5 Souvenir Items From Nepal That You Can Buy Online

Nepal is a country with diversified traditions, religions, castes, and cultures. People, despite differences in their beliefs and languages, live in harmony. Home to the magnificent Himalayas, Nepal reigns supreme when it comes to landscapes. Expanded from the plains of Terai to the peaks of the Himalayas, Nepal offers everything that there is in terms of geography and nature. Our world-famous trekking routes and national parks are full of vastly rare wildlife. The bustling market and streets, where the cultures come to life and you can take a piece of them with you. Nepal is the perfect place for an adrenaline rush and a life-changing experience. This is the reason why Nepal ranks high on most adventurers’ bucket lists.

If you are lucky enough to have made it here, you will want to bring a keepsake or two with you back home to remind you of your once-in-a-lifetime trip. From Kathmandu’s timeless Thamel streets of Patan’s fair-trade shops that hold local antiques and handicrafts, to the lakeside in Pokhara, you will find all sorts of unique souvenirs to take with you. But when you’re running low on time and can’t hunt for treasures yourself, Himalayan Merchandise offers a piece of these souvenirs that you can purchase online and have delivered to you anywhere. 

Here is a list of the top 5 souvenir items from Nepal that you can buy online. 

1. Pashmina clothing: 

Pashmina (aka cashmere) products are the finest forms of craftsmanship that are made from the hair of Chyangra (a kind of mountain goat). Pashmina shawls are especially very famous among tourists and can be found in various qualities priced differently. These shawls are colourful, delicate, soft, and luxurious and make great gifts. To quality as Pashmina, the fabric must be made from yarn with a 97% purity. So watch out for mixes that incorporate synthetic materials.

2. Lokta Paper Products:

Lokta paper is also known as Nepali Kagaj (paper). It has been used in Nepal since the 12th century and was actually the only kind of paper produced and found in Nepal until the 20th century.  Even now the tradition of using Nepali paper is kept alive. It is used for all kinds of land ownership papers (lal purja) and other legal documents. It is very popular in making crafts, decorative paper, making dairies, lamp-decors, greeting cards, and other accessories. Lokta paper is also great for bookbinding, origami, block-printing, and reusable gift wrap. It comes in various sizes, textures, colours, and patterns, making each paper unique and stunning.

Read: Nepalese Lokta Paper and its Significance

Lokta papers offer all the goodness of normal, commercial papers and add more. They are sustainable, ethical, fully organic, eco-friendly, and a revenue stream for local artisans. Browse our catalogue for beautiful and durable Lokta papers in different designs, patterns, textures, and colours. You can choose different Lokta paper products like notebooks, lampshades, greeting cards, prayer flags, Lokta paper art, and photo album. 

By supporting our Lokta papers, you are supporting the Nepali papermakers and promoting our rich culture. 

3. Nepali Art and handicrafts:

Nepali folk art is truly one of a kind and something that you should not miss to buying a souvenir. These ancient arts include painting, sculpture, and architecture that recount the stories of our glorious past. Thangka paintings, Mithila art, and other handicrafts take a lot of time, effort, and resources for skilled artisans to make. When you buy these artworks, handicrafts, and sculptures, you are supporting these local and talented artisans who dedicate their lives to making art.

Such pieces of art are great for decoration. You can enrich your collection of antiques if you have one with Nepali art and handicrafts.

4. Tibetan Prayer Flags:

Another very popular souvenir items that tourists buy from Nepal are the Tibetan prayer flags. Tibetan prayer flags are colourful rectangular cloths with various symbols and mantras traditionally handpainted or printed on them. You can easily find them strung about on strings on trails around stupas and even the Himalayas. The flags are inscribed with auspicious symbols, invocations, symbols, and mantras. With a slight wind, they flutter and transmit good luck and harmony in the atmosphere.

Today, people string them in outdoor areas or even inside their homes all over the world for good luck, good health, and harmony. They also double as very thoughtful gifts.

Read: The Meaning of Tibetan Prayer Flags

5. Singing Bowls: 

Singing bowls are traditionally hand-made from seven metals: copper, tin, zinc, lead, iron, silver, and gold. A singing bowl comes with a wooden mallet which when rubbed or stroked against the bowl, produces a deep, rich vibrating sound. This soothing, harmonious sound lingers in the air long after you stop playing the bowl. The sound of singing bowls is believed to have many health benefits and is also used in meditation. In fact, singing bowl therapy is a 2500-year-old Tibetan technique practised to soothe the body, mind, and soul. 

The sound and vibrations made by these bowls depend largely on the size of the bowl and the proportion of their ingredient metals. You can find full moon singing bowls and mantra patterned singing bowls, all handmade by talented artisans in Nepal. Singing bowls are becoming more popular each day. They are one of the most sought-out souvenirs for tourists from all over the world.

Read: Singing Bowls for Beginners

Other Items we missed:

Other souvenir items from Nepal include Khukuri, Nepali tea, coffee, handmade jewellery, statues, books, etc.

Books: Books are also a popular choice for tourists to take home as books are cheaper in Nepal than anywhere else. These books with the label ‘for sale in the Indian Subcontinent only’ are made sustainably from affordable paper. You can buy any travel guides, books on Nepal’s rich culture and grand history as well as any modern literature. 

Books are easier to travel with and are a wise choice for gifts. You can find large and well-equipped bookstores in any city or buy them online at Books Mandala. You can have them shipped anywhere, even internationally. Books Mandala also has physical stores at major cities Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Everything else, you can easily find them at any popular tourist destination, especially Kathmandu and Pokhara. When buying from physical stores, you can bargain for lower prices. Bargaining is pretty common in Nepal, especially for keepsakes and souvenir items. Some vendors mark items at tremendously high prices. Although the price largely depends on the authenticity and quality of items, it is still possible to lower the prices sometimes. Still, vendors and artisans make a living off selling artworks. So, make sure you are asking for a fair price that won’t affect their business.

Beware of forgery and cheap items disguised as antiques. When buying items labelled as ‘antiques’, remember that such items are mostly fake. In very rare cases, if you happen to come across bonafide antiques, you cannot take them outside of Nepal without permission from the government.

As for the items mentioned in the blog, you can buy them all at Himalayan Merchandise.

Himalayan Merchandise is a creative Nepali online marketplace that aims to promote and sell gifts, merch, and exclusive goods and products that are designed and handcrafted in and speak for Nepal. Our products are authentic, 100% made in Nepal, and come at the best prices. We also ship internationally at an affordable price and sell in bulk for traders as well.