🎁 Gifts and souvenirs from Finland 2025–2026: the most comprehensive guide to what to buy and who to give it to

Created at: Dec 04, 2025

❄️ Why Finland is the best country for gifts

Finland is not about ‘grabbing a magnet and running away’. It's a country where gifts smell like Paulig coffee, shine like Iittala glass, rustle like Marimekko textiles, warm like a sauna, and sometimes even purr like soft Moomin toys in your suitcase.

But here's the honest truth:

there are too many cool gifts in Finland — and it's too easy to buy the wrong thing.

Every tourist experiences the same thing:

— one bag is stuffed with food,

— another with glassware that's scary to carry,

— the third with cute souvenirs that look like ‘why did I buy this?’ at home.

And all this happens because you don't know the logic of Finland:

who to give what to, what really works , where it's cheaper , what to buy in Helsinki , what to take in Lapland , what you can order online and what customs simply won't let through.

This mega guide is your ‘northern navigator’. It won't give you abstract advice — it will guide you through the entire Finnish gift-giving system:

by age, budget, season, personal taste, shop, region, mistakes and life hacks.

🎯 Who to give gifts to: the main logic behind Finnish gifts

Finnish gifts are best chosen not by category, but by person.

Finns always think:

‘What will this gift do in a person's life? Why do they need it?’

Here is the main logic:

🎁 Who → What to give:

Children 1–12: Moomins, books, board games, soft toys, cosy clothes.
Teenagers: trendy brands, TikTok hits, cosmetics, merchandise.
Parents and adults: sauna sets, design, tableware, textiles, candles.
Finns: food, coffee, chocolate, small practical gifts.
Fans of the country: Moomin, Aurora posters, Iittala, rock merch, hockey. Colleagues/neighbours: candles, tea, sweets, cute home decor for €10–20.

We will reveal each group below — in detail, with emotions and examples.

🧸 Gifts for children and teenagers

Finland is a country that children feel better than adults.

Here, the magic of the Moomins meets the practicality of the northern world.

🎁 Best for toddlers

Soft Moomin toys and blankets
Picture books with Finnish illustrations
Wooden toys
Creative kits

🎁 Great for schoolchildren

Puzzles and board games (the Finns make great ones!) • Small Moomin mugs
Themed chocolate sets
Bright socks, hats, mittens

🎁 Teens love:

TikTok top Finnish retail brands
Lumene — skincare for teens
Backpacks and accessories • Merch from Helsinki/Lapland

🧩 Mini tip: Teenagers respond better to gifts with a story behind them. For example, a poster of the Northern Lights with the caption ‘This was taken on a night when the temperature dropped to −28 °C’. Practical items win over ‘cute’ ones.

👉 Details: Gifts for children and teenagers →

☕ Edible gifts: the taste of Finland without the fuss

Finnish food is always a win-win.

Fazer chocolate, Paulig coffee, Nordqvist tea, berries, pastes, spices – these are things that everyone loves.

Best categories:

Chocolate: Fazer Blue, Fazer with berries, Geisha Coffee: Paulig Presidentti, Juhla Mokka

Tea: Nordqvist with northern flavours

Berries: blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries

Spices and sauces: for fish and grilling

Snacks: rye crisps, biscuits

💡 Life hack: it is most profitable to buy food at K-Citymarket and Prisma. In Duty Free, there are only limited editions and gift sets.

👉 Details: Edible gifts →

🧖 Wellness and sauna gifts: northern self-care

Finns cannot imagine life without a sauna.

Tableware is beautiful.

But a sauna is an emotion.

Best ideas:

ladle and scoop
birch brooms / vihta • hats
essential oils
Lumene cosmetics
towels and waffle textiles

🔥 Northern Evening sauna set:
— towel,
— hat,
— ladle,
— eucalyptus oil,
— lingonberry candle,
— small chocolate.

👉 Details: Sauna and wellness gifts →

🎨 Home decor: ‘little Helsinki’ in your own home

A good Finnish interior is

lots of light, lots of wood, lots of air and one detail that sets the mood.

Great gifts:

Iittala glassware
Marimekko textiles
Posters with lakes and bays
Candlesticks and candles
Wooden figurines
Minimalist tableware

👉 Details: Home decor →

💙 Gifts for fans of Finland

Fans of this country are in a world of their own.

They will appreciate not just the gift, but the vibe.

The best:

Moomin mugs and limited editions
Aurora posters
Hockey merchandise
Rock/metal merch
Designer trinkets from Stockmann

🏙 Helsinki Gift Route — how to buy everything in one day

Helsinki is designed for convenient shopping.

Route:

✔ Kauppatori

✔ Market Hall

✔ Design District

✔ Marimekko

✔ Iittala

✔ Moomin Shop

✔ Stockmann

✔ Prisma / Normal

👉 Details: Helsinki Gift Route →

🌐 Where to buy Finnish gifts online

If you can't travel but need gifts, there is a solution.

Best shops:

Finnish Design Shop
Touch of Finland
Moomin Shop Online
FinnStyle

👉 Details: Where to buy gifts online →

🚫 What NOT to buy

Finland is an honest country, and yes, there are trashy souvenirs here too.

Don't buy:

✘ ‘I ❤️ Finland’ sweatshirts ✘ giant mugs

✘ cheap plastic

✘ fake ‘Finnish design’

✘ extreme salmiakki

✘ fragile heavy items

👉 Details: Finnish souvenirs that everyone regrets buying →

🚔 What customs may NOT let through

The main thing here is not to break the law.

Restrictions:

meat
dairy products
fish
alcohol
fur
knives

👉 Details: Gifts and customs →

♻️ Where to put unwanted souvenirs

Finns know how to give things a second life.

Where to take them:

Kierrätyskeskus
UFF • Facebook Marketplace
kirpputori

👉 Details: What to do with unwanted souvenirs →

💌 When a Finnish gift becomes something more

You've come all this way — from the Moomins to saunas, from glass to coffee, from Helsinki to Lapland. And now there is one main conclusion:

Finnish gifts are not about things. They are about history. About winter. About care.

About what you saw, felt, chose — and brought home.

Let every towel rustle with the scent of the sauna. Let every mug remind you of a frosty morning and warm coffee.

Let every candle be a little northern sun in your room.

And most importantly, let your gifts be not ‘just another pretty box,’

but a living memory that is difficult to lose and pleasant to use.

If you found this article helpful:

✨ save it,

✨ share it with your friends,

✨ write in the comments what you ended up buying,

✨ ask us anything we haven't covered yet.

Your experience is our gold.

1) What is considered a ‘real’ Finnish gift, and what is considered a regular souvenir?

A real Finnish gift is something that lives in Finnish homes, is used every day, and is made locally (textiles, glass, cosmetics, food, sauna accessories). A souvenir is something created for tourists, often without any connection to the culture: cheap plastic, nameless figurines, fragile dust collectors.

The main criterion: can you imagine this in a typical Finnish home? If not, it's most likely a souvenir.

2) What to give if you don't know the person's tastes at all?

There is a universal Finnish minimum:

— Fazer chocolate,

— Paulig coffee,

— Nordqvist tea,

— a candle,

— a small item made from Finnish textiles,

— a sauna set.

These are safe gifts that are suitable for all ages and cultures.

3) Which Finnish brands are most valued?

Marimekko, Iittala, Arabia, Aarikka, Lumene, Moomin, Fiskars, Marttiini, Pentik.

These brands are a ‘guarantee of quality’ in the eyes of Finns and expats, they are easily recognisable, and gifts with them always look appropriate.

4) What is better to buy in supermarkets and what in design shops?

At Prisma/K-Citymarket/Lidl, buy food, sweets, coffee, spices and snacks.

At Iittala/Marimekko/Aarikka/Design District, buy tableware, textiles, candles, decor and anything that is aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting. At Duty Free, only buy limited editions or if you need a last-minute purchase.

5) What can you buy in Helsinki in one day without running around in circles?

Follow this logic: market → design → large stores → supermarket.

The optimal route: Kauppatori → Market Hall → Design District → Marimekko → Iittala → Stockmann → Prisma. This way, you'll cover everything without walking unnecessary kilometres.

6) What should you bring back for children so that they will really enjoy it and not just put it on a shelf?

Best: Moomin toys, children's books, board games, puzzles, bright socks, blankets, sweets, soft snacks, small mugs. Worst: fragile figurines, snow globes, ‘collectible’ decor that cannot be touched.

7) What gifts do Finns definitely dislike?

Finns dislike:

— overly expensive gifts,

— loud souvenirs,

— alcohol without warning,

— surprises that create obligations. Ideal: inexpensive, practical, sincere.

8) What items may be seized by customs?

Under strict control:

meat, dairy products, certain types of fish, strong alcohol, knives, furs, animal products.

Before buying, check the official rules of Tulli (Finnish customs): tulli.fi.

9) Where can you buy ‘safe’, honest items without the risk of fakes?

The best places:

— Finnish Design Shop

— Official Moomin Shop

— Iittala / Marimekko brand stores

— Aarikka

— Stockmann

— Prisma (for food)

10) How to choose a gift that reminds you of Finland but doesn't look corny?

Ask yourself 3 questions:

1️⃣ ‘Would I use this myself?’

2️⃣ ‘Does it have a northern character — texture, material, scent?’

3️⃣ ‘Does it fit into a normal home, not just a Christmas display?’

If the answers are ‘yes’, the gift will last a long time, and that's what makes it Finnish.

By:

Ksenia

Post: I write about Finland — simply, clearly, and with respect for the details.

My name is Ksenia, I’m 33 years old and I’m one of the authors of the travel guide to Finland. I write for those who want to understand the country deeper than…

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