This post has everything you need to know to get the best Hawaiian souvenirs on your visit to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Do you want to know what to buy in Hawaii? Well, Hawaii is known for quite a few things: macadamia nuts, pineapples, Hawaiian print shirts, Kona coffee and colorful flowers.
These things are turned into the most popular things to buy in Hawaii including calendars, coffee mugs, magnets and other Hawaiian gifts. Keep reading this post on the best souvenirs from Hawaii so you know what to look for and what to buy in Hawaii.
If you have stumbled onto this guide because you are looking for Hawaiian gifts to put under the tree during the holidays, you will find Hawaii souvenir gift ideas you can buy online down below!
What to Buy in Hawaii: Your Guide to the Best Hawaiian Souvenirs
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts are atop the list of the best souvenirs from Hawaii because they are easy to pack, plentiful and make one of the best gifts from Hawaii to share with your family and friends. Whether you like chocolate-covered, salted or flavored, there are plenty of options to bring home. I consider them to be the best gifts to bring back from Hawaii. They also make a great snack while you are in Hawaii.
The wasabi flavored macadamia nuts are a popular one! Make sure to try them!
Another snack you should not miss in Hawaii is “Mochi” – a Japanese treat with a Hawaiian spin. There are several types and flavors. I suggest you check out Foodland and try the peanut butter ones, as well as the varieties from the bakeries in Hawaii! You can read my posts on Foods to try in Hawaii here.
Popular Hawaii Souvenirs: Aloha Shirts
Another one of the best souvenirs from Hawaii is the Aloha shirt. Considered “business dress” in the Islands, you are unlikely to find many workers who are not sporting their company’s own Aloha shirt! They are available everywhere and you will fit right in wearing one to dinner whether you are honeymooning or on a family vacation!!
You can also get these online before your trip or if you are shopping for that man in your life who loves his Hawaiian shirts. Check them out here.
Hawaiian Jewellery
There are many types of Hawaiian jewelry that you can buy in Hawaii. Whether it is small flip flops on a necklace or locally handcrafted pieces, pick these up for the women in your life! Whether kids, teens or adults, they make great gifts and are small and lightweight for transportation! A popular choice is anything with a plumeria on it. A plumeria is a white flower with the yellow center
Coffee
Hawaii is known for its Vanilla Macadamia nut flavored coffees but also for its Kona coffee. check the packing as some places sell 10% Kona coffee while others have 100% Kona coffee. If you want to know what to buy in Oahu to bring back for a teacher or friend, a package of coffee is usually what I would recommend.
Ukulele
A Ukulele is another one of the popular things to buy in Hawaii. They come in plenty of colors and designs and are available as an inexpensive souvenir to a professional style instrument. If you actually want it to make a good sound, skip the cheap ones at the ABC stores and get yourself a decent one. If you want to know what to bring back from Hawaii for a small child, the cheap ones should do the trick. I bought them on our first day for my boys when they were 3 and 1 and they made great toys during our visit, from stroller rides to playing in the hotel room, and they now sit on their shelves as a Hawaii souvenir from the past
Beach Towel
A beach towel is one of the practical things to buy in Hawaii on your visit. Some hotels do not want you to take towels to the beach and other places do not even offer beach towels, so grab yourself a big colorful one for lounging in Waikiki’s soft sand or for drying off after a swim.
If you are planning to surprise a loved one with a trip to Hawaii this holiday season, you can grab a towel here and put it under the tree!
Christmas Ornament
If you are looking for things to buy in Oahu, head to the Christmas ornament store or keep an eye on the many gift shops for a ton of different options when it comes to ornaments. If buying an ornament on your travels is one of your traditions, you will not have a hard time finding them in Hawaii!
If you cannot get to Hawaii this holiday season but want to grab yourself a Hawaiian ornament for a gift, you can get one online here.
Calendars
From .88 to 9.99 you can find calendars all over Hawaii. They are on of the best souvenirs from Hawaii because they are flat and easy to bring home with you. They are also easy to mail to friends and family instead of postcards! You can find them just about anywhere, from ABC stores to hotel gift shops to Longs drugs and more!
Coffee Mugs
Enjoying your morning cup of coffee with a beautiful Hawaiian flower, or Waikiki sunset or hula girl makes being home just a little more bearable does it? It also brings back wonderful memories of hot coffee on the lanai on your Hawaiian vacation. They are popular Hawaii souvenirs and are found just about anywhere!
Tropical Preserves
There is nothing better than local tropical fruits in Hawaii. Whether you love the papaya, pineapple, mangos or guavas the locally made preserves are just about as close as you can get to enjoying those fruits in Hawaii. You can find them at local markets and grocery stores all over the Hawaiian islands. I suggest you grab some passionfruit or guava.
Hawaiian Islands Silhouettes
The Hawaiian Islands make an extremely recognizable silhouette. You can find them on t-shirts, fridge magnets, car window stickers, place mats, coasters and even tattoos. If you love the Hawaiian Islands, why not bring home a silhouette of your favourite vacation spot.
You can pick up these stickers online here
Photos as the best souvenirs from Hawaii
Photos of your trip make amazing souvenirs. I have found that I almost always end up behind the camera. More and more when I travel I have looked for professional photographers who I can book a photo session and then not stress about getting great family memories! If you are like me and love photos, consider booking a photoshoot.
I have booked and used Flytographer on my travels. If you use the code LINDSAY you will save $25 off your booking!
Make the effort to print these memories or make a photo book. It might be one of the best souvenirs from Hawaii and will last for years to come. If you have kids like me, they LOVE looking at photo books as it sparks memories from trips gone by. Make sure you caption those memories with these Hawaii Instagram captions!
Where to buy the Best Hawaiian Souvenirs
Hawaiian Souvenirs are on every corner of Waikiki, or at least it seems that way. And most grocery stores have a souvenir section. Check out Costco, Longs Drugs, Walmart, Target, ABC Stores, craft fairs and farmer’s markets. If you are staying on Oahu, visit the Aloha Stadium swap meet for tons of souvenir vendors.
If you are going to Maui, you can also find them in grocery stores, ABC Stores and in any tourist shop! You can read more about the best things to buy in Maui.
Hawaiian Inspired Gifts
So maybe you cannot get to Hawaii this year, or you have returned recently and are looking for some Hawaii souvenirs. There is no problem here, you can find some Hawaiian gifts that you can buy online!
Hawaii Patch – for backpackers and more, get a hawaii patch online here
Surfing Items – do you have a surf lover in your life or did you fall in love with surfing while you were in Hawaii. Check out this surfing jewelry. You can also get some unique surfing gifts just until you or your friends can catch that next wave.
T Shirts online – Do you have a man in your life who loves their Hawaiian shirts? Check out these ones!
More Hawaiian Travel Resources
If you are planning a trip to Hawaii, these additional resources should help you with the planning. First, you should start with the best time to travel to Hawaii. It will give you tips on visiting in each season.
Tour Ideas
If you are looking for popular tour ideas, I suggest you start with Get your Guide. They offer price matching and flexible cancellation options! I have listed a few popular ones in the links below!
Maui: Small Group Road to Hana Tour
Maui: Family Friendly Snorkel
Maui: Eco Friendly Cruise Molokini and Turtle Town Tour
Oahu: Shark Dive on the North Shore
Big Island: Sunset Manta Ray Experience
Should you rent a car in Hawaii?
First, you need to decide whether you want to rent a car or not. Personally, I prefer to rent a car from the airport and keep it during our stay. It allows the most amount of flexibility and is especially nice if you have young kids.
You can check prices on rental cars here.
What to Pack for Hawaii?
Packing for the beach is usually the easiest type of packing. But I have put together a few essentials that you do not want to forget on your trip to Hawaii. You can also click the link above to see my complete beach packing list post!
Sunscreen and Lip Balm – You can get sunscreen on every corner of Hawaii but it is a lot more expensive than bringing your own. Also if you have a preference on brand or have kids with sensitive skin, you will want to make sure you have the brand you like. Make sure if it is over 100mls that you put it in your checked luggage. Also make sure you pack reef safe sunscreen! If you want a great lip balm, I suggest this one available at Sephora. You can also get it on Amazon here.
Flat Toiletries Bag – If you are like me, you have packed your suitcase perfectly, only to realize that your round toiletries bag is not going to fit. With this lay flat toiletries bag, you can easily stand up your suitcase and slide it on top! at only 2 inches wide, it will almost always fit, once your clothing settles. You can also get it on Amazon here.
Beach Blanket – This might sound frivolous, but if you have kids, especially younger ones, this blanket is perfect! It is big, light and folded up with a convenient carry handle. I called it my luxury item in my suitcase as it took up a fair bit of room but we used it every day and it beat those sand mats that you can buy at all of the stores.
Reusable Shopping Bag – Hawaii is way ahead of the rest of the United States when it comes to recycling. They do not have plastic bags and expect you to be prepared. You can bring your own small nylon bag from home or there are plenty of cute Hawaiian print ones to buy in Hawaii. Need another Hawaiian souvenir idea? This is one!
Baby Powder – One of the popular beach hacks is to pack some baby powder when you go to Hawaii (or any beach destination!). When you have sand all over your feet, apply some baby powder and the sand will quickly come off! Beats getting rubbing blisters from the sand between your toes! You can get convenient travel sized ones here
Here are some more of my posts on Hawaii:
How to reduce your plastic use on vacation
Why you should visit Oahu on your next vacation
If you liked this post, check out what to buy in New Zealand, Greece, Egypt, Canada or Turkey!
Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have young children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.