What to buy in Canada? — 17+ best gifts & best things to buy in Canada

The diversity in culture, climate and stunning landscape make Canada become a favorite destination for all travelers. A Vancouver covered with cherry blossoms in spring, a sweet Quebec with its famous maple syrup or a colorful flower Ontario and Jasper National Park with roaring waterfalls and crystal lakes, a breathtaking and picturesque scenery of Banff National Park… All makes so majestic beauty for Canada. Gifts are always the top concern of many tourists when planning a trip to Canada. Because this is a way to help you remember the “Land of Maple Leaf” and also a gift for your loved ones when returning from a remote land. So, what products is Canada famous for, what should I buy in Canada, what to buy in Canada, what can I bring home from Canada, what is a good canadian gift, what is best to buy in Canada, what to buy in Canada for souvenirs? Let’s check out our suggested +17 best gifts to bring from Canada (best gifts from Canada), best souvenirs from Canada, good souvenirs from Canada, best things to buy in Canada, things to bring back from Canada, must buy in Canada as well as some useful tips and best places to buy them.

What to buy in Canada: Canadian Toonie

Foreign currency is always the most popular souvenir for tourists. It is not only a symbol of economic luck, but also a symbol to help you remember where you go in the most profound way. The Canadian Toonie is a large, silver-colored coin inlaid with an extremely eye-catching round copper. This gift, you can buy a lot at souvenir shops to bring back as gifts for your loved ones. Because this is a coin with aesthetic value as well as an extremely meaningful gift.

What should I buy in Canada: Canadian wool scarf

You probably must have seen wool scarves in many places, but Canadian wool scarves are really special and strange. It is meticulously woven, the colors are harmonious, and the symbols on the scarves bearing bold the images of Canada such as nature, architecture, culture, etc. Not only beautiful but also can keep warm very well. So you can choose these woolen scarves as gifts for yourself, relatives or friends to keep warm during winter. These scarves are widely available at fabric stalls or clothing shops in major department stores and shopping malls in Canada.

Best things to buy in Canada: Barsimo Chocolate

This is a typical Canadian chocolate that many tourists choose to enjoy and buy as gifts. This premium Barsimo chocolate is a combination of natural flavors and ingredients from cow’s milk, sugar, and other natural ingredients. This gift is not only suitable for children but also a very meaningful gift on Valentine’s Day. So, you can choose Barsimo chocolate as best gifts from Canada for your loved ones, especially your lover at the end of your travel journey in Canada.

Best gifts to bring from Canada: Maple Syrup

What products is Canada famous for? Yes, It definitely is maple syrup! Canadians love their maple syrup as much as they love their country. This product is often sold in a lot at airports and tourist places, souvenir shops, local markets, shopping malls… in the form of bottles or boxes to take home. Whether used for cooking, drizzled over pancakes or waffles, or stirred a little into coffee, tea, or latte, maple syrup is perfect choice.

It would be a big mistake if you choose to travel to Canada but do not buy a bottle of maple syrup as a gift for your loved ones. This syrup is made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red or black maple trees and is one of the delicious and healthy products. Maple syrup also can be used with rice cakes, waffles, coffee, tea… to adding flavors, very delicious. Helps to increase vitality, cure cough and asthma, and beautify effectively. This is what is a good Canadian gift, what is best to buy in Canada and must buy in Canada.

What to buy in Canada: Canadian snacks

If you don’t know what to buy in Canada for souvenirs after leaving Canada, you can choose to buy chips, chocolate bars, candies… there are countless Canadian snacks worth taking home to share with your friends or family. From Poutine, Ketchup to the legendary snack “All Dressed” fries. These snacks are quite light and easy to pack to take home.

What to buy in Canada for souvenirs: Canadian Indigenous Artwork

First Nation Art is one of Canada’s most unique treasures. You can help support local artists by purchasing paintings or sculptures created by indigenous artists across Canada as gifts for loved ones. It’s amazing that their style and inspiration also vary greatly from region to region.

Must buy in Canada: Inuksuks (Inukshuks)

If you are looking for a gift with deep Canadian traditions, then Inukshuks is the perfect choice. This is an extremely sophisticated stone carving model, along with the sophisticated art of arrangement, creating an extremely beautiful artwork. With a small size, Inukshuks are the best souvenirs from Canada and best gifts from Canada that you can choose for your friends and colleagues.

Best gifts to bring from Canada: Monague Dream Catchers

This is the handmade energy flow dream catcher by Monague, which means a lot to Canadians. With the desire to catch all the nightmares in dreams and bring peace and lightness to sleep, Monague Dream Catchers are always an indispensable item in the homes of Canadians.

With a variety of shapes, colors and designs, these Monague Dream Catchers are also considered an extremely impressive decoration for your home. Therefore, when traveling to Canada, choose to buy a few Monague Dream Catchers to decorate your home space or as a gift!

What to buy in Canada: Canadian Whiskey

A gift that is both valuable, luxurious and suitable for the recipient is Canadian Whiskey. This alcoholic beverage is quite light, made from rye, grains, corn, etc., and undergoes distillation and aging to get its very own flavor. In large parties in Canada, there is often this whiskey and it is also considered one of the pride of the Canadians. If you want to find a gift for your parents, colleagues, etc., you can buy this premium whiskey.

Featured in the Mad Men TV series and proudly enjoyed by locals across Canada. Canadian Whiskey – whatever the brand – makes the perfect souvenir to take home and share with your friends. Locals often just call it “Rye” because it is distilled by adding rye grain to the brewing water to enhance the flavor. This is a great gift to keep in the cupboard for a cold winter night.

What should I buy in Canada: Canadian beer

One of the savory and scrumptious drinks in Canada is beer. The beer here has a distinctive taste processed in its own way. There are many famous breweries here, specializing in the production of beers for international export. While traveling here, you can visit some breweries and buy yourself some typical beer flavors as gifts!

You can pack in thick socks to ensure bumpy flights don’t break your precious beer bottles on the trip home. Many shops at airports only offer spirits, so if you love Canadian beers, you’ll probably have to head to nearby local breweries before boarding.

What is a good Canadian gift: Maple leaf T-Shirts

If you want to buy a gift that is both fashionable and iconic, think about T-shirts with maple leaves. These t-shirts are sold quite a lot at markets in Canada, both beautiful, cheap, and meaningful. If you tend to dress safe, just a simple maple leaf T-shirt makes it clear to all that “This person has come to Canada”. Or, if you love wild style, most tourist stores offer T-shirts featuring Canadian jokes about fishing, hockey, beer, or seafood… So, how can you miss this unique gift when coming to Canada?!

What is best to buy in Canada: Vinyl record

Vinyl record is one of the most valuable and beautiful items. For families who want to collect unique items around the world, choose to buy these valuable vinyl records when coming to Canada. Vinyl records are available in black color, rich textures, various shapes, designs and sizes. You can choose to buy these items as gifts to enjoy their quality acoustic sounds or decorate your space to become more luxurious.

Best gifts to bring from Canada: Montreal Steak Seasoning

If you’ve ever enjoyed the Montreal Steak seasoning on a sirloin steak, or on a fresh salmon fillet dish, you know why it’s a default seasoning in any Canadian kitchen. Easy to pack, easy to share, and delicious to cook. Bringing home a few jars of Montreal Steak seasoning wouldn’t go wrong.

Canada has a very unique cuisine, if anyone who has tasted the specialties here, they will feel excited. If you want to bring home the culinary flavor of this land, you can choose to buy yourself the Montreal Steak spice jars. This is a signature seasoning that can season into many different dishes. And especially, it creates different tastes dishes that are much different from the dishes in your hometown. This is the most meaningful gift that you can buy right away for your family kitchen or as a gift for your friends.

Best things to buy in Canada: Butter Tart

Butter Tarts are a great gift that you should keep in your suitcase after visiting Canada. This is a small pastry tart made from rice flour, butter, sugar, combined with raisins and maple syrup, creating a cake that is both delicious and extremely nutritious. This type of pastry is sold at many bakeries and appears popular on Christmas days. This is considered the most popular gift for tourists in Canada. You can also easily find it at supermarket stores or street shops.

What to buy in Canada: Canadian ice wine

Ice wine represents the level of Canadians. This wine is made from grapes frozen to the fullest extent, pressed for juice, creating a sweet and slightly spicy taste. If you think that wine cannot be consumed by women and children, you are wrong. Because this ice wine is extremely good for health and suitable for everyone. Both luxury and high value, you can choose this wine as a gift for your loved ones when returning.

The grapes are naturally frozen right on the rig at minus 13, then hand-picked and immediately pressed when the sugar and acidity levels in the fruit are at their highest. The amount of juice is only a fraction of that of other wine juices, but the quality and smoothness are unmatched by any other wine.

What should I buy in Canada: Canola Oil

Extracted from natural canola flowers in Canada, this essential oil is both safe and has many uses such as beauty and flavor enhancement. Rapeseed oil in Canada is a bit expensive, but with the values ​​it brings, it is enough for you to choose confidently. In large shopping centers in Canada often sell this oil with the best quality.

With light color, delicious taste, special, this oil is very suitable as an ingredient in cooking, baking, or making sauces. Rapeseed oil has a special flavor with many uses and is good for health. If your family and friends at home are people who love to cook, this will be a gift that will surely make them happy.

Best things to buy in Canada: Smoked Salmon

The best salmon is in the city of Vancouver and this is also considered a scrumptious specialty of this land. Canadian salmon has been processed and preserved quite carefully, so you can safely bring it back as a gift without fear of damage or deterioration. You can go to big shops on the street or shopping malls to buy this smoked fish!

Good souvenirs from Canada: Symbol Lapel Pins

Lapel pins with symbols of Canada such as maple leaves, Canadian flags, etc. with many different shapes and designs are items you can buy as gifts when you return home. Not only beautiful and meaningful, but this is also a gentle gift for you to easily put in a bag in large quantities to bring back.

What to buy in Canada for souvenirs: Laura Secord Chocolate

Laura Secord chocolate is one of the Canada’s best chocolates that you should immediately list on the list of edible gifts that can be brought back home. Made from cocoa, butter, cane sugar, some safe additives, … with its own processing according to traditional methods, it creates a delicious type of chocolate that attracts all visitors at first sight.

What to buy in Canada: Ambrosia apple

With the right natural conditions, climate and soil, the Ambrosia apples grow here have large, glossy, bright red to slightly creamy yellow colors that are extremely eye-catching. The apples here are not spongy, but extremely crunchy, sweet and have a very pleasant aroma. Coming here in the months of November, December and January, you can both enjoy the delicious apples but also watch the ripe apples hanging from the tree like being lost in the world of a fairy tale.

Good souvenirs from Canada: Fashion & accessories

Canada is famous for its modern and trendy clothing styles, suitable for all ages. So you can visit fashion shops to choose and buy the best clothes as well as accessories for your relatives and friends! In addition, you can also choose to buy shirts with Canadian symbols printed such as maple leaves, the Canadian flag, etc. Some famous Canadian fashion brands: Herschel Supply Co.; Lululemon; Sorel Footwear; MEC (Mountain Equipment Company); Club Monaco; Aritzia; Fluevog Shoes…

What should I buy in Canada: Cosmetics

Canada is also considered the land of high-end cosmetic brands that help women be confident with their beauty and keep their youth for a long time. Choosing to buy branded cosmetics in Canada as a gift for women will be one of the top choices that can “please” our women in the best way. You can choose cosmetics from famous brands such as: Bite Beauty, Céla, Cheekbone Beauty, Deciem, Evio Beauty, Nannette De Gaspé, Nudestix, Saje Natural Wellness, The 7 Virtues, Veriphy, Woodlot…

Artisan Chocolate

Another unique chocolate gift in Canada you can choose from is Artisan chocolate. One of the scrumptious delicious chocolates showing the ingenious art of the culinary experts of this country. Enjoying delicious, scrumptious Artisan chocolates along with a cup of fragrant coffee in the early morning is a great thing for every diners. Let’s bring this Canadian flavor back to your hometown so you can give it as a gift and also a beautiful memory from this land!

Must buy in Canada: Shot glass

Collecting shot wine glasses is also a fun way to remember a place. In addition, you can also bring these glasses to use to sip a bottle of “Rye” brought back from a tour of Canada during gatherings with friends.

Where to buy? Some best places to shopping in Canada

Old Quebec (Quebec Old Town)

If you’re looking for traditional and classic Canadian art pieces, nothing good place than Old Quebec. With classic designs of Old Quebec will make you feel like you are lost in the past with traditional Canadian markets.

However, it also has all the things you need during your trip such as restaurants, cafes, etc. and even high-end fashion stores. You can find anything in this shopping neighborhood.

CF Toronto Eaton Centre

Address: 220 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 2H1, Canada
Hours: 10AM–9PM

Located in downtown Toronto, Eaton Centre was once considered a giant retailer in Canada, and is the city’s largest mall with four levels and approximately 230 retailers. The center consists of many windows running along the length, providing natural light, giving you the feeling of shopping under the warm sunshine.

Yorkville

If you want to find high-end products and items or the most luxurious restaurants in Canada, then Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood is the place you need to go. Amidst the classic atmosphere of the old houses here are fashion stores from the world’s leading brands such as Prada, Gucci, Chanel, etc., and many luxury restaurants.

St. Lawrence Market

Address: 93 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3, Canada
Hours: 9AM–5PM/Monday; Sunday: Closed

This is a bustling market located in the city of Toronto. Compared with many modern shopping centers, this market still has its own special color. The 200-year-old St.Lawrence Market has become a familiar shopping place for many locals or both domestic and foreign tourists who come here. The market is divided into 3 different areas for stalls from small to large. It offers a variety of prepared foods such as meat, fish, vegetables and many other local products. There are more than 100 shops selling and trading with many different ways.

West Edmonton Mall

Address: 8882 170 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 4J2, Canada
Hours: 10AM–9PM

One of the world’s largest shopping malls (currently in the top 10), this colorful mall includes an amusement park, an ice palace, a miniature golf course, distinct areas (like Bourbon Street, Chinatown, European Avenue), a water park, and an incredible number of hotels. This shopping mall has an area of up to ​​​​6.1 million square feet, with more than 800 stores, creating jobs for about 23,000 people and welcoming more than 28 million visitors each year.

In the middle of the mall, there is an artificial river so you can go everywhere. Not only that, this place fully deserves to be the best shopping mall in Canada when there is both a water park and an amusement park inside the mall.

CF Polo Park

Address: 1485 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3G 0W4, Canada
Hours: 10AM–9PM

The largest mall located between Toronto and Edmonton, Winnipeg has over 200 retail stores. It was one of the first multi-purpose malls in Canada, taking its name from a race track to the side and across from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Stadium (IG Field). This is also the main media center, owning the 3 largest radio channels in this city.

Metropolis at Metrotown

Address: 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4M5, Canada
Hours: 10AM–9PM

Metropolis at Metrotown is the largest shopping mall in the province of British Columbia. There are big brands like H&M, Banana Republic, Disney Store, Gucci, LV,.. with more than 400 stores and services in Metropolis at Metrotown to meet all the needs of visitors.

Metropolis’s Grant Course area regularly hosts concerts and music shows suitable for those who love the arts.

Montreal Underground City

Address: 747 Rue du Square-Victoria #247, Montréal, QC H2Y 3Y9, Canada
Hours: 8AM–6PM/Saturday, Sunday: Closed

Unlike the above shopping malls, Montreal Underground City is an underground shopping mall – the most special shopping mall in Canada with an area of ​​​​more than 32km. This place was stretched by offices, apartments, restaurants or many busy shopping stores with up to 2000 underground stores. The name “underground city” is such an expression of Montreal.

ByWard Market

Address: 55 ByWard Market Square; Ottawa, Ontario; K1N 9C3

The next shopping place that I want to introduce to you is the BayWard market of Ottawa. This is one of the oldest markets in Canada. Here is full of everything from food, fashion, souvenirs, etc. But the most special thing here is the Obama Cookies which is famous all over the world.

CF Rideau Centre

Address: 50 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9J7, Canada
Hours: 9:30AM–9PM/Sunday: 10AM–6PM

This shopping mall currently has more than 180 large and small stores, providing all the essential needs for visitors such as dining, cinema, hotel, entertainment area. Rideau Centre can be reached by the shortcut of the very famous Parliament Building nearby. Rideau Centre is located next to ByWard Market – the largest outdoor market in Canada. With such a unique combination, this place is exactly the place that you cannot miss when coming to Canada.

PATH – Toronto’s Downtown Pedestrian Walkway

The PATH Underground is a shopping place located below downtown Toronto. PATH has 27 intersections, 3 overpasses, 48 ​​office buildings, 6 major hotels and 1.200 different stores. Therefore, the PATH underground has put its name in the Guinness record with the title of the largest underground shopping district in the world.

PATH Underground Shopping Mall stretches more than 28km from Harbour Street to College Street. You should be careful when walking here because you will most likely get lost because there are many roads built here. But in return, this is a shopping mall with a lot of interesting things for you to explore.

Canadian shopping tips

• Some types of shopping that you need to know in Canada are: Mall (a complex of many large and luxurious shopping stores), supermarket, store, outlet (point of sale taken directly from the factory) and finally the mart (market).
• An important information that you need to remember is that Canada uses coins and banknotes, you should exchange the money before you go shopping to pay easily. Coins are available in the following denominations: 1¢ (penny), 5¢ (nickel), 10¢ (dime), 25¢ (quarter), $1 (loonie) and $2 (toonie or twoonie). The banknotes will be larger denominations, you can quickly distinguish them by their value and color, $5 (blue), $10 (purple), $20 (green), $50 (red) and $100 dollar is brown. Besides, there will also be currency of larger denominations but they are not as popular.
• You should also note that when buying goods in Canada, the price listed on the product may be one price, but when you make a payment, it will be another price, because you have to pay extra tax. Depending on some items, the tax is different, for example in the province of Ontario, the tax for food items will be 13% but for some other essential items such as vegetables, fruits, drinking water… will be exempt from tax.
• In Canada, there will be two biggest sales seasons in the year, winter and summer. Besides, depending on the holidays or special days of the year, the price can also be reduced very much.
• Some sales can be mentioned such as: Black Friday (the fourth Friday of November), Boxing day (December 26), Thanksgiving Day (the 2nd Monday of October), Mother’s Day (the second Sunday in May), Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June), Canada’s National Day (July 1)…
• You do not think that the sales will be of poor quality. No, there are some sales to clear out outdated products that are no longer selling well in the market, but some will reduce the price of all items in the store, including second-hand goods or new products, or even newly launched products, also apply sales promotions to stimulate demand.

Happy traveling! Read more guide to other cities: Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto and Canada travel guide here.