The SeaBus is the passenger-only ferry that runs every 12 minutes (every 15 in off-peak) between Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver and Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. The crossing takes 12 minutes; it costs a standard transit fare; and it is one of the best harbour tours in the lower mainland.
The two ferries — Burrard Otter II and Burrard Chinook — were built locally and carry around 400 passengers each. The route crosses the busy port shipping lanes; you typically pass within a few hundred metres of moored container ships and the occasional cruise vessel. The view back at the downtown Vancouver skyline from mid-crossing is the postcard shot most visitors come for.
Use the SeaBus for the easiest possible round trip from a Vancouver hotel: walk to Waterfront Station, cross to Lonsdale Quay for lunch at the market, take in the Polygon Gallery and the Shipyards, walk to Capilano Suspension Bridge on the free shuttle, then return for dinner. Possible in a single day.