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Esquimalt
Township in British Columbia, Canada

Esquimalt

The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada.

Plan a trip to Esquimalt→From Vancouver

It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the New Songhees 1A Indian reserve and the town of View Royal, and to the north by a narrow inlet of water called the Gorge, across which is the district municipality of Saanich. It is almost tangential to Esquimalt 1 Indian Reserve near Admirals Road. It is one of the 13 municipalities of Greater Victoria and part of the Capital Regional District.

Get in

Getting to Esquimalt

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  1. 01
    Victoria International Airport
  2. 02
    Victoria Clipper

    254 Belleville St, toll-free: +1-800-888-2535.

  3. 03
    Black Ball Ferry Line
  4. 04
    Victoria

    Operates routes from: Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal (1 hour 35 minutes crossing.

See

Worth seeing

Many of Victoria's attractions (and tourist activity) are in or around the Inner Harbour and downtown, including the Parliament Buildings, the Empress Hotel, the Royal BC Museum and Beacon Hill Park. If you're pressed for time, it would be hard to go wrong spending your time there.

  1. 01
    Beacon Hill Park

    Douglas St & Dallas Rd (head south on Douglas St from downtown; or take Bus #3).

  2. 02
    British Columbia Parliament Buildings

    501 Belleville St (at the Inner Harbour),.

  3. 03
    Chinatown

    500-600 block of Fisgard St (Fisgard St, between Store & Government).

  4. 04
    Emily Carr House

    207 Government St (a 5-10 minute walk south of the Inner Harbour on Government St),.

  5. 05
    Maritime Museum of BC

    634 Humboldt St (inside the Nootka Court building at the corner of Humboldt & Douglas),.

  6. 06
    Miniature World

    649 Humboldt St (at the back of the Empress Hotel),.

Do

Things to do

Whale watching is a popular activity in Victoria. Three pods of orcas (killer whales) have feeding grounds between Victoria and the mainland, plus grey whales, humpback whales and minke whales migrate through the Georgia Strait at different times of the year. Some companies offer whale watching tours year-round, but the best time to see whales is considered April to October.

  1. 01
    BC Whale Tours

    Winter tours (Nov-Feb) are run on demand.

  2. 02
    Eagle Wing Tours Whale Watching

    12 Erie St (at Fisherman's Wharf), toll-free: +1-800-708-9488.

  3. 03
    Five Star Whale Watching

    645 Humboldt St, toll-free: +1-800-634-9617.

  4. 04
    Orca Spirit Adventures

    Offers covered vessels with indoor seating, liquor license, and onboard washrooms, as well as open Zodiac tours.

  5. 05
    Prince of Whales

    Three sailings daily in Jul & Aug, one sailing daily at other times.

  6. 06
    SpringTide Whale Watching and Eco Tours

    Multiple daily departures Apr-Oct, winter tours are offered once daily weather and demand permitting.

Eat

Where to eat

Victoria has the second-highest number of restaurants per capita of all North American cities! The waterfront tourist area is home to a wide variety of restaurants and eateries, including several English-style pubs. Try the fish and chips or shepherds pie for a taste of England in Canada.

  1. 01
    Bent Mast Pub and Restaurant

    512 Simcoe St (at Five Corners, in James Bay),.

  2. 02
    Garrick’s Head Pub

    A simple pub — and “One of the oldest English pubs in Canada” according to their website (est.

  3. 03
    Irish Times

    Wonderful pub meals, good beer and lots of seating.

  4. 04
    Maude Hunter's Pub

    3810 Shelbourne St,.

  5. 05
    Spinnakers Brewpub

    Restaurant open 8AM-11PM, taproom open 11AM-11PM.

How locals move

Getting around Esquimalt the local way

  • Get in}} Victoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal is served by BC Transit.
  • Get inRoute 70 operates between Victoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal and downtown Victoria via downtown Sidney and McTavish Exchange.
  • Get inRoute 72 operates between Victoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal and downtown Victoria via downtown Sidney and McTavish Exchange.
  • Get inAbout half an hour drive north of Victoria, there are ferry services in Sidney.
  • Get inOperates routes from: Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal (1 hour 35 minutes crossing.
  • Get inVictoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal is served by BC Transit on several routes including Route 70, a limited stop bus route connecting to downtown Victoria via Sidney.
  • Get inTravel time from the ferry terminal to downtown Victoria is around 45 to 55 minutes.
  • Get inTravel time from the ferry terminal to downtown Victoria is around 55 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes Victoria is a popular destination for boaters from the U.S.A.

From Wikivoyage: Victoria (British Columbia), CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.