Souvenir Shopping in Rio
Most Rio souvenir shopping is a trap — same plastic Christ statues, same overpriced caipirinha sets, sold at every airport gate. This guide is the opposite: the five things genuinely worth bringing home, where locals buy them, what to pay, and which markets are worth a Sunday morning. Built by people who hand-carry cachaça home every time.
Quick answer — the five worth buying
Havaianas (any Havaianas store), Brazilian coffee beans (Mercado Cobal or Curato), artisanal cachaça (Lidador or Mistral), Granado natural toiletries (any pharmacy), leather goods from the Sunday Hippie Fair in Ipanema.
The five worth bringing home
1. Havaianas flip-flops
The original Brazilian rubber flip-flop. In Brazil they cost R$30–80; in the US/EU you'll pay 3× that. Buy at any official Havaianas store (the flagship on Rua Visconde de Pirajá in Ipanema has the full range, including limited-edition designs you can't buy abroad). Tip: ask for the "tradicional" model — the original.
2. Brazilian specialty coffee beans
Brazil grows ~35% of the world's coffee and the best beans are roasted locally and never exported. Buy single-origin from Curato in Leblon, Cafeína (multiple locations), or the coffee stalls at Mercado Cobal in Humaitá. R$40 for 250g. See our coffee shops guide for tastings before buying.
3. Artisanal cachaça
Forget supermarket Pitú. Buy bottle-aged artisanal cachaça — Yaguara, Magnífica, Engenho Novo. At Lidador (Av. Rio Branco in Centro, also Leblon) you'll find 200+ varieties. The barrel-aged ones (envelhecida em umburana, jequitibá, carvalho) sip like a fine rum or whisky. R$80–150 per bottle.
4. Granado pharmacy products
Granado is a 220-year-old Brazilian apothecary brand — natural soaps, glycerine, traditional pink talc, body lotions with native ingredients (pitanga, açaí, cumaru). The flagship store on Rua Primeiro de Março in Centro is worth a visit, but you can also buy at any decent pharmacy or shopping mall. R$20–60 per item. Compact, doesn't break, beautiful packaging.
5. Leather and silver from the Hippie Fair
Sunday morning at Praça General Osório (Ipanema, Metro: General Osório). Handmade leather sandals, handbags, silver and semi-precious-stone jewelry, original paintings. The quality of the leather is genuinely high; haggle politely (10–15% off is reasonable).
The markets worth a trip
Feira Hippie de Ipanema
Sundays 09:00–18:00, Praça General Osório. The highest-quality artisan market in the South Zone. Walking distance from any Ipanema/Leblon hotel. Combine with breakfast at a local padaria.
Feira de São Cristóvão (Centro Luís Gonzaga)
A covered Northeastern-Brazil market 25 min north of the South Zone. Opens Wednesday evening through Sunday. Hammocks (R$80–200), Bahian linen clothing, leather hats, dried meats, traditional forró music every weekend night. The Sunday-afternoon crowd is local and lively. Take Uber — public transport gets you most of the way but the area isn't tourist-walking-friendly at night.
Saara market (Centro)
Pedestrian-only commercial district downtown, Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00. Everything cheap and chaotic: Brazilian flag flip-flops, beachwear, party supplies, costumes, kitchenware. Not artisanal — just very cheap. Go weekday mornings only, leave valuables locked up.
Shopping malls — Shopping Leblon & Village Mall
For air-conditioned, fixed-price shopping: Shopping Leblon (Av. Afrânio de Melo Franco) has Havaianas, Granado, Osklen and Brazilian designer boutiques in one safe building. Village Mall in Barra is bigger and more upmarket — Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, the whole roster, plus all the local brands.
What to skip
- Airport gift shops — 50% markup on everything except duty-free spirits.
- Beachfront vendors — fake Havaianas, generic souvenirs at tourist prices.
- Plastic Christ statues — buy a print or photo from a Hippie Fair artist instead.
- Caipirinha kits — just buy good cachaça and a fresh lime in your home country.
Shop where the locals do
The best souvenir is the story behind it — a guided Rio market tour with 15+ exotic tropical fruit tastings, straight from the stalls Cariocas actually buy at.
Book the market & fruit tourLinks may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. This supports PlanRio.
Related guides
Best Coffee Shops
Where to taste before you buy beans to take home.
Brazilian Food
Edible souvenirs — coffee, cachaça and beyond.
Money Guide
Cash vs card at markets and what to negotiate.
Neighbourhoods
Ipanema, Leblon and Centro shopping zones.
Buying Havaianas
Where to buy genuine pairs, sizing and the styles worth taking home.
Brazilian Bikini Guide
What to buy, where, and how Brazilian beachwear sizing works.
Best Shopping in Rio
Malls, local labels and markets — where to actually shop.
FAQ
What are the best souvenirs to buy in Rio de Janeiro?
The five worth buying: Havaianas flip-flops (1/3 of the price you'd pay in the US/EU, sold genuine at any Havaianas store), Brazilian coffee beans from the Mercado Cobal in Humaitá or Curato in Leblon, cachaça (look for Yaguara, Engenho Novo or Magnífica — not the airport tourist bottles), Granado natural toiletries (the 200-year-old Rio apothecary brand), and traditional Bahian-pattern hammocks from Feira de São Cristóvão. Skip generic Christ-statue keychains — buy them last day at the airport if you must.
Where is the best place to shop for souvenirs in Rio?
Three legit shopping zones: the Hippie Fair (Feira Hippie de Ipanema, every Sunday at Praça General Osório) for handcrafted leather, art and jewelry; Feira de São Cristóvão (Wednesday evening to Sunday) for Northeastern-Brazil crafts, hammocks and forró music; and Saara market downtown (weekday mornings) for everything chaotic and cheap. Shopping malls (Leblon, Village Mall) carry Havaianas, Granado and Osklen at fixed mid-range prices.
Is the Hippie Fair in Ipanema worth visiting?
Yes — every Sunday 09:00–18:00 at Praça General Osório (Metro: General Osório). It's the highest-quality artisan market in the South Zone: handmade leather sandals, silver jewelry, original paintings, wood crafts, food stalls. Prices are 2–3× higher than Saara but quality is genuinely artisanal. Negotiate politely (10–15% off is fair); pay cash for better prices.
Can you buy cachaça in Rio that's actually good?
Yes — avoid the cheap supermarket Pitú and 51 (industrial, harsh), and skip the airport gift bottles (overpriced). Look for artisanal cachaça (cachaça artesanal): Yaguara, Magnífica, Engenho Novo, Salinas, Boazinha. Buy at Lidador (Leblon and Centro), Mistral, or any decent Zona Sul wine shop. Budget R$60–120 for a good 700ml bottle. A barrel-aged cachaça (envelhecida em carvalho) is the closest thing to a sipping spirit.
Is the Saara market in downtown Rio safe for tourists?
Yes during weekday daylight hours (09:00–17:00) — it's a pedestrian-only district packed with locals doing actual shopping. The streets are crowded enough that crime is opportunistic at most: leave your phone in your front pocket, carry a daypack on your front, and don't display a camera around your neck. Go Mon–Fri morning, avoid Saturday late afternoon and never go after dark. Cheapest place in the city for Brazilian flag flip-flops, beachwear, party supplies.
How much should I budget for souvenirs in Rio?
Realistic budget per traveller for the typical bring-home haul: Havaianas pair R$40–80, coffee 250g R$40, cachaça R$80, Granado soap and body lotion R$60, a small leather item from the Hippie Fair R$80–150, plus assorted small gifts R$50. Total ~R$350–500 (USD 70–100) covers most people. Skip the airport for everything except last-minute coffee — prices there are 50%+ higher.
Plan your Rio trip
See our trip planner to slot a Sunday Hippie Fair morning into your itinerary.