Graduation season is here again and for many of us, graduation is way behind us. So, it can be hard to come up with unique graduation gift ideas for today’s graduates. The generation graduating now has shown that they value experiences over things, which kind of makes our job as gift buyers a bit easier. Maybe? I think I was a bit ahead of my time because way back when I was in high school, I saved up for experiences, and I remember my grandma gifting me money to use for French camp and a Spring Break trip to Europe when I was in high school. Sure, money makes the perfect graduation gift for travelers, or anyone really, but isn’t it fun to have a present to unwrap, too? No matter your gift budget, I’ve got ten perfect graduation gifts for travelers!
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National Parks Pass
I can’t think of a better gift than unlimited access to more than 2000 National Park sites across the United States. REI sells the America the Beautiful Pass and donates 10% of sales to the National Parks Foundation. This is the graduation gift for travelers who love the outdoors, especially if they are planning a graduation trip across the States.
Travel Water Bottle
One of the best gifts for international travelers, or even domestic travelers, is a reusable water bottle that can help eliminate single-use plastics. For overseas travel, I love my LifeStraw water bottle. I’ve had tap water from Mexico and Thailand through this bottle and haven’t gotten sick. I’ve also saved a ton of money on buying bottled water everywhere I go, and I feel so much better not adding more plastic to the landfills. For domestic travel when you don’t need a filter, I love my stainless steel S’well water bottle. It keeps water cold forever!
Travel Cutlery
Just like the plastic water bottle, traveling with reusable cutlery just makes sense. The best part of traveling is sampling street food and carry-out, but that comes with a lot of plastic waste. I carry my “Light My Fire” spork everywhere I go. If you’re looking for an inexpensive graduation gift, this is a great idea! A reusable spork would have been so handy in Brussels, where all I ate was waffles and fries, all of which come with a tiny plastic fork.
Check out these other ideas for sustainable travel!
Viator Gift Card
Viator is the first place I turn when planning my vacation activities. They offer over 150,000 tours in over 75 countries around the world. Whether it’s a cycling tour of Cambodian temples or a beer tour of Munich, Viator can hook you up with the best travel experiences. Gift cards are a nice happy medium; it’s a little more thoughtful than cash, but the recipient still gets to pick what they want.
Kindle
My Kindle is one of the travel items I never leave home without. Reading books has become such a luxury and I relish time on trains and airplanes when I can really get absorbed in a new book. I was a long-time holdout on e-books because I love my paperbacks, but being able to carry as many books as I want, with only six ounces to add to my carry-on weight is worth the trade-off. Kindles come in a variety of models, and you can even download free books from your local library!
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are a game-changer for every traveler. My favorite is this Eagle Creek lightweight set of three, but I have several. They made my life so much easier when I spent four months traveling in my car. They became my dresser drawers, and I had a cube for tops, one for bottoms, one for socks, etc. If your graduate will be backpacking around Europe or Asia after graduation, packing cubes will help them keep their backpack organized while they are on the go!
Shop for Packing Organizers at REI
Power Adapter
Every international traveler needs a power adapter to stay connected on the go. I have a block-style travel adapter which has worked seamlessly everywhere I’ve been in the last few years. I love that it has USB ports in addition to regular power plugs. I even use it in the States for extra power ports when needed.
Power Strip
Pro travelers never leave home without a spare power strip. From the airport lounge to hotel rooms, there are never enough power outlets to power up all of our devices. Your graduate will be the hero of the hostel when they open up charging ports for everyone to keep their tech gadgets powered up!
Carry-On Suitcase
Let’s face it. Most of us got by on hand-me-down suitcases in college because luggage can be really expensive! If you really want to treat your graduates to an amazing travel gift, consider getting them a new piece of luggage. My TravelPro Spinner Bag goes everywhere with me. I’ve never had to check it, and it fits a TON of stuff for such a small footprint. It’s super lightweight, too, which is great for international travel where they sometimes weigh your carry-on. (Tip: Black won’t show as much wear, but then you’ll want a unique luggage tag so it stands out from all the other black bags! Adventure Goods makes beautiful bright tags)
Can’t decide between hard vs soft luggage? Read my review!
Backpack
If your grad more of a backpack traveler? You can’t go wrong with Osprey packs. They are amazing for European backpacking or backcountry backpacking. Tons of pockets and compartments for keeping everything organized, and a high-tech suspension system that keeps your load light and off of your back. I love my Osprey Sirrus 36 pack and used it to hike around Switzerland for two weeks.
