Travel experience gifts are the best gifts for travelers. Period. I have said this many times before, but now I am actually backed up by science. In short, these are three of the reasons why experience gifts for travelers are the best. People love the anticipation of the experience, people get tired of physical things quicker than of experiences, and people are shaped by their experiences and memories, not by their possessions.
So if you want to shape someone forever (in a good way), these 30 awesome travel experience gift ideas are exactly what you need!
Are you short on time? Check out the editor’s best travel experience gifts by category
- Best experience gifts for travelers overall: Tinggly “travel the world” gift card (#1)
- Best for foodies: Eatwith gift card (#8)
- Best for adrenaline seekers: Tinggly “best bungee jumps” gift card (#11)
- Best for yoga lovers: Global retreats (#16)
- Best for photography lovers: Travel photography course (#17)
- Best for activities: Viator (#24)
- Best memberships: US national parks pass (#30)
Table of Contents
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Best experience gifts for travelers in general
#1 Tinggly “travel the world” gift card
Let me begin with the best overall experience gift for travelers; the Tinggly “experience the world’ gift card.
This gift card gives the recipient access to over 1500 activities in over 100 different countries. You basically can’t go wrong with this gift. So if you’re not sure what to get, this would be my number one recommendation.
But if you want more unique gift ideas or if you know what kind of activities the recipient loves, continue down this list because you will find a lot more cool gift ideas.
#2 A bus, train, or plane ticket
What’s a better experience gift can the gift of an actual trip?
If you know when the receiver is available and you know their full name (this very essential if you’re booking a flight). Then you can go ahead and book a ticket for them.
Alternatively, you can also go for a Skyscanner gift card, so they can pick one themselves.
And for more sustainable options, check out train or bus tickets. Interrail offers train passes to travel in Europe and Flixbus has bus routes all over the world.
#3 A surprise trip
This is another really cool experience gift for travelers. Again, it’s the gift of an actual trip. But this time, even you won’t know where they’re going!
Srprs.me and Pack up + Go organize complete surprise trips, where the recipients will only find out the destination when they’re at the airport. For European destinations head over to Srprs.me and for US destinations, Pack up + Go is your go-to organization.
Oh, and if you’re a control freak, don’t worry. Both companies allow their customers to give some guidelines. For example, warm or cold destinations, or exclude cities you really don’t want to visit. So you will have some control over where the recipient is going.
#4 The best travel experience gifts for him or her
If you would like to find the best travel experience gifts for him or her specifically, then these Tinggly gift boxes are exactly what you need.
Both the for him and for her gift box give the receiver access to over 1,900 different experiences around the world. The only difference is in the packaging.
For more unique packaging gift boxes for men and women, check out the Superman gift card and the Superwoman gift card. They are basically the same, just with different packaging for superheros.
#5 Unique accommodation
A few nights at a really cool location is another awesome gift idea. Instead of their regular hotel (or hostel, if they’re backpackers), you can give them a night in a private house by the lake, in a treehouse, a luxurious spa hotel, or basically any really unique accommodation.
For that, you only have to check out Cool Stays, which offers (guess what) cool stays around the world. And if you’re not sure which dates to book, you can also go for the gift card, so the recipients can book it themselves.
Best travel experiences gifts for foodies
#6 Dinner at an international restaurant
This is one of the easiest and best experience gifts for travelers who love food. Simply take them out for dinner to one of their favorite restaurants. Preferably a restaurant that serves food from their favorite country.
#7 Tinggly “taste the world” gift card
The Tinggly “taste the world” gift card is another awesome travel experience gift idea for foodies. With this gift box, they can book food tastings or cooking classes in over 50 different countries in the world.
You can check Tinggly to find out which countries.
#8 Eatwith gift card
Eatwith is another great option if you want experiences gifts for foodies. Eatwith provides cooking classes, food tours, and dinners with and cooked-by locals in more than 130 countries.
Check out all their upcoming events to book a fun food activity straight away, or go for the gift card so the receiver can pick one for him or herself.
#9 Alcohol tasting
This is one of the coolest experience gifts for travelers who love alcohol; a tasting activity. Just pick whatever drink they like, wine, beer, whiskey, gin, or cocktails, and head over to Viator to find a tasting location in the receiver’s area.
#10 Cooking classes
A cooking class is another awesome gift idea for foodies. You can find all sorts of cooking classes on Viator.
Best travel experience gifts for adrenaline seekers
#11 Skydiving or bungee jumping
Do you need travel experience gifts for someone who is always looking for an adventure? Or for someone who loves living on the edge?
Then skydiving or bungee jumping is an awesome idea. If there’s a cool location close to their home, you can simply take them there. Though, for a traveler, it’s even more awesome if you take them to a beautiful location. And for that, the Tinggly gift cards came in handy!
They offer two cool ones for adrenaline seekers; the best skydiving and the best bungee jump gift card. Both give the receiver the option to book around the world at the most beautiful locations. (Including the one I did in South Africa, the Bloukrans Bridge bungee)
#12 Helicopter ride
Maybe a helicopter ride is slightly less of an adrenaline rush than skydiving or bungee jumping, but it’s still one of the coolest experience gifts for travelers who love adventure.
And as opposed to skydiving and bungee jumping, during a helicopter ride, the receiver actually has the chance to admire the view and take photos.
The Tinggly “helicopter rides” experience box allows them to choose from 22 different locations around the world, such as Rio de Janeiro, Manhattan, or Niagra falls.
#13 Unique driving experiences
This is one of the best experiences for travelers who love cars and driving; take them on unique driving activity. For example, off-roading with a land rover or jeep, driving in an old-timer or driving a race car.
But if you can’t choose which experience to go for, you can also buy the Tinggly “best driving experiences” gift box. They can choose from 38 different driving activities around the world.
Best travel experience gifts for relaxation
#14 Spa day
If you’re looking for unique experience gift ideas for travelers who live or travel in the US, then the SpaFinder gift card is perfect.
They can use this card to book spas and salons around the US.
Alternatively, check out Viator to find unique Spa treatments around the world.
#15 Massage
Another great experience gift for travelers who could use some relaxation is a massage.
Now there are two options here. You can simply find a masseuse near the receiver’s home, or find one at their next destination through Viator.
#16 Book a retreat
Are you looking for unique travel experiences for someone who seems a bit stressed out? Or for someone who loves yoga and meditation?
Then a (yoga) retreat is an awesome gift to help them unwind. Book Retreats is a platform where you can find all types of retreats around the world.
Best experience gifts for travelers who love learning
#17 Travel photography course
Travelers love photos, they are basically their physical or digital memories of their adventures. And everyone wants these memories to be the best. And for that, a course on how to make better travel photos is a great gift idea.
#18 Dancing class
For some reason, this is one of the most popular experience gifts for travelers who love Latin America. I guess it’s because dancing is such a big thing in the area. The most popular ones include salsa, bachata, tango, kizomba, and cha-cha.
The best way to give a dancing class is to find a local dance school. However, if there are no schools in the receiver’s area, you can also go for online dance classes on Udemy. But I would really recommend live classes because it’s easier and better to learn in person than online.
#19 Fight classes
Fight classes are great experience gifts for travelers, especially if you pick an international one such as this Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Udemy.
Besides the fact that they will learn a new sport from their favorite country, they will also learn how to defend themselves. And that makes this a great gift that also keeps them safe.
#20 Experience gifts for language learners
If you are looking for the best travel experience gifts for language learners, I have got two options for you.
The first one is a gift card from Italki which the receiver can use to find a real language teacher online. The second one is an online language course on Udemy. You can find courses for almost every language there.
Best travel activities gifts
#21 Concert tickets
This is one of the best experiences gifts for anyone, not just travelers. A ticket to a concert of their favorite artist!
For travel lovers, it’s even better if you buy a concert ticket in a different county and you combine the concert with a trip. But just a ticket is an awesome gift as well.
Or check out these gifts for music lovers for more inspiration.
#22 Sports match tickets
Are you looking for gifts for sports fans?
Then a ticket to a match is always a good idea. Whether they’re into baseball, basketball, or soccer, check out Ticket Master to find tickets to any match.
#23 Professional photoshoot
Flytographer is a platform where you can find and book local photographers around the world.
So if the receiver will be in Hawaii soon, you can book a professional photographer in Hawaii to take the most beautiful photos of their vacation.
#24 Walking tours
I am a big fan of guided walking tours. It’s a great way to learn more about a city in a fun and interactive way. So if you are looking for the best travel experience gifts for any type of traveler, a guided walking tour is a cool idea. Check out Viator to find options around the world.
It doesn’t even need to be in a different country. I’m from the Netherlands, but for Father’s and Mother’s Day, I gave my parents a walking tour with a guide in Amsterdam and they loved it.
#25 Hot air balloon rides
A hot air balloon ride is another awesome activity for travelers. Especially at a beautiful location. The Tinggly “best balloon rides” experience gift card gives the receiver the opportunity to choose from 55 epic balloon rides around the world.
#26 Scuba diving or snorkeling
Travelers love exploring the world, and this also includes the underwater world!
You can either take them on a diving or snorkeling trip to discover the most beautiful places underwater. Or if they don’t have it yet, you could also gift them a PADI course, so they will learn how to dive without a guide.
#27 Airbnb experiences
On Airbnb, you can find amazing activities hosted by locals. They offer activities around the globe, so all you need to do is pick a location and check which local activities are offered there.
#28 Scavenger hunt
This is one of the best travel experience gifts for people who travel with kids! A scavenger hunt.
Let’s Roam offers cool hunts all over the US and in some other countries such as Australia, the UK, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Mexico, France, and Germany.
Best travel membership gifts
#29 Museum membership
The last two travel experience gifts are great because they’re not just one experience. With a membership, the receiver can use your gift as often as they want (usually within a year).
For people who love museums, a museum membership is an obvious choice. You can either go for a museum close to their home (such as MoMa for people who live in New York), or for a membership that gives them access to multiple museums. For example, the Museum Pass in The Netherlands, or The National Art Pass in the UK.
#30 National park annual pass
The last experience gift on this list is awesome for nature and outdoor lovers in the US. The national parks & federal recreational lands annual pass is a card that gives the receiver access to more than 2,000 sites in the US. And the best thing?
It does not only give them free access, but their car and three other passengers as well!
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