Anne of Green Gables 2 Day Itinerary: PEI Sites You MUST See
If you’re heading to Prince Edward Island purely to visit Anne of Green Gables sites, good news! You can see most of the major ones in just two days.
Of course, most people travel a long way to get to PEI, and it makes sense to fill your itinerary with other island highlights too (as you should).
I spent a full week on the island since I was coming from the opposite end of the continent. But if my goal had been to focus only on L.M. Montgomery-related stops, this is exactly how I would have done an Anne of Green Gables itinerary in two days.
⚠️ Important Note: “Anne Season” on PEI is typically May-September/October, so double check dates and hours at sites when planning your trip.
➡️ Grab my FREE interactive Anne of Green Gables map here!
Every stop saved for you in one handy place.
Anne PEI Tour Day 1
Green Gables Heritage Place
Green Gables Heritage Place is probably the most popular Anne site on the island, and for good reason.
It’s the real farmhouse that inspired the setting of Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery never lived here herself, but it belonged to relatives she visited often, and it’s where she found the idea for Anne’s iconic home.
The house has been restored to look just as it might have if Anne had truly lived there, complete with nods to scenes from the books like Marilla’s cozy kitchen, Anne’s bedroom with her puffed-sleeve dress, and other little details fans will recognize.
The tour is a one-way walk-through, with roped-off paths guiding you through each room. It can get crowded and a bit shuffly, so try to time your visit when a large group hasn’t just entered.
💁🏼♀️ Tab’s Trip Tip: Avoid visiting on cruise ship days if you can. The day I visited had a record amount of visitors and it was a bit hectic to fully enjoy the grounds.
Outside, you can wander the real Lover’s Lane and Haunted Wood trails where Montgomery herself once walked.
In the barn, you’ll find Anne dress-up clothes for kids and adults, perfect for photos in front of the backdrop. I even saw a few people head outside to the house in costume (not sure if that’s officially allowed, but no one seemed to stop them).
Throughout the summer they offer special programs like a Songs & Stories performance or a Sunday Picnic. Check their schedule to see what’s happening during your visit.
There’s also a small interpretive center with more about Montgomery’s life—including one of her actual typewriters—as well as a large gift shop for all your Anne needs and Beaver Tails for a quick snack.
💁🏼♀️Tab’s Trip Tip: If you have time, bring an L.M. Montgomery book to read on the property. I found the perfect shady corner just below the Green Gables house and it made the whole experience a little more magical.
Avonlea Village
Back in its heyday, Avonlea Village was a lively recreation of the fictional town. I met the woman who used to play Rachel Lynde, and she told me it was once bustling with costumed characters mingling with guests, live music, and street performances.
These days, it’s a lot less vibrant. The village is essentially a small outdoor shopping area styled as a 19th-century town, with PEI-themed boutiques and plenty of dining options.
It’s the most convenient place to stop for lunch after visiting Green Gables Heritage Place, though I didn’t eat here myself so I can’t vouch for the restaurants. I will say that Samuel’s Coffee House is one of only two places on the island where I found truly exceptional coffee.
If you’re looking for Anne-inspired photo spots, this is a very photogenic stop.
A Note on Anne’s Raspberry Cordial
I KNOW you’re going to want to try raspberry cordial at some point. It’s basically a rite of passage on an Anne trip. But here’s your fair warning: it was a huge disappointment for me.
It really just tastes like an overly sweet, generic fruity soda (thankfully without the artificial Red 40 dye).
Do with that information what you will!
💁🏼♀️Tab’s Trip Tip: Save money by buying a bottle at Sobey’s grocery store. It’s nearly $2 cheaper than what you’ll find at the tourist spots.
Cavendish Cemetery
If you want to pay your respects to L.M. Montgomery, you can visit her grave at Cavendish Cemetery.
If you’re hoping for a quiet, reflective moment, just know there’s steady traffic noise from the busy highway corner.
There’s a wide enough shoulder to park right at the cemetery entrance, and a paved path leads directly to her gravesite, which is always neatly kept and decorated with fresh flowers.
One detail that caught my eye immediately was that her husband’s name is spelled two different ways on the stone: Ewan and Ewen. No one seems to know exactly why. I’ve tried Googling it and found conflicting explanations.
Montgomery Park
Right across the street from the cemetery is Montgomery Park, a little green space where a bronze statue of L.M. Montgomery sits on a bench with her head tilted toward the sky as if soaking in the sunshine with her eyes closed.
It’s the perfect photo-op with the author herself.
While wandering the park, I also had fun spotting small bronze cat statues around the other benches—a nod to Montgomery’s well-known love of cats.
Cavendish Post Office
This charming stop is part L.M. Montgomery museum and part working post office, set inside an old home. It’s a bit of a hidden gem, and the highlight is that you can mail letters with a special Green Gables postmark.
Yup! You can send mail straight from “Avonlea”!
If you didn’t grab a postcard at a gift shop, you can pick one up here. They even provide a cup of pens to fill it out.
Then the delightful post office clerk (Lorine, I believe?), who clearly loves her job, will happily stamp your postcard, letter, or just about anything else you hand her. I even asked if she’d stamp my hand, and she said gladly obliged!
Afterwards, you can wander through the small museum to read more about L.M. Montgomery and see a few artifacts. Notice the awesomely bright wallpaper in the living room!
Site of L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish Home
L.M. Montgomery was raised primarily by her grandparents, and this is the site where their house once stood. The very property where she grew up.
Today, all that remains of the home is its foundation. Just a wall of rocks in a pit.
A short trail winds through the property, past apple trees, a tidy garden, and a well. It’s a serene and reflective stop, though admittedly a little underwhelming. Still, it’s cool to stand in the same place and take in the same views that inspired so much of her writing.
If you buy a book from the small gift shop, they’ll stamp it with L.M. Montgomery’s autograph, a fun little bonus souvenir.
💁🏼♀️Tab’s Trip Tip: From here, there’s about a one-mile trail that leads directly to Green Gables Heritage Place. I didn’t have time to do it, but it would have been fun to walk in L.M.’s footsteps from her home to the farmhouse that inspired Green Gables.
Cavendish Beach
End the day with a stroll along the silky-soft sands of Cavendish Beach, imagining the shoreline Anne might have known. The grassy dunes framing the coast look exactly like the images you see in postcards and tourism brochures.
There is also a floating boardwalk across The Lake of Shining Waters, but don’t be fooled! This is not the lake that inspired the one in Anne of Green Gables. You’ll see the real one tomorrow.
Dalvay By the Sea
If you’re a fan of the Sullivan Productions Anne of Green Gables with Megan Follows, or even if you’re not, do yourself a favor and spend the night at Dalvay by the Sea.
This historic lakefront house, built in 1895, was used as the filming location for the White Sands Hotel in Anne of Avonlea (as a millennial, I refuse to call it “The Sequel”).
Staying here was everything I dreamed of and more. It felt like stepping into the life of wealthy Edwardian summer guests. The library became my favorite spot, perfect for sipping morning coffee by the fire and winding down at night with a quiet game of Scrabble.
The food was a pleasant surprise, with generous portions and quality ingredients. I’m still thinking about their house-made ketchup; it was that good.
I also can’t say enough about the staff. So friendly, attentive, and welcoming!
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Prince Edward Island & Ontario
Film locations, historical heritage sites, and more at your finger tips!
Anne PEI Tour Day 2
L.M. Montgomery Birthplace
Step inside the house where a literary legend was born. You can walk through the rooms where L.M. Montgomery’s parents lived and even see the bedroom where she entered the world.
She didn’t live here long though as her mother died of tuberculosis before she was two, and her father gave custody to her grandparents.
The home includes a beautifully crafted replica of her wedding dress, handsewn by a talented seamstress. The veil is the original though.
When you arrive, the docent/cashier gives a short introduction that helps you appreciate the home’s history even more.
I even surprised myself by buying a book here, The Story Girl, after the docent mentioned it was the inspiration for the Road to Avonlea TV series. At checkout, she asked if I wanted the book stamped with L.M.’s signature (like at the Cavendish home) or embossed with a special stamp of her birthplace.
I chose the embossed stamp because I hadn’t seen one of those in years!
New London Lighthouse
Again, this one’s for the 1985 Anne of Green Gables film fans. The New London Lighthouse was used in the movies mostly for scenic B-roll shots, but it’s still fun to see in person.
It’s a short walk through tall grass to reach the lighthouse, which is surprisingly small compared to most others I’ve visited. It’s also locked, so there’s no going inside.
I couldn’t resist recreating a scene with my friend as Diana and Anne—and I think we pulled it off pretty well.
Afterwards, we looped back to the parking lot along the beach.
Anne of Green Gables Museum
The Anne of Green Gables Museum was once the home of L.M. Montgomery’s Uncle John and Aunt Annie Campbell, whom she visited often. It’s here you’ll find Campbells Pond, the real inspiration for the Lake of Shining Waters.
When we arrived, Pam Campbell was in the middle of her welcome talk before letting visitors explore the house on their own. Pam is a descendant of the Campbell family (who still own the property) and is L.M. Montgomery’s great-great cousin.
I was told by the lady at L.M.’s birthplace to bring my book for Pam to sign, and sure enough, she was happily signing away and posing for photos with anyone who asked. Now that I think about it, it is a little funny to have someone autograph a book they didn’t actually write…but I fell for it anyway and don’t mind a bit lol!
Inside, the house is filled with artifacts from Montgomery’s life and nods to her novels, including the actual Blue Chest from The Story Girl, the Enchanted Bookcase from Anne of Green Gables, and the dresser from Emily of New Moon. You can even stand in the room where she was married, right beside the fireplace and organ.
Carriage rides are offered around the “Lake of Shining Waters”, but they come at a hefty price. And instead of being pulled by horses, the carriage is towed by a noisy green tractor. It didn’t look like a “romantic” experience to me.
Before leaving, I checked out both gift shops; one inside the house and a bigger one next door. There wasn’t really anything new to see as all the Anne shops carry the same things.
Anne & Gilbert: The Musical
Charlottetown has been putting on a summer production of Anne & Gilbert: The Musical for 20 years.
This is not your typical Anne of Green Gables story. This play instead follows the story of Anne during her first year in college navigating love.
It was a fun night for sure, even though it was a bit cheesy and there’s a song about what happens on the wedding night (it’ll go over little kids’ heads but it might be uncomfortable for preteens).
The vocal talent was excellent, I appreciated the tap dance numbers, and while the song compositions weren’t great or always flow perfectly, a few will stick in your head long after you’ve left the theater.
Cheesy or not, it’s a lively, lighthearted way to round out your PEI Anne tour.
💁🏼♀️Tab’s Trip Tip: If you plan on attending the show and hitting every place on this itinerary, I highly recommend getting the Anne of Green Gables Package. It saves a few bucks and makes all those entrance fees feel a lot less obnoxious.
DON’T FORGET!
➡️ Grab my FREE interactive Anne of Green Gables map here!
Where to Eat
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food on the island, and a few spots stood out enough that I’ll be thinking about them for years:
- Willow Bakery & Cafe – the raspberry roll is heaven! Ambience is great in both locations. The one in Kensington is in an old train station and very cozy. The one in Stanley Bridge is in a church with stained-glass windows but noisy.
- Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. – the potato pie is out of this world! You can get a smaller slice for a fraction of the price if you don’t want a whole piece. Reservations are pretty much necessary, except maybe for breakfast.
- Stoked Bakehouse – the wood fired pizza here is insane. I went twice! The beer or ginger lime mocktail from Bogside Brewery in the same building compliments it well
More Anne
Exploring the real-life places where L.M. Montgomery lived and found her inspirations truly brings Anne’s world to life. From cozy heritage homes to the tranquil trails she walked, it’s a chance to step back in time and imagine the stories unfolding all around you.
But if you’re also curious about the Anne of Green Gables filming locations you’ll want to check out my other guide, An Anne of Green Gables Vacation You Haven’t Thought Of. There, I reveal some surprising film sites across both PEI and Ontario that you might not have known about.
