Best gifts for travelers, digital nomads, and remote workers: top 16 gift ideas for people that love to travel in 2024

This may sound harsh but: most gifts we got from people ended up in the trash. To give you an idea of the gifts we received as travelers and digital nomads: a life straw, heavy books, a big ass blanket, and every travel gadget you can think of. Okay, don’t get me wrong, we are so grateful for all the sweet gifts we have received from people for our travels. BUT, people often forget that we have to carry these things with us for thousands of kilometers, so every gram counts.

If you are looking for gift ideas for friends or family members who love to travel, here is a list of our top 16 presents for travelers, digital nomads, and remote workers 👇

1. Experiences

Rather than gifting stuff, we realized our favorite thing to gift and receive is a memory. Travelers often prioritize experiences over material things which makes gifting an adventure our #1 gift for travelers on this list. You can browse through thousands of experiences to gift at GetYourGuide or Viator, from hot air balloon tours to quad rides or cooking classes. GetYourGuide and Viator both offer the top unique experiences in any destination.

2. Instax printer

An Instax printer lets you print photos from your phone instantly. It’s such a fun way to create physical memories and share pictures with friends or locals you meet during your travels. For example, you could take a photo with your phone together with a local when traveling, print it out right on the spot, and gift them that photo.

3. Vintage camera

A vintage camera is an amazing gift for anyone who loves photography. This easy-to-carry camera doesn’t just capture memories with a nostalgic feel, but it also looks stylish. We like to use it as a prop for our travel photography.

4. Throwaway camera

The more affordable version of a vintage camera: a single-use throwaway camera! We actually got this from someone at our goodbye party for our first long term trip and it was one of the best gifts we ever received.

PRO TIP: take a funny photo of yourself so when your friend prints these photos they remember exactly who gifted it to them with a cute photo to keep as a memory. 

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5. Anything personal or DIY

Think a handmade souvenir, a travel journal, or a photo book. We once created a pdf for our family back home answering prompts about our fondest memories with them.

NOTE: creating a creative PDF is a great way to give someone a gift if they’re already away on their travels, because you can just send it to them via WhatsApp or Email.

6. E-reader

An e-reader is perfect for travelers as it’s lightweight, stores many books, and is easy to carry on trips. We recommend the Kindle E-reader.

PROTIP: You could add a list of recommendations from your favorite books to personalize this gift. 

7. A new skill

Travelers are known to love stepping out of their comfort zones and learning new things. Skillshare is a learning platform that allows people to have a wide selection of courses that are amazing for learning new skills. From photography to cooking to graphic design, there are lots of classes to choose from. You can gift a 1-month subscription and by using our link you can get x months extra for free.

8. A souvenir from home

Small, thoughtful gifts that bring a taste of home to travelers wherever they are in the world are some of our favorite gifts to receive as digital nomads. Think favorite snacks from home, key hangers, or other little things that remind travelers of home.

9. A tattoo

A tattoo is a unique and lasting way to remember travel adventures. You could gift a tattoo to let your travel-loving friend get a lasting souvenir that represents their memories around the world. 

10. A way to help them travel more!!!

The Remote Academy: This course includes tools and resources to help travelers find a remote job so they can travel the world without losing a stable income. This could be a life-changing gift for anyone who dreams of traveling more. 

11. Noise-canceling headphones

Noise-canceling headphones that block out background noise during travel make flights, trains, and workspaces a whole lot more enjoyable. If your travel-loving friend happens to work remotely, this can be an amazing addition to their remote work setup. 

12. Storage for photos and videos

Extra camera cards or an SSD are perfect for storing all those travel photos and videos. If your friend is as chaotic as me, by gifting extra storage you can never go wrong. 

13. Portable charger

A portable charger is a must-have for travelers. It keeps phones and gadgets powered up on the go, so you never have to worry about running out of battery. Our power bank has been a lifesaver and it’s one of the gifts we received before setting out on our first long-term adventure. 

14. Online audiobook subscription

If the person you’re gifting this to loves travel, they’ll be on a LOT of long flights, plane rides, or tuk-tuk drives. So gifting them a one-month subscription to Audible, an online audiobook subscription platform, will be some much-needed entertainment.

15. Local currency

If you plan to give them money, which is always very welcome: give it in the local currency of the place the person will travel to. This way it feels a lot more personal, and it comes in very handy when they arrive and don’t want to pay the enormous fees of airport ATMs.

16. Cake delivery

This one is great if the person is already away on their travels, but you do need to know their address and schedule. If you know someone is home, you can order them their favorite food, snacks or (even better) a cake, with a food delivery service such as Uber Eats. It takes some effort, but trust me, if you send someone a cake on their birthday abroad they will appreciate it a lot because they probably didn’t arrange a cake themselves.

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