Prince Edward Island packs red-sand beaches, lighthouse-dotted coastal drives and some of Canada’s best lobster suppers into an island small enough to circle in a long weekend. This 3-day self-drive loop picks up a rental car in Charlottetown and stays close to the island’s north shore, using real hotels, a national park day pass and a classic community lobster supper.
Day 1Charlottetown Arrival & Historic Downtown
Pick up a rental car at Charlottetown Airport and spend the afternoon in PEI’s compact, walkable capital before a classic Island seafood dinner.
🚗 Rental Car: Charlottetown Airport (YYG)
~15 minutes into downtown · rental from $50 USD / day
Pick up a rental car at Charlottetown Airport, a short drive from the historic downtown core.
⚓ Peake’s Wharf & Province House
~2 hours · free to walk
A waterfront boardwalk of shops and buskers beside the harbor, a short walk from Province House, the sandstone building where the 1864 talks toward Canadian Confederation began.
🏨 Check-In: The Great George
From $220 CAD (~$160 USD) / night, for 2 people
A boutique hotel spread across a row of restored 19th-century heritage buildings in downtown Charlottetown.
🦞 Dinner: Water Prince Corner Shop
~1.5 hours · dinner ~$30–$45 CAD / person
A no-frills downtown seafood spot locals point visitors to first, known for lobster rolls and chowder made with the day’s catch.
Day 2Cavendish, Green Gables & the North Shore
A short drive north to Cavendish for Anne of Green Gables’ farmhouse, red-sand beaches and a church-basement lobster supper with live fiddle music.
🏡 Green Gables Heritage Place
~2 hours · entry ~$13 CAD (~$9.50 USD) / adult
The green-and-white farmhouse that inspired L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, with period-furnished rooms and trails through the Haunted Wood.
🏖️ Cavendish Beach, PEI National Park
~2 hours · park day pass ~$8.50 CAD (~$6.50 USD) / adult
Red sandstone cliffs above fine white sand and dunes, part of a protected shoreline running along the island’s north coast.
🏨 Check-In: Kindred Spirits Country Inn & Cottages
From $190 CAD (~$140 USD) / night, for 2 people
A country inn a short walk from Green Gables, run by descendants of the family whose farmhouse inspired the novel.
🦞 Dinner: Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers
~2 hours · all-you-can-eat mussels from ~$45 CAD (~$33 USD) / person
A North Rustico institution since 1958, serving all-you-can-eat mussels and chowder alongside a whole steamed lobster in a lantern-lit harborside dining hall.
Day 3Victoria-by-the-Sea & Departure
A morning at a working lighthouse and a chocolate-box seaside village before returning the rental car for departure.
🗼 Point Prim Lighthouse
~1 hour · lighthouse climb ~$5 CAD (~$3.50 USD)
PEI’s oldest lighthouse, a round brick tower from 1845 on a narrow point looking out over the Northumberland Strait.
🏘️ Victoria-by-the-Sea
~1.5 hours · free to walk
A one-street fishing village of candy-colored clapboard shops, a chocolate factory and a working summer playhouse.
🍦 Lunch: COWS Creamery
~45 minutes · ice cream ~$6–$9 CAD
PEI’s best-known ice cream maker, churning small-batch flavors sold across the island since 1983.
🚗 Rental Car Return & Departure: Charlottetown Airport (YYG)
~30 minutes back to the airport
Drop the rental car at Charlottetown Airport and fly out, allowing at least two hours before a domestic flight.
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