Anne’s Land and the North Shore: A Prince Edward Island Driving Tour

(18 reviews)

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island audio tour: Anne’s Land and the North Shore: A Prince Edward Island Driving Tour

This is a 71mi driving tour

It takes an average of 180 mins to complete.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Canada

$11.99

Access all 110 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

Buy for a Group

Reviews

About the Tour

Prince Edward Island’s enchanting North Shore is much more than the setting for Anne of Green Gables, where Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved novels come to life. On this captivating three-hour driving tour, you’ll discover the rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes of Canada’s smallest province.

The tour starts and ends at the Charlottetown Visitor Information Centre. From there, you’ll wind your way through the city’s historic streets before heading to the celebrated North Shore, where red sandstone cliffs meet pristine beaches. I’ll tell you about the island’s fascinating past, from its Mi’kmaq origins to its pivotal role as the birthplace of Canada at the 1864 Charlottetown Conference. While you travel through picturesque fishing villages and farmland, you’ll hear stories of shipwrecks, rum-runners, and family histories spanning generations.

This tour takes you through two sections of PEI National Park and includes stops at iconic sites like Dalvay-by-the-Sea, Green Gables Heritage Place, and the charming fishing village of North Rustico. Along the way, you’ll learn about the island’s thriving industries, from the famous PEI potatoes and lobster fishing, to emerging sectors like aerospace and renewable energy.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Visit the historic Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site, a magnificent seaside mansion where William and Kate stayed during their royal visit
Explore the Green Gables Heritage Place that inspired L.M. Montgomery’s classic novels and learn about her remarkable life
Discover Cavendish’s red cliffs and beaches with their stunning sandstone formations
Learn about the Yankee Gale of 1851, a dramatic storm that claimed over 150 lives and 74 ships
Hear stories about the island’s surprising history, including Canada’s first automobile, PEI’s 11-year car ban, and its 47-year prohibition era
Visit North Rustico (locally known as “the Crick“), a charming fishing village with seafood restaurants and a picturesque lighthouse
Travel through “Canada’s Food Island“, which produces 2.5 billion pounds of potatoes annually
Find out how PEI got its name after a prince who never actually set foot on the island

Join Josh, a sixth-generation Islander whose family arrived from Scotland in 1806, for an unforgettable journey through Prince Edward Island’s North Shore. On this tour, each bend in the road reveals another chapter of this beautiful island paradise’s story.

Please note that the tour's price does not include entrance to Prince Edward Island National Park.

Tour Producer

Josh Livingstone

3 tours

Hi , My name is Josh and I am born and raised on PEI. My 4th and 5th Great Grandfathers and their Families left the Isle of Mull and Scotland with 1 trunk and spent 51 days at Sea before arriving at the West River on PEI on June 20th 1806. This makes me the 6th generation Born Islander in my Family and my son the 7th generation Born Islander. I also have another son on the way. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my Family and Friends . I also enjoy travelling and been to 17 Countries so far. I am also a big fan of hockey, it is my biggest passion . My favorite team is Tampa Bay. Of course PEI has a special place in my heart and I hope you enjoy your time on our special Island.

Preview Location

Location 84

Prohibition

Keep following the road.

Did you know that PEI had the longest Prohibition in all of Canada? It lasted from 1901 to 1948, and this decision was made to reduce drinking on the Island.

Initially, alcohol could only be purchased in Charlottetown, but people would simply tr... Keep following the road.

Did you know that PEI had the longest Prohibition in all of Canada? It lasted from 1901 to 1948, and this decision was made to reduce drinking on the Island.

Initially, alcohol could only be purchased in Charlottetown, but people would simply travel there to buy it, so the law was expanded to ban alcohol island-wide. The only legal way to get alcohol was with a prescription from your doctor or dentist.

This led to widespread bootlegging and rum-running. Rumrunners would hide their alcohol in fish cans, sinking them with scrap metal when the police were approaching. Once the police left, they would return to retrieve it. Bootleggers often ran legitimate businesses as fronts for their activities, and people would know that asking for a "cup of cold tea" meant requesting a drink of rum.

Transporting alcohol was often done at night, and bootleggers would travel backroads to avoid detection, using many of the little dirt roads you might pass on your travels.

Prohibition ended in 1948, but with restrictions. You could buy beer and wine, but only with a permit, and there was a limit on how much you could purchase. In 1954, hard liquor was allowed, and in 1960, the permit system was relaxed so people could buy as much alcohol as they wanted, though the permit requirement remained until it was abolished in 1967. Major nightclubs didn’t emerge until the 1980s, and the last bootlegger, Gordie Dunn, who ran what was known as the Red House, closed in 2004. Prior to that, the laws were more relaxed, but eventually, stricter penalties and jail time replaced the old ways.

Many Islanders made potato vodka and moonshine, with some families still keeping recipes in their cookbooks. Today, you can find Strait Lightning, a local moonshine produced on the eastern end of the Island, sold at their shop or at PEI Alcohol Stores, containing 75% alcohol.

There are also many breweries across the Island now, so feel free to enjoy a drink for me! Cheers! Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

Take virtual tours anywhere, like a podcast

Select Virtual mode in the VoiceMap app to listen to tours like a podcast - at home or in transit.

Buy for less on voicemap.me and sync

Once you've purchased a tour, it's added to your VoiceMap library. To access it in the app, just sign in using the same account.

Do tours without paying for data

Tours work offline, so you don't have to pay roaming fees. Just download them over WiFi before you get started.

Major Landmarks

Prince Edward Island National Park
North Rustico
Province House National Historic Site
Green Gables Heritage Place
Cavendish
Charlottetown Visitor Information Centre
St. Dunstan's Basilica
Province House National Historic Site
Red Shores Racetrack & Casino
The People's Cemetery
Belvedere Golf Club Inc
Jewell's Country Market
Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site
Stanhope Campground, Prince Edward Island National Park
Covehead Harbour Lighthouse
Brackley Beach, Prince Edward Island National Park
Norm & Roxanne
The Great Canadian Soap Co.
St. Augustine Catholic Church
North Rustico Harbour Trail
North Rustico Harbour Light
Canada's Rotating House - Around the Sea
Cavendish Cliffs Parking Lot
Prince Edward Island Preserve Company
Beaconsfield Historic House

View all

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Founders’ Hall, 6 Prince St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P5, Canada
Total distance

114km
Final location
150 Richmond St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 1H9, Canada
Distance back to start location

111.44m

Directions to Starting Point

The Tpur starts outside 6 Prince Street in Charlottetown which is the Charlottetown Visitor Information Center . Once outside the Center you can pull over out front and stop while you start the Tour , there you will hear information about the Tour before starting out towards the North Shore.

Show Directions

Gift vouchers

Buy tours for friends and family who delight in discovery

Buy Now

Buy for a group

Get 15% to 50% off when you buy for a group

Buy Now

License this tour

Adapt this tour to use your brand and suit your guests

Find out more

Tips

Places to stop along the way

There will be plenty of places to stop along the way to check out , plus many places to stop to eat if you like. In Charlottetown you could stop at St.Dunstan's Bascilla to expore the Church or go to Confederation Center of the Arts to learn about the 1864 Charlottetown Conference and Province House. There is also many places to eat such as Water Prince Corner Shop , Gahan House , Claddagh Oyster House , Merchantman , Searocket , and Cows Ice Cream to name a few .

Along the North Shore you can stop at many places such as the PEI National Park to check out the Sandy Beaches such as Brackley Beach . Go for a walk or go for a swim in the swim in the Ocean. You can also check out Covehead Lighthouse the most photographed on PEI. You can check out shops such as the Dunes or the Great Canadian Soap Company. You can also visit Rustico which is home to the Oldest Catholic Church on PEI and the oldest House on PEI the Doucet House. You can then check out the charming Town of North Rustico and check out the many colorful fishing Shack and Fishing Boats. You can then head to the Cavendish Cliffs that overlook Cavendish Beach. You can then go to the Famous Green Gables Heritage Place to learn about the Famous Novel Anne of Green Gables written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. On your way back to Charlottetown drive through the rolling rolls of Central PEI . You can also stop into the famous PEI Preserve Company to sample or buy some goods or try out their Restaurant or explore the Gardens.

There is lots of great Food options on the Tour for Lunch or Supper such as Richards Seafood shack in Covehead , The Dunes in Brackley , On the Dock Eatery , Fishermen's Wharf and the Blue Mussel Cafe in North Rustico , or many options in Cavendish such as Cows Ice cream or quick Bites in Avonlea Village .

Best time of day

Anytime from Dawn to Dusk

Precautions

Please dress for the Weather if you plan on stopping at the different stops. The Weather on the Island can change very quickly and can often be very Windy by the Water . Please also remember that it is illegal to use hand held devices at the wheel in PEI so please have a hands free method of listening such as playing the Tour through Bluetooth in your car or have a passenger use their phone.

Get The App

Download tours to use them offline

Listen hands-free with GPS playback

Get turn-by-turn directions

Scan the QR Code

“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”