Vancouver International Airport

Had a great experience here doing a quick layover. Was able to get out and into the airport without any issues or major delays. Some food/souvenir options as well throughout the airport that make it easy to pass time when needed. The only concern is that security instructions were not always clear, but nothing major.

One of the nicer airports out there. Clean, modern, and surprisingly calming for a busy place. The layout makes sense, and the signage is clear so it’s easy to get around. There’s a good mix of food and shops, plus some local touches that give it personality. Security and customs usually move pretty efficiently. Overall, it feels like a smooth start or end to any trip.

There are many shops where you can buy souvenirs. The US-bound flights are centered on the right side. In my case, I'm taking United Airlines and boarding from E. There is a premium plaza lounge after the security check-in, Starbucks coffee, and Hudson, etc. Along you can find souvenirs in multiple stores on your way to the gate. There is a vending machine at the E concourse. Recommend finishing the food and drink before you go to the gate..

I had a great experience at Vancouver International Airport. The environment felt very welcoming, and everything was well organized. While it might not be as huge or fancy as airports like Istanbul or Dubai, I really liked how everything was just enough and easy to navigate. The staff were super friendly, and the signs and directions were clear. It was also very easy to find the pickup area for apps like Uber and Lyft. I had no problems getting picked up. Overall, a very pleasant airport experience!

I traveled on a domestic flight between Vancouver and Toronto, and it was a smooth and pleasant experience. The airport is very clear in terms of instructions, clean, and well-organized. I liked the artwork and beautiful decoration around the terminals. Security was fast and efficient, and since it’s not a huge airport, it was easy to get around. I was also surprised to see that many of the directional signs and digital displays included Mandarin. There’s a designated area for ride apps like Uber and Lyft, which makes pickup really simple.

Arrived here from Munich on my way home to Portland, OR. I found immigrations and US customs to be easy to maneuver. Very efficient, easy and friendly. The airport is huge, several shops to grab great souvenirs, or if you’re hungry, they have food options galore. Very clean airport, great signage as well.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is truly one of the best airports in the world. It's a medium-sized airport, but it punches well above its weight when it comes to design, efficiency, and overall passenger experience. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to navigate even for first-time travelers. What really sets YVR apart is its gorgeous architecture and unique West Coast aesthetic—complete with Indigenous art, tranquil water features, and expansive glass walls that offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The staff are friendly and professional, and the airport is consistently clean and well-maintained. Security and customs processes are efficient, and there are plenty of great dining and shopping options throughout the terminals. Whether you're arriving, departing, or just passing through, YVR makes travel feel smooth and even enjoyable. It's no surprise this airport consistently ranks among the best in the world.

Vancouver International Airport is the best airport that I’ve ever been to and I’ve traveled to several countries. They have lots of stores and various foods, with lots of accessible bathrooms, and water fill up stations. They have so many seats compared to other airports. The design of the airport is magnificent. They cowork with indigenous artists to make the space very artistic. The screens that they use it YVR to show the departures and arrivals are very high-tech, compared to other airports that I’ve previously been into. It’s not just an airport. It’s literally a museum of art. There was a place where you could open a door and look out into the sky and it would spray mist on you and that was a fun experience.

The airport is fairly small. Easy to get through security. They do make you bag liquids, take off shoes, and separate laptop. Right outside is Canada Line which is affordable way to get into the city.

Flew into YVR for a few days to board a cruise for a week to Alaska. Ive been to Vancouver in the past, with no issues. Customs was a breeze to go thru with no lines, which is a plus. The airport is a fairly good size, they have plenty of shops and food. We did grab a bite to eat before leaving. It was had a late arrival and didnt want to go looking for food. There was a few places still open for late arrivals. The airport was clean and not busy upon arrival at night. Yes, I would fly into Vancouver again in the near future.

Never had a problem at this airport. Hardly any lines, passport control (leaving Canada, entering USA) has always been fast and easy. The interior could use a remodel but it's fine, it's an airport. Not much for a selection of shops/restaurants but enough to get what you may need before a flight.

Nicest people here in Canada. Easy process to get thru security lovely cozy areas to wait and clean restrooms.

I flew in from Seattle and customs was easy. Customs is quite a distance from the gate so be prepared to walk. I like walking when I am traveling so I usually walk as much as I can on a layover. It will be great when Vancouver catches up with the times and recognizes that 99% of travelers use suitcases WITH WHEELS. Pulling carry-ons with wheels on carpet is a bugger - and they put this carpet throughout the airport- I was in gates B and C and there are very few spots without carpet. Why, just why? And how clean is carpet? It's just a very strange choice for a busy airport to make. Food wise they have spots sprinkled throughout so you are never far from food options. They have a Joe and the Juice, The Dirty Apron, Starbucks, burger places, and taprooms. They do feature some local art but for such a beautiful city the airport is rather bland. We encountered three moving walkways that were inconveniently shut down. Maybe a revamp isn't far away.

A certain airport in LA could learn a thing or two from Vancouver YVR International Airport. YVR is clean and modern. There are multiple displays that showcase the local historical culture. The smart carts are FREE to use! There was a FREE shuttle from my hotel. Everyone was super-friendly and helpful. Passengers, staff and crew members were all polite. I rarely do this, but I even bought souvenirs at the gifts shop. Wouldn't you know it? The little magnets were reasonably priced and I found some that looked good.

The Vancouver airport is on the older side and I felt like I was walking miles from the gate to security and vice versa. It's not my favorite airport... I arrived from Seattle in a dinky gate all the way at the end of a terminal and had to walk miles to customs. In my walk I saw all these signs for cruise passengers which didn't make any sense to me but I wasn't going to say anything. I got to customs and it's empty, but they have rows and rows of those machines that check you in. I guess I got lucky because I heard later that if a cruise ship is in town, the customs lines get real long. I know some people on my flight from Seattle were trying to make connections, so they probably made them since the customs lines were so short. On my way out of Vancouver, I arrived at a domestic gate, walked to the E gates and went through customs / border patrol at the airport. That was cool. The junk part was that TSA pre check doesn't exist here, so you have to take off your shoes when going through security and the security people are kind of rude. There are some places to stop to get for and the decor is nice, there's a lot of indigenous artwork near the gates and though the terminals.

It's not a massive airport, but it's very well-organized and well-maintained. The signage is clear and you can easily find your way around; specially if you're in a rush. They have nice indigenous arts decorations and they also have different artwork in display from time to time. I enjoyed the Disney character figures a lot; they brought back good memories.

For my 2024 Germany trip, i connected through YVR to get on my International flight. My first flight was from LAX to YVR, spending 3 hours here at YVR, then YVR to Frankfurt. Overall, YVR is clean, nicely styled, well equipped and efficient. After getting off my first flight, it took about 1-2 mins of walking to get to International connecting flight custom. After scanning my passport, a lady checked both of my boarding pass. The whole process took less a minute. For the remaining 3 hours, i was comfortablely resting in their terminal area where i was able to enjoy my Chipotle Burrito and enjoyed the open window view where i can see aircrafts being moved around the terminal building.

Not as many food and beverage options as other airports, but this is THE most beautiful airport I have ever been to. Stunning views, gorgeous art and wildlife, and kind staff. Definitely picking this as my layover stop again in the future!

had a flight back home from YVR and so amazed how efficient and friendly everyone is. The process is pretty smooth and didn't have much of a wait for clearing customs probably like 5 minutes. The airport is so clean. I didn't get to visit Vancouver. I only took a flight out of YVR to return home. At least i had a chance to try tim horton tea latte and birthday cake Timbits (3x) and really enjoyed them. I notice they sell ketchup potatoes chips which don't sound good to me

I wanted some munchies but oh boy! There is no quick stop cafe in this terminal. (Domestic, Westjet side) Then I found this food vending machine: wrap, sandwich, treat and smoothies. This could be big help when I need to eat some while short layover time. It's located several spots.

We flew SFO to YVR today. We followed the signs to immigration. Self service kiosks. We each scanned our passports, took a facial photo, grabbed the piece of paper dispensed, and proceeded to the exit where the immigration officer took it. Then we followed the signs to ground transportation and went over to the taxi stand. With the three of us figured it was Just a little bit more expense than to take the Canada Line to downtown Vancouver. From YVR to the different zones of Vancouver it's a fixed rate. $41 CAD to the Delta Suites hotel downtown on Hastings St was well worth it.

Good: this airport is pretty fast both in and out. For the Americans if you have Pre check you can use the expedited lanes on departure. On arrival they suggest you use some arrive can app, but I find this doesn't really save much time, maybe 30 seconds (which is time you spend in advance filling out the app). I usually just do it on the machine. Bad: boring! There isn't much to do or see at this airport. There's only one sub par lounge that's often really packed too. I wouldn't come early for it.

YVR - standing for 'Yes, Very Rainy', which is what we found in Vancouver during our short stay. Being a Rush fan, I knew that YYZ is the designation for Toronto's international airport, but only recently learned about Vancouver's (VancouveR). All airports in Canada start with 'Y' but are there other non-canadian airports that start with 'Y'? The answer is 'Y'es, one example being 'YUM' (Yuma, AZ, USA). The airport consists of 5 terminals: A - E, and has three distinct sections: Domestic, US, and International. We got dropped off at the US section. Once we dropped off our checked bags, we followed the signs to security. Precheck doesn't apply here, so everybody gets into the same line. As you near the front, an agent indicates which luggage x-ray machine you are to stand behind. Then you need to do everything by the book here: take shoes off, put laptop in own container, take off belt, anything loose like jackets, pouches..all need to come off and put through the x-ray machine. And the liquids better be below 3.4 oz and in a clear bag. They still use the full body scanners here (raise your hand over your head), and everybody must go through. It's SLOW...any kind of volume would back this line up for hours. But we didn't have that many people so it took about 30 minutes. After we put ourselves together, we needed to go through immigration. They do clearly indicate a separate line for nexus/global entry line. Once you get to the front, you scan your face at an available photo booth for identification. But unlike in the US, you must then stand in the next line and wait for the next available agent. An agent from the normal line can ask for next in the nexus line, at which point you need to show your passport anyway (don't get the point here). But we got asked to go to the Nexus line...the agent just confirmed our names and let us go. This took us into the terminal where there are the requisite duty-free shops (expensive prices even with the CAD discount). They have strong free Wi-Fi, and have filtered water dispensers to refill your water bottles. I only saw one lounge (accessible if you have Priority Pass). And the restaurants are limited...the biggest sit-down was a Vancouver Canucks themed bar serving bar food. We ended up going to a Tim Horton instead.

Review on hourly park, what is going on with the chip token instead of ticket system? This is not a casino and I understand saving the tree philosophy. I had to estimate which minute I had to approximately exit. Which concluded to paying by per 30 minute rounds than by minutes.

YVR is a pretty sizeable airport. We walked a while before before picking up our baggage, so just keep this in mind if you're flying out of here - you'll want to leave yourself enough time to get to the gate. Customs is super easy - especially if you have Global Entry and are flying from the U.S. They must have a few hundred kiosks available for you to use, so you don't even need to wait at all. When we were flying home, we flew out of terminal E, so there was one Priority Pass lounge, which happened to be the only one in the whole airport we were able to access, since this one is only for U.S. departures. There are other PP lounges, but those are for international travel only. There are a few big duty free shops and some of the souvenirs are reasonably priced (especially with the exchange rate currently being in the U.S.'s favor) Overall, the airport seems clean and well kept. Even airline employees are nicer here than what I am used to in the tri-state area but that could probably also be that Canadians are just nicer people. Good airport to fly in/out of!

Our experience at YVR has been swell. This airport is massive but doesn't feel congested. We are just passing through for a layover, but I enjoyed it here. The airport feels very modern and--dare I say--clean. The clerks at the various shops patronized were very pleasant and the natural attractions were appreciated. I would be thrilled to come back to Vancouver just based on this airport alone.

Why 4 stars? Because our brief experiences were easy and pleasant. --- --- --- We flew in here from Houston, and then about 36 hours later, we headed back to travel to Calgary, so we played the role of import and expert at YVR. Coming in on an international flight, we did the thing that seems to happen at every airport. We got off the plane and then we walked for what felt like 3 weeks until we finally arrived at customs. We actually did not even have to speak to anyone. We scanned our passports into a machine and allowed the camera to check us out, before being given a slip. We handed that slip to the person waiting at the exit and no words were even exchanged. We then headed to the Sky Train, which dropped us off a few blocks from our hotel. On the way back to the airport, we ended up taking a cab in. Everything was easy and clean. The security experience was quick. I hardly even remember being there, despite the fact that I am writing this review 5 days after this experience, which is a good thing. When an airport stands out, it's usually because of something negative.

A beautiful airport. The staff is also very friendly...unlike here in the USA . Only negative is that most of the lounges charge a premium for basic drinks like Prosecco.

It has been quite a while since I flew here and actually went inside the airport. This airport has a nice layout, plenty of walking areas, and some good shops and restaurants to eat. The decor is really nice. When walking from the USA airplane area to Canada customs, it was a super long walk! But ok, because I always need the steps! The Arrive Can app on the way into Canada really helps, and then the CBP MPC app helps go from Canada back to the USA customs side. Every single officer or employee on both sides were all super nice!!! My favorite store to shop at on the way back to the USA is the Vancouver Duty Free shop as, of course, you don't have to pay taxes on purchases. Be prepared to show the cashier your boarding pass, and it has to be your last Canadian stop before crossing the USA border, or they won't let you purchase from here. as a US citizen. Love this cozy airport!!!

We had to wait 39 minutes to get wheelchair assistance, then going through security the wheelchair booth set off the alarm. This required us both to have extra security checks despite us having to walk through separate and not setting the alarm off when we walked through ourselves. While appreciate the thoroughness of security, if you are going to ask someone to remove clothing it needs to be done in a private room, not out in the open in front of hundreds of people. This was the most ridiculous, undignified, embarrassing tsa experience we have ever had and it was due to the airports own wheelchairs. Ridiculous. On the plus side the wheel chair assistants did take us to the front of the line at customs/passport control and take us all the way to the gate. The two ladies assisting us were very nice. We had a 6am flight so nothing was open except Tim horton's and the line was a mile long so we didn't have time to wait in it to get food due to being at tsa for our hour of forced public undressing. Now we have a 3 hour flight with no food. Not a great final impression. The only reason they get 2 stars is because of the wheel chair attendants.

Very cool airport. Quick response to international check-in. Immigration ran smoothly, about 10 minutes on an early Friday afternoon. Long walk from gates to Immigration to baggage.

I really liked this airport. I loved the vibe, with the natural lighting and interesting artwork all around. I liked the look of the walkways where you find your way down to the actual terminal. We landed in YVR to take an Air Canada flight to SYD. Getting of the plane and finding the connecting flight was super easy because of the signage. When we got to the area that switches you to the international connection area, it was so easy to go through. It wasn't crowded or busy either (7pm) so I appreciated that. There was plenty of seating, an ok amount of dining options, play areas and a lot of art to look at. When we arrived back from SYD to take a connecting flight back to LAS, we arrived at the same gate area but had to turn right for USA connecitons. This is where it got weird, as I've never flown to Canada before. I hadn't realized it was TSA, our government agency, who we go through. I wondered why my ticket had my pre-check mark on it. There was no pre-check though but they did let me use my global entry. This was absolutely useless though because, you know.... the TSA. I was actually the last to finish and my parents do not have global entry. It's a lot of walking but this airport is interesting, clean and fun.

First time visiting Vancouver airport for domestic flights. Very spacious and clean. Recommend Hula poke

Lots of improvements now using more machines to check in with immigration upon arrival making it more efficient and more friendly, especially when there are so many non English speakers coming to visit, this process makes it easier for them too. Went quickly through the whole process so it felt more comfortable than prior visits so I'm more likely to return than before.

Visiting Canada and had to catch a flight home from Vancouver. This airport is so big and very nice! It's like a huge indoor mall cause it has everything from shops to places to eat. They also have bars for drinks. And we didn't get a chance to check it out, but I think there's a garden somewhere inside for viewing. Also the stores are "duty free" so no tax. There are charging stations for your phones and laptops. The staff are friendly and helpful. Very easy to get around with plenty of signs for directions. Also love how they speak French in their announcements.

The baggage check-in process was a little wonky where we had to wait in a lengthy line to check our luggage but then once we checked in, had to walk past the desks and load our own luggage onto the conveyer belts. It was odd. Once we got through and headed towards our terminal, all was well. It was nice and clean, with plenty of seating and lots of food and drink options while we waited for our flight. Folks were friendly and it was a relatively seamless experience getting in and out of Canada.

I'm impressed with YVR's efficient security screenings, US customs, and Canadian customs with self-service kiosks. Thanks to ample and clear signage, navigating the airport was a piece of cake! The airport was clean, spacious, and staffed with funny employees. Both luxury stores and souvenir shops carry cute and fun local goodies :) Take a look if you need last minute gifts to bring home!

A nice little airport that's easy to get in and out of. Customs was also a breeze to get through as well. Do wish there was more food and shopping options though.

Awesome airport very big. Clean and pretty fast to get us on our flight. A lot of different t vendors and food choices and souvenirs shops!!

Perfect place to watch the airplanes flying...taking off and landing from the observation deck and the Larry Berg Flight Park from Templeton or Sea Island Centre when the planes are taking off from the east

One of my favourite Canadian airports YVR is a great airport weather you are transiting through or taking some time to visit British Colombia. The airport is big but yet always manages to be well kept and tidy. I have only had the pleasure of taking domestic and trans order flights. However each time security moved at a fair pace and staff was surprisingly friendly. There are several shops including high end stores Ro pass your time when your waiting. You can get your hands on the newest handbags or treat yourself to Canadian caviar. There are also a few great sit down restaurants and a handful of fast food so if you have more time or are running behind you can make sure your find something to eat too

This airport is by far one of the nicest ones I have been through. If all airports were like this I would never hate airports. This one is awesome Down to the airplanes staff. Very nice .

I love Canada! Vancouver might be one of my favorite cities, so there may be some bias here. Regardless of my new found love for the city, I have to say that the arrivals process was fairly easy coming from the United States. The process is quick because it's all been digitized with the check-in machines. My only gripe is that you don't get a stamp in your passport! Sad!

I hate flying as much as the next guy, maybe more. But this seems to be an extremely well-run airport. We had about as pleasant of an experience as you could ever hope to have.

Super easy traveling on a Saturday thru here. It took me less than 10 minutes to get from the American Air ticket counter to the priority club. Pretty amazing, if you ask me. There was someone always near to help in this spacious, clean and low drama airport. And plenty of food and shopping as well. Our flight left on time and we even arrived home early. I highly recommend traveling to Vancouver for a safe and fun trip via this airport. See website for more detailed traveler information.

A great airport and one of the easier ones to navigate around. Flying from here to the US, I was able to pass through security and border patrol within 30 minutes of entering the airport, provided that I didn't have any baggage to check in and checked in online the day earlier. There are numerous cafes and souvenir shops located around the terminal as well if looking for some last minute items to bring as gifts. The Skytrain is also conveniently connected to the station, making it the ideal mode of transpiration to and fro the airport.

I have made it a ritual to spend my birthday in Vancouver with one of my high school friends. I usually spend up to a week and head back to my home base. This review is going to be a bit different from all of my other reviews. I got to the airport two hours ahead of my flight, checked in, printed my boarding pass and proceeded to Border Patrol/TSA. Proactively, I took out my devices (laptop and tablet) and was ready to take off my shoes when one of the agents "randomly" selected me for additional screening, which he stressed a couple of times. I looked around the room and realized I was the only person who looked like me - so, right..... random. The additional screening meant a full body pat down, front and back, legs open wide. I had to take out all of my devices from their cases - my phone and laptop, take out all of my shoes. I am surprised that they did not pat down my hair - thank God for small graces. I'm upset, because while they say I was randomly selected, it really doesn't feel random. I had maybe half an oz of water in my water bottle, I needed to throw it out because that's US policy. Tears in my eyes, I scanned the room again, no one else is going through this process. I waited for them to be done, repacked my suitcase and bags and was on my way to the checkpoint. The TSA agent saw me visibly upset and commented on it and I said it was as a result of being "randomly" selected for additional screening. She laughs and says "oh you got an additional birthday gift" and "that's silly for you to react this way" I said, "Well, when you are the only Black person in the room, it doesn't feel silly" - her response "Don't make this about race" as I walked away, she's laughing about it with her coworker. I am now sitting at my gate, typing this review because this was an unforgettable experience. I usually don't feel "othered" but I did this morning. YVR, thanks but no thanks for the "additional birthday gift"

The airport is nice and easy to get through but never fly WestJet airlines. They own most of the planes but their service is horrible

The Vancouver International Airport is efficient, very clean & HUGE.. Their real plus is that the rental car facility is directly across the passenger pick-up lane from the terminal just seconds away. The Canadian Customs is automated and processes the crowd rapidly. The usual restaurants, coffee & merchandise shops are plentiful but expensive. The chairs with cellular charging plugs at the gates are comfortable & kept clean.

Vancouver International Airport is large but organized, clean, bright, and spacious with plenty of space and plenty of signage to help any traveler, seasoned or novice navigate easily throughout the airport. If you're an American traveling through, it's really nice because once you check in and get through security, there's a USA-only travelers side that keeps everything sectioned off from the rest of the typical airport chaos. I had no issues navigating the airport from baggage, check-ins, finding car pickups, immigration, what have you, it was honestly one of the smoothest and easier to navigate airports with the least aggressive workforce I've experienced in a while. Traveling in general is usually so high impact and stressful so to have a manageable and boring experience at an airport especially for "international" travel is such a welcome change.

YVR Lost and found are the Best!!!! Lest my tote bag in arrivals area by baggage carousel the other day and didn't realize it was gone until over a day later. After completing the online form, it was less than 2 hours before I was notified that it had been recovered. Everything was there including $$ in the pocket of the shorts in the bag! Great Work YVR, thank you!!

A very cool airport to navigate through for new travelers. Very relaxing with many stores to shop from for gifts. USA customs and Canadian customs security check was successful coming and going which were very surprising. My visit to Canada was great, the people are very courteous and friendly, and I had no problem spending my US dollars for shopping, eating and Uber/taxis etc. The airport and bathrooms were very clean and spread out throughout the airport.

Clean, easily navigable. Customs was easy, both IN and OUT. Though US Customs took far longer than Canadian did (US was on the way out and Canadian on the way in.) Security was a piece of cake. So was check in. Aside from everything being super spread out it's nice. Very clean. I especially appreciated the "copper coating" in the restrooms to mind germs. I'm a mom and there's no reason for extra germs if we don't need them! Again not a lot of vegan options for food, but there is Starbucks apple and nut butter and Kind Bars. At least it's something relatively healthy :)

Horrible Airport in need of upgrades. Check-in is snail slow and their equipment is third world. and outdated. Very short staffed when cruise ships come in. They know they are coming in and should be ready. Security could be much better. My bag was picked for a bag check and they just asked me if I had tweezers and my bag was never opened to check. I am retired from TSA and I have to say they have a long way to go to come close to the security in USA.

Came through this airport for my first time leaving the country (U.S.) - seems like a very large airport, but also very efficient; once they're moving, they are MOVING.

Well organized and well maintained. Good ground connections to surrounding area. Superior to most North American airports.

A clean and comfortable airport. The process to enter from the US was efficient as we completed the online process ahead of time. Everyone we encountered was friendly but be warned there's quite a bit of walking to get out of the airport. LOL.