Things to Do on Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia

If you find yourself in Vancouver, you should take some time and head out to Granville Island, which is located in False Creek . Granville Island is considered to be a part of downtown Vancouver. The "island" is really a peninsula, so it is possible to drive a car out to Granville Island if you want. However, because Granville Island is not particularly big, parking on the island is quite limited.

An easy and fun way to get to Granville Island is to take a short ferry ride from one of many locations in downtown Vancouver. There are two ferry companies that provide shuttles to Granville Island - the AquaBus and False Creek Ferries. The shuttles run constantly throughout the day, so you won't be kept waiting for long, and the fares are very reasonable.

Once you arrive at Granville Island, there are many interesting places to explore. If you arrive by ferry, you will be dropped off very close to the Granville Island Public Market, which is absolutely lovely. If you don't want to eat lunch in a restaurant, you can buy items from several of the amazing food vendors and put together a great picnic lunch that you can eat by the water. The public market is open daily from 9:00am to 7:00pm.

Granville Island is probably best known for its shops. Many artists have studios on the island, which makes it possible to sometimes see live demonstrations from glass blowing to furniture making to weaving. There are also many unique jewelry, clothing, and fine art stores to browse through at a leisurely pace.

Granville Island even has its own brewing company, which is aptly named the Granville Island Brewing Company. The brewery is pretty tiny, but you can still take a fun tour, which provides you with four different samples to taste at the end. The samples are pre-determined ahead of time, so you don't get to choose what you taste. The tours are limited to 12 people, so it's best to sign up early. The tours run daily at noon, 2:00pm and 4:00pm and cost $9.75 per person.

You can even do a sake tasting on the island! The Artisan Sake Maker, which is a small shop located on Railspur Alley, is a place that you might miss if you blink. All of the sakes are served cold, and there are five different types of sake available. The two premiums are $2.00 each, and a flight of the three entry level sakes costs $5.00. I tried the entry-level flight, and it was a very enjoyable and memorable experience.

If you are looking for something to occupy your kids, there is a giant market on Granville Island that is dedicated to children, called the Kids Market. There are about 25 different shops for the kids to enjoy, along with an arcade and a play area.

Granville Island really does have something for everyone and should not be missed on a visit to Vancouver.

Source: Personal experience