Charlottetown 
The beauty of Prince Edward Island in the winter is something you can’t experience anywhere else in Canada.
Credit: Discover Charlottetown
During the winters and holidays, all of the communities, towns, and cities of Charlottetown or Summerside fully embrace the holiday spirit. Whether you bring your getaway to the rural parts of the Island, the cities, or along one of the province’s famous coastal drives, there are holiday activities, winter recreation opportunities, and beautiful winter scenes.
Charlottetown during the Holidays
- The Charlottetown Christmas Festival is one of the best ways to discover the city during the holidays. The event features two separate markets, a craft fair, a tree lighting with other light displays to take in downtown, and a New Year’s Eve Party.
- There are a few options when it comes to accommodation types around the city and many which offer special holiday deals. Take advantage of offers from the Delta Prince Edward by Marriott, The Great George Hotel, or The Holman Grand Hotel. Aside from those deals, there are several great and affordable places to stay around Charlottetown from historic or Victorian inns, B&Bs, hotels, or private rentals.
- Celebrate the season at Charlottetown’s Confederation Centre of the Arts with musical performances from the Confederation Singers, Barra MacNeils, and Choir! Choir! Choir!.
- Bring your skates, skis, or snowshoes on your winter getaway to Charlottetown! The city operates several outdoor skating rinks, grooms 8km of cross-country trails, and offers a few different options for snowshoeing areas. Find even more trail options along the Winter River Trail, about 5km outside of Charlottetown.
Winter Holiday Glamping
Choose between two memorable and exceptional winter camping experiences available this holiday season on the Island. For one escape, you’ll enjoy inland glamping in the dense forested part of PEI; and for the other, your adventure will be taken to PEI’s east-central coast. Glamping is perfect for a winter getaway with chances to get closer to nature, with many comforts of home.
- Treetop Haven, near Albany and the Confederation Bridge crossing, is a year-round glamping resort with domes or TreePODS, Cozy Cabins, or The Nest Lodge and Apartment options. During the winter, guests have complementary access to snowshoes for exploration around the property.
- Nature Space Resort, near St. Peters Bay and Harbour, provide cozy yurt glamping experiences all year-round. Many of their rental options include a private hot tub, while on-site yoga classes are available at an extra cost.
Book a Cozy Winter Cabin
There are dozens of private vacation rentals available around the entire province for the holidays. With VRBO or AirBnb, you can find homes, cozy winter cabins or cottages, or apartments. This includes cities like Charlottetown or Summerside, and the more rural parts of the Island.
- Relax with these VRBO rentals that each include access to a hot tub!
- These Airbnb rentals will bring your holiday getaway near all the festive fun within Charlottetown. This includes properties in the city and more rural locations.
Take a Holiday Spa Retreat
These winter spa vacation ideas in Prince Edward Island make for the perfect holiday getaway! Each location is open around the Christmas break with a variety of luxurious treatments and ways to gift yourself some relaxation for the holiday.
- The Mill River Resort in Woodstock provide cozy places to stay for the winter, onsite activities and a spa, and a few different winter packages, including one for New Year’s Eve! The Mill River Spa offers treatments like manis, pedis, massages, and facials.
- Soak and relax in luxury beside the St. Peters Bay this holiday season with the Mysa Nordic Spa & Resort. They provide thermal and hydrotherapy with saunas, hot and cold pools, and Nordic baths.
Enjoying PEI’s Great Outdoors
Embrace the winter weather and scenery of Prince Edward Island this holiday season with memorable outdoor adventures, exploration, and recreation. The province’s fat bike trails are as plentiful as the cycling trails, while any hiking trails are easily turned into snowshoe or ski trails while covered in snow. These adventures also offer great wildlife viewing opportunities and the unique frozen coastal scenery.
- Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park at Brookvale is Prince Edward Island’s destination for downhill skiing and snowboarding. Plus, the park maintains cross-country ski trails and offers areas for snowshoeing, downhill tubing, and fat biking. The park is under 30km from Charlottetown and all the city’s hotels or accommodations.
- For those who like to explore the winter trails and snowy fields with snowshoes, there are many options for where to explore on Prince Edward Island. A few areas with several accommodation options and places to snowshoe include PEI’s Red Sands Shore or Green Gables Shore. The rural trails around Charlottetown are also great for snowshoeing.
- Parts of Prince Edward Island National Park are accessible during the winter months for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or hiking. The trails are not maintained nor groomed for skiing. However, as more people use the trails throughout the winter, the tracks may form! These trails are a great way to view some of the Island’s winter wildlife and birds.
- If you find yourself around the Green Gables Shore for the holidays, be sure to stop by the community of North Rustico. The area is filled with holiday spirit through incredible house decoration displays.
Summerside during the Holidays
Take a holiday getaway this December with PEI’s “city by the sea,” and relax in Summerside for Christmas. The smaller of PEI’s major cities, Summerside offers plenty of amenities, accommodations, and things to do against the backdrop of the Northumberland Strait.
- Browse gifts for friends and family, or for yourself, with the local markets open in Summerside before Christmas. These include the Holman’s Christmas Light Gardens Market, or the Summerside Farmers’ Market (Saturdays year-round).
- Experience a bit of holiday magic through the local performing artists of Summerside! The Harbourfront Theatre in town will feature The Irish Descendants Christmas, Nativity: Night of Music and more. Summerside’s Evermoore Brewing is also a source for live entertainment with Live Music Tuesdays and Celtic Jam Saturdays.
- Bring your skates for the winter break, as the city of Summerside operates three local outdoor rinks. Summerside’s Credit Union Place offers rentals for outdoor equipment such as fat bikes and skates.
- Summerside is home to several hotels, motels, inns, and a handful of bed and breakfasts to provide a wide array of options for different budgets.
