Rush of blood to the head: adrenaline experiences

It's a primal desire to get the heart racing and there's never been a better – or safer – time to try an adrenaline experience. Whether it's for a celebration, a gift for a thrill-seeker or just the lure of the unknown, we can organise a host of activities from skydiving to zorbing. Call us to arrange an experience you'll never forget.

Tandem skydiving

Hurl yourself from a plane at 10,000 feet and experience 30 seconds of freefall before the instructor strapped to your back brings you safely to earth. No adrenaline experience is more intense or accessible than the classic skydive, and you can record the jump on DVD to relive it again and again.

If heights make you tremble, try the indoor version in a vertical wind tunnel for the same sensation without the fear.

Member offer: Up to 15 per cent off Tandem Skydive (usually £275) through Virgin Experience Days

Zorbing

Throwing yourself down a steep hill in an inflatable PVC ball sounds like madness. But when you hit 30mph and the adrenaline starts to pump, you'll realise why this is one of the most popular extreme experiences in the UK. Aqua zorbing, a new spin on traditional zorbing, involves having a bucket of soapy water thrown into the ball with you to simulate the inside of a washing machine.

Member offer: Up to 15 per cent of aqua sphereing (usually £55) through Virgin Experience Days

Hot air ballooning

Floating above the clouds at 3,000ft is a serene take on the adrenaline experience. Start early to see the sun burst over the horizon – an experience as romantic as it is exhilarating – and celebrate your flight with a glass of champagne. We can also organise trips abroad for views across landscapes such as the Himalayas, the Hunter Valley or the Arabian Desert.

Member offer: Up to 15 per cent off hot air balloon flights (usually from £150 solo and £275 for two) through Virgin Experience Days

Bungee jumping

Jump from heights of up to 170ft with a rubber band strapped around your ankles and see the earth hurtle towards you before it springs away at the last second. You can also jump tandem or try a reverse bungee where you’re launched from the ground in a steel cage, reaching 90mph in two seconds and pulling more g-force than a fighter jet pilot. Prices start from £50.

Member offer: Up to 15 per cent discount on bungee jumps (usually from £50) through Virgin Experience Days

Track driving

Get behind the wheel of a supercar such as the Lamborghini Gallardo or a classic motor like the Jaguar E-type. Track days are the most popular adrenaline experience and are available at circuits all over the UK. ‘Silverstone in particular goes down well with members on stag dos,’ says lifestyle manager Charlotte Knight.

If you don't want to take the wheel yourself, we can arrange a professional racing driver to give you a taste of what it's like to push a race car to its limits. Be warned: the drive home will be tame by comparison. Prices vary according to the value and power of the car.

Member offer: Up to 15 per cent discount on track days (usually from £120) through Virgin Experience Days

Free running

Turn your morning jog into a dazzling acrobatic display with a free-running lesson. Parkour was forged in the Parisian suburbs, where its pioneers used martial arts, gymnastics and military training to navigate the French capital, vaulting obstacles and scaling walls in their path. Indoor classes will teach you the basics while outdoor sessions will demonstrate how to negotiate the urban environment. We can book private sessions for individuals or groups. Your commute will never be the same again.

Wing walking

Not even the most miserly budget airline would strap its passengers onto an aeroplane’s wings to boost capacity. But step out in the open at a few hundred feet and your adrenaline will soar. We’ll arrange for you to learn the basics of this noble art, which dates to the early days of flight, and take off while tethered to the wing of a Boeing Stearman biplane.