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Discover the best ways to explore Granville Island in Vancouver, from top attractions, places to eat and transportation tips.

In our travels around the world, Bill and I have been to plenty of food and street markets. But Granville Island in Vancouver quickly zoomed to the top of our Favorite Markets List.

Besides the huge Public Market, there are tons of other fun areas to explore (and to EAT!) Come follow along as we show everything you need to know to make the most of your day at Granville Island, including the fun unique way to get there, and our Top 10 recommendations!

Quick Facts about Granville Island in Vancouver

Hours? – The Public Market is open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM from September – May, Open 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM from June – August; other businesses may have different hours so be sure to check their websites.
Amount of Time? – Minimum 1-2 Hours – If you have a whole day, go for it!
Cost to Get In? – FREE
Pets Allowed? – Leashed Dogs are allowed in most outdoor areas of the Island and in some restaurants/galleries that have patios.

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Short on Time? Here’s 2 Options

If you don’t have much time, the most efficient way to see Granville Island is to take a guided tour. There are several great ones available to give you the lay of the land. Check these popular options out:

A Wok Around Food Tour of the Public Market, led by a Chef – A professional Chef guides you through the maze of stalls at the Public Market, introducing you to regional specialties and an introduction to the growing craft brew scene in Vancouver.

Click here to Book the Wok Around Food Tour

Granville Island Market VIP Walking Food Tour – Sample 20 tasty culinary specialties on this small-group guided tour of the Public Market. Vancouver has such an eclectic food culture and your guide will give you all the insider tips. This is perfect for food lovers everywhere!

Click here to Book the VIP Walking Food Tour

If you’re ready to go on your own to explore Granville Island, here are my Top 10 Recommendations:

The Map of Granville Island in Vancouver

I created a special map, showing the locations of the attractions covered in this post.

A colorful map of Granville island with numbered blue dots showing locations of recommended places to visit.

A numbered list of locations that correspond to the map of Granville Island in Vancouver.

Top Attractions at Granville in Vancouver

#1 – The Public Market

When most people think of Granville Island, they think of the Public Market. It is for sure the main attraction, featuring over 40 vendors selling specialty foods, flowers and craft items. When you enter the building, your eyes, ears and nose are immediately filled with the smells, colors and sounds of sizzling food.

The entrance to the Public Market on Granville Island in Vancouver

A food worker serves up a tray full of chicken and vegetables for a young woman to have for her lunch.

Hundreds of people were there choosing delicious items to eat for lunch or to take home with them. It’s crowded, chaotic and crazy and that’s all part of the fun. It reminded me of being in the Food Building at a State Fair.

One of the most popular shops within the Market is Lee’s Donuts – the line was out the door! We visited the one in Gastown and Bill can confirm the donuts were pretty fabulous.

Bill in his pink shirt takes a big bite out of his yummy donut.

My friend Marcia also highly recommends Siegel’s Bagels for their salmon and cream cheese bagel sandwiches.

There’s not really any place to sit down to eat inside the Market, so you have to head outside to find a place to enjoy your food. These folks were lucky to find a table in the shade.

A group of people sit at a picnic table under a wooden canopy structure with a white roof. A great way to stay out of the sun when visiting Granville Island in Vancouver!

#2 – Ron Basford Park

Another popular place to take your food is to Ron Basford Park at the north end of the island (opposite end from the Market). Take Johnston Street all the way down to the end and enjoy the wide open spaces on the water.

It’s a big space with benches, picnic tables, shady trees and fantastic views of Alder Bay. Just watch out for the seagulls as they will try to snatch your food away from you.

But you know what? Beyond the very popular Public Market, there are TONs of other restaurants, stores and activities on Granville Island in Vancouver. Here are some of my favorites and those recommended by my local friends!

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#3 – Tony’s Fish & Oyster Cafe

After the Market, we headed to Tony’s (1511 Anderson Street, to the left of the Improv Centre) to try the best Fish and Chips on the Island, based on the recommendation of our Ferry driver, George.

The small cafe was packed and we waited about 30 minutes to get a table. Once seated, we ordered the Lunch Special which came with a bowl of Clam Chowder, 1 piece of Cod and Chips, and Coleslaw.

Was it worth the wait? The Clam Chowder was to die for – sooo good! Reminded me of being on Cape Cod in the summer. The Fish and Chips were also pretty darn good. The coleslaw however, was really bland. Still, I’d give it a Thumbs Up and my recommendation if you find yourself on Granville Island in Vancouver.

A white bowl of rich ivory clam chowder sends steams of smoke up.

A red basket with battered fish, french fries and coleslaw.

#4 – The Hamuhk Hangout Place

One of the most fun shops we saw was this cute place called the Hamuhk Hangout Place, located at 1652 Duranleau St. As the only physical hammock store in all of Canada, they specializes in colorful hammocks, with a fun creative spelling.

They invite you to come in and sit for awhile, testing out different hammock configurations. Tons of kids and adults were in there trying them out and choosing their favorite color from the broad assortment available.

Customers test out different hammocks hanging in the middle of the light filled store.

Colorful and bright rolls of what looks to be fabric, but are actually hammocks all rolled up.

#5 – Granville Island Brewing

One of the most popular stops on the island is Granville Island Brewing, located at 1441 Cartwright Street. Their craft brews are available all across Canada, but to get the full experience, you have to stop by their spot on Granville Island.

A colorful sign on the side of the building is the home to Granville Island Brewing in Vancouver.

#6 – The Sandbar Restaurant

Offering nice views of False Creek, the Sandbar Seafood Restaurant, located at 1535 Johnston Street, is a popular restaurant is known for its quality seafood. The most highly recommended dishes include the Wok Squid, the Grilled Halibut and the Arctic Char. Give it a try if you’re looking for more of a sit-down fine dining experience.

#7 – Street Performers

All across Granville Island, you might turn a corner and find a street performer drawing a crowd. We watched a juggler for awhile in the open space in front of the Bread Affair. He managed to balance his hat on his nose while juggling sharp knives.

A juggler balances his hat on his nose while juggling knives.

# 8 – The Improv Centre

A live comedy venue, The Improv Centre, located at 1502 Duranleau St, features unscripted performances where the comedians have to make it up on the spot. With a variety of different show formats, you can pick the one you want to see.

A silver canopy creates the entrance to the Improv Centre on Granville Island in Vancouver.

# 9 – Kingsmill Studio Pottery

Granville Island offers many different types of artistic products, from paintings to pottery to jewelry and so much more. One of my favorites is Kingsmill Studio Pottery, located at 1620 Johnston Street. It features a curated collection of local artists and the pieces available change regularly.

A blue building with bright blue doors is the home of Kingsmill Studio Pottery, on Granville Island in Vancouver.

#10 – The Keg Steakhouse and Bar

If your looking for stylish, yet casual, check out the Keg Steakhouse and Bar, located at 1499 Anderson Street on Granville Island in Vancouver. It’s a great place to go for Happy Hour, and for quality burgers and steak. Regulars rave about the fact that you can always count on The Keg to deliver quality food and it’s a great place to people watch through the large windows.

The gray and red restaurant known as The Keg welcomes visitors with it's big huge windows.

This is just a very small sampling of my favorite places on Granville Island. There is so much more to check out, you could easily spend a whole day there.

How to Get to Granville Island in Vancouver

The Island is just south of Downtown Vancouver, across the False Creek waterway. So it’s easy to get there using many modes of transportation

#11 – Take the Granville Island Ferries

Taking a short ferry or water taxi is the most common way to get to Granville Island and definitely the most FUN! We parked our car in The Village on the east end of False Creek, and then took the False Creek Ferry along the red route to the Island.

The Ferries run every 5-7 minutes, stopping several places along False Creek to pick up passengers. TIP: Pay attention to which color route you are on (red, yellow, blue) because when it’s time to leave the island, you have to line up by the right color.

There are two companies offering identical services – False Creek Ferries and the AquaBus Water Taxi. TIP: It literally doesn’t matter which one you take. Prices are the same and they pull up to the same docks with the same frequency.

A small boat cruises through the water with the word Aquabus on the side. — The Aqua Bus

A map showing routes through the water that lead to Granville Island in Vancouver. — Routes for the False Creek Ferries

Can I walk to Granville Island?

Yes, you can walk on to the Island from downtown Vancouver across the Burrard Street Bridge (closest) or the Cambie Street Bridge (a little farther away). If you’re staying in Kitsalano, you’re even closer!

A map showing routes to walk from Downtown Vancouver to Granville Island.

Is there a Bus I can take to Granville Island?

Yes, the TransLink #50 bus brings you from Gastown to the the southeast side of West 2nd Avenue and Anderson Street, just off the Island. Follow Anderson Street north and within minutes, you will be in the heart of the action!

Can I Drive and Park on Granville Island?

You can certainly drive onto Granville island, but I strongly discourage you from doing so. Pay Parking is extremely limited and there are pedestrians walking everywhere. We saw lots of people circling and circling to look for a parking spot – they had to go really slow because of all the pedestrians in the roads.

Park somewhere else and take one of the other forms of transportation to get here. I recommend the Ferry for sure – it was fun to see the city from the water.

Conclusion: Is Granville Island in Vancouver Worth Visiting?

Absolutely it is! It’s the number 2 thing to do in Vancouver, after Stanly Park. If you have enough time to spend a whole day there, I’d highly recommend it – you won’t run out of things to do (or Eat!) At the very minimum, plan to spend at least 2-3 hours exploring this beautiful place, just steps from Downtown Vancouver.

More Info on Canada

Here are some more posts about Canada, British Columbia and Vancouver, including some that I’m still working on. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

Vancouver:

Vancouver Island:

Taking the Ferry to Vancouver Island? Learn from Our Experiences (and Our Mistakes)
Butchart Gardens: A Visual Tour of Canada’s Most Beautiful Garden
Coming Soon: Things to do in Campbell River, BC
Coming Soon: Things to do in Victoria