Granville Island

Awesome afternoon at Granville Island. The Public Market was buzzing with activity this sunny spring day.
Fresh veg, bakery, pasta, and burrata cheese made it my basket as did Vancouver Olive Oil Company's Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic vinegar and fresh olive oil too (instant salad dressing).
Visited boutiques and kitchen shops at Net Loft and Granville Island Hotel.
False Creek's seaside location and aquabus (tiny passenger ferry) make this market/shopping/dining destination so unique.
Drive (parking can be a challenge), walk the Granville St. Bridge from Downtown or catch the little ferry.
I vote Granville Island Canada's Best Public Market experience.
TIP: washrooms located in Net Loft are less busy :)

What a fun place to visit if your in the area. There is so much to see here. Every corner has shops and art. Only down side is parking is a little difficult and getting in and out can be rough if you drive. But otherwise great place to visit with the family. There was something for all ages. The market is the best part. So many shops and food vendors. If you want to see the area there are multiple water taxes to take you around the area. Every person I interacted with was nice and helpful.

Such a wonderful touristy place filled with shops and artistry shops. If you can get over the pain of finding a parking spot, this place is a gem! You will need a full day here to explore half of what this place can offer. From high end restaurants (high recommend The SandBar) to the shops in the Market, there something for everyone. We were there for about 3 hours and only got to try and see a few shops and eateries.

I love the exploring the Public Market. A lot of the stores or dining areas in Granville Island are close after 6pm so make sure you get there before hand to not miss out on any of the eateries there. The market is open daily, 9am - 6pm. For popular stores, you will find people lining up outside the market (ie Lee's Donuts and Oyama Sausage).

Parking is free before 11am and after 6 pm. Pay parking in effect 11am - 6 pm daily, $2/hour on weekdays and $3/hour on weekends and statutory holidays. Tip: make sure you download the parking app so you can get reminders and add more time if you need to without having to go back to your parking lot.

Its a beautiful place often with live musicians and artists along the market plaza. Definitely come when the weather is warmer and nicer then when we came. It was overcast and rainy, so we didn't get to take the water taxi, which I hear is a must.

If I was forced to choose one, and only one, definitive, must-visit place in all of Vancouver metropolitan area, it would be Granville Island. It is a microcosm of everything that makes Vancouver, and Canada as a whole, incredible.

It has, honestly, just about everything you could ever need, all in one place: restaurants; bars; a massive, bustling farmers market; a mall dedicated solely for shopping for, and entertaining, children (of all ages); artists' studios; buskers and live entertainment; souvenir shops; clothing stores; bookstores and stationery; a harbor with rentable boats and guided tours available; festivals throughout the year; parks (including a splash park); play places; game stores; jewelry stores; fabric and art supply stores...are you getting the idea yet?

About the only thing it doesn't have is housing (directly on the island, anyway), but even so, when people discuss the topic of creating "20-minute neighborhoods", Granville Island should be template from which all are developed.

You could easily spend a whole day here. We did, in fact. Twice: once in 2023, and once back in 2019, when my wife and I first came here together. Even then, if you're not thorough, there's plenty of things you may have missed. Be sure to explore every alley, round every corner, climb every staircase, open every door (even the ones you're probably not supposed to), and you will find something new to entertain, entice, or enthrall you.

There is, however, one caveat of which to be aware concerning Granville Island: a singular blemish on its otherwise impeccable reputation: traffic. There is one, and only one access road on-and-off the island, and it is persistently, hopelessly clogged with traffic. Take public transportation, or park a few blocks away, off the island, and walk there. Trust me: you will save time, and avoid frustration, this way.

Labeling Granville Island as a "tourist trap" completely misses the point: this is a living, breathing pillar of the community, frequented by locals and visitors alike, and is far more than just the sum of its constituent parts. It is an example of the entire Canadian oeuvre: the inclusive, welcoming, equitable, multi-cultural mass of humanity and commerce, coexisting and working together in peace, sprinkled with a dash of chaos, and about as close to "utopian" as society has yet achieved.

One of the best spots to go to in Vancouver. Great restaurants and market. Nice views and walk. Take the water taxi across and back.

Granville island is like an artsy neighbourhood. Here you will find stage plays, comedy bars, galleries, art supply stores, decor shops, sculptures, even a school for the arts.

The public market is so nice to go to and buy fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, cheese, and many more. If you get hungry, there's a lot of food options from soups to sandwiches. Thai, pizza, Chinese food, Mexican and many others. You can also buy coffee and sit on one of the benches on a sunny day and enjoy the view of the harbour.

A Island located across from Vancouver. This place has trendy shops and restaurants with a very large marketplace, where you can buy many fruits and vegetables, bakery item and meat.
Parking is just okay we were here during the week and was okay to fine a parking spot, weekends I think could be very busy.
Really enjoyed our time there!

Lots of little shops and the large public market. Lots of places to eat and drink on the island, lots of fast food to eat before or after shopping in the market and Meat, Fish and Cheese shops to buy thing to take home for dinner, Every city needs something like this. Everyone we talked to was very friendly and attentive, the prices were for the most part reasonable some a the higher end of the price spectrum for hand crafted items but much of the food was very reasonable and freshly prepared. Highly recommended when visiting Vancouver.

I love bringing out of town guests to Granville Island as there is so much to do & eat here! Lots of local crafty items and a haven for foodies. Definitely need to bring an empty stomach when you visit. Make sure you come earlier as parking can be a challenge. Rather than taking the car, take the local bus or ride on the Aqua Bus. For foodies, the food options are endless ranging from specialty soups to local cheeses. I recommend you shop a bit, take a food break, and repeat often. There's even a few dining places and a couple of hotels here. There is also a local brewery and a kids market.

A great place to spend a few hours here and have a great experience here for all ages.

We had a great time here, but my advice....don't try and park inside, you will be stuck, and wasting your time and gas. Just find a parking lot outside, and walk down. Lots of shops. Breweries, candy shops bakeries and restaurants. Customer service everywhere we went as great.

Definitely a tourist spot to check out. The "island" isn't huge but it has lots of shops and food stalls. Lee's Donuts is also inside - great donuts! There was also a tea shop where we purchase some Lychee Jasmine tea which was bomb. Worth checking out since it's really not that far from downtown as well. Parking wasn't terrible since there's parking lots around.

The shops in Grandville Island are amazing! When you take the ferry across you'll see a few little buildings; however, there are hundreds of shops and restaurants here.