Hi, I am planning to come there for 4 days. What are the best places to visit in four days?

Hi Kavitha, 

With four days, you have lots of options! I suggest you spend some time in historic downtown Charlottetown, visit a couple of seaside villages and explore some of our rural areas. That will give you a good sense of what PEI is all about.

Charlottetown

Visit Discover Charlottetown to learn about what our capital city has to offer. Here are some of my must-do recommendations: 

• If you’ll be downtown on a Sunday, plan to visit the Downtown Charlottetown Artisan Market, which takes place at Confederation Landing Park on the Charlottetown waterfront, from 10am to 3pm. You’ll find more than 80 local vendors selling crafts (pottery, woodwork, artwork, hooked rugs, knitted goods), homemade soap and body products, clothing and jewelry, as well as fresh produce and baked goods; there is also a Canadian and ethnic food service. There’s usually live music too!
• Be sure to check out Peake’s Wharf on the Charlottetown Waterfront, where you’ll find amazing indoor and outdoor dining, live music and gift shops. 
• Stroll along Victoria Row, a pedestrian street in historic downtown Charlottetown that has restaurants, gift shops and live music (the block of Richmond Street located between Queen Street and Great George Street). 
• If you’re a fan of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, you have two options for live performances in downtown Charlottetown: Anne of Green Gables – The Musical at the Confederation Centre of the Arts and Anne & Gilbert – The Musical at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall.
• A great way to spend a rainy day is to drop by the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. It features a 40,000-square-foot library with a makerspace and a café.
• Just beyond downtown Charlottetown (next to the University of Prince Edward Island), you’ll find the  Charlottetown Farmers’ Market. It’s open on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm; during the summer months, it’s also open on Wednesdays from 9am to 2pm. It’s a hub of activity and it’s a great place to meet people. Bring your appetite, as the food is amazing!

Seaside Villages

Be sure to visit Victoria-by-the-Sea, a sweet village on the Island’s south shore that has a lot to offer, and North Rustico, one of the Island’s most picturesque fishing villages located on the north shore.

Rural PEI

PEI has three coastal drives that mostly follow the spectacular coastlines of western, central and eastern PEI, and take you inland as well, through some of the Island’s most charming rural communities, villages and towns. While it is technically possible to do all three scenic drives in three days, I don’t recommend it, as you’ll spend all your time in your car. Pick one scenic drive and do it really well, or pick sections of each drive and do those smaller sections really well.  While doing these tours, if you’re feeling adventurous, turn onto one of the Island’s many red dirt roads you’ll come across along the way… they bring scenic to a whole new level. 

Visit one of the many provincial park beaches across the Island. Admission is free of charge; they’re very clean and they offer washroom facilities. We love Basin Head Provincial Park, just past Souris, which is consistently rated at PEI’s best beach by locals and visitors alike.

Food

Prince Edward Island is known as Canada’s Food Island. Here are some of my favourite places to eat:

• To enjoy a feed of lobster, I suggest you plan to spend an evening at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. It’s not just a place to eat, it’s been a quintessentially Island experience since 1958.
• Visit Richard’s Fresh Seafood, which is located at Covehead Harbour (get there early, or go between lunch and supper, as it’s very popular with visitors and locals alike). 
• The PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow is a wonderful place to eat (reservations strongly recommended). Plan to spend a couple of hours there, to stroll through the Gardens of Hope and visit the Butterfly House (your little one will love it!).
• At the beach near Tracadie Harbour, you’ll find Fin Folk Food. This is part of Blackbush at Tracadie Harbour, a thoughtful resort development with a gentle footprint that welcomes both visitors and locals to enjoy the beach, as well as the public bathroom facilities at no charge. The restaurant serves delicious food, and there’s an ice cream bar nearby. This has actually become our favourite beach destination over the last couple of years!
   

Festivals & Events

Be sure to check out the latest edition of the Buzz newspaper – this is how locals stay up-to-date community events and local art, music, theatre, film and much more. It's a free publication and available at any library branch or coffee shop. You can also check our calendar of events. Definitely take in a ceilidh while you’re here – this is very much an Island experience, especially in summer. Ceilidhs take place almost every night at different venues around the Island. 

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us again. Enjoy your PEI holiday!

Nicole