False Creek Ferries

Save money & frustration, take the Aquabus!
This frustrating water taxi service does not tell you what time (it’s not posted either) that they stop taking passengers to all of the stops — so if you purchased a round trip ticket and are at the end of their run, they’ll ONLY take you to the aquatic center — and if you ask for directions, they’ll send you on a wild goose chase. I’m a visitor to Vancouver and love going to Granville, I’ve always taken the Aquabus, and will continue doing so.
Very disappointed in the customer service and found no service value.
BEWARE!

Instead of getting the day pass and hopping on and off, best friend and I decided to take the 40 minute tour, to give her feet a break. The tour from Granville brings you along False Creek east to the Science World area and back. Our boat captain, reticent on the way out, was surprisingly chatty once a group of Asians left. Perhaps he worried they didn’t understand English, but he started speaking after they departed and we benefitted from his insights about the buildings and skyline of Vancouver heading back to Granville. I didn’t think any input from him was included in the «tour» but it was a nice plus. We even met a volunteer from the Tourism Board and her husband, who were taking the tour to provide first hand insights. One a sunny day, the little boats are a nice way to traverse False Creek and English Bay. Just don’t expect the boat staff to provide you with a real tour.

It was raining but we still decided to leave the car and take the ferry to Granville Island and Science World. Each stop has structure to cover us from the rain while waiting. Boat arrived very shortly. Very friendly captain who helped us load our stroller. He was very friendly to our little kids and answered questions and told us about different landmarks while going from Granville Market Place to Science World. I would recommend leaving car behind for a day and travelling on the ferries.

The false creek as amazing. We had to wait about 20 minutes for our ferry. There ride was good but not much. It was getting quite boring. They should have the ferry more open than that. The fresh air feels better. They should have pointed out places and told us interesting things about them.

Service was very regular, and staff helpful to me as a tourist and first time visitor to Vancouver. Recommended.

This is a ‘cute,’ little effective conveyance with friendly staff. I thought it was pricy for short runs, but it gets you where you need to go.

These ferries are sooo cute but pack a not so delicate price tag. Surprise, surprise $ 20 for two to travel to Granville Island which was like less then 5 mins away is kinda steep in my book. Next day, I thought I would be super clever and purchase the day pass from 7 – 11 to use all transportation unlimited for the day for $ 9.75. Brilliant, right? These ferries are privately operated and the public pass doesn’t work. Shelled out another $ 30. Don’t get me wrong these things are cute and fun but with the Vancouver transportation system being so advanced they should find a way to not kill us on the ferry. There are numerous docks you can just grab a ferry across the water. They offer all day passes at a premium and joy cruises. You can pay by card at the dock destination. There are two different companies working the false creek. We went with the light blue ferry and that turned out being cheaper then the rainbow boat. Just saying.

Didn’t have to wait long at all — excellent service, smooth ride.
Round Trip $ 5.50 Deal!

These cute little boats offer a convenient –and fun– way to get around the False Creek area in Vancouver, including Granville Island.
You’ll see lots of these boats and similar watercraft operated by competing companies puttering about on the sheltered waterway known as False Creek on the South side of downtown. Fares are $ 3.25 — $ 5.50 each way, depending on your destination. Departures are about every 15 minutes, and the boats run until about 7pm (AquaBus service continues until 9). «Sightseeing mini-​cruises» are also available; basically a 25 minute round trip ride for $ 7.50.
So much more fun than driving around, plus you don’t have to worry about parking!

Excellent little ferry service over to Granville Island about $ 3.50 pp each way or find the little coupon book with the tear out FREE 1-​way ferry coupon It’s a nice way to begin or end your visit to the island Have fun :-)

If you ever visit the Vancouver area, this is probably the best value you’ll get out of $ 15. For $ 15 you get a day pass for unlimited rides between some of the most beautiful and must-​see areas in Vancouver: Granville Island, Yale Town, The Village/​Science World, David Lam Park, Sunset Beach, among others.
Tip: Maximum free parking time allowed in Granville Island is 3 hours and they do ticket or tow. If you plan to spend the entire day, use the paid parking lot.
You do not need a ferry ticket in advance, but simply purchase the ticket or day pass from the driver. All of them we’ve encountered we’re professional, courteous and friendly. They gave us good tips on where to go and information of ferry schedules, which sometimes can be flexible.
If you happen to be there on a beautiful day, you’ll certainly have a wonderful time hopping around some of Vancouver’s favorite attractions, strolling along the beautiful shoreline, dining in some of the best restaurants, or just simply enjoying a boat ride.
The boats are rather small with a maximum capacity of 12 people, so on a busy day you might not always be able to get on the next boat. However, they do run a pretty frequent schedule. I’ll certainly do this again in the future, and I recommend this to everyone visiting Vancouver for the first time.

I absolutely love the False Creek Ferries, how could you not they’re just so little and cute. But seriously, they are constantly running through out the day so you never have to wait more than a few minuets for a boat. The captains are always friendly and welcoming, and its crazy cheap!
Also I just love any excuse to take a boat ride, even if it is only a five minuet one. I live in the West End and go over to Granville Island from time to time and always take the False Creek Ferries. :)

Just take the Aquabus if you can. False Creek Ferries seem to be exclusively operated by aggravated hipster semi-​adults. Does not make for a relaxing ride.
Edited to add: Almost two years after making this review I take them again for a short trip and experience the exact same kind of service. Consistently terrible! To be more specific the people who drive these boats (especially around the summer) are like ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ retirees or students and the students are so rude. Same as last time, I am waiting for a different boat and one of the drivers is waiting for passengers and having an obnoxiously loud rant to one of her buds on the dock about a customer (her story was confusing because it sounded like she was in the wrong but???) so incredibly unprofessional and off-​putting.
I repeat: aggravated hipster semi-​adults.

I love fairies! I also love sailors and seamen! Oh wait… ummm… I get sea sick. I get REAL sea sick. Lucky for me these ferry rides are so short and swift that I don’t need to take gravol when I go on them. And hells yea, this is so much faster than taking the bus over the Burrard Bridge, or Granville Bridge or any Bridge for that matter.
You can hang out on the dock like a troll (under the Burrard bridge) cuz the ferries run every five or ten minutes and it only costs like a buck seventy five for a one way ride. I usually catch the last ferry — which is at 9pm, and then worry about how I’m getting home later, you know, after I’ve spent all my money on booze. It makes my night feel more like an adventure that way. How am I gettin home tonight?! Nobody knows!
I usually only take the ferry to Granville Island, cuz that’s where all the cool art-​fags hang out, and there’s always lots of good food there during the day if you go to the market. Land ho!

Cutest little boats for a quick trip across False Creek to Granville Island. I’m amazed at how effortlessly the «captains» of the boat can both steer and exchange money with all passengers during the quick trip. I also greatly appreciated that they took American dollars (and gave me change in Canadian dollars, which I needed anyway!). I’ll be back.

It is such a nice way to cross the water around False Creek.
Very much like their neighbour Aquabus, they are fast, reliable and convenient.
The only plus they have is that they have more stations (around Kits and West End) and they work later hours.
Really nice to take the boat to go shopping on Granville Island.
Chouchou le petit bateau !!

I had to use their services a few times and it’s a must for discovering a new side of this beautiful city of ours. Floating between the downtown and the False creek area is actually very nice on a nice sunny day. It’s not too expensive and can be very romantic if you go when it’s not too busy (weekdays, early afternoon).
The service has always been friendly and the experience amazing. Imagine that coming out of a little boat :)

My idea of a perfect day —
Wake up to a clear cloudless sky, hop on the False Creek ferry, zip over to Granville Island for fresh produce, lunch and beer, then sail over to the aquatic centre to sunbathe at Sunset Beach. Only thing more perfect is if I was sharing this with someone special.
That’s why I love living so close to the water. FCF operates 3 lines, 1 from Science World to Granville Island (stopping at Plaza of Nations, Yaletown, Monk McQueens, and David Lam Park along the way), 1 between G-​Island & the Aquatic Centre & 1 between the Aquatic Centre & Vanier Park. See
for more info– note that they’ve raised their prices by $ 0.50 from what is stated on the map.
To be honest I don’t really find much difference between these ferries and the rainbow-​colored ones (Aquabus). Not sure if FCF really is cheaper as I’ve never tried to figure out the confusing pricing and just pay whatever the operator tells me. So I just take whichever ferry comes first.
If only it didn’t cost $ 6.50 One Way to go to English Bay. I’d rather walk 35 mins. to get there and use the money to reward myself with a beer. But I would gladly pay if I was with the right company as I think it’s quite a romantic ride :)
PS. If you’re reading this and visiting from out-​of-​town I would definitely recommend taking a little tour on this. The view of the downtown skyline, Olympic Village and the seawall from False Creek is so incredibly beautiful.

Romance.
All thanks to driver Jack’s harmonica.
Imagine.
It’s a clear, crisp, dark evening. You’re one half of a pair of lovers. The water is calm, with a hint of salt in the air. You’re the only boat gliding through the water. To your left, the glass encased skyline shines. To the right, sailboats bob peacefully at their docks.
The harmonica plays.
Transported to some magical European city — Venice? Prague? Amsterdam?
When you’re ashore, less than 5 minutes later, at Granville Island, you pause… did that really just happen? Oh yes, yes it did: Wednesdays to Saturdays, that’s Jack’s regular schedule, making the price of the ticket so well worth it!

Also called False Creek Ferries, these are the non-​rainbow coloured boats you see running around False Creek from Science World to Granville Island and the West End. They’re very handy if you don’t happen to have a bike for getting around this area by land, and also because bus service is pretty sparse around the Creek, sad to say.
I took a ride near sunset, and it was short and sweet. I was reminded again of what a lovely waterfront we have here in Vancouver and of the marine nature of our city. In short, the view from the ferry can refresh a landlubber’s whole outlook.
It’s probably a little on the tourist-​y side, but not just for tourists.