Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia, home to about 700,000 people (about 2.7 million in Metro Vancouver) between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains. This guide covers Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, SkyTrain transit, day trips and practical costs for visitors.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Coast Salish and Northwest Coast Indigenous art
Prints, carvings and jewellery; buy from Indigenous-owned galleries and ask for artist and nation documentation.
Price: CAD $30-3,000 (US $21-2,100)
Where: Gastown galleries, Museum of Anthropology gift shop, Granville Island studios
Smoked salmon and maple syrup
Candied or smoked Pacific salmon in vacuum packs and Canadian maple syrup, both sold in travel-ready packaging.
Price: CAD $10-40 (US $7-28)
Where: Granville Island Public Market, Lonsdale Quay Market
BC wine and craft spirits
Okanagan wines, ice wine and local craft spirits; buy from BC Liquor Stores or licensed wine shops.
Price: CAD $20-120 (US $14-84) per bottle
Where: BC Liquor Stores, specialty wine shops
Outdoor and Canadian-made apparel
Local outdoor-gear brands and Canadian wool and knitwear.
Price: CAD $40-400 (US $28-280)
Where: Robson Street, Pacific Centre, Main Street boutiques
Chinatown tea and baking
Loose-leaf teas and Chinese bakery items from long-running Chinatown shops.
Price: CAD $5-40 (US $4-28)
Where: Chinatown, East Pender Street
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Granville Island Public Market
Covered public market on Granville Island with produce, seafood, bakeries, cheese and prepared food.
Where: Granville Island
Hours: Daily, generally 9am-6pm; individual vendors vary; verify on granvilleisland.com
Lonsdale Quay Market
Waterfront public market beside the SeaBus terminal in North Vancouver with food vendors and small shops.
Where: North Vancouver
Hours: Daily; hours vary by vendor; verify on website
Trout Lake Farmers Market
Saturday farmers market at John Hendry Park selling BC produce, baked goods and prepared food.
Where: East Vancouver
Hours: Saturdays, typically 9am-2pm; verify season and hours on eatlocal.org
Shopping districts
Neighbourhoods known for retail.
Robson Street
Downtown retail street with flagship fashion stores, cafes and restaurants between Burrard and Denman Streets.
Gastown
Historic district with the Steam Clock, cobbled streets and independent boutiques, design shops and Indigenous art galleries.
Main Street
Mount Pleasant strip of independent boutiques, vintage shops, record stores and cafes between 2nd and 30th Avenues.
Kerrisdale Village
Neighbourhood shopping district on West 41st Avenue with independent boutiques, bakeries and services.
Commercial Drive
East Vancouver street of independent cafes, record shops, secondhand stores and Italian delis.
Chinatown (East Pender and Keefer Streets)
Historic Chinatown with herbalists, tea shops, grocers and bakeries along East Pender and Keefer Streets.
Malls & modern shopping
Air-conditioned, international brands, and food courts.
Pacific Centre
Downtown Vancouver's main central mall, connected to Granville and Burrard SkyTrain stations.
Hours: Hours vary by store; check the mall website
Metropolis at Metrotown
Metro Vancouver's largest mall in Burnaby, directly connected to Metrotown SkyTrain station.
Hours: Hours vary by store; check the mall website
Oakridge Park
Redeveloped mall at the Oakridge-41st Avenue Canada Line station with fashion, beauty and dining.
Hours: Hours vary by store; check the mall website
Park Royal
Open-air shopping centre in West Vancouver at the north end of the Lions Gate Bridge.
Hours: Hours vary by store; check the mall website
Bargaining tips
Negotiate like a local.
Prices are fixed in stores, malls and markets; haggling is not customary.
Ask about a discount only at independent antique or vintage shops when buying several items.
Tax is added at the register; budget roughly 12 percent more than the sticker price on most goods.
Customs & restrictions
What you can and can't take home.
BC charges GST of 5 percent and PST of 7 percent on most goods; restaurant meals carry GST only, while liquor carries PST of 10 percent. Canada has no tourist sales-tax refund scheme., Tipping is not expected in shops; tip 15-20 percent in restaurants and cafes with table service., Many stores have shorter hours on Sundays and holidays; check hours before travelling across the region., Visitors returning to the US can usually bring home duty-free goods up to their personal exemption; check US CBP rules for alcohol, food and plants., Credit and contactless cards are accepted nearly everywhere; some market stalls are cash only, so carry some Canadian dollars., The Richmond Night Market announced that its 2026 season, ending 20 September 2026, was its final one, so it is no longer an option for visitors.