What To Buy in Sri Lanka: 11 Amazing Gift Ideas

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Last updated on April 4th, 2025 at 02:34 pm

With a wide array of locally made products that range from clothes to kitchen utensils to spices and everything in between, deciding what to buy in Sri Lanka is no easy task.

But that’s what we’re here for. This list of the 11 best Sri Lanka souvenirs is here to help you choose the best gifts for your loved ones back home – and yourselves, of course.

However, even if we help you decide what to buy in Sri Lanka, there’s still one thing we can’t assist you with.

That’s figuring out how many of these cool souvenirs you can fit inside your suitcases. That’s always a problem we struggle with, too.

What To Buy in Sri Lanka – The Obvious Choice

If you’re wondering what to buy in Sri Lanka, you should know that you can find many quality gifts for all tastes there.

What’s more important for us is that, in Sri Lanka, you can find locally made products, thus supporting Sri Lankans and their economy with every purchase, but also the preservation of their handmade crafts.

As responsible travellers, that’s one of the things we love about shopping in Sri Lanka.

But let’s get into more detail about all the amazing things you can buy in Sri Lanka, starting with the obvious choice: all things elephants.

From elephant fridge magnets, wooden elephants and stuffed toy elephants to printed elephants on T-shirts, tote bags and mugs, the sky’s the limit when it comes to elephant-themed souvenirs in Sri Lanka.

A vital part of Sri Lankan culture, elephants are omnipresent at souvenir shops and we did buy way too many of them in various forms during our two separate trips to Sri Lanka.

But there’s a lot more on this list of the best things to buy in Sri Lanka than just elephants, so let’s get right to it.

Top 11 Things To Buy in Sri Lanka (Besides Elephant-Themed Items)

1. Ceylon Tea

Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was once called, is one of the world’s major tea-producing countries.

The climate in the country’s central highlands, where all of Sri Lanka’s tea estates are situated, is ideal for the production of high-quality tea.

Black tea – rather than green – is Sri Lanka’s pride and this is what you should be getting as a souvenir.

You can buy Ceylon Tea pretty much everywhere in the country, including supermarkets, local markets and small shops.

However, don’t miss the chance to visit one of the tea estates situated in central Sri Lanka’s so-called Hill Country in towns like Nuwara Eliya, Ella or Kandy.

There, you can find unique tea varieties, some of which are only available on-site.

A visit to one of Sri Lanka’s tea plantations is a memorable experience you don’t want to miss. For example, a tour of the Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory is certainly one of the best things to do in Ella.

No matter where you choose to buy your tea from, make sure that the package bears the Ceylon Tea lion logo.

This is the easiest way to verify that the tea you’re buying was indeed produced in Sri Lanka and meets all the standards to be classified as high-quality tea.

2. Traditional Masks

Sri Lanka has a long tradition in the craft of mask making. The coastal town of Ambalangoda in the country’s south is famous for its wooden mask industry.

That said, you can find handmade masks everywhere else in the country as well. These hand-carved and hand-painted colourful masks are related to Sri Lankan ancient rituals and devil dances.

There are different types of masks, each serving a different purpose. The best way to learn more about their long history and what each of them symbolises is by visiting a mask workshop.

That’s what we did. We paid a short visit to Rajanima Craft in Kandy and brought back home a blue peacock mask, which is supposed to bring us peace and prosperity and keep evil spirits away.

3. Coconut Shell Kitchen Utensils

Some of the best things to buy in Sri Lanka are kitchen utensils made of coconut shells. These are handmade and eco-friendly. You can choose among spoons, cups, bowls and, perhaps the most popular of all, ladles.

4. Spices

Sri Lanka has been famous for its high-quality spices throughout its entire history. In fact, it’s the spices that made Sri Lanka an essential stop on every trade route of the past.

The list of local spices you can buy in Sri Lanka is endless.

Therefore, if you have time, you can visit one of many Spice Gardens throughout the country, where you can see the plants and learn more about herbs and spices and their health benefits.

Undoubtedly, the king of Sri Lankan spices is cinnamon. Locals go so far as to say that only Ceylon Cinnamon is real cinnamon.

Furthermore, if you love Sri Lankan food and want to recreate its distinct taste and flavour, apart from Ceylon Cinnamon, you should also buy some curry leaves.

Curry leaves are omnipresent in Sri Lankan cuisine, and they can help fight diabetes.

5. Batik Items

Originating in Indonesia, the art of batik was introduced to Sri Lanka towards the end of the 19th century.

Batik is a method of dying fabrics using wax and ink. This technique is applicable to pieces of clothing as well as wall hangings.

It’s interesting to watch a short demonstration of how batik clothing is made before buying. Therefore, try to include a batik workshop like Henry Batiks in Dambulla in your itinerary.

6. Gems & Jewellery

Throughout its history, Sri Lanka has been known as The Gem Island. This island nation is famous all over the world for the variety and high quality of gemstones it produces.

You can buy jewellery made of native gemstones for a very reasonable price in Sri Lanka.

If you’re wondering where to buy gems in Sri Lanka, make sure you choose a reliable retailer. This way, you can be certain that what you’re buying is indeed of the highest quality.

Probably the best place to buy gems in Sri Lanka is Ratnapura, the so-called City of Gems. Ratnapura is Sri Lanka’s traditional gem trade hub.

While there, you can even visit a working gem mine or take a stroll through the town, where gems are meticulously checked for their authenticity and value at the makeshift gem market.

However, it’s best not to buy gems from people selling them in the streets of Ratnapura, but opt for certified gem workshops or jewellery shops instead.

7. Ayurvedic Products

Ayurveda is an ancient holistic system of medicine. It promotes a lifestyle, which is in total harmony with nature and its laws.

Instead of focusing on symptoms, Ayurveda seeks to cure the individual as a whole and to restore any conflicts between body and mind.

Ayurvedic treatments are herb-based, while a healthy and balanced diet is crucial to a person’s well-being according to Ayurvedic principles.

Sri Lanka has its own Ayurvedic system, which has been around for more than 3000 years. Nowadays, Ayurveda in Sri Lanka isn’t only a part of beauty and relaxation treatments, but it’s still seeking to cure medical conditions as well.

Founded in Sri Lanka in 1934, Siddhalepa is a company with a mission to bring people closer to this traditional medicine system.

Moreover, it runs resorts, spas and, what we found extremely interesting, a proper Ayurveda Hospital.

Ayurvedic products come in a wide range, from personal hygiene or beauty products to natural remedies and oils.

8. Sarees & Sarongs

Sri Lankan women wear the traditional saree on many occasions. For instance, we stumbled upon many ladies looking radiant in their colourful silk sarees during evening events at luxury hotels.

But women in Sri Lanka also wear their sarees to go shopping for groceries or pray at the temple. The traditional piece of clothing for men is the sarong instead.

You can easily find a saree or sarong to buy in every town in Sri Lanka. However, if you want to try one on before buying, head to a fancy showroom.

We spent a super fun morning trying on sarees at Lanka Silks in Sigiriya, and we ended up buying a couple of them for some precious young ladies back home.

9. Hand-Woven Coconut Leaf & Cane Items

No matter which part of Sri Lanka you’re visiting, you’ll see that hand-woven items made of cane or coconut leaves are sold everywhere. You can choose among hats, bags, baskets, mats, trays or even plates to name but a few.

10. Wooden Furniture

If you feel like splurging on a unique handmade piece of furniture for your home, head to one of many wood workshops and place your order.

The superb art of carving on wood and the variety of styles, colours and intricate designs will amaze you. We really did fall in love with a couple of magnificent works of art at Rajanima Craft.

11. Local Snacks

Chocolate bars, biscuits, crisps and cakes are not unique to Sri Lanka. That said, local snacks are perfect gift ideas in our book.

Wherever we travel, we always bring local snacks back home as gifts for friends and family to munch on while we’re reminiscing and narrating our adventures.

Save this article about what to buy in Sri Lanka for your shopping spree in Sri Lanka. It’ll come in handy for sure.

If you’re planning a trip to Sri Lanka soon, check out our suggested 10-day Sri Lanka itinerary. If you’re still contemplating if Sri Lanka is worth visiting, we have an article for this, too.

WORDS & EDITING: Maria
IMAGES: Katerina

Disclosure: We wrote and updated this article about what to buy in Sri Lanka after visiting Sri Lanka on two separate press trips organised by Sri Lanka Tourism – in 2019 and 2024. That said, we always share our personal opinions about places we visit and services we try. Under no circumstances would we ever recommend something we didn’t actually enjoy ourselves.