PEI Road Trip Itinerary from Halifax: 3- and 5-Day Loops
Prince Edward Island is the easiest road trip from Halifax: no flights, no overnight ferry, and an island small enough to loop in a long weekend. Its red cliffs, dune beaches and harbour villages reward slow driving more than long distances.
Below are a 3-day loop and a 5-day version, both from Halifax. We cover the two ways onto the Island (the Confederation Bridge and the Wood Islands ferry), how each one charges you, and PEI National Park’s season. Bridge and ferry details come from their operators, park details from Parks Canada, coastal drive names from Tourism PEI, and drive times from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), all checked October 20, 2026. We don’t quote prices; they change.
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In this guide
Getting to PEI from Halifax
There are two ways to drive onto the Island, and the smart loop uses both.
- Confederation Bridge (year-round). The bridge links Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, to Borden-Carleton, PEI. The Government of PEI says it’s 12.9 km long and takes about 10 minutes to cross. The operator says it runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no reservations. From downtown Halifax to Borden-Carleton is about 274 km, roughly 3 h 30 min (OSRM).
- Wood Islands–Caribou ferry (seasonal). Northumberland Ferries sails between Caribou, near Pictou, NS, and Wood Islands, PEI. The crossing takes 75 minutes. Halifax to the Caribou terminal is about 171 km, roughly 2 h 10 min (OSRM), plus check-in: vehicles must be checked in at least 40 minutes before departure. The current published schedule runs to December 20, 2026. Check ferries.ca for the 2027 season before planning a spring trip.
How you pay (both operators, checked Oct 20, 2026):
- Bridge: you pay nothing on the way in. The toll is collected when you leave PEI, at the Borden-Carleton toll plaza, and it covers the round trip. Cash, Interac and major credit cards are accepted, and frequent users can get a StraitPass transponder.
- Ferry: Northumberland Ferries says you can sail from Nova Scotia to PEI on standby at no charge, though boarding depends on space. A reservation is the only way to guarantee a spot, and a reserved one-way costs the same as a round trip. If you leave PEI by the bridge, you pay the bridge toll as well.
General guidance: driving in by the bridge and out by the ferry (or the reverse) gives you a loop instead of a backtrack, and you see both the Central and Points East coasts on the way. In summer, book the ferry rather than rely on standby.
3-day PEI road trip itinerary
Day 1: Halifax to Charlottetown via the bridge. Drive to the Confederation Bridge (about 3 h 30 min), cross, and continue to Charlottetown (Borden-Carleton to Charlottetown is about 52 km, 50 min). Walk the downtown waterfront in the evening. Tourism PEI notes Victoria-by-the-Sea, just off the route on the Central Coastal Drive, is known for lobster rolls.
Day 2: The north shore and PEI National Park. Charlottetown to Cavendish is about 40 km, 40 min. Spend the day on the Green Gables Shore: Cavendish Beach, North Rustico and the Brackley–Dalvay section of the park, which Parks Canada lists as day-use areas. Return to Charlottetown or stay on the north shore.
Day 3: Points East and the ferry home. Head east to the Greenwich section of the park for the dunes trail, then south to Wood Islands for an afternoon ferry to Caribou (Wood Islands to Charlottetown is about 53 km, 55 min, if you need to backtrack). From Caribou, Halifax is about 2 h 10 min. Outside the ferry season, return the way you came over the bridge.
5-day PEI road trip version
Five days lets you drive all three of Tourism PEI’s coastal drives: North Cape, Central and Points East.
- Day 1: Halifax to Charlottetown via the bridge, as above.
- Day 2: Charlottetown. Walk the waterfront and explore the city at an easy pace.
- Day 3: North Cape Coastal Drive. Summerside to North Cape is about 88 km, 1 h 30 min (OSRM). Tourism PEI says the drive is “Canada’s Oyster Coast”, where Malpeque oysters are harvested, and that North Cape has North America’s longest natural rock reef. Stay up west or return to Summerside.
- Day 4: Central Coastal Drive. Cross to Cavendish (Cavendish to Summerside is about 38 km, 40 min) for the national park beaches, then on to Charlottetown.
- Day 5: Points East to the ferry. Charlottetown to Souris is about 79 km, 1 h 15 min, and Souris to East Point about 26 km, 30 min. Tourism PEI describes Points East as having more than 50 beaches and lists Greenwich Dunes and Point Prim Lighthouse among its highlights. Finish at Wood Islands for the ferry (in season) or loop back to the bridge.
General guidance: if you’d rather not change hotels nightly, base yourself in Charlottetown for days 2–5. Most of the Island is within about two hours of the city by our routing.
PEI drive times
All figures are from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), checked October 20, 2026, and rounded. They don’t include stops, traffic, bridge or ferry waits. Check a live map on the day.
| Route | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Halifax → Borden-Carleton (bridge) | 274 km | ~3 h 30 min |
| Halifax Stanfield (YHZ) → Borden-Carleton | 251 km | ~3 h 10 min |
| Downtown Halifax → Caribou ferry terminal | 171 km | ~2 h 10 min |
| Borden-Carleton → Charlottetown | 52 km | ~50 min |
| Charlottetown → Cavendish | 40 km | ~40 min |
| Wood Islands → Charlottetown | 53 km | ~55 min |
| Charlottetown → Souris | 79 km | ~1 h 15 min |
| Summerside → North Cape | 88 km | ~1 h 30 min |
| Charlottetown → North Cape | 145 km | ~2 h 20 min |
When to go: park and ferry seasons
Parks Canada says PEI National Park is open year-round, but facilities run from mid-May to early autumn. Full services are available in July and August, with limited services in May, June, September and October. In 2026, Cavendish and Brackley beaches opened May 15. Greenwich Beach closed September 7, and most other day-use areas closed September 30. Visitor services close from mid-October to mid-May.
Parks Canada also lists fall and winter infrastructure work into late 2026 and spring 2027, including at Ross Lane Beach, Greenwich and the Cavendish campground road. Check Parks Canada’s PEI National Park page before an off-season visit.
General guidance: July and August give you the full park and ferry service but the busiest roads and beaches. June and September are quieter, with some park facilities and ferry sailings reduced.
Tolls and costs
We don’t list toll, ferry or rental prices here. Check the current rates with Confederation Bridge and Northumberland Ferries. Northumberland Ferries also adds a fuel surcharge to vehicle fares, set at the time of booking. Remember the bridge charges only when you leave PEI, and only once per visit.
- Car rental: most people pick up a car at Halifax Stanfield. Rental policies, including taking a car to another province, vary by company, so check before you book. Compare rental cars at Halifax Stanfield on DiscoverCars, and read our car rental at Halifax airport guide for age, licence and insurance basics.
- Insurance: travel insurance if you’re visiting from outside Canada. Compare plans with VisitorsCoverage.
PEI road trip essentials
Hand-picked tools we’d use ourselves. Always check current prices and terms before you buy.
- Car rentalCompare rental cars at Halifax Stanfield. Compare on DiscoverCars →
- Travel insuranceFor visitors from outside Canada. Compare plans → or get a TuGo quote →
Plan the rest of your trip
- PEI also makes a great short break. See it alongside other weekend getaways from Halifax.
- Add Cape Breton with our Cabot Trail road trip itinerary.
- Going further? See our Newfoundland road trip itinerary.
- Coming from out of province? Our Halifax airport to downtown guide covers getting into the city.
More trips from Atlantic Canada: all Moonlight Travel guides.
Combine it with a 7-day Nova Scotia road trip.
FAQ: PEI road trip
How do you get from Halifax to PEI?
Drive over the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick (about 3 h 30 min from Halifax by OSRM routing), or take the seasonal Northumberland Ferries crossing from Caribou, NS, to Wood Islands, PEI (75 minutes on the water).
Do you pay the Confederation Bridge toll both ways?
No. The toll is collected only when you leave PEI, at the Borden-Carleton toll plaza, and covers the round trip. Cash, Interac and major credit cards are accepted.
Do you need a reservation for the PEI ferry?
Not always. Northumberland Ferries says you can sail from Nova Scotia to PEI on standby at no charge, subject to space. Only a reservation guarantees a spot.
Is 3 days enough for PEI?
Three days covers Charlottetown, the north-shore beaches of PEI National Park and the east coast. Five days adds the North Cape Coastal Drive in the west.
When is PEI National Park open?
Parks Canada says the park is open year-round, with facilities from mid-May to early autumn and full services in July and August. Visitor services close from mid-October to mid-May.
Sources: Confederation Bridge, Government of Prince Edward Island, Northumberland Ferries, Parks Canada, Tourism PEI and OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), checked October 20, 2026. Schedules, seasons and policies change; confirm with the operator before you travel.
Featured photo: Confederation Bridge, Prince Edward Island. Photo: Quintin Soloviev via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (licence).
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