So, what to buy from Tunisia? On your stay in Tunisia, you will explore unique markets and souks in medinas with a wide variety of beautiful products. Usually, people seek to buy something special from the country they visit. Tunisia has a long history with handcrafts and there are numerous amounts of local specialties. If you are willing to have something else besides a lot of photos, here I have gathered 13 things to buy from Tunisia – shopping guide. Leave some space in your suitcase as you are surely heading home with a suitcase full of beautiful Tunisian souvenirs.
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13 things to buy from Tunisia
Pouf
Carpet
Pillow cover
Small leather goods
Sandals and slippers
Coffee and tea sets
Ceramics and pottery
Shisha
Hammam towel
Silver items
Piece of jewelry
Spices and herbs
Food products
What to buy from Tunisia? The best souvenirs to buy for your friends and family from Tunisia
Pouf
I have bought at least four poufs from Tunisia. Those are such a handy souvenir: something unique, easily fits in luggage, lovely item itself, and somehow practical. Poufs are excellent pieces of furniture that can be easily combined with various home interiors. These are available in different colors, leathers (camel, sheep, goat), patterns, styles, and sizes. For sure you will find a piece that fits your style.
When buying a pouf, it will be empty and that’s why it will easily fit in the luggage. I have filled my poufs with clothes but other options are wool, cotton, straw, polystyrene balls, etc. Besides being a beautiful piece of design, there are also many practical uses: small storage for fabrics, extra seating, resting your feet. The prices vary between the sellers and depending also on the quality of the leather. So, get ready with your negotiation skills. I have paid 20-60 euros per pouf and I have been very pleased with those.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: for everyone! For real it’s the best souvenir.
What to buy from Tunisia? Carpet
La medinas are full of charming boutiques and quickly your eye will catch the shop which sells handmade carpets. The carpets are sold in stunning colors, patterns, styles, different shapes, and sizes. If your plan isn’t to buy a carpet but still those shops are worth a visit anyway. I have brought one huge carpet from Tunisia.. I mean it is maybe 3x5m. Even the size is big but the material is soft so I could easily fold it into my luggage. And I have loved it! On my next trip, I will buy another one. I have been very pleased with the price-quality ratio of the carpets and I am also willing to pay a bit more when something is handmade.
A couple of tips before buying your first Tunisian carpet. At home measure which size carpet you need. I have been struggling in the carpet boutique when I am not able to decide if I need a carpet that is 2 meters or 3 meters for our hallway. When buying a high-quality carpet, you will normally find a certified stamp on the back delivered by the Tunisian National Office Of Artisans. Go through a couple of stores, ask questions and when you are willing to buy something it is time to do some bargain. Bargaining might feel a bit uncomfortable if you are not used to it, but trust me it is very normal in Tunisia. I wish you happy carpet shopping on your next visit!
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: well, I guess everyone will appreciate handmade carpet. Just keep in mind which style and color of the carpet will be the best option.
Thing to buy from Tunisia: Pillow Cover
If buying the carpets feels too big an investment, pillows and cushion covers are other great options if you are searching for interior textile. Pillows and cushions with different colors, styles, and patterns will quickly freshen up the style of a terrace, balcony, and bed-, living- and dining room. A handmade pillow cover with beautiful colors and patterns is a great souvenir idea.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: great for people who love to change their house’s interior design a little bit. A perfect option also for summer cabins and balconies.
What to buy from Tunisia: Small Leather Goods
Is the luggage full already? Tunisia has a long history of leatherwork, so you should grab yourself small leather goods when visiting the souks and La Medinas. There will be countless options from belts, pencil cases, keychains, bags, purses, wallets, pouches to many other accessories. Small leather goods made with high-quality leather are reasonably priced and when taking good care of the product those will last you forever.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: Belt for brother, pencil case for students, bag for mom, wallet for dad, and toiletries bag for a friend.
Sandals and Slippers
In Tunisia, you will see souks with a huge selection of beautiful, colorful, leather and fabric sandals with gorgeous details. These are great souvenirs, just hard to choose which one to buy as there are so many great options. You will find pairs which will be perfect for the beach or the city, in addition, these will be a great and useful piece in your wardrobe. When the Tunisian summer heat hits the only clever footwear is sandals and slippers as you want your feet to breathe comfortably. I have bought one pair of black leather sandals which are timeless and very minimalistic. Also, I have been gifted with one pair of traditional Balgha slippers which are super comfortable and can be used both outdoors and indoors. These unique-looking leather goodies are a great souvenir option.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: family, friends, summer lovers, and travelers.
Things to buy from Tunisia: Coffee and Tea Sets
Tunisia has a strong coffee culture. People drink a lot of coffee and they spend hours in cafes. When wandering around in La Medina at some point your eye will catch a store that sells gorgeous coffee and tea sets. Often these sets are made of some metal and coated with silver, copper, or golden color. To serve some tea it’s more common to use glasses. You can mix and match with the items to build up your own kind of set. Choose the number of espresso cups and cup holders add a tray, sugar bowl, coffee pot, flower water dropper, and lids. Like this, you can create very magnifique sets to match your style. And do not forget to buy some Tunisian coffee!
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: coffee and tea lovers and people who like to serve coffee and tea beautifully. High-quality coffee and tea set are somehow pricey. This makes it also a perfect gift!
Ceramics and Pottery
Some of the most popular items people like to buy from Tunisia are ceramics and pottery. Tunisia is famous for its ceramics and they have an absolutely stunning selection in these. Let’s say that every city has plenty of ceramic and pottery stores but if you are passionate about this topic, then I suggest having a day trip to Nabeul which is called the capital of Tunisian ceramics. The most challenging part is to choose what to buy. The styles vary from very simple to richly colored patterns. Fill up a suitcase with plates, bowls, trays, cups, candle holders, and vases. These will be a great decoration item and food with look stunning when served from such a beautiful dish.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: Mothers, girlfriends, grandmothers, people who love beautiful dishes and interior decoration (remember that colorfully patterned vase isn’t for everyone)
What to buy from Tunisia? Shisha
Shisha known also as Arabic water-pipe or hookah is used for smoking flavored tobacco. It is harmful to your health, so don’t let the sweet smell of shisha mislead you. For health reasons, the shisha isn’t the best souvenir. If you are a smoker or you enjoy smoking shisha, from Tunisia you will find many stores selling different sizes and colors of hookah sets. For example, Amazon sells tobacco and nicotine-free hookah tobaccos, but in Tunisia, I haven’t seen these. I don’t smoke but I can imagine having a shisha set on our balcony and smoking hookah which is nicotine-free.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: Smokers and people who like to chill.
What to buy from Tunisia: Hammam Towel
People are using Hamman towels to cover their bodies in traditional Hammams (spas). Nowadays these towels are used also in spas, saunas, summer cottages, beaches, pools, gyms, sofa covers, and picnics. There are countless ways to use it and that makes it a perfect souvenir for a lot of people. Plus it’s very light weighted, so it’s easy to pack in luggage and take with you on your next trips. Hammam towels are 100% cotton and they come in many stunning colors and great thing is that it dries very fast!
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: Sporty people, sunbathing lovers, travelers, and cottage owners.
Silver Item
In Tunisia selection of local artisans’ handicrafts are very rich. Supporting the local community and handcrafts is always a great idea, especially in this world where manufacturing and mass production is coming the main source of production. Tunisian silverwork is a very typical local craft and it has a long history. Silver items are sold all over Tunisia but from Medinas, you can find shops which are specialists to sell only silverworks. In these shops, you find countless items from small silver items such as combs, silverware, decoration items, photo frames, jewelry boxes, to bigger pieces as furniture and mirrors. One of my favorite silver souvenirs has been a small decorative olive tree with small black balls where you can rub some essential oils to create a pleasant scent in the room.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: Pure silver items are valuable which makes it a great gift for newborns, godchildren, birthdays, and weddings.
Piece of Jewelry
You will find a wide range of all kinds of jewelry made of precious or semi-precious metal. Jewelry is a good souvenir to buy. From the huge selections, it’s easy to pick a perfect piece for girlfriends, boyfriends, grandmothers, mothers, friends, and children. The selections offer pieces from very minimalistic ones to colorful ones. The symbol of the Khomsa hand is commonly used in pieces of jewelry. La Medina, you will find areas filled with shops that sell only gold and silver items. Jewelry is a great memory from your trip and high-quality ones will last your lifetime.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: moms, dads, sisters, brothers, children, cousins, grandmothers, grandmothers, and godchildren. Who does not like small jewelry?
What to buy from Tunisia: Spices and herbs
Spices are cheap, easy to transport, useful and these make it a great souvenir. In Tunisia you will find plenty of spice merchants, front of their shops are filled with colorful piles of spices. Sellers offer a great selection of basic spices: saffron, cinnamon, caraway, cumin, fennel, black pepper, red pepper, and ginger. In herbs, they often sell mint, parsley, oregano, basil, bay leaves, and thyme. One of the most commonly used spice mixes in the Tunisian kitchen is Tabil, which is normally used in beef and lamb meat dishes. Other great options are Molokhia powder (Jew’s mallow powder) and Bsisa.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: people who love to cook, people who are curious to explore diverse food cultures, and people who have everything.
What to buy from Tunisia: Food Products
I love food, that’s why all kinds of food product souvenirs are perfect for me. Tunisia has a long history of producing olive oil and I must say that Tunisians make really delicious olive oil. It’s perfect to drizzle in salads or just dip fresh bread in it as it’s so tasty. It’s a perfect companion for cooking also. A bottle of olive oil is easy to ship home and I don’t anyone who wouldn’t appreciate a bottle of high-quality olive oil as a souvenir.
If you are a fan of spicy foods, be sure to buy a couple of packages of harissa. Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste that is made of red peppers, olive oil, garlic, and spices. You can use harissa in many ways: spice up your omelet spread it in your sandwich, use it in soups, stews, and marinades. If the plan is to cook some traditional Tunisian meals, the harissa is often an important ingredient.
If sweets are your weakness, then fill up your luggage with Tunisian pastries and sweets, dates, honey, and chamia. I have still one more idea. Did you try Tunisian brik during your journey? And did you like it? If you answered yes, then I recommend buying malsouka sheets (similar to filo dough). These will help you to cook briks back at home. Of course, you can cook malsouka sheets by yourself but let’s say that those premade sheets are super handy.
Nb! If you live in another country please check the possible rules, laws and declare restrictions before buying a food product as a souvenir.
Perfect Tunisian souvenir for: Foodies, gourmets, people who have everything, cooking lovers, and people interested in different food cultures.
Wow, that was a long one! I hope you enjoyed reading this shopping guide 13 things to buy from Tunisia. And hopefully, it helped you to decide what to buy from Tunisia. What do you recommend buying from Tunisia?
Here’s some more reading:
What to buy from Tunisia? The list of 29 food products