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 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 31 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 experiences (#1)
- Best for foodies: Eat with locals (#8)
- Best for adrenaline seekers: Bungee jumps (#11)
- Best for yoga lovers: Global retreats (#16)
- Best for photography lovers: Travel photography course (#17)
- Best memberships: US national parks pass (#30)
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Best experience gifts for travelers in general
#1 Tinggly travel experiences
Let me begin with the best overall experience gift for travelers; literally anything for Tinggly.
Alright, I know, it’s a bit general, but honestly, just any activity or tour from Tinggly will work for travelers. And what I love the most about Tinggly is that they allow you to buy any experience as a gift, without booking a date yet. That way, you and the recipient can pick a date that suits both of you after you’ve given the gift!
#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 date and 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 5,000 different experiences around the world. The only difference is in the packaging.
#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
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
Eatwith is another great option if you want experience 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, try to find a local class near the recipient’s home.
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 experiences came in handy!
You can find the most awesome jumps across the globe, buy the experience, and book a date once you’ve given the gift to the recipient!
#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.
Tinggly offers over 500 different helicopter rides around the world, such as Rio de Janeiro, Manhattan, or Niagra falls, so I am sure you can find one that the recipient will love!
#13 Unique driving experiences
This is one of the best experiences for travelers who love cars and driving; take them on unique driving activities. For example, off-roading with a Land Rover or Jeep, driving in an old-timer, or driving a race car, check out Tinggly for all options. Or simply find them close to the recipient’s home.
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 SpaFinder is perfect for finding a relaxing Spa experience for the recipients. Or go for the SpaFinder gift card, so they can go whenever and wherever it suits them.
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.
Just like dancing classes, I would advise you to look for fighting schools in the recipient’s area, but if you can’t find any, an online course on Udemy is the second best option.
#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.
#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 Paris soon, you can book a professional photographer in Paris to take the most beautiful and professional photos at the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and other iconic places. Making them truly memorable.
#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 Tinggly 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.
#29 Travel experience gifts for kids
I actually dedicated an entire post to help you find the best experience gifts for kids, so definitely check that out if you need inspiration (because there are so many fun things to do with kids!).
For example taking them to kid-friendly museums, waterparks, horseback riding, national parks, water activities, or other attraction parks.
Best travel membership gifts
#30 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.
#31 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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