The Best Gifts to Give Someone Who’s Always Planning Their Next Adventure

The festive season is almost here, and the search for thoughtful gifts begins. It’s especially tricky when the intended recipient is the sort of person who is always dreaming about their next trip. Adventurous people live lightly and prefer memories over stuff, so regular presents often gather dust. So if you want to choose something meaningful, you need to think the way they do: prioritising usefulness, experiences, and the feeling of possibility. Read on for some gift ideas that will actually add value to their travels, whether their next adventure is a weekend in the Lake District or a long-haul escape.

Cooking classes and walking tours: Create lasting memories with experience-based gifts

Travellers are happiest when doing, seeing, or exploring something new. This is why experience-based gifts that will give them a moment to remember will resonate more than yet another object to pack. It could be a voucher for a walking tour in a city they’re visiting soon, a spa day to decompress between trips, or tickets to a cooking class, gallery exhibition, or live performance. Experiences also reduce clutter and are remembered for longer and more fondly than things because they become part of personal stories. Your friend can slot a thoughtfully chosen experience into an upcoming itinerary or enjoy it at home while they plan the next big trip.

Headphones and essential tech: Practical gifts that they’ll definitely need

If someone travels frequently, they love good gear and tend to wear through it quickly. A lightweight suitcase with smooth wheels can transform airport sprints. A portable charger can rescue them during long travel days in remote locations where outlets are non-existent. And noise-cancelling headphones are now considered an essential for noisy flights. Just think about how you can make their travel stress-free. For someone on a 12-hour journey, a compact pillow to support their neck can help them arrive refreshed and ready to explore rather than cranky and exhausted. Items like a travel adaptor with multiple USB ports or packing cubes can smooth out pesky logistical issues and save precious time.

Money: The one thing that always comes in handy during an adventure

Why not give them a gift that offers more freedom on the road? Travel money is perfect: it’s useful, flexible, and definitely needed. It doesn’t take up space in their suitcase, and (unlike experiences) it doesn’t limit them to a date or place. You can order travel money directly in no time and give their next trip a practical boost or even allow them a treat, perhaps with a special meal, an upgraded train journey, or an unplanned detour.

Give a gift that supports their love of exploring

If someone on your Christmas list is always in the middle of planning their next adventure, pick a gift that fits naturally into their travelling lifestyle. Experiences deepen their journeys, tech and other essentials will make their travel smooth and stress-free, and flexible options like travel money give them freedom. Best of all, these thoughtful choices will become part of the stories they bring home.