10 last-minute Christmas gifts to buy before 25th December

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If you're one of those people sitting one week out from the big day, staring at a never-ending list of shopping still to do, the first step is don't panic. There's still plenty of time to buy your family gifts and, while the ship may have sailed on physical presents – what with the last post dates arriving this week – you've got dozens of online options to choose from.

To help, the ever-faithful Christmas elves at RadioTimes.com have knocked together this list of last-minute Christmas gifts. From same-day Deliveroo hampers to online vouchers that still have the personal touch, we've got a workshop full of ideas for you.

So, we don't want to rush you, but it's probably time to get on with it, Run Run Rudolph!

For a closer look at some of our top gift ideas, here's the best Christmas experience gifts and the best steam train experiences.

Where to buy last-minute Christmas gifts

Despite only having a few days left, there's plenty of major retailers that offer life-saving same-day and next-day delivery.

If you're determined to order a physical present, we'd first suggest going to Amazon, which will be running Prime next-day delivery up until the evening of the 23rd and same-day on the morning of Christmas Eve. Or, you can check out retailers like John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Not on the Highstreet, which all have last-minute or speedy delivery sections to browse from.

Alternatively, food delivery apps like Deliveroo will be running throughout the Christmas period, so if you've forgotten a distant aunt or a work friend you kind of like, you can always send them a bottle of wine or bunch of flowers by using the apps' grocery section. Then, the gift will be delivered within the hour, although remember that very few shops are open on the 25th itself.

Lastly, and as you'll see below, we think the best kind of last-minute gift comes in the form of an experience, subscription, or tickets to an event. With these sorts of gifts, there's no hint of them being bought at the last second as they're still highly personalised and thoughtful, and will easily show how much you care for the receiver.

To get them on time, you'll need to head over to experience sites like Virgin Experience Days or Buyagift or ticketing sites like Ticketmaster or Fever. Then simply select your experience and choose the e-voucher option, which means your experience or ticket will instantly be sent over in an email.

Best last-minute Christmas gifts at a glance

Last-minute Christmas gift ideas for 2023

Sport hospitality tickets

Everyone has a sports fan in their life, so why not make their 2024 remarke-ball, with a hospitality ticket to see their favourite team, tournament or final? Through sites like Keith Prowse and Daimani, you can snap up hundreds of sports hospitality packages for football, rugby, tennis and so much more.

With hospitality tickets, you're getting a day of sport and luxury, featuring food, all-inclusive bars, and sometimes even a meet and greet with legendary players, not to mention a guaranteed ticket to the event. Below, you'll find a few of our favourites, like the Six Nations taking place in February, the next Wimbledon tennis championships and of course, the upcoming EURO tournament.

West End Theatre gift vouchers

grease the musical tickets best west end shows london — Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

There'll be 525,600 minutes in 2024, and you could spend at least 90 of them basking in the glow of a magical West End theatre show.

Whether you're a traditionalist who loves Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables, or you fancy one of the newer shows like Mean Girls or Stranger Things the First Shadow, there's dozens of plays, musicals and ballets to be excited about next year.

So, for the theatre geeks in your family, you can get a gift card that lets you pick whatever show and seat you like, now wouldn't that be loverly?

For our full list or recommendations, here's the best West End shows.

Overnight stay for two

glamping best birthday experience gift uk — Buyagift

Already fearing the January blues? Keep them at bay with a relaxing weekend away. Whether it's a luxury hotel, a spa break or a glamping pod, you'll find what you need at sites like Virgin Experience Days and Buyagift. It's the perfect gift for your partner, while also slightly being a gift for you.

More like this

More relaxing deals like this in our best spa experiences guide.

Disney Plus voucher

This Christmas, you can do so much better than the bare necessities. With a Disney Plus gift card, you can give someone a whole year of classic films, new TV shows and exclusive documentaries.

From the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians to tear-jerker movies like Inside Out, Disney Plus has thousands of hours of content from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic and more.

For more information, check out our Disney Plus gift card guide.

Gift a year of Disney Plus for £109.90

Three-month subscription

Not on the highstreet book subscription — Not on the highstreet

Subscriptions are literally the gifts that keep on giving. Whether you want to sign someone up to their favourite magazine (Radio Times perhaps), or something more niche (can you brie-lieve there's a cheese subscription?) you can bring your loved one months of joy.

Below, we've picked a few of our favourite subscription gifts but for more we'd suggest looking at Buyagift and Not on the Highstreet.

Flower bouquet

bloom and wild best last minute christmas gifts — Bloom and Wild

There's still time to make someone's Christmas rosy by sending a bouquet of beautiful fresh flowers. At Bloom & Wild and Interflora, you can send everything from orchids to daisies with next-day delivery.

Personalised food and drink hamper

Ah, the Christmas hamper, an absolute staple of the festive period. They're the perfect way of saying 'I love you but you're really hard to buy for' with their assembly of wine, chutneys and shortbread.

This year, you can send an already assembled hamper from retailers like John Lewis and M&S but, as we've said, if you've left it really late you can always send food and drink directly to someone's door through apps like Deliveroo.

Post-box gift set

Screenshot 2023-12-19 142151 — Glenstocken Herb and Plant Co./ Not on the Highstreet

A bit like hampers, letterbox gifts are a cute little collection of presents that can be put, wait for it, through the letterbox. Think funky socks, a nice candle, or home-made brownies. These gifts are sweet, small and easy to deliver at the last-minute.

Experience Days

This whole year, the RadioTimes.com team has been covering the best experiences and days out across the UK, like the best driving experiences, best London experience gifts and best murder mystery experiences.

After all that work, we can assuredly say that these little vouchers make for the best presents, as they give the gift of fun and of memories. So, whatever the interest, go to Virgin Experience Days this Christmas to find the best personalised gift for your loved one.