About Local Activities

If your idea of a great weekend involves getting out of the house and actually doing something, the local activities category is your starting point. This category covers experiences you can book and enjoy close to home (or wherever you happen to be), from guided food tours, cooking classes and escape rooms to outdoor adventures, museum visits and wellness experiences. Whether you're looking for something fun to do with the family, a date night with a twist or a solo adventure worth bragging about, there's a lot here to work with. And because experiences tend to be things you were going to do anyway, it makes every purchase feel a little more deliberate. Rakuten has paid out over $4.6 billion to more than 17 million members, so when you book your next outing through Rakuten, the savings are very real.
 

Why Shop Through Rakuten for Local Activities?

 

Experiences are the kinds of purchases people actually remember, which makes getting a good deal on them feel especially satisfying. Whether you're booking a cooking class on a whim or planning a day trip months in advance, shopping through Rakuten means earning Cash Back on eligible activity purchases from participating stores.

That Cash Back is stackable too. You can layer it on top of a store's existing deals, promo codes or seasonal discounts, giving you more than one way to save on the same booking. Rakuten also surfaces verified coupon codes in one place, so you're not hunting across tabs trying to find a working discount before you check out.

Activity bookings are often planned purchases. Most people have something in mind before they search. Rakuten makes it easy to get rewarded for the bookings you were already going to make, without changing how or where you shop.
 

How to Maximize Savings on Local Activities

 

• Start your shopping trip at Rakuten. Search for the platform or booking site before heading to their website, and activate Cash Back so your eligible purchase gets tracked.
• Stack Cash Back with available coupons and promo codes. Rakuten surfaces verified codes from participating stores, so you can apply a discount at checkout without searching for one yourself.
• Check for gift card deals before booking. Some activity platforms sell gift cards at a discount, which can be a good way to stretch your budget on a big-ticket experience.
• Sign up for activity platform loyalty programs. Several participating booking platforms have their own rewards programs that offer credits on completed bookings. These can often be used alongside Rakuten Cash Back.
• Book during promotional windows. Holiday weekends, end-of-season sales and travel deal periods often bring temporary discounts on local experience bookings. Timing your purchase around these windows can mean real savings.
• Use the Rakuten browser extension. It can notify you when Cash Back is available and remind you to activate it before you check out, so you never accidentally miss out.

 

Top Picks in Local Activities

 

1. 1. Food tours and culinary experiences: Whether it's a guided walking tour through a neighborhood's best bites or a hands-on cooking class, food-based activities are a great way to explore a city or a skill while sharing a meal.
2. 2. Escape rooms and interactive experiences: Escape rooms, puzzle experiences and immersive entertainment venues have become a go-to for group outings, birthday plans and team-building. They tend to book up fast, so planning ahead pays off.
3. 3. Outdoor and adventure activities: From kayaking and hiking tours to zip-lining and sailing lessons, outdoor experiences are popular year-round and available across most regions. Prices and availability vary by season, so booking ahead can get you better rates.
4. 4. Guided city and cultural tours: Guided tours of neighborhoods, museums, historical sites and landmarks give you the kind of context and detail that a solo visit often misses. These are a solid pick whether you're visiting somewhere new or seeing your own city with fresh eyes.
5. 5. Wellness and spa experiences: Day spa packages, yoga retreats, sound baths and fitness experiences round out the local activities space. They make particularly good gifts and are easy to book online with a set date or as an open-ended voucher.

 

Best Local Activities by Occasion

 

Occasion	Best Activity Types	What They're Good For
Date night	Cooking classes, wine tasting, escape rooms	Shared experiences that are fun without requiring a lot of planning
Family outing	Guided city tours, interactive museums, outdoor adventures	Activities that work across age groups and keep everyone engaged
Girls' or friends' trip	Spa days, food tours, creative workshops	Group-friendly bookings that are easy to arrange for multiple people
Solo travel	Self-guided tours, cultural experiences, fitness classes	Flexible bookings that work on your own schedule
Corporate or team outing	Escape rooms, group cooking classes, outdoor activities	Team-focused experiences with built-in structure and minimal coordination
Birthday or celebration	Immersive experiences, spa packages, specialty tours	Memorable, gift-friendly options that feel like more than a typical outing

Local Activities Stores to Love

Viator

Viator is a leading platform for booking tours, activities and experiences, with options across thousands of destinations worldwide. It covers guided city walks, food tours, outdoor adventures, cultural experiences and attraction tickets for both everyday outings and once-in-a-while splurges.

Groupon

Groupon is a deals platform that connects shoppers with discounted local experiences, restaurant visits and activities in their area. You can find deals on classes, tours, spa days, entertainment and more, often at a significant discount from the regular price.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a widely used travel and experience platform where you can browse, compare and book tours, activities, museum entries and local experiences across destinations. It also gives you access to verified traveler reviews, which makes it easier to evaluate your options before you commit.

GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide is an online booking platform for tours, experiences and attraction tickets around the world. It covers guided city tours, food experiences, skip-the-line passes, cultural workshops and day trips, with a focus on curated experiences backed by customer reviews.
 

How Does Rakuten Work?

 

Rakuten is the most rewarding way to shop, helping you earn Cash Back every time you buy your favorite products at thousands of stores, including some of the most popular Local Activities brands. It's a simple way to get value back for shopping you're already doing. Here's how to start earning Cash Back:
 

1. Join Rakuten for free. Create a free Rakuten account online, in the app or through the browser extension.
2. Find a participating store. Search Rakuten for the store where you want to shop.
3. Activate Cash Back. Click through Rakuten before making your purchase.
4. Shop as usual. Complete your order on the store's website.
5. Get paid. Eligible Cash Back is added to your Rakuten account and paid out every three months via check, PayPal, Amex Membership Rewards Points or Bilt Points.
    

How is it free? Stores pay Rakuten to send them shoppers, and Rakuten shares that money with you as Cash Back. It's as simple as that!
 

Why Rakuten Is a Dependable Way to Shop for Local Activities

 

Trustworthiness and reliability are the foundation of a rewarding customer experience. Here's how you know you can always count on Rakuten:
 

1. It has been around for decades. Rakuten has been helping shape the way people shop online since its founding in 1999.
2. It has a huge member base and has paid out billions of dollars. Rakuten has more than 17 million members and has paid out over $4.6 billion in Cash Back in the U.S.
3. It has strong user reviews. Rakuten has a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot with over 36,000 reviews, including more than 27,000 five-star reviews.
4. It has thousands of partners. Rakuten partners with over 3,500 stores in a huge range of shopping categories, including clothing, shoes, beauty, travel, electronics, pets, experiences and more.
5. It has a straightforward model. Rakuten's structure may seem confusing at first, but it's really quite simple: Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers, and Rakuten shares that money with its members as Cash Back. That's it!
6. It has a clear payment schedule and multiple payout options. Rakuten pays its members their Cash Back every three months through one of four payment options: check, PayPal, American Express Membership Rewards points or Bilt Points.
7. It publishes its privacy policy and terms. Rakuten provides a formal privacy policy that explains how its tracking works when you click through to a store. The company also publishes terms and conditions for its browser extension that describe how extension-collected data is handled in accordance with its privacy policy.

8.  

For a great date, pick an activity that’s interactive but not stressful, such as a food tour or cooking class. Escape rooms, tastings and other scalable activities make for perfect group outings. The right activity for a fun family day should prioritize age-appropriate timing, breaks and shorter durations.

Check the difficulty, time limit, recommended group size and whether it’s a private room or you’ll be paired with others. If your group is new to the escape room experience, start with beginner- or intermediate-level rooms.

Most food tours include multiple stops with samples, a guide and information on local history and culture. Drinks are often included, but not always. Check with the tour company or guide to see how much food you’ll get so you can plan your meals around it.

Look for strong recent reviews, clear inclusions, a route that matches your interests, reasonable group size and a duration that fits your day. Photos and a detailed itinerary are good signs.

Bring comfortable layers, water, sun protection and appropriate footwear. For water activities, pack quick-dry clothes and a small waterproof bag for valuables.

The local activities category on Rakuten covers a wide range of experiences, including guided tours, food and culinary experiences, outdoor adventures, escape rooms, wellness activities, cultural experiences and museum visits. You can earn Cash Back on eligible bookings from participating stores across all of these activity types.

How do I find good local activities near me?

Prices on activities can vary by season and demand. Booking in advance often locks in better rates, and promotional windows around holidays or travel seasons sometimes bring temporary discounts. Stacking a platform discount with Rakuten Cash Back is one of the straightforward ways to get more value from a booking.

Yes. You can earn Cash Back on eligible local activity purchases when you start your shopping trip through Rakuten and complete your booking at a participating store.

In many cases, yes. Rakuten Cash Back can often be stacked with eligible promo codes, platform rewards or seasonal discounts. Always check the store's terms and Rakuten's details before completing your purchase to confirm what can be combined.