Hawaii is one of those places where everyone you know will ask for souvenirs. Makes sense, right? After all, we can't all be lucky enough to vacation in Paradise!
Whether you're going for the incredible hiking, strictly to lounge on the beach, or to visit the unique national parks, Hawaii souvenirs are one of the best ways to remember your trip or share the experience with others.
Not all Hawaii souvenirs are created equal, though. If you want more authentic and meaningful gifts, rather than inexpensive and downright chintzy ones, you'll want to put some thought into what you save room for in your carry-on. We've done some of the work for you and put together 15 of the best souvenirs from Hawaii. Aloha!
Best Hawaii Souvenirs
1. The Wander Club Travel Tokens
Let's be honest: many of the best Hawaii souvenirs are edible. While that's great in its own right (believe us, we love to eat and drink! Give us all the noms!), it also means those souvenirs are short-lived. US State Travel Tokens from The Wander Club are different.
Whether you get the Hawaii state token or one from the Hawaii national parks, this is one of the best souvenirs from Hawaii for several reasons. For one, it's long-lasting. It's also portable, so you can literally bring it everywhere with you. And finally, it's customizable, so it's a more meaningful gift or keepsake.
Consider adding the date of your Hawaii visit to the back of your Travel Token or making a whole custom Hawaii collection of tokens. You could add specific hikes, islands, beaches visited, or even favorite foods. The possibilities are endless when you think of Travel Tokens as Hawaii souvenirs!
2. Token Holders From The Wander Club
You're going to need a way to display those Hawaii Travel Tokens! Whether you choose a Wanderchain or a necklace, pairing one of our Shop Token Holders with your chosen tokens makes one of the best Hawaii souvenirs.
Not only is this a practical gift (or memento, if you're shopping for yourself!), but it's also more personal than many other Hawaii souvenirs, since you can choose a specific color and finish to suit the recipient.
3. Pineapple or Coconut
TSA regulations prohibit passengers from bringing "most fresh fruits and vegetables" from Hawaii to the mainland. However, there are two notable exceptions: pineapple and coconut! These fresh fruits really are sweeter and juicier closer to the source, so consider bringing a few back as fun and delicious Hawaii souvenirs.
4. Fresh Flower Lei
Flower leis are some of the very best Hawaii souvenirs because they're stunningly beautiful and unique to the islands. Admittedly, they don't last long. However, leis are just as meaningful as giving someone a bouquet of flowers (and probably appreciated in much the same way!).
5. Coffee
Hawaii has one of the best coffee-growing climates on Earth, thanks to its rich volcanic soil and high humidity. Each of the islands also produces its own unique coffee beans, with flavor profiles reflecting the culture. That's why it's one of the best souvenirs for Hawaii — for caffeine lovers, anyway!
6. Macadamia nuts
Continuing on with the theme of edible Hawaii souvenirs (seriously, who can resist something they can eat?!), another great option is macadamia nuts. Consider picking up a few varieties, like salted, unsalted, and chocolate-covered. Oh, and don't forget a pack or two for yourself!
7. Hawaiian Shirt
When you think about the best souvenirs from Hawaii, is there anything more iconic than a Hawaiian shirt? Just keep in mind that quality varies a ton, so this may be one of those Hawaii souvenirs worth spending a bit more on.
8. Ukulele
Arguably one of the most fun Hawaii souvenirs is a ukulele. It's equally fun for kiddos and adults, and something that can be appreciated even if the recipient doesn't have any musical inclinations.
Bonus: you can find inexpensive ukuleles almost anywhere! No need to spend big bucks on one unless the person will legitimately want to play it rather than keep it on display or play with it the way children play with toys.
9. Hawaiian Sea Salt
We don't totally understand the science behind it, but Hawaiian sea salt is way more flavorful than the plain table variety stuff we can get on the mainland. If your recipient likes literally any kind of food, sea salt is one of the top Hawaii souvenirs.
10. Hawaiian Rum
This one's for all the cocktail aficionados. Mai Tais are sort of the unofficially official cocktail of the islands, and the main ingredient is rum. So it's only natural that you bring home a bottle or two of this liquid gold for your Hawaii souvenirs. Cheers!
11. Pearls
If you're looking for Hawaii souvenirs that'll last longer than a week or two (or a single sitting!), consider bringing back pearls. You'll find a variety on all the islands, at different price points and in different forms (i.e., loose pearls, pearl earrings, strings of pearls, etc.).
12. Koa Wood Items
One of the more unique Hawaii souvenirs is anything made from koa wood, such as serving dishes, utensils, jewelry or puzzle boxes, or even jewelry. Koa trees are endemic to Hawaii and have distinct deep, warm tones with beautiful wavy patterns.
Hopefully you feel a bit more prepared to shop for Hawaii souvenirs after reading this. Whether you've already taken your trip or it's coming up, we wish you safe travels!
As a quick final reminder, The Wander Club makes thousands of other unique Shop Travel Tokens besides Hawaii-related ones. Though if we do say so ourselves, they do make some of the very best souvenirs from Hawaii...
