Keep the memories and travel light: 12 souvenirs worth bringing home

But, sometimes these little trinkets do nothing other than collect dust and waste money. You’re a backpacker at heart. You love travel and exploring above all else. You don’t have money to waste, space to clutter, or patience for another “I love (insert city here)” mug. The last thing you need is to lug home something that ends up collecting dust or getting donated six months later. What you do want is something small that brings you back—a keepsake that actually means something. Maybe it’s a postcard from a cafe you loved, a print you’ll hang in your living room, or a smooth rock from a hike that stuck with you. 

The good news: souvenirs don’t have to be pricey or predictable. They can be free (or nearly free) and still feel like treasure. So skip the tourist traps and overpriced gift shops that have never been your style. Here are a few ideas for meaningful, minimal souvenirs that’ll remind you where you’ve been… without adding to the junk pile.

Photos of memorable moments

Your travel photos are free. If you get a couple of them printed, they’re still a cheap way to remember a trip forever. These are probably one of the most inexpensive and high value ways to hold onto memories of your travels. Scenic shots of old growth forests and beaches at sunrises will look gorgeous framed and hung in your living room. While travelling though, remember to get at least a few photos of yourself too—you’ll love looking back on these decades in the future.

Dried flowers

On an afternoon stroll through an old neighbourhood, you might pass a flower market. Fresh cut flowers grown locally are an inexpensive way to cheer up a common space or short-term room rental. And, sticking a couple between the pages of a book will mean they’re dry enough to frame or put in a small vase once you’re back. 

Your travel journal 

Writers, creatives, or introspective travellers could consider keeping a travel journal. Frame this practice how you want to whether that means writing for a few minutes every morning, carving out time once every day or two to write, or journalling in one big block once you’re back. Many travellers read it back later on finding that it’s the best way to relive the who, what, where, when, why, and emotions or memories that might otherwise have been forgotten. 

Sea shells or stones

Few things beat the serenity of waking up before dawn breaks and catching the sunrise from a silent beach. As the sky turns pale pink, and waves gently break against the rocky shore, you’ve got the whole day ahead of you. Moments like that are worth remembering and so before you launch into the day’s itinerary, it might be worth it to walk down the beach keeping an eye out for pretty shells or stones to take home with you. Just don’t take more than your fair share out of respect for the environment. One or two will do the trick. 

Clothes (that you’ll actually wear)

By the time you get a few trinkets at an overpriced souvenir shop, you may have spent $40 or $50. Months after the trip, these little knick-knacks might just gather dust and crowd a surface in your home. A better use of that money might be on a quality item of clothing made by a local designer or bought from a one-of-a-kind boutique. Pieces that you’ll actually wear and that tell a story are a better use of your money.

A repurposed jar or bottle

Say the glass candle jar you picked up at a market one day has a cute graphic or convenient size. Or, you might be sipping from a bottle with a bold label or elegant shape. Wash these items and safely tuck them in your suitcase. Later, they can become a repurposed candle holder or cute vase for fresh or dried flowers.

Something quality and handmade

Sometimes it’s not about saving every dollar but spending it well. When you buy something handmade, you’re bringing home more than an object; you’re bringing home someone’s craft, passion, and creativity. Local artists and artisans are a huge part of what makes a place special, and their work carries that spirit. A hand-carved wooden bowl, handmade ceramic vase, delicate piece of jewelry, or painted tile feels personal. These are things which are made there, not mass-produced somewhere else. And they feel like a good use of your money.

An artist print or postcard

Artist prints and postcards are a smart way to bring home a piece of local creativity without spending a lot. A postcard can become budget-friendly art once framed, and prints let you enjoy original designs or illustrations… without shelling out for the real thing. They’re lightweight, easy to pack, and make your walls or shelves a mini gallery of your travels. Months after you’ve unpacked, each piece will serve as a little memory of the place and the artist who made it, plus a cool conversation starter when friends come over.

Local coins

A local coin makes a great keepsake—small, simple, and packed with character. It’s one of those things you don’t think much about until you’re home and find it at the bottom of a bag. Suddenly, it brings everything back—the cafe where you paid in change, the bustling vegetable market, the street vendor who handed you your food. Keep one in a bowl, frame a few from different countries, or display them in a glass jar that tells your travel story in coins.

Stickers

Stickers are the new travel magnets—lighter, cheaper, and way easier to pack. Plus, they often feature mini illustrations or designs by local artists, so you’re getting a bit of that place’s creative vibe for just a couple of bucks. Stick them on your water bottle, laptop, or journal, and over time you’ll have a collage of everywhere you’ve been—a low-cost, high-charm souvenir collection.

Your doodles or art

You don’t have to be an artist or illustrator to create a little doodle or piece or art worth keeping. Give yourself permission to be creative and see what you come up with. Travel sketches can be the visual traveller’s version of a travel journal. Whether it’s a sketch of market goers in real time, or a doodle highlighting the colours of a sun-dappled landscape, this can be a way to remember both an afternoon and a place.

Incense or other scents

Incense, essential oils, or other local scents are an easy way to bring a trip home with you… literally through your nose. A few sticks of incense, a small bottle of perfume, or a locally-made candle can instantly transport you back to the streets, markets, or natural landscapes you explored. Scent is strongly tied to memory too which might make this souvenir more meaningful to you. A smell can have a more powerful effect than, say, a photo of a particular plaza where you spent an afternoon. These items have a practical use too, whether you burn, diffuse, or dab them, letting you relive a place instead of just adding clutter to a desk already piled with papers.