We’ve been there: you just had a wonderful trip in the heart of Tuscany and the day before you head home you realize you didn’t pick up any souvenirs from Florence! While postcards and refrigerator magnets will work in a pinch, we have several ideas for unique souvenirs in Florence to help you remember the trip of a lifetime.
Edible Souvenirs from Florence
You may have heard that you can’t travel with food across international borders, but that’s not true in every case! There are plenty of food products that make great souvenirs from Florence that you can safely bring back home.
Expert’s tip: If you forget to have your bottles and jars bubble wrapped in the shop, wrap them up in your clothes and pack them towards the top of your checked suitcase. In the event that your bag does get searched, make sure that the ingredient labels are easily readable so the agent knows that what you’re bringing back is a-okay.
Truffles
Bring the taste of Italy home when you grab a souvenir of preserved Tuscan truffles, truffle cream, or truffle salt. There are plenty of shops specializing in truffle products around Florence, but we love the high-quality options you can find at Mercato Centrale.
Chocolate and sweet spreads
Sure, you can buy Nutella at any grocery store, but boutique chocolate and dessert spreads from Florence just hit different. Historical chocolatier Rivoire offers assorted boxes of chocolates and delectable spreads of hazelnut and pistachio.
Extra virgin olive oil
Elevate your home cooking when you bring back a bottle of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. You’ll be shocked at the bright green oil with its bitter flavors, but trust that it tastes so good you’ll happily eat it alone with bread or drizzled over homemade soup.
Wine
You’ll want to pack light if you plan to bring Italian wine home! There are plenty of wine shops that can help you make your selection of authentic Italian wines, and some like Enoteca Alessi or Enoteca Pontevecchio also ship abroad, including to the United States.
Grocery store goodies
Filling up your cart at an Italian grocery store can be a fun way to feel like a local! Bring home truffle pasta, cookies, candy, and even cereal for a fun edible souvenir from Florence.
Non-edible souvenirs from Florence
With hundreds of artisanal shops, you can find some beautiful handmade products to bring home as a souvenir from Florence.
Leather goods
You can’t walk 10 minutes down any street in Florence without coming across shops and kiosks bursting with Italian leather goods. Handbags, belts, wallets, shoes, jackets…you name it, and you can find it made from leather!
There are plentiful options of genuine Italian leather goods no matter your budget. Look for the “Made in Italy” label to know you’re getting the real deal.
Want to find your perfect wallet or bag? Take a look at our article on Leather Markets in Florence for a deep dive into San Lorenzo and the other leather markets around the city.
Expert’s Tip: If purchasing goods at one of the many open-air leather markets, it can be an adventure to try haggling with the vendor. Chances are you’ll strike a better deal if you pay with cash.
Italian designer items
With Gucci headquarters right in Florence and dozens of luxury brands with storefronts in the city, if you have the budget and desire, you can score designer items in Florence. You can also save money in the end by receiving the 22% value added tax refund when you claim your purchases at customs.
Jewelry
Fine jewelry-making is a long-standing tradition in Florence, and you can find some beautiful pieces for a souvenir. Just ask the jewelry shop owner about classic designs for a unique, wearable souvenir from Florence.
There are also a number of fine jewelry shops on Ponte Vecchio. The items sold in these shops aren’t taxed since they’re on the bridge over the water and technically not in the city!
Handmade ceramics
Artisan ceramic goods are common around Tuscany and make for a beautiful souvenir from Florence. You can find beautifully painted ceramic spoon rests, fruit bowls, plates, decorative wall hangings, coffee cups, and more! Many shops will wrap your purchases in bubble wrap for you, so you can pack them and bring them home safely.
Wooden trays
While the history of these is unclear, you will find entire shops dedicated to selling intricately decorated wooden trays. The pretty, hand painted pieces give off a Florentine vibe, and they’re quite sturdy and easy to pack since they’re flat.
Additional souvenir ideas
Looking for artwork, perfume, stationary, or more? Have extra suitcase space? Then check out our complete guide to shopping in Florence!
Verity Pryor-Harden is a freelancer of many talents living in the historical Tuscan city of Arezzo while studying Visual Communications in Florence. She’s a sucker for a cold spritz in a piazza on a hot day, enjoys making bizarre wine pairings, and is a Tuscan street food enthusiast. Follow along on Instagram @verityeph.