Tag Archive for: gifts

When you share a love of travel with someone, giving them something you have discovered during your travels is a great gift idea. It gives them a gift they will remember for the rest of their lives and allows you to share your memories with them in a way that other people would not be able to.

Giving travel memory gifts is an easy way to make sure that your friends and family feel valued when they are around you. You can share these travel keepsakes in different ways too – whether giving them something small like a postcard or something more substantial like a new camera, there is always an option for everyone.

A small gift can go a long way and doesn’t have to be expensive. It could be as simple as giving your travel companion a book about the destination or some postcards from local artists.

If this sounds like something you want to do, here are several ideas of travel memory gifts and travel keepsake ideas you can give your travel buddy.

Wooden World Map

A wooden world map keepsake is a great travel keepsake gift for your travel buddy. It can be a great way for them to show where they have been using pins, inspire them to continue the adventure, and get them excited about their next destination.

A wooden world map is a fantastic decoration in any home, making them feel like they are always on the go, no matter where they are. This map will remind them that there is always more to explore and more places to go. A wooden world map can also give you more knowledge about the world and helps you get acquainted with the geography of different countries.

Local Rocks or Minerals

A rock is a perfect travel memory gift for a travel buddy because it can be a symbol of your friendship. A stone can remind them of you and your shared memories. It’s also a great way to say that you are always there for them, even when you are not physically present.

We often think of rocks as boring and not something we would like to get as a gift. But they can be a great travel keepsake for your travel buddy.

Rock collections are inexpensive to show someone you care about them and that you want to commemorate their love for travel. You can create your collection by picking up a few rocks from your favorite destinations or buying one of the many ready-made collections available at stores.

Personalized Travel Memory Gifts

Personalized gifts are a great way to show how much you care about your travel buddy. Something as simple as personalized books for adults can be great memorabilia for your travel memories together. It can be a story about the two of you or an adventure you went on together. It will remind them of all the good times you had when traveling together.

Personalized books are a great way to show appreciation for someone who has traveled with you. They can be funny, sentimental, or adventurous depending on what kind of person they are and what kind of trip it was.

Local Toys

The best thing about local toys is that it offers something different from the usual travel gifts people give each other.

Local toys are a great travel keepsake for your travel buddy because they are unique, and the receiver will think of you whenever they play with the toy.

Local Currency

One of the best travel memory gifts for your travel buddy is local currency from the country you are visiting together. You can buy it at the airport or before your trip online. The local currency is a fabulous souvenir and an excellent way to get more bang when traveling abroad.

Local currencies are great gifts for travelers who already have an upcoming trip planned. Give them a bit of starting cash that they can spend in the country they visit. They can also use it as a travel souvenir of their trip and keep it as a memory of their travels.

Wine and Spirits

Local wine or spirits make excellent travel memory gifts for your travel-loving buddy. Many cultures around the world pride themselves on their unique traditional beverages, and this is a great way to bring that culture home. Maybe your travel buddy and you can enjoy the wine or spirits together while reminiscing about your trip.

Plates and Cutlery

Decorated earthenware in a souvenir shop, Sozopol, Bulgaria

Pick up decorated earthenware as a travel keepsake, like these in Sozopol, Bulgaria

We have the perfect suggestion if you are looking for unique, thoughtful, and practical travel memory gift ideas for your travel buddy. Plates and cutlery can make a truly unique travel keepsake. Locally-crafted plates and cutlery are typically elaborately decorated and will add an international flair to your kitchen equipment back home.


Consider buying these travel memory gifts or travel keepsake ideas when you’re interested in showing appreciation for your travel buddy. Aside from your usual postcard, these gift ideas can be more interesting for your recipient. Check these out for yourself so that it becomes easier to find the right travel gift.

I’m sure we all have that person in our lives who is ready to hit the road now that travel is opening up again. Explore our list of travel gifts for the women in your life while they dream of future adventures.

Budget Travel Gifts for Women – Under $20

Any item from this list would make a great stand-alone gift or stocking stuffer. Or, why not create your own gift basket full of useful gadgets for the savvy traveler in your life?

1. Sleeping Bag Liner – One of our favorite travel gifts for women – washable, compact, and soft. We’ve loved having these in hostels and guest houses just to ensure hygienic peace of mind. Plus – these handy liners mean that your sleeping bag will stay clean since you can just remove the liner and throw it in the wash. This version is silky soft and stays durable after washing.

2. Portable Phone Tripod with Remote – Looking for that perfect travel gadget for the solo female traveler in your life? This tripod can be used as a mini selfie stick or to capture a solo shot in the midst of an awesome backdrop. Plus, this tripod will help them capture the perfect night shot, which requires that the camera is perfectly still. This version has adjustable legs plus a Bluetooth remote to snap pics from afar.

Backpacking gifts for solo travelers

3. Waterproof phone case – Great for the female traveler who enjoys the great outdoors– rain or shine.  Some waterproof cases are advanced enough that they allow you to take underwater pictures. This universal waterproof case fits all varieties of smartphones and keeps phones perfectly dry, even underwater.

4. Scarf with hidden zipper pocket – When we first learned about hidden pocket scarves, we were thrilled to finally leave the old-fashioned travel belt behind! A hidden pocket scarf is a stylish decoy and is even more subtle than the traditional travel belt. We love this one with two well-concealed pockets and a variety of colors and patterns to choose from.

5. Door Stop Security Alarm – Help ensure peace of mind with this doorstop alarm. If the door is opened unexpectedly, an alarm will sound. This one is an affordable and high-quality version.

6. Quick-dry Travel Towel – A quick-dry towel is an essential item on any woman’s travel packing list. Help get their travel kit started with this budget-friendly but high-quality option. This version includes 3 various sizes, perfect for camping, hiking, or long backpacking trips.
7. Portable Luggage Scale – On more than one occasion, we have been desperate to calculate our luggage weight before the airport to avoid excessive baggage fees. A portable luggage scale has solved our problems and prevented us from frantically reshuffling our luggage items in the airport departure hall! This version by etekcity has never failed us.

Travel Gifts for Women in the $20-$50 Range

8. Portable Power BankIt’s a backpacker’s worst nightmare: scrambling to find the hostel address while your phone’s battery slowly ticks lower and lower. An external power source is one of the most useful gadgets for female travel lovers. The Anker Power Core 10000 is our favorite in terms of power capacity and compact size.

9. Scratch Off World MapHelp the world traveler in your life display their past adventures and get inspiration for where to head next. We have had this one hanging in our living room for years and love taking it down to commemorate when we travel to new places.
Scratch-off map, a fun backpacker gift

10. Travel Size First Aid Kit – For minor injuries, a travel-sized first aid kit is a practical and savvy choice. This one has the most bang for your buck in terms of items, affordable price, and compact size

11. Sleep Eye MaskWe wouldn’t dream of boarding an international flight without our own personal sleep mask. It makes all the difference when it comes to avoiding jet lag and adjusting to new time zones. It blocks out light and helps us achieve deep sleep – even when our airplane seat neighbor insists on staying up all night watching movies. This version comfortably wraps around your head and is contoured to the face for a comfortable fit. 

12. Adjustable Travel PillowThe next generation of airplane pillows, this one is made with memory foam and can be molded into different shapes to be used for your neck, lumbar, or leg support. The cover is removable and washable, making it one of the best backpacking gifts.
Practical backpacking gift - a neck pillow for long journeys

13. Outdoor Bluetooth SpeakerWe love this version which has a 100-foot wireless range, and which produces crystal-clear stereo sound.

14. Books to inspire travel – While the COVID pandemic still lingers, help soothe their Wanderlust with a travel-themed book like National Geographic Destinations of a Lifetime, or 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. These also make gorgeous coffee table books to display their love for travel when the woman in your life is just relaxing at home.

15. Lifestraw Water Filterspractical for camping, hiking, or traveling in places without safe drinking water. The lifestraw is a light-weight but life-saving addition to any backpacking kit.
Lifestraw - a potentialls life-saving backpacker gift

High-End Travel Gifts for Women

16. Apple Air Podsdefinitely on the pricey side but one of the newest travel gadgets for women and digital nomads who don’t want to have to deal with a mess of cables on the road.

17. Wireless HotspotThis 4G/LTE portable wireless hotspot is perfect for the digital nomad, travel blogger, or offroad adventurer.

18. Kindle Paperwhite1 Kindle can replace over 10,000 books. Your backpacker can load up thousands of titles, from casual reads to pass the long journeys, or travel guides. When space is essential, a kindle can be one of the most valuable items in their pack. This listing on amazon comes with a stylish leather cover in a variety of colors.
Practical backpacking gift - an e-reader!

19. Noise-cancelling headphones – The plane, train, or bus journey is sometimes the only chance a hard-core backpacker has to relax and recharge while on the road. These high-quality noise-cancelling headphones come in handy on long journeys when you just want to zone out.

20. DSLR Camera – One of the best starter DSLR cameras, this Lumix version is the top-rated model among amateur photographers. It is compact and packs a punch in terms of features, which can help the backpacker in your life take their travel photos to the next level.

Ultimate backpacking gift - a DSLR camera

 

21. Beginner’s Travel Telescope – Or the best gift of all during quarantine, a telescope to explore the night sky. This highly recommended amateur star-gazer model might help soothe the earthly wanderlust by allowing your backpacker to explore the craters of the moon, the moons of Jupiter, or the rings of Saturn.

22. GoPro Camera – One of the ultimate travel gifts for women, a GoPro camera is still the preferred way to document adventures among the travel community. The durable and compact GoPro cameras produce high-quality images and videos that can capture intense activities from sky diving to deep-sea diving.

And the Best Gift Travel Gift for Women: The Gift of Future Travel!

23. Travel Gift Certificate: Give the gift of future travel to the backpacker in your life by giving them a gift card to use on Get Your Guide, a tour and activity company that offers 35,000+ different experiences around the globe. The travel gift card is valid for up to 3 years from the date of purchase and can be redeemed for any of the experiences on Get Your Guide’s site for any time in the future when travel and backpacking become possible again!

Have you Caught the Travel Bug Yet?

If just scanning this list has gotten you excited to get out there and travel yourself, browse our extensive list of country guides for ideas on where to go next. Or scan our blog for inspirational travel itineraries, budget tips, and more!