Gift giving is one of the best ways to show your appreciation for a loved one. Choosing the right gift can often be a tedious affair. When determining the best gift for a loved one, our first inclination is to think of physical gifts rather than experiential gifts. Experiential gifts are often overlooked. The need for a greater degree of research and effort to find the best experiential gifts as well as the lack of knowledge on where to find such gifts are some of the reasons someone is more likely to give a physical gift rather than an experiential gift. If you are looking to depart from traditional physical gifts and are brainstorming other ways of giving unique and meaningful gifts, giving an experience gift may be the answer. Below is the inside scoop on how to give a fantastic experience gift for your loved one and become a gift-giving Rockstar!
what are the best experience gifts?
There can be many different types of experiential gifts. Below are some of the most common experiences that could be ideal for your loved one:
- Concerts and shows: Take your loved one to see their favorite band play or attend a stand-up comedy show at a local venue.
- Sporting events: Buy tickets to watch and cheer for the local sports team
- Culinary experiences: Pay for a local food tour, for your loved one, in a city or area that is known for its food scene
- Retreats and health-focused getaways: Buy a spa gift card or shop for a yoga retreat gift experience for your loved one
- Tours and trips: Surprise your loved one with tickets to a fun excursion or urban tour
How to pick the perfect experience gift
Finding the right experiential gift can be a tricky task for both newbies and veteran gift-givers. There are many things to consider when searching for the perfect gift experience, and the below criteria can be especially helpful:
- Hobbies and interests of the gift recipient
- The location of the gift recipient
- Time commitment
- Age and mobility level
How to find amazing experience gifts
Now that we know some of the important criteria for picking the best experiential gift, let’s look at how you can find the best experiences.
Find the best experience gifts online
One of the best ways to find an experiential gift is none other than the internet. There are many websites that offer unique experiences, in almost any location worldwide.
- Airbnb Experiences: what originally started as a home-sharing platform that connected hosts with guests, Airbnb has grown to become one of the most popular websites for finding unique experiences worldwide. You can find a variety of unique and fun experiences such as food tours, classes and workshops, excursions, online events, and many more on Airbnb.
- Viator: Viator is another website that has fun and unique experiences ranging from wine tours, cruises, walking tours and culinary experiences host mostly by individuals and small-scale tour operators
- EatWith: Most of us love to try out different types of food. EatWith is one of the many websites that pair culinary hosts with foodies. For those who love traveling and are looking for a more authentic way to experience local cuisine, EatWith can be a very rewarding and memorable experience. It is important to note that EatWith experiences may not be widely available but there are many more similar websites that offer great culinary experiences.
- Free Foot Tours: If you are looking for a more budget-friendly way of finding an experiential gift for your loved one, Free Foot Tours can be a great option. These types of “free” tours are available in many major cities, with the option to pay or tip the tour guide whatever amount you want, if you wish to. Some of the most popular locations where you can find Free Foot Tours are Chicago, San Francisco, Rome, and Paris.
The DIY Approach
While websites such as Airbnb, Viator, and Virgin Experiences are the go-to for many of us, when it comes to finding a suitable experiential gift, looking for a more localized and intimate experience, involving mostly you and your loved one, or a small group, can also be a unique and rewarding experiential gift. We’ve affectionately dubbed this the “DIY Approach” to giving experiential gifts. Using this approach, we suggest that you carve out some time in your busy schedule and find local activities that you can engage in, with your loved one. Some simple ideas would be as follows:
- Taking your loved one out for a meal at a favorite restaurant of their choosing
- Going for a walk or a jog at a nearby park
- Purchasing a few sessions at a local yoga studio for your loved one
- Spending an evening preparing a meal together
- Planning a movie night or a getaway
It is important to note that the DIY approach to giving an experiential gift may be time intensive. However, it can also be much more rewarding because you and your loved one get to spend time together in a more meaningful way.
The Takeaway
Giving experiential gifts rather than physical gifts has become increasingly popular. Experiential gifts are an amazing way to go the “extra mile” and show your loved ones that you truly care about them. There are countless experiences, which can create magical memories, and make for a truly unique gift that will be cherished by your loved one.
