The land of Anne of Green Gables, beautiful beaches and funky coffee shops, Prince Edward Island is the Canadian getaway you didn’t know you needed. Read on to find out how you should spend 36 hours on this little slice of Acadia. Here is our guide to 36 hours on Prince Edward Island.

Once you book a trip, check out our top summer travel accessories to order on Amazon before your trip!

History of PEI

Prince Edward Island, located off the eastern coast of Canada, boasts a captivating history that traces back thousands of years. The island’s Indigenous peoples, including the Mi’kmaq, were the first inhabitants, living off the land and sea in harmony with nature. European exploration brought French and English settlers to the island in the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to conflicts over territorial claims. In the 18th century, the island became a British colony, known for its fertile farmland and lucrative fishing industry. Prince Edward Island played a significant role in shaping Canada’s Confederation in 1867, hosting the historic Charlottetown Conference where discussions on uniting the colonies took place.

The island’s agricultural wealth, particularly its world-famous potatoes, contributed to its economic prosperity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, economic challenges, including the collapse of the fishing industry and the Great Depression, brought hardships to the island’s residents. In recent decades, Prince Edward Island has experienced a revival, with tourism emerging as a major industry thanks to its picturesque landscapes, sandy beaches, and Anne of Green Gables heritage. Today, Prince Edward Island stands as a cherished destination, celebrated for its rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking natural beauty.

Friday Night on Prince Edward Island

Once you arrive and get settled in, it’s time to start thinking about dinner to start your 36 hours on Prince Edward Island off on the right foot. Downtown Charlottetown is filled with funky eateries. Terre Rouge on Queen Street is only minutes from the harbor and is in the center of it all, giving you plenty of post dinner options for bar hopping as well! Another great option is to stroll along Victoria Row on Richmond Street to see which patio scene calls your name.

Saturday

On Saturday you need to go explore the countryside of PEI. But first you need some coffee. An amazing spot for a picture perfect latte and a healthy smoothie bowl is Receiver Coffee, they have two locations, one on Victoria Row and another on Water Street.

Once you are all field up, it’s time to get out there. There are so many amazing sites to see! The biggest one that you just can’t miss is Green Gables, the famed home of Anne. Located on the northern shore of PEI in Cavendish, Green Gables is as picturesque as the book describes it. And it is just about as Instagrammable as it gets, be sure to bring a flat brim straw hat to really get the full “Anne” effect!

And afterwards for lunch you should pop into the Preserve Company and be sure to pick up some of their famous preserves and jams as a souvenir on the way out.

After lunch, you should head to the world famous Cavendish Beach on Prince Edward Island. If you visit in the summertime the water is actually the warmest water you will find north of the Carolinas. So make plenty of time to enjoy the beach! But if you visit when it is a little chilly, still make time because there are some amazing views to check out! The red cliffs are just stunning against the blue water.

Once you have had your fill of the beach, be sure to drive along the coast as there as some cute little lobster and fishing villages along the way! PEI is famous for its seafood, so you just have to check out where all that amazing produce comes from.

While renting a car gives you the most freedom, if you don’t want to worry about that an easy way to get to all the sites is to hop on a tour. A great option that I found was Prince Edward Tours, they offer several different city and countryside tours and the guides are extremely knowledgeable and make time for all the great photo ops along the route!

And once you make you way back to Charlottetown, it’s time to start thinking about dinner! There are a bunch of microbreweries in town and cool brewpubs. Hopyard even has vinyl spinning all day long! And check out their cool tap wall.

Sunday

After a busy Saturday of exploring PEI, use Sunday to explore Charlottetown before your 36 hours on Prince Edward Island is up. Walk around this charming town, there are some beautiful churches and architecture to look at and the streets are filled with friendly locals.

And for Sunday brunch the spot to go is Leonhard’s, a light filled bistro serving up all the brunch musts with perfection.

I personally recommend the eggs benedict! It is just delicious. And all the details throughout the café make the whole experience just that much more magical. Allow enough time so you can sit and savor, just as brunch was meant to be.

And as a last stop before you head home, head to Cows Ice Cream! There are a few locations located around town and I can attest that the ice cream is as good as everyone says it is!

Once you book a trip, check out our top summer travel accessories to order on Amazon before your trip!

Getting to Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a popular destination for cruise ships leaving from Boston and New York and is also about an hour long flight from Montreal. And I highly recommend staying in Charlottetown as there are so many cool restaurants and bars to check out. I recently stayed at the Holman Grand and it was convenient, well-appointed and had helpful staff!

For more recommendations for summer getaways check out our post about A Magical Abruzzese Summer.