Unique Souvenirs To Pick Up In San Francisco

A T-shirt, a mug, a box of Ghirardelli chocolates? You can do better. Instead of getting caught up in the typical San Francisco tourist traps, bring home some souvenirs that your friends and family will actually enjoy – gifts that even local San Franciscans would love. Check out our top picks to replace the city’s most clichéd souvenirs.

Instead of a mug, local coffee grounds

Famously shrouded in a blanket of fog affectionately dubbed with the nickname ‘Karl‘, San Francisco’s overcast nature inspires residents to warm up with a cup of joe. San Franciscans are notorious coffee snobs, unwaveringly loyal to their favorite local brews. Instead of picking up a ceramic ‘I Heart SF’ mug from a random tourist store, stop by an indie coffee shop to sip on a cold brew and grab a bag of coffee grounds. Some local favorites include Blue Bottle Coffee, Four Barrel Coffee, Ritual Coffee Roasters, and Sightglass Coffee.

Instead of a T-shirt, something from a local clothing line

Instead of Ghirardelli Chocolates, Dandelion Chocolates

Downtown San Francisco famously hosts the Original Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory, making Ghirardelli chocolates a staple among standard San Francisco souvenirs. Instead of shuttling yourself through the throngs of tourists in Ghirardelli Square, locals will tell you to head south to the Mission district, where you’ll find Dandelion Chocolate. There, you can take a tour of the chocolate factory or grab a seat in the cafe with a Parisian-style hot cocoa and watch the chocolatiers turn cocoa beans from around the world into chocolate bars before your eyes. Bring home some bars or a box of chocolates to give friends and family a taste of something that can truly only be found in San Francisco.

Instead of Boudin Bread, Chinatown fortune cookies

San Francisco is famous for its sourdough bread, especially that of Boudin Bakery. Instead of crowding into the Boudin next to the always busy Union Square, wander northward to find a shop that many locals have never even been to. Nestled among the colorful streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown sits the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. There, you can enjoy the truly unique experience of watching workers cook and fold fortune cookies. You can even make your own custom fortunes, so bring home a bag and enjoy the surprise on your loved ones’ faces when they crack open their cookies to find some very personal predictions.

Instead of a landmark replica, a piece of local culture

Every major San Francisco landmark has a hundred replicas for sale around the city, like the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, and Alcatraz. Instead of settling for a touristy trinket from the Cable Car Museum, come home with a piece of San Francisco that is truly representative of the city and its culture. If you’re in the North Beach neighborhood, pick up a book from City Lights Booksellers, famous as a hub for the most prominent writers of the Beat Generation. If you find yourself in the Haight, stop by Amoeba Records to bring home some music for your family to enjoy. If you’re really set on some landmark memorabilia, at least pick up something from a more unique landmark, like a souvenir from the Maestra Peace Mural at the Women’s Building in the Mission.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.