You know those people in your life that are IMPOSSIBLE to shop for? We all have one. Actually, we all have more than one. I’ve come to learn that the best things you can get those people, and the most fun presents in general, are things you can go out and do!
Here is a collection of all the best non-material presents in Texas. You can either go big & bold or keep it simple. Make sure you book them before it’s too late!
SEE MORE // Fun Date Ideas in Dallas Fort Worth
LCRA Camping 
Lucky Arrow Retreat
A Glamping Getaway from the City
Expected Cost // $100+
One of the best gifts you can get someone is a weekend getaway! Take advantage of one of these awesome Glamping Experiences located all around Texas. I recently did a stay at LCRA in Bastrop and cannot recommend enough, it’s just outside of Austin and a few hours from Dallas!
READ MORE // 15 TEXAS AIRBNBS GETAWAYS UNDER $200 A NIGHT
Photo by Frank Romero on Unsplash
Dance Classes for the Two of You
Expected Cost // $5 – $50
Got a friend or partner that has been hinting at wishing they had learned how to dance together? Then this is such a great gift! Get your human some dance classes for the two of you. There are tons of local options available, both free spots and spots with a really low monthly fee AND some that cost more and are private lesson focused. Either way, put those two left feet to work!
My mom goes in Fort Worth every single week, and she loves it! She used to bring my dad it would be a fun experience for the both of them. Get your partner or a couple some dance classes!
Texas Motor Speedway Experience in Dallas
Expected Cost // $100+
If you have a friend or S.O. that’s really into cars, then this gift will win you major brownie points! Got this experience for someone I knew that was super into cars, and he can vouch it was quite a treat! You have the option of doing three laps with a professional or the full experience of driving the car yourself.
Book Texas Motor Speedway Experience
if you’re based in the Austin area then check out the Premier Karting Experience at Circuit of the Americas! A little less cool than being on the Texas Motor Speedway, but still a great experience for the person in your life that wants to be in a very fast car!
Book a Karting Experience at COTA
Have an Exotic Zoo Experience
Expected Cost // $100+
Location // Austin (ish)
A romantic get away combined with a safari experience? I’m so in. Spend a night or two in one of their cabins in the their safari! I’m talking kangaroos, bears, and ostriches OH MY! You get to hang out with the animals, and then spend your evenings out in the Texas countryside under the stars.
Explore Cabin Options at Exotic Resort Zoo
If you guys want something more low key that doesn’t involve a getaway but more of a fun day trip, take the kids to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center instead! This drive-through wildlife center lets you feed the animals from the safety of your car, and was one of my FAVORITE experiences as a kid!
Flyboarding on the Lake
Expected Price // $100+
Location // Austin, Dallas, or Houston
This is hands down the best present I EVER received. You get taken out on a jet ski and they hook you up to a board and let you run wild. We only did 20 minutes each, but that’s honestly all you need! We did this on Lake Austin, so I can only vouch for that company, but it’s available all over Texas as well.
If you partner or friend is the kind of person that loves a little thrill, this is going to be a BLAST for them!
Go Ape Plano
Go Ziplining Together
Expected Cost // $40 for Dallas and $120+ for Austin
Locations // Austin Zipline Experience or Go Ape in Plano
If you haven’t noticed yet, I love a gift that involves a daring adventure! Think outside the box with a zipline experience in Austin. Obviously, I do not recommend this if you have someone with a fear of heights in mind, but otherwise anyone wanna get this for me???
They have zipline experience all over Texas! We went to Go Ape in Plano during our visit there and had a ton of fun. It’s way more adult than it appears, and was a BLAST. I would argue it’s more like a ropes course than anything.
Or if you’re in Austin you can go for the Lake Travis Zipline experience which is definitely more a thrill-heights experience!
Family Business Brewing 
Interior of Vista Brewing 
Open Space at Vista Brewing 
Hold Out Brewing – Liquid Television
Visit a Local Brewery or Distillery in Your Area
Expected Cost // $20
Whether they’re the person that will only order craft beers, will send back the wine if it isn’t their taste, or will always order the top shelf liquor, this gift is a win. Get them a brewery tasting, a day at the vineyards, or a distillery tour trip as a gift and something to do together or with a group.
Our personal favorites are Deep Eddy’s Distillery in Austin, Jester King Brewery in Austin, St. Arnolds Brewery in Houston, Spicewood Vineyards in Austin, and any of the wineries in Grapevine!
Check out our 12 favorite Austin Breweries for some Inspiration!
Tickets to a Musical or Symphony
Expected Cost // $30+
This is a gem for your parent, your significant other, or just someone who loves the fine arts! I got tickets to see the Nutcracker at Bass Hall with my parent last year, and I kid you not my mom squealed.
View tickets at Bass Hall Performance in Fort Worth, Winspear in Dallas, the Long Center in Austin, and Alley Theater in Houston!
Have an iFLY Experience
Expected Cost // $70+
Locations // Multiple Across Major Texas Cities
Denver and I got the chance to do iFly for Valentines day, and oh my was it an experience! We came in not really knowing what to expect, and neither of us having been skydiving before. We were impressed overall! Our guide was great, and showed us the proper movements to stay upright before taking us a nice 10ft off the ground in the wind tunnel.
If you’re not a huge skydiving person, I would recommend splurging for the VR Experience too! We didn’t do it ourselves, but a couple next to us did and said it 100% felt like they were really skydiving without the whole fear of falling thing.
Book a Spa Day or Relaxing Getaway for Them
Expected Cost // $50+
I don’t care whether you are male or female or whatever if you are a human being you will love a spa day. Pamper your favorite person with massages, seaweed wraps, and facials.
My favorite place is Austin is definitely Massage Sway in Austin at the Domain! Otherwise, there are so many great locations to get this done with!
Attend a Cooking Class Together
Expected Cost // $50+
I got this as my gift to Denver, an online cooking class together in our OWN Kitchen with the amazing Chef and the Dish! You literally Skype in a chef from whatever country your dish is from (ours was Italian!) and have them teach you what to d in your own home. I seriously want to get this for my mom this year!!!!
However, there are tons of other local cooking class that would be worth checking out! Most Central Markets do have cooking classes available, so I would check those out!
Read more about our amazing experience with Chef and the Dish!
Take a Cocktail Making Class Together
Expected Cost // $15 – $30
A friend of mine was telling me that she got this as a fun gift idea for her spouse recently, since he loves making cocktails! She put together a cocktail shaker, book of fun cocktail recipes, and a class to take together to get them started! This is such a fun one, and definitely one of the more affordable on this list!
Check out the packages available at Total Wine on this!
Lonestar River Boats
Go on a Sunset Dinner Cruise or Tourist Cruise Together
Expected Cost // $50
If you’re looking for something a little more romantic and happen to live in Austin, then you can check out one of the dinner cruises available on Lake Austin to take together! A fun way to spend some quality time together, and get a stunning view of the city for sure.
We always opt for the Sunset BYOB Cruises on the lake in Austin when people are in town, and they’re SO much fun! We love doing these with guests, and they’re SUPER inexpensive at $12 per person. Plus bring your own bottle of wine!
Grapevine Trail Big Bend 
Camping at Big Bend 
View from Big Bend
An Annual Pass for the National Parks
Expected Cost // $70-$90
If you and your human are both big travelers, then this would be such a fun gift that would encourage an entire YEAR of travels together! You can pick up a National Park All Access Pass for $88 or a Texas State Park Pass for $70 to last the year together.
If you’re thinking that might be a BIT of a commitment and you may not really use it, then you should check out this Day Trips from Austin guide and this Day Trips from Dallas guide for a few more easy-access options!
You can use these to take a trip to Guadalupe Mountain National Park or Big Bend National Park, either way you’re in for an incredible treat!
SEE MORE : The 15 Texas State Parks Worth a Weekend Trip
A Monthly Membership to their Favorite Yoga Studio or Fitness Class
Expected Cost // $50 – $100
If you happen to have someone in your life that LOVES a good yoga class, spin class, or workout then you should cover a month of their classes! It might be someone who struggles to justify the cost (I do this all the time) even though you know it brings them joy. Definitely a more low key experience gift idea in texas!
For obvious reasons, maybe make sure that this person actually DOES love this workout and is not going to be offended when they open…a gym membership for Christmas. Just sayin.
VIEW MORE ON A GIRL FROM TEXAS
9 Easy Day Trips From Dallas For A Getaway
A Weekend Guide to Grapevine, Texas
15 Great Books You’ll Love Reading
Comments (4)
Sierra
November 20, 2017 at 8:58 am
I love this! Me and Tim usually opt for experiences instead of gift giving because we both value hat more than physical gifts! Definitely want to check some of these things out 🙂
Lindsey Shore
November 22, 2017 at 3:53 pm
Such a good post! I’d way rather give an experience than to buy “stuff.”
Leann
November 22, 2017 at 10:51 pm
I already knew I wanted to visit Texas, but this post makes me want to fly down there even more! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sarah Smith
October 15, 2019 at 11:18 am
Thanks for your gift tips! My little sister wants to get gifts for everyone. I’ll suggest she look into Texas-inspired gifts.