Traveling around Vancouver in British Columbia, you'll find seamless connections between rail, bus and ferry. While the TransLink Sea Bus shuttles up to 400 passengers across Burrard Inlet on the city's north side throughout the day, water taxis are your best bet to navigate to destinations on the south side.
Aquabus's rainbow-colored ferries run year-round along False Creek, providing a shuttle about every 15 minutes around Granville Island, downtown and at other points along the waterway. Get an all-day pass and see the sights along the Aquabus route, including Granville Public Market, Plaza of the Nations and the Science Museum. The company has 12-passenger vessels as well as four Cyquabuses that hold up to 30 passengers each. Passengers in wheelchairs can roll comfortably onto a Cyquabus, but ramp angles at the Hornby Street dock fluctuate with tide levels. Bikes and strollers are also welcome on the Cyquabuses. The Aquabus closes only for Boxing Day and Christmas, and offers discounts for seniors and children.
False Creek Ferries shares several docks with Aquabus along False Creek, but this water taxi has several express routes. Take a water taxi directly from Granville Island to the Aquatic Center, Yaletown, David Lam Park or Science World. An additional route shuttles between Kitsilano, where you'll find the Maritime Museum, and the West End by the Aquatic Center. Pets are welcome, but there are no facilities for bikes on these 12-person ferries. Shuttles run every day but Christmas and Boxing Day. Purchase your tickets when you board the boat; each route charges a different price. You can buy books of 10 tickets, monthly and quarterly passes, or semester-long student passes as well.
False Creek Ferries also has mini-cruises designed for those who want to see the sights. A 25-minute mini-cruise sails every 15 minutes, heading from Granville Island to Yaletown or the Maritime Museum and back again. A 40-minute cruise heads off to Science World and back. Your water taxi driver will regale you with the history of the city, pointing out interesting sites along the way. The company also has one-hour sunset cruises on English Bay from May through September. The Christmas Carol mini-cruise lets you partake in the Carol Ship Parade while you enjoy singing carols and looking at festive lights over the waters. The cruise is aboard a covered and heated ferry, but you'll still want to dress warmly and bring a hot beverage in a thermos.
Other water taxis in Vancouver are available to pick you up according to your schedule and take you, your gear and your traveling companions wherever you need to be. Sunshine Coast Water Taxi operates out of Gibson's Harbor and provides taxi services throughout Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Horseshoe Bay. You'll pay a rate to rent the entire boat, which carries 12 passengers plus freight. On the Fraser River north of the city, Steveston Water Taxi has charter services available for passenger and gear transport, private tours, movie gear transport, and towing and private events.
