This post is all about gifts for hosts when traveling.
Let’s check off one of the most important items on your travel to do list — what to bring your host! With a variety of options below, you’re sure to find the perfect gift!
When you are thinking about what your host might enjoy, consider how they spend their days during the season you are traveling so they can put your gift to immediate use. Also, if they’ve expressed any admiration regarding your own items: a carrying case, a nail polish color, a candle in your home — that’s a helpful hint! Just think through whether they would want one of their own, or just enjoyed it on you or in your home.
Gifts for Hosts When Traveling To Your Destination By Car
If you’re traveling by car, it can be much easier to bring gifts for hosts given since there are generally no (or few) restrictions.
1. Cheese Knives
These cheese knives from Anthro will pair with just about any cheese board, during any season. The handles have a nice weight to them, so they are sturdy enough for a soft or hard cheese.
2. Stylish Cheese Plane
If your host makes cheese boards or enjoys spending time in the kitchen, a cheese plane would be a lovely gift. A cheese plane makes cutting thin slices of both semi-hard and hard cheeses a breeze (as well as vegetables and other foods). I especially like a wooden handled tool — it balances the stainless steel with warmth.
3. Gourmet Cheese
Yum, yum, gimme some! You could stop by your local cheesemonger or your favored grocery store and grab a nice block of cheese (or three!) to offer your host. Of course, Trader Joe’s is always has a great selection at reasonable prices as well. If you feel like your stay warrants several gifts in one, grab some nice cheese (one hard, one soft, one fun), The New Rules of Cheese book listed below, and the cheese knives listed above. All done!
4. Chocolate Truffles or Candy
A stunning box of luxury sweets clearly communicates, “thank you!”. Not only are these treats high quality, but they are wrapped beautifully, which will leave your host with a decorative box they can repurpose. This means it takes the wrapping out of the equation for you, which can be challenging when packing bags and trying not to tear a nice gift bag or wrapping paper.
5. Beautiful Coffee Table Book
If you know your host, you’ll likely know if they would appreciate a coffee table book which can be displayed just about anywhere, or can just be a nice addition to a library, whatever the size. When choosing a coffee table book as a hostess gift, consider their interests (gardening, baking, painting, antiquing, traveling, etc.) and the general color story of their home.
6. High quality butter, honey, jam
If you have a local vendor that sells a high quality butter, honey, and/or jam, consider this as an option for your host. It’s an accoutrement that will get used, maybe even while you’re visiting!, and is a fun representation of the local culture by your home.
7. Fragrance
If you know that your host enjoys candles, diffusers, soaps, or specific types of perfumes, this can be a great, straight forward choice. Keep in mind that there are many people who are very specific about the scents they incorporate in their home, so this should be a gift for someone you know fairly well so you can discern what they will enjoy. Brooklyn Candle Studio has many luxurious scents that aren’t too strong. They have an entire “Escapist” line which highlights beautiful areas around the world!
8. Flower and/or fern
If your host is a flower person, they would be thrilled seeing you at their front door with a colorful addition to their space or their garden! A perennial flower would be a nice touch for outdoors so they can think of you each year it grows back. Inside, a delicate maidenhair fern would do the trick, or a colorful pot of whatever flower is in season at the time of your visit.
9. La Colombe Coffee Lattes
10. High Quality Olive Oil
If your host enjoys cooking, they will appreciate a high quality olive oil. If you have a specialty shop or market that sells nice olive oil, stop by and ask the employee their opinion. If not, both La Tourangelle & Graza are great options.
Gifts for Hosts When Traveling To Your Destination by Plane
11. Local Coffee
If you know how your host prepares their coffee (drip pour over, fine, etc.), buy your favorite bag from your local coffee shop and ask them to grind the beans for you. If not, buy the beans whole and let your host grind the beans themselves. They’ll think of your time together every time they brew a cup!
12. Cocktail book
If possible, a nice extra touch would be to buy the ingredients for one of the cocktails and make them for your host during your stay. This would be a lot of fun if your host doesn’t mind you whipping this up in the kitchen or at their bar. You could choose a drink together once they open the book, or peruse the recipes prior to your trip (or while on the plane!) and decide which one you think you’d like best. My sister often brings us a fun seasonal cocktail book based on the time of year and we do just this, or we bookmark one to make during her next stay!
13. Cheese Book
This cheese book is petite, so it won’t take up too much room in your luggage or in your host’s home. If you enjoy having cheese together, this is a great touch!
14. Beautiful Scarf
There are so many ways to use a beautiful scarf! It can be tied around the strap of a purse or nice workbag, around your neck, as a scarf around the head, and even utilized as a headband! Oh, how versatile this fabric can be, adding a touch of sophistication and fun.
15. High Quality Tea
Does your host enjoy tea more than coffee? Here are a few nice options to choose from.
16. Gift Card
If you spend some time at your host’s local market (maybe it looks like the one above — swoooon), consider buying them a gift card. This could be a stand alone gift or paired with one of the other’s on this list. Depending on the size / scope of the market, they may even sell gift cards online, just in case you don’t make it there for one reason or another. We all know how long weekends can go with extended coffee dates and relaxing into the spontaneity of the moment.
17. Herbs de Provence & Finishing Salts
This is another gift for the host who enjoys spending time in the kitchen. These herbs and finishing salts would be lovely paired with the olive oil and the local market gift card, or truly as a stand alone gift.
18. Magazine Subscription
Magazine subscriptions are great! A gorgeous edition full of creative ideas and inspiring photos arriving to the doorstep every month? Yes please! Some great options:
Better Homes & Gardens Magazine
19. Groceries
Grocery delivery is so easy these days. If you would like to make a meal for the host one evening, have the groceries delivered so you can spend more time together, and include a few surprise treats!
20. Paper napkins
There are SO MANY lovely options for paper napkins these days and at all different price points. You’ll probably be going through a bunch of these while in your host’s home, so consider adding one of these to your hostess gift.
21. Seeds for the Garden
Another gift for a gardener, or anyone who enjoys trying to grow fresh food or flowers. Creeping thyme is a beautiful, hardy perennial ground cover which blooms for several weeks in the spring or summer, depending on the varietal. The blooms can also be used as a garnish in food and drinks!
Basil is always a good option — it smells divine, compliments many dishes, and even keeps some bugs away!
22. Spiral Tapered Candles
Spiral taper candles are on trend and come in so many shades. What a playful addition to a tablescape, sidebar, or fireplace. If you have any vintage or antique brass candle holders, they would pair beautifully and add a special touch:
If you like this idea, but don’t have time to run to the antique or thrift store, try these options:
23. Tote bag
Grab this adorable tote and throw in a bunch of delicious treats! A sparkling bottle of wine to celebrate your time together, a fatty cheese which will pair perfectly, a beautiful box of truffles, a magazine tied with a bow, and a local bag of coffee.
Wrap it in a tea towel (like these cheerful options) or bring a flattened gift bag and tissue paper, which will be less likely to get beat up if the gift hasn’t been wrapped yet, and will also take up less room in your luggage.
What Not To Gift Your Host
While there are many options for gifts, there are a few “no nos” when it comes to gifting:
1. Don’t gift your host a big or bulky item.
Since you don’t know exactly how you host is going to feel about your item, do them the favor of not buying something they may have to find storage space for when you’re not visiting.
2. Don’t gift your host something that you expect them to display (unless it’s a joke).
A funny / novelty item that you wouldn’t expect your host to display beyond your stay? That’s probably just fine. But, picture frames, large vases, or art pieces can be tricky, as it can lead to your host trying to find a spot for the item in their already curated home.
3. Do consider gifting your host something that is perishable or has a “shelf life”.
Unless you know your host really well, it’s ideal to gift them something that can be used up, just like many items on this list.
This covers a wide variety of options of perfect gifts for hosts when traveling, either by plane or car!
For more gifting inspiration, checkout our favorite things page or this quick hostess gift ideas guide:
