Travel Gift Guide: The Best Gift Ideas For Travelers
Buying gifts for the travelers in your life can often be tricky. Most travelers I know don’t like a lot of things to clutter their house . Small, useful items are key for anyone looking to buy gifts for the travelers in their lives.
Here are the 26 best travel gift ideas — including the best gifts for tech savvy travelers, outdoor adventurers, photographers and more!
Table of Contents
Best Gift Ideas for Travelers
Best Travel Gifts Under $50
Travel Neck Pillow
Whether you’re traveling by plane, train or car, a travel neck pillow can provide some added comfort to make the journey more enjoyable. this travel pillow is made from memory foam and is ergonomically designed to comfort all the right curves in your neck and spine.
Packing Cubes
We can all end the debate on the best way to pack a suitcase by getting these packing cubes. Not only do these cubes help with clothing organization, but you can also use a single cube as a carry on, and it keeps all your belongings compact to help eliminate the zipping-up-your-suitcase drama.
Toiletry Bottles
Reusable toiletry bottles are a great convenience and money saver while traveling. These have 3-layer leak-proof protection and are TSA approved. These specific bottles feature a wide opening which is great for cleaning them out and storing them until your next trip.
World Map Wall Art
This World Map Wall Art makes a great feature piece in any traveler’s home. Laying on vintage wood, but with a modern finish, it could compliment nearly any décor. This piece comes in four sizes and three colors to fit a variety of rooms within your home.
Passport Holder
This lightweight, two pocket passport holder won’t take up any extra room but will help you store your important travel documents together for easy access. The passport holder is soft and waterproof and even has a clear pocket that can be used to hold your vaccination card.
Travel Moisturizing Kit
Small products are great for traveling, and this gift set includes a few great hydration products that many of us easily forget to pack. There are a few different options depending on what your favorite types of products are, but no matter which you choose, they’re perfect to have on hand to throw into your suitcase on your way out the door.
Pocket Umbrella
I can’t tell you how many times we have had to buy an umbrella on a trip (we now have a drawer full of umbrellas). This Pocket Umbrella is small, compact, and lightweight, so we leave it in our luggage at all times, to avoid forgetting it!
Digital Luggage Scale
Ever gotten to the airline check-in desk to find that your bag is over the limit by just a few pounds? The EatSmart Digital Luggage Scale offers a comfortable grip for easy hauling of large and heavy bags — and it comes with a built-in scale to measure the load accurately. Never be stuck rearranging your baggage last-minute due to airport overweight fees again.
LifeProof iPhone Case
The LifeProof iPhone Case is on my wish list for this year, even though we have a great underwater camera (see below). The well-traveled technomad of today knows that a phone isn’t just a device to make calls on anymore—it’s a lifeline, a library, a GPS, and an emergency resource they can’t afford to lose.
The LifeProof iPhone case protects your phone not just from bumps and bruises, but even from being submerged in over 6 feet of water.
Travel Adapter
Nothing is more frustrating than going to plug in your phone or laptop and realizing you have an incompatible plug. The Travel Adapter solves the problem by providing international converter plugs for over 150 countries in one convenient device. It also provides an AC power port and USB port for charging phones and other electronics.
Read more: My 65 Best Travel Tips
Sarong
This versatile piece can be worn a number of ways, from a skirt to bathing suit cover-up to even a scarf! A lightweight sarong is always on my packing list, and makes for a fun, vibrant holiday gift.
Read more: 8 Ways to Wear a Sarong
Best Gifts For Travel Photographers
Waterproof Backpack
I always regret when I don’t bring this waterproof backpack on my trips — especially when traveling to a tropical destination or any other place where rain is unpredictable. This backpack keeps your equipment safe and dry with plenty of space to spare. It’s also been ergonomically designed to support the weight without hurting your shoulders and back.
Underwater Camera
A traditional camera doesn’t always fit every situation, but a GoPro gives you a lot of unique options. They’re small, waterproof, and produce great images!
This GoPro can take 5.3K Ultra HD videos and 27MP photos and it even has a front display and rear a touch screen! Though this camera is small, it is powerful in both battery and the work it does.
The Ultimate Packing Guide for Travel Photographers
Drone
For aerial footage and photographs, a drone is the perfect gift. Both of these drones are small, easily portable, and have between 30–34-minute flight time.
The DJI Mini SE is now lighter than ever which allows it to stay in the air for longer than similar drones. It supports 12MP aerial photos and can capture videos in 2.7K HD. This drone also features upgraded wind resistance and ensures ultra-smooth footage.
The DJI Mini 3 Pro is just as small and lightweight, but offers more elevated features. This model supports 48MP photos and captures videos in 4K as well as offers a wide range of intelligent features such as FocusTrack, true vertical shooting and many more. The tri-directional obstacle sensing helps keep the drone safe while out of your line of sight.
Gorillapod Flexible Tripod
Every experienced traveler knows that natural photo opportunities don’t always wait for you to set up your equipment. The GorillaPod 3K Kit easily arranged tripod legs allows it to quickly and reliably balance itself on any surface for that perfect shot.
Canon Compact Camera
It is not always possible to bring a full camera set-up with you on every trip. Having a smaller, yet high quality, camera for these instances can make sure you’re able to get a great shot no matter the situation. This Canon PowerShot Digital Camera has a lot of features in a small package. Though small, this camera has built in Wi-Fi, an LCD screen, offers high resolution images, and the ability to shoot in RAW mode.
Read more: The Best Travel Cameras (And How to Choose One)
Best Travel Gifts For Outdoor Adventurers
Anti-Theft Travel Daypack
Whether your travels take you walking through a new city, hiking in the rainforest or camping in complete solitude, this anti-theft travel daypack is useful to any type of adventurer. The anti-theft design has securable exterior zippers as well as an interior zipper pocket and a RFID safe pocket. It is also fitted with padded, adjustable shoulder straps for complete comfort.
Insulated Travel Water Bottle
Water bottles are almost an accessory now, people carry them around with them all day every day. This 17 oz stainless steel water bottle is double wall insulated to keep your water cold (or warm) all day long. It is powder coated to keep it from fading and scratching and is built to fit into most cup holders.
Camping/Backpacking Cooking Set
For the camping enthusiast, this camping/backpacking cooking set has all the cookware you will need stored within one lightweight bag. These sets are non-toxic, heat quickly and able to be hung over an open fire allowing you to cook however you’d like. The heat resistant handles make it even easier to use these at a campsite.
Travel Hammock
From lounging for a few hours to sleeping outside, no matter what season, this travel hammock is easy to set up so you can spend more time enjoying it than reading directions. It comes in both single and double options and folds up to the size of an eggplant. These hammocks are machine washable and built to last a lifetime.
Whoops! It looks like you forgot to specify your html tag. Read more: The Ultimate Packing Checklist for Campers
Headlamp
Know someone who spends time outside at night? This ultra-bright LED headlamp is 15 times brighter than standard LED technology and will provide more than enough light for your camping activities or an emergency. It is rechargeable and water resistant to withstand whatever elements you’re in. It even offers green and red LED modes for night vision.
Microfiber Towel
Great for a devoted camper or beach-goer, the Rainleaf microfiber towel is fast drying and super absorbent for a multitude of needs. It will absorb water up to 5 times its weight and will dry quickly to allow for repeat use. It is ultra-compact and light weight as to not take up much room in your luggage.
Bugsaway Clothing
Nobody likes being eaten alive by bugs, but the chemical reek of bug spray isn’t pleasant either. I have bought Deet that actually stings my skin every time I put it on, so any opportunity for me to avoid harsh chemicals is a plus.
Bugsaway clothing is designed to fit well, look great, and repel bugs at the same time. Forget about mosquitos, ticks, flies, ants, and other little hassles that could ruin an otherwise great adventure.
Best Gifts For Tech Savvy Travelers
Small Portable Charger
Portable chargers are great to have around, it doesn’t have to just be for traveling! This small, portable charger is compatible with a wide range of iPhones, Airpods and more. It is compact with a sleek look and is powerful enough to give a full charge to your phone.
Amazon Kindle
For someone who enjoys a good book on the plane, an Amazon Kindle is the perfect gift option.
They are small, lightweight, and have adjustable light to make it easier to read no matter the interior lighting conditions. It allows you to have endless amounts of books at your fingertips and can easily be stored away. It is also waterproof so you can feel free to take it with you for some beach reading.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Give your intrepid explorer the luxury of peace and quiet on the road. These Noise-Cancelling Headphones take up less space than comparable full-coverage headphones, yet offer the same level of noise reduction. They offer 22 hours of listening time and have a built-in microphone.
Best Luggage Gifts
Luggage Set
Made of sturdy, lightweight material, Rockland’s 3-piece luggage set protects your belongings from the lumps, bumps, bangs, and drops suitcases can acquire over years of use.
The omni directional spinner wheels also make it easy to keep your agility when moving through a crowded terminal—and they come in really fun colors to boot. We have the grey set (Scott wasn’t down with the pink) and we use at least one of the bags on every trip.
Do you have any items to add to this Christmas traveler gift guide list?
Read More:
5 Things You Should Never Forget Before a Trip
How to Stay Stylish While Traveling
10 European Cities For Solo Female Travelers
10 Biggest Travel Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
The Best Travel Shoes For Women (And How to Choose)
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YES. Just, yes! And I agree about the scale — on certain trips, priceless.
Very useful post with several items every traveler should have. I could have used the adapter. I was fine in Thailand, but Malaysia was a different animal at least plug wise.
Especially for people who don’t live in their home countries, I would suggest you ask the person what kind of thing they want. I have been given many things that I can’t exactly take with me since I live abroad as an expat.
I like the idea of the pocket umbrella. I have lost nearly 30 umbrellas in the last 3 years.
Good gift ideas for the traveler. I love my bugsaway clothing and have the same luggage scale. What I need is the Pentax Waterproof Digital Camera. Let’s hope Santa is listening!
That bug proof clothing sounds perfect for me! I also pretty much always need an umbrella.
Great round up, you’ve got some of the key items on there! Thanks for putting this together in time for the holidays!
Some great items here! I laughed at the digital luggage scale. A friend of mine gave me one, and for the life of me, it will not work. I have no idea why! It has been relegated to the back of the closet. I think just bad luck. I’m sure most of them work just fine 🙂 Personalized cards with name and email are a nice gift. Saves writing your name on a piece of paper when you want to exchange contact info.