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Travel souvenirs are a key token of memorabilia for travelers.
They’re the perfect way to keep ‘a piece’ of the location that you’ve traveled as a way to remember all the memories, activities, and maybe even things that you ate.
Sometimes, I regret not purchasing the right kinds of travel souvenirs that fit my style because I what’s just buying what other people were buying. Souvenirs are the perfect form of small treasures to keep as a memento of the journey that you had at that location that you’ve traveled to.
Here are 3 questions I ask myself before purchasing my travel souvenirs:
- Am I going to use this souvenir or is it just going to sit there?
- Does it showcase the city or country’s culture and fit my lifestyle (home decor aesthetic, the type snacks you eat, etc)
- Does it bring me joy if I have it in my possession?
Often times the last question is enough to rule out the first two questions if the price isn’t the problem, but purchasing souvenirs shouldn’t be buying for the sake of buying.
I’ve personally regretted buying travel souvenirs like snow globes, city-specific Starbucks mugs, and others, but here are some travel souvenirs that I’d love to go back in time and purchase to build my travel souvenir collection:
1. Jewelry and Accessories
Aside from the popular Pandora’s country-specific charms, having a bracelet that simply reminds you of the place you’re traveling at always works! Whether it’s the color, fabric, or charm on the bracelet, it’s easy to purchase these if you visit the local craft or flea markets.
For my upcoming trip to Morocco, I’m definitely planning on buying a Morocco leather bracelet as a memorabilia for my journey. I’ve also purchased glass beaded earrings from Japan and a blue bracelet from the San Diego beaches. It all depends on what kind of jewelry that you prefer to wear on a daily. I would always recommend to ask if the earrings are .925 sterling silver so you would know if you could wear them to the shower or not.
2. Perfume
Scent is an often overlooked way of remembering. It’s just like how people often connect songs to a person, an emotion, or an era from their past. Scent and perfume could also be a way for you to remember the memories that you had traveling. I’ve purchased multiple To Summer bottles of perfume at China and every time I hold the perfume bottle I remember how I was being indecisive over which scents to purchase at the To Summer store.
I highly recommend checking out To Summer if you’re ever visiting China! My only note is if you have a carry-on, make sure the bottle of perfume that you’re buying is less than 100ml.
3. Food and Beverages
I’ve often purchased bags of coffee beans at every city or country I’ve ever visited, solely because of the fact I purchase them as THE go-to travel souvenir for my mother. However, the same could be if you like tea, you could purchase teabags from different countries, and every time you drink the tea, you could think of the city or country that you visited. You could also collect the tins of the tea bags for buttons, small crafts, and etc.
Purchasing small snacks that are only available or custom to the country or city that you’re visiting is a great way to also keep them for you to eat while on the plane back to wherever you’re from AND to support local businesses + try new flavors!
4. Magnets
This one could be a hot take, but hear me out. Magnets.
It’s the cheapest, space-conserving, easiest, and cutest way to decorate your fridge. I regret not deciding that I should purchase magnets for every single place that I’ve ever traveled to in order to build out my collection. I genuinely have asked friends who are traveling to places — where I have previously visited, but forgot to buy a magnet — to buy me a magnet for my fridge.
You can find magnets pretty much everywhere, but try not to buy the ones at the airport because there are so many unique ones that are at the local markets for you to add to your collection.
My goal is to have a fridge covered in my travel souvenir magnets in my own apartment or home that I’ll buy one day.
5. Local Artisan Crafts
There’s something incredibly special about bringing home a piece that was handmade by a local artisan. Unlike mass-produced souvenirs, these items carry the fingerprints of tradition, culture, and craftsmanship that you can’t find anywhere else.
Coasters, keychains, bowls, plates, ceramics, hand-woven baskets, and pottery are all fantastic options that actually serve a purpose in your daily life. I love the idea of drinking my morning coffee from a ceramic mug I bought at a tiny pottery studio in Lisbon or setting my keys down on a hand-painted tile from Mexico. These items become part of your everyday routine, so you’re constantly reminded of your travels in the most natural way.
6. Clothing and Textiles
This can look like a shirt, a cap, a beanie, a hoodie, scarf or even a pair of shoes. I personally love buying a new cap from different countries, I have a beanie from Japan, a cap from Korea, a cap from Hawaii, and multiple caps from China that I am still obsessed with to this day.
Just like how people sometimes collect city specific Brandy Melville shirts, this could look different for everyone! I’d love to purchase a scarf in Morocco and leather sandals in Portugal for my upcoming trip. It helps to do some research about what the country that you’re traveling to is known for, and keeping an eye out for that when visiting the local markets or downtown streets.
7. Art and Prints
One of my favorite souvenirs that I wish I had started collecting earlier is local art and prints. I’ve been curating my own art print wall in my room and I love having visual representation of the place that I’ve visited hanging on my wall, especially when it’s created by a local artist who captures the essence of their home in a way that tourists never could.
Whether it’s small watercolor paintings from street artists, vintage travel posters from local markets, or even postcards from small stationary stores. These pieces don’t have to be expensive gallery purchases. Some of my favorite finds have been from flea markets (in Japan!) or stationary stores where artists sell their work for affordable prices. The best part about collecting art prints is that they turn your living space into a gallery of your travels, and every time you walk past them, you’re transported back to that moment when you discovered the piece.
8. Airplane Tickets
This might sound old-school, but keeping your physical airplane tickets or boarding passes is such a simple yet meaningful way to document your travels. I know most airlines have switched to digital boarding passes, but whenever I can, I always print out my boarding pass or save my ticket stub.
I’ve seen people create really creative displays with their collection—framing them in shadow boxes, making collages, or even using them as bookmarks in their travel journals. It’s a free souvenir that holds so much sentimental value. Every time you look at that crumpled boarding pass, you remember the anticipation of takeoff, the excitement of arriving somewhere new, and maybe even the anxiety of almost missing your flight. These little pieces of paper become timestamps of your adventures, and over time, they tell the story of everywhere you’ve been.
Conclusion
The best travel souvenirs are the ones that resonate with you and remind you of the journey that you had embarked on. Whether it’s the handmade ceramic mug that you made in a pottery class abroad in Japan, or a magnet that you bought from a local market in Paris, or the boarding pass glued in your travel journal from Indonesia, these small moments from your journey become portals for you to reminisce the adventure that you’ve had.
I love looking at my own growing magnet collection on my fridge, and I always get really excited to put the magnets that I bought from my travels onto my fridge. The key is to be intentional about what you bring home and conscious of what you purchase on your adventure, but simultaneously listening to your own desires.
Because your travel souvenirs should tell your story.
So I will buy the $5 magnet if it gives me joy, regardless of how random it is.
So on your next trip, skip the snow globes or mid-looking keychains seek out the special pieces to add to your travel souvenir collection that you’ll remember in the future. Happy travels and happy souvenir hunting!!
