Prince Edward Island, an Island in the Maritimes in eastern Canada, is known for its iconic red cliffs, historic lighthouses, beautiful beaches, traditional music, seafood, and more.
With 4 days on Prince Edward Island, you can experience all that Prince Edward Island is famous for, plus some! Your best bet is to focus your time on one region of the Island.
The Points East Coastal Drive is the region of the Island east of Charlottetown. It’s accessible by car, and distances between notable locations in the region are fairly short, making it perfect for a 4-day road trip.
With 4 days on the Points East Coastal Drive, you can stay in unique accommodation (like a floating wine barrel!), go on an e-bike tour to lighthouses and beaches, visit Prince Edward Island’s tallest sand dunes on the Greenwich Dunes Trail, join a ring-making class at Shoreline Design, and more.
What I love about this itinerary is that it includes what Prince Edward Island is famous for (red cliffs, seafood!), along with unique experiences that make for a diverse trip.
- How to Get to Prince Edward Island
- 4 Days on Prince Edward Island’s Point East Coastal Drive
- Final Thoughts: 4 Days on Prince Edward Island
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How to Get to Prince Edward Island
Ready to enjoy the Points East Coastal Drive? You’ll first need to get yourself to Prince Edward Island (PEI). Here’s how.
Getting to PEI By Flight:
To reach PEI by flight, book a flight to Charlottetown Airport (YYG), the Island’s main airport. Direct flights are available from several Canadian cities, including Toronto and Montreal, and with seasonal flights from other locations.
Once you’ve arrived at Charlottetown Airport, which is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) from downtown Charlottetown, pick up a rental car, which you’ll need for your Points East Coastal Drive adventure.
Need to reserve a vehicle? Discover Cars compares the prices for a car from a variety of suppliers to ensure you get the best rate, and you can reserve your car rental in advance. Reserve your PEI car rental here!
Getting to PEI By Ferry:
If you’re coming to PEI by car, you have the option to take the ferry from Wood Islands, Nova Scotia, to Caribou, PEI. The ferry operates seasonally, typically from May to December, with a crossing time of approximately 75 minutes. Check the ferry schedule in advance and make reservations to secure your spot. Keep in mind that the ferry operates only during daylight hours.
Getting to PEI By Bridge:
The Confederation Bridge connects PEI to New Brunswick, from Borden-Carleton to Cape Jourimain. The bridge is open year-round and the crossing takes about 10 minutes. The curved, 12.9 kilometer (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water!
To use the bridge, drive to Borden-Carleton in New Brunswick, where you will pay a toll (cash, credit, and debit cards are accepted). The bridge provides a direct route to the Island, making it convenient for getting to the Points East Coastal Drive region.
4 Days on Prince Edward Island’s Point East Coastal Drive
Points East Coastal Drive is a pretty concentrated region of Prince Edward Island. Most drives between locations in this region will range from 15 minutes to maximum an hour.
Given this, it isn’t inconvenient to settle into one accommodation for your whole stay, as long as you’re okay with driving stretches of 1 hour on some days.
Alternatively, you can book into accommodations that are local to the specific area you’re visiting on each day of this itinerary. I’ve noted a convenient accommodation in the introductions for each day of this itinerary.
Point Prim Lighthouse, and Montague, PEI
Day 1: Montague, a Historic Lighthouse, and a Seafood Dinner
Day 1 of your 4 days on Prince Edward Island will likely be your arrival day, so the activities planned for this day are on the lighter side.
If you’d like to stay somewhere convenient to this region of the Points East Coastal Drive, I recommend Miracles on Polly. Miracles on Polly is a creative vacation getaway with fairy-tale inspired cabin rentals that are open year-round on Polly Hill in Belfast, PEI.
The cabins are beautifully and creatively decorated, with fast WiFi, and fully outfitted kitchens. There is a beautiful view of a small river, with a small bench and seating area for reflection, a sauna, and short walking trails on the property.
Visit Montague
Your first stop of the day will be the town of Montague! Often called Montague the Beautiful, this cute little town is built around the river. It has a small harbour where you’ll see lots of boats coming and going.
Plan to spend 1 to 2 hours in Montague. You’ll want to walk the Montague Waterfront for a view of the harbour. While in that area, pop into Artisan’s Waterfront. It’s a gallery that functions as a cooperative made up of artists and artisans from PEI. There you can admire and purchase handcrafted items like felting, hooked rugs, knitting, paintings, and more.
Montague is also home to two breweries! Bogside Brewing Co and Copper Bottom Brewing Co make delicious, hand-crafted beers. Both breweries have seating areas where you can enjoy an afternoon beer. If you aren’t in the mood for an alcoholic drink, both breweries offer non-alcoholic options too (including non-alcoholic beer). Or, pick up some cans to enjoy later.
Lobster traps in Montague
Point Prim Lighthouse
Your next stop is a historic lighthouse, just a 20 minute drive from Montague.
Point Prim Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, and it’s the only round brick lighthouse on PEI. It was built in 1845 by Richard Walsh, and designed by the architect Isaac Smith. Smith is also known for having designed the Province House in Charlottetown.
Point Prim Lighthouse rises 60 feet up above the ground, which means from the top, you have great views of the Northumberland Strait. For a small fee, you can climb the steep ladders up through the lighthouse, reading informational placards along the way.
I also recommend strolling the grounds. There are informational display boards to read that give you an overview of the lighthouse’s history, and there is a gift shop in the Keeper’s Cottage.
You’ll likely spend an hour or two at Point Prim Lighthouse. Hopefully you’ll be getting hungry, because near the lighthouse is a famous seafood stop – Point Prim Chowder House!
Dinner: Point Prim Chowder House
One of the best things to do on the Points East Coastal Drive, is eat seafood! Point Prim Chowder House is the place to go for fresh oysters, chowders, lobster rolls, sandwiches, salads, and more. Their ingredients are locally and sustainably sourced.
You can enjoy a meal indoors, or on their patio. They also offer counter service for takeaway, and there are a few picnic tables near the restaurant where you can sit to dine, too.
If you go, be sure to get the chowder. It’s what they are famous for! If you don’t enjoy seafood, there are non-seafood options available at Point Prim Chowder House (like salads and grilled cheese) and there are vegetarian options, too.
Note that Point Prim Chowder House is open 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM every day, except Wednesdays – it’s closed every Wednesday.
Day 2: Georgetown, Ring-Making, and a Local Cidery
On your second day on the Points East Coastal Drive, you’ll visit the town of Georgetown, make yourself a silver ring, and visit a local cidery. For breakfast, pop into the Maroon Pig when you arrive in Georgetown.
To stay in the local region, book into Nellie’s Landing. It’s a small, family-run marina in the scenic fishing village of Murray Harbour. They offer a few types of fun accommodations, including floating wine barrels and houseboats!
Visit Georgetown
Georgetown is a small, historic town full of brightly painted homes and lovely shops. It’s a very walkable town, so I recommend finding a spot to park, so you can explore the area on foot.
Georgetown developed as a vital port and trading center during the 19th century, which meant that the town played an important role in the Confederation of Canada. During the Confederation discussions in 1864, which led to the formation of Canada, PEI was initially hesitant about joining.
What persuaded the Island’s leaders to join was the promise of economic benefits and improved infrastructure. Georgetown’s importance as a trading and transportation center made it a key player in the negotiations, and PEI officially joined Confederation in 1873.
In Georgetown, take a look at the historic King’s Playhouse, where you can watch theatrical shows. Adjoining the theater are the A.A. MacDonald Memorial Gardens, a beautiful garden for a walk and some photo opps.
You can also get out on the water with Tranquility Cove Adventures, which operates out of Georgetown. They offer clam digging tours, deep sea fishing tours, and if you happen to be on PEI in the colder months – an ice fishing for oysters experience!
If you’re ready for a sit-down meal, have lunch at the Wheelhouse.
Ring-Making at Shoreline Design
Shoreline Design is the largest manufacturer of hand made and custom sterling silver jewelry in the Atlantic provinces, and you’ll visit their location in Georgetown.
The shop was started by Peter Llewellyn, a local Islander who decided one day that he needed a career shift – which led him to silver working! Today, there’s a Shoreline Design shop in Georgetown, Summerside, and Halifax.
You can visit the Shoreline Design shop in Georgetown to browse Peter’s beautiful silver jewelry products. But for a more immersive experience, book the “Make-Your-Own-Ring” class with Peter!
With this class, you’ll join Peter in the shop at Shoreline Design to make your own textured band silver ring. Peter’s classes are completely hands-on – he’ll guide you through the entire process of making a silver band ring, from imprinting a pattern into the silver, to soldering the ring’s ends together.
A bonus of the experience is that you get to spend an hour with Peter! He’s a fun and hilarious guy, and a joy to chat with. He had me laughing the whole time when I visited his shop for the ring-making class.
Taste Ciders at Double Hill Cidery
Your next stop is Double Hill Cidery, which is a 30 minute drive from Georgetown.
This local Cidery grows 16 different varieties of cider apples, and they make both old world and new world ciders. Double Hill Cidery isn’t afraid to break free from tradition – they experiment with many different ingredients.
Double Hill Cidery has a beautiful tasting venue perched on top of a hill. There’s an outdoor cider bar, lots of outdoor seating (with gorgeous views of the surrounding area), a covered lounge, and a tent, just in case it rains.
You can do a tasting of various ciders, or simply get a glass of the one that captures your fancy. Non-alcoholic cider is available, as well as other non-alcoholic drinks. If you’d like, you can grab some ciders to take with you for later from their bottle shop.
Dinner: Harbourview Restaurant in Murray’s Harbour
This family restaurant is 15 minutes from Double Hill Cidery, and it serves fresh seafood as well as non-seafood options, and gluten-free options. Be sure to try the spicy fish wrap, and have their pie for dessert!
Day 3: An E-Bike Tour, Beach Time, and a Spa
On day 3 of your 4 days on Prince Edward Island, you’ll go for an e-bike tour, spend some time on a gorgeous beach, and then check into a spa! For breakfast, swing by the patio of The Deck at Ocean Acres.
If you’d like to stay in the area for the night, book one of the water-view cabins at Mysa Nordic Spa.
Nellie’s Landing E-Bike Tour
Your first activity of the day is an e-bike tour through Nellie’s Landing, which is in Murray’s Harbour. E-bikes are a great way to see the countryside with the freedom of stopping whenever you please. On an e-bike, you’ll be able to explore the area surrounding Murray’s Harbour in detail.
If you’ve stayed overnight at Nellie’s Landing, you’ll be all set to start your e-bike tour of the surrounding area in the morning. Otherwise, reserve in advance and arrive in the morning for your tour.
You have the option to book a guided tour (this is good for large groups), or a self-guided tour. The Nellie’s Landing team has curated three exciting routes for self-guided exploration. The routes are accessible through their website, and can load into Google Maps, making it easy to follow them.
I did the “Scenic Beaches and Lighthouses” self-guided tour which brought me to beautiful, quiet beaches, along roads with views of PEI’s famous red cliffs, and to a historic lighthouse that received some of the first distress signals when Titanic sank in 1912.
The length of the e-bike tours depends on your pace. If you do the self-guided tour, I recommend booking a half-day e-bike rental so you have the flexibility of spending 2-3 hours exploring.
St. Peter’s Harbour Lighthouse and Beach
After a morning of e-biking, drive one hour north to St. Peter’s Harbour Lighthouse and Beach. You’ll likely be hungry for lunch, in which case I recommend breaking up the drive with lunch at Clam Diggers Beach House & Restaurant (try the seafood salad or lobster roll!).
St Peters Harbour was one of the first French settlements on PEI. The original St Peters Harbour Lighthouse was built in the late 1800s.
Today, a small group of local homeowners, cottagers, and business folks have made it their mission to maintain and preserve the lighthouse as well as the history and heritage of the old St Peters Harbour area.
When you arrive, be sure to spend a few minutes admiring the restored lighthouse, which is nestled among the sand dunes. Then, head down to the beach to enjoy an hour or two of sunbathing and swimming!
The sand dunes at St. Peter’s Harbour are an environmentally sensitive area. Please do your part in being a responsible tourist while in PEI by never walking or climbing on the dunes. Use designated beach access paths only.
Mysa Nordic Spa
To wrap up the day, head to Mysa Nordic Spa, which is Prince Edward Island’s first Nordic spa and resort.
Located on beautiful St. Peter’s Harbour, Mysa has water-view cabins, thermal experiences, spa services, and a restaurant. Mysa Nordic Spa is committed to sustainable tourism, with a goal of eventually becoming 100% sustainable and 100% energy self-sufficient.
You can purchase a day-pass to enjoy the thermal spa experience which is designed to help you release tension to relax. The thermal spa is not included with cottage rentals, so if you book to stay overnight in one of Mysa’s cottages, be sure to book your spa passes as well.
The Nordic spa is outdoors, with gorgeous views of St. Peter’s Bay. There are two thermal baths to soak in, as well as a cold plunging pool, and several saunas. One of my favourite features is the relaxation room – a quiet, bright room where you can comfortably lounge in silence. It’s a simple room, but it made me very relaxed!
Dinner: Mysa Nordic Spa
Mysa Nordic Spa is home to a restaurant that serves cottage and spa guests only. Everything served comes from their on-site gardens as well as our local farm and purveyor partners. Chef Seth Shaw is an award-winning chef who creates a rotating menu for the restaurant.
Day 4: PEI National Park, Kayaking, and Shopping
On day 4 of your 4 days on Prince Edward Island, get an early start! Swing by Black & White Café and Bistro in St. Peter’s Bay to grab breakfast on your way to the Greenwich Dunes Trail in PEI National Park.
You’ll want to start early because this trail is a popular one! Going early will mean you beat the crowds, and you also beat the midday heat (if you’re visiting in summer).
If you’d like to spend the night in the area, stay another night at Mysa Spa, or book one of the beautiful Mongolian yurts at Nature Space Resort – which is also where you’ll be going for your kayaking tour. Just note that Nature Space Resort has a 2-night minimum for booking a stay in their yurts.
Greenwich Dunes Trail, PEI National Park
The Greenwich Dunes Trail is a popular hiking trail that includes a walk over a pond on an extensive floating boardwalk out to one of PEI’s most famous beaches.
As you walk the trail, you’ll have views of the parabolic dune system that borders the white sand beaches. You may also spot beautiful birds – including Canadian geese!
Be sure to factor in enough time to enjoy Greenwich Beach, which is the ending point of the trail before you turn back around. Bring a bathing suit in case you’d like to go for a swim!
This trail is an out-and-back trail with very little elevation gain. It’s 4.6 kilometers each direction, and each direction takes around 45 minutes to complete. There is one section where you climb over a sand dune with the help of some sandy stairs. This part is a little steep, but it’s short!
There are public toilets at the start of the trail, just off of the parking lot.
Sand dunes in PEI National Park are environmentally sensitive areas. Please do your part in being a responsible tourist while in PEI by never walking or climbing on the dunes. Use designated beach access paths only.
Shops at St. Peter’s Landing
After a few hours in PEI National Park, drive 15 minutes back into St. Peter’s Bay for some shopping and lunch.
St. Peter’s Landing is where you’ll find a variety of shops selling pottery and paintings by local Island artisans, delicious locally produced chocolate, ice cream, and a fresh seafood market and oyster bar.
If you’re a fan of oysters, be sure to pop into Julio’s Seafood Market for an educational tasting at the oyster bar. Another dining option nearby is Rick’s Fish & Chips and Seafood House.
Lake Explorer Kayaking Experience
After spending your morning on your feet, you’ll spend your afternoon on the water! Drive 15 minutes to Nature Space Resort to go for a beautiful guided paddle that will take you up a tranquil still-water creek, through an area known locally as “The Forks.”
Nature Space Resort is a family-run resort that aims to help people connect with PEI’s beautiful nature. It’s run by Heather and Jarrod, both of whom are passionate about outdoor exploration and wellness.
On this 1.5 hour long paddling tour you’ll be given a quick brief on safety and how to paddle a kayak. Once you’re out on the water, you’ll have the chance to spot plenty of birds, like eagles, osprey, herons, kingfisher, and other species.
Heather and Jarrod at Nature Space Resort also offer yoga classes, wellness and mindfulness retreats, and culinary adventures!
Dinner: The Seafood Shack
A short drive from Nature Space Resort is The Seafood Shack (in the village of Morell). There’s a few tables available, but if they are filled up, you have the option to order takeaway.
They are known for their great chowder, lobster rolls, and fried clams. If you’re not in the mood for seafood, get their award-winning burger that comes with garlic aioli, candied pork belly, and a fried lobster wonton on top. This burger won Most Loved Burger in 2024!
Final Thoughts: 4 Days on Prince Edward Island
While road tripping the Points East Coastal Drive, I recommend checking local event listings to see what events will be happening on the dates you’ll be in the region. You’ll find an array of events, from farmer’s markets and festivals, to ceilidhs (social gatherings that highlight traditional music) and Indigenous experiences, like Mi’kmaq storytelling.
With 4 days on Prince Edward Island, you’ll have just the right amount of time to get a taste of Island life. You’ll enjoy scenic views, beaches, seafood, and a variety of activities, from a ring-making class to kayaking!
I want to thank Tourism PEI and Points East Coastal Drive for hosting me as media. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
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Erin has been traveling for over a decade, both solo, and with her partner. She’s now traveled to countries across 6 continents, and has lived in 2 countries abroad. Erin also hosts the travel podcast, Curious Tourism, where she interviews travel industry thought leaders and experts about responsible tourism. Learn more about Erin, and get in touch with her, here.
