100 Things to Do in 100-Degree Heat

When the forecast turns into a dare, you have three good options: get cool, get clever, or get out of Dodge. This is your list for all three - 100 things to do in 100-degree heat, from air-conditioned adrenaline, cooling water-sports, to dawn adventures you'll actually want to set an alarm for.

When the heat hits: if a heat dome has parked over your part of the country and the forecast has turned triple-digit - highs near or above 100°F with a heat index that's even worse - this is your survival plan. Skip straight to the water and the AC. Everyone else: bookmark it for the next scorcher.

Most of these are experiences you can book, and gift on Giftory from water experiences, air conditioned thrills to spa days and more. Scroll to the end for how to send someone a cool day out in about 30 seconds flat; or dive right in and start shopping for that perfect summer experience.

Get in the water

1. Book a sunset dinner cruise and let the breeze do the work.
2. Kayak at dawn, before the sun turns the lake into a mirror of fire.
3. Try stand-up paddleboarding - falling in is a feature, not a bug.
4. Go white-water rafting and get gloriously, deliberately soaked.
5. Rent a jet ski and make your own wind.
6. Take a beginner surf lesson on the coast.
7. Cool off with a snorkeling or intro-scuba experience.
8. Float a lazy river with a drink in hand.
9. Go tubing down a spring-fed river (nature's air conditioning).
10. Try flyboarding if you fancy hovering above the water like a very wet superhero.

Air-conditioned thrills

11. Fly in an indoor skydiving wind tunnel - all the rush, none of the sunburn.
12. Race indoor go-karts under the lights.
13. Crack an escape room with friends.
14. Lose an afternoon to a VR arcade.
15. Scale an indoor climbing wall.
16. Throw axes (responsibly) at a hatchet bar.
17. Bounce it out at a trampoline park.
18. Go bowling - the most underrated air-conditioned sport there is.
19. Play laser tag like you're 12 again.
20. Ride the FlowRider at an indoor surf park.

Chill and indulge

21. Book a spa day and stay until your fingertips prune.
22. Split a couples massage.
23. Brave a cold plunge or ice bath.
24. Try cryotherapy - three minutes at -200°F to forget it's 100°F outside.
25. Drift off in a sensory float tank.
26. Sweat then chill in a hammam or Korean spa circuit.
27. Buy a day pass to a hotel rooftop pool.
28. Get a facial you can pretend is "hydration strategy."
29. Do a sauna-and-cold-plunge Nordic circuit.
30. Book a barrel bath or hot-spring-meets-cold-pool retreat.

Eat and drink your way cool

31. Do an ice cream (or gelato) crawl across town.
32. Descend into a wine cellar for a tasting - naturally cool, naturally delicious.
33. Sip your way through a whiskey or bourbon tasting.
34. Learn to shake a cocktail at a mixology masterclass.
35. Drink somewhere that's literally an ice bar.
36. Take a cooking class in a blissfully air-conditioned kitchen.
37. Book a chef's table lunch and let someone else stand over the stove.
38. Treat yourself to a Michelin-starred lunch menu.
39. Tour a brewery and end on a cold one.
40. Order frozen margaritas at a tiki bar and commit to the theme.

Culture in the cool

41. Wander an art museum for hours (free AC, priceless art).
42. Visit an aquarium and let the fish keep their cool.
43. Get lost in an immersive art experience like Meow Wolf or teamLab.
44. Lean back in a planetarium show.
45. Tour a historic mansion or estate.
46. Take a distillery tour.
47. Stroll a misted botanical conservatory.
48. Catch a matinee at a vintage cinema.
49. Laugh it off at a comedy club.
50. Settle in for live music at a jazz or blues bar.

Beat the heat by beating the clock

51. Take a sunrise hot air balloon ride before the day heats up.
52. Hit the trail for a dawn hike.
53. Book the earliest tee time and be done by brunch.
54. Take a sunset helicopter tour with the AC on.
55. Go stargazing once the sun finally gives up.
56. Paddle a night kayak through bioluminescent water.
57. Pack the car for a drive-in movie.
58. Join an evening food tour when the streets cool down.
59. Browse a night market.
60. Take a moonlight sailing trip.

Embrace the heat, done right

61. Throw (or crash) a proper pool party.
62. Spend the day at a rooftop day club.
63. Ride every slide at a water park.
64. Claim a cabana on the beach and don't move.
65. Book a misted patio brunch.
66. Take the kids to a splash pad.
67. Do a Vegas dayclub in style.
68. Take an air-conditioned desert jeep or off-road tour.
69. Catch an evening lawn concert as the temperature drops.
70. Go wild swimming somewhere cold and clear.

Escape to cooler ground

71. Book a mountain getaway where the air actually moves.
72. Tour a cave or cavern - a steady, glorious 55°F year-round.
73. Chase a waterfall on a gorge hike.
74. Ride an alpine gondola above the tree line.
75. Rent a lake house for the weekend.
76. Hole up in a forest cabin.
77. Visit a high-elevation national park.
78. Take a coastal road trip with the windows down.
79. Hop a ferry for a breezy day on the water.
80. Head somewhere with a "bring a jacket in July" microclimate.

Adrenaline worth braving it for

81. Book a supercar track day (and cool off in the AC between laps).
82. Go skydiving - 13,000 feet is noticeably cooler.
83. Take a scenic helicopter tour.
84. Zipline over a river or lake.
85. Try indoor-then-outdoor karting at a mixed circuit.
86. Take a NASCAR or race-car driving experience early in the day.
87. Ride a rollercoaster with a water finale.
88. Tackle a via ferrata in the shaded canyons.
89. Try wakeboarding or waterskiing.
90. Book a dune buggy tour and let the speed cool you down.

Cool days for the whole family

91. Visit a hands-on science center.
92. Go ice skating - yes, indoors, in July.
93. Explore a children's museum.
94. Play blacklight mini golf.
95. Book an aquarium behind-the-scenes tour.
96. Get to the zoo early, before the animals (and you) wilt.
97. Spend the afternoon at an indoor play center.
98. Take a family cooking or pizza-making class at a venue with AC.
99. Catch a puppet show or family theater matinee.
100. Build the ultimate blanket fort and screen a movie marathon — sometimes the coolest option is the couch!

Too hot to leave the sofa? Gift the cool instead

You don't have to brave the heat to plan the fun. Every experience on this list can be gifted in minutes, delivered straight to an inbox with no melting, no shipping and no standing in a parking lot at 102°F! Shop all Giftory's experiences.