Shopping in Sri Lanka: Best Souvenirs, Gems and Where to Buy

Sri Lanka has a strong craft tradition, and souvenirs here can be genuinely beautiful — not just keyrings and fridge magnets. Here's what to look for and how to shop well.

Tea

Ceylon tea is the classic souvenir: light, affordable and loved by everyone at home. Buy from tea factories in the hill country, specialist tea shops or supermarkets, and look for the Sri Lanka Tea Board's Lion logo on packs of pure Ceylon tea. Our tea country guide explains the different grades and regions.

Spices

Sri Lanka is the home of true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, "Ceylon cinnamon"), and also grows cloves, cardamom, pepper and nutmeg. Buy spices in supermarkets or markets for the best prices. Many spice gardens near Matale run free tours followed by a sales pitch for spices and herbal remedies at much higher prices; enjoy the tour, but you don't have to buy. See our cooking class and spice garden guide.

Gems

Sri Lanka has been famous for gems for more than 2,000 years — especially blue sapphires, but also star sapphires, rubies, cat's eyes, garnets and moonstones. The centre of the trade is Ratnapura, "City of Gems", where you can visit traditional gem pits.

How to buy safely:

• Buy only from reputable, established jewellers.
• Ask for a certificate and, for valuable stones, have them tested at the National Gem and Jewellery Authority laboratory, which offers testing services to the public.
• Never buy from strangers on the street or anyone who tells you that you can resell gems at a huge profit at home — this is a well-known scam.
• Get a receipt for customs.
• Don't feel pressured by "special prices today only".

Read our safety and scams guide.

Wooden masks

Traditional painted wooden masks are used in Sri Lankan folk dance and healing rituals. The best are made in Ambalangoda, on the coast between Bentota and Hikkaduwa, where you can visit mask workshops and a small mask museum. Masks represent demons (raksha) and characters from folk dramas.

Textiles

• Handloom — colourful cotton saris, sarongs, tablecloths and homewares. Shops such as Barefoot in Colombo are known for their bright handloom designs.
• Batik — wax-dyed cloth made into sarongs, wall hangings and clothes. Many workshops are found around Kandy and the south coast.
• Tailoring — cheap and quick in towns like Galle and Colombo if you bring a design.

Other crafts

• Lacquerware — colourful turned wooden boxes and bowls.
• Brassware and silverware from villages near Kandy.
• Dumbara mats — woven mats from the Kandy region.
• Coconut-shell and wood carvings.
• Kandyan drums and musical instruments.

Laksala, the government-run handicraft shop with branches in Colombo and Kandy, has fixed prices and a wide range — a good place to check what things should cost.

Where to shop

• Colombo — Pettah Market for the bazaar experience, plus boutiques, department stores (such as Odel) and design shops. See our one day in Colombo guide.
• Galle Fort — boutiques, jewellers and design shops inside the ramparts.
• Kandy — crafts, batik and Laksala.
• The hill country — tea direct from factories.

Bargaining

• Markets and street stalls: bargain politely.
• Shops with marked prices, supermarkets and Laksala: fixed prices.
• If your driver takes you to a shop, prices may include their commission.