# What are good small gifts for travellers?

> Small travel gift and stocking stuffer ideas that get used on every trip: shoe bags, a pocket tripod, a waterproof hat and packing helpers. Picked from our own gear list.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/small-travel-gifts-stocking-stuffers
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-10-13
- Last updated: 2026-10-27

**A good small travel gift is something light that solves one annoying problem on every trip: dirty shoes in the bag, no tripod for a night photo, or no hat when it rains.** These are from [our gear list](https://clevertourists.com/gear) and fit in a stocking.

## Packing helpers

• **Shoe bags.** A set of waterproof zip bags keeps shoes, wet swimwear and laundry apart from clean clothes. They are the gift a traveller does not buy for themselves and then uses every trip.

• **A universal plug adapter** is the other classic, and worth checking against where they are going: Japan and the US use type A/B, the UK type G, Australia type I and most of Europe types C and F. Our [packing lists by destination](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-pack-for-a-long-international-trip) list the plug for each country.

## For the phone photographer

A pocket tripod turns a phone or small camera into a night and timelapse camera. It is small enough to forget in a day bag until you need it.

## A hat that handles rain

An oilskin hat is waterproof, shades the sun and packs flat. It suits someone heading to the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or rainy-season Asia.

## What to skip

Travel-themed novelty items, liquids over 100 ml (they cannot go in hand luggage) and anything with a battery they will have to charge separately unless they asked for it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a good cheap gift for a traveller?

Shoe bags or other packing organisers, a plug adapter matched to their destination, or a pocket tripod. They are light and get used every trip.

### Are toiletries good travel gifts?

Only travel-size ones. Liquids in hand luggage are limited to 100 ml containers at most airports.