Some of my all-time favorite gifts I've received have been experiences like a massage, concert tickets, a weekend getaway, and wine tasting trips! And these gifts all just so happen to be zero waste! I compiled some of my favorite experience-based, zero waste gift ideas that are a fun activity to gift for someone to do on their own or to plan something fun together.

Plan a trip

Plan a camping trip, a cabin getaway, a beachfront weekend, a day trip, or a destination they've always wanted to go to! When I graduated from highschool, my sister’s gift to me was taking a sister weekend trip along the central California Coast. I still have such fond memories of that gift to this day!

Treat them to brunch or dinner

You can't go wrong with a bottomless mimosa brunch, in my opinion! Get dressed up and treat them to a fun brunch or dinner. You can take them to a restaurant you’ve heard them say they’ve been wanting to try or show them one of your favorite restaurants you know they’ll love!

Plan an activity:

Spend a day outside golfing, snorkeling, camping, kayaking, or even renting a boat for a few hours! You can make a digital or print voucher (ideally on seed paper or recycled paper!) or you can tell them what attire to wear and surprise them with the activity you have planned.

Tickets to:

I’ll never forget getting concert tickets as a Christmas gift in 2018. My mom, dad, sister, and I went to it in January and then before we knew it everything shut down due to the pandemic. We had such a fun night and it is still one of my favorite gifts ever. Whether it’s tickets to a concert, an amusement park, sporting event, play, or even the movies, gifting tickets is a fun option for your to experience something memorable together.

Pay for a subscription or online class:

A unique gift idea, that isn’t quite an experience but I still wanted to include, is to pay for a subscription like Netflix or Hulu! You can also treat them to a subscription upgrade for something like Pandora or Spotify Premium. You can also gift them an online class like a language they’ve wanted to learn or a skill they’re interested in like cooking!

Wine Tasting Day:

Plan a wine tasting trip! Enjoy a day out enjoying delicious wine, beautiful views, and good company with someone special in your life. Another more cozy option is to stay in and plan a wine and paint night at home! Don’t forget to save your wine corks to turn them into upcycled decorations!

Let me know in the comments more experience based gift ideas + your favorite experience gift you've been given!