a gathering.

7. Surprise bouquet of balloon memories

Suggested by Birthday Butler, this is “sentimental, easy to do and inexpensive,” and we love it because it really shows a lot of thought and care put into the surprise.

Here’s how you execute this surprise: “Get some helium balloons and tie strings to them. Add a photograph, favorite quote or poem to the bottom of each one . . . The birthday person will see them and say something like, ‘Oooh! For me?!’ … Soon, they’ll realize these are no ordinary balloons, but rather a floating tribute of memories and favorite things!”

What an amazing way to surprise your bestie.

8. Use the piñata for your surprise gift

If you’re throwing your friend a party, then include a piñata. However, instead of filling it with candy, put something inside that your friend would never expect to receive. This could be tickets to a concert of their favorite musician, a gift certificate to a store they love, or something else entirely – get creative!

9. Surprise picnic party

Plan a surprise picnic party and bring your friend to your local park, having them think it’s just the two of you going on a walk or something along those lines. Then, strategically guide them to the place where the rest of your friends are waiting with a beautiful picnic and decor to jump out and say “surprise!”

Do you and your bestie happen to reside in SoCal? If so, we recommend you book an amazing venue like this intimate boho courtyard with a picnic set up in Anaheim! This gorgeous spot comes fully decorated with outdoor seating, boho decor, and fun add-on services to create the perfect environment for your friend’s surprise birthday picnic party.

Check out what a Peerspace reviewer shared after booking this sweet spot for her bestie’s bridal shower: “Jennifer is an amazing host! She is very considerate, sweet, and communicative. Not only she helped me with everything that I need but also reached out to me first to discuss little details for the event. Also, the space is what you dream for. It looks amazing both day and night, and my best friend, the bride-to-be, loved the space so much!”

Hoping to throw an outdoor shindig? Then you need to see our other outdoor birthday party ideas!

10. Rent a limo

Surprise your friend by pulling up to their house in a stretch limo! Then, invite them inside so the two of you (plus some more friends, if you choose) can spend a night on the town traveling in luxury and style.

11. Half birthday surprise party

The last thing your friend would expect is a half-birthday surprise party, which is what makes it the ideal surprise! This one will be memorable and frankly hilarious as an unexpected birthday idea.

12. Plan a surprise photoshoot

Does your friend like to have their photo taken? Hire a photographer, rent a professional photo studio through Peerspace, and bring your bestie for a surprise birthday photoshoot without telling them what to expect. You can also even hire someone to do your friend’s hair and makeup first! It will be a day of indulgence with beautiful photos as a souvenir for your bestie to always remember.

Need the perfect setting? Then consider booking Montmartre at Hodgepodge Studios in Philadelphia!

13. Be sure to delegate tasks to other friends when you can

Marie Claire’s advice about throwing a great surprise party is “delegate, delegate, delegate.” They note that “planning a party can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work and often other people will want to help so let them as it takes some of the pressure off you on the night and helps everyone get into the party spirit.”

Birthday surprise ideas for a best friend: conclusion

Planning a surprise party for a friend is a wonderful undertaking. But with these birthday surprise ideas for a best friend and an amazing Peerspace venue, it can be challenging to pull off!

So grab these ideas, book a sensational Peerspace party venue, and dazzle the guest of honor! With Peerspace, you not only get a stylish space, but you can also ask your space’s local host for any help with party planning if needed. And you’re never limited by location, budget, or space style, either. On Peerspace, you can book a loft, a gallery, a mansion, a venue with a pool, you name it.

Check us out today to discover all the sweet hidden gem spaces near you!

Find unique birthday party venues on Peerspace