Souvenirs from Pakistan: What to Buy and Where

The best souvenirs from Pakistan are the things each region makes for itself: an ajrak or Sindhi topi from Sindh, blue pottery, khussa and camel-skin lamps from southern Punjab, Khewra salt lamps, Peshawari chappals, Kashmiri shawls and papier-mâché, and dry fruit and embroidery from Gilgit-Baltistan. Most of them can be bought in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, so you don't have to travel to the place of origin to bring one home.

This guide goes region by region, gives the prices a government craft shop was charging in October 2026 as a benchmark, and covers what packs well, what breaks, and what you should not try to take out of the country at all.

What are the best souvenirs from Pakistan?

If you only have room for a few things, these are the ones that are genuinely Pakistani, made by hand, and easy to carry:

• Ajrak. Sindh's block-printed cloth in deep red and indigo, worn as a shawl, used as a gift and draped on guests as a mark of respect.
• Sindhi topi. The embroidered, mirror-worked cap with an arch cut out at the front. Wikipedia notes the hand-made ones come mainly from Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and the rest of the Mirpurkhas division.
• Blue pottery. The white, turquoise and cobalt glazed ware of Multan, sold as plates, mugs, vases and tiles.
• Khussa. Flat, hand-stitched leather shoes, often embroidered, from Sindh and southern Punjab.
• A Khewra salt lamp. Carved from the pink rock salt of the Salt Range.
• A shawl. Kashmiri embroidered wool, or a plain Chitrali or Hunza woollen.
• Dry fruit. Apricots, walnuts, almonds and mulberries from the north, or pine nuts and pistachios from the markets of Quetta and Peshawar.

The rest of this guide is about where each of these comes from and where to buy it well.

Where can you buy Pakistani souvenirs in one place?

Two kinds of shop save a lot of running around.

Pakistan Handicrafts Shop. A Punjab government shop with branches at 14-A Davis Road in Lahore, the Quaid-e-Azam Shopping Centre in Multan, Farid Gate Road in Bahawalpur, and Rizwan Plaza on Jinnah Avenue in Islamabad's Blue Area. It stocks crafts from all over the country at fixed, labelled prices, and it has an online shop at handicrafts.punjab.gov.pk. Even if you buy elsewhere, its prices are a useful check on what a bazaar is asking.

Lok Virsa, Islamabad. The national heritage institute at Shakarparian has a craft shop alongside the museum, and its artisans' events bring makers from every province. Our Lok Virsa Museum guide covers timings and what else is there.

For city-by-city detail, we have separate guides to souvenirs from Lahore, Karachi souvenirs and souvenirs from Islamabad.

What do souvenirs from Pakistan cost?

These are the prices the Pakistan Handicrafts Shop's online store listed in October 2026. Bazaar prices may be lower or higher, and all prices change, so treat them as a benchmark rather than a quote.

The pattern is clear: small craft pieces cost a few hundred rupees, a good gift for a family member costs PKR 1,000 to 4,000, and brass, copper and carved wood go well beyond that.

Souvenirs from Sindh

Sindh gives Pakistan its best-known textiles. Ajrak is the obvious one. It is resist-printed with carved wooden blocks and natural dyes, and the hand-printed cloth is printed on both sides, which is the quickest way to tell it from a screen-printed copy. Our guide to Sindhi ajrak block printing explains the process and the tests in detail.

The Sindhi topi usually goes with it, and the pair are what Sindhis give each other as a sign of respect. Sindhi Culture Day, held in December, started in 2009 as Sindhi Topi Day, and the bazaars are full of both in the weeks before.

Beyond those, look for rilli (patchwork quilts), mirror-work embroidery from Thar, and the glazed tiles and lacquered wood of Hala. Our guides to Hala handicrafts and Thar handicrafts cover them. In Karachi, the craft shops of Zainab Market in Saddar are the usual place to find ajrak and topis together.

Souvenirs from Punjab

Punjab's crafts are the easiest to find, because Lahore stocks the whole province.

• Multani blue pottery. Plates and mugs are the practical buy. Our Multani blue pottery guide covers the workshops.
• Khussa. Multan and Lahore both have khussa bazaars. Wikipedia lists Sindhi, Multani, Punjabi and Jacobabadi among the styles, decorated with embroidery, mirrors, beads and pompoms.
• Camel-skin lamps. A Multan speciality. They are lighter than they look but crush easily.
• Khewra salt lamps. Sold at the mine itself and across the country. Our post on Khewra salt lamp prices explains how to check for real rock salt.
• Chiniot woodwork. Carved furniture is a shipping job, but small boxes and trays fit in a bag.
• Phulkari. Punjab's darned flower embroidery, now mostly machine-made; the real thing is worked from the back in untwisted silk.

Our guide to Punjab handicrafts goes through each city.

Souvenirs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Peshawari chappal, or kheri, is the classic buy: a heavy leather sandal with two crossed straps and a buckled heel strap, worn with shalwar kameez. Wikipedia lists Peshawar, Chakwal, Talagang, Hazro, Sargodha and Kohat among its production centres. Chitral gives you the Chitrali patti woollen cloth and the rolled-brim pakol cap, and Swat is known for embroidery and the painted floral "Swati" style.

The UK government currently advises against all travel to Peshawar, Swat and Charsadda after a series of attacks in 2026, including the Kabal police station bombing in Swat on 2 August that killed 17. Pakistani visitors still go, but check local news and police advice first. You don't need to go at all to buy these: chappal makers and Chitrali caps are sold in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Lahore. See our guides to the Chitrali cap and to Peshawar shopping.

Souvenirs from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir

From the north, the best things are what the valleys grow and stitch: sun-dried apricots, walnuts, mulberries, apricot kernel oil, woollen caps and coats, and the cross-stitch embroidery of Hunza's women. Gemstones are sold everywhere and are the riskiest buy in the country; don't spend serious money unless you know stones. Our Gilgit-Baltistan souvenir guide covers all of it.

Azad Kashmir and the Kashmiri shops in Murree, Lahore and Islamabad sell embroidered shawls, papier-mâché boxes, namda felt rugs and walnut-wood carving. Our guide to Azad Kashmir handicrafts explains how to judge them. The UK advises against all travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control and all but essential travel to the rest of AJK, and the protests there in June 2026 led the AJK government to ask tourists to stay away for part of that month, so check the current situation before you go.

Souvenirs from Balochistan

Balochi mirror-work embroidery, carpets and onyx are the region's well-known crafts, and Quetta's bazaars are among the best places in the country for dry fruit. The UK advises against all travel to Balochistan, and most travellers buy Balochi pieces elsewhere: onyx is sold in every craft shop in the country, and Balochi embroidered dresses turn up in Karachi's markets. Our Quetta souvenirs and Balochi dress guides have more.

Food you can take home

Edible souvenirs are often the ones people actually want. Dry fruit is the main one; buy it vacuum-packed if you are flying. Multan's sohan halwa comes in sealed tins that travel well (see our Multani sohan halwa guide), and Khairpur's dates are sold in boxes across Sindh. Mangoes are the summer favourite, in season from roughly June to August.

If you are taking food abroad, check your destination country's customs rules before you buy. Many countries restrict fresh fruit, and some restrict nuts and dairy, whatever the airline allows.

How to pack souvenirs so they survive

• Wrap pottery and lamps in clothes and put them in the middle of a hard suitcase, not at the edges.
• Salt lamps are heavy. A medium lamp can use a lot of your baggage allowance; a small one or a set of salt candle holders gives the same effect.
• Keep salt dry. Salt draws moisture, so seal it in a plastic bag.
• Shawls and textiles go in hand luggage if they are valuable. They don't break and you don't want to lose them.
• Carpets and furniture are a shipping question, not a packing one. Ask the shop for a written price that includes packing and delivery.
• Keep receipts for gemstones, carpets and anything expensive, in case you are asked about it at customs.

Our Pakistan packing list suggests leaving space in the bag for exactly this.

What should you not buy?

• Antiques and Gandhara sculpture. Pakistan's Antiquities Act controls the export of antiquities, and most "ancient" Buddhist pieces offered to visitors are either fakes or should not be on sale. Buy new work made in the old style instead.
• Shahtoosh. Shawls woven from Tibetan antelope wool are banned in international trade under CITES.
• Wildlife products. Skins, horns, ivory and anything from protected species, including the markhor, are illegal to trade and to import almost anywhere.
• Gems without proof. Coloured glass and treated stones are sold as rubies and emeralds every day.

Is it worth buying souvenirs in Pakistan?

Yes, and the best reason is that most of the money goes straight to the person who made the thing. A hand-printed ajrak or a cap from a women's craft shop in Hunza costs a few thousand rupees and lasts for years.

The best place to buy depends on your trip. If you are touring, buy where things are made, because you will see more and often pay less. If you are only in one city, Lahore and Islamabad stock almost everything, and the government shop's fixed prices take the guesswork out of it. For other ways to fill a day between bazaars, see our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions