Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a nature-lovers paradise with endless stretches of red sand beaches, National Parks for hiking, and scenic fields of corn and potatoes. PEI is a gorgeous province, and easy to travel to for a weekend away. If you are coming for a weekend, below is an itinerary for what to do in PEI if it is your first time.
How to Get to Prince Edward Island
A lot of people go on a road trip to PEI from neighboring provinces in Canada. There is a ferry service from Nova Scotia, or the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick.
If you are coming from further away, PEI has an airport in Charlottetown, PEI. From there, it is an easy drive to get around the island.
To get to PEI from the airport in Halifax, Nova Scotia, it is a 3 hour drive if you take the bridge, and 4 hours if you take the ferry.
Where to Stay in Prince Edward Island
For our two days, we based ourselves in Cavendish. This was a perfect location for what we had planned to do while we were there. Cavendish was also central to the rest of PEI, so it was easy to take day trips.
Cavendish has an abundance of accommodations to stay in. The place is well-equipped for tourists (there’s even a grocery store called “Tourist-mart”)!
We stayed at the Marco Polo Inn. They have lots of campsites, a few cabins, and an Inn to stay in. It is great for families and offers lots of activities (fireworks every Saturday night, a petting zoo, free breakfast, and tons more). We stayed in the Inn, which was quiet every evening.
Day 1 in PEI: Cavendish & Thunder Cove
Morning
Drive around the Rue du Golf Parkway West loop. After breakfast (we ate the free breakfast at our accommodation each morning), spend the morning driving around the Rue du Golf Shore Parkway West. There are lots of spots to park along the road so that you can get out of your car and see the sights and explore the beaches. This is a short loop, but can take over an hour if you take your time.
Visit Anne of Green Gables. The Anne of Green Gables house is the iconic home from the famous book by L.M. Montgomery. It is also a movie and a Netflix show! Even if you don’t know or care for the book, it is a nice spot to walk around. There are two short trails (about 1km each) called “Lovers Lane” and the “Haunted Forest.”
There is an entrance fee, payable at the front desk when you enter.
Afternoon
Avonlea Village. Just down the road from Anne of Green Gables, is Avonlea Village. It is a cute little village with shops and restaurants, and feels like you have gone back in time. While you are there, have some lunch if you are hungry – or go to Cows Creamery for the best ice cream!
Cavendish Beach. After lunch (or your ice cream!), head over to Cavendish beach to spend the afternoon walking along the endless red sand beach, or going for a swim.
Evening
Sou’West Bar & Grill for dinner. After Cavendish Beach, drive about 20 minutes to the Sou’West Bar & Grill. This is right on the water, and has views of the harbour. Their lobster roll, and fish and chips are both popular items on the menu and very good!
Thunder Cove & Teacup Rock. Another 20 minutes away from the restaurant is Thunder Cove. This is also a beach that streches for miles, and has red sand and really interesting rock formations.
UPDATE AS OF 2023: Unfortunately Teacup Rock got destroyed during a hurricane, so it no longer exists. So don’t try to find it, otherwise you will be walking for a REALLY long time. There’s lots of rock formations around it though, so it’s still worthwhile to go here!
Cavendish Boardwalk. After Thunder Cove, make your way back to Cavendish and spend the rest of the evening walking along the Cavendish Boardwalk. This is a lively place with more shops and places to eat. It is also not on the water, which is what I initially thought when I heard that it was a boardwalk.
Day 2 in PEI: Charlottetown & Greenwich PEI National Park
Morning
Charlottetown. About a 35 minutes drive away is Charlottetown, the capital of PEI. It has a really pretty boardwalk to walk along, and lots of boat tours to take, and more shops, AND a place to get Bubble Tea which I love.
If I were to go back to PEI, Instead of visiting Charlottetown, I would instead spend the morning driving from Cavendish to Greenwich park and make stops along the way in Brackley Beach, and PEI National Park (there are so many National Parks in PEI!). It all depends on what interests you more.
Afternoon
Greenwich Prince Edward Island National Park. After Charlottetown, we drove about an hour to Greenwich PEI National Park. This place is amazing. There are 3 trails, and 2 beaches within this park. You will need to buy a permit to access these parks from their Interpretive Centre, but for about $8 it is good for the entire day.
The most popular trail is 4.4km return, and goes across a really long floating boardwalk over a lake, surrounded by parabolic dunes. At the end of this trail is a beach. The beach is much more quiet than Cavendish beach, and is surrounded by the high dunes.
The park also has two other trails, which aren’t as popular as the dunes trail, but still really nice to walk along. One of them had a beach to walk along, but it isn’t recommended to swim in it since there is lots of fishes and crabs in the water. The other one is a short 800m loop overlooking the bay.
Evening
Drive along Golf Shore Parkway East. On your way back from Greenwich, take the scenic way back and make more stops along the Golf Shore Parkway East. There is a lighthouse, and more places to eat, and beaches to walk along.
Captains Cove Cafe for dinner. This is another place to eat with an outdoor deck overlooking the water. It is close to Cavendish and Brackley Beach.
Day 3 – Victoria by the Sea and Confederation Bridge
If you have an extra day in PEI, or if you are driving to your next destination through the Confederation Bridge, take a detour through Victoria by the Sea. A quaint traditional seaside village with a beach to walk along, a park along the ocean, and the Lobster Barn for amazing Lobster Rolls!!
If you are driving across the Confederation Bridge, there is a place to stop and take pictures of the Bridge, and a little shopping area for souvenirs. We did this stop on our way home.
Tips for Prince Edward Island
- A car is definitely recommended for sightseeing in PEI.
- Bring sunscreen! A lot of the trails were not shaded, especially on the beaches!
- Use a refillable water bottle. PEI is well-equipped with water bottle refilling stations. They are everywhere!
- Dogs are not allowed on the majority of beaches from April to October 15. We saw dogs everywhere in PEI, but unfortunately they are not allowed on a lot of the beaches due to nesting birds. There are signs posting this on the beaches.
- The Confederation Bridge has a toll charge (ONLY when you leave, there is no toll fee entering PEI). It is about $48. This was one of things that I wish I had known before coming to PEI.
There are so many parks, beaches and villages in Prince Edward Island that 2 days only scratches the surface! It definitely gives a good taste of PEI, and what you can do if you are going away for the weekend.
Have you been to Prince Edward Island? What was your favourite place to see?
