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A 435-mile Walking Route Opened in Canada — and It Comes With Spectacular Views, Seafood Stops, and Charming Small Towns

The route loops around Canada's scenic Prince Edward Island.

Avid hikers have another reason to visit Canada's eastern coast in 2022. Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), affectionately known as "Canada's Food Island," is inviting travelers to circumnavigate its idyllic shoreline by foot on The Island Walk . The 435-mile trail, which opened in 2021, loops around the perimeter of the country's smallest province — and with plenty of stops at sandy beaches, scenic viewpoints, and charming small towns, it has something for everyone. Grab some good walking shoes and get ready for the hike.

Suited for both seasoned hikers and casual walkers of all ages, The Island Walk features a mix of coastal sections, much of the historic Confederation Trail, red dirt roads, and peaceful streets. With grades no steeper than 2%, the entire loop takes about 32 days to complete (when walking 12 to 15 miles per day), but travelers can start or stop anywhere along the way. And with P.E.I. being famous for its freshly shucked oysters, lobster rolls, and historic haunts (including the fictional home of Anne of Green Gables), there are plenty of detours to make en route.

As more people look to connect with nature and embrace slow travel, the new trail — inspired by other walking pilgrimages around the world — has opened at a good time.

"Just like the Camino de Santiago, The Island Walk will give you the time to slow down and be present in your thoughts and daily journey, while experiencing the simple beauty of the island around you," said Island Walk creator Bryson Guptill in a press release.

With international travelers in mind, the trail conveniently passes through P.E.I.'s two major cities — Charlottetown (where you'll find the international airport) and Summerside, as well as many charming small communities. And along the way, several partnering inns and hotels (marked on the trail's map ) assist with transportation to the nearest trail entrance or transferring luggage when changing accommodations.

Mid-May to late October is the best time of year to visit, with July and August being peak tourism months. Those who come in October can enjoy the added perk of seeing P.E.I.'s breathtaking fall colors in their full glory. And depending on your interests, you may want to stop by one of the many vibrant summer festivals. In the community of Tyne Valley, for example, you'll find the annual Oyster Festival and Rock the Boat MusicFest in full swing in August.

Culinary enthusiasts may want to extend their sojourn in Victoria-by-the-Sea, a town famed for its maritime flavors. Locals will agree that there's no better place to refuel than the Lobster Barn , which specializes in — you guessed it — lobster rolls, and Island Chocolates for homemade truffles.

If time allows, block off the evening to catch a show at the Victoria Playhouse , the island's longest-running little theater. Or, for an off-beat break from walking, head to The Canadian Potato Museum in O'Leary, where you'll not only get your fill of spud history, but also potato-themed dishes at the restaurant. After indulging in Canada's national dish of poutine (a gooey mountain of fries, gravy, and cheese curds), you'll have more than enough energy to meander for miles.

Julia Eskins is a Toronto-based writer and editor who covers travel, design, arts and culture, wellness, and the outdoors. Find her on Instagram and Twitter .

The Island Walk Come Back Different

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The Island Walk

Published April 11, 2024 | Tourism PEI Categories: Outdoor Activities

Take Your First Step

The Island Walk is a 700 kilometre journey that circumnavigates Prince Edward Island.

Hikers can complete the entire Island Walk route in one go or tackle it in sections. The Walk incorporates existing trails, such as the Confederation Trail, as well as entirely new routes along the ocean and through quiet secondary roads.

The Island Walk is divided into 32 sections with points of interest, terrain, average completion time and amenities of the area outlined for each. A growing list of multi-day itineraries is also available. Routes offer the perfect landscape, both in terrain and scenery, for those who are looking for a long-distance walking adventure. By international standards, the Walk is not technically difficult with options for everyone.

Those who have taken pilgrimages in other parts of the world, be it the El Camino or the Appalachian Trail, know that such a trek is not just about the walking. It’s about what you encounter along the way – be it a most-delicious breakfast at a B&B, the vibe of a small-town coffee shop, a red dirt road canopied in trees or an expression of kindness. Guaranteed, you’ll return home differently because of the Island Walk.

Bryson Guptill, Creator of the Island Walk

“Part of the appeal of a walk like this is that it brings travellers back to a pace that we no longer operate at – which becomes very addictive. It’s about walking and thinking and the people you run into and chatting with them. And part of what’s so special about PEI is the people you meet here." -  Special to the Globe and Mail  by L.A. Brown

What Others Are Saying

AFAR magazine listed the Island Walk as one of the top 12 best places to travel in the world for 2023. "A 435-mile hiking and biking route around Canada’s small but mighty province invites visitors to travel slowly and joyfully."

New York Times columnist Elaine Glusac described her five-day pilgrimage as "equal parts solitude and camaraderie, as she treked from inn to inn" on part of the Island Walk.

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Similar to famed treks such as the Camino de Santiago or the Appalachian Trail, The Island Walk not only takes you on a journey filled with unique sights and experiences but on a journey of self discovery as well, only experienced on your own two feet (or a set of bicycle wheels)!

The Island Walk is a 700km walking trail that circumnavigates Prince Edward Island, taking you along the Island’s rugged coast and sandy shores, complete with panoramic views of the ocean, through quaint towns and fishing villages, city centres, and down red dirt roads. With 32 section s and countless stops along the way, you can tailor your expedition to explore the areas that excite you most. Access the easy online map and printable instruction guide and be inspired by different itineraries of varying distances.

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THE ISLAND Walk tours around Prince Edward island

Come back  different . the island walk.

Circumnavigate Prince Edward Island, Canada 32 sections. 700 km. 1 journey. the island walking tours

3 day 2-night Prince Edward island walking tour

Our 3 day PEI The Island Walk tours showcase the North Shore of PEI. On this tour you will have the opportunity to visit Anne of Green Gables house, the most popular string of beaches on PEI, and see small villages along your walk.

Starting at $1250

4 day 3-night Prince Edward island walking tour

Our 4 day PEI Walk tours showcase the North Shore of PEI. On this tour you will have the opportunity to visit Anne of Green Gables house, the most popular string of beaches on PEI, and see small villages along your walk.

Starting at $1450

5 day 4-night Prince Edward island walking tour

Our 5,6 and 7 day The Island Walking tours showcase the North Shore of PEI. On these tours you will have the opportunity to visit Anne of Green Gables house, the most popular string of beaches on PEI and have the opportunity to see small villages along your walk.

Starting at $1650

6 day 5-night the island walk tour

Our 5,6 and 7 day Prince Edward Island Walking tours showcase the North Shore of PEI. On these tours you will have the opportunity to visit Anne of Green Gables house, the most popular and picturesque string of beaches on PEI, and experience the local charm of small villages along your walk.

Starting at $1950

7 day 6-night the island walking tour

Our 5,6 and 7 day The Island walk tours PEI showcase the North Shore of PEI. On these tours you will have the opportunity to visit Anne of Green Gables house, the most popular string of beaches on PEI, and see small villages along your walk.

Starting at $2150

8 day 7-night island walking tour

Our coastal Prince Edward Island Walking tours feature the best of North Shore of PEI. The East Shore of PEI features towering red cliffs and warm Atlantic water. As we move along the tour you will switch to the North Shore of PEI where you will find rolling sand dunes and white sand. Along the way there will be lots of opportunity to go for a swim, eat fresh local seafood, watch for local wildlife and stay at some great B&B’s.

Starting at $2350

Prince Edward island Hybrid tours

OLS offers a wide variety of tours, from hiking and biking tours around Prince Edward Island to unique experiences like seeing scenic spots, staying in unique places and doing activities like Nordic spa, kayaking, deep sea fishing and many more.

Frequently asked questions

OLS is a locally owned company. There is a good chance when you call or email you will be speaking with the owner who was born and raised on PEI. This gives us local knowledge of routes, accommodations, points of interest, restaurants and unique relationships that are difficult to replicate from a tour operator based outside PEI. 

OLS is a bicycle shop which means we have access to the best bicycles available. Our rental bikes are replaced at the beginning of each rental season and are tuned up after each rental by our certified on site bike mechanics to ensure a perfect ride! 

In addition, OLS provides the most detailed maps but also includes a Garmin GPS device which provides turn by turn directions similar to a car GPS. This ensure you get to each nights accommodations stress free and do not miss any points of interest along the way. 

Yes! Send us the details of what you would like and we will create a tour just for you.

We are located at 330 University Avenue; a short 15 min walk from the Charlottetown Seaport, a 10 minute drive from the Charlottetown Airport and 3 blocks from the nearest entrance to the Confederation Trail.

All deposits are non-refundable.  In the unlikely event of cancellation we will work with you to reschedule and find alternate dates.

Cell coverage is very good throughout PEI and on the Confederation Trail with very few areas with no service.

PEI has a 15% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) tax that is added to all prices.

Yes! OLS can book additional nights prior to, or after, your cycling tour. We would be happy to make recommendations on best accommodations and areas to stay.

Yes. If you book a tour with OLS we do offer free storage of your (reasonable amount) of luggage.

Of course! This is your tour. You can make as many changes as you want to the tour and accommodations until you are completely satisfied with the tour. This includes switching to a different tour if you are not completely satisfied with the tour you initially select.

If you are ready to start the booking process or if you have questions on which tour you should select call or email us; we will be happy to assist!

Still have questions?

If you cannot find an answer to your question in our FAQ, you can always contact us and we will be with you shortly. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any other questions or concerns you may have.  Thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon!

A Long Walk on a Small(ish) Island

On Prince Edward Island, in eastern Canada, a writer finds her rhythm, along with equal parts solitude and camaraderie, as she treks from inn to inn on part of a new 435-mile trail.

Credit... Carolina Andrade for The New York Times

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By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

• Sept. 8, 2023

Never underestimate the difficulty of a flat trail over a great distance. After my first five-hour day following the Island Walk , a new 435-mile trail that rings Prince Edward Island, in Canada’s smallest province, I limped into Points East Coastal Inn in bayside St. Peter’s Bay with a blister cooking on my right sole and a paralyzing need to rest barefoot until checkout the next morning.

A veteran of the Camino de Santiago , the long-distance pilgrimage trail through northern Spain, I had done this sort of thing before. But like all travel-related hassles that I relegate to the trash bin of my memory — flight delays, security searches, sand flies at the beach — I had forgotten about the relentless demands of walking when your feet throb and the scenery barely changes in the course of a day. I had forgotten what a walking meditation feels like.

Returning from the Camino in 2016, Bryson Guptill, an island resident who founded the walk, thought, “Why not here?” he told me as I rested shoeless that June afternoon on the inn’s porch. “It’s an island and you can walk in a big circle, when none of these long-distance walks are circular. And you’ve got shoreline with great vistas no matter what part of the island you’re on.”

Designed largely by linking existing trails and roads, the Island Walk was set to debut in 2020 when the pandemic struck. It finally opened in August 2021, and attracted about 50 walkers that year. Late in 2022, Hurricane Fiona , a Category 4 storm, ravaged the island, destroying an estimated 40 percent of its trees, wreckage that made parts of the trail impassable.

This year, 300 people have registered on the walk’s website.

“The challenge in P.E.I. is it’s not a large population and you’re basically walking to rural areas,” Mr. Guptill said, noting that about half of the trail’s 32 way points or sections, which are roughly 12 to 15 miles apart, don’t offer handy accommodations.

He believes that will change in the coming years. Already, since the walk’s opening, there are new hostel accommodations at Ned’s Landing at Spry Point , southeast of Charlottetown, the capital. Bus service has expanded in rural areas , helping walkers travel to way points. The tour company Experience PEI coordinates walking routes (starting at 350 Canadian dollars, or about $260, for seven days). D.I.Y. walkers can book shuttles between the trail and lodgings through Bill’s Van Service and Cycling Tours PEI .

Lodging, shuttles and food add up. Cost estimates for walking the trail range from about 170 dollars a day to 5,000 or 6,000 dollars for the month required to complete it, according to users of the Island Walk’s active Facebook group .

“The Island Walk’s success is way ahead of the infrastructure,” said Sarah Branje, one of the owners of Points East Coastal Inn, during my stay.

Laura MacGregor, 55, of Waterloo, Ontario, did the complete walk last summer from her camper, which she moved periodically, relying on Experience PEI shuttles to run her back and forth to the trail. She spent about 5,000 dollars over the month.

“For me, as for many who do long-distance pilgrimages, it was an opportunity to engage in significant personal reflection,” said Ms. MacGregor, who lost a child during the pandemic.

A slow-travel enthusiast with limited time, I took a piecemeal approach to the logistical puzzle. I planned five days on the east end, which is peppered with small inns, and set out in the virtual company of the Canadian actress Rachel McAdams, narrator of an audio version of “Anne of Green Gables,” the 1908 novel of a spirited orphan and probably Prince Edward Island’s most famous export.

Walking inn to inn

After a day of planes and buses, I arrived in Mount Stewart, roughly 17 miles from Charlottetown, in the late afternoon to walk to my first inn, Bishop’s Rest in St. Andrews.

Wide enough for a car, the flat, red gravel Island Walk path passed wetlands, where I flushed out three wood ducks. Red-winged blackbirds sang out my approach, and warblers foraged in wild apple trees amid stands of birch, maple and pine that occasionally thinned to reveal freshly plowed red dirt fields beyond.

Within 40 minutes, a sign pointed to Bishop’s Rest, about 400 yards off the route on a grassy path bordered by blooming chokecherry shrubs. The hilltop 1890 colonial home once housed priests from the neighboring church. Now Sarah Charlton, a high school English teacher, and her husband, Ben, a chef, operate it as a three-bedroom bed-and-breakfast (I paid 160 dollars, including breakfast). About five years ago they added meals for guests.

“We get a lot of walkers and cyclists, and there’s nothing around here,” said Ms. Charlton, as she served her husband’s indulgent seafood chowder (19 dollars), loaded with local mussels, scallops, fish and lobster, at dinner.

Among trail sections, the roughly 17-mile stretch from Mount Stewart to St. Peter’s Bay is purportedly among the most scenic, tunneling through forests and emerging at a broad bay filled with mussel farms identified by grids of buoys in the placid water.

Signposted every kilometer, the trail doubled as a sound bath of singing birds and twangy frogs. I spotted goldfinches, hairy woodpeckers and, in the fields, bee boxes. Wild strawberries grew on the side of the trail. Abundant mosquitoes ensured I didn’t lollygag at picnic shelters.

According to “Anne of Green Gables,” “In Prince Edward Island, you were supposed to nod to all and sundry you meet on the road, whether you know them or not.” Resident passers-by advanced beyond nodding, stopping me to ask about my trip and offer local advice. A power-walking couple recommended the Seafood Shack in nearby Morell for lunch. A woman walking her pit bull showed me a resident garter snake at a creek. I asked a five-man crew from the transportation department clearing out beaver dams how they managed the mosquitoes. They laughed, saying they were immune, and offered me their bug repellent.

Five hours and one blister later, I checked into Points East Coastal Inn (rooms from 169 dollars, including breakfast), an 1870s-era home with a mansard roof and a shady porch that Rodger and Sarah Branje, Ontario transplants, operate as a three-room bed-and-breakfast, providing a warm welcome and unexpected luxuries such as bathrobes, slippers and mini-refrigerators stocked with sodas and water.

Restaurants in the tiny town of St. Peter’s Bay, gateway to the coastal Greenwich section of Prince Edward Island National Park , remained closed in mid-June, prompting the innkeepers to offer to pick up takeout from a restaurant in a neighboring town. But the next morning’s generous breakfast — featuring fruit salad, yogurt, homemade muffins, and entree choices that included pancakes and eggs benedict — more than fortified me for another day on the trail.

Depth over range

If blisters are a physical hurdle for walkers, ambition is a mental one. With about 14 miles ahead on Day 3, frustration set in as I had to leave St. Peter’s Bay without seeing the national park, which is not on the trail. Walking favors depth over range, I consoled myself, as I watched a flock of cedar waxwings perched in a tree just an arm’s length away.

“That’s the trouble, isn’t it?” said a cyclist from Australia I met on the trail. “You can’t get everything in, but then you don’t get this,” she added, opening her arms to tranquil Larkins Pond, where a pair of cinnamon teals paddled from the reeds. “The smells, the sounds.”

A soaking rain picked up just before I reached New Zealand — more of a crossroads than a town — where Mellanie Stephens, who owns the Johnson Shore Inn with her partner, Dave Dixon, picked me up for the eight-minute ride to their 10-room oceanfront hotel (rooms from 175 dollars, including breakfast).

From Room 7, relieved to recover in warmth, I had a view of the property’s 30-foot red cliffs. Dozens of lobster buoys bobbed in the water, and a meadowlark sang out on the broad lawn. As at Points East, once I sat down, I had no desire to leave and was grateful for an inn with meals.

“I hope you like pork,” said Ms. Stephens, pouring me a glass of white wine before dinner (40 to 60 dollars) to go with her pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes and asparagus.

Embracing solitude

Four days into the walk, I found my rhythm. My legs became accustomed to hours of walking, and I worried less about transfers, food and cellular service, all of which had been reliable. By 8:30 a.m., the Johnson Shore innkeepers had driven me back to the trail, leaving plenty of time to walk to the town of Elmira to catch my next hotel shuttle at 2:30 p.m.

If you like solitude, do the Island Walk. On this, my quietest day, I met only one other party, three birders who directed me to kilometer 260, where they had counted 15 different species of warblers, and I spotted one spectacular orange-throated Blackburnian warbler. Down the path, a pileated woodpecker chortled. Later, the trail was so deserted that I managed to surprise a red fox, who scampered up a bank and back into the woods. As maples bent across the path, forming a tunnel, the titular heroine of “Anne of Green Gables” observed, through the audiobook, “Maples are such sociable trees. They’re always rustling and whispering to you.”

I had time to stretch my achy quads and calves beside the former Elmira train station, now a museum, as I waited for the shuttle from Siren’s Beach Motel , a tidy, bright blue, 12-room motel just a dune away from the beach in the east-end town of North Lake (rooms from 195 dollars).

Craving company, I was thrilled to share the ride with two other walkers — Canadian doctors and lifelong friends in their 60s — with whom I put in an additional two miles on foot exploring the fishing port as deckhands unloaded lobster boats.

Later we dined on buttery lobster rolls at North Lake Boathouse Eatery beside Siren’s, where a waitress showed us videos on her phone of Setting Day , the first day of lobster season, when a bagpiper played the boats out of the harbor.

Beach finale

In the morning, I followed the murmurs of boats to the beach and counted 29 on the horizon. After a breakfast sandwich at the restaurant, my fellow walkers and I got a lift down the road to way point 23 at Bothwell, skipping the one-day walk there in favor of finishing up on the south coast beach at Basin Head Provincial Park .

We set out toward the shore on a red dirt road that dipped and rolled through farm fields toward the dunes. At the shore, we turned west to walk into the park, known for its “singing sands,” which contain a high quantity of silica that makes a squeaky sound when walked on. At least when it’s dry. Damp from an overnight rain, the sand didn’t sing, but pods of foraging porpoises surfaced offshore and more than made up for it as a scenic farewell to the Island Walk, just as I began to enjoy it.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

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The Charlottetown City Highlights tour is the best way to see and learn about historic and modern-day Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island. Our guides bring you fun and informative content as you explore the city. Among other places, you’ll see historic Province House, Great George National Historic Street, the Lieutenant Governor’s House, beautiful Victoria Park along the water, and the University of Prince Edward Island.

Island drive &

Anne of green gables.

This tour features some of the most picturesque Island landscapes, from rolling farmland and seaside villages to the renowned Cavendish Beach. This tour takes you to all-things-Island, with plenty of opportunities to stop and gather some stunning photos along the way. Tour Green Gables House: this old farm site was the inspirational setting for  L.M. Montgomery’s first novel, Anne of Green Gables published in 1908. This four hour tour is available on select dates throughout the summer.  

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Walking Guide to Prince Edward Island

Home » Walking Guide to Prince Edward Island

• May 28, 2023

Eric and I recently spent a week on Prince Edward Island and two things brought us here: the famous redhead named Anne and a new camino called The Island Walk. I’ll skip past the redhead (you can read my personal thoughts at PEI Notes from an Anne of Green Gables Fangirl ). Let’s jump right in and talk about this new Canadian camino and what Prince Edward Island has to offer for walking enthusiasts.

I was delighted when I first heard about The Island Walk and then became a bit skeptical once I began researching the details. I wondered how it could compare with the long distance walks and caminos of Europe. Which is why I wanted to visit PEI personally, to see if this island is a good walking holiday destination.

Walking PEI in off-season

If your goal is to hike in order to gain epic photos that will go viral, Prince Edward Island may not be the best choice for you. I struggled the first day here, battling my disappointment because I couldn’t find anything to take beautiful photos of. We came in May before anything was in bloom, so the landscape was very muted and we saw few people walking the trails. Take it from someone who has learned the hard way — visit PEI in the summer and put away your camera. This place has much beauty but the best of it won’t be found through the tiny aperture of a camera lens.

Should I consider The Island Walk?

Regardless of the season, the way to enjoy PEI is to embrace its simple beauty, and walking a camino is the perfect way to train your mind to do that. What I love about The Island Walk is how well it connects important waypoints, towns and local inns – exactly what a good camino should do.

I’ll be honest, caminos do not appeal to me personally. I love the concept but not the reality and this camino is a good example of one I would recommend but probably never do myself. Much of the route follows roadways and it misses some of the prettiest hiking trails on the island, so keep this in mind if you’re planning your entire trip to only cover The Island Walk.

Are there options besides the Island Walk?

Absolutely! Prince Edward Island has other long-distance trail options, as well as a National Park with several day hikes and an extensive coastline full of beach walking opportunities. You may also wish to consider biking instead of walking. Normally we wouldn’t mention biking on our site because we are ONLY interested in walking, but I’m going to make a rare exception for Prince Edward Island. Having spent a week observing the trail systems, I have to conclude that cycling would be my preferred method for exploring the trails here and it seemed the preferred method by locals as well.

Walking Trails of Prince Edward Island

Choosing which trails to walk on Prince Edward Island is the first step in planning your trip and it may be more difficult than you think. Thanks to many years of dedicated volunteers and the Island Trails association , all of PEI is interconnected with oodles of pathways but some are currently closed or damaged due to Hurricane Fiona in 2022. The walks you will see here are open (personally verified by us during our visit in May 2023) and still very pretty. We’ll begin with the long-distance routes, work our way towards the shorter day hikes and end with some nice city park walks. We’re highlighting our favorites but you can find all of them at the Island Trails site.

Confederation Trail

170 mi (273 km) with offshoots totaling 279 mi (449 km)

The Confederation Trail was created from old railway paths abandoned in the 1980s. I love the Canadians, they give you an Achievement Certificate if you walk any distance of this trail but you will have to work for the Tip-to-Tip Certificate from Tignish to Elmira. This is a popular trail with locals who you will often see riding bikes or running. The trail is wide, in excellent condition and is a dirt or crushed gravel path that’s easy on the feet. Sections go directly through urban areas, small towns, open farmland and small wooded areas. Parking is easy to find along the trail so you can hop on whatever sections you prefer.

Confederation Trail is a great choice for:

• Cyclists interested in completing a long-distance trail that’s not on a road
• Trail runners
• Anyone wanting long daily walks on footpaths that are easy on the feet

The Island Walk 

435 mi (700 km)

This is the new kid on the block, launched in 2020 The Island Walk was conceived by Bryson Guptil and his partner who longed to create a camino-style walk. The trail utilizes the Confederation Trail and existing roads to circumnavigate the island. The good thing about this route is that it allows you to walk from inn to inn and the PEI inns are famous for their hospitality and excellent food. It’s the inns that steal the show here, not the path itself. It’s important to note that the non-Confederation sections are on hard pavement which can be painful for some people. I have rheumatoid arthritis and after just five miles of walking on pavement my joints were screaming at me. If this is a concern, I suggest using a tour operator and discussing with them ways to minimize your walking distances along roadways.

The Island Walk is a great choice for

• Those who want to walk a camino in North America
• Walkers or cyclists who want inn to inn hiking or biking
• Those who want to test themselves before committing to a camino or inn to inn hike in Europe

Read our PEI Island Walk review for more details and resources.

International Appalachian Trail, PEI

93 mi (150 km)

We think it’s pretty exciting that you can walk a section of the IAT on Prince Edward Island. It begins at the Confederation Bridge and follows the Confederation Trail through the central part of the island then heads south along the Dromore Woodlands Trail and ends at Wood Islands Ferry.

The IAT is a great choice for

• Thru-hikers seeking to complete the International Appalachian Trail . North American sections begin in Maine and run through New Brunswick, Quebec, PEI, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It continues beyond into Europe and North Africa.
• People who like to brag (just kidding, sort of)

Greenwich Dunes Trail

4 mi (6 km)

This is the one trail you MUST walk, even if you’re here for the longer trails. To miss this unique trail would be a travesty in our opinion. It’s an easy path that includes open meadow, forest, a floating boardwalk through the most amazing dunes and ending with a beach that you can walk for miles. Combine Greenwich Dunes with Tlaqatik Trail which offers excellent views of St. Peter’s Bay and includes interpretive panels telling the history of this area. These trails are within Prince Edward Island National Park which charges admission when they’re open (June-September) but you can still access the trails during off-season (free but no washrooms).

Greenwich Dunes Trail is a great choice for

• EVERYONE, most especially families with small children or those who need an accessible trail
• Social media influencers — if you simply must have that epic photo, this is the trail

Homestead Trail 

6 mi (10 km) or 4 mi (6 km)

The Homestead Trail would be my second choice for a pretty day hike. It begins at Cavendish Campgrounds and you can add more by walking the trails towards the Lake of Shining Waters and Cavendish Dunelands Trail. We much prefer Homestead over Gulf Shore Way West (which is what the Island Walk covers) because Homestead is on crushed gravel and isn’t on a road. A section of this trail was still being repaired when we visited but is scheduled to reopen in summer.

Homestead Trail is a great choice for

• Anyone visiting Anne of Green Gables Heritage Center who wants a good walk. Skip the Haunted Woods and Lover’s Lane at the heritage center (hurricane damage has left those paths quite sad).

Basin Head Provincial Park to Bothwell Beach

4 mi (6.4 km)

Any beach on PEI is worth walking but we especially like this one on the east coast. Even if the park is closed you can still access Kingsboro Beach and turn left to walk towards Bothwell Beach. There are excellent facilities here so it’s a great place for families or picnics in the summer. Other beaches to walk along the eastern shore include Sally’s Beach and Red Point Provincial Park .

Black Pond Trail and Little Harbour Beach

2.6 mi (4 km)

Another nice beach walk on the east coast, this trail offers a quiet walk for bird lovers along with some dunes and views of forested red cliffs. There are no facilities here so even in summer I imagine this place remains pretty quiet.

East coast beach walks are a great choice for

• Anyone with a car — you won’t be able to reach these via public transit and the long-distance trails don’t cover these
• Leisure walkers who want to wander along a beach

Winter River Trail

3.7 mi (6 km)

One of the most popular trails on Prince Edward Island, partly due to its close proximity to Charlottetown but also because of its natural beauty and wildlife. Expect to see significant tree damage for awhile but still a lovely walk.

North Cape Nature Trail 

2 mi (3.5 km)

Also called Black Marsh Nature Trail, this is a boardwalk in the far northwestern part of PEI most notably recognized for its giant windmills. Expansive coastal views are your reward for driving the distance to get here and this path is part of The Island Walk (waypoints 9-10).

North Cape Trail is a great choice for

• Those who only have time to walk 1 or 2 sections of The Island Walk
• Those with a car who want a good trail to explore northwest PEI

Boughton River Nature Trail

5.5 mi (8.9 km)

The Boughton River trail is a series of loops that are connected so you can make this a short or long day hike. The path takes you along the river and through forest and you’ll get to see a diverse array of plants. This trail is on the eastern side and easy to pair with a beach walk.

Victoria Park and Charlottetown Waterfront

Victoria Park is a wonderful walk in Charlottetown where you can enjoy beautiful waterfront views, people watch, have a picnic and stroll through a light thicket of trees. Connect this park with a walk through old Victorian neighborhoods and follow the waterfront of Charlottetown.

Hurricane Fiona and PEI Forests

Hurricane Fiona hit Prince Edward Island in September 2022 and while it damaged many buildings the most devastating long term loss was what it did to the trees. We visited 8 months after the storm and while many structures were already repaired or currently undergoing repair, the forests were decimated. For this reason you’ll see very few forest trails in this article. Restoration efforts are already being made by local organizations such as the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project , Southeast Environmental Association and Island Trails so there is hope for PEI’s wooded areas but it will be a long recovery.   For updates on national park openings and conditions, click here . For a good article about trail recovery,  click here  — it’s simply astounding how quickly they are moving with recovery efforts!

PEI Walking Tour Operators

Having walked Prince Edward Island on our own, I can now say without a doubt that you should consider using a tour operator if you want to walk The Island Walk or if you want to visit without a car. These are the tour operators we recommend:

Experience PEI

Bill and Mary Kendrick are the pros at creating experiential tours on Prince Edward Island. They offer full package or self-service itineraries for The Island Walk, basic transportation services and an array of experiences (falconry, horseback riding and more).

Outer Limit Sports

Outer Limit Sports offers cycling or walking packages for walking The Island Walk (including the entire walk) and they can create custom itineraries.

MacQueen’s is cycling only and covers the Confederation Trail and The Island Walk.

Freewheeling Adventures

This Nova Scotian tour operator offers a 6-day self-guided or guided walking holiday that highlights the best of PEI.

Walk the Walk Tours PEI 

If you want some company or insider stories while walking Charlottetown, then book a 2-hour walking tour with lifetime PEI resident Jamie Kelly.

Advice for walking Prince Edward Island

Hopefully we’ve convinced you to visit Prince Edward Island and do some walking. So here’s some last advice for when you book your trip.

• Bring a hat and sunscreen, shade is rare on PEI, and be prepared for bugs.
• Bring a hooded jacket or something to protect ears from the wind, especially for beach walks.
• Bring shoes that are best for walking on hard surfaces. Thick-cushioned athletic shoes worked better than hiking boots for me.
• Washrooms are far and few along the trails and even women using pee funnels will find it difficult to find places to step off trail for relief. Map out the washrooms each day and take advantage of any available facility you pass. Gas stations are your most reliable source. Visitor’s centers have nice washrooms but they’re inside so if the building is closed then you’re out of luck.
• Don’t be shocked by the PEI bridge toll you’ll pay when leaving the island ($35 USD).
• Stay in a local inn or book some type of excursion where you get to meet people. Find out what we did by reading our travel diary for PEI .

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The Island Walk

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About the Book

This interactive map is a companion to my book The Island Walk: A Guide to Walking the 700 km Camino de la Isla in Prince Edward Island, Canada .

In 2016, my partner, Sue, and I spent five weeks walking the 800 km Camino Frances from France to Spain. It was our first experience in long distance walking, but it was not our last.

In April 2019, we returned to Europe and walked the Rota Vicentina in Portugal. We were especially taken with the 230 km Historical Way (Camino Historico) which passes through many small towns and villages not unlike the small towns where we live in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. It occurred to us that we could develop a similar path in PEI which would pass through the Island’s beautiful rural landscape, while adding many spectacular vistas of the sea.

We returned to Canada in May, and I set to work mapping a route for a Walk Around the Island . The route wouldn’t include every harbour and bay – that would have stretched to more than 1,200 km. Instead, we focused on an abbreviated path using secondary roads, red dirt roads and the Island’s Confederation Trail. The route would cover 700 km and would take at least a month to complete. That seemed like an achievable goal but setting out and doing it was more challenging than we thought.

Using the Map

Our route along the The Island Walk is highlighted in red; each day's stop is marked with a green marker with the number day of the walk inside. Click or tap on the marker to see the name of the town or village, the distance traveled that day, and in total to that point.

Showing your Current Location

If you're actually walking the The Island Walk and using this map as you go, you can tap on the "locate me" icon in the top-left corner of the map, give you device permission to provide its location, and the map will zoom right to your current location.

Download the Route

The route of The Island Walk is available for download as a GPX , GeoJSON file, suitable for import into a GIS application or wayfinding device.

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Hiking Prince Edward Island

• Visit the landscape that inspired the famous Anne of Green Gables
• Stroll along quiet beaches and through the stunning Greenwich Dunes
• Have lunch on the wharf in the picturesque seaside hamlet of North Rustico
• Walk through peaceful farmland and forests on the historic Confederation Trail
• Refuel with fresh seafood including lobster rolls and oysters

Your adventure begins in Charlottetown where in 1864, a small group of leaders from maritime areas of what is now Canada and the Northeastern US met to discuss the formation of a new country. Later, if you wish you can join an interpretive walk through the city's historic centre which is led by costumed guides. Learn about the fascinating history of this island before enjoying dinner in town and attending an optional performance of Anne of Green Gables. ( If interested in attending this famous performance, tickets should be purchased upon receiving confirmation of your trip as reservations are limited).

Located downtown only a short walk away from the Confederation Landing Riverside Park, this boutique hotel boasts beautifully decorated rooms equipped with high-speed internet and antique furnishings. 

This historic inn was built in 1838 and has undergone a detailed restoration to its original splendor. They are ready to welcome you with warm hospitality and outstanding service. Relax in one of their seven spacious, elegantly comfortable rooms and escape to a time when life was simpler.

A modern, minimalist hotel, centrally located in Charlottetown.

This morning at 9:00am you will meet your local representative. Then you begin your hike to the Gulf Shore Parkway along Cavendish Beach past Orby Head to the seaside hamlet of North Rustico. Why not have a seafood lunch on the wharf here and enjoy the boardwalk overlooking the picturesque harbour. After lunch a short transfer brings you to the Homestead Trail, a pastoral walk that takes you all the way back to your inn.

Enjoy your stay at this family-run Inn located only a 20 minute walk away from the beach, and right next to the Green Gables House. This property boasts 6 acres of quiet, and peaceful land, as well as charming rooms and an included breakfast. 

After breakfast a short 15-minute morning transfer brings you to the start of your walking day - the loop trail at Robinson’s Island. Afterwards, follow the beaches on the sand or the paved parallel trail of Prince Edward Island National Park along Brackley and Stanhope Beaches toward your iconic inn, stopping for lunch at Original Richard’s Seafood or the Dunes Café.

Walk one of the most impressive trails on Pricne Edward Island as it is so scenic. THe Blackbush Island Tide Walk is a trail that begins at Tracadie Beach and then leads you through some of the oldest and largest sand dunes in the Pricne Edward ISland National. Blackbush is the local name for the ‘grand dune’ that protects the region’s shoreline, rising from and fending off the waters of the Atlantic, creating a one-of-a-kind environment that is home to rare species of birds and animals.  Have a quick seafood lunch at the Fish Factory, then a short transfer takes you to the Confederation Trail. Walk  along the shore of St. Peter’s Bay, from St. Peter’s Harbour through Morrell to St. Peter’s. This is considered the most scenic stretch of the entire Confederation Trail, and you can walk all the way to your inn.

The guest rooms in this stunningly located inn are situated at the front of the house, overlooking the bay,  Confederation Trail, and the beautiful church next door! You can expect new comfortable beds and cozy coverings, renovated bathrooms in each room with larger showers. the breakfasts are to die for and as for the sunsets over the bay...wow!

This charming historic inn, built in 1840 has beautifully decorated rooms, also with a dining room and a pub on site!

Only a short walk away from the village of St. Peters, the Inn at St. Peters provides Adirondack chairs for each room's private balcony so you can enjoy the waterfront views. Enjoy dinner in their on-site restaurant with many options of locally sourced, fresh meals. 

A 30-minute transfer brings you to the Greenwich Dunes National Park, home to floating boardwalks and stunning beaches and a highlight of the whole northern coast. Enjoy your walk here before finishing up at your friendly accommodation.

A short transfer brings you to Bothwell Beach for a short one-way walk on Singing Sands to Basin Head. There is a café and a fisheries museum here, as well as a wonderful opportunity for bridge jumping! Afterwards, enjoy a final walk along Little Harbour Beach and Black Pond bird sanctuary before a transfer (45-minutes) brings you back to your week’s starting point, Charlottetown. This can be a good night to see the musical play “Anne of Green Gables” if you did not do so on night one. 

After breakfast, continue on your onward travels. 

This trip has a carbon score of 2kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our greenest trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 2kg is equivalent to 3 pints of local ale in the pub. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips .

Other Information

This tour is rated easy to moderate as the included walks for the most part are not too challenging. There is also great comfort in the fact that you will, throughout the tour have a local representative and a support driver. This part of North Eastern Canada is stunning and if you like coastal walking, and stays in historic inns this is the tour for you.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Islands, Off the Beaten Track

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveller this holiday would be suitable for is: 14 Years

This trip is rated as easy to moderate. Expect beach walking with time for refreshing dips in the sea if you would prefer. There is some inland walking along the confederation trail through farmland and forests.

One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of accommodation. You will stay in carefully selected 3* small hotels. Your room will always have an ensuite or private bathroom. A delicious breakfast is also included.  

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms within your party we will always try and accommodate you subject to availability. A single supplement is payable. This trip is not available to solo cyclists as there is a minimum of 2 walkers needed to book. 

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunches and dinners are not included so you are free to choose from the surrounding options. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby restaurants.

All the walks on this itinerary are available in the Macs Adventure Smartphone App. You will find the walks on the app under the "maps" section and simply download them smartphone and follow the little blue dot! 

As the navigation on this tour is straightforward, it does not have turn-by-turn directions. It will be necessary to use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App. Simply download the app for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that you will be able to find your way, even without turn-by-turn directions.

• 6 nights in characterful accommodations (B&Bs, lodges, & cabins)
• 6 Breakfasts
• Luggage transfers
• Detailed pre-departure information pack
• GPS Tracks in the Macs Adventure Smartphone App
• 24/7 telephone support
• Support person/driver who provides transfers outlined in the itinerary
• Travel to/from Charlottetown
• Lunches, dinners, snacks, and drinks
• Travel Insurance
• Personal Equipment
• Optional activities
• Additional nights before, during, or after the trip
• Single Supplement

This trip is available between June 15th to October 15th.  You can start on any date subject to availability. Prince Edward Island is a popular destination with limited lodging capacity, so it is best to book as far in advance as you are able. The best months to visit are anytime between June and October! 

This tour starts and ends in Charlottetown. 

Prince Edward Island is easily accessible from the neighbouring provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by bridge or ferry. The Island is connected to the mainland of New Brunswick by the Confederation Bridge (www.confederationbridge.com), making travel throughout the Maritimes easy and convenient. This curved, 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge is the world's longest bridge crossing ice-covered water and endures as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements. There is a toll to cross the bridge, which is collected only when leaving the Island, at a cost of $45.50 CAD per car, including passengers. Long term parking is available at the Charlottetown Airport ( www.flypei.com/parking_info ) and at selected locations in downtown Charlottetown ( www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/parkingfacilities.php )  

If you would like a more leisurely excursion to the Island from Nova Scotia, Northumberland Ferries Limited offers nine daily departure crossings from each side during high season. This 75-minute route runs between Caribou, Nova Scotia (just outside of Pictou), and Wood Islands, PEI. The crossing fee for the ferry is slightly higher than the bridge, at a cost of approx.$70 per vehicle, including passengers. Summertime crossings feature onboard live music entertainment during peak hours, a cafeteria (including Cows ice cream), and an outdoor seating area allowing passengers to enjoy the fresh sea air during the crossing. Please view the website for schedule times, or to reserve a crossing:   www.nfl-bay.com

There is something magical about seeing PEI from the air as you arrive by plane at the  Charlottetown Airport (YYG) . With a bird’s eye view from the airplane, tiled farmers’ fields resemble a patchwork quilt and pristine sandy beaches seem as if they could go on forever. Once you arrive at the airport, you will find it is small in size and will be easy to navigate. Adjacent to the arrivals gate is the Visitor Information Centre, where you can find more information (maps, visitor’s guides, friendly advice) about the Island for any of your pre- or post-adventure needs. Direct flights or connections can be made from Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

Baggage transfer is included in the cost of your holiday. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20 kg per person.

On this tour you will meet the local representative on the morning of Day 2. Although this person will transfer you and your luggage along the way, they are not a local guide. This is still a self-guided tour.

Our pre-departure information pack has detailed advice on what to bring. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, including rain gear, sunscreen, and appropriate cycling clothing, as the weather can vary greatly. If you have any questions, we would be happy to share our tips and advice.  Please limit your baggage to 1 bag per person of no more than 50 lbs / 20 kg. Your bag will be transported between your inns.

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance that covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

The Biggest Choice

Around since 2003, 21,000+ customer reviews, positive impact.

At Macs, we don’t do tour buses, groups, or guides. Instead, we give you the freedom and confidence to have your own self-guided walking or cycling adventure.

This is active travel led by you.

You choose your departure date and who you travel with, we do the rest.

We sort accommodation and luggage transfers and provide your route in an easy-to-use app.

We give you everything you need to travel independently but we're here 24/7 if you need us.

Getting from A to B under your own steam is intensely rewarding. With Macs, you'll see the world, and yourself, differently.

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Historic Walking Tour of Charlottetown

• Public washroom facilities at two locations during the tour
• No drinks are include but it is recommended to bring your own. There is a place half way along that one can buy some refreshments
• 2 Prince St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 0C4, Canada Bottom of Prince Street . I will be waiting by the white shed next to "Lobster on The Wharf "restaurant. I will be holding a sign for "Walk The Walk PEI Arriving by cruise ship: exit the cruise terminal, follow the boardwalk along the waterfront for 200 yards straight towards the white shed.
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• Walking time is included on the total tour duration
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Province House National Historic Site
• St. Dunstan's Basilica
• Confederation Centre of the Arts
• St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral
• Charlottetown City Hall

Similar experiences

• You'll start at 2 Prince St 2 Prince St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 0C4, Canada Bottom of Prince Street . I will be waiting by the white shed next to "Lobster on The Wharf "restaurant. I will be holding a sign for "Walk The Walk PEI Arriving by cruise ship: exit the cruise terminal, follow the boardwalk along the waterfront for 200 yards straight towards the white shed. See address & details
• 1 St. Dunstan's Basilica Stop: 10 minutes See details
• 2 Province House National Historic Site Stop: 10 minutes See details
• 3 Confederation Centre of the Arts Stop: 12 minutes See details Pass by Charlottetown City Hall Rochford Square
• 4 St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral Stop: 10 minutes See details
• 5 Victoria Park Stop: 15 minutes See details
• 6 Charlottetown Marina Stop: 10 minutes See details
• You'll return to the starting point

• joannecS9656GA 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Walk the Walk Guided Charlottetown Tour Thoroughly enjoyable tour by a very knowledgeable local. All important Charlottetown sites were covered in an engaging style and all with a neat connection to the author Steve Berry. Read more Written February 4, 2023

More to explore in Charlottetown

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Historic Walking Tour of Charlottetown provided by Walk The Walk Tours PEI

• About Trudy

Live & Travel Well for a Healing Journey...

Charming charlottetown, pei self-guided walking tour.

The best way to learn about Charlottetown is by taking the historic and waterfront walking tours.   The Visitor Centre offers maps, showing the walking tours: historic on red lines and waterfront on green.  These walking tours reveal that there is much more to Charlottetown than Anne of Green Gables and the “Birthplace of the Canadian Confederation.”  I spent many days at this seaport as an Acupuncturist-at-Sea.  So, I love sharing about how to enjoy a Charlottetown PEI walking tour.  Plus, Prince Edward Island is referred to as “Canada’s Food Island,” so I include delicious foodie options.  

Charlottetown is the capital city on the southern coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada.   Walking its streets, you find a history book brought to life.   It’s most known for holding the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, leading to the birth of the Canadian Confederation.  The town showcases well-preserved Victorian buildings, a vibrant harbour and serene boardwalk.  The native people of PEI were the Mi’maq, which is a loaded subject as is so many stories about the indigenous peoples all over the world.  The takeover of their Mi’kmaq land is the largest Acadian Expulsion in Charlottetown.    And of course, not to overlook the fanfare around Anne of Green Gables, which was inspired by the author L.M. Montgomery on her farm in the PEI countryside.   

Check out my YouTube video on Charlottetown:

Charlottetown PEI Walking Tour Historic, Waterfront & Food

A great way to start the walking tour is by stopping at the Peake’s Wharf and Founder’s Food Hall & Market .   Especially for lunch, it offers eclectic indoor food stalls with seating outside.   I loved Dal’s Potato Bar, with my potato customized and loaded to my liking.  PEI is known for its potato fields, with over 100 varieties.   I also bought some potato fudge with variegated flavors.  Both were delicious! 

From here, I turned left on Water Street and went one block to Great George Street.  This is the starting point for the self-guided walking tour.   You simply follow the red line to see the historic sites.  The first stop is at the St. Dunstan’s Cathedral , a Roman Catholic, stone French Gothic Church with 2 spires, 200 feet high.  It’s free to go inside and worth the visit.  Across the street is the red Great George Hotel and interesting sculptures of 2 men talking.  They represent the conversation that happened here about having a Canadian Confederation. 

The next landmark is the beautiful St. Paul’s Church , a red sandstone, Gothic Revival building on Charlottetown PEI Walking Tour.  

Then, walking along Grafton St. to the corner of Queen Street is the Confederation Centre of the Arts , commemorating the fathers of the Confederation.  This complex has an art gallery, library and memorial hall.  Also, it has a Parks Canada film, “A Building of Destiny” about the birth of the Canadian Confederation in Charlottetown.  Then, across the street is Cows Creamery .  This is a top attraction here and the best ice cream on the island.   It is made with high quality ingredients and high butterfat of 16%.  Don’t miss out on this scoop of heaven. 

Then, you walk down Queen Street (biggest shopping street) and go past a used bookstore and The Bookman.  If you’re a booklover, don’t miss out on The Bookman .   It’s a traditional relic of the good ole days when bookstores had soul.    Then, continue to Kent Street on the corner where the City Hall is.  Then, you take a right on Pownall St. and left on Fitzroy St. to All Soul’s Chapel , an island sandstone, in High Victorian Gothic style.   Across the street is the Rochford Square , a serene place to rest with gorgeous flower gardens. 

Next, on Kent Street I detoured off the historic red line and took the green waterfront line.  I walked along the boardwalk to the end and back.

Afterwards, I finished the historic trail.  On the waterfront boardwalk, I walked past the Beaconsfield Historic House .   It’s a great example of Victorian architecture with historic tales about Charlottetown.  I didn’t go inside, as it’s closed on Monday.  Continuing to the boardwalk along the Charlottetown Harbour, I noticed the Governor’s House across the street.  The gate was open with a sign saying pedestrians are welcome to walk the grounds.  I walked by the Governor, Antoinette Perry, outside getting her photos taken.   Then, I walked past the white mansion and discovered beautiful flower gardens.  If you go, don’t miss those gardens.

Getting back on the boardwalk, I walked up and back in about 1 hour.  I walked and stopped at Old Battery Point to take a look at the large canons from times past.   Additionally, along the boardwalk on the inland side is Victoria Park with numerous walking trails.  I finished the boardwalk on Brighton Street and got a view of the red and white Brighton Beach Lighthouse .    Then, walking back I stopped at the Victoria Floating Dock , a serene place with benches.  This is a good place to watch the sunset. 

Returning to West and Kent St., I finished the red lined Historic Trail.  Walking along the shady street, I went by The Culinary Institute of Canada .  Maybe, this is one of the reasons that PEI is known as “Canada’s Food Island.”  Then, I walked by the Joseph McDonald House , the first General Hospital in Charlottetown.    I end my walk at the Water Street Fish & Chips for the freshest halibut that I ever had.  Yum, perfect ending to a perfect day!  Finally, I make one last photo op at the end of the Queen Street on the waterfront:

Even More, The Island Walk

On Prince Edward Island, there is a new, spectacular 435-mile walking route encircling the island.  It’s a path for all levels with grades no steeper than 2%.  Also, The Island Walk begins at Joe Ghiz Memorial Park in Charlottetown.  Experience PEI organizes tours for this popular walk.

Read Next! Anne of Green Gables Farm Tour in Prince Edward Island Exploring Scenic Nova Scotia’s Lighthouses & Countryside

Trudy Wendelin, L.Ac

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8 Things to Do at Green Gables on Prince Edward Island

V isiting Green Gables on Prince Edward Island is a must for readers of the beloved book series “Anne of Green Gables.” Now called Green Gables Heritage Place, the house and surrounding grounds are in Prince Edward Island National Park, an expanse of sandy beaches and rolling farmland on the north shore of Prince Edward Island.

Anne of Green Gables is a classic novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It tells the story of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged brother and sister who had intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

I’d never read the books before planning my trip to this area in Canada, but a friend recommended I do so before visiting and I’m so glad I did. As a book lover who frequently travels to locations written about by my favorite authors , Green Gables on Prince Edward Island is among my very favorite book locations.

At Green Gables, you can expand your “scope for imagination” by:

• Take a tour of the house and learn about the history of the property and the inspiration for Anne of Green Gables.
• Explore the grounds, hike the trails and take a walk through the gardens.
• Interact with live characters and participate in a special event.
• Visit Montgomery Park.
• Walk around the old Montgomery house.
• Pay respects at Montgomery’s grave.
• Shop at the gift shop and restaurant.
• Learn about L.M. Montgomery and the Cavendish landscape at the visitor’s center.

Green Gables on Prince Edward Island

If you’re wondering if Avonlea from Anne of Green Gables is a real place, the answer is sort of. It’s based on real-life Cavendish and many things described in the books are recognizable here, even the beloved house. The MacNeil family initially owned the Green Gables house in the 1830s. In 1928, the Canadian government purchased it and restored it to its original appearance. It is now open to the public as a museum based on the books.

In real life, this farm was the home of cousins of Author M.L. Montgomery’s grandfather. While she never lived here, Maud grew up nearby with her grandparents Lucy and Alexander Macneill, only a stone’s throw away, through the “haunted woods” at the old Montgomery house. She knew the property well and, years later, used it as the inspiration for the setting of her novel Anne of Green Gables.

The house is a two-story, L-shaped structure with a white exterior and green gables. It has five bedrooms, a dining room, a sewing room, and a parlor. The interior is furnished with period furniture and artifacts decorated to match the fictional home belonging to the Cuthberts. Curators have done an exceptional job of ensuring the home looks as described in the books. You’ll see Marilla’s sewing room, Anne’s bedroom, the kitchen pantry and more familiar scenes. Images of her real-life aunt and uncle even look like Matthew and Marilla!

Explore the Grounds, Hike, and Admire the Gardens

Outside you can explore the barn, beautiful gardens and even the “Snow Queen” white apple blossom trees. Characters dressed like Anne, her best friend Diana and her boyfriend, Gilbert walked around taking pictures with visitors while “Matthew” read to children under a tree. The organization also hosts special events wherein you can more deeply engage with the house and characters for an additional cost.

There are two wooded trails at Green Gables: The Haunted Wood Trail and the Balsam Hollow Trail.

Balsam Hollow

This trail leads away from the back of the house through various landscapes, including forests, fields, and wetlands that extend along a winding brook in the woods. Within it is “Lover’s Lane.”

Lover’s Lane

With the shade and shadows of the many kinds of trees, an old wooden fence, the soothing sound of the brook, and the inviting songs of different birds, a walk down Lover’s Lane and through Balsam Hollow is a place you might stop for a kiss as Anne imagined many did.

The Haunted Wood

The Haunted Wood is the trail Anne depicted as the scary one that leads to Diana’s house across the fields. It’s down the slope from the front of Green Gables house, the Haunted Wood Trail is a looped trail about a half-mile long.

Beginning and ending at the trailhead at the base of the hill, this trail takes you through wooded areas. It passes near the edge of the Cavendish Cemetery and can also be a pathway to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site – the L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish Home, a separate location the Macneill family operates.

Visit Montgomery Park

If you follow the Balsam Woods trail to its end, you’ll pass through Montgomery Park. It is named after Lucy Maud Montgomery and features a playground, a gazebo, a walking trail, and a picnic area. A bronze statue of Montgomery and plaques with her quotes and information about her are the highlights of the park.

The park is a great example of how Cavendish cherishes everything about these books and this author. They’ve even named a small area, “Avonlea,” and other places called “shining waters,” “bosom buddies,” “kindred spirits,” and other beloved phrases from the book.

Walk around Old Montgomery House

If you continue the trail through Montgomery Park, you’ll go through more woods, a flowered meadow and come to a small house (Diana’s house?!).

It’s all too pretty for words. The old house, now doubling as a gift shop, has only the main room open. The kitchen, where they believe Maud wrote her first books, is all that remains of the original home, but it is not accessible.

The book collection is spectacular and there are many artifacts and other objects of memorabilia on display. For $6 you can walk the garden path filled with flowers, blooming apple trees and signage, so you know what you’re looking at. There is her garden, the well, the trees and more, just as described in the books.

Pay Your Respects at the Cemetery

Back through the woods and across the road is Maud’s final resting place in the Cavendish cemetery. So revered is she that the iron gates above the cemetery entrance read: “Final Resting Place of Maud Montgomery.” Her grave is easy to find as it’s sided by large bushes unlike the others and often has visitors standing nearby or an abundance of flowers.

Visit the Gift Shop & Restaurant

After all that walking, the barn back on the main property, is a welcome retreat. In it, they serve light food, snacks and drinks including raspberry cordial and beaver tails.

Explore the Visitor’s Center

The visitor’s center is also an exhibit hall featuring interpretive exhibits on L.M. Montgomery’s life and writings. Visitors can learn more about the Cavendish landscape that inspired Maud and played an essential role in the books. Throughout the exhibits, there are themes of imagination, beauty, friendship, belonging, freedom, and self. Parks Canada, which runs the site, also shares the story of the Mi’kmaq people in Cavendish.

If you visit Green Gables

The Green Gables Heritage Place is a popular tourist destination and a must-visit for Anne of Green Gables fans. Read the books again before you go and you’ll delight in how many things you’ll recognize. It was a truly magical place, just like those stories.

Green Gables on Prince Edward Island is open from May to October. Trails and grounds are open year-round. The site is easily accessible by car.

Find it at 8619 Route 6 Cavendish PE C0A 1M0.

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The Island Walk

Prince Edward Island | Come back different

A detailed guidebook is available for the Walk. The book describes all 32 sections of the Walk, and highlights every turn along the route. There are also tips on some alternative routes, especially on beaches that are not part of the official route.

How to purchase The Island Walk Guidebook: Digital:   Etsy Paperback:   The Bookmark

Mid-May to late October are the best times to walk.

May is quiet but it can be cold. June is better – expect a few hot days.

July and August are peak tourism months so accommodation can be difficult to find. We strongly recommend planning ahead. If visiting in July and August, you will want to carry bug spray as there will be mosquitos.

September is ideal. October has an added advantage – fall colours!

We go into further detail on our When to Walk page,  here .

The route can not be followed in the months of January to March, as the Confederation Trail is closed to pedestrians in the winter.

You can start anywhere on the route – walk or get someone to drop you off. Some accommodations will assist with transportation to the nearest entrance to the trail or will get a taxi for you if needed. Charlottetown is the nearest airport.

Yes. Booking in advance is recommended. Check out the accommodations supporting the Island Walk on our interactive map  here .

Or go  here  for a complete list of accommodations in PEI.

Coffee shops are available in most small towns. Check the Confederation Trail map for toilets on the route.

https://www.tourismpei.com/pei-confederation-trail

If you would like to speak to someone via email please contact  [email protected] .

If you need to speak to someone over the phone about visiting PEI or The Island Walk, you can call Tourism PEI to speak to a vacation planner at 1-800-463-4734.

Registration is voluntary and there are no fees to take part in The Island Walk. However we hope you register! The information will help The Island Walk capture the number of individuals planning to do the route and will use the information to improve Walker experiences planning their journey and completing the walk.

The Island Walk has passports available, allowing you to chronicle the dates you walked each of the 32 sections. The Passport Kit includes the passport, backpack patch, shipping, taxes and PDF certificate upon completion for a fee of $17.25.

Yes, you can cycle, bike or e-bike the entire Island Walk. The Walk follows a mix of public paved and red clay roads as well as well-kept trails.

Two of our partner tour operators, Outer Limit Sports & MacQueen’s, offer bike and e-bike rentals visit their websites for further information.  https://www.ols.ca/  &  www.macqueens.com .

Wild camping is illegal on PEI and camping is only allowed in licensed campgrounds. Here is a list of campgrounds along the route. Please note that some campgrounds require additional travel to get to.

Booking in advance is recommended. Find the accommodations and campgrounds supporting the Island Walk on our map or go to  tourismpei.com  for a complete list of accommodations in PEI.

Our Trip Planner Partners offer trip coordination services including booking accommodations and luggage transfers.

More information on these services can be found on our  Trip Planners page as well as our Luggage Transfer Service page.

The Island Walk route is wheelchair accessible. The route consists of the Confederation Trail, other maintained trails as well as clay and paved roads.

The Confederation trail makes up most of the route, this rolled stone dust trail is wheelchair accessible and well maintained, with grades no greater than 2%. The accessibility of trails and clay roads can be affected by heavy rain, which can create muddy conditions in some areas.

Please confirm directly with any accommodations or transportation providers to ensure they can accommodate your accessibility needs.

You can purchase Island Walk merchandise through AllStar Cresting .

Shipping and in-store pick-up are available, however, all purchases must be completed through the online portal. AllStar Cresting does not have any merchandise on-hand, so orders must be placed in advance of the desired pick-up date (turnaround time for orders is typically 10-14 days).

Pick-up orders can be obtained at AllStar Cresting. Their address is 166 St Peters Road, Charlottetown, PE C1A 5P8.

Transportation

As noted on the map page, the transportation available icon means the accommodation will provide transportation or will arrange transportation for you with a taxi or other transportation provider and costs vary.

Here are some other transportation options for you.

Island-wide

Bill’s Van Service

Bill’s Van Service offers a 6 passenger van and driver at your service.

Operating 24 hours, Bill’s Van Service will transport customers anywhere and anytime to fit their schedule. For more information visit  https://bvspei.weebly.com/  or email  [email protected] .

PEI’s first and only ridesharing service, 100% locally owned and operated. On-demand services available 7-11pm Monday to Sunday in Charlottetown with pre-booking available in many other areas of the Island as well.

www.meetkari.com [email protected]

Western PEI

Transportation West  is a non-profit community organization which provides door to door transportation service Monday to Friday.

Call: 902-853-6010 [email protected] https://transportationwest.com/

PEI Unique Custom Tours  ~ Drop Off and Pick Up For more information: 902-206-3457 or 1-800-565-3457 Stanley MacDonald:  [email protected]

Cities of Summerside and Charlottetown

Both cities have numerous taxi services.

Charlottetown and surrounding areas also have a public transit system:  https://www.t3transit.ca/

Cavendish Area

Red Sand Tour offers more than just tours. They also provide taxi services for the season running from May until the end of October. Their vehicles can be booked for local transport in Cavendish/surrounding areas or to and from the airport. They also have spacious vans for groups. Toll-free: 1-844-940-4545 or call direct at 902-940-4545. [email protected] https://www.redsandtour.com/

100 km radius of Charlottetown

Jack DesRoches is available within a 100-kilometer radius of Charlottetown. Jack can provide transportation only or he can also provide you with a personalized tour. Check him out at  jackstourspei.com . Contact him directly at 902-393-2697 or at  [email protected]  to make arrangements.

Eastern PEI

For larger groups of 6 or more experiencing the trail who are looking for transportation, please contact or visit  https://hopsipswirl.ca/contact-us/  to make an inquiry, email directly to  [email protected]  or call 902-330-2739 to arrange travel to your next stop.

In Montague, there is Dixon’s taxi at 902-838-2491. They will also go longer distances if necessary.

There are parking lots in Charlottetown and Summerside that offer daily and monthly parking for a fee.

Some accommodations may allow you to park your car on their property while you are on The Island Walk. This would have to be arranged with the accommodations directly.

Itineraries

Yes. Walk at your own pace. If you arrange transportation to and from the trail, you will want to plan accordingly for your own pace and distance.

Yes. Walk at your own pace and enjoy the journey.

Not all sections and waypoints of the trail have accommodations, especially in rural areas of the province. Most people doing the Walk stay in one of our partner accommodations where the host may be able to arrange transportation to and from the trail each day (please confirm this service with the individual accommodation while booking).

The interactive  map  has information on accommodations along the way.

At this time we do not have itineraries specific to cycling however the entire Island Walk is suitable for biking. If you would like to speak to a trip planners about cycling bookings please contact Outer Limit Sports at  [email protected]  or MacQueen’s at  [email protected] .

Distances, Grades and Times

The Island Walk is much less physically demanding than the Camino de Santiago. For further detail, see  How hard are the walks?

Yes! There is a PDF document that contains written directions to assist you through your Island Walk. The PDF can be found here:

https://theislandwalk.ca/island-walk-map-2023/

To download, simply click the orange button labelled DOWNLOAD THE ISLAND WALK DIRECTIONS.

The walks are easy by international standards. The Confederation Trail was the rail bed for the railway on PEI. Grades are no greater than 2%. The other paths and roads are not steep or difficult.

Go at your own pace. We set the suggested daily stopping distances between 20 – 25km.

You can follow the online map to stay on the route, follow our directional signs or download the PDF instructions  here .

The numbers and waypoints are the stops made by the original members of Island Trails when they completed the Island Walk. Although you can walk your own pace and start from anywhere, these would be the stops to make if you wanted to replicate the original Island Walk. Thus waypoint #1 is the end of Day 1.

Weather, Safety and Problems

Depending on the month, the weather can vary from cold to hot and from wet to dry. Prepare for rain and wind in May or in September and October. July and August can be hot. Take insect repellent in June through September.

We go into further detail on our When to Walk page.

If the weather is very bad, plan to stay in your accommodations for another night.

PEI is a very safe tourist destination. There are no dangerous wild plants or animals. Take normal precautions to protect yourself and your valuables.

In an emergency, call 911.

Pharmacies on PEI can assist you with over-the-counter medicine. PEI has several walk-in clinics that offer non-emergency care. More information can be found on the PEI Government’s website,  here .

Equipment and What to Bring

Yes, please see our What to Pack page for more information.

Hiking poles are not required, but some walkers like using them for stability.

A GPS will help you pinpoint your location. GPS apps on your phone are also helpful. There is a GPS pin on the upper left corner of the Island Walk map.

You can download and print the map by clicking on the ‘Download The Island Walk Map Here’ button on The Island Walk Map page.

We also have step by step directions of the entire route that you can print.

If you would like a map of Prince Edward Island, you can order a copy of the PEI Visitor’s Guide and a PEI Highway Map for free on the Tourism PEI website,  here .

The Island Walk has passports available, allowing you to chronicle the dates you walked each of the 32 sections. The Passport Kit includes the passport, backpack patch, shipping, taxes and PDF certificate upon completion for a fee of $17.25. To order an Island Walk passport please visit The Island Walk Registration page.

Once you’ve completed the Walk, email a photo of your passport to  [email protected] . We will email you back a PDF of a signed and dated Certificate of Completion customized with your name in bold print.

Dogs on leash are permitted everywhere on The Island Walk, except on beaches in the National Park.

There are many pet-friendly accommodations and campgrounds available on PEI and many are close to the trail – once you decide which section you would like to walk you can check out our specific partner accommodations .

You can also reference the Tourism PEI website for further accommodation options.

Yes, if your children are accustomed to walking.

Large and small groups can be accommodated, but care should be taken when walking on the shoulder of public roads.

You will meet people in towns and villages along the way. You may also meet some walkers or cyclists on the Confederation Trail.

At this time we do not have organized group walking tours. If you are able, please check out the  Island Walk Facebook Page  where you may be able to find other walkers who will be on the route when you are.

There is a Facebook group for information and discussion on The Island Walk. Members of the group have either done the walk before, are planning to do the walk themselves or are just interested in learning more about it. You can join The Island Walk Facebook Group .