Granville Island is famous for its great food and attractions. It’s a fantastic location to visit in Vancouver – it’s full of shops, restaurants, and fun activities that will keep your time there interesting. 

It’s located in Downtown Vancouver, across False Creek. The island is situated beneath the Granville Street Bridge’s south end. 

One of the biggest draws to Granville Island is that it’s a cultural and urban treasure. It’s also home to unique events, including live music and bars.

Whatever your reason for visiting Vancouver, keep reading as we introduce one of Vancouver’s most famous and beloved places.

What to Do on Granville Island

Have Brunch at A Bread Affair

A Bread Affair is a Granville Island-based bakery. They are a certified organic bakery with ingredients sourced from local farmers. This shop sells breakfast pastries, cookies, sandwiches, and flatbreads, ranging from CAD 4 to 11. 

We highly recommend their Brioche à tête to anyone with a sweet tooth, as it is nicely sweet and has a soft texture. Aside from that, A Bread Affair also serves beverages such as their traditional or pink lemonade, with special daily flavors.

If you’re looking for a place to get brunch in Granville Island, we definitely recommend A Bread Affair. They are open daily from 08:30 am to 07:30 pm.

Admire Art at Karen Cooper Gallery

Karen Cooper is a Vancouver-based award-winning photographer. She founded her own gallery on Granville Island in 2010 and is well-known for her dramatic landscape photography. 

Karen focuses on capturing nature’s beauty by depicting majestic trees, wildlife, rivers, and other natural elements. Customers can order custom-sized artwork and select the paper on which they want to be printed.

This art gallery also holds numerous events, supporting local artists and charities. We recommend visiting this gallery as it’s perfect for both art lovers and those looking for home decor items.

Karen Cooper Gallery is open daily, 10:00 am to 05:00 pm.

Ride the Aquabus

The Aquabus is one of the best ways to see Vancouver. They have eight docks, including Granville Island, and make stops every 15 minutes or less.

We highly recommend this for families and individuals who want to get away from Vancouver’s busy streets and explore the city differently.

Their day pass ticket includes unlimited one-day travel on all routes, including Hornby Street, Granville Island, David Lam Park, Stamps Landing, Spyglass Place, Yaletown, Plaza of Nations, and The Village.

A day pass costs CAD 17 for adults and CAD 15 for children and senior citizens. They also provide monthly passes and discounts for groups of 12 or more passengers. 

If you’re looking for a relaxing way to travel in Vancouver, we highly recommend riding the Aquabus. It’s open seven days a week, from 07:00 am to 09:00 pm.

Visit the Granville Island Brewing

Granville Island Brewing was Canada’s first microbrewery, opening in 1984. You can sample various locally brewed beers or take a brewery tour. 

They also have a tasting room where customers can try beer samples or eat burgers and snacks in their taproom. Their beers and meals range in price from CAD 7 to CAD 24.

After a long day exploring Granville Island, we think a local brewery is a great place to hang out in and grab a beer with friends. If you enjoy beer, you should definitely visit Granville Island Brewing. 

Have Coffee at Origins Organic Coffee

Origins Organic Coffee is a Granville Island-based organic coffee company that has been roasting coffee beans for over 30 years. If you like cafes, then this is the place to go to if you want a strong espresso or a decaf coffee.

Origins Organic Coffee is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Their coffees range in price from CAD 9.50 to CAD 10, and they are a great coffee shop to visit to relax and enjoy a warm cup of joe.

How to Get to Granville Island

By Car

If you’re traveling by car, the best way to get to Granville Island is by heading towards the West 4th Avenue and Fir street intersection. You will then spot the Granville Island sign right away, which you can then follow to Granville Island.

By Bus

To get to Granville Island by bus from Downtown Vancouver, you can ride the #50 False Creek bus as it makes regularly scheduled stops at Granville Island. You can then walk north under the Granville Bridge to Granville Island.

By Boat

To get to Granville Island by boat, there are two options.

You can take the Aquabus to Granville Island, which provides short rides across the False Creek Inlet. You can also take the False Creek Ferry, which also travels around the Inlet and drops you off near the Bridges Restaurant.