If you are planning on visiting Prince Edward Island you will
need at least five days to get a good feel for Canada's smallest
Province, but in order to really appreciate the Island you should
really plan on staying at least a week. You will want to spend
at least two days discovering Charlottetown and at least three
days to tour around the Island - one day eastern P.E.I., one day
western P.E.I. and one day central P.E.I. It is easiest to use
Charlottetown as a base and make day tours from this location.
When you arrive home in the evening there is always a fine selection
of restaurants, pubs and theatres to occupy your evenings. In
short everything is nearby.
Around Olde Charlotte Town
 Plan
on spending at least a couple of days to explore this historic
town. Visit the historic sites, wander down side streets and see
the architecture of the 1700's and 1800's or search out antique
shops. Begin at Province House National Historic Site where the
formation and history of the country is interpreted. Great George
Street National Historic Streetscape, recognized as the most historic
street in the country, runs from Province House down to the harbour.
It was on this street in 1864 that delegates to the Confederation
Conference met and paraded to Province House to begin discussions
on the formation of this country. Along the street you will see
soaring spires of St. Dunstan's Basilica, the Heartz-O'Halloran
Block with its antique shops, art galleries, bookstores and homes
dating from before Confederation. At the foot of Great George
Street is Confederation Landing Park where you can relax on a
bench in the gardens and watch the sailboats from the adjacent
marina coming and going in the harbor, or you can visit the shops
on nearby Peakes Quay. From Peakes Quay a boardwalk follows all
along the Charlottetown waterfront for more than three and a half
kilometres.
At the foot of Kent Street you will find Beaconsfield the
home of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation
with its superb collection of early Island furniture and artifacts.
Across the street at the entrance to Victoria Park is Government
House, the home of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward
Island. This magnificent mansion is designed in a classical
style with a columned portico and galleries that wrap around
three sides. This home with its beautiful gardens has been the
home of the Queens representative since it was built in 1832
- 1834. Victoria Park dominates Charlottetown's waterfront.
From here it's possible to continue your walk along the water's
edge boardwalk of Victoria Park for another one and a half kilometers.
You may want to make your way back up town to visit Confederation
Centre of the Arts. This national arts centre is the home of
the Summer Festival and the musicals Anne of Green Gables and
Emily, as well as a host of other theatrical productions. The
Confederation Centre Art Gallery holds in its collection many
works of Canadian historical significance. Charlottetown has
some of the finest shopping in Atlantic Canada so you will have
plenty of opportunity to buy quality souvenirs, gifts and clothing.
Touring the Island
 There
are three Scenic Drives which encircle the three counties of Prince
Edward Island. These three Scenic Drives serve as convenient day
tours by which you can see many of the special areas of the Island.
All three are convenient day tours if you are staying in Charlottetown.
All you have to do is follow the road signs. You will no doubt
find some places that you will want to come back to on another
day.
The Blue Heron Scenic Drive makes a circuit of the central
area of the Island. Starting in Charlottetown you can go north
to Prince Edward Island National Park with its white sand beaches,
rolling sand dunes and quaint fishing harbours. Cavendish is
the home of L.M. Montgomery and her red-headed heroine Anne
of Green Gables. Further west in  Park
Corner you will find the pastoral landscapes which inspired
L.M. Montgomery. South from here you will pass the Confederation
Bridge and continuing along the south shore you will enter the
town of Victoria. Victoria is meant for walking. You may want
to spend a couple of hours at the many tea rooms, antique and
craft shops.
 The
Kings Byway Scenic Drive circles the eastern end of the Province.
From Charlottetown you head north-east. Greenwich P.E.I. National
Park is one of the most spectacular natural areas on the Island.
Continuing east, you will come to Naufrage Harbour and North
Lake Harbour. Be sure to stop by and check out the catch of
the day. Visit East Point Light House before heading south to
the singing sands of Basin Head Beach and the Town of Souris.
Further, the Kings Byway winds its way along many bays of the
eastern shoreline. Some of the interesting towns include Cardigan,
Montague and Murray Harbour. From here visit the Rossignol Winery
in Little Sands before winding your way through the pastoral
landscapes back to Charlottetown.
 The
Lady Slipper Scenic Drive provides a route around the western
reaches of the Island. As it winds along the coast the Lady
Slipper Drive offers breathtaking coastal vistas with red sandstone
cliffs, lighthouses, fishing harbours and spectacular sunsets.
After a storm you may see Irish Moss being gathered in horse
drawn carts. The Acadian and Scottish community of Tignish celebrated
its bicentennial in 1999. Another favorite stop is MacAusland's
Woollen Mills where some of the finest quality blankets you'll
find anywhere are made in a century old tradition. From there
make your way to the Evangeline region to immerse yourself in
the Acadian culture. Your final stop will be Summerside with
its stately homes which are reminders of the Golden Age of Sail
of the 1800's and the fox breeding industry which flourished
here in the early part of this century.
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