Things to Do in Prince Edward Island: Travel Experts' Guide

Prince Edward Island is rolling green farmland, red sandstone cliffs, and the deep blue Gulf of St. Lawrence. Between them, colorful clapboard houses.

Summary

• The best things to do in Prince Edward Island include visiting Anne of Green Gables sites, exploring Charlottetown, and visiting national parks
• The best places to stay are historic hotels in Charlottetown
• You can reach Prince Edward Island by ferry from Nova Scotia or by driving over the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick

The best things to do in Prince Edward Island vary from exploring Anne of Green Gables sites to relaxing on red sand beaches to exploring charming towns and cities to walking beautiful coastal trails.

At Canada By Design, we think the best is to do all of them. Our Prince Edward Island itineraries split time between visiting attractions, exploring Charlottetown, and discovering national parks.

This is our expert's guide to visiting Prince Edward Island.

Our credentials? Over 25 years experience designing custom tours and itineraries throughout Canada, curating trips for every kind of traveler. We know what to do, when to do it, and how to arrange it into a life-changing vacation. Each recommendation and suggestion is designed to fit into our personalized Canada itineraries. If you see something you like, reach out to a Travel Designer, and we can arrange it as a part of your trip. Now, let us show you around Prince Edward Island.

Things to Do in Prince Edward Island

The things to do in Prince Edward Island range from exploring a historic city to walking old rail trails to wandering storybook villages. If you're drawn to dramatic red cliffs, world-class seafood, or the kind of small-town warmth that only the Maritimes seem to do quite right, PEI delivers.

Credit: Discover Charlottetown

Explore Charlottetown

Charlottetown is Prince Edward Island's capital city and the best place to begin any PEI vacation.

Peake's Quay and the surrounding waterfront boardwalk are the natural place to start exploring Charlottetown. Colorful wooden buildings and huts cluster around the waterfront, with local eateries and gift shops housed inside. We recommend food tours that start from here and hop between local and tourist favorites, and let you try bits and pieces from each.

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From there, if you follow the water, you'll quickly reach the Founders Food Hall and Market, which hosts more local shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Just a short walk from the water (along the charming Great George Street, lined with pretty historic houses), Province House National Historic Site lies at the heart of the old town. Known as the birthplace of Canadian Confederation, delegates first met here in 1864 to discuss uniting the British North American colonies into what eventually became Canada.

Here, it's just a few steps to Victoria Row, where you'll likely catch buskers and live music along the cobblestone pedestrianized road of artisan shops, and just a few more steps to the waterfront Victoria Park, where you can spy more historic houses and wander the waterfront boardwalk.

Credit: Tourism PEI / Paul Baglole

Drive to Cavendish

Even though it's a default requirement for most trips to Prince Edward Island, the drive from Charlottetown to Cavendish is one of our favorite parts. The drive is only 40 minutes, but in that time you'll cross the island, passing through rolling hills of lush farmland dotted with colorful wooden villages (more often than not sporting an utterly charming white clapboard church). Our recommendations to visit are North Rustico, New Glasgow, and the slight detour to Stanley Bridge, though you'll have plenty of options as you go.

Alongside farmland and village views, our favorite stops between Charlottetown and Cavendish include:

• The Confederation Trail
• Brackley Beach
• Prince Edward Island Preserve Company
• North Rustico Beach

And once you arrive, you're rewarded with red sandstone cliffs, dune-backed beaches, and the landscapes that inspired Anne of Green Gables.

Credit: Tourism PEI / Stephan Harris

Visit Green Gables Heritage Place

Anne of Green Gables is synonymous with Prince Edward Island, and Anne of Green Gables House is an ode to that. The original house and surrounding property inspired the fictional Cuthbert family farm, and its rooms have been lovingly decorated to recreate Anne’s home. It's the perfect place to visit for anyone who grew up on the novels, classic literature enthusiasts, and families looking to introduce children to the magical world of Avonlea.

Credit: Tourism PEI / John Sylvester

Visit Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthplace

Just 10 minutes from Anne of Green Gables' house is the birthplace of her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery. It’s a small museum housed in the house Montgomery was born in, with rooms set up as they would have been during the 19th century. The house is small, so you won’t be there for more than an hour or so, but it makes a great stop along an Anne of Green Gables trip.

Tickets to tour Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthplace cost $7 for adults and $3 for children under 12 as of 2026.

Credit: Canada By Design

Wander Avonlea Village

Avonlea Village is a small reconstruction of what the Avonlea of Anne of Green Gables might have looked like. It's made up of 19th-century-style buildings now housing various eateries and gift shops. If you're spending a day exploring the Green Gables sites, this is a great place to stop for lunch (or a mid-afternoon ice cream) before carrying on.

Credit: Shaylyn on Unsplash

Take a Lobster Cruise

Fishing has always made up a huge part of Prince Edward Island life, and it's a great place to experience Canada's maritime culture. One way is by taking a lobster cruise. You'll head out on the water with fourth-generation lobster fishers for a chance to haul traps, band claws, and learn about modern fishery in Canada's maritime provinces.

When our own guests take these cruises, we recommend the evening sailing, which ends with a traditional lobster dinner (boiled, heavily buttered, and served with classic accompaniments) onboard the boat.

Credit: Tourism PEI

Walk (Some of) the Confederation Trail

The Confederation Trail is a 170-mile decommissioned rail line-turned walking and cycling trail. The main trail — the one comprising the original rail line — spans the island from Tiginish in the west to Elmira in the east. In doing so, it travels coast to coast through farmland, forest, and small towns.

If you're driving from Charlottetown to Cavendish, you'll pass the main Confederation Trail just outside your starting city, although a branch trail at Royalty Junction connects it with downtown Charlottetown. Wandering a small section makes for a great stop as you transition from urban Prince Edward Island to its rolling hills and farmland.

The whole trail is too far to walk, but when taken in small sections, the Confederation Trail is a beautiful introduction to some more rural parts of Prince Edward Island.

Credit: Tourism PEI

Explore PEI National Park

Prince Edward Island National Park stretches along the north shore in three separate sections, but it also hides some of the province's greatest walks.

The park has a network of trails branching off into dune, forest, and coastal habitat, ranging from boardwalks to longer hikes across the sand. The Greenwich Dunes Trail is the most famous. It’s an easy 3-mile hike along a well-maintained boardwalk and gravel path culminating in gorgeous views of sand dunes and the ocean.

While you're in the park, stop by the Covehead Harbour Lighthouse for a classically PEI view (a white and red-trimmed lighthouse perched on the edge of golden sand dunes) and visit the neighboring cluster of eateries on Wharf Road to find Original Richard's, home of one of the best lobster rolls on the island.

Credit: Tourism PEI

Try Local Foods

Prince Edward Island is known as Canada's Food Island. It's known for its incredibly rich farmland and plentiful seas.

Potatoes

It might not sound exciting, but PEI is known for its incredible potatoes. Despite being Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island grows almost a quarter of all potatoes in the country, comprising around 100 different varieties. They contribute to the lush, rolling farmland you'll spend your time traveling, and also bolster many of the province's best meals. A unique way to try local potatoes is by ordering 'fries with the works': fries with gravy, ground beef, and peas. Fries With The Works (FWTW to locals) is, essentially, Prince Edward Island's regional take on poutine. You'll be hard-pressed to find it anywhere else.

Credit: Canada By Design

Ice Cream

There are tons of great places for ice cream in Charlottetown, but COWS Creamery is a must-stop. It's a Prince Edward Island-born ice cream store that has since spread across Canada. It has classic, fantastic, wacky, and often cow-themed flavors. Personal favorites of our team are Nanai-moo Bar (themed after Nanaimo bars, a classic Canadian dessert), Wowie Cowie (a blend of vanilla, English toffee, and chocolate), and PEI Blueberry (made with fresh local ingredients). There are two locations in Charlottetown and several more across the rest of the Island.

Lobster

While all of Prince Edward Island's food is worth trying, we have to give an extra mention to the freshly caught lobster that's on offer here, especially in the form of lobster rolls.

A lobster roll is a buttered hot dog bun absolutely stuffed with fresh lobster meat dressed with a mayonnaise-based sauce and, sometimes, lettuce. You'll mostly find mayonnaise-dressed lobster rolls in Canada rather than the Connecticut-style. Most people agree that Richard's Fresh Seafood is one of the best on the island (and has three different locations to choose from), but our experience is that any local spot facing the water will treat you to a delightfully fresh roll.

Places to Visit in Prince Edward Island

Some of the best things to do in Prince Edward Island are less 'things to do' and more places to visit. PEI is as special as it is because of the cozy small-town feel that spreads throughout the Island.

Credit: Tourism PEI

Charlottetown

Like we said earlier, Charlottetown is the best place to start any Prince Edward Island adventure. Most of our itineraries begin their PEI portion here, and it's a fantastic central location to use as a jumping-off point for exploring the rest of the Island.

In character, Charlottetown is somewhere between a bustling city and a friendly town. The city is filled with history, with historic attractions ranging from Confederation Landing to Province House National Historic Site to Bishop's Palace and the Basilica Cathedral. And that's before considering the city itself, where Georgian and Gothic Revival architecture lines residential streets and a number of historic houses are tucked away.

We recommend seeing the city on a walking tour to many of our own guests, which gives a comprehensive introduction to Charlottetown and its history as you're shown around by a local. From there, you have a wonderful base from which to explore further. However, Charlottetown is also a great city to explore alone, letting yourself relax into the island pace of life and wander freely.

Charlottetown is charmingly small, and easily explored in a day or two. It's accessible by air, car, or ferry.

Credit: Tourism PEI

Cavendish

When you think of a charming Prince Edward Island retreat, you undoubtedly think of Cavendish. That's because Cavendish is the home of all things Anne of Green Gables, serving as its real-life inspiration. To many fans of the classic novels, Cavendish is better known as Avonlea, the fictional town where Anne grew up.

While there, Green Gables Heritage Place is a loving recreation of Anne's home and features walking trails you'll know from the books. You can stroll Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood as well as the house itself.

Just down the road from Green Gables Heritage Place is Avonlea Village, a recreation of late 19th-century buildings, much like the ones Anne Shirley would've lived among, housing eateries and charming gift shops. And nearby the village is a short boardwalk to Cavendish Beach's golden sand dunes.

Summerside

Despite being Prince Edward Island's second-largest city, Summerside often flies under visitors' radar. In just over an hour, you can visit a distinctly more local city which has its own fair share of local eateries and cafes, historical museums and sites, and a charming downtown farmers market.

Summerside is just a short (20-minute) detour from the Confederation Bridge, so it's perfect to stop by on your drive to or from the mainland.

Credit: The Great George Hotel

Where to Stay in Prince Edward Island

The best places to stay in Prince Edward Island are undoubtedly historic inns and B&Bs which reflect the historic charm of the province. Our favorite is The Great George, an award-winning boutique hotel in downtown Charlottetown. The rooms and suites are split across 17 restored heritage buildings, which are all as charming and PEI-esque as you'd expect.

As Prince Edward Island is small, we often recommend our guests use Charlottetown as a home base and visit other spots as day trips. But for visitors looking to stay somewhere else on the Island, our Travel Designers like to work one-on-one with them to determine exactly what they are looking for and pair them with the perfect place.

Credit: Tourism PEI

How to Get to Prince Edward Island

There are three ways to get to Prince Edward Island: by plane, by road, or by ferry.

Getting to Prince Edward Island by Plane

If you're flying into Prince Edward Island, you'll arrive at Charlottetown Airport (YYG), which has year-round non-stop flights from Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa, as well as a few extra seasonal routes. However, the airport does not serve the contiguous United States, so if you're visiting from further afield, you'll likely need to connect through another Canadian airport.

Getting to Prince Edward Island by Road

Most travelers reach Prince Edward Island by road, coming across the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick. This is best if your time in Prince Edward Island is a part of a bigger Atlantic Canada trip. It's worth noting that there's a small toll fee to leave the island (but not to arrive) by bridge.

Getting to Prince Edward Island by Ferry

The Northumberland Ferry connects Wood Islands, PEI to Caribou, Nova Scotia on a beautiful 75-minute route that runs from spring through late fall. We love to use it for travelers combining a Nova Scotia and PEI road trip, letting you arrive on the Island one way and depart over the bridge the other.

Packages With Time in Prince Edward Island

Credit: Tourism PEI

Bay of Fundy, Prince Edward Island & the Cabot Trail Road Trip

Spend seven days exploring the Canadian Maritimes on a charming Atlantic Canada road trip. You'll connect Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with Prince Edward Island to immerse yourself in the coastal culture that thrives in this part of Canada.

Credit: VIA Rail

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Credit: Canada By Design

How to Book

When booking with Canada By Design, we take care of the necessities, arranging your hotel stays, transport, and tours ahead of time. A Travel Designer will work with you one-on-one to include the best activities for you and weave them into a custom itinerary. When the time comes, you just have to show up.

FAQs

How do I get to Prince Edward Island?

The best ways to get to Prince Edward Island are to drive across the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick or take the Northumberland Ferry from Nova Scotia.

What's the best time to visit Prince Edward Island?

The best time to visit Prince Edward Island is between June and September, when seasonal attractions are open, and the weather is at its best.

Within that time, different dates suit different interests. Earlier in June, the Island is at its greenest and least crowded. The middle of summer is best for warm beach weather and a bustling atmosphere. Late summer — August and early September — is best for warm oceans and fresh local produce.

Feature Image Credit: Tourism PEI / Stephan Harris