40+ Cool & Unique Gifts for Travelers in 2025
Published Aug. 2024 | Updated Oct. 2025
Whether you're shopping for a friend, family member, or coworker, or just getting a white elephant gift, there’s something for everyone on this list of gifts for travelers!
These gifts are not limited to the holidays — they also make thoughtful birthday, Valentine’s Day, or anniversary gifts.
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This list is divided into several categories:
As a traveler, I selected these items based on what travelers like and/or need. Some of these gift ideas are more outdoorsy, while others are more luxurious.
There’s a wide range of items on this list, so you’re sure to find the perfect gift for a traveler!
Gifts for Travelers (Under $25)
Disposable Camera
A disposable camera is such a fun thing to take on trips! There’s something nostalgic about a film camera in the age of smartphones.
Tip: A gift card to a local camera shop or some cash would be a nice addition to this gift to cover the cost of developing the film.
Vintage Globe
This small, 5.5-inch globe is the perfect gift for a traveler who enjoys travel decor! I have one on the shelves in my office and love to look at it. Unlike my decorative-only globe, this one has a highly detailed map with countries, capitals, major cities, and more!
Travel Journal
Although so much of what we do is digital now, a travel journal is a great gift for a traveler so they can write about the trip at the end of each day. It’s something they will keep forever and look back on for years to come. PS, this one is vegan leather!
Turkish Towel
I bring this Turkish towel on every beach trip. It’s lightweight and doesn’t take up much space, which makes it perfect for travel.
Mason Jar Indoor Herb Garden
A hydroponic herb garden is useful for travelers who want low-maintenance plants that don’t need to be watered regularly. This mason jar self-waters the plants from the included seeds and dirt. I have a mint one and it’s great to have a plant I don’t have to worry about while I’m gone!
Travel Pill Organizer
I carry this pill organizer everywhere! It’s not an exciting item, but it is practical and a gift that’s truly useful.
It has seven different compartments, perfect for all the different types of meds that people travel with.
Pocket Hand Sanitizer 3-Pack
You can’t go wrong with some hand sanitizer! Every traveler (and person) can use this. These sanitizers are slim and easy to pack in a tight space — perfect for carry-on-only travelers. They come in 3-packs and a few different scents! Plus, you can order refills and use these over and over.
Ethique Shampoo Bars
These shampoo/conditioner bars have been a game-changer for travel, saving me tons of space in my liquids bag.
They’re high quality, smell great, and last a long time. I’ve used them as my main hair care for since 2021!
Waterproof Phone Pouch
These waterproof phone pouches are great gifts for travelers who like to swim or spend time by/on the water on their trips! I used this on my Corfu trip to record underwater videos of the fish in the sea and it worked great.
Travel Stub Diary
Every traveler who likes to keep stubs probably has a box or drawer full of them. This travel stub diary gives travelers a way to organize their travel stubs in an artful way instead of stored away.
Gifts For Travelers (Under $50)
Travel-Themed Watercolor Playing Cards
A deck of cards is a classic way to pass the time during travel. They don’t take up much space, but you can play dozens of different games with one deck. These cards have different destination options, including NYC, Paris, and London.
Peak Design Compression Packing Cubes
One of the best things I own for travel is a few Peak Design Compression Packing Cubes. They can hold an unbelievable amount of clothing, towels, etc., and pack it all down into a tiny size! These are some of the best gifts for travelers who tend to be overpackers.
The Jet Lag Essentials Set
Summer Fridays is a lovely skincare brand, and this kit is made specifically for travelers! With eye patches, hydration mist, a mask, and a serum, this kit brings hydration back to the skin after a dry flight.
National Park Candle
Choose from over a dozen national park candles, each with its own scent. These candles are a thoughtful, personal gift for national park lovers and outdoor enthusiasts! They’re also hand-poured, vegan candles from a small business.
Personal Item Weekender Bag
This weekender bag is very similar to the Béis Weekender but more affordable. It’s a great personal item to bring along in addition to a carry-on bag. One important note: It is too large for some airlines to be used as a personal item — they all have their own size requirements.
Owala 24oz Water Bottle
A water bottle is a great gift for travelers (or anyone, really!). It’s always useful to have a filled water bottle for long flights (filled after the security check, of course) and on day excursions.
I prefer the 24oz for travel since it’s smaller, but they also make a 32oz and even larger sizes!
Personalized Scratch-Off National Parks Poster
For someone who loves going to national parks, this scratch-off poster is a fun way to keep track of all the parks they’ve visited. This would also be a fun gift for an outdoorsy couple!
Gifts for Travelers (Under $100)
Apple AirTag 4-Pack
Every traveler could benefit from a pack of AirTags to put in their luggage and bags. These will help them track their checked luggage in case it gets lost, and track their purses or bags in case of theft.
Peak Design Tech Pouch
This pouch helps organize all the electronics and cords that travelers often travel with. It’s made by Peak Design, one of the highest-quality brands for all things travel and photography.
LaCie 2TB Portable Hard Drive
These rugged hard drives are shock-resistant up to 4ft and are also water, dust, and dirt resistant. They’re great to bring on trips so photos can be all backed up throughout the trip!
It’s the perfect gift for a traveler who takes tons of photos.
National Parks Bucket List Water Bottle
If the person you’re buying a gift for loves national parks, this water bottle is such a great way for them to track and remember all the ones they have been to!
Universal Adapter
Traveling internationally typically requires an adapter to charge devices. This universal adapter can be used for all different plugs and outlets. Plus, it has ultra fast charging for travelers on the go.
Gifts for Travelers (Under $200)
Wooden Wall Map
This is a beautiful wooden map for sticking onto a wall. You can get paper airplane-shaped pins or flag pins to be stuck into the countries and states they have been to!
If they don’t want to stick it directly to a wall, a large sheet of plywood (painted, stained, or left as is) can be used as well.
Kindle Paperwhite
Books aren’t the most practical item to pack, especially when space and weight are precious resources. A Kindle allows travelers to bring thousands of books in the size of a tablet.
Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit
Remote-controlled lights are a useful and fun gift for people who travel often. They can control lights and set them to auto-change throughout the day to make it look like someone is home while they’re away.
Comfy Wide-Leg Pant
Every traveler needs a lightweight, comfortable pair of pants for flights, train rides, and other long-haul transit. These super soft pants are stretchy, moisture-wicking, and have pockets.
Anker Power Bank, 140W
This Anker power bank has become a travel essential for us! It charges devices incredibly fast, can be used to charge a laptop, and has multiple ports for multi-device charging. It’s a lifesaver for long travel days!
Travel Gift Ideas for Her
Illustrated Travel Calendar
This is a gift that will last all year! I get a new calendar every year to hang on my wall, and these travel calendars are perfect in my travel-themed office. Each page has a different city beautifully illustrated.
Once the year is over, the illustrations are even high-quality enough to be framed and used as artwork on the wall!
Safety Travel Door Lock
Women, particularly solo travelers, have to be more mindful of safety, so a travel door lock is a great option to gift them. This door lock prevents even people with a key from entering, making it great for apartment and house rentals. It does not work for every lock, but it works for many!
Anti-theft Backpack
This is my favorite backpack for travel because it is both anti-theft and actually cute! The main zipper is on the back, so no one can access it while the backpack is being worn.
It comes in two sizes — medium and large. I have one of each and use them both pretty equally.
Béis The Cosmetics Case
Having a compartment or case for different items is useful when packing and traveling around. This cosmetics case is stylish and functional for all types of travel, but most ideal for a checked bag since you can put all your makeup and skincare in it.
Bistro Tile Jetsetter Mug
This jetsetter bistro tile mug is perfect for a city lover or someone who lives in a big city featured on one of the mugs.
Travel Gift Ideas for Him
Herschel Small Travel Kit
Toiletry bags can be masculine too! This Herschel Travel Kit is both chic and high quality. Men may not be as likely to buy themselves something like this, so it makes for a great gift for a male traveler!
National Park Beanie
If a hat with a brim/visor doesn’t fit the style of the person you’re buying a gift for, this National Park beanie might be a better choice. It also comes in multiple designs with different national parks.
Cork Push Pin Globe
If a full wall map is too much, a cork globe is a nice gift for a traveler to visually track the places they’ve been. It comes on a stand and would look great on a desk or shelf!
If you buy the small one, you may want to get small map tacks since the push pins that come with it are a bit large.
Travel Gift Ideas for Couples
Travel Games
A 2+ player game is a fun gift for couples who travel together. Sometimes you just need to whip out a game to consume time. The first two games are great to bring along on trips, while the third game is a travel-related game to play at home!
World Explorers Keepsake Box
This is a gorgeous wooden box where couples can keep all their receipts, plane tickets, museum brochures, or any other memorabilia from their travels together.
It’s a nice way to keep all those sentimental travel memories in a tidy box instead of swimming around loose in a drawer.
Double-wide Sleeping Bag
For the outdoorsy camping couple, a double-wide sleeping bag would be a generous and cozy gift! It’s on the more expensive side and a personal gift, so ensure you know that the couple you’re purchasing this for actually needs and would like this before you buy.
Color Map Mug
For mugs to use when at home, these map mugs are a unique gift for travel couples. They can each have their own and fill in the places they’ve been individually, or get one mug to document all the places they’ve been together.
Personalized Travel Compass
This compass could either be for an outdoorsy couple or used as decor in a travel-themed home or room. You can even get this compass customized with the couple’s names as a sweet keepsake.
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