Best Travel Gifts for 2023

Looking for the perfect bon voyage gift for your traveling friend? We're here to help.

Are you ready to make the most of 2023? We’ve got you covered with our top picks for the best travel gifts of the year! As veteran travelers and travel advisors, we’ve rounded up the best of the best for you. Check out our top picks below to find the perfect gift for the traveler in your life. Happy travels and happy gifting!

Passport Holder

Passport holders are essential for any traveler, and we make sure ours do more than just keep your passport safe. The ones we prefer are designed with convenience and security in mind, offering plenty of space for cash, credit cards, and boarding passes, while also providing a secure latch or zip closure. And, to ensure your security and peace of mind, get a passport holder that features RFID blocking technology. Give your traveler friend the protection and convenience they need with one of the best travel gifts.

Pashmina Wrap

Airplanes can get chilly, so it’s always a good idea to have a warm wrap with you. A large pashmina is a great choice – it’s lightweight, soft and easy to pack. And you don’t have to break the bank to get a great one – you can find affordable options, or if you really want to treat your friend, cashmere is a luxurious way to go. You won’t regret it!

Manio Cashmere 100% Cashmere Knitted Wrap Shawl

Gifts For Readers

Gretchen was a bit hesitant to try out an e-reader at first—after all, nothing beats the feel of a real book! But when she had to pack an entire suitcase of books for a month-long cruise, she quickly realized that an e-reader was the way to go. Now, she loves having all her favorite books in one lightweight, easy-to-carry device! So if you’re looking to pack light for your next cruise, consider taking an e-reader—it’ll make your trip that much easier and more enjoyable.

Another great thing about ebooks is that you if have a public library card, you can get free e-book, audio-book, and magazine loans, even for new releases. There are also many free books available at sites such as Project Gutenberg and Manybooks. Amazon often has free Kindle format books, especially if you are an Amazon Prime member.

One thing to consider before you buy–do you want to connect via a cell-phone service or are you OK to use wi-fi only for downloads. We typically use the less expensive wi-fi only style and load up on books before the trip.

For all these reasons, we feel a good e-reader is one of the very best travel gifts.

Amazon Kindle

Our Choice for an E-Book Reader

There are many Kindle choices. We use the paperwhites as they are very easy on the eyes.

The one featured here even has wireless charging.

One thing to know about Kindles is that most come in two versions: with ads and with no ads. The “no ad” version is usually $20 more. You can start with the ad version and then pay later to upgrade your device to no ads if it becomes too annoying. That’s what we did.

Read the description closely, the ones with ads will say “ad supported.”

Other Choices

Because Kindle uses a proprietary file format, some people prefer e-readers that accept other formats such as e-pub. There are many choices of good e-readers. In fact, you can usually download the app for e-reading onto your tablet. Just be sure you understand the formats your device can handle.

For Your Friend’s Travel Photography

Portable Tripod

Our Top Choice

Are you looking for a way to help your traveling friends capture amazing memories on their trips? We recommend getting them a small, lightweight portable tripod. Not only will it help them get better images, it can also double as a selfie-stick. Look for one that weighs less than a pound and comes with a remote and a gimbal so they can film smoothly while they’re on the go. There are many to choose from. With this handy device, they’ll be able to capture stunning shots and wow their friends with their travel photos!

Gimbal Camera

Does your friend want to take their video blogging to the next level? There are incredibly small video cameras also called pocket cameras. We use this DJI 2 and it takes beautiful videos. It is incredibly lightweight and fits easily into your pocket. You can also take still photographs with it.

Want to help your friend take video blogging to the next level? We use this amazing pocket camera, the DJI 2, which takes stunning videos with its lightweight design that fits easily in your pocket. And you can also take still photographs with it! It’s the perfect choice to take your video blogging to the next level. If the DJI 2 doesn’t suit you, there are many other choices.

Our Best Travel Gift: Travel Journals

For the traveler who loves to explore, a great gift is a travel journal. It’s a great way to document your experiences and capture all the special moments from your trip. Travel journals are the perfect Bon Voyage gift for your traveler friend. Of course, you can always buy one for yourself. We think travel journals are the best travel gifts.

Peter Pauper Press creates beautiful small books, including gorgeous journals like these. This company is a small U.S. business which has been family owned and operated since 1928. We think they are very inexpensive for the quality. While we have featured some examples below, there are many choices you can consider here.

Ready for More Great Travel Tips?

Every week we share our favorite travel secrets and tips. You can view them all here.

Inspired to travel? Interested in somewhere you don’t see here? Contact us, and we’ll make your dream vacation a reality.

Don’t Stop Here

Check out more news and tips

Please note, if you purchase a product that we have linked to, we may receive a small commission. This does not apply to every product that we link to, but it may apply to some.