Fun, inspired gifts to track and celebrate their travel quest experience
by Jennifer Mitchell
If your holiday shopping list includes a gift for a loved one with a travel quest (i.e. – that person who’s always taking trips and talking about their travel goals), we’re going to make this check mark easy for you. Unlike your average vacationer, a travel quester is working their way through a set list of destinations in order to meet a personal goal, maybe even by a specific deadline.
So although there are an abundance of lists of great gifts for travelers, a person on a travel quest deserves something special, and the following are gifts specifically geared towards them. Whether it’s your spouse, child, travel buddy or BFF, they’ll love these unique gifts that will help them plot their progress towards their quest and commemorate their travels.
Fantastic gifts for all travel questers
For anyone working towards an ambitious travel goal who has an empty space on a wall at home, consider this wooden push pin map with paper plane pins they can use to mark where they’ve traveled, or a customized canvas push pin map. Or get them something for their desk that will inspire and remind them what they’re working towards like this cork globe. If you know how many destinations your quester is trying to visit and where they are in their journey, check out this "What's Your Number?" engraved necklace, which offers a portable, stylish way for them to show off their number.
Quest-specific gift ideas
For those determined to visit every state in the U.S.
If your travel quester is making their way to every state in the U.S., you can create a personalized map through No Small Plan that marks which states they’ve been to. You can then print their customized map on a tank, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt or tote bag.
For those intent on visiting a certain number of countries (or every country in the world)
Similar to our U.S. map gear, you can create a customized world map if your travel quester is visiting a certain number, or group of countries, or all 193 countries. That map can then be printed on a tank, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt or tote bag. If you aren’t sure of their progress, let them take the reins with a scratch map; we’re fond of the ones from Luckies of London featuring beautiful colors or fun themes, e.g., beer connoisseurs, how to say hello or swear words around the world, and even Ed Sheeran’s music(?!).
For questers on a sports-themed travel quest or the MLB stadium challenge
Those aiming to catch a game at every MLB stadium (or who have already accomplished this feat) will love these ballpark quest shirts, which feature a map with icons representing each park. It’s the perfect gift to commemorate their quest. Travel questers visiting every stadium or catching their favorite teams play in any sport will also love this hat display, which showcases team caps collected throughout the quest.
For National Parks questers or those on a nature-inspired travel quest
On a quest to visit our amazing National Parks? Make sure your family has all the right gear, including shirts to commemorate your National Parks quest. If someone you know is still in the planning phases of a nature-inspired travel quest, grab a copy of The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small, which has gorgeous photos of natural sites and accompanying activity guides.
For foodie travel questers
If your buddy is touring wineries in all the major wine regions, attending the world’s most prominent food or beer festivals, or dining at the world’s most award-winning restaurants, help them commemorate their travels with a globe-shaped wine cork holder, a world or U.S. beer cap display, or these menu translation guides.
For those running or climbing around the world in an active travel quest
We’re always amazed at the questers running a marathon in every state, climbing a mountain on every continent or kayaking the world’s rivers. If your Secret Santa pick is a sporty traveler, grab a GoPro Head Strap + QuickClip, so they can document their adventures and show the footage to you upon their return. Or if racing across the world is part of their quest, wrap up a bib collector or a bib and medal display and race tracker.
For the art-loving travel quester
For all of our artsy friends who are soaking up the world’s most beautiful creations—or crafting art as they travel—we have a gift idea that puts a fun spin on their artistic talents. Help them pass the time on long plane rides with the Lonely Planet Ultimate Travel Coloring Book. Or if they collect art postcards from the museums they’ve visited, send them a postcard collector, so they can flip through the pages and remember their travels.
For those on a self-improvement travel quest
Though all travel quests should involve personal growth, some of our questers have centered their entire journey around wellness, self-care and giving back. These travelers would love a journal that can be used for jotting down thoughts and moments of self-discovery or even a travel-specific journal with maps of the world. If you know yoga and meditation will be a big part of their travel quest, this portable yoga mat fits nicely into a carry-on bag.
For those rocking around the globe
If your giftee is attending concerts, music festivals or shows at the world’s coolest venues, they’ll need a way to display their tickets and remember the awesome artists they saw. If they’ve attended more concerts than you can count, put this ticket book under the tree. Or if they love talking about the shows they’ve seen, give them a ticket display that acts as a great conversation starter.
For our transportation-loving questers
If your pal enjoys the mode of transportation as much as the destination, they’ll love this ticket display shadow box or a charm bracelet with some starter charms that they can add to with each trip.
For the architecture-inspired travel quest
With a name inspired by an architect’s quote, we at No Small Plan have a special place in our hearts for travel quests that are centered upon architecture. These folks would likely appreciate an American Institute of Architects guide to a city, an architectural model or a Lego architecture set from one of their favorite architectural destinations.
Are you in the process of completing a travel quest? What’s on your wish list? Or what’s the best travel-related gift you’ve received? Drop your answers in the comments below or share on social with the hashtag #NoSmallPlan.
Jennifer Mitchell is a blogger, comedian, freelance copywriter and travel enthusiast. Kara Walsh is the Founder of No Small Plan.
** Please know that while the products featured are selected based entirely on travel experience and editorial opinion, we do participate in affiliate programs which may result in revenue from products purchased through some of our links. **