The Best Souvenirs to Buy (and the ones to skip)

Last updated on 6 July 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase with one of these links, I recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Policy.

Dear souvenirs, why you gotta be so tacky and cliché?

If you’re after the best souvenirs to buy on your next trip, my short answer is: skip the key chains, magnets, and t-shirts that end up gathering dust, and go for jewellery, local art, and market trinkets instead. That’s the quick version.

Here’s the longer one: I, like nearly everyone who travels somewhere new, am always picking up souvenirs for myself and for others back home. But so often they end up being tacky plastic doohickeys that aren’t actually that cool. 😂🙈

Over the years, my go-to souvenirs have changed through each phase of my life, and I’ve been thinking about how many better options there are than the ones I used to reach for. So today I’m sharing my old go-tos, and the better options I’ve started replacing them with.

What I bought: key chains

What I should be buying: jewellery

Do you know how many key chains I own? Neither do I, that’s how many I have: too numerous to count.

And while key chains are an easy gift for people (and one they might actually swap out their current key chains for) it’s not a great souvenir for yourself.

I currently have about 8 key chains all connected together, and only 4 keys, 2 of which I actually use. Having a large set of key chains makes it easier to find them in my bag, but buying a new one every time I travel is getting ridiculous.

What I should be buying is jewellery. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just something small that you can wear like a necklace, earrings, or even a brooch/pin/ or badge. I’ve bought a few pieces over the years, but not as many as I’d like. It would be really nice to be able to wear something from the amazing cultures and countries I’ve been to, but alas, I just have super heavy keys.

What I bought: postcards

What I should be buying: local artists’ paintings or prints

Over the past 10 or so years, arriving home with a pile of postcards was frequent. I liked to buy them, not to send, but to have as a record of where I’d been. I’d write the date of visitation on the back and pop it into a memories box. Occasionally I’ll stick one in a scrapbook or the like, but most of the past postcards are still sitting, untouched, in a box.

What I should be doing (and have started to do) is supporting a local artist by buying a painting, drawing or the like of the city or country. It’s a win-win for everyone. The artist gets some acknowledgement of their works (and the money!), and I get a beautiful piece of art that I can hang in my house to forever remind me of that wonderful time in Greece, or Amsterdam, or [insert country/city here].

While I was in Mongolia I managed to buy a beautiful painting off an artist in Sükhbaatar Square. It’s definitely a better way to go, and one that I hope I can start doing from now on.

What I bought: t-shirts

What I should be buying: cushion covers

Growing up, we would always get t-shirts as a returning home present. One of my parents would go overseas, and they’d return with t-shirts. It was all very fine and good, but then I started doing it too. I never bought t-shirts for anyone else, but I always managed to pick up a t-shirt for myself when I went overseas.

While I do love the idea of having a t-shirt from all the countries I’ve been to, t-shirts fade, rip, and wear out. And let’s be honest, am I actually ever going to wear a t-shirt that reads ‘I heart HK’ on it? Not in public, no. (Having said that, we did all buy t-shirts that say “I Heart Rome” on them when we were there with Contiki, and yes, I’ve worn that back in New Zealand since.)

What I should be buying instead are cushion covers. Similar idea, but actually useful.

Sure, not all your colour schemes are going to go with a wide range of country-specific cushion covers, but that’s the beauty of them: you can swap them out, you can move them around the house. A t-shirt will only remind you of the time you spent somewhere when you’re wearing it; a cushion is front and centre. And cool. And different.

What I bought: magnets

What I should be buying: Christmas decorations

Unless you’re buying a magnet for your work fridge (literally what we do when we go overseas – bring back a magnet for the work fridge), then magnets are good until you can no longer see the white of your fridge door or your grandchildren grow up, so there’s no more fingerprinting to hold up. I love a good magnet, but I feel I don’t have to buy one every single time I go overseas.

One of my favourite times of the year is Christmas, and the best part about Christmas is popping on those jolly tunes and putting up the tree. Buying Christmas ornaments (or the tree or just stand-alone knick-knacks for the shelves) is a great way to reminisce about your travelling adventures, without it being in your face all the time.

Every Christmas becomes that little bit extra special as you remember all the great times you’ve had throughout the year.

What I bought: mugs

What I should be buying: market trinkets

I love mugs so much, and you can find some truly beautiful designs when you’re overseas. Also, they’re practical; everyone uses mugs, and they’ll never go out of fashion (viva la tea). But mugs are heavy, and let’s face it, you have about a hundred already.

Side note: On the way out of America one trip, I ended up buying 2 mugs at the airport of all places! But they were Powell’s Bookstore mugs and I hadn’t seen them at the actual bookstore, so I picked them up in the Portaland airport. Dumb idea? Maybe. Buuuut I still love those mugs.

What I love more than mugs is wandering the local markets.

You can often find really interesting trinkets made by local artisans, whether those be ornaments, little boxes, small dipping bowls etc. Not only that, but if you’re buying from the creator themselves, the items are likely to be original and unique. If you can find a handmade mug at a local market, then maybe you’re off the hook.

Bonus: keep some of the local currency as a souvenir

Hold on to some of your leftover cash instead of changing it back to your own currency.

Start saving the coins from your travels, then pop them into a keep jar. When you’re babysitting the grandkids in the years to come, have them sort through them all and put them into different country piles. Not only is it educational, but you’ll keep them quiet for hours. #GrandParentingTipsWithAnjali

No, but seriously, you might think it’s a waste of space keeping that note or coin, but it’s something small (and literally inexpensive) that you can discover later and think ‘hey, remember that one time…’.

Other quick-fire ideas for souvenirs

1. a music CD or vinyl from the country (or make note of one for Spotify or iTunes later)
2. a favourite book in a different language
3. wearables that aren’t t-shirts (think scarves, funky socks, hats etc)
4. cookbooks of local cuisine (try and find a small one so it doesn’t add to your luggage weight too much)

One final tip

Always remember your country’s customs laws. Here in New Zealand we have very strict rules about what you’re allowed to bring back in and what you’re not allowed to. If you’re not sure, check your country’s policy before trying to take anything home.

So what do you think of my new souvenir ideas? What are your go-to pickups in new countries? Do share!