It’s that time of year again. Top of gift guide for Dear travelers, here are 16 useful, delicious and unusual souvenirs to bring home from your travels. Buying someone a gift while traveling is a win-win. Your recipient will have something unique to unwrap, and they’ll be impressed that you were thinking of them during your trip. To create this miscellaneous list of fun souvenir gifts, we asked Afar staff what they picked up on their recent trips, from incense to the best cheese puffs. Most of the gifts mentioned here are relatively light and easy to pack. If you’re planning a trip in the next few weeks, use this as a guide. If not, save it for next year when you plan your 2026 trip.
Sharp baseball cap and limited edition chai from London
“I love these hats from London knife shop Kitchen Provisions so much that I bought all the hats they had in stock the last time I was there so I could replace them if they started to fade.” — Nicholas Derenzo, Afar Newsletter Editorial Director
“I too have been given the gift of Team Food, because I can’t afford not to use it. Like everyone else in London, I love Dishoom, and I love the cobalt blue chai, an exclusive collaboration with artist Aish Patni, who grew up in Jaipur and now lives in Bombay. I bought one for myself and one as a hostess gift for a friend.The chai was delicious, so I made iced chai for everyone this summer instead of air conditioning.And now it’s so clean. ” — Sophie Friedman, Afar Contributor
Patches, brooches, and paper dolls from Paris
- Please find: Mâcon & Lescoy in Paris. Rydvoll will be on sale until the end of the year in the Christmas market area near the women’s clothing section on the ground floor of Le Bon Marche department store. You can also order delivery to your Paris accommodation or pick it up at Adda’s showroom.
- price: Macon&Lesquoy patches start at 12 euros ($14 USD). Paper dolls from 15 EUR (18 USD)
“I’m totally obsessed with Macon & Lesquois of Paris patches and brooches. I think I have about 20 of them at home just waiting to be ironed. Some of my favorites include the ski fox, the gangsta raccoon, and the baguette.” — N.D.
“I loved paper dolls as a child, so I was instantly hooked on 26-year-old Rybka Adda’s modern take on Ribbed Dolls. They’re magnetic rather than paper, so they’re not very delicate. As you’d expect from a Parisian, Ribbed Dolls look great. She wears floral maxi dresses to Provence villages and lounges at home in chunky white fisherman sweaters.” – SCIENCE FICTION
Scorpions from Utah, scarves from Bhutan, pottery from Bangkok and gin from England.
“I gave a glass-encased scorpion from Springdale, Utah to my nephew (who loves creepy crawlers), a scarf from Bhutan to my partner’s mother (elegant and always cold), a painted ceramic miniature elephant from Bangkok to my mother (who loves elephants), and Poison Gin from Alnwick Gardens in England to a friend who loves gin and interesting history.” — Daniel Hallock, Afar Senior Editor
Black and white cookies from New York
“I always bring home lots of Russ & Daughters black and white cookies (from New York). They’re my favorite!” Mairi Holliman, Afar Creative Director
I like to bring back New York-style gifts to my friends in France. Black and white are the most iconic, so I buy 12 from the pastry box before my flight. Very convenient to carry. The owner, Tiara, is very friendly and the cookies are not dry like many other black and white ones. (A gift for my Frenchie, who also loves her brown butter brownies.) -SCIENCE FICTION
mexico city incense
- Please find: Xinō Perfumes has three stores in Mexico City, one in Merida, and one in San Miguel de Allende.
- price: 620 Mexican Pesos (33 USD)
“One of my favorite ways to remember a trip is to smell it. Hand-rolled incense sticks from Xinō Perfumes in Mexico City are the perfect gift (or for yourself). They’re big enough to take home in your carry-on.” — Alice Phillips, Afar Brand Marketing Manager
Korean and Singaporean tea
- Please find: Osul Rock has several shops and teahouses in Seoul, including Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport, and Osul Rock Museum on Jeju Island. TWG has more than a dozen stores in Singapore, including one at Changi Airport.
- price: Osullok tea from 5,500 won ($4 USD). TWG Tea from SGD 10 (USD 8)
“I love buying tea from countries I visit, such as Orthorock tea from Korea. I also have a tea from Singapore (my hometown), TWG, and I always give it as a gift. I like getting consumables as gifts for people, so I don’t end up with something they don’t like. (And) I’m a big tea lover, so I always spread good word about tea.” – Ellie See, Associate Art Director at Afar
Works from Kenya, Mongolia, and Mexico
- please find: Upcycled animals at Ocean Sole in Karen Village, Nairobi, Kenya. Artwork from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by Jakanku Grisha. Yarn paintings from markets in Mexico, especially in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit.
- price: Upcycled animals from Ocean Sole start at $26. For more information on Grisha’s artwork, please contact her directly. Prices vary for thread paintings.
“I love gallery hopping and visiting markets when I travel. I strike up conversations with artists and artisans (via translation, gestures, or Google Translate if necessary) and buy small, inexpensive items that are easy to pack. Then I ask the artist to write me a note, or Ask them to tell you their story, take a video of you at work, or sign your work. You’ll have a really cool gift that supports and connects local creators to the place where it was created and the real people who live there.
“I gave my mother a colorful wooden spoon from Estonia and was able to explain that it was painted by a woman named Krystal whose husband had sculpted it. I presented to friends the animal sculptures made from colorful discarded flip-flops by artisans in a workshop in Nairobi, along with a video of the sculptor in action. And I kept for myself this little painting by Mongolian artist Jakanku Grisha, who combines traditional imagery and calligraphy with modern expressions. — Billy Cohen, Afar Editorial Director
“It’s easy to pack your luggage when buying souvenirs while traveling. Do not use honey jars or other fragile items that may break. It has a unique, handmade charm. I unofficially picked up local folk crafts.
Street Market: A needlepoint wool pillowcase I bought in Greece for a friend and later customized with a short message embroidered on the back. or shallow woven reed bowl
Originally from a reservation in Arizona. I knew my mom, who is a quilter, would love the geometric pattern. I keep for myself a small thread painting that I took in Yelapa, Mexico. This is a craft made by the Huichol people, in which thin threads are coated with beeswax and pressed into place.
wood. The elaborate patterns of large thread paintings are mesmerizing. ” — Pat Tompkins, Afar Digital Copy Editor
Cheese puffs from Canada and Oreos from around the world
- Please find: For Cheezies, Canadian grocery stores. Oreos can be purchased at the grocery store you visit.
- price: Cheese costs about CA$5 (US$4). Oreo prices vary, but rarely cost more than $5.
“Canadian cheese! It tastes better than any cheese doodle snack from America. I brought home a bag with the intention of taking it to the office to share, but ended up not buying it. I’ve also been collecting Oreos ever since I found a package of Blueberry Ice Cream Oreos in a small grocery store in Bali 10 years ago. Now, wherever I travel, I find the market and see what interesting varieties they have.” Trust me, Oreos are Anywhere. I found or was gifted a strawberry cheesecake in Lisbon. Churro flavor from Mexico City. A banana split in Ushuaia, Argentina.
“This gift is fun because it gives you mini-quests while you travel. It’s also fun when you take the cookies home and enjoy them with friends and family. Sharing experiences usually sparks conversations about places I was visiting or where the recipient has been. And I’m happy. Now that my friends, family, and co-workers know about my Oreo habit, they sometimes seek them out and gift them to me during their own travels. Who would have thought that a small sandwich cookie in New York would become such a global connector? -B.C
