One  of the best places to look for gifts in Croatia  include the Istrian region which offers scale models of the famous istarski kažun. This is a small Istrian field stone hut that  people used to protect themselves from bad weather. Other possible buys might be the sopile and roženice, traditional musical instruments, as well as organic honey, olives and grapes, and different types of homemade liquors. In Gorski Kotar you might find some excellent jewellery boxes, wooden coats of arms, as well as ceramic objects, silk pieces and paintings. Under Velebit is famous for its souvenir Kula Nehaj, a small-size Nehaj Fortress, as well as for its Pužić (snail) figurines, the emblem of the Senj Summer Carnival. Further worthwhile buys might be lace and cheese from the island of Pag, as well as lavender from the island of Hvar. Shopping for gifts in the capital city is made easy by  Zagreb County’s Basket of Souvenirs, an institution where you might find just about everything you might want to buy all in one place. Generally  you should be aware that prices vary depending on the particular shop, so check several spots before making a purchase.

Shops are usually open from 8am until 8pm during  weekdays, while on weekends  they close early, at around 2pm or 3pm. Some shops in the  larger cities are open on Sundays. The local currency is the Kuna (HRK; symbol Kn), available in denominations of 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 Kn. Foreign currency can safely be exchanged in banks, by authorised dealers and post offices. The receipt issued for each exchange transaction (Receipt for the Purchase of Foreign Means of Payment) is very important. A copy of the receipt is given to the customer and it should remain with them until they leave the country. The foreign traveller can then convert unused Kunas back into their currency after presenting the receipt. This type of transaction can be only be done at banks. Upon departure, visitors can reclaim Value Added Tax (VAT) on expenditures of more than 500 Kn. Just make sure that receipts are retained after your purchases, as the local financial police have the right to impose a fine on visitors lacking the relevant documents. This measure aims to prevent VAT evasion by shopkeepers.