Get Creative with the Ways YOU Gift Fun Travel Experiences
Firstly, we try to gift fun travel experiences for each other, family and friends, so we and they can build memories, not collect stuff… not that I am opposed to stuff, but memories last a lifetime and beyond.
When you have chosen the perfect experience for your travel loving partner, family or friend. It doesn’t have to stop there and be delivered in a plain envelope. We have highlighted some enjoyable and sometimes entertaining ways to gift fun travel experiences.
It’s been my experience with both delivering and receiving of a fun travel experience gift. That the way it’s delivered can mean as much as the gift itself. It also builds up some anticipation especially if like me you ‘think’ you are “just” getting a voucher, tickets, gift card etc.
So how do you begin to gift fun travel experiences, I hear you ask…We can start you off with 24 of our favourite gifts for the travel lovers in our circle. You can build on this by asking for a selection of things they wish to do. You can observe their likes especially children they are very forthcoming with those. As an example, our grandchildren are perfect examples and have very specific taste…
One loves soccer (tickets to a game – easy), another loves big cats (zoo trip or adoption of animal). We have ballerina lovers (show tickets and dance experiences), a turtle lover (bracelet that tracks a turtle and day at the beach). Our youngest are a little harder with unicorns, mermaids and monster trucks… but we will be working on those.
*Disclosure: We may have affiliate links with one or more of these companies mentioned & may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosures for further information.
Preview – 9 Creative ways to Gift Fun Travel experiences
This preview, outlines what you will discover in our 9 creative ways to gift fun travel experiences. These creative ideas have been put together to make giving a gift of fun travel experiences fun and extra special. Some we have been developed ourselves and others we have used from others with our own personal twist.
- Scavenger Hunt – unique ways to hide clues to the main gift.
- Scavenger Hunt in a box – Collect items representing the experience and wrap individually and place in a box.
- Six-Twelve Months of Envelopes – gift fun travel experiences over a period of time.
- Multi-Layered Parcel/Boxes – add an element of fun to the gift wrapping of you experience.
- Shadow Box Frame – add clues within a frame to your experience.
- Vision Board/Collage – collection of images that represents the fun travel experience.
- Fill a Balloon/s – add items or notes representing the fun experience gift.
- Make it a Game – ways you can make a game of gifting a fun travel experience.
- Specific Occasion Ideas – some creative ideas to gift fun travel experiences for very special occasions.
Scavenger Hunt
The scavenger hunt I am sure you are all familiar with. If no it is where clues are hidden around certain areas, inside or outside. With each clue leading you to the next, until you get to that ultimate gift. This type of hunt can be used for any occasion, but is great for Easter and Birthdays especially.
It is often a help to number these especially when playing with young people. That way if you have a specific order they know which comes next. This is an excellent way to keep the anticipation up when you gift fun travel experiences.
How to start, for me I always start with deciding how many clues to have and the hiding places. This makes it slightly easier to write the clues. I also have the ultimate gift in a separate container
- Decide on your clues
- Map out hiding places
- Write out clues
- Place clues in container/envelope or fold and number
- Place ultimate gift in container/envelope and number.
You can also give hints to the gift with having the containers or envelopes subtly relating to the gift. If doing this outside you can set it up that some of the clues lead you to local experience gifts.
Our travel checklists, are the first step to start your independent travelling. Start building your own Destination ‘DO’ List, or prioritise the one you have.
These make a great inclusion as a great way to gift fun travel experiences.
Checklists for:
- Your destination DO List
- before you travel
- see and do notes
- carry on packing list – warm and cold climate
- checked in packing list – warm and cold climate
Scavenger Hunt in a box
This is a simple way you can a gift fun travel experience, especially if you have only the one. It’s an especially great way to give vouchers for online gift experiences.
Be warned it does come with some mess for the receiver, so a warning label of ‘open outside’ is always a good idea.
You can add some simple hints within your box. As an example I received a magazine subscription with a tea bag. This could also be done when you gift fun travel experiences such as high teas. Another example could be add some items from one of our gift pack ideas with the main gift a flight or accommodation voucher.
- Obtain a suitably sized box – large enough to give that wow ‘effect’ (an old package is perfect for this).
- Decide on clues/items/write out notes
- Buy shredded paper or make some yourself
- Put main experience in an envelope and stick to bottom of the box
- Add a layer of shredded paper
- Add another item/hint/note
- Repeat steps 5 & 6 until no items/hints or notes are left.
- Wrap box (optional)
Six-Twelve months of Envelopes
This is one way to gift fun travel experiences that last a whole year. You can do 6 months also which is often a fantastic way to incorporate smaller gifts and experiences. You can then build up to the main experience you are gifting. The last works well for people born in June or July for birthdays and Christmas.
The way you present this can also be special, you can display on a board. Additionally you can add the envelopes to a small chest or box. From experience these are both simple ways to gift fun travel experiences.
One Nonna filled a chest of envelopes and a letter for her grandsons that was sweet and inspiring.
This is great to add gift ideas for travelers. Especially if there is a big trip or special surprise trip planned within the time. Additionally, this is a great way to build up the excitement and anticipation.
- Create or buy some decorative envelopes
- Number or add the month to envelopes,
- Decide on different events or activities to do and if needed what order.
- Put in envelopes
- Box or add to a frame.
Some ideas that you could use for these beyond what we’ve suggested in favourite gifts article are:
- Themed picnics
- Afternoon tea
- Coffee/Breakfast/brunch date
- Movies
- Date night of choice (add $$)
Alternatively, you can make a choice from below or visit to select the town of your choice.
Multi-Layered Parcel/Bags/Boxes
I love this way to gift fun travel experiences
Additionally, this is a great way to give experience gifts for couples as each person gets to unbox one or more of the gifts.
Firstly, you need to decide which method you are going to use. Choose some themed or blank paper, bags or boxes*. The design can represent the travel experience you are giving, a design the person likes or they can be blank coloured or craft.
Then decide are you giving one main experience with hints or small items representing the main experience. Alternatively you can give hints or clues around what the main experience is.
- Organise your wrapping paper, bags or boxes
- Select the types of items or hints you are giving
- Get some tissue paper, craft paper or envelopes
- Wrap individual items or write out hints
- For bags and boxes – work backwards, place the main experience in the largest bag/box
- Fill subsequent bags and boxes with items or clues
- For multi-layered parcel – wrap main experience first
- Add each of your subsequent items wrapping over each with a separate layer of paper. As you would for a pass the parcel game.
*Tip – ensure the sizes of all bags and boxes fit the corresponding items or hints.
Shadow Box Frame
This idea I believe is the simplest way to gift fun travel experiences, whilst providing a tangible long lasting gift.
- Purchase an appropriate size frame.
- Obtain an online print of, event location, or event itself.
- Find small items representing the experience
- Put tickets behind, around and close up
Additionally the frame can become a keepsake, with the digital image being replaced with one taken at the experience. In addition, small momentos can be added. for those travellers that like to collect momentos. As an example small glasses, figurines, information cards, ticket stubs etc.
Vision Board/Collage
If you have an artistic soul in your life or someone that loves visual representation. This next suggestion on how to gift fun travel experiences may be perfect for them.
Create them a vision board or collage of your upcoming travel experience. We have designed a selection of digital templates you can download. Which comes with some instructions for creating your digital vision board. These can then be saved to a desktop or mobile device.
If you’d like to create a physical vision board you can do this by the following steps:
- Obtain a board or frame to gift your collage/vision board.
- Collect pictures that represent the experience you are gifting. Additionally you can add the place/s and any side trips or experiences. For online photos (arrow down)
- Print selected images and cut out appropriate size
- Find appropriate words and icons that represent the occasion, place or gift. Save and print.
- Add tickets or copies of tickets. Print or cut to size
- Mount all images, words, icons and tickets onto board to frame or gift as is
Fill a Balloon/s
This idea appears simple but can come with a bit of frustration especially getting larger items in. From personal experience I keep this way to gift fun travel experiences, for small items, notes, hints and printed vouchers.
- Purchase an appropriate amount of balloons
- Collect your items, notes, hints that represent the experience
- Get a tube ( approx. 3/4in/18mm) thick
- Put balloon opening over tube and use to blow up enough to add items
- Fill with sparkles or confetti using a funnel is easiest
- Put items, voucher or tickets in balloons
- Finishing blowing up balloon (using helium if desired)
- Tie with ribbon and display
There are a couple of ways this type of gift can be displayed;
- As a bouquet with all the balloons tied together
- Pin the balloons to a board (this can be heavy cardboard) and have the recipient pop them.
- Can be popped with darts from a distance or a pin at a closer distance.
Our travel checklists, are the first step to start your independent travelling. Start building your own Destination ‘DO’ List, or prioritise the one you have.
These make a great inclusion as a great way to gift fun travel experiences.
Checklists for:
- Your destination DO List
- before you travel
- see and do notes
- carry on packing list – warm and cold climate
- checked in packing list – warm and cold climate
Make it a Game
There are a few ways you can use a game to gift fun travel experiences. As an example the games described below are some games our family love to play. These are great ways to deliver your travel lover their experience.
Scrabble
There are a few ways you can deliver your travel lover their experience using scrabble tiles.
- Collect scrabble tiles that spell out the destination or experience/s.
- have separate bags/envelopes for each experience/destination
- add clues to assist
- Present a shadowbox frame with the destination and experiences spelt out.
Make a Word Search
You can create your own word search online, specific to the experience you are gifting. This is a great way to gift fun travel experiences. Especially if you need something a bit ‘extra’ in a hurry. It is also relatively simple and can be done in 6 easy steps
- Add your title and description
- Choose a list of words related to the experience (up to 30)
- Remember, up to 30 words, no more than 16 characters
- Enter the words into the word search generator, one to a line
- Select submit
- Select whether to download as an image or PDF
You can the select to download as a link, image, or PDF. We recommend downloading as an image, then you can crop out the words. You can deliver this to your travel lover in a card, envelope or frame.
Crossword Puzzle
In all honesty I am not the best at solving crosswords. However, I do know people that adore them and found Crossword Labs so easy to use. It was such a simple process, I made my crossword in under 15mins. I have to say I loved the researching part the best to find questions to my clues. This is an excellent way to gift fun travel experiences to your crossword loving traveller.
- Got to Crossword Labs <—- link here
- Select ‘Make a Crossword’
- Add a title to your crossword
- Enter your first word (answer) and a space
- Then add your clue on the same line (one word/clue pair per line)
- Repeat 4 and 5 until you have all yours clues and answers entered
- Select Save/Finish
- Select word/PDF version then select print
- Choose either the highlighted Print or Print/Download PDF at the top of the page and select
- Download or print final copy
- Repeat 8-10 but at Step 8 select Answer Key
Once printed you can deliver your Crossword in a frame or as is in one of our previous gifting suggestions.
Tip: In the event one of your answers has two words e.g. one hundred omit the space and enter one hundred.
Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw puzzles can be a lot of fun and if you have an avid jigsaw builder. This is the perfect way to gift fun travel experiences. There are a couple of ways a jigsaw can be used as a gift for your travel lover.
Firstly, it can be used to gift fun travel experiences. All you need is a photo of your upcoming trip or travel experience.
- Go to Shutterfly.
- Select to style of jigsaw you want to give
- Select personalise
- Add images to fit chosen design
- Choose layout design
- Add text
- Preview and add to cart
The second way the jigsaw can be used is to gift memorable moments. Just follow the steps above and you have the perfect gift for before and after for your travel lover.
Specific Occasion Ideas
You can use any of the above to gift fun travel experiences for specific or special occasions. However, if you wish to add a more specific touch to the delivery of your gift, try one of the below.
- Valentines Day
- Decorate with Heart Bunting adding handwritten notes, which can be a clue to the main gift.
- Heart shaped balloons for the Fill a balloon
- Use either Heart shaped vessel – box, bowl, canister, plate, or frame. Alternatively, what your love favours (for me it would be a box, tin or bottle). Use as the outer wrapping for you tickets or itinerary
- Easter
- Egg Hunt – Inside a Chocolate or Paper Mache Egg
- Decoration bunting or string with paper eggs and hand write on the back
- Mother Day
- Fill a container (basket) with items linked to the experience
- Some great examples of sustainable products
- Fathers Day
- Fill a container (wooden box) with items linked to the experience
- Christmas
- Advent Calendar
- Paper chain or
- Snow Globe
- Inside re-usable decorations
- Anniversary
- Picture of your wedding in frame with items from the activity/place you are gifting. Handwrite note or add tickets.
- Use the traditional or modern anniversary year gifts as inspiration for your gifting. Whether it’s a vessel as would be for us next year (8yrs: Traditional-Willow or Pottery, Modern-Leather) or a place that the gift has origins (Leather-Florence, Italy for us).
Other articles that will help you gift fun travel experiences
I hope you enjoyed 9 Creative ways to Gift Fun Travel Experiences, and thank you for reading. Here are some articles that can help decide what to give and plan the gift you have chosen for your travel lover.
I am always happy to reply to any comments, suggestions for next articles or a hello. You can contact me through our Social Media or at jeanine@letsgoawandering.com
These are great ideas and would be helpful for people who travel. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for saying…and I am glad you liked this
What thoughtful and creative ideas! I had never considered all these lovely ways to gift an experience gift. Thanks!
Thank you and you’re very welcome…I love thinking of fun ways to give and gift experiences
GREAT IDEAS! I always like to give meaningful and unusual gifts, I will definitely come back to this post for my next gifts.
Thank you…I am the same especially with vouchers…gives that little extra
Really Interesting! I never thought about creativity in gift giving this way. I especially like the gift basket with books. That would definitely be a great present for my son. Thanks for the post!
thank you…I love giving gifts like this, it makes it so much more for me and the receiver…glad you like
These are awesome and fun ideas! It definitely elevates the experience of giving and receiving a gift.
I loved the shadow box (and using it later to display a picture of the trip), the balloons, and the crossword/puzzle.
Thanks!
Thank you, I love giving shadow boxes also it’s the gift that keeps giving and building memories
I love your ideas! I’m trying to be more minimalistic but I love traveling, so the perfect combination for a creative travel gift.
Thank you, we are on that road also…I just like stuff so now I get travel “stuff”
I’m not opposed to stuff, either, quite the contrary! But our most recent trip to Italy became a collection of family games, especially at noon when we hid on our shady terrace to escape the heat and humidity. It was an old game we used to play when we were kids, and the youngest in the family enjoyed it too. A lot of fun choosing a letter of the alphabet and naming countries, cities, rivers, mountains, names, plants and animals starting with that respective letter. Google search only when all pens were down:))
I love this idea Imagine getting a letter in a box and having to guess what it’s for…lord you’d drive people bananas
I am a sucker for a good map so that would be my ideal gift! Lovely ideas!
I love our wooden map and pins let’s us see where to next…
I love the idea of making it into a game. A jigsaw puzzle in my case. Thank you for sharing this post, Jeanine.
Thank you and I am so glad you love it… we have some jigsaw puzzle loving people in our family also…
So creative! I love these hand-made gift ideas, and may use a few!
Thank you glad you liked them they are fun ways to gift fun travel experiences
Such fun and creatives ways to give a gift of a travel experience to someone! Will have to keep some of these in mind. We once made a little booklet of a potential trip for family members and when they got to the last page they were delighted to be included in the trip.
Thank you I am glad you liked them…That sounds like a fantastic idea also what a surprise for them and a great way to build excitement.
These are fantastic ideas. My husband and I always try to give experiences rather than gifts. They last so much longer. My five kids are grown now so gifting travel is so much more fun! Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome, our kids are too and love experiences over stuff…these ideas are so helpful and great fun
How fun! My fiance values experiences over “stuff,” so u will definitely be filing away some of these great ideas. Thanks. 🙂
Thanks and I hope she enjoys what ever you have planned…
When I surprised my fiancé with a trip to Universal Studios, I filled up balloons and left tons of clues. It was so much fun to see his reaction once he figured it out.
It is isn’t it, now you have a list of things that can be done…
What a fantastic idea! I never thought of using wonder/travel as a gift. Thank you for sharing creative ways to gift and popular ideas of what to gift, the scavenger seems awesome. I’ll give this a try! Great read!
Thank you so much…it’s the best gift and you build so many moments to treasure…you are welcome the scavenger hunt is fun, I actually like making them find the right clues and places to do/hide them..
We did a scavenger hunt for my kids for our Universal trip. So much fun!
Oh wow that would have been amazing fun… I love to get the kids (grandkids) involved when we travel with them
Wonderful, creative ideas for gifts!
One I used to create and gift is a booklet of hand-drawn coupons for different events (outings, picnics– or even massages, dinner, etc.) that can be redeemed throughout the year. With the travel them, it could include museums, parks, or city / country trips, or a day at a renowned spa, or a dinner of Chinese, Mexican or other cuisine.
What a brilliant idea also.. we have got the grandkids to do one or two coupons for their parents… go for ice cream etc but a book is brilliant…I may borrow this ha ha
My husband created an elaborate surprise for our girls to decipher as a Christmas gift. They had a lot of fun and it kept them engaged for well over an hour.
I love this idea… and that’s an impressive time also… gifting fun travel experiences is the best
How much fun is this? Just reading through your examples was fun and gave me lots of ideas for my family.
Thank you so glad you liked it and it gave you ideas…I just love finding ways to give as we are becoming a family of gifters of experiences…
These are such awesome ideas for gifts. I would love the travel scrabble and my mom who is an avid crossword puzzle solver would definitely enjoy that idea. Thank you
Your are welcome and thank you, Scrabble is great also as you can then team the letters with a photo once you’ve been and frame the memory..
Always looking for fun new ideas for traveler gifts. Thanks for sharing these great ideas!
Thank you and you are welcome… I just love to gift fun travel experiences instead of stuff but sometimes a voucher can look boring in a plain envelope.
The puzzle idea is my favorite – gotta love a jigsaw puzzle of a favorite destination! I think the scavenger hunt would be the most fun.
Thank you Scavenger hunt is especially great with kids, though a bit chaotic…Some of our family like puzzles also
Love the scrabble idea, also your featured photo of wooden map.
Thanks love scrabble also so its a personal love of mine, and the map is like one we got at Christmas from the kids ha ha this year we are giving the pins as presents to each other of where we want to take the other…
What a great list of fun gift ideas with travel in mind. Love it!
Thank you so glad you think so as that’s what I was aiming for
I love the idea of the making the envelopes for every month of the year, or by monthly. Such a fun way to make travelling more exciting.
It is and you can mix it up dinners, shows, picnic at ‘a place’, etc we do this every year for our anniversary…
I love these ideas – especially the balloon one! These would be a lot of fun, and I may have to experiment with a few… thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you and you are very welcome… yes the Balloon one can be fun…
I liked this post. I will put some of your ideas into action with my family. Thanks!
Thank you…I am glad that I could help
These are all great ideas. I really like the fill a balloon gift idea, that’s really unique! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you and You’re welcome…It’s a great way especially when you tell them to pop the balloons…
Great ideas, I love to gift experiences. This makes the giving fun too!
Thank you, It is also one of our favourites gifts to give… Glad you like them
Awesome ideas, my girlfriend and I anniversary in a few days. We have plans of what to do but we will postpone.
Thank you and Happy Anniversary, I hope to have helped with the gifting…