I still remember when the first mom in our group chat took a trip out of YVR. We were all so impressed, and had so many questions… how did she do it? How was baby? Was the trip fun? Yo our relief, it was fun, the family was taken care of, and just like that? There was one group chat less of scared mothers. I’ve been so grateful to YVR ever since, and have had the pleasure of making my own memories in the terminals as well!
A massive thank you to YVR. This tour took hours, with someone walking me through this airport with the kind of detail and care that you only get when they genuinely love what they do. The good people at YVR are so passionate about educating those they serve, and this article exists because of that. Every recommendation below was either shown to me directly or confirmed during our tour.
What that tour confirmed is something I already suspected: Vancouver International Airport thinks about families with intention. Not as a checkbox, not as an afterthought, but as people whose travel days are softer when the right things are in the right places.
YVR was recently named the sixth most accessible airport in the world by Condé Nast Traveller, the only Canadian airport on the list. The ranking pulled from over 50,000 verified passenger reviews and gave YVR a score of 88 out of 100. This builds on a 2018 distinction as the first airport ever to receive gold certification from the Rick Hansen Foundation. Walking the terminal, those awards make sense. The accessibility isn’t theoretical. It’s in the floor plan.
Here is exactly where to go and what to look for, in the order I would walk you through it.
Start at the Canada Line entrance
The moment you step off the train and head toward the Domestic Terminal, look up. A totem pole greets you in the landside connector between the Canada Line station and the Domestic Terminal entrance. This is the first piece of Indigenous art most travelers see at YVR, and a good way to start the day with a kid: pause, point, and notice. Then grab one of YVR’s free luggage carts. Yes, free. Most airports charge for these, and YVR doesn’t.
The pre-security loop most parents miss
ALSO: Before I tell you about all the bells and whistles, I really wanted to highlight that parents should feel incredibly comfortable in the security check at YVR. There is a designated family line + you will be escorted and guided by either a volunteer or someone from TSA who specifically helps answer questions. There are a MILLION things to check before taking a kid on a plane, but I truly believe you will find that everything will be ok.
If you’re traveling with a child under two years old, you can bring more than 100 mL of certain liquids and gels such as baby food, milk, liquid formula, water, juice, and breast milk. Ice packs to keep them cool are also approved.
You can bring breast milk even if you aren’t travelling with the child it is intended for.
If you’re packing baby powder or inorganic baby formula, make sure to keep the total weight under 350 g, and pack in a non-metal-lined container.
Stop by the YVR display next to the Purebread bakery for a photo op and a quick visual primer on the airport. Across the way is the Vancouver Aquarium landside gift shop, a fun token for the gorgeous aquarium that visitors likely stopped at in Stanley Park.
Before you head to your gate, walk toward the Domestic Food Hall area for the pre-security highlights:
• White Spot sits right by the food hall. BC classic. For the kids, order the Pirate Pack. It’s the iconic White Spot kids’ meal that comes with a treasure map, activities, and the signature gold chocolate coin. These are a hit! My husband still reminisces the times he ordered them in his childhood and I got to get my toddler her first one below :)
• The eagle and lighthouse play area lives in the same landside food court, near White Spot and the escalator up to the Observation Deck. Burn off some energy here before boarding.
• The Public Observation Deck is up the escalator (there’s also an elevator!) above the Domestic Food Hall. Telescopes, signage, and a wide-open view of the South Runway. If you have a kid who loves planes, this alone is worth the drive.
Observation deck binoculars!
• The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe, the 11,000 lb bronze Bill Reid sculpture, anchors the US Departures area. Live musicians perform next to it regularly. YVR hosts more than 80 musicians a year, over 480 performances, and 1,800 hours of live music inside the terminal. Time your arrival and you’ll likely catch one.
US-bound families, this is your stop
If you’re flying to the States, the Information Desk in the US Departures landside check-in area is your anchor point. Right next to it, by Lost and Found on Level 3, is a full nursery room. Not a pod. A proper room with dimmable lights, rocking chairs, and a changing area. This is the most spacious nursing space at YVR and the only one before security on the US side.
A word on washrooms and accessibility
This is where YVR genuinely earns its accessibility reputation. Every single washroom in the airport, not just the family ones, includes a baby changing table. Every washroom is also accessible to people with disabilities. Dedicated family washrooms are placed strategically across all terminals, designed wide enough for a stroller plus a parent plus a sibling. This is part of what earned YVR its gold certification from the Rick Hansen Foundation in 2018 and the Condé Nast Traveller accessibility ranking in 2025.
Past security, Domestic Terminal: Piers A, B, and C
If you’re flying domestic, the B and C piers are where you’ll spend your wait, and there is more here for families than most travellers realize.
Start with the corridor connecting Pier A and Pier B. This is where you’ll find the Disney collection display, the largest collection of Disney figurines in any airport in the world, curated by Ken Stephens. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, vintage and modern. If you have a Disney kid, plan an extra fifteen minutes here. Worth it.
Pier B gates worth knowing about
• Gate B12: Hangar 49, a full-service restaurant that opened in late 2025. Elevated comfort food with views of the airfield. The kids’ menu has pasta (tomato or butter sauce), pizza, and chicken fingers with fries.
• Gate B14: Triple O’s, the quick-service cousin of White Spot. Burgers, fresh-cut Kennebec fries, and hand-scooped milkshakes. Kids’ meals come with a chocolate chunk cookie. There’s also a play area at this same gate.
• Gate B17: Vino Volo (yes, a wine bar with a kid menu including meatballs, tomato soup, and cheese pizza) and a Plaza Premium Lounge.
• Gate B28: A Mamava nursing pod plus one of the airport’s designated quiet zones. The quiet zone here is paired with Gate C40, meaning it sits at the junction between piers and is easy to reach from either side.
Pier C gates worth knowing about
• Gate C29: A Plaza Premium Lounge. All four YVR Plaza Premium locations are open to anyone regardless of airline or ticket type. Kids under two enter free, kids under eleven get 30% off. The buffet style is a picky-eater dream.
• Gate C33: A play area. Great if your wait is on the C side.
• Gate C40: The other half of the B28/C40 quiet zone.
• Gate C41: A second Mamava nursing pod for Domestic flyers. So if you’re on the C side and need to feed, you don’t have to walk back to B28.
• Gate C46: Another play area, further down the pier.
The Domestic Terminal often gets overlooked when people talk about YVR’s family amenities, but if you map it out you’ll see: two play areas, two nursing pods, a quiet zone, and four restaurants with proper kid menus, all packed into B and C. That’s a lot of resources for a relatively compact pier.
D Terminal Options
The International Terminal is where YVR really shows off. Once you clear security, walk toward the D gates and you’ll find:
• The creek, a plant-lined indoor stream that winds through the terminal and leads to the main event.
• The aquarium, a 114,000 litre tank holding more than 5,000 creatures native to BC. There are over 21 species of fish alone. It’s free, it’s calming, and it makes a toddler completely forget about boarding.
• The Atrium near Gate D67 is the quiet little miracle of YVR. You’ll first walk through an immersive display of local seashores with real audio of BC species. Then doors open into an actual outdoor space planted with local flora. You can step outside without leaving the secure zone.
• The yoga room sits right by the atrium. Dedicated specifically for yoga, it’s the only space of its kind at YVR. Next to it you’ll find a prayer room and one of the airport’s designated quiet areas. This entire cluster of calm sits at Gate D67. If you need a reset, this corner of the airport is built for it.
• A full nursery room is also at Gate D67. Cribs, play pens, changing area, plus a large quiet space for privacy. This is the post-security equivalent of the Level 3 US Departures nursery and the most family-friendly nursing setup on the airside.
• Lucille the Tug Boat play area sits in the D Terminal at Gate D53. A perfect energy-burner before a long-haul flight. There’s also a second play area at Gate D59 if D53 is busy.
• The Duty Free store in the D Terminal is worth a walk-through just for the scale.
E Terminal: the last play area and the Mamava pod
If you’re flying out of E gates, head to Gate E77 for the Mamava pod. Mamava pods are self-contained private nursing and pumping rooms with a lockable door, comfortable benches, outlets, USB ports, ventilation fans, and a mirror. Cleaner and quieter than most public nursing options. The hedge maze play area sits in the E Terminal at Gate E81, the last play area before the international gates.
Quick reference: every family amenity at YVR
All nursing rooms and pods (5 locations across the airport):
• Pre-security: Full nursery room, US Departures Level 3, next to Lost and Found and the Information Desk
• Post-security, Domestic: Mamava pod at Gate B28
• Post-security, Domestic: Mamava pod at Gate C41
• Post-security, International: Full nursery room at Gate D67
• Post-security, US: Mamava pod at Gate E77
Five private spaces to feed across the entire airport. You’re never far from one. The Mamava pods unlock with the free Mamava app, or you can call Airport Operations at 604-207-7077 for help.
All play areas (6 gates)
• Gate B14
• Gate C33
• Gate C46
• Gate D53 (Lucille the Tug Boat)
• Gate D59
• Gate E81 (the hedge maze)
All designated quiet areas (4 zones)
• Gates B28 / C40
• Gate D67 (the cluster near the atrium, yoga room, and prayer room)
• Gate D71
• Gate E85
The bottom line:
YVR could have done the legal minimum. They didn’t. They built five nursing spaces in different parts of the airport so that everyone had a space. There are change tables in every washroom, four designated quiet zones, six play areas, an aquarium, an indoor/outdoor atrium, a yoga room, a prayer room, free luggage carts, and a culture of staff (and volunteers!) who want to help you. This is not just service, it’s hospitality.
Thank you again to the entire YVR team for treating families like welcome guests. There are a thousand reasons why parents fly and it’s valid to hope that it will be simple! Your travel is deserved and your family will have a dignifying, safe, fun, and memorable visit while passing through YVR!
EDIT:
YVR's accessibility resources
A reader pointed me toward YVR's accessibility work after one of my airport posts, and once I started reading the airport's three-year Accessibility Plan, I realized how much is in place that doesn't always get talked about. YVR frames this as "Beyond Accessibility," and it's worth knowing what's actually available before you travel.
The full plan is here:
https://www.yvr.ca/-/media/yvr/documents/accessibility/yvr-3_year-accessibility-plan_secured.pdf
A few things that stood out:
Gold-certified building
YVR holds an Accessibility Certified Gold rating from the Rick Hansen Foundation, scoring 93 out of 100. It was the first airport to complete the assessment.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program
Wearing a Sunflower lanyard quietly signals to staff that you may have an invisible disability and might need extra time, help, or patience. Lanyards are available at the airport.
Autism and neurodivergent support This is the piece the reader flagged. Through partnerships with the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN), YVR offers a travel resource kit (storybook, checklist, airport map, tips), a video series walking through check-in, security, and boarding, and annual rehearsal tours of the pre-flight process.
All collected here: https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/accessibility-at-yvr/accessibility-travel-resources/neurodivergent-resources
Vision and hearing support
Aira (free visual interpreting for blind and partially sighted travellers, unlimited usage), hearing loop systems at every information counter, and Language Line with access to 240+ languages including ASL, 24/7.
Changing Places washroom
An assisted change room in the International Terminal with a height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench, ceiling hoist, and support rails, plus adult-sized changing benches in the newer private single-stall washrooms.
Curbside and mobility assistance 24/7 curbside help regardless of how you arrive, plus wheelchair service throughout the terminal. The Customer Call Centre handles requests at 604-207-7077 (TTY 604-207-7070) or customercallcentre@yvr.ca.
Whether you're travelling with sensory sensitivities, a mobility aid, an invisible disability, or just need a quieter, more predictable experience, it's reassuring to see an airport plan for this rather than leave families to sort it out at the gate.
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