Your friends have almost nothing in common, which is half the reason you like them. One would happily jump out of a plane, another plans every trip around where to eat, and a third has just moved in with their partner and can't stop talking about the flat. Choosing a Christmas gift for friends like that gets much easier once you stop hunting for one thing that suits everyone.
So we've sorted five Christmas gift ideas by personality instead. Pick the friend, pick the idea, and your Christmas gifts for friends are done before the group chat pings again. (It will ping again.)
Why Experiences Make Good Christmas Gifts for Friends
Friends often swap small Christmas presents, and that's lovely. An experience adds something different: a day out to look forward to, plenty of fun on the day, and memories to retell afterwards (usually with you in it). It suits the friendships where you've already got plenty of stuff between you and what you really want is time together, doing something. That's why so many good Christmas gift ideas for friends are really invitations.
You can also match the gifts to your budget, because you choose how much to spend, and the experience pages show what each one involves before anyone books.
Five Christmas Gift Ideas for Friends, Sorted by Personality
1. The Friend Who Changes Their Mind: A Gift Voucher
Some friends can't be pinned down. They'd love a cooking class on Monday and a hike by Friday, or they've just moved city and you honestly don't know what they're into now. If none of the gift ideas below feels quite right, a Gifting Owl voucher hands the choosing to them. You set any amount that suits your budget, in your own currency, and your friend books live on Gifting Owl from 19,000+ experiences in 100+ countries. The voucher is valid for three years, and you can add a personal message and pick a design.
It's delivered by email, straight away or scheduled for the date and time you choose, which suits the friend overseas or the one you won't see until January. Swapping to a different experience is free if they change their mind.
The small catch is that they do the booking themselves, so you may need to nudge them if you'd like a date in the diary. It suits the friend whose tastes you can't quite pin down, and it's a handy way to sort Christmas presents for friends who live a long way from you.
2. The Outdoorsy Friend: Hiking and Climbing
Hiking and trekking experiences are for the friend who'd rather be on a ridge than in a shopping centre. Boots crunch, the air smells of gum leaves or pine depending on where in the world you book, and there's usually a lookout waiting at the end. Tell them to pack sturdy shoes and more water than they think they need. It suits the friend who does their best talking while walking, and it's a lovely idea for a best friend who solves everything on a trail.
If a stroll sounds too tame, abseiling and rock climbing add a rope and a little nerve. That first step backwards over the edge is the hardest part, and everything after it is a lot more fun. It suits friends who like a challenge with someone experienced beside them.
3. The Foodie Friend: Food Tours and Cooking Classes
Walking food tours take your friend through a neighbourhood on foot, tasting as they go: something sizzling here, something sweet around the corner. Tell them to come hungry and wear comfortable shoes, and check the experience page for what's included. It suits the friend who plans trips around where they'll eat, and it's a fun afternoon for two or a small group.
A cooking class is for the friend who owns three cookbooks and cooks from one. See whether a class is hands-on or a demonstration before you choose. The only risk is being asked to taste-test the results afterwards (which, honestly, is a fair trade).
4. The Thrill-Seeker: Skydiving and White Water Rafting
Skydiving is the big one: a plane door, a countdown and a few seconds of roaring wind before the canopy opens and everything goes quiet. Weather calls the shots, so a flexible date helps, and the experience page shows the cancellation policy before booking. It suits the friend (or best friend) who has said "I'd totally do that" more than once.
Christmas experience gifts
Show more experiences
Kyoto: Small-Group Gion Geisha District Walking Tour
Barcelona's Coastline Helicopter Flight
Best of Niagara Falls Tour: Journey Behind Falls & Boat
White water rafting is a team effort. Everyone paddles, everyone gets soaked, and someone always ends up shrieking. Bring a change of clothes and shoes that can get wet. It's even better as a group, so it suits a gang of friends more than a solo adventurer.
Adventure gift ideas
Show more experiences
Singapore Gardens By the Bay Ticket
Sunset & Sparkle Sydney Boat Cruise
Park Guell and Sagrada Familia Tour in Barcelona
5. Friends Who Are a Couple: Balloons, Wine and Spa Days
A hot air balloon flight is surprisingly quiet, apart from the odd whoosh of the burner, while the landscape slides by below. The downside is an early start (flights usually go up around sunrise), and wind can move the date. It suits a couple who'd choose a view over a lie-in.
Winery and vineyard experiences mean swirling, sniffing and arguing happily about which glass was best. Sort out a designated driver or transport in advance. It suits couples who like to know what they're drinking.
Spa packages give a busy pair permission to switch off for a few hours. Check whether the package covers one person or two before you buy. It suits the couple who never stop moving, or a pair who want to celebrate their first Christmas in a new place.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Best Friend or a Whole Group
For your best friend, aim for something you can do together. The experience is half the gift and your company is the other half, so write a personal message that nods to a running joke. Thoughtful gifts tend to be the ones that show you were listening, and a best friend will notice the details. It's also a lovely way to celebrate years of friendship.
If a few of you are pooling for one of the bigger Christmas presents on this list, the amount is up to you, so the group can agree on a budget that's comfortable for everyone. Then choose the experience together, or let the recipient pick.
Find the Right Christmas Gift for Your Friends
Match the friend to the personality, pick an experience, and you've got Christmas gifts that give them something to look forward to and memories to share. Browse our Christmas gift ideas or send a voucher and let them choose. Happy gifting!
