Granville Island - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Granville Island
Granville Island
4.5
NeighborhoodsPoints of Interest & LandmarksIslands
About
This large sandbar and former industrial site is now a posh, artsy neighborhood filled with quaint shops, eateries, breweries, and year-round arts and cultural festivals. Located in False Creek, it's famous for the Granville Island Public Market where you can get fresh produce, gourmet food, and artisanal handicrafts. Visit during summer when the island is exceptionally bustling with outdoor entertainment acts, or during the holidays for twinkling festive lights. You can get to Granville Island by car by crossing the Granville Bridge. Otherwise, you can also take a scenic ferry ride, or a walking or bike tour of the waterfront. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Granville Island
The area
See what travelers are saying
  • Julia J
    Nashville, Tennessee193 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cool Eats & Art
    I love this place! Granville Island is a place that you can do and experience so much. Local shops, good eats, and so much art! I tried Lee's Donuts, salmon jerky - maple and black pepper/brown sugar, ice cream, and a Liberty Distillery drink, which was amazing. I wish I spent more time there and possibly gone in the morning. I went in the afternoon and it was busy. I could've easily spent 3+ hours there just looking around and tasting different things.
    Visited April 2023
    Written May 3, 2023
  • jeanaC4103TH
    Naples, Florida36 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A nice touristy place
    Granville Island is a pleasant place to visit. However, it is set up especially for tourists. It is expensive, even for Vancouver. The best part for me was the ride on the False Creek ferry. Seeing parts of Vancouver by water was awesome.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 16, 2023
  • N8delaney
    Los Osos, California221 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place to visit
    Fun to take the ferry over and so many businesses. We primarily went for the Kids Market and it was worth it. Our daughter had an absolute blast. We also attended the primary farmers market area and loved everything, so many foods to see and try.
    Visited April 2023
    Written May 17, 2023
  • Seattlegirl720
    74 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great way to spend the day
    What a great way to spend the day strolling around all the cute shops, waterfront parks and restaurants. We took the water taxi from our hotel and I would highly recommend doing that as a way to get there. Easy, inexpensive and so fun to see the city from that point of view. We were there on a sunny Saturday and the place was busy with all kinds of other people enjoying the day. Lot's of art shops along with the "typical" tourist gift shops. Many bars and restaurants. Live music was playing here and there. The farmers market area was nicely done. Things for everyone to enjoy. I would recommend this as a great way to spend several hours especially on a warm, sunny day in Vancouver.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 22, 2023
  • Gates P
    Toronto, Canada131 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see
    Great place to spend the day. A must see while in Vancouver as its part of the historical fabric of the city. Lots of shops and restaurants. Some good entertainment in the square. Take a water taxi (Aquabus) if you can as parking is limited. The aquabus is also great fun touring the bay. The Market has all kinds of food and specialty items. Don't miss it.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 24, 2023
  • Julie H
    3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Too short a time on Granville Island
    We were looking for the Tap & Barrel Restaurant as it was recommended to us, but even with locals telling us which way to go, we could not find it. Then someone told us it was closed! So we stopped to eat where we were at the Keg. The 4 of us all had a great meal there. Sadly it was our last night in Vancouver and nothing else as far as the market and artists were open. But I was there several years ago and Granville Island is really worth your time.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 25, 2023
  • deepakgupta5
    Vancouver, Canada610 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place to spend the day
    It is a great way to spend one day in Vancouver. It has a host of shops and restaurants. I would recommend to take aqua bus/water taxi as a fun way to get there. It is inexpensive and quite fun to see the city from that point of view. There are a lot of art shops along with the run of the mill tourist gift shops. Lots of bars and restaurants. The farmers market area is the most popular part of the market and can have a long waiting line
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 28, 2023
  • Vanessa R
    Cleveland, Ohio58 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit!!
    The hotel concierge kept talking about visiting Granville Island. All we knew was that it was a shopping area (so big deal, right?). It's such a cute area with all kinds of shops and markets. There are breweries, eateries, street musicians. We could have spect a whole day there.
    Visited May 2023
    Written June 12, 2023
  • MPP2703
    Caythorpe, United Kingdom1,768 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not for everyone, non shoppers definitely. Take the small water taxi.
    You could say this is a little tourist trap, but has such eclectic mix of shops and markets. The little water taxi is the best way to get here, about $15 return if I remember correctly. There is so much to see and I really loved the market, especially the cake stalls. I can see how this will not appeal to all, but if you fancy a wander and a browse in various shops, then this is for you.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 22, 2023
  • Louise Marie J
    7 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    An easy bus ride from Vancouver
    We took the Number 50 bus from Vancouver (just use your credit card to click on) to Granville Island. It is worth a visit. Make sure you have a walk around the outside, not just in the middle section. We had lunch at the Sandbar, which was excellent. Plenty of shops and things to see.
    Visited May 2023
    Written June 24, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles19,991 reviews
Excellent
10,927
Very good
6,815
Average
1,878
Poor
306
Terrible
66

Brysacker2017
Ottawa, Canada7 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Once popular place to stroll an enjoy the waterfront, this has become a relatively expensive place to visit because the city couldn't wait to charge for parking. My recommendation is to leave the car behind and take public transportation to the island.; go for a stroll; have a beverage and snack and enjoy the comings and goings of harbour taxis as they bob in the water. As you stroll check out and compare prices with your local super-marche.
There are LOTS of eateries and outdoor places to sit and enjoy the air, space and water. The island serves locals and is a tourist attraction so expect crowds.
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mikaela M
Brisbane Region, Australia66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We had fun looking around here, despite the rain!
Most of the letters on the famous Granville island red light sign was out. :(
The public market inside is crowded, but so warm and many shops and food stalls to keep you looking around for a while. Plenty of other shops and light displays to look at around the streets.
I’m sure in nicer weather, a walk around the wharf would be really nice.
We walked there in the rain from downtown which took about 40mins, but on the way back, we took the #50 bus right out the front of Granville island, to Robson st for maybe $3 which took about 10 mins. no cash required, you can tap your debit card!
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

peciacake
Brisbane, Australia131 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
A wonderful way to spend a day browsing Granville Island Markets and many of the other attractions, including the Granville Island Brewery and tap room, who serve great craft beer and excellent pub food.
The fresh food market sets a new standard for presentation, range and quality. We were able to buy some amazing tropical fruits at very reasonable prices.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HighPriestessSusan
Olympia, WA73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We visited Granville Island on a rainy day. Most of the public market is covered and we browsed there until the rain stopped. There is an amazing selection of all kinds of foods, fresh and prepared. Handmade items like soap, ceramics and jewelry are interspersed with the food vendors. Outside of the public market and many smaller boutiques with handmade and artisan items. Walkable and relaxed atmosphere, fun to explore.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John C
Christchurch, New Zealand12 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
We enjoyed the couple of extensive market type buildings on Granville Island, buying fresh local produce and also the yummy
high quality takeaways for lunch, all at reasonable prices. We weren't overly impressed with the rest of the offerings, a lot of bitsy stores and craft stuff that might suit many people, but not us. Whilst vehicle traffic is very slow and regulated, I felt it would be a much safer and peaceful environment if cars were banned other than delivery vehicles early or late in the day. The concrete plant in the centre was quite odd/a novelty, but again added to a littlel uneasiness with trucks coming in and out amongst thousands of pedestrians. The best way to get there is on a water taxi-lots of fun.
Written April 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John Q
Dublin, Ireland107 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
We went there twice over the Christmas holiday. On 12/26 it was deserted and empty and on 12/28 it was mobbed beyond comfortable.
Hard to make a judgement except that lots of people go there, the market seems to be full of interesting food stalls, and there is quite a lot of vehicular traffic.
Hoping to get a more balanced view when I return in the Spring
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rohit
Vancouver, Canada2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Family
After living in the city for almost a decade this was the very first time I visited Granville Island with my family. It's a good day trip with a great public market to purchase fruits and cheese and seafood. Shops around are very expensive but I believe those are to rip off the tourists. Some good activity for kids inside. Our little one who is 6 had fun and will want to go back but there are better places to hang around with kids in town.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MiriamBailey
Perth, Australia71 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Took the ferry over - $8 return trip, that was nice, the markets were also nice although difficult to get a seat in the eating area as very very crowded. The food was lovely and the desserts to die for - a large section of the market is devoted to fresh produce which as a tourist was a bit pointless but if I were local Id come here. Lots of artisan type products (very expensive) and touristy souvenirs etc too. A nice place to visit but don't stress if you don't have time in your itinerary...
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MillNewcastle
Gateshead, UK399 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
We were out and about in Vancouver and decided to walk across Granville Bridge to go to Granville Island. It is quite a long walk. The area is very busy but there were loads of restaurants and shops. The best part was the indoor market areas that were full of food stalls and fresh food counters. Great to wonder around and plenty of seats on the waterfront to sit and eat what you have bought. Saw the Aqua Bus while we were sitting and this was a much quicker and easier way to get back across to Vancouver and I think fares started from $3. Great place to spend a sunny afternoon.
Written September 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nishadi L
Colombo, Sri Lanka166 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Took the the Aquabus from the Village dock (near Science world sky train station) just to experience the tiny ferry ride. Each way costs $6 on the aquabus (not cheap but just fun experience). Once we got to the island, we started exploring the plethora of artisan shops, the public market and ended up having a beer tasting session at the Granville Island Brewery. Warning: if you end up at Paper-ya, you're bound to end up wanting to buy the whole shop :)

It's a nice experience especially for a newcomer or a tourist but not many locals frequent this place as it is a bit overpriced (touristy). I would go again just to try and cover all the shops there but would I do my daily shopping here? Nope!
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 17,075
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Granville Island - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Granville Island

According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Granville Island:


Restaurants near Granville Island: View all restaurants near Granville Island on Tripadvisor

Attractions near Granville Island: View all attractions near Granville Island on Tripadvisor

All Vancouver HotelsVancouver Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Vancouver
All things to do in Vancouver
Day Trips in Vancouver
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars
© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.