Food & cultureBy Clever Tourists · Published
The best travel souvenirs are things a country actually makes and its own people buy: saffron in Spain, argan oil in Morocco, garnets in the Czech Republic, gold leaf in Kanazawa, a silk lantern in Hoi An, pounamu in New Zealand. The worst are the same keyrings and magnets sold in every old town, often made far from it. Below are three to five genuinely local souvenirs for each of the 20 countries we covered in 526 days of travel, where to buy them, what the fakes look like, and the customs rules that catch people out: Buddha images in Thailand, antiques in Turkey and Vietnam, coral in the Philippines, meat on the way home, and anything wooden going into Australia or New Zealand. Prices are shown as tiers rather than figures, because they move with exchange rates and haggling: $ is small change, $$ is a considered purchase, $$$ is a splurge.
This page contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
• Buy where it is made, or from the people who make it. A workshop, a cooperative or a certified dealer beats a stall by the main square. Several of the rules below exist because the stall version is imported.
• Look for the mark, not the story. Real Bohemian garnets come with a Granát certificate, real pounamu carries a Ngāi Tahu authentication code, real Murano glass often has a Vetro Artistico Murano sticker, and protected foods (La Mancha saffron, Kalocsa paprika) carry a PDO seal.
• Supermarkets sell the edible souvenirs for less. Tea, coffee, sweets and spices cost a fraction of the gift-shop price one street away; our grocery guides list what to buy in each country.
• Check what your own country lets in. Meat, cheese, plants, seeds, wood with bark, shells and antiques are the categories that get confiscated. Australia and New Zealand are the strictest about anything wooden or woven.
| Country | Best local buy | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | La Mancha saffron (PDO) | "Spanish" saffron that was grown elsewhere |
| Morocco | Argan oil from a cooperative | Stall oil cut with cheaper oils; lead glazes on cookware |
| Czech Republic | Bohemian garnet jewellery | Shops selling non-Czech stones as Bohemian |
| Hungary | Kalocsa or Szeged paprika | Unlabelled loose paprika |
| Romania | Horezu ceramics | Imported pottery sold as Horezu |
| Philippines | Piña cloth from Aklan | Coral and protected shells: export banned |
| Thailand | Bo Sang paper umbrellas | Buddha images need an export permit |
| Australia | Art from Aboriginal-owned art centres | Imported "Aboriginal-style" souvenirs |
| New Zealand | Pounamu with an authentication code | Imported jade sold as greenstone |
| Japan | A kitchen knife or Kanazawa gold leaf | Carrying blades over 6 cm unpackaged |
| Vietnam | A folding silk lantern from Hoi An | "Antiques" without an export permit |
| Indonesia | Batik or a Balinese woodcarving | Declaring wood when flying to Australia or NZ |
| South Korea | Red ginseng or hanji paper goods | Missing the instant tax refund |
| Germany | An Erzgebirge nutcracker or smoker | Imported copies at Christmas markets |
| Italy | Murano glass, balsamic vinegar of Modena | Fines for buying counterfeit bags |
| Croatia | A licitar heart from Zagreb | Mass-made hearts that are not edible gingerbread |
| Montenegro | Vranac wine, Njeguši ham | Meat rules at home |
| Albania | A white qeleshe felt hat from Kruja | Imported trinkets in the same bazaar |
| Turkey | A new handmade carpet with a receipt | Anything sold as an antique |
| England | Tea from a London tea merchant | No VAT refund for visitors since 2021 |
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Spain.
• Saffron from La Mancha ($$). Spain's protected saffron is Azafrán de La Mancha PDO. Much saffron sold as Spanish is grown elsewhere and only packed in Spain: a Czech and Spanish chemical study found over half its test samples were fraudulent, while the PDO-labelled La Mancha samples checked out. Buy whole threads, never powder, and read where it was grown.
• Turrón ($). Almond nougat from Alicante province, sold in hard (Alicante) and soft (Jijona) styles. Supermarkets stock good brands all year, not only at Christmas.
• Tinned fish and olive oil ($ to $$). Spanish conservas (bonito, sardines, mussels in escabeche) travel well in a suitcase and cost far less in a supermarket than in a gift shop.
• Skip carrying jamón home to the US. US rules bar travellers from bringing in Spanish cured meat in their luggage, even vacuum-packed; buy it from a US importer instead.
More food ideas in what to buy at a grocery store in Spain, what to eat in Madrid and our Spain travel guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Morocco.
• Argan oil ($ to $$). Buy it from a women's cooperative or a shop that lists only argan kernel oil on the label. Laboratory testing has found argan oil adulterated with cheaper vegetable oils, and the cheapest bottles in the souk are the most likely to be cut. Cosmetic oil is pale and nearly scentless; culinary oil is made from roasted kernels, darker and nutty.
• Rugs and kilims ($$ to $$$). The real thing is hand-knotted or hand-woven wool. Expect to haggle, take your time, and never buy on the first visit to a shop you were walked to by a stranger. Our Morocco souk haggling guide has fair-price benchmarks.
• Leather babouches and bags ($ to $$). Fes is the leather town; the shops around the tanneries sell slippers and bags made nearby.
• Tagines and painted ceramics ($ to $$). Beautiful, but New York City's health department lists traditional ceramics from Morocco (and Turkey) among those that may contain high levels of lead. Treat painted pieces as decorative and cook in an unglazed or certified lead-free tagine.
See also things to know before visiting Morocco, what to buy at a grocery store in Morocco and our Fes guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from the Czech Republic.
• Bohemian garnet jewellery ($$ to $$$). The deep red pyrope garnet mined in northern Bohemia. The cooperative Granát Turnov holds the mining rights and issues a certificate of origin with every piece. Ask for it: a Czech inspection reported by Radio Prague found 13 of 15 shops selling "Bohemian garnets" were not selling the genuine stone.
• Bohemian glass and crystal ($$ to $$$). Cut glass and crystal from Bohemian glassworks; buy from the makers' own shops rather than the souvenir strip near Charles Bridge.
• Becherovka ($). The herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary, cheapest in a supermarket. Pack bottles in checked luggage; carry-on liquid limits still apply at most airports.
• Wooden marionettes ($$). Puppetry is a Czech tradition, and hand-carved marionettes are a better buy than printed T-shirts.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in the Czech Republic, tourist scams in Prague and our Prague and Bohemia guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Hungary.
• Paprika ($). Hungary's two protected paprikas are Kalocsai fűszerpaprika-őrlemény and Szegedi paprika, both PDOs. Buy sealed tins or packets with the name on the label rather than loose powder from an open sack.
• Tokaji wine ($$). The sweet aszú wine from the Tokaj region is the classic bottle to take home.
• Herend porcelain ($$$). Hand-painted porcelain from the Herend manufactory; the company's own shops are the safe place to buy.
• Pick-up spot: Budapest's Great Market Hall has paprika, salami and Tokaji under one roof, though supermarkets are cheaper for the same brands.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Hungary, what to eat in Budapest and our Budapest guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Romania.
• Horezu ceramics ($ to $$). UNESCO added the craftsmanship of Horezu ceramics to its intangible heritage list in 2012. Romanian press reports that much of what is sold in Horezu itself now comes from elsewhere, including pottery brought in from Bulgaria, so buy from a named potter's workshop.
• The ie ($$ to $$$). The embroidered Romanian peasant blouse. Hand-embroidered pieces take weeks and cost accordingly; a cheap one is machine-made.
• Țuică and pălincă ($). Plum brandy, from mild țuică to strong pălincă. A supermarket bottle is fine; a family-made one from a market is better.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Romania and our Sibiu guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from the Philippines.
• Piña cloth ($$ to $$$). A sheer fabric hand-woven from pineapple leaf fibre, used for the formal barong. Aklan piña handloom weaving was added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2023, and Kalibo in Aklan is the oldest centre of production.
• Dried mangoes ($). The most-packed Philippine souvenir for a reason. Supermarket prices are well below airport prices.
• Woven banig mats and baskets ($). Light, cheap and handmade; declare plant-fibre items if you fly on to Australia or New Zealand.
• Do not buy coral or rare shells. The Philippine Fisheries Code (section 91) bans gathering, possessing, selling or exporting coral, raw or processed, and protected shells are seized at ports and airports.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in the Philippines and our El Nido guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Thailand.
• Bo Sang paper umbrellas ($ to $$). Hand-painted umbrellas from Bo Sang village, about 9 km east of Chiang Mai. Shops pack them for checked luggage or ship them home.
• Thai silk ($$ to $$$). Woven Thai silk scarves and cloth; buy from an established silk shop that states the fibre content, since market stalls also sell synthetic look-alikes.
• Curry pastes and snacks ($). The cheapest edible souvenirs are in supermarkets; see what to buy at a grocery store in Thailand.
• Buddha images need a permit. Thailand's Fine Arts Department must license the export of Buddha images, antiques and art objects. Each image is inspected and needs its own permit, which reputable shops can often arrange. Heads, hands and other parts of Buddha images cannot be exported at all.
Our Chiang Mai guide covers the night markets, and things to know before visiting Thailand the etiquette around Buddha images.
Practical travel tips, straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Australia.
• Aboriginal art ($$ to $$$). Buy from Aboriginal-owned art centres or galleries that say which artist and community the work comes from. In 2019 the Federal Court ordered Birubi Art to pay an A$2.3 million penalty after the ACCC showed it sold boomerangs and other souvenirs labelled as Aboriginal art that were made in Indonesia.
• Food souvenirs ($). Tim Tams, Vegemite and macadamias are easy to pack; see what to buy at a grocery store in Australia.
• Coming into Australia with souvenirs: you must declare wooden articles and other plant and animal material on arrival. Clean, finished carvings are usually released after inspection; bark, seeds and soil are not. Declared items that are refused can be treated or destroyed, but you are not penalised for declaring them. Undeclared items can mean a fine. This catches people flying in from Bali with woodcarvings.
More in things to know before visiting Australia and our Melbourne guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from New Zealand.
• Pounamu (greenstone) ($$ to $$$). New Zealand nephrite jade is a taonga (treasure) to Māori, and ownership of naturally occurring pounamu in the Ngāi Tahu area was returned to the iwi in 1997. Jade imported from China, Myanmar, Canada and elsewhere is sold alongside it. Genuine New Zealand pounamu from Ngāi Tahu carries a mark of authenticity and a unique code you can trace online; ask to see it.
• Mānuka honey ($ to $$$). Graded by UMF or MGO number; higher numbers cost much more. Check your home country's rules on honey before packing it.
• Merino and possum-merino knitwear ($$). Warm, light and made locally; the possum fibre comes from an introduced pest.
• Arriving with souvenirs: New Zealand requires every arrival to declare wooden carvings, masks, woven cane and bamboo, and other plant items. Clean, identifiable items are usually allowed after inspection; failing to declare can mean an instant fine. Details in our NZ Traveller Declaration guide.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in New Zealand and our New Zealand guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Japan.
• A Japanese kitchen knife ($$ to $$$). Buy from a specialist knife shop that will sharpen, engrave and box it. Japanese law restricts carrying blades over 6 cm without good reason, so keep it sealed in the shop's packaging in your bag and put it in checked luggage for the flight.
• Kanazawa gold leaf ($ to $$). Kanazawa makes more than 98% of Japan's gold leaf. Gold-leaf chopsticks, lacquer boxes and cosmetics are sold across the city, and some workshops let you apply leaf yourself. See our Kanazawa guide.
• Tenugui and furoshiki ($). Printed cotton hand towels and wrapping cloths: light, flat and made in Japan.
• Matcha and regional KitKats ($). Supermarkets and drugstores beat souvenir shops; see what to buy at a grocery store in Japan.
• Tax-free: from 1 November 2026 Japan charges the 10% consumption tax at the till and refunds it after customs checks your goods when you leave, with a ¥5,000 (≈ $31) minimum. How it works: Japan tax-free shopping.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Vietnam.
• Silk lanterns from Hoi An ($ to $$). The lanterns that hang over every Hoi An street fold flat on their bamboo ribs for packing. Buy from a lantern workshop in the old town rather than the night market, where quality varies.
• Tailored clothes ($$ to $$$). Hoi An is known for its tailors, who can make a suit or dress within a few days. Allow time for at least one fitting.
• Coffee and a phin filter ($). Vietnamese dark-roast coffee and the metal phin drip filter are the most useful souvenir from the country; see what to buy at a grocery store in Vietnam.
• Antiques need a permit. Genuine antiques and relics cannot leave Vietnam without a Ministry of Culture export permit and can be seized at the airport. Most "antique" ceramics in tourist shops are reproductions; if a dealer claims otherwise, ask for the permit.
More in our Hoi An guide and tourist scams in Vietnam.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Bali.
• Batik ($ to $$$). Hand-drawn batik tulis takes far longer than stamped batik cap, and printed "batik" fabric is not batik at all. Uneven lines and wax marks on both sides are signs of the real thing.
• Balinese woodcarvings ($ to $$). Masks and figures carved around Ubud. If you fly on to Australia or New Zealand, declare them; see the Australia section above.
• Skip kopi luwak. A 2016 study by World Animal Protection and Oxford researchers found every one of the 16 Bali civet coffee plantations it visited failed basic welfare standards, with wild civets kept in small cages. Buy ordinary Bali or Java coffee instead.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Indonesia and our Ubud guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from South Korea.
• Korean red ginseng ($$ to $$$). Steamed and dried ginseng, sold as roots, extracts and sticks in department stores and ginseng shops.
• Hanji paper goods ($). Notebooks, lamps and boxes made from traditional mulberry paper; Insadong in Seoul has the most shops.
• Skincare ($ to $$). Korean sheet masks and sunscreen cost far less in Seoul's chain beauty stores than abroad.
• Tax refund at the till: at participating shops you can get the tax back immediately for purchases of up to ₩1,000,000 (≈ $748) each, up to ₩5,000,000 (≈ $3,741) in total per trip; bring your passport.
More in Seoul night markets, what to buy at a grocery store in South Korea and our 3 days in Seoul guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Germany.
• Nutcrackers and incense smokers ($$ to $$$). The Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) in Saxony is the home of the German nutcracker and the Räuchermann smoker; the village of Seiffen alone has around 100 shops. Look for a named Erzgebirge maker on the base, because Christmas markets also sell imported copies.
• Christmas ornaments ($ to $$). Glass baubles and straw stars, at their best at the Christmas markets; see German Christmas markets 2026.
• Sweets and mustard ($). Ritter Sport, Haribo and regional mustard from a supermarket; see what to buy at a grocery store in Germany.
More in our Munich guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Italy.
• Murano glass ($ to $$$). Much of the cheap "Murano" glass in Venice is imported. The Vetro Artistico Murano mark, a sticker managed by a Murano glassmakers' consortium, identifies glass made on the island by member furnaces; not every genuine maker uses it, so buying in a Murano furnace's own showroom is the other safe route. See our Venice guide.
• Balsamic vinegar of Modena ($ to $$$). Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP is aged for years and sold in small bottles; the everyday IGP version is the supermarket bottle. Bologna is a short train ride from Modena: what to eat in Bologna.
• Leather and paper goods ($$). Hand-bound notebooks and marbled paper in Venice, leather in many cities.
• Do not buy fake designer bags. Italian law fines buyers of counterfeit goods, not just sellers. Tourists have been fined €1,000 (≈ $1,111) for buying a fake bag from a beach vendor, and the legal maximum runs into the thousands. More in tourist scams in Italy.
More food in what to buy at a grocery store in Italy.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Croatia.
• Licitar hearts ($). Red-glazed decorated gingerbread hearts, the symbol of Zagreb. Gingerbread craft from northern Croatia was added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2010. They are decorative and keep for years. See our Zagreb guide.
• Lace ($$ to $$$). Croatian lacemaking (Pag, Lepoglava and Hvar) is also UNESCO-listed; buy on Pag or from a lace cooperative.
• Olive oil and truffle products ($ to $$). Istrian and Dalmatian olive oil, and Istrian truffle pastes.
• A Croatian tie ($$). The cravat takes its name from Croatian soldiers' neckcloths, and Zagreb shops sell silk ties on that story.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Croatia and what to eat in Zagreb.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Montenegro.
• Vranac wine ($ to $$). Montenegro's signature red grape; supermarket bottles are good value.
• Njeguški pršut and cheese ($$). Dry-cured, smoked ham from the village of Njeguši above Kotor, usually eaten with Njeguši cheese. Sold vacuum-packed in supermarkets, but check your home country's meat rules first: the US and Australia, for example, do not let travellers bring it in.
• Olive oil ($). From the old groves around Bar and Ulcinj on the south coast.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Montenegro and our Kotor guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Albania.
• A qeleshe ($ to $$). The traditional white felt skullcap. In Kruja's old bazaar, felt-makers still make hats and slippers by hand in their workshops.
• Silver filigree ($$ to $$$). Fine wire jewellery, sold in Kruja, Tirana and Gjirokastër.
• Kilims ($$ to $$$). Kruja's weavers are among Albania's best known, and some workshops let you watch the looms.
• Mountain tea and raki ($). Çaj mali (dried mountain tea) is light and cheap. Note that Kruja's bazaar also sells plenty of imported trinkets, so buy from the workshops.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Albania and our Albania guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from Turkey.
• A handmade carpet ($$ to $$$). Most carpets sold to visitors are recent, which is what you want. Anything sold as an antique (generally over 100 years old) needs a museum certificate confirming it is not protected cultural property, because Turkish law forbids exporting cultural property without permission. Keep the shop's receipt for a new carpet and ask for the certificate for an old one.
• Turkish delight ($). Lokum from an old confectioner or a good supermarket, in rose, pistachio and pomegranate.
• Nazar beads and ceramics ($ to $$). The blue evil-eye charm is everywhere and cheap. Painted bowls and plates are better kept for display: New York City's health department lists traditional ceramics from Turkey among those that may contain lead.
• Tax-free: registered shops refund KDV on larger purchases; see Turkey tax-free shopping.
More in what to buy at a grocery store in Turkey, tourist scams in Istanbul and our Istanbul and Cappadocia guide.
Full list with prices, where to buy and what to skip: best souvenirs from England.
• Tea ($ to $$). Loose tea and tins from London's old tea merchants, or the same brands for less in a supermarket.
• Biscuits and chocolate ($). Shortbread, digestives and British chocolate; see what to buy at a grocery store in England.
• Secondhand and first-edition books ($ to $$$). London's bookshops are a better souvenir than a red-phone-box magnet.
• No VAT refund for visitors. Great Britain ended tax-free shopping for overseas visitors on 1 January 2021, and plans to reinstate it were dropped in 2022. The 20% VAT is in the shelf price and you cannot claim it back on departure. (Northern Ireland is different.)
More in things to know before visiting England and our London guide.
• Coral, shells, ivory, turtle shell and anything made from protected wildlife. Many are banned from export at source and seized again at home.
• Antiques without paperwork. Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam all require export permits for antiques, and Thailand also for Buddha images.
• Fresh food, meat, seeds and plants. Most countries restrict them on arrival; dried, sealed and commercially packed food is far more likely to be allowed.
• Counterfeit brands. In Italy the buyer can be fined; elsewhere the goods can be confiscated at your home border.
• The airport shop. The same tea, sweets and spirits are almost always cheaper in a city supermarket.
Argan oil from a women's cooperative, a hand-woven rug or kilim, or leather babouches from Fes. Check that argan oil lists only argan kernel oil, and keep painted tagines for display, since US health officials warn some Moroccan ceramics contain lead.
Only with an export permit from Thailand's Fine Arts Department, which inspects each image. Reputable shops can often arrange it. Heads, hands and other parts of Buddha images cannot be exported.
Not for a new carpet: keep the shop's receipt. An old carpet sold as an antique, generally over 100 years old, needs a museum certificate showing it is not protected cultural property.
Usually, but you must declare them. Both countries require you to declare wooden carvings and other plant material on arrival. Clean, finished items are normally released after inspection; undeclared items can mean a fine.
Genuine New Zealand pounamu from Ngāi Tahu carries a mark of authenticity and a unique traceability code you can check online. Imported jade from other countries is also sold in New Zealand.
No. Great Britain ended tax-free shopping for overseas visitors on 1 January 2021, so the VAT in the shelf price cannot be reclaimed when you leave.
Yes. Italy fines buyers of counterfeit goods as well as sellers, and tourists have been fined €1,000 (≈ $1,111) for buying a fake bag from a street vendor.
Practical travel tips, straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
