What to buy in Brazil? — 18+ must-buy souvenirs & best things to buy in Brazil

Brazil is a Latin American country famous for its spectacular beaches accompanied by attractive swimsuits, jazz music and haunted forests. Brazil is also famous for its unique annual festivals that attract millions of participants, wild dances, a favorite destination for football enthusiasts, along with secluded paradise-like islands. With its striking coastline, biodiverse primeval forests and picturesque cities, Brazil is definitely a must-go place for any traveler. Come to Brazil once to discover its beauty of the great Amazon rainforest, the vibrant tourist city of Rio de Janeiro or Salvador, immerse yourself in the passionate Samba dance or joining one of the world’s most vibrant and colorful festivals Carnival. Besides, Brazil also offers a wide selection of gifts for visitors such as premium coffee, organic soaps, colorful woven hammocks, flip flops and precious stones… So, what to buy in Brazil and what should I buy in Brazil as a gift? Let’s check out our Brazil shopping guide with the list of suggested 28+ best Brazil souvenirs (Brazilian souvenirs, best souvenirs from Brazil) including cheap things to buy in Brazil, things must buy in Brazil, things to bring back from Brazil, best things to buy in Brazil as well as where to find them to help you choose the meaningful gifts for your loved ones!

What to buy in Brazil: Local Souvenirs

Brazil is famous for many places that are considered the symbols of Brazil as well as well-known all over the world, such as: The legendary stadium of Maracaña, the statue of Christ the Redeemer or Sugarloaf Mountain… These famous tourist attractions are also simulated into unique meaningful models, souvenirs, chosen by many tourists as gifts after their trip. You can buy miniature figurines, paintings of these icons or vintage T-shirts printed with the words “I love Rio” in many different colors and designs…

Where to buy: You can easily find these souvenirs across gift shops in Brazil, amusement parks, or other tourist attractions…

What to buy in Brazil: Cosmetics

Brazil’s beauty industry is huge, and the country owns some great national cosmetic brands. Natura, Brazilian Bum Bum, Surya Brasil and O Boticário are four well-known brands, many of their cosmetic products use organic ingredients sourced from the Amazon rainforest, giving them a unique scent and natural feel, friendly to your skin and health.

Best things to buy in Brazil: Brazilian Cangas

Cangas is basically a Brazilian beach towel with many uses. It is a popular type of Brazilian sarong-like wrap. It can be used as a scarf, a beach dress or towel, a flowing dress or even a sofa cushion… with a wide range of different color, shapes and sizes. They are pretty and useful at the beach and make a great souvenir of Brazil. Cangas featuring the Brazilian flag are especially popular among tourists. You can find them at beach stores or from vendors right on beaches.

Best things to buy in Brazil: Traditional Samba costumes

Brazil is famous for its vibrant, fascinating Samba dance, which is impressive with traditional costumes with splendid and headdress. If you have the opportunity to come to Brazil, you can also choose to buy yourself these colorful traditional Samba costumes as a very meaningful and hard to find gift. Samba schools in Brazil are the best places for you to try wearing this unique costume as a real samba dancer and buy it as a gift.

It is known that Samba dance is one of the signature cultural features of Brazil that creates vibrant and excitement atmosphere for the streets during festive occasions. These traditional costumes are very unique, colorful dresses along with fancy, magnificent feather hats. You can buy it as a gift for friends who have a hobby of dancing, which is also very suitable.

If there’s only one music that defines Brazil, it’s samba. Samba has its own unique dance and fashion culture and is often associated with Brazil’s annual carnival. The parade traditional costumes featured the neat, toned bodies of the dancers accompanied by splendid, flamboyant hats. The best places to get samba costumes are at samba schools in Rio de Janeiro, where many of the costumes are left over from the annual carnival. Or you can also buy them at souvenir shops.

Brazilian souvenirs: Brazilian football shirts (Brazilian soccer team jerseys)

Brazil is famous as the land of football, home to one of the best teams in the world as well as the world’s best players. If you are a lover of the king sport, you should not miss the opportunity to own yourself a genuine football shirt of Brazilian national football team (Brazil national soccer team shirts) or famous football clubs as a souvenir. Buying Brazilian soccer team jerseys, you will have a choice of shirts of all sizes for all ages, from adults to babies, which are designed with vibrant colors or prints, logos, signatures of famous football clubs and players.

In addition, you can also buy other football-related items such as hats, keychains, socks…

Must buy in Brazil: Cachaça

Cachaca is the name of a very popular drink in Brazil, a distilled spirit that made from fermented sugarcane juice. The cocktail made from cachaca, lemon and sugar is one of the favorite drinks of Brazilians. In the past, this drink was mainly served in restaurants or bars, but over time it has become popular in almost every home in Brazil. Please enjoy this cocktail while in Brazil and bring some bottles of Cachaça for relatives and friends. However, the taste of cocktail will not be equal to the directly processed cocktails here, of course.

To buy the authentic cachaça, you should definitely buy it in Brazil. It’s considered the symbol drink of this country, this sugarcane-based drink is available everywhere and at local distilleries, we guarantee you’ll get the real cachaça. One of the best places to buy cachaça is in Paraty, a small seaside town near Rio de Janeiro that is home to many great cachaça distilleries. You can try before you buy and one of the best cachaça is called Gabriela cachaça with the two varieties: Unaged (white or silver) and aged (yellow or gold).

Must buy in Brazil: Brazilian Candy

What to buy in Brazil as a gift? Brazil is famous for a lot of famous delicious confectionery, so you should remember to choose to buy some typical confectionery here as a very delectable and meaningful gift. It can be Paçoca (Brazilian Peanut Candy), Pão de Mel (Gingerbread), Brigadeiros (Brazilian Fudge Balls), Canjica (Brazilian Hominy Pudding)… Characteristically, Brazilian confectionery is usually less sweet than other, made from healthiest nuts, so it’s good for health and is chosen by many tourists to buy as a snack gift.

Where to buy: Supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores.

What should I buy in Brazil: Havaianas

Havaianas are very popular flip-flops in Brazil as well as around the world dating back to 1962 and immediately received the love of many people thanks to their simplicity, convenience and also what many tourists choose to buy before they leaving Brazil. You can buy these very well-known flip-flops everywhere in the world, but if you go to Brazil on the days of the World Cup, you should buy yourself a pair of Havaianas to join the exciting atmosphere of the match. Havaianas is not only impressed with its simple and convenient design, but also vivid decoration and vibrant colors, suitable for football cheering.

Havaianas can be purchased from footwear stores around the world, but it’s still better to buy them in Brazil, especially during the World Cup season, when they are decorated with eye-catching decorations to keep up with the hot atmosphere on the stands of stadiums. Havaianas are not only bold Brazilian souvenirs but also make your trip more comfortable and smooth when wearing them, especially at beaches. These flip-flops have made a name for their homeland all over the world. They are inspired by ancient Egyptian, Japanese and Greek sandals.

What should I buy in Brazil: Musical instruments

Brazil has many types of typical ethnic music such as samba, forró and funk. Although the large steel drums associated with samba can be difficult to bring home, there are other traditional musical instruments such as the Banjo (which is a stringed musical instrument with a long neck and a hollow circular body), Mandolin (bandolim), and Pandeiro (is a type of hand frame drum, with a cylindrical wooden or formica shell) that make great gifts for music lovers as they are quite compact, easy to carry on. A meaningful cultural gift from Brazil, right?!

Where to buy: Souvenir shops or near football fields.

Things to bring back from Brazil: Brazilian wine

Wine is a great gift worth to buy in Brazil, with many big wineries in the southern of the country, such as in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the large inland state of Minas Gerais. Brazil is famous for its white wines, but red or rosé wines are also popular and are often paired with cheese, especially Canastra cheese (which is made out of raw cow’s milk and has a mildly spicy, full bodied flavour) from Rio. If you have the opportunity to visit the southern regions of Brazil, you should visit vineyards and enjoy their premium wines here, and grab some bottles to bring back. Some great vineyards to visit including Miolo, Marco Luigi, Casa Valduga, Vinícola Peterlongo.

A trip to the south should definitely include a visit to a vineyard to pick up local wines as well as tasting its fine wine. Some best Brazilian wine producers you can refer to such as: Casa Valduga. Vinicola Salton, Pizzato, Aurora, Lidio Carraro, Salton, Perini… along with some best wines are Casa Valduga ‘Leopoldina’ Terroir Merlot; Lidio Carraro Grande Vindima Merlot; Guaspari Vale da Pedra Red; Geisse ‘Cave Geisse’ Extra Brut; Pizzato Chardonnay; Terroir Nature (Cave Geisse); Nature (Don Giovanni); RSV Blush (Casa Valduga); DNA99, Merlot (Pizzato); Quorum (Lidio Carraro); Brazil Intenso Brut (Salton); Sinais, Moscato Giallo (Don Guerino); Pinot Noir (Aurora); Marselan (Perini)… There are many shops selling Brazilian wines in downtown Rio and Sao Paulo also.

Things to bring back from Brazil: Moqueca Pot

Moqueca Pot is a type of clay pot (terra-cotta pot) made from clay and sap of a special tree applied outside to increase water resistance, they are popularly used in Brazil, and often used for stew dishes, especially stewed fish or seafood. To make this type of pot, first make a mold with dried clay, then apply tree sap to retain wate, dry it and put into a kiln, they come in many unique shapes.

Moqueca Pot is the name of a type of clay pot used very commonly in Brazil. Looks quite similar to the earthenware pot in Vietnam, the pot is made from clay and the resin of a special tree applied outside to enhance water resistance ability.

The coffee

Brazil is known as the largest coffee producer in the world, visiting the land of Samba you will be overwhelmed with all kinds of coffee ranging from cheap, popular to high-end. The experience of choosing to buy good, quality Brazilian coffee that you should taste the flavor first and choose for yourself a favorite flavor.

The major Brazilian coffee regions are Minas Cerais (Chapada de Minas, Sul de Minas..); Bahia (Costa Atlantico Bahia, Cerrado de Bahia, Chapada Diamantina ..); Paraná (Norte do Paraná); Espírito Santo; São Paulo (Mogiana, Zona Oeste,..); Rio de Janeiro.

And some best Brazilian coffee brands you can refer to such as Volcanica Brazil Peaberry, Cooper’s Cask Brazilian Espresso Cremoso, Pilao Coffee Traditional Roast and Ground, Peet’s Coffee Brazil Minas Naturais Ground Coffee, Cafe Caboclo ‘Torrado e Moido’ Roast and Ground Coffee, Café Pilao, Café do Ponto, Brazil Santos Coffee, Brazil Santos Coffee…

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world and also has the most fragrant varieties of coffee. You will not be able to help but be dazzled with all kinds of coffees ranging from low-priced to high-class special.

Best souvenirs from Brazil: Manteiga de garrafa (Bottled butter)

Bottled butter (butter-from-a-bottle) similar to Indian ghee, is a specialty in the north of Brazil and is used to top on dishes such as meat, rice and beans for extra flavor and to enhance the flavor of steaks. These butter-filled bottles can be stored at room temperature, they taste great, and would make a practical souvenir for those who love cooking.

Best souvenirs from Brazil: Hammocks

You can easily buy a hammock in Vietnam or in other Southeast Asian countries, but if you come to Brazil, you should also try to buy a hammock as a gift or for self-use to feel the difference. Hammock making is a traditional handicraft in Brazil, they are quite large in size, sturdy design and very durable. You can choose to buy a single hammock or a double hammock with vivid different colors. If you go to the countryside, coast or small towns in Brazil, you will see images of colorful hammocks used by people to rest on hot summer days.

Where to buy: Souvenir shops, local markets, supermarkets across Brazil.

Brazilian Swimwear

There is no better place to get a famous women swimsuits than in Brazil. Famous for their diamond bottoms, surprisingly sexy designs that suit all body types and in true Brazilian style, they come in bright, tropical colors and vibrant patterns. Swimwear isn’t just for women, you can also wear sungas for men, which are small, tight-fitting swim trunks similar to those of Speedo.

Best souvenirs from Brazil: Gemstones

Brazil is known as the paradise of quality gemstones, accounting for 65% of colored gemstones in the world, of which the most famous is in Rio with gems such as: Greengold, Quartz, Topaz, Esperssartita, Tourmaline, Amethyst and Diamond. You can choose to buy yourself gemstones as gifts, which can be bracelets, necklaces or rings attached with emeralds.

The large inland state of Minas Gerais is famous for rare, precious stones, especially emeralds. This is the best place in Brazil to pick up beautiful intricate necklaces, bracelets, earrings or rings studded with local emeralds. Brazil produces about 65% of the world’s colored gemstones, and all major cities have sites dedicated to buying authentic gems and semi-precious stones.

Cheap things to buy in Brazil: Granado Pharmácias Soaps

You can also choose the famous Granado Pharmácias soaps with beautiful colors as a gift after your trip to Brazil. The soap bars are displayed in lovely bags with a very pleasant mild fragrance. Besides, Granado Pharmácias also produces sparkling soaps for children and is very popular.

Granado Pharmacias soap is one of the most famous and eye-catching products in Brazil. They are contained in small bags with a gentle but seductive fragrance. A special feature of this soap is that there are also types for girls with sparkling, eye-catching outer shells.

Cheap things to buy in Brazil: Chili-Infused Oil

One thing that many people may not know is that the cuisine in the north of Brazil is quite spicy. Chili is added to many different recipes and chili-Infused oils are often added to snacks. Many shops in Bahia (a northeastern Brazilian state) sell large bottles of chili-infused oil packed with small red, yellow, and orange peppers. It’s a specialty of this state. It’s not only great for those who like strong spices, but also makes a healthy gift, right?!

Caipirinha

Caipirinha is the name of a very popular cocktail in Brazil. It’s considered the Brazil’s national cocktail. This drink is made from cachaca rum (as mentioned above), lime and sugar. Not only present in bars, pubs or restaurants, Caipirinha cocktail is present in almost families in Brazil. Although it cannot be as perfect as a cocktail that has just been prepared directly, the bottled Caipirinha cocktail also has a Brazilian taste and is a part of its national soul. Still do not know things to bring back from Brazil, what should I buy in Brazil, what to buy in Brazil as well, pick some bottled Caipirinha is a great choice.

Other souvenirs

In addition to the above gifts and souvenirs, you can also buy other souvenirs such as T-shirts, refrigerator magnets, keychains, posters, handicrafts, paintings… printed with well-known Brazilian tourist icons, landmarks…

Brazil shopping guide: Where to shop in Brazil?

Here are some of the biggest shopping malls and centers in Brazil.

• Amazonas Shopping Center: Address: Av. Djalma Batista, 482 – Parque 10 de Novembro, Manaus – AM, 69050-010, Brazil / Hours: 10AM–10PM; Sunday: 12–9PM.
• Brasília Shopping: Address: SCN Quadra 05 BL A – Asa Norte, Brasília – DF, 70715-900, Brazil/Hours: 10AM–10PM; Sunday: 1–7PM.
• Shopping Pier 21: Address: St. de Clubes Esportivos Sul Trecho 2 – Asa Sul, Brasília – DF, 70200-002, Brazil/Hours: 12–10PM; Sunday: 12–8PM.
• Hortomercado: Address: R. Licínio dos Santos Conte, 51 – Enseada do Suá, Vitória – ES, 29050-333, Brazil/Hours: 8AM–11PM; Sunday: 11AM–5PM.
• Shopping Camelão São José: Address: R. Wanderlei Júnior, 256 – Campinas, São José – SC, 88101-010, Brazil/Hours: 9AM–8PM; Sunday: Closed.

For those who love Brazilian music can go to the Bazar Som Três shop (Address: São Bento Centro – R. do Paraíso, 34 – Bloco A Loja 4. Conj – Nazaré, Salvador – BA, 40040-000, Brazil/Hours: 10:30AM–4:30PM; Saturday: 10AM–1PM; Sunday: Closed) — where countless CDs and DVDs on sale. However, the prices here are quite high.

Some other popular shopping places such as:

• Mercado Modelo: Address: Praça Visc. de Cayru, s/n – Comercio, Salvador – BA, 40015-170, Brazil/Hours: 9AM–6PM; Sunday: 9AM–2PM.
• Barra Mall in Salvador City: Address: Av. Centenário, 2992 – Chame-Chame, Salvador – BA, 40149-900, Brazil/Hours: 9AM–10PM; Sunday: 12–8PM.
• Mercadinho Manaus market in Manaus: Address: R. Alexandre Amorim, 413 – Aparecida, Manaus – AM, 69010-300, Brazil/Hours: 7:30AM–8PM; Sunday: Closed.
• Bairro de Santa Felicidade shopping area in Curitiba (the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná).

To save more money and have more choices, you can visit the local markets in Brazil. There are many items here that are priced lower than in shopping centers. Although the price is low, but before buying, you should carefully check the quality as well as bargain before paying. Moreover, here you can buy handmade items as gifts, which are also very reasonable.

Below we introduce some more shopping places in the top tourist city of Rio De Janeiro.

Rio De Janeiro always considered Brazil’s top tourist destination. This place not only attracts tourists by its poetic beaches, bustling streets with unique culture, but also great shopping paradise.

New York City Center

Address: Av. das Américas, 5000 – Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22640-102, Brazil
Hours: 10AM–10PM/Sunday: 1–9PM

When it comes to famous shopping places in Rio De Janeiro, the first name that must be mentioned is New York City Center because it is currently the largest shopping mall in Brazil. It is located right in the downtown area and you can easily spot it with the huge Statue of Liberty just outside the door.

Stepping into this shopping center, you will surely be overwhelmed by hundreds of different large and small stores. You can find a lot of things here, from high fashion, cosmetics, electronics to unique souvenirs. In addition, New York City Center also has 18 cinema rooms, dozens of restaurants and entertainment areas for visitors to explore and experience.

Bossa Nova Shopping Mall

Address: Av. Alm. Silvio de Noronha, 365 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20021-010, Brazil
Hours: 9AM–9PM/Monday: 12AM–9PM/Sunday: 9PM–12AM

Nova Mall is a famous shopping center of Rio De Janeiro. It is located in the northern part of the city and covers a very large area. You can get lost among hundreds of shops here without getting bored. Not only selling high-end products, at Nova, visitors can still find many cheap and popular goods. The goods here are listed at prices, strictly checked, so the quality is always guaranteed.

Leblon

Address: Av. Afrânio de Melo Franco, 290 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22430-060, Brazil
Hours: 10AM–10PM/Sunday: 1–9PM

One of the well-known shopping places in Rio De Janeiro that cannot be ignored is Leblon. This is a high-class shopping center located in the busiest and most splendid Leblon street of the city. Coming to Leblon, you will be able to see the presence of all the world’s most famous fashion brands such as: Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, D&G.

And like many other shopping malls, Leblon also has many restaurants, cinemas and entertainment areas. In particular, there is a famous local ice cream parlor that you should visit, which is Bacio di Latte.

Mercado Uruguaiana

Address: Metro, R. Uruguaiana – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20070-006, Brazil
Hours: 8AM–6PM/Saturday: 9AM–2PM/Sunday: 1–9PM

If you are looking for a cheap shopping place in Rio De Janeiro then Mercado Uruguaiana will definitely be a great choice for you. Here, you can buy a variety of items such as fashion, electronics, jewelry or unique Brazilian costumes. However, because it is a budget shopping place, do not forget to bargain with the seller before deciding to buy anything.

Centro Luiz Gonzaga de Tradições Nordestinas

Address: R. Campo de São Cristóvão – São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20921-240, Brazil
Hours: 10AM–6PM/Saturday: 10AM–4PM/Monday: 1–9PM

Feira Nordestina Sao Cristovao is considered one of the most famous markets in Rio De Janeiro. It’s covering an extremely large area, up to more than 32 thousand square meters and contains more than 600 different large and small shops and stalls. This market is open from Tuesday to Sunday and is always crowded with locals and tourists to visit and shop.

At Feira Nordestina Sao Cristovao, you can find everything such as food, clothes, hammocks, electronics, etc. In particular, coming to this market you also have the opportunity to enjoy street performances, very exciting and fun.

Barra da Tijuca

Address: Av. das Américas, 4666 – Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22640-102, Brazil
Hours: 10AM–10PM/Sunday: 1–9PM

Barra da Tijuca is an extremely busy and bustling neighborhood. It was founded by the American community living in Rio De Janeiro. Along the street are a variety of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. You can see many of the world’s top luxury fashion brands in this neighborhood.

Ipanema

Talking about top shopping places in Rio De Janeiro without mention to Ipanema neighbourhood, it would be extremely regrettable. This place has both high-end and low-cost shopping areas for visitors to explore. If you want to buy luxury fashion items, you can visit Garcia or Maria streets. As for cheap items, Visconde de Piraja street is paradise. In particular, in Ipanema, there is an extremely busy and bustling Hippie market.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Rio de Janeiro you can refer to

• Rio: Christ the Redeemer Official Ticket by Cog Train
• Rio de Janeiro: Sugarloaf Cable Car Official Ticket
• Rio: Maracanã Stadium Official Entrance Ticket
• From Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis Boat Trip with Lunch
• Rio: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, & Selaron Day Tour
• Rio De Janeiro: Half-Day Rocinha Favela Walking Tour
• Rio de Janeiro: Sunset Sailing Tour
• Rio de Janeiro: Favela Santa Marta Tour with a Local Guide
• Rio de Janeiro Hang Gliding Adventure
• Rio de Janeiro: 30 or 60-Minute Highlights Helicopter Tour
• Rio de Janeiro: Carnival 2023 Samba School Parade Ticket
• Rio De Janeiro: Half-Day Rocinha Favela Walking Tour

Happy traveling! Read more Brazil guide here.