Prince Edward Island might be one of my favourite places in Canada to visit with a baby.
We spent three days in PEI when Parker was 11 months old, but this wasn't our first time on the island. We'd explored PEI quite a bit before having him, so this trip looked a little different: fewer stops, slower days, and a lot more time crawling in the grass and splashing at the beach.
And honestly? I think PEI might be even better that way.
If you're wondering whether it's worth taking a baby to PEI when they won't remember it, my answer is absolutely yes. The island is gorgeous, the drives are manageable, and some of the best things to do don't require a schedule at all.
Here's what our trip actually looked like, plus what we'd recommend after visiting PEI both before and after having a baby.
Getting to PEI With a Baby: Ferry or Confederation Bridge?
We actually did both.
We took the ferry to PEI and drove across the Confederation Bridge on our way home, and if you have the time, I'd recommend doing the same.
I have always loved ferries, so I'm admittedly biased, but taking the ferry makes getting to PEI feel like part of the trip instead of just transportation.
The children's play area on our ferry was pretty minimal, but we discovered something even more useful: a nursing room.
Calling it a nursing room might be generous—it was essentially an office with some couches—but it gave me a quiet, comfortable place to nurse Parker, and I really appreciated having it.
The Confederation Bridge is the quicker, simpler option and is impressive in its own right, but if you're not in a rush, I'd take the ferry at least once.
You Need a Car in PEI
This is probably the biggest practical tip I'd give a family planning their first PEI trip.
Have a car.
We borrowed one from family, and while individual drives around PEI aren't usually that intimidating, attractions are spread across the island.
With a baby, I wouldn't build an itinerary that has you constantly driving from attraction to attraction just because everything looks relatively close on a map.
Our rule would be to plan one or two actual destinations per day and let anything else be a bonus.
That leaves room for naps, feeds and diaper changes—but also for one of the best parts of PEI: randomly stopping somewhere because you saw a beach, lighthouse, farm stand or pretty coastal view.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in an Airbnb around Murray River because we were in PEI for a wedding.
It had everything we needed, including enough room to set up Parker's playpen, and we'd happily choose an Airbnb again.
In general, I'd recommend choosing one home base for your entire PEI trip, especially with a baby.
You could move around the island, but packing the playpen, stroller, diaper bag, clothes, food and every other tiny thing a baby apparently requires just isn't worth it for a three-day trip.
Pick a base. Explore from there. Come back to the same bed at night.
Our Favourite PEI Activity With an 11-Month-Old: The Beach
If you're going to PEI with a baby, don't skip a beach day.
PEI's red-sand beaches are one of the biggest reasons we keep wanting to return to the island. We've visited several over different trips and, honestly, they're all beautiful.
On this trip, we went to Cavendish.
Access and parking were easy, which matters much more once you're hauling a baby and all of their stuff to the beach.
Parker absolutely loved it.
He crawled around, played in the sand and actually waded and splashed in the ocean. The water was warmer than we expected, so we were able to spend proper time playing at the shoreline rather than just dipping our toes in and immediately retreating.
Before having a baby, a PEI beach was somewhere we'd go because it was beautiful.
With Parker, the beach was the activity.
And that's something I've come to appreciate about travelling with him. You don't necessarily need to find an attraction designed specifically for babies. Give them some grass to crawl through, water to splash in and somewhere new to explore and they're pretty happy.
The Unexpected Winner: Taking a Stroller Through a Corn Maze
One of the more random things we did was visit MacKenzie Farm Market & Corn Maze.
I would not have predicted that I'd be recommending a corn maze in a guide about travelling PEI with an 11-month-old.
But here we are.
We took the stroller right through the maze and it worked surprisingly well.
There were also lots of activities aimed at kids, and because we visited around the middle of a weekday, it wasn't busy at all.
Parker was still too young for a lot of the children's activities, but it was a fun, low-pressure afternoon for all of us—and it would be an even better stop with slightly older kids.
Most importantly, it taught me not to immediately write off an activity because it doesn't sound baby-friendly on paper.
Sometimes you can apparently just push your stroller into a corn maze.
A Café That Actually Gets Kids
One of my favourite little finds was The Lucky Bean Café in Montague.
We stopped for coffee and avocado toast, and I loved how genuinely welcoming it felt for families.
There were toys and books for kids and chalkboards right at the tables.
It's such a small thing, but anyone who has tried to sit down for coffee with a baby knows how much difference those little touches make.
Instead of feeling like we needed to keep Parker perfectly entertained while we hurried through our food, it felt like a place where kids were expected to be there.
Those are the places I remember after a trip.
And Obviously, Eat a Hand Pie
For an easy PEI lunch, we grabbed hand pies from The Handpie Company.
They're exactly the kind of food I want while travelling with a baby: delicious, local and easy to eat without turning lunch into an entire event.
Fish and chips are another PEI staple for us, and there are some great breweries around the island too.
We don't generally plan trips around specific restaurants anymore. With Parker, we're much more likely to find somewhere interesting near whatever we're already doing—which works particularly well in PEI.
Don't Just Drive Past the Random Stops
One of my biggest PEI recommendations isn't actually a destination.
Stop.
If you see an interesting lighthouse, pull over.
If you find a beach that looks beautiful, go down and look at it.
If there's a farm stand beside the road, stop there.
Drive the coast instead of automatically choosing the fastest route.
We've spent a lot of time in PEI over several trips, and some of the magic is simply exploring without trying to optimize every hour.
That style of travel also happens to work really well with a baby.
What About Anne of Green Gables?
We've visited Anne of Green Gables attractions on previous trips, but we skipped them this time.
For us, we'd already experienced them and didn't feel like we needed to repeat them with an 11-month-old.
For a first trip to PEI, though, I'd absolutely consider adding Green Gables to your itinerary. I'd also be more inclined to revisit it once Parker is a little older and can get something out of the experience himself.
It's one of those classic PEI experiences that's worth seeing—but you don't need to cram it into every trip.
Other Places We'd Recommend From Previous PEI Trips
We've spent much more time exploring PEI than just these three days, and there are a few things I'd recommend to someone visiting for the first time even though we didn't do them with Parker on this particular trip.
Summerside is one of our favourite areas and worth including if your route takes you that way.
I'd also make time for lighthouse hopping.
One of my favourite PEI memories from a previous trip was watching the sunset beside a lighthouse. I couldn't even tell you which lighthouse it was anymore, but that's almost the point.
You don't necessarily need to make every lighthouse a scheduled attraction.
Sometimes you just find one.
And I think that's PEI at its best.
Baby Facilities: Fine, But Don't Rely on Them
PEI was reasonably easy with Parker, but I wouldn't describe the baby facilities as exceptional.
Change tables weren't as common as I would have liked, and restaurant high chairs could be hit-or-miss.
We made it work without much trouble, but I'd keep your diaper bag stocked and be prepared to improvise.
We primarily used our stroller on this trip and found it worked well for what we were doing.
Our playpen was probably the most important piece of baby gear we brought because having a familiar, reliable sleep setup at our Airbnb made everything else easier.
Our Ideal 3-Day PEI Itinerary With a Baby
If we were planning a first PEI trip for another family, I wouldn't try to cover the entire island in three days.
I'd do something more like this:
Day 1: The Classic PEI Day
Take your time arriving on the island, ideally by ferry.
Get settled into your accommodation and spend the rest of the day exploring nearby. Find somewhere good to eat, take a coastal drive and stop when something catches your attention.
No giant sightseeing list required.
Day 2: Cavendish + Beach Day
Head toward Cavendish and make the beach your main event.
If this is your first trip to PEI, this is also where I'd consider adding an Anne of Green Gables stop.
Grab an easy lunch—hand pies worked perfectly for us—and don't rush to leave the area.
Beach + food + one attraction is plenty with a baby.
Day 3: Pick a Direction and Explore
Rather than trying to tick off another huge list, choose an area of the island and explore it.
Visit a town like Summerside, find a lighthouse or two, stop at a beach and leave space for something completely unplanned.
That's the PEI day I'd want.
A Pretty Perfect PEI Day With a Baby
If I could combine our experiences into my ideal day on the island, it would look something like this:
Wake up slowly.
Find a cute, kid-friendly coffee shop for breakfast.
Drive along the coast toward Cavendish.
Spend the morning splashing in the water and playing on a red-sand beach.
Grab hand pies for lunch.
Push the stroller through a corn maze in the afternoon.
Then get back in the car, follow the coast and find a lighthouse to watch the sunset.
That's it.
No packed itinerary. No racing across the island trying to see twelve attractions.
Just a really good day.
Is PEI Worth Visiting With a Baby?
Absolutely.
Parker was only 11 months old. He's not going to remember crawling through the grass or splashing in the ocean at Cavendish.
We will.
And he was happy while we were there.
Travelling with a baby doesn't have to mean finding a constant stream of baby-specific attractions. PEI reminded us how much babies can enjoy the simplest parts of travelling: beaches, walks, grass, food, water and being somewhere new with you.
Give yourself about three days, get a car, choose one home base and don't over-plan.
And whatever else you do, give yourself a full day for the beach.
