When it comes to shopping gifts for travelers who mean a lot to you, I bet you know as much as I do that there are TONS of gift ideas and options out there to give them (much like the varied options one can have when choosing a destination somewhere around the world!) and racking up your brain with a present that’s not only unique but helpful can be a really hard task.
…But with this list, you’re sure to have an easier time! I’m a traveler myself and the items below are things that I either personally use or would LOVE to own. Plus, I’ve checked with my traveler friends and they wholly agree with me on this one! (You can find more of my favorite travel items on my travel gadgets page).
To better suit every budget as well, I have listed the below gifts for travelers in two categories: under and over $100 (Php 5,000~). Moreover, the following can be given for any occasion: holidays, birthdays, etc.
Gift Ideas for Travelers
» Under $100
Sarong
STARTS AT $5. Packing items that have more than one function is key for any traveler and a sarong is one prime example! This is a large piece of fabric that is worn as an article of traditional clothing in Asia but it can be used in SO many ways: as a skirt, a towel, a dress, a scarf, a blanket, a bedsheet, a pillow, a bag, and so much more!
Take note: this is not only for women but for men too and I’ve seen lots of them in Asia who have come to use this.
Travel Bottles
STARTS AT $10. It’s vital to pack light and travel bottles help a lot in doing this. I especially love the brand of HumanGear because they make the bottles so efficient for travelers.
These don’t spill, they can be easily squeezed, they are airplane carry-on approved, and they can even be labeled easily. The traveler in your life would love this!
Custom Shirts
STARTS AT $10. You can never go wrong with a travel shirt to give away as a gift! Apart from the variety of colors, you can choose from, you can even put your own witty statements or taglines like “Jet lag made me do it” or “No miles, no gain!”. It’s all up to you!
Earbags
STARTS AT $15. This is perfect for travel to colder countries! Earbags® by Sprigs Wear is ideal for travelers since unlike the typical earmuffs that have attached headbands, this is bandless — meaning that they’re not only more comfortable to wear but also more compact so it takes very little space in anyone’s luggage. Rest assured, the warmth it can give is the same if not more!
Travel Books
STARTS AT $15. For instance, you can never go wrong with Lonely Planet’s travel guide books! If you know where your traveler friend is planning to head off next, helping him/her out plan their itinerary with these would absolutely make them happy!
For other ideas, check out this list of the top travel books of all time!
Custom Travel Tote & Pouch Bags
STARTS AT $15. From prints of airport codes, maps, to travel quotes, this is a fun way to remind your travel-loving friend of their escapades — or even their home (and to come back once in a while!).
Etsy even has a wide range of custom bag designs, from leather items to simple cloth ones.
Multi-Use Towel
PRICE: $16. Made of 100% premium Turkish cotton, this multi-use washable towel can easily be used as a beach towel, a cover-up, a picnic blanket, a shawl, a bathroom towel — and more! It even comes in different colors and designs so it’s one of the perfect gift ideas for travelers.
Portable Water Filter
PRICE: $19. Gifts for travelers who love the outdoors? (Hiking, treks, etc. you name it!) LifeStraw‘s award-winning water filter is a great gift as it helps give any adventurer easy access to clean and safe drinking water anywhere at any time.
Pin or Scratch Map
PRICE: $20. Give someone the ability to ‘scratch off’ the places they have been to on a map! With ‘Luckies of London’s’ high-quality miniature or travel edition, you can give a globetrotter this unique gift that can fit into their rucksack — it won’t take up too much room at all.
Otherwise, consider a Push Pin Map!
Want something more premium? Check out this amazing World Map Wall Art!
Tour Experience
STARTS AT $20. Give someone the flexibility to choose their own kind of adventure anywhere in the world with travel tours or packaged deals. With this gesture, you are surely giving someone the opportunity to choose one of the thousands of experiences worldwide!
Traveler Keychain
PRICE: $22. Collect all of your visited destinations by owning this amazing keychain made with vegan leather and engraved country rings wherein you can emboss each of the places you’ve been to.
It’s clearly the perfect way to commemorate anyone’s adventures!
Travel Journal
PRICE: $25. Give someone special an equally special gift: a travel journal made of genuine cowhide leather that you can customize with their name or initials embossed on the cover.
The best part? Much like the popular ‘Traveler’s Notebook‘, the journals are refillable! (But this one is obviously a lot cheaper and can also be customized).
Travel Jewelry
PRICE: $30. Something simple yet beautifully dainty — this travel jewelry is the perfect accessory for those that are full of wanderlust! This comes in rose gold, gold, or silver and it even has a necklace option too.
Jewelry Organizer
PRICE: $20. And while we’re talking about jewelry, this organizer bag is a great addition to your gift ideas for travelers; after all, it can be such a pain to pack several accessories (rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc.) while traveling and this useful nifty case is sure to delight your giftee!
Camera Bag
PRICE: $40. If you have a loved one that brings lots of gadgets and camera gear in their travels, you should definitely consider gifting them an efficient camera bag that is not only stylish, secure, and comfortable but also easy to carry around!
Curated Subscription Packages
STARTS AT $50. Send a steady stream of subscription boxes (or even just a one-time thing) from an array of merchants who curate various packages from all over the globe!
With Cratejoy, there are those who design subscription packages from London or Asia, and even some who “deliver the world” in bits and pieces every month with a collection of trinkets, food, souvenirs, books and many others.
Symbolic Species Adoption (Support)
STARTS AT $55. How about giving a gift that will help protect the future of extinct animals?
With World Wide Fund’s (WWF) species adoption program, your purchase of an adoption kit will help support WWF’s global efforts to protect wild animals and their habitats. This is an ideal gift for a traveler who cares a lot about social and responsible programs to help better the world!
Compact Tripod
PRICE: $69. This is one of the best gift ideas for travelers, and it is especially helpful for a solo traveler. Manfrotto’s compact tripod is my pick whenever it comes to tripods because it’s light at just 1.15 kg and well, of course, very compact!
Film Camera
PRICE: $70. We’ve all got smartphones and cameras that can instantly snap photos digitally, but the allure of good ol’ polaroids and films will never go away.
As such, film cameras are a classic fun way to capture memories — and with INSTAX Mini’s cameras, it’s easy to lug around and also very easy to share and snap photos up and about!
Casual Day Pack
PRICE: $90. Not only functional but stylish, the high-quality Little America backpacks of Herschel Supply Co. are great day packs! I own one myself and it’s very comfortable to wear. It also has enough room for all my essentials!
NOTE: For more travel essentials and gadgets that are under $100, you can also check out my recommended travel items on this page.
» Over $100
Kindle Paperwhite
PRICE: $100. Books are one of the best ways to entertain ourselves during, let’s say, long flights or train rides but we can’t really bring all the books we want in our luggage.
The answer to this is Kindle! And the Kindle Paperwhite edition is perfect for travelers because it’s small, lasts very long, and has thousands of helpful features.
The Ultimate Travel Jacket
PRICE: $130. This was a highly trending product — and for good reason. With over 15 essential features that are vital for any traveler (a built-in eye mask, an inflatable neck pillow & footrest, etc.), this jacket is a MUST have!
They also have various other jacket types to choose from: blazers, sweatshirts, bombers, and windbreakers.
Backpack
STARTS AT $150. Best gifts for travelers who love backpacking? The most secure travel packs! And while we’re talking about security, backpacks from Osprey or North Face are the most secure of all with their state-of-the-art design and comfort.
Vacation Photographer
STARTS AT $250. Offer a traveler the opportunity to acquire professionally taken photos during their trips with Flytographer‘s service — because some trips deserve more than selfies!
Otherwise, there are also a lot of other photo tour services you can avail from sites like Klook, too.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
STARTS AT $250. For travel, there are times that we need to keep ourselves away from significant noise, and Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones are the perfect solution to such a problem! (An alternative will be the noise-canceling Apple Airpods),
Action Camera
STARTS AT $300. You can never go wrong with a GoPro camera and they even regularly release new models that have a lot of amazing features such as 360° view, 4K quality, waterproof capability, and so many more!
Drone
STARTS AT $350. Anyone can fly a Mavic drone and they have a lot of variants to choose from (with Mavic Mini being the cheapest and smallest — but don’t let that fool you because it can deliver crisp and amazing shots/footage!).
All-Around Camera
PRICE: $499. Looking to pamper someone with the best compact mirrorless camera out there? Then get Canon’s Powershot G7X. It’s also perfect when gifting travel bloggers since this is the #1 recommended camera for travel vlogging!
NOTE: For more photography gear that you can consider, see this page.
Accommodation
Help them save money from their travel fund by sponsoring their accommodation. Booking websites that I highly recommend are Booking.com, Agoda, and AirBnB — the latter especifically has an online gift card program while the rest usually have gift cards sold on physical stores.
Flights
The best gift for travelers could probably well be round-trip tickets (or a whole travel package!). This doesn’t need to be a fortune though especially if you watch out for flight deals to gift.
The website to check would definitely be Skyscanner! It’s my go-to place for the best flight deals!
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Overall
I hope this list of 30 gift ideas for travellers helped you save some time and effort in brainstorming for a meaningful present to give — no matter the occasion!
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links on this gift ideas for travelers page are affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase the product that I recommended, I will then receive a small commission that is at NO extra cost to you and which will help me run this blog. Still and the same, as I’ve mentioned above, I only recommend brands that I personally use or believe in.
These ideas are great!