Aquabus and False Creek Ferry

Aquabus and False Creek Ferries transport passengers in cute little mini ferry boats to tourist attractions throughout Vancouver’s False Creek region.

Aquabus & False Creek Ferries

Looking for a fun and scenic way to get around False Creek, from Science World at one end of the waterway to English Bay at the other? Then take the Aquabus or a False Creek Ferry and save your legs. See Vancouver from a different perspective and enjoy the ride!

Both the Aquabus and False Creek Ferries are highly recommended. Both companies offer a fun and entertaining way to get around. They’ll save you having to find parking everywhere and save your legs from a lot of walking. They are also attractions in and of themselves.

Aquabus

With daily departures every 5 to 15 minutes (depending on the season), the Aquabus picks up and drops off passengers at eight different points along the False Creek waterway. Stops include the following locations:

Granville Island – one of Vancouver’s top tourist attractions and home to theatres, a public market and artisan shops.
David Lam Park – a great open-space park along the False Creek Seawall near Yaletown.
Stamps Landing – a nice walk from Granville Island along the seawall. The area is home to a couple of great pubs including Mahoney & Sons right on the water.
Hornby Street – the stop closest to Vancouver’s West End, it’s near the Burrard Street Bridge across the water from Granville Island.
Yaletown – a trendy Vancouver neighbourhood with skyscrapers and popular restaurants.
Plaza of Nations – where Yaletown meets False Creek at the seawall not far from BC Place Stadium.
Olympic Village – close to Science World and home to the Athletes Village during the 2010 Winter Games.

Aquabus claims that its routes are all pet, wheelchair, bicycle and stroller-friendly, which is great as many of its destinations are also perfect places for cycling and going for walks.

For a day pass Aquabus costs about $16.00 for adults and $14.00 for seniors and children. Individual one-way adult tickets are between about $3.50 and $8, depending on the destination.

See the Aquabus website for more information and exact prices.

False Creek Ferries

False Creek Ferries boats carry up to between 12 and 24 passengers each and are operated by the Granville Island Ferry Company. They are pretty much the same as the Aquabus, but with a couple of slightly different destinations, including Vanier Park by the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.

Similar to the Aquabus, False Creek Ferries fares are between about $3.50 and $7 for an individual adult one-way trip, depending on the destination. Adult day passes are also about $16.00 and for children and seniors it’s $14.00. Books of 10 tickets range from $25.00 to about $38.00 for adults, depending on whether they are for one zone or two.

Pets are welcome on False Creek Ferries boats, but not bicycles.

See our article about False Creek Ferries for more information about this company.

What’s the difference between Aquabus and False Creek Ferries?

Which is better – Aquabus or False Creek Ferries?

Which ferry company you’ll want to use depends on where you’re going, who and what you plan to take with you, and how often you plan to hop on and off. The two ferry companies are both great and are almost identical, but with some slight differences.

If you want to go to Vanier Park – home to the MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver Maritime Museum, Museum of Vancouver and, in the summer, the Bard on the Beach Festival – then you’ll want to use the False Creek Ferries. If you want to take your bicycle on board, then you’ll have to use the Aquabus.

Both ferry companies operate every day of the year, except for Christmas and Boxing Day. They also both have sailing departures every 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the season and location.

Aquabus Video

The following short video clip shows scenes of the Aquabus making its way around the waters of False Creek. The video begins near Granville Island and the Granville Street Bridge. It ends near Yaletown.

As you’ll see in the video, the Aquabus is a colourful boat. It’s not big, but it’s a reasonable size and slightly larger than most of the False Creek Ferries’ boats. They are a fun way to get around and see the city!