Home / Gift Ideas / Gift Ideas for the Holidays

There’s Still Time for These Last-Minute Virtual Gifts

From pre-paid experiences to virtual learning courses, this gifting guide is a procrastinator’s paradise.

collage of a book, dvd set, national park pass, and video game

By Sean Tirman

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Looking for more gift recommendations? Check out all our gift guides here.

The holiday gifting season is almost over. For some, this comes as a huge relief because it means a return to non-holiday normalcy is approaching. For others — more specifically, the procrastinators — the prospect may elicit a very different emotion: terror. Fret not, however, for we come bearing good news; there’s still time to find the perfect gift(s) for all the people in your life… just maybe not if that gift is a physical object.

As shipping delays and supply chain issues plague much of the world, especially this year, we posit a simple and perhaps elegant solution. Rather than scrambling to find a suitable gift that may or (likelier) may not arrive in time, it might better suit you and yours to consider getting something virtual. To better express what we mean, we’ve rounded together several categories of gifts (and a few examples therein) that do not need shipping, can be purchased and gifted in the same breath, and will still elicit cheers and tears of joy from those you hold closest. These are the best last-minute virtual gifts.

There are 423 National Parks across the United States, and each one is chock-full of wonders to behold. This $80 pass grants users access to all of them (and plenty of other federal recreation sites) for a full year from the month of purchase. That’s 365 potential days of adventure, for those keeping score.

Ticketmaster (and its subsidiary, Live Nation) offer access to some of the best live events around the world, ranging from concerts to sporting events to arts experiences and more. Furthermore, with its service, you can pick specific events as a gift or just go for a gift card and let your giftee choose what they’d like to attend.

If variety is the spice of life, then Virgin’s wide array of available gift experiences is a top-shelf spice rack loaded to the gills with just about any kind of activity you can imagine. That includes things like exotic car racing, beer making, dining cruises and even skydiving. If you can’t find the right experience gift here, maybe that’s not really what you want.

If a product exists, there’s a decent chance that it can be purchased on Amazon (and delivered quickly, at that). Especially for particularly difficult giftees, getting a gift card to this online retail giant is a pretty safe bet.

For everyone that loves outdoor adventure, retailer Backcountry has got you covered. Offering everything from alpinist accessories to zoological observation tools, getting one of these gift cards is perfect for anyone that likes camping, hiking and all things even tangentially related therein.

One of our favorite online retailers, Huckberry has an impressively deep catalog that ranges from design-forward furniture to everyday carry pocket gear and everything in-between. This is an especially good gift for the man in your life that appreciates high-quality gear across all categories.

Like a one-stop shop for curated gift boxes, Bespoke Post has an offering for just about anyone — be that a whiskey lover, cigar fanatic, fireside lounger and/or an actual lumberjack. If you struggle with coming up with the perfect idea, you can trust Bespoke Post to do the heavy lifting for you.

Beard grooming is a regular necessity for anyone that grows facial hair, even if that grooming is in the form of shaving everything off. Well, you can make that process a bit simpler and more enjoyable by gifting a Dollar Shave Club membership, which will help your giftee better manage their face hair hygiene regularly.

The world of alcohol is a vast one, and that can be intimidating to even the well-informed. Help the spirit lover in your life on their journey by giving a Flaviar membership, which grants them up to eight bottles a year and a bevy of other benefits, like guided tastings and more.

With hundreds of shows, movies and more — including a bevy of originals — plus the option to bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+, Hulu’s subcriptions represent some of the best value propositions in the streaming service industry. And that makes for an outstanding last-minute gift.

When it comes to hi-fi audio streaming, Jay-Z’s Tidal has been on at forefront of the industry and continues to innovate with its suite of offerings. Now, a paid membership offers over 80 million songs and 350k videos offered in hi-fi and hi-def — plus a bevy of other perks.

If you know someone that likes podcasts and/or reading, they might be the perfect candidate for an Audible membership, which is kind of like streaming but for audiobooks. And since the program is owned and operated by Amazon (which started as an online book retailer), there’s no shortage of titles.

Perhaps the most impressive and wide-ranging online learning opportunity, MasterClass offers courses from some of the world’s leading experts. This includes James Cameron teaching film, Nas teaching hip-hop storytelling and even Dr. Jane Goodall teaching conservation — and that’s only the beginning.

Originally started as a means of allowing folks to try out varying fitness classes and workouts, ClassPass has evolved to include other self-care and wellness-focused things like massage, spa visits and even haircuts. If you know someone that likes to exercise and/or someone that deserves some relaxation, go no further.

Especially if you know someone looking to bolster their resume, Udemy online classes are a great opportunity to learn some tech-focused skills — including everything from coding to business management and more. In fact, this platform offers literally hundreds of thousands of classes across a huge variety of topics.

Thanks to the internet, it’s now possible to get a personalized video shoutout from your giftee’s favorite celebrities, be they big-name athletes, chart-topping musicians or even zoo animals. Cameo makes for one of the most unique gift propositions around, and its also quite timely — making it perfect for procrastinators.

As mind-bogglingly bizarre as it is a beautiful and moving film, Everything Everywhere All at Once might be the best movie of 2022. Between its mind-bending concept, top-tier cast and shockingly intimate approachability, this flick makes a great last-minute gift for just about anyone.

With over a billion dollars in sales in the first ten days, this is the fastest-selling entry in the Call of Duty franchise ever. That means your giftee, if they don’t already have it, probably wants it so they can play with friends (and foes) online. Don’t let this one fly under the radar.

Topping the New York Times list of the best books of 2022 (as well as many others), this is technically a sequel to A Visit from the Goon Squad, albeit a sequel in universe only (meaning newcomers need not read the first to understand what’s happening). The stories are their own in this near-future sci-fi jaunt, which really needs to be read, as explaining the consciousness-delving book does not do it justice.