Looking for an awesome gift idea that won’t cause clutter or get re-gifted? These top 10 experience gifts are perfect for everyone on your list!
Whether you’re buying gifts for your mom, father, spouse, or child, these unique gift ideas also hit every price point, so there are great options and ideas even if you’re on a budget.
Wine/beer/Tapas Tasting
Find a local winery, brewery, or tapas restaurant to get the full tasting experience.
However, many local breweries and restaurants also offer wine or beer tasting nights. You could even visit your favorite restaurant and make a meal out of sharing delicious appetizers “family style.”
If there aren’t any upcoming tasting nights in your area, you can make a DIY tasting party at your home (get a one-month membership to Wine of the Month for a great variety of samples) or even by ordering a flight of beers or several different varieties of wine at a local pub.
Massage/Spa Day
Treat someone to a massage or spa day. Bonus points if you get a “two for one” special or tag along for the gift. 😉
Many spas will allow you to bring wine or even make mimosas if you let them know that you’re celebrating, or they may have a package deal with a local bakery or chocolatier to make your day extra special.
Bed and Breakfast overnight trip
One of my favorite vacations was visiting Napa Valley and staying in a bed and breakfast. We spent a couple nights in the B&B, wine tasting with other guests at the evening happy hour, and then hiking through the redwoods before going to San Francisco, where we explored the city.
But even if you can’t go to Napa Valley, you can still get the awesome bed and breakfast experience. Visit a small town (or even explore your own city) by staying in a local bed and breakfast.
Kids can also enjoy the bed and breakfast experience if you visit a family-friendly location, such as Mackinac Island, where the whole family can ride in a horse-drawn carriage, ride bikes through the town, tour the fort, and swim.
Antiquing/Flea Market/Shop Local Day
Plan a treasure hunt of sorts by spending the day visiting local shops, antique stores, thrift shops, and flea markets.
This is a great experience to combine with a massage or even a bed and breakfast weekend if you want to visit another city.
Cruise
Whether you go on a dinner cruise down a river or a full vacation to an exotic location, a cruise is an awesome experience.
Depending on your area, you may also have “mystery train” rides or other fun forms of transportation and entertainment.
If nothing else, plan your own “cruise.” Pack a picnic and go exploring for the day!
Tickets to a museum, opera, zoo, or show
Whether you’re buying a gift for a sports fan, aspiring musician, art critic, or child, there’s a ticket to something special for everyone on your list.
Get creative and search for local upcoming events.
You could also go big and get them season tickets to their favorite sports team or local playhouse, or get an annual membership to the nearest zoo, museum, or even an amusement part.
Lessons
Help your friend, parent, or child learn something new with prepaid lessons.
Check out a local art studio for lessons, or go online and buy a class that your loved one can do from home.
Some of my favorite online “schools” are:
- Craftsy: perfect for anyone looking to learn a new hobby, such as knitting, cake decorating, or even cooking
- Outschool: find yoga classes, behind the scenes tours of famous museums, art classes, and more
Subscription box
Give the gift that keeps giving with an exciting subscription box. My favorite subscription boxes are:
For Children:
For Women:
- Birchbox
- Stitch Fix
- Decocorated
- VineOh
For Men:
- Beer of the Month
- Stitch Fix
- Socks
Ziplining or Skydiving
Do something extreme by getting tickets for a local zipline course or skydiving site.
You might be surprised to find local zip lining or skydiving sites. For example, the Toledo Zoo, which is about an hour from my house, has an awesome zip line course through their African Safari exhibit. How cool would it be to fly over zebras and giraffes?!?
Also, you can find indoor “skydiving” locations if the weather isn’t great in your location or if you’d rather not jump out of an airplane. 😉
Time
Give the gift of time by donating your time to clean the person’s house, detail the car, redecorate, or even have your own “craft day.”
These top 10 experience gifts are a great starting point for a gift. For example, you could surprise your friend, parent, or significant other with a homemade certificate for the wine tasting experience wrapped in a unique gift basket filled with wine, personalized glasses, and wine charms.
Feel free to combine experiences for the ultimate gift idea!