This post has everything you need to know to get the best Maui souvenirs on your visit to the beautiful Hawaiian Island. Do you want to know what to buy in Maui? 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 Maui including calendars, coffee mugs, magnets and other Hawaiian souvenirs. Keep reading this post on the best souvenirs from Maui so you know what to look for when you arrive on your vacation.
The Best Maui Souvenirs
Aloha Shirts
Another one of the best souvenirs from Maui 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.
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.
Maui Souvenir Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia Nuts are atop the list of the best souvenirs from Maui 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 Maui. They also make a great snack while you are hiking or enjoying the beach.
Make sure to try the wasabi flavoured macadamia nuts!
Kona Coffee
Hawaii is known for its flavorful 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 Maui to bring back for a teacher or friend, a package of coffee is usually what I would recommend. A popular flavored coffee is the Vanilla Macadamia flavor.
Maui Beach Towel
A Maui beach towel is one of the practical souvenirs from Maui 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 Hawaii’s soft sand or for drying off after a swim.
If you are planning to surprise a loved one with a trip to Maui this holiday season, you can grab a towel here and put it under the tree!
Ukulele
A Ukulele is another one of the popular things to buy in Maui. They come in plenty of colors and designs and are available as an inexpensive souvenir in a souvenir shop to a professional-style instrument that you can purchase at a specialty store. 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 Maui for a small child, the cheap ones should do the trick.
Hawaiian Island Calendars
From .88 to 9.99 you can find calendars at all of the souvenir shops and even the grocery stores and pharmacies! They are one of the best souvenirs from Maui because they are flat and easy to bring home with you. They are also easy to mail to friends and family instead of postcards! They are also one of the easiest things to buy in Maui, because you can find them just about anywhere!
Hawaiian Print Sundresses
Tourists all over the beaches and in restaurants are clad in Hawaiian print sundresses in Maui. You can buy them all over the island and they make a great git as well. Women use them as beach coverups, and summer dresses when they are back home making them quite practical!
Tropical Preserves
There is nothing better than fresh local 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 Maui. You can find them at local markets and grocery stores all over the Hawaiian islands. I suggest you grab some passionfruit or guava. Those are the toughest to find at home!
Hawaiian Islands Silhouettes
The Hawaiian Islands make an extremely recognizable silhouette. You can find them on t-shirts, fridge magnets, car window stickers, placemats, coasters, and even tattoos. If you love the Hawaiian Islands, why not bring home a silhouette of your favorite vacation spot. These are available in souvenir shops, grocery stores, and pharmacies!
If you are already home or want one for a Hawaiian lover in your life, you can pick up these stickers online here.
Photo Souvenirs from Maui
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.
Some trips deserve more than selfies! Occasions like honeymoons, anniversaries, family holidays, solo adventures and even surprise proposals are perfect moments to capture with a Flytographer shoot — or simply because you believe that memories are the best souvenir.
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.
More Maui Travel Resources
Now that you have plenty of Maui souvenir ideas, I have put together some resources for your trip to Hawaii to help make the planning a little bit easier.
First, you should start with the best time to travel to Hawaii. It will give you tips on visiting in each season.
I also have a post full of Maui instagram captions for your photos. As soon as you capture that perfect sunset, ride your first wave, or don that flower lei, these quotes about Maui will help bring your photos to life as you share your travels with your friends and family! I have even more Hawaiian instagram captions as well.
Find information and cruise reviews on cruisecritic.com
Where to Stay in Maui?
There are plenty of places to check out as you look for your perfect accommodation. I suggest starting with popular sites like booking.com, VRBO.com, expedia.com and hotels.com. All of the best places to stay will be listed on those sites.
Maui Tour Ideas
If you are looking for popular tour ideas, I suggest you start with Start with Get Your Guide and Viator Tours. 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: Snorkelling Molokini Tour
Maui: Family Friendly Snorkel
Maui: Eco Friendly Cruise Molokini and Turtle Town Tour
Should you rent a car in Maui?
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 Maui?
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 gret lip balm, I suggest this one available at Sephoa. 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
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.