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9 Unique & Meaningful Travel Gifts For The Explorer on Your List

BANGS sneakers gifts for travelers

Christmas is just around the corner, and with Black Friday just a week away, it’s time to start finding the perfect gifts for everyone on your list! But if that list happens to include a traveler, it can be a little tricky to decide what to buy. But this year, rather than lean into the “basics,” why not grab something a bit more sentimental or unique? I’ve been researching and testing all year to find the best travel gifts for the travel lover on your list, and I am so excited to share what I’ve found!

There are so many fun options available, but I’ve picked out 9 that really caught my attention, from home decor to chic accessories and practical travel items. There’s something for every kind of traveler on this list, so your holiday shopping can be quick and easy! (There are a few items here from the TikTok shop that can unfortunately only be viewed on mobile, so I do apologize for that inconvenience.)

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Travel Gifts for the Home

First up, I have three fun “home” gifts that are great for reminiscing about old memories and inspiring new ones! They’re just the thing a traveler will love to have around the house or RV.

Beyond Cushions Embroidered Pillow

These skyline pillow make perfect travel gifts

One of my personal favorite travel gifts on this list is my Paris Skyline pillow from Beyond Cushions. This brand creates so many cool items, including pillows, ottomans, totes, and even tea towels, decorated with high-quality embroidery of skylines around the globe. (They also added a dog collection recently, which is absolutely adorable.)

The majority of their designs focus on U.S. cities, but they do have a nice selection of global designs, too. And when I saw their Paris Skyline pillow, I knew I had to have it to commemorate our honeymoon!

The pillows are made with a nice blend of wool and nylon and come in King, Queen, and Prince sizes. They also have a few outside pillows and other designs in different sizes.

Embroidered pillow on a large chair with a green pumpkin pillow
I love seeing my pillow every day and remembering our adventures!

I think this is such a perfect gift to help a traveler remember one of their favorite adventures–it’s chic, practical, and high-quality!

Prices for these start at $109, but they’re currently running a 20% off deal for Thanksgiving!

Our Adventure Book

Travel gifts: Our Adventure Book scrapbook

If you and/or your partner have been looking for a cute way to get some of your couple’s trip photos off your phone, this adorable scrapbook is just the thing.

It features subtle “Up” themes (the Disney Pixar movie) on the cover, which is embossed to look like leather and even has a little lock! The interior has dozens of vintage travel-themed pages to fill with photos. The pages are nice, thick scrapbook paper, so they won’t easily tear as you fill them and flip through, and there are multiple ribbon bookmarks to hold your favorite places.

It’s a box set and also includes a bunch of cute tags shaped like luggage tags that you can write on or use as accents, as well as lots of stamp-shaped travel stickers to hold your photos!

Our Adventure Book Gifts for travelers
This will be so perfect for cold-weather date nights!

The whole thing is absolutely adorable, and I can’t wait to fill mine with photos from our trips over the years.

The best part is it’s ridiculously affordable! I got mine from TikTok shop for less than $17 (normally around $25), and it’s currently still on sale for Black Friday! You can find it in my showcase to grab one (or two) for the traveler on your list!

RIO Bucketlist Adventure Cards

RIO Adventure Bucketlist Cards travel gifts

Last up in the travel gifts for home use are Adventure Bucketlist Cards from Reach International Outfitters! I’ve seen ads for these before, but I finally decided to test them out for this gift guide, and I was so impressed!

Each boxed set contains 50 scratch-off adventures based in a specific state or area, plus a scratcher and an icon key that gives you some general details about each adventure before you scratch it off. For example, the cost, time frame, season, and activity level.

We got the Virginia set, and I was very curious whether the activities would be “basic” or actual hidden gems. We haven’t done them all yet, but so far, I’ve only heard of one of the adventures, and we haven’t already tried it!

I also love that the adventures are sorted by city, so it’s easy to grab ones based on where you visit or live. For example, we live very close to Virginia Beach and Norfolk, so we scratched off a couple to inspire us for date nights in the near future. We’ll also be visiting Lynchburg again soon, so we revealed a couple of those for ideas over the holidays.

We’re so excited to try these adventures!

Overall, the set has been so fun to go through together, and everything is high-quality. I feel like these would make such perfect gifts for anyone who likes to travel locally or often looks for new adventures nearby.

The card sets typically cost $65 each, but they’re currently on sale for up to 30% off with free shipping! Or use my special code CARRIE58550 to save 20% all year round!

Electronic Travel Gifts

Next up, I have some fun and unique electronic travel gifts that aren’t your typical travel gadgets!

Retro Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Retro wireless bluetooth speaker travel gifts

Every traveler needs a portable speaker, and this little retro speaker is just too cute to pass up! If the traveler on your list likes vintage vibes, the old-time radio style of this speaker is a perfect choice.

The speaker measures about 4″ x 3″ and can be charged via USB for wireless use. And while small, it packs some pretty great sound! You can quickly connect it to your phone or computer to use the Bluetooth function, and you have excellent volume control, plus buttons to skip forward and backward. It’s very minimalistic, but you have everything you need.

It’s also fairly light without feeling cheap, so it won’t weigh anyone down or break easily.

portable retro radio speaker with a blue sky and tree in the background
This little radio is perfect for road trips, camping, and hikes!

It comes in green, blue, white, and purple, so you have options for every preference, too!

This retro speaker typically sells for $17 on TikTok shop, but it’s currently on sale for less than $10! Check it out in my showcase to snag one or two as stocking stuffers!

Kodak Step Instant Photo Printer

instant photo printer

Last year, I wanted an instant camera, but they’re unfortunately rather bulky, and it didn’t seem practical to have yet another camera with us when we travel. But I loved the thought of being able to instantly print out photos for travel journals, wallets, passing around on girls’ trips, etc.

Enter the Kodak Step Instant Photo Printer! This chic little printer literally fits in the palm of your hand and links directly to your smartphone through an app so you can print 2″x3″ photos on the spot. You can edit photos directly in the app and even add frames or stickers to jazz them up before you hit print. It’s so easy and ridiculously portable!

The first picture I ever printed on my portable printer <3

The printer uses zero-ink technology and prints on sticky-back paper, so you can even turn those photos into custom stickers!

I think this is the perfect gift for travelers who are either always on the go and can’t have a traditional printer (i.e., digital nomads, RV-ers, etc.) or people who just want to print pics in the moment without a ton of hassle.

You can grab the printer with a starter bundle on Amazon for under $70!

Phone-Charging Passport Wallet

Phone-Charging passport wallet with holly in the background

For something a bit more practical, consider these phone-charging passport wallets from Lovie Style on Etsy!

Here’s why I love them: First, they come in a bunch of beautiful colors and designs, so there are plenty of options. Second, the quality is just so nice–I love the high-quality stitching and embossed designs. Third, they just make airport visits so convenient!

The interior of each wallet includes card slots, a cash flap, and another pocket to slide your passport into. On the other side, there are two elastic straps to hold your phone and a pocket to hold the included portable charger. There’s also another elastic band right in the middle designed for the included charging cord.

Interior of a passport wallet with phone charger; gifts for travelers

The included 5000mAh charging block is the real gem here, though. It has a built-in lightning cord for iPhones, or you can plug in the charging cord with a micro-USB and a USB-C adapter. It’s the jack-of-all-trades charger, which is especially nice if you’re traveling with different kinds of devices!

I love this for airports because I can keep my phone, wallet, and passport all in one hand and keep my phone charging. It’s great for organization and keeping my hands more free.

These make such great travel gifts for any frequent flyer and even come with a soft storage case to help keep it looking sharp. They typically cost $44, but they’re currently on sale for $39.59 through December 3rd!

Fashionable Travel Gifts

Lastly, I have three adorable and practical fashion items your travel lover can take on adventures or use closer to home!

Mini Crossbody Suitcase

For the person who likes to have a nod to travel with every outfit, a mini crossbody suitcase is just the thing! I got this chic, minimalistic crossbody from Woot, and it brings a smile to my face every time I use it.

Now, there are so many versions of this bag out there, so you have options. But the one I got is the Clarissa Mini Crossbody Suitcase. It’s small but has plenty of room for my essentials and has no problem fitting my phone. It opens clamshell-style and has two mesh slip pockets on either side to hold smaller items. The bag also comes with two straps–a crossbody and a wristlet–so you can switch up how you carry it!

I originally got this bag from Woot, but they’re sold out. However, you can find them on eBay here or check out tons of variations of this bag on Amazon, ranging from $12-$20.

BANGS Sneakers

BANGS sneakers on a rustic boardwalk

Another of my top picks on this travel gifts list is BANGS Sneakers. As soon as I saw these beautiful shoes in my feed, I was obsessed and knew I needed at least one pair!

This small, Asheville-based brand creates gorgeous embroidered shoes with designs inspired by nature and travel. It’s very folksy and cottage-core, and I cannot get over the cute aesthetic! They have so many gorgeous options, from flowers and mushrooms to little foxes, planets, butterflies, and landscapes.

The shoes are all “Converse”-style, but I found them to be slightly comfier than my traditional Converse shoes. They’re made with heavy canvas but have an overall light feel. They also include a pull tab to make them easier to get on and off.

Girl wearing BANGS sneakers sitting on a fence with water and fall foliage in the background
Sporting my BANGS this fall!

Another reason I love this women-founded brand is because they’re big on giving back. They invest 20% of their net profits to support new businesses around the globe. But during their Autumn Sale, they’ll be giving $5 per pair to businesses specifically affected by Hurricane Helene.

Speaking of their Autumn Sale, BANGS typically run about $100 per pair, but they’re up to 50% off right now! They’re also giving away gifts with every purchase over $50; the more you spend, the bigger the gift!

These unisex shoes will make incredible travel gifts for every nature-obsessed traveler–especially those who like to show off their style with footwear!

C.C. Beanie with Ponytail Hole

Optimized by Avast Cleanup

The final item on my 2024 travel gifts list is a C.C. Beanie with a Ponytail Hole. They are not only cute and practical but incredibly affordable, so they make the perfect stocking stuffer or small, thoughtful gift.

Unlike a traditional beanie, these cuties include a subtle hole at the top that you can slip a ponytail or messy bun through. It’s big enough for thick hair but small enough to be unnoticeable if you choose not to use it.

I absolutely love this option for cold-weather adventures–especially if I plan to move around a lot for a hike or other activity. While I don’t mind wearing a beanie with my hair down, having a ponytail or messy bun instantly elevates the look, especially if I wear a bulky coat. And it’s so much nicer for windy days while we’re exploring places like Iceland or the Blue Ridge Mountains in winter.

Girl wearing a CC Beanie by Hraunfossar Waterfall in Iceland

The best part is that you have over 100 options to choose from on Amazon, so there is definitely a perfect fit for any travel girl on your shopping list!

These typically go for $18 on Amazon, but you can snag them for under $15 right now!

Take a Closer Look at These Travel Gifts on YouTube!


Closing Thoughts on These Gifts for Travelers 2024

If you can’t tell, I am in love with everything on this list, mainly because they are so different from the typical travel gifts. I think there really is something here for every traveler, whether they’re an avid explorer or more of a casual adventurer.

I hope this gift list helped you find the perfect item for the traveler on your gift list, or at the very least, inspired you with an idea for what will make them happy!

If you have any questions or comments, please leave those in the comment section below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I’d also encourage you to check out some of my other travel product guides, including previous gift guides and my “Best of” series, for more inspiration.

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