This was a fun experience - I can't really speak to how it is as a source of reliable transportation, but I took this as a fun excursion from Granville Island to ride around a little. While this isn't billed as a tour, the ship's captain was kind enough to narrate the landmarks (including each owner of the the vast row of yachts docked nearby!) that we were passing as well as each of the stops and what adventures could be had there. She was really entertaining and kind, as she also helped with several lost travelers standing at one of the stations. It was a smooth ride on a sunny day and the views were absolutely gorgeous. FYI, there are no amenities on board, so no concession stand or washrooms, although the ride roundtrip is only around 40 minutes -you don't really need it to begin with. read more

See all

I love these little boat rides! The rainbow colours of the boats make them so much more fun and honestly very Vancouver. Very convenient AquaBus ride from Granville Island straight over to Yaletown, spending some time walking around and hanging out there, and then coming back to Granville Island for the rest of the day. It's such a short and sweet ride, but you still get to enjoy beautiful views of False Creek along the way. Another favourite is taking it over toward Science World and making a whole afternoon out of it. You can visit Science World, walk around False Creek and then head back to Granville Island. It's also really pretty at night when all the lights and signs are reflecting on the water. After spending a long day at Granville Island, hopping on the boat and just enjoying the ride is such an easy way to end the day. And the best part is that it's cheap! For the price, it's such a fun little Vancouver experience and something I keep coming back to and always making sure to have my out of town guests join in as well! read more

Wow! What a fun way to get around various places along Vancouver's waterfront. Our all day pass was $22 per person which seemed fair to us. read more

What a convenient and fun way to get around town! Prices are great. You pay once on board. So easy. Scenic views all around. Super nice folks!!! The way to move throughout the city!!! read more

See all

I've been on the Aquabus twice this past summer (& several times over past summers) & only now have I just realized - it's awesome. What took so long!? What a great way to see different angle views of False Creek. I've had guests staying over from overseas & they just absolutely loved it. The next time you're at Granville Island & have some extra time to kill, I'd highly recommend doing the round trip from Granville Island & back. It costs about $15 return & it's worth it. A day pass is also available for multiple trips as well - I highly recommend this option if you have a few hours to spare. Pay onboard. Do this during a clear blue sky summer day. If it's cloudy or overcast, don't bother. Staff are friendly & helpful. The seating is comfortable & you can get up to take pictures as you move through False Creek. Like I said I experienced the Aquabus twice this summer & found it so relaxing to be on the water after dinner. Kinda had sea legs after my last trip, when I got back & started walking. LOL. It's a great way to see False Creek along the water. Open daily from 7am till 915pm. read more

See all

Amazing. These Aquabus things are great. The staff is so informative, friendly and resourceful, I rode to multiple stops, checked out places, then jumped back on to cruise around more! And it's extremely reasonable Kudos! read more

Aquabus - One of the many Aquabus boats! - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

During our recent trip to Vancouver, we were on the Aquabus 3 times. The first 2 times were our round trip shuttle from the foot or Hornby street to Granville Island. The other one was a "Bay Tour" led by a very engaging Frank Z. He's also an actor, so of course we looked him up after we were done. When we weren't talking movies or theater, Frank gave us a good snapshot of recent Vancouver history, politics, and culture. I would highly recommend this tour and led by Frank (if he's around). And its loads more interesting and fun that a "Hop On - Hop Off" bus. read more

Aquabus - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

HEY YOU TOURIST: HOW IT WORKS! GO TO A DESIGNATED DOCK Find on google or apple maps. WAIT (not very long!) It's quick! 5-10 minutes, TOPS! VERIFY DROP OFF Make sure they run to where you're going :) "Hi do you go to _______?" ALL ABOARD! Board and take a seat. PAY UP! Once underway the charge will be collected via Apple pay, card, or cash :) EXPLORE! Enjoy your day! : ) read more

Aquabus - aquabus! easy on (sit then they come to you to pay - Applepay, card, or cash!) easy off! - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Had a great experience with aquabus today - great customer service and staff seem genuinely happy to be there. Deckhand Darby did a great job at helping us with directions!!! read more

Wanted to go.to Granville Island, but didn't have a car. Walked to Auquabus stop on Hornby. It was $5.50 CDN round-trip (seniors). The ride was smooth and quick. Wait times were small. No dealing with parking etc. Would do again. read more

Visited Vancouver 2x now and enjoyed our aquabus rides across the bay. The staff members were courteous and it usually doesn't take long to catch a ride. They charge for your tickets during the ride. Pretty smooth ride and get to avoid Vancouver traffic. read more

In our family visit to Vancouver, we were able to incorporate a small boat ride on the Aquabus system, so my two granddaughters were really happy! The ferry boat took us from the Granville Island Public Market area across Vancouver Harbour and dropped us off at David Lam Park. It only cost $4.50 per person, but our granddaughters were free as they were between 0 and 3 years old! The captain of the ship was a great boat driver, and the older man who was the assistant was also a great helper as well. I highly recommend all the kids to take a ride for sure. If your child gets scared or not feeling well, they will turn back around really quick if needed. I will definitely use the Aquabus again in the near future!!! read more

See all

A great way to see Vancouver! Easy on and off. Boats show up often. Friendly drivers. read more

Aquabus - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Great little quaint ferry around the false harbour Excellent views of luxury launches houseboats stadium science dome and the apartment skyline Travel from Granville island to downtown. read more

The Aquabus is a ferry boat - A fun, quick, and affordable method of transportation!  How it works: Tell the worker where you're trying to go. Buy tickets, aka Aquabucks. Board the Aquabus. Interact with the bubbly, sociable workers. Enjoy the views and ride. Give the appropriate amount of tickets to the ferry-person. Hop off at your destination! Possible destinations: Hornby, Granville Island, David Lam Park, Stamps Landing, Spyglass Place, Yaletown, Plaza of Nations, and The Village read more

Aquabus - Aquabus in action - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

This was a really inexpensive way to get a nice view from the water. I definitely recommend this for tourists. read more

Aquabus - Really inexpensive way to get a nice view from the water - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Easy to locate along this waterway. I believe 8 stops included to see and stop at various points. One way . Round trip or all day passes that can be paid while on the aqua bus. Friendly operators that provide smooth rides . Highly doubt it can even cause sea sickness. Thank u to the young staff read more

See all

One of the best travel hacks when visiting Vancouver! Not only do you get a beautiful view but you also have the chance to commute to a few different points around Vancouver Island. I was visiting Granville Island and needed to headout to catch some dinner at a spot I had bookmarked on Yelp. I discovered you can actually bypass purchasing a ticket and simply pay while on the boat. You can pay for a one way or round trip ticket. I went from Granville to Stamp Island and the fee was less than $6 CAD with some amazing views. The whole transit was beautiful and was an impromptu tour tbh. The boats are so fun and easy to enjoy even for those who might get seasick easily. Jump on a colorful boat and enjoy an impromptu tour of the city by water! read more

Good experience. It's a quick ride but you will likely enjoy it! It's cheap so anyone can give it a try. I just wish I could have came here when I was a kid, cause it would have been great! read more

Paid $19.00 for a day pass and it was more than worth the price, started off heading to Granville Island, spent a few hours looking around caught the Aquabus to all of the other stops got off and looked around at each stop, got on again and moved to the next one. Longest wait for a ride was less than 5 minutes. Staff was very friendly, ride was smooth. Great way to get around False Creek for some sightseeing. Highly recommended. read more

Fastest way to get to Granville Island. Hop on and you are there in a few minutes, and the best part is you don't have to look for parking! They take both cash and cards, and the crew is super friendly and organized. So try the Aquabus for a stress free ride with great views. read more

This was my favorite use of transportation in Vancouver! I thought at first ehhh, it's just boat, but I loved it!!! It's a wonderful way to see downtown Vancouver. The sites are amazing throughout the entire journey! I used this to go to Granville island, but I ended using it was all of my travels for that day. It isn't super necessary if you just want to stay on the main side of downtown Vancouver because it's a pretty small area and you can walk all of it. Side note: I made the mistake of getting on the wrong boat because some of the Aquabus stops are shared with other companies, but the drivers were super nice and understanding because we were all going to the same stop. Watch out for what boat to take. read more

See all

Easy to purchase pass and great option as transportation for the many things to do in downtown Vancouver.

We just returned from a cruise to Alaska and we couldn't make the early flight so we had most of the day to sightsee. We had never taken a Aquabus but we decided to hop on and tour around Granville. What a great way to see around the city. It a nice day with a light breeze and Vancouver is so pretty and the price is really cheap. I can't imagine why we never did this before. It was great fun and a wonderful way to see the city. I highly recommend this the next time you are in Vancouver. read more

Aquabus - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Guy "captain" on aquabus was rude af. October 24, 2024 3:30 to 3:50 one, white guy with beard. We catching bus from Granville going towards Yale, but says he heard us saying "the village," when we aren't even from Vancouver. He seriously gonna deny we said that? I heard what my gf said, but he still gonna deny us even saying that? Some customer service by saying "nope, I don't think so." I would think he said "oh my mistake, maybe miscommunication?" My thought is race or some sorts of racial biases. (Go figure). I had encounter tons of friendly ppl in Canada coming from rude ass southern California. read more

Aquabus is a great option to get from Vancouver to Granville Island. We were in town for the day & our hotel desk recommended this to us. It was $6 for a round trip ticket & the trip took about 5 minutes each way. The little boats are cute & colorful, you can see them cruising up and down the waterway picking up customers & dropping them off. We boarded at the Hornby Station and we had less than a 5 minute wait.....(don't know if that was just plain luck or if they just come really frequently.) It was super quick & easy to board, and they collect payment, cash or credit, once you're on board. There are beautiful views all around and the boats are covered in case of inclement weather. Our return voyage was just as smooth; however there were only 3 or 4 chairs so we had to stand. (Fine since it was a 5 minute trip.). I would highly recommend Aquabus. It was a fun and inexpensive way to see a little more of Vancouver. read more

See all

I can't think of a more convenient and affordable way to get around Vancouver. They have lots of stops and my favorite one was Granville Island. The others were mostly good too. It is such a convenient way to get around and we probably would not have seen as many sites without the Aquabus. This is a must see destination. The Aquabus Captains were all friendly and helpful. One of them was hilarious. They all told some interesting stories. The Aquabus stops are very convenient to get to once you are at your destination. I really enjoyed the scenic views on the waterway. The breeze was so nice and relaxing after all the walking in Vancouver. The only negative is we had to wait longer than expected at a couple stops. Much longer than expected at one stop but we chatted with some fellow passengers so it wasn't too bad. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. read more

See all

Quick, affordable method to transport between islands. I love how quick it takes. Little bit pricey for tourists but I rather pay that walk so much or take bus. I highly recommend to take that aquabus to Granville Market. We walked from Robson (Blue horizon hotel) all the way towards their station. It takes around 15 min and nice beautiful views of the city. read more

See all

Great way to get from Vancouver to Granville Island. I took the ferry from the dock near Burrard Bridge to Granville island, it was $3.50 one-way or $6 round-trip. It's super quick and efficient, it only took 5 minutes to cross the water. Plus, the ferries are so frequent that I didn't have to wait all to catch a ferry either way. Highly recommend using this company when getting across the water! read more

You have to do the touristy things when visiting any city while traveling. We had a long layover and we had zero Canadian money on us and I wasn't about to go look for a place to exchange money. I'm glad they accepted credit cards with a smile. read more

Aquabus - The touristy thing to do - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We were looking for something fun for the kids to do after Granville Island so we took the harbor cruise. $8 adults/$4 kids for half an hour wasn't a bad deal at all. They take cash up front or credit card (upon arrival). We didn't use this as a means of transportation so I'm not sure if they run on time or are more efficient than driving, but the boats are cute and colorful and they all have their own personalities. Staff was excellent! read more

Good trip with nice views & good staff. Convenient enjoyable transportation in a city on water to Granville Island.

Me and my high-class family experienced the faults of the aquabus firsthand when the driver rammed our boat into the side of the dock where my moms head was jolted into the metal fran of the boat and she received a concussion. All the driver could say is "sowwy" but luckily he was his apologetic trait beats his captaining skills. read more

I love the Aquabus ferries and have used them frequently to get to and from Granville Island! I also love watching them crisscross False Creek from my condo window; to me, it's a quintessentially Vancouver sight, these adorable, colorful little boats, trimmed in rainbow colors and with different colored roofs. It's one of the reasons I chose my condo, actually. I really love these cute boats! They're a convenient mode of transportation, with fairly extended hours (they operate late, until 10:30 pm, and are also fun to watch when it's pitch black out and they're illuminated with their equivalent of "headlights"). I often walk to Granville Island but sometimes it's too dark out/late for me to comfortably walk home, or the weather turns, or I have older out-of-town guests, or I have bulky purchases from the public market, so taking these ferries really works well for me. Also, they start running fairly early, so whenever I do the Granville Turkey Trot 10k, I always take the ferry there (it starts running at 6:45 am. Seems a ton of us racers take the Aquabus to Granville on this October day!). A few notes, since I've read much misinformation in some of the reviews here on Yelp: they do NOT go to English Bay. The furthest northern dock is at Hornby Street. Check their website for current prices, as they've gone up considerably from some of those mentioned in some reviews here. (I recently went one way from Granville to Plaza of the Nations with my teenage kid and it cost me $12.50 total for the two of us). They only take credit or debit at Granville Island, so if you're going to other docks, you have to pay cash on board. They charge an extra 50 cents for bikes. They actually love dogs and let leashed dogs on board. They are in operation every day of the year except Christmas Day. And all their employees are super friendly and they all provide an interesting and educational narrative/tour/lesson of the area as you travel the waters. Sometimes you might even have the bonus of a seal or otter escort in the water (as we did the other day!). read more

My kids were excited to take the aqua bus when exploring the harbor. The crew were very warm, welcoming, and also accommodating when it came to helping us with putting the stroller on the boat. My kids enjoyed watching the waves as we rode across the harbor. read more

The Aquabus is really cool. I don't know how anyone cannot love this little mini boat. It's just too cute! The Aquabus Ferries started operating their False Creek tours and taxi service back in 1986 during "Expo 86". It has grown from the initial 4 Benford ferries to now 7 traditional ferries with a capacity of 12 passengers and 1 skipper and 4 Cyquabus ferries that can accommodate bikes, strollers and wheelchairs. A few years back, the Aquabus company started some "Green" initiatives by converting the diesel engines to clean, biodegradable, and nontoxic bio diesel made from used vegetable oil from restaurants on Granville Island. How cool is that? Cute and environmentally conscious, you got to love these little ferries. The Aquabus make stops at Hornby st, Granville Island, David Lam park, Stamp's Landing, Sypglass Place, Yaletown, Plaza of Nations, and Science world. It's a great way for someone living in downtown to conveniently take this little boat over to Granville Island. It can cost you anywhere from $3.50-$6.50. When I'm visiting Granville Island, I'll usually go for the 25 minute mini cruise and it only cost $8 with a very short wait or you can go for a longer 40 minutes tour for $11. You will get a round trip around False Creek passing through nice scenery. The skippers are super friendly and they even provide change. Whether you are a local or a tourist, I highly recommend the mini cruise on a nice sunny day if you are in Granville Island. You can go to www.theaquabus.com for the latest info on the fees and schedule. The super cute mini ferries get 4.5 stars! read more

See all

The cute, colorful boats make for a great photo op and a fun time for kids, but it's pretty pricey for the convenience of getting to Granville Island without taking the bridge. A simple two minute trip will run you $3.50/person (cash preferred), with longer cruises and packages available, which are better options rather than the single-trip rate. Staff were polite and ferries were prompt and came by frequently. Good one-time thing to do while here on vacation, especially if you have little ones. read more

The Aquabus always puts a smile on my face with its bright rainbow colors and putt-putt engine. The regular ferries and "Cyquabus" sit quite low in the water. Thankfully there aren't any heavy seas in False Creek. The stops are perfect for both tourists and families. Routes head to Science World, the Aquatic Center, and Plaza of Nations. But the ferries also provide a good service to commuters and commuter cyclists. I've always wondered what the difference was between the Aquabus and Granville Island Ferries. So after some eye-crossing web page examination, here are my findings: - only Granville Island Ferries goes to the Maritime Museum - only Aquabus goes to Spyglass Place - fares from Granville Island are $0.50+ more expensive with Aquabus - not sure if Granville Island Ferries takes bikes So, in short, you're pretty much good with either to see a unique view of Vancouver. read more

Aquabus - Ferries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I'd been wanting to ride the Aquabus ever since I knew we were going to Vancouver :) Who doesn't want to ride on a rainbow color mini yacht ;) Ok, it's a mini ferry but it's so cute and a tons of fun. My boyfriend and I cabbed to Granville Public Market and after we'd explored all that we wanted to, we decided where we'd take the Aquabus to - we chose Yaletown - which gave us a couple of stops to be on the water, take in the views and snap some pics and a little video. Such a fun way to get to/from Granville Island - more exciting than a taxi and comparable in price. read more

This is a great service to get around Vancouver. However don't use it for the tour. We did the 20min kids tour and you are essentially going for a ride as they pickup and drop off other passengers. read more