Trading boring gifts for boarding passes this holiday season with these travel and experience gifts for 2025.
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What’s better than gift tags? Luggage tags.
We’re talking travel and experience gifts in 2025, and now that flights are back on schedule and the holiday season is upon us, the best time to give the gift of travel is now.
Be it in your hometown, in the USA or even abroad, there is a culture experience for everyone on your list. Opt for a more adventurous gift with a travel voucher for the trip of their dreams, or play it a bit safer with an app that makes future travels a breeze in 2026. No matter what you choose, these gifts will certainly go the distance for the friend or loved one with a travel bucket list.
Give a voucher for a future flight and the world is their oyster
This gift can be mailed, emailed or printed for the perfect holiday present no matter where they are located this year.
Flightgift
Gift cards can feel impersonal sometimes, but if you know that your loved one loves to travel and just needs the funds to support it, this could be one of the most personal gift cards around. Head to Flightgift’s site to request either a physical gift card to be mailed, an e-gift card or even a PDF to be printed out and placed under the tree, available in any amount from $25 to $10,000. Even better? When you give a Flightgift, the company will also plant a tree via Eden: People+Planet to offset carbon emissions from air travel.
Once the flight is booked, add a voucher for a trip of a lifetime
These trips span the globe, allowing your loved one to go somewhere they never knew possible.
Intrepid
Flight already booked but need a fully-planned itinerary to go with? Browse the hundreds of trips on Intrepid Travel’s site and then place an order for a gift voucher in that amount or contact the company for more information. The company staffs small group travel in every continent, offering once-in-a-lifetime trips like safaris, polar adventures, tours of world wonders and more, minus all the planning and stress.
Trade your home for a home away
If you love to travel but hate figuring out hotels and lodging, this is the best subscription to gift or get. The HomeExchange program costs $235 for a yearly subscription that gives you access to unlimited exchanges for the year. The only catch is that you also swap your home with a fellow traveller, so make sure that if this is a gift, your recipient is okay with this aspect of the service.
For the family that wants a hassle-free retreat
Sometimes finding a travel experience when you have young kids can be trouble enough to just give up and stay home. Instead, give the gift of a relaxation and fully-planned travel with Wanderwild Family Retreats. They currently have locations in New York and Florida and there is even an option for private retreats on their site, should you have another location in mind.
An app for the frequent flyer or nostalgic traveller
This app is the perfect travel companion for the frequent flyer in your life.
Flightly
If you know the type of traveller who sets flight alerts, cancelation alerts and knows every airline’s policies, this may be the app for them. Flightly is a one-stop shop for the latest flight updates on most every airline, plus delay predictions, flight tracking and even a feature that shows you all of your travel in an interactive map. A yearly subscription costs just $59 and they have a handy e-gift card option for easy gifting.
For the Italy-obsessed who needs a little push
Opt for a hotel voucher, dining and drinking experiences, a trip to the spa and more with these easy-to-gift options.
Sense of Lake
Gifting a trip can be hard, since you’ll need to plan the hotel, the dining and some activities to go with. Luckily, Sense of Lake has gift cards for all three and more, available now on their site. Give a voucher for their hotel stay at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo or, if they will already be in the area, opt for a gift card for a wine night for two, a cooking class, a dinner with a tasting menu, a boat tour around Lake Como or unique spa experiences you won’t find elsewhere.
Gift a comfortable commute for when they arrive
This may seem small, but the gift of seamless transit is one they will be thanking you for forever.
Blacklane
It’s the little details that can make a trip truly memorable, and one of those things is the transit when traveling. A luxury Blacklane airport transfer is an amazing gift for those that have upcoming travel, allowing them to sit back and relax the moment they touch down. Rides can be booked for others using the app—just make sure to share the details with your recipient ahead of pickup.
Beyond a bottle, this is the ultimate wine-lovers gift
This posh experience is a perfect gift for a lover or a friend, all they need to do is love to drink wine!
Napa Valley Wine Train
All aboard the most perfect travel gift for the wine lover in your life. Located in California’s wine country, the Napa Valley Wine Train is a great gift for a partner or for your buddies, with options for day trips, evening rides and even seasonal experiences featuring Santa Clause himself. The best part? The journey is easily gifted via an e-gift card, allowing you to choose the amount and the recipient can book their preferred dates, as the voucher has no expiration.
For the East Coast cinephile who never misses a new release
This gift spans the whole year, allowing for many movie and TV nights out to come.
Tribeca Film
Film festivals happen once or twice a year, but this is a gift that spans the whole year, unlocking the best in film in New York City. Gift a Tribeca Membership for just $100 and your film-loving friend or loved one will get access to screenings in NYC, plus intimate conversations with directors, actors and film makers, special events in both television and film and more. Since events happen all year long, this is a great gift for the New Yorker who has everything and loves having something cultural to do at the ready.
For the chef (or want-to-be chef) abroad, gift a new culinary skill
Celebrate the art of cooking with a cooking class at Eataly, from New York to London and more.
Eataly London
The way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach, and that applies whether they are at home or abroad. Eataly now offers cooking classes for couples, friends and solo adventurers at many of their locations, including New York City, London, Toronto, Paris and more. Get an e-gift card here for their shop or book a class here and get cooking!
