It can be difficult to find the best gifts for travelers especially if you don’t even know where to start! We’ve been traveling since 2010 and we like to think we’ve acquired some pretty cool gear. Once, we were visiting a friend in Oregon. After a few days of seeing all our stuff he said, “Man, you guys have some cool travel stuff!
So if you’ve been struggling with what gifts to get the travel junkie in your life, look no further! We’ve done all the hard work for you. We’ve spent hours reading through product reviews and then trying them out so you don’t have to. This list contains stuff from gadgets to clothing and everything in between. Without further adieu, here is the ultimate list of the best gifts for travelers (or yourself!).
Best Gifts for Travelers
This list has everything from the best gifts for the frequent traveler to the weekend getaway-er. You’ll find fun gifts like the perfect games to play on the road as well as inspiring travel books to spark wanderlust and help plan the perfect trip. We’ve also included practical gifts that every traveler should have.
If you’re looking for traveler essentials such as backpacks, bags, travel towels, money belts, clothing, and digital nomad supplies, check out this post about our favorite travel gear.
If you are an online teacher or know someone who is, check out my guide to the 10 best teaching supplies for the portable classroom.
First up on our list is the ultimate gift for travelers….
Give the Gift of Travel
You know those people that say they’d rather have experiences than a house full of stuff? Tinggly has the perfect gift for those people!
I’m obsessed with this gift! This is exactly what I would give everyone for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, etc. It’s perfect for any occasion.
Here’s how it works: you choose a gift box from the multitude of options. They have gifts for him, her, city lovers, and adventure seekers. You name it, they’ve got it.
Then the recipients can choose their own adventure from the endless options. They offer experiences in 100 countries from all over North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. Literally every continent except Antarctica.
The gift box is valid for 5 years so your friends and loved ones have plenty of time to plan their trip. It all sounds pretty perfect to me!
Are you wondering about the meaning behind the name Tinggly? Here’s the explanation from their homepage:
I hope y’all are as excited as I am!
Other Options for Giving the Gift of Travel
Flights and accommodation are usually the two biggest costs for travelers. Help cover one of them with a gift card!
For domestic travel, Southwest Airlines is our go-to so a Southwest Airlines Gift Card is a perfect gift. We even have their credit cards and have saved so much money through travel hacking You’ll make someone’s year by helping them get to a dream destination.
Click here to choose the amount to give.
Give the gift of hotel bookings with a Hotels.com Gift Card. They have a wide selection of hotels all across the world. It’ll make it much easier for your loved one to find a hotel for their next trip.
Click here to choose a price and email it instantly!
There are lots of gift cards available on Amazon for other travel brands. Click here to check out all the options!
Best Gifts for the Frequent Traveler
This stylin’ bag is perfect for travelers and digital nomads on the go. The main compartment has a pocket big enough to fit a 13-15″ screen laptop. There’s also room for books and other important things. The two side pockets are great for a water bottle and umbrella. There’s also enough space for a tablet and cell phone in the two front pockets. This is definitely going to be my next bag purchase!
Click here to see other colors.
This Travel Scarf with Hidden Pocket is a fantastic gift for the fashionable traveler. Not only does it look good, but it helps conceal your valuables. It’s made from a soft but durable fabric and the pocket is big enough for your iPhone plus your passport, keys, and some cash. Zip them away in the hidden zipper pocket and put your mind at ease.
Check out all the different colors!
Sasha’s brother got us this Aeropress Coffee Maker as a wedding gift and it’s one of the best gifts we’ve ever received. We take it with us everywhere we go. I can’t tell you how many times it’s saved us when our accommodation didn’t have a coffee maker.
Head over to Amazon to learn more.
These Eno Hammocks are perfect for anything and are one of many great gifts for travelers who spend a lot of time outdoors. We love ours! You can take them camping, hiking, to music festivals, and you can even hang them up on your deck if you have one. They fold up into a stuff sack making them incredibly easy to travel with.
We bought this Chillbo Shwaggins inflatable chair to take to a music festival and we were so happy we did. When you’re out in the field seeing music for hours, you have to sit down and rest your dancing legs every so often. Rather than lugging around heavy lawn chairs, we just took our inflatable Chillbo Shwaggins. It comes with a bag you can stuff it in for easy transport. Plus you have to admit the name is pretty cool.
Head over to Amazon to choose your favorite design.
It’s important to always have music within your reach. These portable Bluetooth speakers really pump out the jams. Bust ’em out and get the party started at your hostel or take Netflix and chill to the next level. They’re also perfect for playing some reggae tunes while you’re chillin’ by the pool.
Click here to see all the specs!
I fell instantly in love with these cute passport covers! You can have it personalized with someone’s name or initials. It’s made of sturdy faux leather and it has a passport sleeve plus two pockets for cards on the inside. They have so many different designs to choose from!
Click here to check ’em out and choose your fave.
This is a great gift for the frequent carry-on traveler. These leakproof travel bottles will ensure the rest of their clothing doesn’t wind up covered in shampoo because the bottle busted. Even if the bottle did somehow bust, everything will be okay because they come with a clear plastic bag for easy, TSA approved storage.
Check out the different colors.
This Steripen Water Purifier is a great gift for any traveler. Make sure they have safe drinking water anywhere. This small pen has a UV light that kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria. So whether you’re outdoors or in a country with less than stellar tap water, you’ll have access to safe drinking water. It purifies in up to 90 seconds and has the ability to purify 8,000 liters of water.
Click here to learn more.
Fun Gifts for Travelers
These gifts inspire and help them stay entertained during long flights and bus rides or while they’re relaxing.
There’s no better way to start a vacation than with a cheeky cocktail on the flight over. The Carry On Cocktail Kit is the perfect gift for the traveler that enjoys an adult beverage every now and then. It even comes in a TSA-approved tin complete with all the supplies. This 3-pack holiday set gives your friend/loved one a choice.
See which cocktails are included!
Our Adventure Fund Piggy Bank is a fun gift for anyone who enjoys travel. It provides a place for them to keep their spare change and daydream about where they’ll go next.
Check it out now for the traveler in your life.
The Landmass Scratch Off World Map Poster map will show people where they’ve been and help them choose their next destination. It’s colorful and comes with flags and stickers to make it pop even more.
Buy it now because it will be the best gift you can give this year.
It’s possible to document travel experiences with photos but those don’t capture feelings, super hilarious moments, or musings. A Travel Journal is a perfect gift to help travelers do just that.
This exhaustive travel list will ensure no one ever forgets anything again. Perfect for any type of traveler.
A Magnetic Board Game Set is perfect for the traveling family. This set has all the classic board games – Chess, Checkers, Chinese checkers, Backgammon, Tic Tac Toe, Snakes and Ladders, Solitaire, Auto Racing, Ludo, NineMen’s Morris, Space Venture, and Racing. It will keep anyone entertained on long car rides, bus rides, or even an afternoon at the beach.
Check out all the details here.
Do you know someone who’s a vocabulary genius? This Tile Lock Scrabble game would be a perfect gift. The tiles lock into place so your words won’t move around making it perfect for travel.
This Magnetic Travel Chess Set is a great gift for people who love to place chess. It folds up to fit in your bag and is big enough to place comfortably when you unfold it.
Inspiring Travel Books: Gifts for Travelers Who Love Reading
These are the perfect gifts for bookworms and travelers always planning their next trip.
Capital Cities Book – This is a project that we personally contributed to! It’s a collaborative effort of over 200 bloggers that contains gorgeous color photos and a blurb about 118 capital cities. Click here to read all the details and digitally flip through the pages. Use the code gratefulgypsies to pre-order and receive 10% off!
Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel: Our List of the 500 Best Places to See… Ranked – There are so many places to go in the world, it can be hard to decide where to go first. Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher. This is their list of the top 500 travel destinations ranked.
Check it out for the traveler who’s constantly planning their next trip.
Secret Marvels of the World: 360 Extraordinary Places You Never Knew Existed and Where to Find Them – Another great product from the Lonely Planet arsenal, this book reveals weird and wonderful destinations off the beaten path. This is a great gift for the intrepid traveler to help them plan their next adventure.
See what else you can find in the book.
Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places -This is National Geographic’s photographic tour of the world’s most beautiful places. It’s great for inspiring wanderlust, entertaining the armchair traveler, and sparking conversation about travel experiences and goals.
The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big and Small– Everyone is busy which makes it hard to plan the next adventure, much less even come up with an idea. This book is full of ideas perfect for the passionate traveler. It has a continent-by-continent listing of beaches, monuments, museums, islands, restaurants, inns, and much more.
Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent – Written by the duo behind HoneyTrek.com, Mike and Anne Howard draw on their experiences traveling to 7 continents together. They include hidden gems from all around the world for all different travel experiences recommended for adventurous couples.
Head here to see what else is inside the book.
Fun Gadgets That Make Great Gifts for Travelers
You will make someone’s year by giving them one of these as a gift!
GoPro Hero10 Adventure Bundle – This is the best gift for travelers who just want a simple, portable camera to document their travels. The new Hero10 just came out and it has a ton of new features making it better than any of the previous ones.
Kind Paperwhite – If you’re just looking for an e-reader without all the bells and whistles of a tablet, the Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for just that. The battery lasts for weeks on a single charge. It looks the same as reading a normal book, no glare from the sunlight. There is a built-in light for reading in the dark, too.
Wrapping It Up (See What I Did There?) 😉
Well, there you have it!
A list of fun, incredible gifts for travelers. You will be sure to make your traveling family member or friend’s holidays this year by getting them one of these gifts.
Every gift on this list is something that we personally own and love or it’s on our wish list (moms take note!). If you have any further questions about one of these gifts for travelers don’t hesitate to contact us or leave us a note in the comments.
Happy shopping, everyone!
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Great list! I love my Sony A6000!! It has travelled with me for 3 years in many different environments, gets thrown into my bag and generally abused, and it is still going strong taking excellent photographs. I’m now eyeing off that Sierra rain jacket as my old one is in dire need of replacement!
Thanks, Amanda! We love the Sony A6000. It takes amazing photos and is half the weight of a DSLR. The Sierra rain jacket is one of the best I’ve ever owned. I’m so happy I have it here in South America. It has come in handy so many times! What’s at the top of your wish list this year?
Great list! So many useful things on here that I have or wish I had! Thanks!
Thanks for checking it out, Jason! Which things are high on your wish list?