Best and Most Unique Souvenirs to Buy in Paris, France

“The best souvenir” to bring home from a trip is a relative term that holds as many meanings as there are tourists wandering the Earth. Pretty vague, right? The truth is, a unique souvenir is something that evokes a memory for you, a reminder of a feeling you actually felt while on that trip. Any souvenir worth its money must have the power to transport you back; it needs the qualities of a time-traveling artifact…

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Travel anywhere in the world, and you’re sure to find souvenir shops selling t-shirts and caps with the location’s name printed on them, key chains, small miniature statues of famous buildings, shot glasses and, let’s not forget, the worst offenders:magnets for your gorgeous fridge of course! These trinkets often have little actual value and will start collecting dust as soon as you return home. If you love any of these items, more power to you, no judgment here, the ultimate goal of any purchase is to bring you joy. For the rest of the travelers who want to achieve that happy feeling too, this list was designed for you. 

Paris is a city of endless charm and cultural fusion, and its souvenirs reflect far more than just Eiffel Tower trinkets. Beyond the typical keychains and “I ❤ Paris” shirts, you’ll find lesser-known, culturally rich mementos that capture the true spirit of the city. From gourmet treats and artisan crafts to literary treasures and fashion pieces, Paris offers souvenirs that celebrate its French roots as well as African and broader European influences. The guide below is organized by category, highlighting unique finds (with a nod to a few classics) so you can bring home an authentic piece of Paris’s diverse heritage.

Gourmet Parisian Delicacies (Edible Souvenirs)

• Artisanal Macarons – Delicate, colorful macarons have become an iconic symbol of France​. Visit renowned patisseries like Ladurée or Pierre Hermé (dubbed the “Picasso of Pastry”) to sample inventive flavors – from rose-lychee to passionfruit-chocolate. These elegant almond meringue cookies come in beautiful gift boxes, making them a perfect sweet souvenir. Each bite reflects Paris’s pâtisserie artistry, a treat for both eyes and palate.

• Handmade Jams and Honey – Paris’s love of flavor extends to its artisan spreads. At Confiture Parisienne (in the Viaduc des Arts), you’ll find small-batch jams in inventive combinations like raspberry-violet or tomato-strawberry​. For honey, check out La Maison du Miel (est. 1898) – the city’s oldest honey shop​– offering Parisian rooftop honey and rare varietals from French hives. These preserves capture the sweet essence of Paris, perfect to slather on your morning baguette back home.
• Parisian Teas and Hot Chocolate – Bring home a taste of Paris’s café culture with gourmet drinks. Mariage Frères, a historic Parisian tea house, sells fragrant teas in elegant canisters – try their signature “Marco Polo” blend or Thé à l’Opéra. For chocolate lovers, grab a tin of Angelina’s famous hot chocolate mix, so you can recreate the thick, rich chocolat chaud that warms Parisian hearts in winter​. These sippable souvenirs let you savor Paris’s flavors leisurely.
• Local Wine from Montmartre – Surprisingly, Paris has its own vineyard! Le Clos Montmartre, hidden in Montmartre’s backstreets, produces a limited-edition wine each year​. First planted in the 12th century, this tiny vineyard now has around 1,800 vines and its annual harvest festival (Fête des Vendanges) is a neighborhood celebration​. A bottle of Clos Montmartre wine is a rare keepsake – a taste of Parisian terroir and history. If you can’t get a hold of Montmartre’s wine, a bottle of French Champagne or Burgundy bought in Paris still makes a classic (and delicious) souvenir.
• Savory Specialties – Paris offers gourmet goodies for foodies. Pick up a jar of Maille mustard from their original boutique near La Madeleine, where you can have tangy mustard pumped straight from the barrel into a souvenir crock. Or grab some herbes de Provence and exotic spices from markets like Marché Bastille or African spice shops in the Goutte d’Or – a nod to the city’s multicultural flavors​. These cooking ingredients infuse your kitchen with Paris’s culinary heritage once you’re home.

A Time Capsule Postcard

With FuturePosts, you can create a custom postcard online using your own photos, add a personal message and schedule it to be delivered at a later date, whether it’s next month, next year or even a decade from now. FuturePosts keeps everything we love about traditional postcards while bringing them into the digital age. Your futurepost is still a tangible keepsake following the classic postcard format with a large image on one side and a personal message framed by colorful borders on the other. Most importantly, it still arrives in your mailbox, not your inbox.

Instead of letting your best travel photos fade into digital clutter, why not transform them into a unique souvenir? Turn them into a postcard, creating a personal time capsule for yourself or a loved one to receive in the future. One of the benefits of designing a time capsule postcard with FuturePosts is that the message on the back of the postcard takes on a deeper significance, becoming a letter to your future self, capturing your thoughts, dreams and emotions in a single moment frozen in time.

Every day, travelers search for the perfect souvenir, often settling for generic trinkets. Why not choose something more meaningful? Make a thoughtful choice on your next trip. Choose nostalgia. Choose something with lasting value. Choose FuturePosts and create your own personalized time capsule, a beautifully crafted postcard featuring your photos and words, delivered at your chosen future date. Skip the ordinary souvenirs and futurepost your travel memories today!

Historical Keepsakes & Collectibles

• Antiques from Paris Flea Markets – One-of-a-kind treasures await at Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, Paris’s most famous flea market. With over 2,000 vendors, it’s the largest antiques market in the world​, a sprawling labyrinth of stalls selling everything from vintage décor and old vinyl records to antique jewelry and furniture. Spend a weekend morning hunting for a Napoleon-era coin, an Art Deco lamp, or retro café posters – you’re sure to find a remarkable memento no one else has. Other flea markets like Marché aux Puces de Vanves (south Paris) or Les Puces de Montreuil (east) are smaller but also great for quirky collectibles. Haggling with local brocanteurs is half the fun, and each antique has a story connected to Paris’s history or its role as a crossroads of European art and design.
• Vintage Postcards and Posters – For a lightweight historical keepsake, browse the stalls of Paris’s book and print sellers along the Seine (the bouquinistes) or the flea markets for vintage postcards, maps, and posters. You might discover sepia-toned postcards of Paris in the 1900s or original travel posters advertising French railways and Mediterranean cruises of yesteryear. Popular finds include antique prints of the Moulin Rouge cabaret or the iconic Le Chat Noir poster from 1880s Montmartre. These flat paper souvenirs are easy to pack and look charming framed on your wall – a little piece of Parisian nostalgia.
• Paris Monuments Memorabilia – History buffs can find unique keepsakes tied to Paris’s landmarks. The Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) offers commemorative coins and medals – a shiny tribute to sites like Notre-Dame or the Eiffel Tower. Museum gift shops also sell high-quality replicas: imagine a miniature Venus de Milo or Eiffel Tower made from metal of the original structure (yes, they’ve sold fragments and authentic steel pieces in limited runs!). While a pocket-sized Eiffel Tower statue is a classic cheap souvenir, consider upgrading to a more authentic historical token – perhaps a pressed coin from a monument or a piece of vintage Metro sign from an antique dealer. These items carry a bit of Paris’s soul and story with them.

Artistic Souvenirs of Paris

• Montmartre Paintings & Portraits – In the charming cobbled square of Place du Tertre in Montmartre, over 100 artists set up easels daily, continuing a tradition in the footsteps of Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec​. You can watch artists sketch and paint on the spot. One popular keepsake is to have your portrait drawn by a street artist – in 15 minutes you’ll have a personalized sketch to take home, capturing you in a Parisian setting​. Or browse the finished paintings and watercolors depicting Parisian scenes (cafés, Montmartre landscapes, Seine views). Each piece is unique, and buying directly from the artist not only gets you an original artwork but also supports the local art community that has thrived in Paris for centuries.

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• Museum Art Replicas and Prints – Paris’s art museums are treasure troves, and their boutiques let you bring home a slice of that art. The Louvre gift shop, for example, offers faithful mini-replicas of famous sculptures – a small Winged Victory of Samothrace or a bust of Marie Antoinette can grace your shelf. You can also buy high-quality prints of masterpieces: perhaps Monet’s Water Lilies from Musée de l’Orangerie, or Van Gogh’s Starry Night from Musée d’Orsay. These art prints (often with elegant tubes or folders for transport) let you decorate your home with your favorite Paris museum highlights. For something wearable, look for art-inspired silk scarves and tote bags (Monet’s water lilies on a scarf, anyone?) available at museum stores – a chic way to show your art appreciation.
• Les Bouquinistes’ Vintage Art – Along the Seine’s stone quays, the green-painted stalls of the bouquinistes have been selling old books and art prints since the 19th century. It’s an open-air gallery where you can flip through vintage magazine ads, movie posters, and illustrations. You’ll find prints of beloved European comic characters like Tintin and Le Petit Prince, or retro depictions of Parisian nightlife​. Old black-and-white photographs of Paris and antique art postcards also abound. Even if you’re not a bibliophile, these stalls are perfect for picking up a unique artistic souvenir – whether it’s a mid-century French advertising poster or a colorful print of Moulin Rouge dancers. Each piece, often inexpensively priced, carries a bit of Paris’s artistic legacy home with you.

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Literary-Themed Souvenirs

• Paris has long been a haven for writers and book lovers, so literary souvenirs here are especially meaningful. Start with the legendary Shakespeare & Company bookstore on the Left Bank. This English-language bookstore (opened in 1951 in its current form) has hosted countless famous writers over the decades and retains a bohemian charm. Buy a book here – anything from a classic novel to a modern Paris travelogue – and ask to have it stamped with the store’s iconic circular stamp, marking it as a genuine Shakespeare & Co. purchase. The shop’s own cotton tote bag adorned with its name is one of the most stylish and useful Paris souvenirs around, beloved by bibliophiles worldwide​. It’s durable, literary chic, and perfect for carrying your reading haul.
• French Classics and Contemporary Literature – While in Paris, why not pick up a classic in its birthplace? A French-language edition of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables or Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince makes a thoughtful keepsake (even if you display it for the cover art). Bookstores like Librairie Galignani (the oldest English bookstore in Paris) or Librairie Admirable (specializing in beautiful editions) offer a range of titles. Some shops also sell literary posters or quote prints – for example, a poster of a Hemingway quote about Paris or a vintage advertisement for Shakespeare & Co. itself. These celebrate Paris’s literary heritage in a visual way.
• Books & Prints from Bouquinistes – We’ve mentioned the bouquinistes for art, but they are foremost booksellers. Scour their second-hand book collections for antique books or out-of-print gems. You might find a dog-eared 1920s edition of Baudelaire’s poems or a quirky old guidebook of Paris. Even if you’re not fluent in French, the look and feel of these old books (leather bindings, yellowed pages) make them gorgeous decor and conversation pieces. Many stalls also sell book-themed souvenirs like bookmarks, old book plates, and vintage comic books. It’s a literary treasure hunt under the open sky, set against the backdrop of Notre-Dame and the Seine – an experience and a souvenir in one.
• Stationery and Writing Supplies – Paris inspires the writer in many, so consider picking up some classic writing tools. L’Écritoire, a family-run stationery shop in the Marais, offers exquisite wax seal stamps, calligraphy pens, and notebooks​. A Paris-made wax seal set (perhaps with your initial) and sealing wax in rich colors will add a touch of old-world elegance to your letters. Or choose handmade Parisian writing paper and envelopes for that next heartfelt note. These items make wonderful gifts for those who love the art of handwriting. Every time you jot a note with a fountain pen from Paris or seal a letter with wax, you’ll be reminded of the city’s literary soul.

Perfumes and Fragrances of Paris

Paris is synonymous with fine fragrance – it’s home to legendary perfume houses and unique scent boutiques that make for sensational souvenirs. A bottle of French perfume encapsulates the essence of Paris in a way few other items can.

• Stationery and Writing Supplies – Paris inspires the writer in many, so consider picking up some classic writing tools. L’Écritoire, a family-run stationery shop in the Marais, offers exquisite wax seal stamps, calligraphy pens, and notebooks​. A Paris-made wax seal set (perhaps with your initial) and sealing wax in rich colors will add a touch of old-world elegance to your letters. Or choose handmade Parisian writing paper and envelopes for that next heartfelt note. These items make wonderful gifts for those who love the art of handwriting. Every time you jot a note with a fountain pen from Paris or seal a letter with wax, you’ll be reminded of the city’s literary soul.
• Fragonard Perfume Museum & Boutique – For a more niche experience, visit the Musée du Parfum Fragonard (Perfume Museum) near Opéra Garnier. Fragonard is a historic French perfumer from Grasse that operates this free museum in Paris, showcasing antique perfume bottles and the art of perfume-making​. After the tour, you can buy their perfumes exclusive to the museum boutique – lovely floral and citrus Fragonard eau de toilette at prices far gentler than the big brands. They also offer scented soaps, sachets, and candles. It’s both an educational and aromatic souvenir stop.
• Artisan and Niche Fragrances – Paris is a dream for perfume connoisseurs, with many boutique brands. Explore Serge Lutens at the Palais-Royal – the shop itself is like a scented jewel box, offering exotic blends inspired by Morocco and beyond. Or sniff your way through Diptyque on Boulevard Saint-Germain, famous for its perfumed candles and unique fragrances (the store’s signature 34 Blvd St-Germain scent is a tribute to its Paris address​). A Diptyque candle in scents like Baies (berry) or Figuier (fig tree) will fill your home with a luxurious Parisian aroma​. Don’t overlook Papier d’Arménie, a little booklet of scented incense papers invented in Paris in 1885 – you light a strip to release a sweet, benzoin resin fragrance. It’s a quaint, inexpensive souvenir found at pharmacies, carrying a whiff of Belle-Époque Paris into today.
• Scented Soaps and Beauty Elixirs – In addition to perfumes, Paris offers fragrant soap traditions. Pick up a bar of authentic Savon de Marseille (Marseille olive oil soap) at the Marius Fabre store in the Marais. Marius Fabre is one of the few traditional soap makers since 1900, and they opened this Paris shop in 2017 to meet demand​. The soap bars, infused with natural Provençal scents like lavender or rosemary, make lovely gifts. Another gem is Officine Universelle Buly, a 19th-century style apothecary selling perfumes, creams, and candles in gorgeous vintage packaging. These specialty beauty items speak to France’s heritage of luxury and craftsmanship, allowing you to bring home a bit of Parisian pampering.

Fashion and Style Souvenirs (Paris Chic)

No trip to the fashion capital would be complete without a style memento. Paris has options ranging from luxury house classics to hip finds from independent boutiques, all imbued with that inimitable Parisian chic.

• ‍Authentic French Beret – The beret is a cliché for a reason – it’s a national symbol of France and eternally stylish. While you’ll see cheap berets in souvenir stalls for a few euros, consider investing in an authentic one from Laulhère or Maison Michel, the traditional makers of French berets​. Made of pure wool in rich colors, a real Basque beret is both a fashion statement and a piece of French history (berets were worn by Resistance fighters and high-fashion models alike)​. Donning one instantly adds a jaunty Parisian flair to your look, and it packs light in your luggage.
• Breton Striped Shirt (Marinière) – This navy-and-white striped sailor shirt is a French wardrobe staple with roots in Brittany’s maritime tradition and Parisian haute couture​. Coco Chanel popularized the Breton top in Parisian fashion, and it’s now an iconic piece of casual chic​. Brands like Saint James or Armor-Lux make high-quality cotton versions of these marinières, complete with the exact 21 stripes (one for each of Napoleon’s victories, legend says). Pick one up from their Paris stores or even department stores. It’s unisex, timeless, and instantly evokes that effortlessly cool French style – a perfect wearable souvenir.
• Luxury Brand Accessories – Paris is home to the world’s top fashion houses, so it’s the ideal place to splurge on a little luxury. An Hermès silk scarf from the flagship store on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is a classic choice – the intricate prints (whether equestrian, floral, or Paris-themed) make it art you can wear. Likewise, a small leather good from Louis Vuitton (like a card holder or key pouch) bought at their historic Champs-Élysées store carries the cachet of Parisian luxury. High-end fashion items tend to be a bit cheaper in Paris than abroad due to VAT refunds​, so that designer handbag or pair of Christian Louboutin red-soled heels might be slightly more within reach. Such an indulgence is more than a souvenir – it’s an investment piece with a Paris provenance.
• Parisian Boutique Finds – For something more unique (and budget-friendly), explore the city’s independent boutiques. The Marais district, for example, is brimming with local designers and concept stores. Merci (on Boulevard Beaumarchais) is a beloved concept shop where you can find trendy Parisian fashion alongside home goods and stationery​. They even sell a famous “Merci” tote bag that supports charity – a fashion statement with heart. Look for French brands like Sézane, Sandro, or Maje for chic clothing that’s popular with locals. And for a vibrant mix of cultures, check out Maison Château Rouge, a fashion label born in Paris’s African quarter that fuses African wax-print fabrics with French streetwear style. Founded in 2015 by Youssouf Fofana, this brand showcases African heritage meets French chic, bringing bold colors and patterns into Paris fashion. Whether it’s a jacket trimmed in wax print or a pair of sneakers from their collaboration with a major brand, it’s a wearable piece of Paris’s diverse cultural tapestry.
• Parisian Footwear – Parisian style extends to the feet. Consider picking up a pair of Repetto ballet flats – the company began by making dance shoes and gained fame when Brigitte Bardot wore their flats on the streets​. Their Paris stores feel like stepping into a ballet studio, and the shoes themselves are comfortable yet elegant, available in every color of the rainbow. Another trendy choice is white sneakers from brands like Veja – Parisian locals love stylish, eco-friendly sneakers to pair with dresses or suits alike. And for men, a silk tie from Charvet (the prestigious shirtmaker at Place Vendôme) or cufflinks from a flea market can be a subtle, classy souvenir.

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From historic keepsakes to haute couture, Paris offers an incredibly rich array of souvenirs that go beyond the ordinary. The best mementos are those that tell a story – a jar of jam that evokes a Paris morning, a second-hand book carrying decades of history, a scarf woven with French craftsmanship or a piece of African-inspired design from a local atelier. Each item on this list captures a facet of Paris’s diverse cultural heritage, be it French, African, European (or a blend of all three). When you choose these unique souvenirs, you’re not just buying things; you’re bringing home memories and a genuine slice of Parisian life. Bon voyage et bon shopping!​

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