by Not sure what to get your friends and family for Christmas? Don’t worry, we have lots of ideas for a last minute gift.
Our curated selection of travel-inspired gifts range from the practical to the indulgent, with great books for armchair travelers and outdoor gear for the active.
Maybe a cool new suitcase would be suitable for a weekend trip or a stylish eco-washing kit especially for the trip? Those who have everything may opt for an unforgettable experience. Vouchers for vineyard visits, hotel stays or afternoon tea can be just the thing. Happy shopping…and happy holidays!
***
Travel books
The joy of quiet places
In this era of overtourism, give the gift of 180 peaceful getaways in this book from Lonely Planet.
£22.99
lonelyplanet.com
Why we travel
One for mindful travelers: Ash Bhardwaj asks what motivates us to go out into the world and how we can do it better.
£20
Guardianbookshop.com
The tree atlas
Matthew Collins’ book highlights 50 amazing trees, ideal for armchair adventurers as well as those who want to visit them in the wild.
£35
lonelyplanet.com
The Balkan cuisine
Irina Janakievska combines recipes, anecdotes and beautiful photographs from her Balkan homeland.
£24.30
Guardianbookshop.com
Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Travels
Caroline Eden reflects on past global adventures and cooks recipes from her travels.
£17.09
Guardianbookshop.com
Lamb’s London
Fans of the hit spy show Slow Horses will love Herb Lester’s map and guide to Jackson Lambs London.
£12
herblester.com
***
Gift vouchers for short breaks
National Trust
Treat a couple to a day out with the National Trust’s Unboxed Gift Experience, which includes entry to an NT property, parking and a cream tea.
£50
nationaltrust.org.uk
The vineyard of England
These new gift vouchers allow recipients to choose one of eight Kent vineyards to visit for a discounted tour and tasting, with options including Chapel Down and Gusbourne.
From £40
winegardenofengland.co.uk
Kip Hideaways
These lovely gift cards can be used towards a self-catering break in one of over 200 British cabins and cottages in the collection.
From £50
kipideaways.com
The Retreat Company
These vouchers are valid for select workshops and retreats, from art to yoga.
From £25
theretreatcompany.com
PoB hotels
This collection of independent hotels across the UK offer cash and experience vouchers that can be redeemed against a meal, spa day or staycation.
Cash vouchers from £75
pobhotels.com
Experience vouchers from £50
pobhotels.com
***
The best gifts for travel
Eye mask
Give the gift of restful sleep on a long journey or in a bright tent with a British Red Cross eye mask, made in Nepal from recycled sari leftovers.
£5.99
giftshop.redcross.org.uk
Cell phone wallet
Help a teen (or adult) keep their valuables safe with a bright, portable phone holder and card holder from Tate, made from waterproof cotton canvas with recycled cotton lining.
£24
shop.tate.org.uk
Drop recycling wash kit
The passenger features a great travel drop wash set inspired by road trips. It features three fold-down compartments with hangers – ideal for camping – and is made from recycled polyester.
£29.95
passenger-clothing.com
Packing cubes
Packing cubes help organize and optimize space in your suitcase. Joules has a set of three with a beautiful damask print and a drawstring bag.
£40
joules.com
Underseat suitcase
Lugg’s Jetset 15-inch underseat suitcase is very stylish and spacious enough for long weekends.
£29.74
lugg-online.com
***
Activewear gifts for explorers
Poncho made from recycled Tulum towel
Outdoor swimmers and water sports enthusiasts will love the Passenger Tulum towel poncho made from recycled polyester.
£35.97
passenger-clothing.com
Brighton water shoes
These unisex shoes are perfect for swimming and walking on pebbles. They come in a range of colors inspired by Brighton beach, from Palace Pier Pink to Sea Green.
£18.99
Brightonwatershoes.co.uk
Floating keychains
Behavior Change Cornwall manufactures a range of accessories including floating keyrings, ghost fishing equipment such as buoys, floats and nets.
£14.99
behaviourchangecornwall.co.uk
Carabiner made from recycled plastic
Climbers will appreciate a unique rubbish club carabiner made from recycled household plastic – perhaps a yellow one from Marmite lids or a purple one from Quality Street tubs.
£14
mull-club.co.uk
***
The best accessories gifts
Handmade bracelets and necklaces
El Camino allows travelers to showcase their adventures on handcrafted bracelets and necklaces that reflect the countries and cities visited, as well as natural experiences like northern lights and dolphin watching.
From £32.99
elcaminobracelets.com
Bobble hat
The National Gallery has a cozy merino wool bobble hat in the colors of a grosbeak to raise awareness of endangered birds.
£45
shop.nationalgallery.org.uk
Sustainable umbrella
No sensible traveler leaves home without an umbrella. Kew Gardens has one made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainably grown birch with a fun ‘magic of mushrooms’ design.
£38
shop.kew.org
Cozy socks
These are a must on most active holidays. Wild Wool sells pairs made in small, family-run workshops in Spain from textile industry leftovers (e.g. recycled wool and cotton).
£23
welovewildwool.com
Light slippers
Another must-have for travelers, Plastic Freedom’s Baggu Puffy Slippers are made from recycled nylon and fleece with motifs like constellations and flowers.
£40.80
kunststofffrei.de
***
Wellness gifts for R&R
Scented candles
The Royal Academy has various scented candles from the sustainable brand Rekava in Ukraine with aromas of the country such as amber, herbs, honey and apricot. The container, lid and wick are all compostable.
30 pounds
shop.royalacademy.org.uk
Festival essentials
First-time festival goers will love The Rosy Robin Company’s eco-travel toiletries and festival essentials set. It includes a compostable poncho, biodegradable wipes, organic sunscreen, bamboo toothbrush, travel toothpaste, natural deodorant and the all-important hand sanitizer, complete with a cotton mesh bag.
£29
therosyrobin.co.uk
Paddling in the surf diffuser
Bring the scent of the sea into your home with a Happy Place diffuser rich in seaweed, pear, grapefruit, lemon and tangerine notes.
£20
markandspencer.com
Hot water bottles
The National Trust has some lovely versions of this camping essential with covers from Tweedmill Textiles. Patterns include autumn leaves.
£28
shop.nationaltrust.org.uk
Not-a-lavender bag
Kalinko’s Not-a-Lavender bags are scented with agarwood and made from fabric scraps from artisans in Myanmar. They keep clothes smelling fresh and protect them from moths.
£14
kalinko.com
***
The best gifts for food and drink
Limoncello Spritz set
Transport your recipient to the Amalfi Coast with a spritz kit featuring the hottest drink of the year, Limoncello, made by Three Wrens Gin in Cheshire.
£35
threewrensgin.com
Four Seas by Salcombe Gin
If gin is your drink, get them a bottle of Four Seas from Salcombe Gin to celebrate the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, distilled with lemon peel, smoked over wood chips from Scottish whiskey casks, English sea buckthorn, sugar kelp from the Irish Sea and elderberries from Wales.
£39.50
shop.rnli.org
Organic cold-pressed rapeseed oil
Instead of olive oil, consider gifting Riverford’s locally sourced, organic, cold-pressed rapeseed oil, made in Aberdeenshire.
£7.75
riverford.co.uk
Truffle Hunter Spice Gift Box
English Heritage offers a truffle spice set containing truffles from the Sibillini Mountains in Italy and other top truffle regions in Europe. It contains truffle-infused “dust,” salt, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, and honey.
£22
english-heritageshop.org.uk
***
Home and garden ideas for travelers
Penguin tea towels
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust has cute penguin tea towels to support its conservation work.
£25 for two
shop.ukaht.org
Custom pub portrait
Immortalize a popular holiday haunt with a bespoke pub portrait from Lancashire-based Hayley & Co.
From £20
hayleyandco.co.uk
Wildflower seed balls
Kew Gardens and Transport for London have teamed up to produce a tin of six wildflower seed balls containing meadow poppy, cranesbill, red clover, red carnation, marigold, wallflower, knapweed and marjoram.
£10
shop.kew.org
Covered, enclosed garden
Create your own self-sustaining ecosystem in this dome-shaped planter inspired by the Eden Project biomes in Cornwall. The 22 cm high covered garden is hand-blown from recycled glass.
£85
shop.edenproject.com
Related: 242 best Christmas gifts for 2024: perfect gift ideas selected by experts
