No matter what the special occasion, searching for a heart-felt last minute gift idea can be a stressful process. While we know it wasn’t intentional, a sense of guilt washes over us when we realise we forgot to get our best friend, dad or colleague a gift on their birthday. Not to worry - it’s an understandable mistake when you’ve a million other things on your mind. Luckily you’ve landed in the right place to organise an unforgettable gift for the upcoming celebration.
Here at Gifting Owl we believe the best gifts are experiences you’ll remember forever. Whether that’s a whale watching cruise with the whole family, or a romantic weekend getaway with your other half, we will always remember the experiences we’ve shared with the people that we love. So instead of frantically searching for a gift online and refreshing the express tracking page, consider buying them an experience gift instead.
Gifting Owl has a huge range of activities, adventures and getaways available in over 100 countries! So chances are that no matter where you are, you’ll be able to find an epic experience gift to send to the gift recipient. No need to worry about your deadline, Gifting Owl experience gifts are the perfect last minute gift. You can send the recipient a digital gift voucher instantly via email, sms or WhatsApp. If you’d rather hand them something physical you can always print it off at home. Although time easily gets away from you, you can have peace of mind that with a 3 year validity period they’ll have plenty of time to book their experience.
Now that we’ve convinced you that an unforgettable experience is the perfect last minute gift, we’ve listed our favourite gift ideas below that they’re sure to love!
1. Short Getaway
The perfect no-brainer gift idea - a vacation! Who doesn’t love packing up for a weekend away? Choose from a one or two night package and they can choose exactly when and where they’d like to spend a weekend. From the pristine beaches of the Gold Coast, Australia to the historic sights of Edinburgh, Scotland, the options are endless!
This gift would be great for an engagement or wedding, so the happy couple can spend some quality time together. Alternatively a hotel getaway is a great way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or retirement gift.
2. Heart Racing Adventure
If the gift recipient is a thrill seeker, we’ve got plenty of gift ideas to satisfy their thirst for adrenaline! A classic skydive for those yet to jump out of a perfectly good plane is a gift they’ll never forget. If they’ve already ticked that one off the list, take a look at the bungee jumping options available. Another absolutely insane experience is to send them diving with great white sharks! If this is someone ready to take the plunge, you’ve found the perfect last minute gift!
3. Winery & Vineyard Tours
Did someone say vino? What a thoughtful and romantic gift idea for a partner, or to give to a newly engaged couple. Often including plenty of tastings, a vineyard tour is a lovely day out in nature indulging on the finer things in life. Up the ante and include a meal to pair with their tasting or a romantic picnic for two.
Gifting Owl has winery and vineyard tours in all the world-famous wine regions. From Australia’s Barossa Valley to the beautiful French wines of Bordeaux, they’re sure to love their wine tasting experience!
4. Brewery Tours & Tastings
For those that would rather have an IPA over a vino, a craft brewery tour is a fun experience to do together or with a group of friends. The lucky gift receiver will learn all about their favourite beverage. A brewery tour is a great last minute gift idea for a birthday, graduation or Father’s Day. Choose a brewery tour in your city on Gifting Owl and send in seconds!
5. Cooking Classes
Perfect for the self-proclaimed foodie, an intimate cooking class is a fun experience gift idea. Choose from a range of cuisines and select one they’ve been hoping to master. From delicious pad thai to homemade gnocchi, the options are endless!
For an authentic in-destination cooking experience check out the authentic culinary category. These experiences are private cooking classes with a local in their own home. Together you’ll visit the local markets and cook a traditional meal together.
6. Bucket List Experiences
A milestone occasion deserves a bucket list experience! This is your chance to show them how much you really know about them and their dreams. So many milestones in life, but these experience gifts are particularly great for weddings, graduations, retirements and those big birthdays!
If they’ve been dying to see the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China or the Aurora Borealis light up the skies, there’s no better time to make their dream a reality.
Search Gifting Owl for the experience they’ve been talking about for years and send them on their way! If it’s a particular destination, you can choose to give a 1 or 2 night getaway. Or alternatively if it’s a big ticket experience available locally, like hot air ballooning, you can give them that instead. No matter what bucket list adventure you choose, they’ll love that you put in the effort to make their dreams come true!
7. Water Based Activities
If they love being near or in water, a water based activity gift is a great last minute gift idea.
Ocean explorers will love an introduction to scuba diving or a certified dive. They’ll spot their favourite fish and marvel at the colourful coral. A magical experience and way to get up and close to our marine life. There are plenty of options available on Gifting Owl in the world’s most pristine dive sites. You can also opt to get a guided snorkelling experience instead!
If they’d rather stay dry, a whale or dolphin spotting tour is a family-friendly experience. Watch in awe as the giants of the sea put on a spectacular show. Jumping and splashing close to the boat, these tours will give them a new appreciation for the life in our oceans.
Avid fisherman would love to head out on a chartered fishing boat. A perfect experience to do with friends and family to celebrate a birthday. See who gets the catch of the day on this fun day out!
8. City Sightseeing & Travel Gifts
Looking for a gift for a travel lover? Give them a gift you know they’ll treasure - a travel experience! A popular way to explore a new town or city is a guided city tour. Usually walking or bike tours, these fun and informative tours will help them get to know the city like the locals do! Another great option is a walking food tour or walking pub tours. Not only will they learn all about this new city, they’ll find the best food and drinks available too!
Another gift perfect for travellers is a cultural experience. If they are currently abroad, this will help them learn more about the history and culture of a region.
9. Spa Packages
Perfect for a Mother’s Day, Anniversary or Valentine’s Day gift, a relaxing spa package is a great way to show them how much you care. A day filled with pure rest and relaxation, while they take some much needed time for themselves. Choose to include a massage, facial, pedicure or soak in this divine gift idea. There aren’t many people I know that wouldn’t LOVE this gift.
10. Wildlife Encounters
A once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter is a gift they’ll never forget! Gifting Owl has a large range of wildlife experiences to choose from all around the world.
We can’t mention wildlife encounters without highlighting the guided safari tours available. Seeing the big 5 in the wild is on the bucket lists of many and there’s no wonder why. Give the gift of a safari adventure they’ll remember forever!
Another epic wildlife encounter available to gift last minute through Gifting Owl is to swim with the giants of the sea! From swimming with the whale sharks in Western Australia to playing with wild dolphins in Adelaide. Make sure they pack a go pro for these unbelievable experiences, you’ll want to see how close they get to the gentle giants of the sea!
Other wildlife experiences available include camel rides, horse riding, cuddling koalas, whale watching and many more!
11. Learn to Surf or SUP
A learning experience is a great gift idea for almost any celebration. If the gift recipient has recently moved close to the beach or a body of water, a learn to surf or stand up paddle boarding lesson would make a thoughtful gift! Thanks to you they’ll learn the basics from a professional and (hopefully) fall in love with their new hobby.
12. Helicopter Tours
Reach new heights with this last minute gift idea. Ideal for milestone life events, a helicopter ride is a novel way to celebrate special occasions. Choose from one of the many helicopter tours available on Gifting Owl, including in some iconic destinations such as the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef!
The lucky gift receiver will never forget this thoughtful and generous last-minute gift!
13. Hot Air Ballooning
Hot air ballooning has to be one of the most romantic experiences there is. Perfect to give to your other half on your anniversary, or to celebrate Valentine’s Day above the clouds. This relaxing and scenic journey usually starts early in the morning so can take in the sunrise from above. Trust me when I say that the early rise is well worth it!
After you safely land your balloon you’ll often get to pop some bubbles and enjoy a champagne breakfast. Here you’ll reflect on the incredible experience you’ve just shared together, an experience you’ll both remember forever.
Make sure to save this gift idea for a special occasion, because it’ll be hard to beat next year!
14. Gift Vouchers
Accidently left gift giving to the last second? A Gifting Owl gift voucher is the perfect last minute gift for any occasion. With a gift voucher the lucky recipient can choose to book any experience or multiple experiences on the site. A great gift for travellers, all gift vouchers are valid worldwide. The best part? It only takes seconds to send a gift voucher on Gifting Owl. Simply choose the amount and currency, write a personal message and voila!
No matter how last minute you’ve left your gift giving, there is a Gifting Owl experience gift to fit any occasion. Studies show that experiences make us happier, so why stress out trying to find a physical memento to give at their birthday party tomorrow? No only do they make us happier, but experiences create lifelong memories. Whether they do the experience solo, with a loved one, or with you - they’ll remember this gift much longer than a scented candle. So what are you waiting for? If you’re looking for a last minute gift, you’ve found it!
For your peace of mind, all Gifting Owl gifts come with the ultimate flexibility. Offering free exchanges, global validity and a 3 year expiry period, you can be sure that the gift recipient will get to do an experience they want, when and where they want to do it.
Happy last minute gift giving!
You’ve got this!
