Custom Walk in Vancouver, Canada by mtg_8bb653 created on 2026-02-04
Guide Location: Canada » Vancouver
Guide Type: Custom Walk
# of Sights: 5
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Share Key:
Guide Type: Custom Walk
# of Sights: 5
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Share Key:
How It Works
Please retrieve this walk in the GPSmyCity app. Once done, the app will guide you from one tour stop to the next as if you had a personal tour guide. If you created the walk on this website or come to the page via a link, please follow the instructions below to retrieve the walk in the app.
Retrieve This Walk in App
Step 1. Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Step 2. In the GPSmyCity app, download(or launch) the guide "Vancouver Map and Walking Tours".
Step 3. Tap the menu button located at upper right corner of the "Walks" screen and select "Retrieve custom walk". Enter the share key:
1) Granville Island (must see)
Granville Island, situated in the Fairview neighborhood of Vancouver, is both a peninsula and a vibrant shopping district. It is located across False Creek from Downtown Vancouver, right beneath the southern terminus of the Granville Street Bridge. While once a hub of industrial manufacturing, it has now transformed into a thriving hub for Vancouver's tourism and entertainment scene. The peninsula derives its name from Granville Leveson-Gower, the 2nd Earl Granville.
This island enclave is host to a diverse array of 275 businesses and facilities, providing employment for over 2,500 individuals and contributing significantly to the economy with an annual economic activity surpassing $215 million.
Granville Island offers a range of attractions, including a spacious public market, a well-equipped marina, a hotel, Arts Umbrella, False Creek Community Centre, a variety of performing arts theaters - among them Vancouver's exclusive professional improvisational theater company, the Vancouver Theatresports League - as well as the Arts Club Theatre Company, Carousel Theatre, fine arts galleries, and an assortment of shopping boutiques.
Beyond its day-to-day offerings, Granville Island stands as the focal point for various yearly celebrations. These include the Vancouver International Children's Festival, the Vancouver Fringe Festival, and the Vancouver Writers Fest, which all contribute to the island's vibrant cultural tapestry.
This island enclave is host to a diverse array of 275 businesses and facilities, providing employment for over 2,500 individuals and contributing significantly to the economy with an annual economic activity surpassing $215 million.
Granville Island offers a range of attractions, including a spacious public market, a well-equipped marina, a hotel, Arts Umbrella, False Creek Community Centre, a variety of performing arts theaters - among them Vancouver's exclusive professional improvisational theater company, the Vancouver Theatresports League - as well as the Arts Club Theatre Company, Carousel Theatre, fine arts galleries, and an assortment of shopping boutiques.
Beyond its day-to-day offerings, Granville Island stands as the focal point for various yearly celebrations. These include the Vancouver International Children's Festival, the Vancouver Fringe Festival, and the Vancouver Writers Fest, which all contribute to the island's vibrant cultural tapestry.
2) Granville Island Soap Gallery
What to buy here: Vancouver Handmade Soap.
The theme of this gift list appears to be organic, hand-made and recycled and the business of soap making in Vancouver follows along the same lines. There are many soap makers, some located on Granville Island, others on Robson Street, and many are situated in malls in every location in the greater Vancouver area. Granville Island Soap Gallery is one of the most interesting places you will ever see, especially since when entering the shop nothing looks like soap! All of the items are handcrafted to represent everything from cake to flowers. All soap is made on site with the use of only the best ingredients such as essential oils. There are no fillers or by-products used. This shop even has an “organic program” which means that if you bring the container back from your purchase you will receive a discount when it is refilled. Prices vary from as little as $1.25 to as much as $500.00. Items can be custom made for individual gifts and your very own gift idea – for that very special person.
The theme of this gift list appears to be organic, hand-made and recycled and the business of soap making in Vancouver follows along the same lines. There are many soap makers, some located on Granville Island, others on Robson Street, and many are situated in malls in every location in the greater Vancouver area. Granville Island Soap Gallery is one of the most interesting places you will ever see, especially since when entering the shop nothing looks like soap! All of the items are handcrafted to represent everything from cake to flowers. All soap is made on site with the use of only the best ingredients such as essential oils. There are no fillers or by-products used. This shop even has an “organic program” which means that if you bring the container back from your purchase you will receive a discount when it is refilled. Prices vary from as little as $1.25 to as much as $500.00. Items can be custom made for individual gifts and your very own gift idea – for that very special person.
Image Courtesy of Susan Carr.
3) Net Loft
Situated right across from the Granville Island Public Market, just west of Edible Canada, Net Loft, with its instantly recognizable industrial-looking blue exterior, is one of Granville Island’s best-kept secrets! This rather unsuspecting, small shopping mall offers curious (and hungry) visitors a plethora of options. At a glance, it is quite easy to assume that Net Loft is yet another home for artisan goods, which is actually so and not quite so at the same time.
Inside its doors there is an array of shops, some of which have just as many “staple goods” as they do “splurge items”. If you are looking for kitchen ware, handcrafted fashions or gifts, or a quiet bite to eat, or would like to explore a very unique variety of specialty paper goods, then look no further. The local vendors have it all!
Market Kitchen, this sort of quaint Sur La Table is less of a showroom and more like a pantry of your own, where, alongside scrubbers, tart pans and tea balls, you will find some truly fun and unique items fit to add sparkle to your kitchen.
In the centre of Net Loft is a serene courtyard with the eponymous Net Loft Cafe. Here, you might want to pause a bit for some breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially given that this place is reserved for solo acoustic guitar acts (no vocals or non-musical acts, such as magicians, are allowed), which may be rather comforting on one of those hectic days in the Public Market.
And if you really get the kick out of pretty stationary, then the local Japanese paper shop Paper-Ya (“Ya” means “shop” in Japanese) will make your day for certain! Whether you have a wedding in the making or wish to wrap up a present, or in need of a greeting card or a notebook to write down some recipes, you will go “Paper…YEAH!!!” in here!
Inside its doors there is an array of shops, some of which have just as many “staple goods” as they do “splurge items”. If you are looking for kitchen ware, handcrafted fashions or gifts, or a quiet bite to eat, or would like to explore a very unique variety of specialty paper goods, then look no further. The local vendors have it all!
Market Kitchen, this sort of quaint Sur La Table is less of a showroom and more like a pantry of your own, where, alongside scrubbers, tart pans and tea balls, you will find some truly fun and unique items fit to add sparkle to your kitchen.
In the centre of Net Loft is a serene courtyard with the eponymous Net Loft Cafe. Here, you might want to pause a bit for some breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially given that this place is reserved for solo acoustic guitar acts (no vocals or non-musical acts, such as magicians, are allowed), which may be rather comforting on one of those hectic days in the Public Market.
And if you really get the kick out of pretty stationary, then the local Japanese paper shop Paper-Ya (“Ya” means “shop” in Japanese) will make your day for certain! Whether you have a wedding in the making or wish to wrap up a present, or in need of a greeting card or a notebook to write down some recipes, you will go “Paper…YEAH!!!” in here!
4) Granville Island Public Market (must see)
Granville Island Public Market is one stop that foodies and gourmands won't want to miss on their tour of Vancouver. This market is home to over 50 different vendors, peddling coffee, baked goods, local produce, wine, chocolates, and food of every type. Many of these vendors are small business owners that only sell their wares at the Public Market, making this venue the only place where you'll get to experience many of the tastes and smells of Vancouver.
Some of the shops sell Vancouver culinary specialties, like fresh oysters, smoked salmon slices, salmon jerky, or salmon sausage. The Public Market is also an excellent resource for hard-to-find ethnic foods and spices. The city boasts a large population of Asian descent, and the market has a shop dedicated solely to procuring specialty items like Thai chilis, ginseng, kalamansi lime, jujube, morels, chutneys, and more. Other stores sell freshly-made portions of pasta, charcuterie, imported teas, or even different types of salt and sugar.
It's possible to take guided tours of the Granville Island Public Market with Edible Canada. This gives visitors the unique opportunity to see all that the Public Market has to offer, in the company of other foodies.
Why You Should Visit:
Lovely atmospheric place to visit, especially when at its most vibrant on a Sunday.
Plenty to see & do and plenty of choice of food available, as well as beers from the miscellany of breweries in the area.
Tip:
You can't get into a drinking venue unless there's a free seat – a strange BC legislative requirement, apparently.
Be careful eating market food outside – some of the baked goods are so tasty that seagulls will steal your meal if you aren't careful.
If you like this market and want to see more, consider checking out Lonsdale Quay – the Lower Mainland's other "best public market".
Some of the shops sell Vancouver culinary specialties, like fresh oysters, smoked salmon slices, salmon jerky, or salmon sausage. The Public Market is also an excellent resource for hard-to-find ethnic foods and spices. The city boasts a large population of Asian descent, and the market has a shop dedicated solely to procuring specialty items like Thai chilis, ginseng, kalamansi lime, jujube, morels, chutneys, and more. Other stores sell freshly-made portions of pasta, charcuterie, imported teas, or even different types of salt and sugar.
It's possible to take guided tours of the Granville Island Public Market with Edible Canada. This gives visitors the unique opportunity to see all that the Public Market has to offer, in the company of other foodies.
Why You Should Visit:
Lovely atmospheric place to visit, especially when at its most vibrant on a Sunday.
Plenty to see & do and plenty of choice of food available, as well as beers from the miscellany of breweries in the area.
Tip:
You can't get into a drinking venue unless there's a free seat – a strange BC legislative requirement, apparently.
Be careful eating market food outside – some of the baked goods are so tasty that seagulls will steal your meal if you aren't careful.
If you like this market and want to see more, consider checking out Lonsdale Quay – the Lower Mainland's other "best public market".
5) Uno Langmann Limited
Situated within South Granville's Gallery Row, the renowned establishment known as Uno Langmann Gallery holds international acclaim. Distinguished as Canada's foremost specialist in the most exquisite European and North American paintings spanning the 18th to the early 20th centuries, this gallery offers a refined collection. The gallery's elegant neo-classical ambiance serves as a fitting backdrop, featuring not only a diverse array of fine art but also a curated selection of vintage furniture, silverware, and objets d'art.
Celebrating four decades of operation, Uno Langmann, the proprietor, was bestowed with the esteemed 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Art Dealers Association of Canada, a testament to his enduring commitment to the arts. Uno Langmann Limited proudly maintains membership in the Art Dealers Association of Canada (ADAC) and holds the distinction of being a founding member of The Canadian Antique Dealers Association (CADA) as well as the Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers (CPA).
Celebrating four decades of operation, Uno Langmann, the proprietor, was bestowed with the esteemed 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Art Dealers Association of Canada, a testament to his enduring commitment to the arts. Uno Langmann Limited proudly maintains membership in the Art Dealers Association of Canada (ADAC) and holds the distinction of being a founding member of The Canadian Antique Dealers Association (CADA) as well as the Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers (CPA).
