20 travel gifts on our staff's wish lists this year

Maybe you’ve already crossed off your holiday shopping list for the beloved travelers in your life, but there’s one person you can’t forget about: yourself. 

If you’re stumped for what to ask for this year, not to worry. Our always-traveling staff are constantly searching for the best gear and experiences to level up our trips, and we’ve done a lot of research to support our findings. Here are the gifts we’re actually asking for this year.

All our recommendations are independently selected by our writers and editors. Lonely Planet may receive a commission if you buy something through the links on our site.

Gifts we’d like to wear

1. Compression socks that are actually cute

From Melissa Yeager, Destination Editor, Western USA and Canada

I have my eye on Wellow and Bombas compression socks for long flights. They've got some stylish designs that make it look like you're just wearing cute knee-high socks instead of your grandma's compression hose.

Our picks: Wellow Horizon Stripes Compression Sock, Bombas Everyday Compression Sock

2. The perfect cozy travel set

From Shalayne Pulia, Contributor Marketing Manager

I am obsessed with all things soft and cozy – especially when it comes to comfortable travel attire. But I also hate wearing baggy sweatsuits on planes – it feels sloppy to me and cumbersome (which no one needs when trying to hold 100 things in each hand, roll a carry-on, make a flight, etc). I've been looking for something sleeker and more easily layer-friendly, and I am keen to try out Vuori's Halo Mini zip hoodie and wide-leg pant combo. Soft, sleek, and chic – I'm sold!

Our picks: Vuori Halo Mini Full Zip Hoodie, Vuori Halo Essential Wideleg Pant

 3. Travel-friendly slippers

From Sasha Brady, Digital Editor

I love slippers (no outdoor shoes are allowed in my home), and these lightweight mules are ideal for traveling with. The leather is soft and molds to your feet, and they pack flat in your luggage. They're handmade in a small, family-run factory in Portugal using vegetable-tanned leather and natural rubber. Perfect for padding around hotel rooms.

Our pick: Vibae Roma Mules

4. The perfect wool sweater

From Ann Douglas Lott, Digital Editor

I make it my mission not to wear a sweatshirt on a plane, because it often goes unworn the rest of the trip and feels like a waste of precious space. I overheard two of my co-workers, Sasha and Rachel, raving about these beautiful wool sweaters, and I think this would be a nice compromise. Cozy for the plane, stylish for the trip. It's an investment piece that will last a lifetime.

Our pick: Babaà Jumper No51

5. A dupe engagement ring

From Melinda Anderson, Guidebook Development Senior Editor

Niche gift alert! When I was young and single and traveling a ton for work, my mom bought me a dupe engagement ring and wedding band set to minimize unwanted conversations with strange men. It mostly worked. I highly recommend it for solo female travelers. Now that I'm old and married and primarily travel with my husband, I still love the idea of inhabiting a different persona on the road and keeping my own hardware safely stashed at home. A few years ago, I cosplayed a top 1-percenter with a faux 6.5-ct stunner similar to this one from Objkts. It is very much not me, but it for sure was Hong Kong me. For an upcoming Pacific Coast Highway road trip that will include dips in the ocean, I'm asking my husband to gift me a beachy, boho vibe ring like this one from Etsy to go with my surfer-girl vision of California me.

Our picks: OBJKTS Doux Ring, 14K gold ring from BohoArtisanJewelry on Etsy

6. A cat backpack

From Akanksha Singh, Destination Editor, South Asia

As LP's resident cat lady, my cat Holly and I travel by air, sea and road everywhere, and I'm told "The Navigator" is the Rolls-Royce of cat backpacks!

Our pick: The Navigator from Travel Cat

Gifts we’d like to pack our stuff in

7. A washable, foldable duffel bag

From Deepa Lakshmin, Director of Social Media

I need a washable, foldable duffel bag I can pack in my luggage so that when I buy too many souvenirs on my trip, I have somewhere to put them for the journey back home!

Our pick: Samsonite Foldaway Duffel

8. Camera gear packing cubes

From Rhia Hylton, Photo Editor

I was recently introduced to Peak Design; they make camera gear, and I really like their Outdoor Slings and camera packing cubes (I'm a big packing cube girl).

Our pick: Peak Design Camera Cube

9. A brightly colored carry-on

From Caroline Trefler, Destination Editor, Eastern USA and Canada

My carry-on has had a real workout the last few years, and I'm due for an upgrade. I have my eye on the hard-sided luggage from Away. I love that they come in cute colors (sea green is my favorite) and are easy to spot in a sea of black bags.

Our pick: The Carry-On from Away

10. A tech bag organizer

From Ethan Radtke, Senior VP of Strategy and Operations

I need something to organize my mess of chargers, cords and converters. No more scrambling for a charger at the bottom of my bag.

Our pick: Leatherology Small Tech Bag Organizer

Gifts to go in our travel bags

11. AirPods with translation capabilities

From Melissa Yeager

The AirPods with translation are on my Christmas list after I lost mine in an airport.

Our pick: AirPods Pro 3

 12. A sleek Polaroid camera

From Alexander Howard, Editorial Director, Destinations

I love my digital mirrorless, but getting prints is such a hassle. Fujifilm's Instax Mini Evo gets a lot of things right: sleek design that elevates it above the dorky or chintzy instant cameras of the past, plus tons of options for creating travel keepsakes on the spot.

Our pick: Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo

13. Personalized playing cards

From Aoife Breslin, Marketing and Publicity Coordinator

A super thoughtful gift for the travel buddy in your life is a set of personalized playing cards. You can print photos from your travels together on the front of the cards – making these sentimental, practical and something they can bring with them on every trip. You can get these at lots of places online.

Our pick: Shutterfly Photo Gallery Playing Cards

 14. An emotional-support water bottle

From Acacia Gabriel, Associate Editor

I'm an emotional-support water bottle person, and I'm weirdly obsessed with my new Owala (if you know me in real life, you have probably heard me talk about it). I got the 24oz bottle, but I'd like the 40oz one because I think it would be better for traveling. The FreeSip feature is great, and I love that it locks, plus it's so much more sustainable and convenient than relying on plastic bottles.

Our pick: Owala FreeSip

15. Mini Trivial Pursuit

From Sandie Kestell, Destination Editor, Central and Eastern Europe

I love this so that I can play on the go on road trips or airport layovers.

Our pick: Trivial Pursuit Mini Packs

Gifts for the plane

16. The perfect travel pillow

From James Pham, Destination Editor Southeast Asia

I am on an endless quest for the perfect travel pillow. I feel that would make my life complete (and the countless hours I spend on planes more bearable). If you have one that you swear by, please let me know!

Our pick: TRTL Travel Neck Pillow

17. A sleep mask with headphones

From AnneMarie McCarthy, Senior Destination Editor

I love my headphones, but I am intrigued by this, especially for trying to sleep on flights.

Our pick: Snoozeband Silk Sleep Mask with Headphones

Gifts for our adventurous side

18. A foldable kayak

From Jessica Lockhart, Destination Editor Oceania

I would love to see the ultimate adventure travel item under my tree: A foldable kayak from Oru Kayaks. They fold up like origami to fit in any car and take less than 15 minutes to assemble, but are super durable and stable on the water.

Our pick: Oru Kayak

 19. An unforgettable travel experience

From Matt Paco, Senior Video Editor

Some of the best gifts you can give someone are unique experiences. For a friend in Argentina, I used BigBox to pay for a two-person tasting menu dinner at a fancy restaurant. You can gift someone almost anything – from flying a glider to relaxing in a sleep capsule to enjoying an afternoon on a private boat. So, I would love for a friend to surprise me with a unique adventure experience.

 20. A caftan-worthy vacation

From Nitya Chambers, Executive Editor

I overspent on a very glamorous caftan that hangs in my closet and mocks me. I want to go somewhere worthy of the caftan.

Our pick: Tropical Treasures in Thailand with Lonely Planet Journeys