When you think of wine country in Ontario, Niagara On The Lake is usually what comes to most people’s mind first. But did you know that going just 2 hours east of Toronto is another wine region in Prince Edward County where the limestone-rich soils produces wines that can rival that of Niagara? If not, and you’re ready for another adventure, here’s an itinerary for a 3 day wine country getaway in Prince Edward County!
Although Prince Edward County is half the size of Niagara On The Lake, both of these wine regions are in Southern Ontario and the climate is very similar. It is also surrounded by Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte which makes for cooler temperatures as well. So if you’re looking to visit this growing wine region, not only does Prince Edward County offer their popular Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, but this gastronomic capital of Ontario with their farm to table experiences is an absolute must-visit destination.
Not only is Prince Edward County known for their wines and cottage country life, they have beautiful sandy beaches with clear waters and provincial parks that is perfect for a getaway. Alongside picturesque lake views, you can also visit artisan shops and local boutiques.
Also to note, as with all of my itineraries, feel free to adjust, add or remove locations to your liking! And remember to check opening hours for the days and times that you go. I don’t include this information as I’ve found that throughout the past year and a half, opening hours of businesses are very uncertain and are constantly changing.
First Day In Prince Edward County
Driving to Prince Edward County from Toronto for your wine country getaway, you can make a few stops on the way as they are just too good to miss while you’re in the area. And if you read my other travel blog posts, you’ll see that I like to make the most of my time off and see as much as I can. Plus, do we really have all that time to drive back to the same place in the future or do we want to explore a new travel destination?
1 – The Big Apple
Time Spent: I would give The Big Apple about 30 to 45 minutes as there is a lot to browse through if you’re a food lover and there is a variety of Canadian novelties here. From their famous apple pies and different varieties of apple-inspired baked goods, apple ciders, and maple syrup, to their Smokehouse and Country Kitchen restaurants with delicious poutines and ribs, and the most Canadian dessert: Beavertails.
Interesting Facts: This roadside attraction on the 401 in Colborne on the way to Prince Edward County was actually created in 1987 by an Australian immigrant who took inspiration from the Big Pineapple in Queensland. Colborne is one of the biggest apple-producing areas in Ontario and what better way to represent this area with its giant apple structure where you can see it from far for miles?
2 – Old Mill Alpacas
Time Spent: If you want an Alpaca Trek or a Farm Tour or both, you’ll need about 1 hour. It can get very busy, especially on the weekends, so be sure to make reservations.
Parking: There is parking on-site but it won’t be designated parking as it is a farm. Keep in mind that the grounds can be a little muddy as well.
Interesting Facts: Here’s how you can Experience Old Mill Alpacas Up Close And Everything You Need To Know before visiting.
3 – Cricklewood Farm
Time Spent: If you just want to purchase fresh produce, fruits, jams and honey from their market, about 15 to 20 minutes is enough. But if you would like to go apple picking, run through the corn mazes, pick apples, raspberries or pumpkins or attend some other event that the farm is holding, you’ll need more than an hour here.
Interesting Facts: Cricklewood Farm has over 60 varieties of apples to pick from. You can also find the best sparkling lemonade by Lemonade Dave here. It is only available in the Prince Edward County area but definitely get your hands on some to bring back home!
4 – Presqu’ile Provincial Park
Time Spent: If you’re just going for the day, then about 2 hours is a good amount of time. You’re able to drive through the provincial park and go to the specific locations you want to see as they are pretty far apart. I went to the Marsh Boardwalk and the Lighthouse Foot Path. Along the way, we stopped by to see the beautiful scenery by the shores.
There are 7 hiking trails to choose from at Presqu’ile Provincial Park:
| Trail | Distance | Description |
| Marsh Boardwalk | 1.2 km | Has a nice boardwalk and an observation tower for a better lookout. |
| Owen Point Trail | 1.6 km | Sandy path best for bird watching. Pets not permitted. |
| Pioneer Trail | 3.8 km | Forest, field, plantation |
| Newcastle Trail | 3 km | Forest, field, plantation |
| Lighthouse Foot Path | 0.3 km | See the Presqu’ile Lighthouse and read about the history along the path. |
| Jobes’ Woods Trail | 1 km | Black Ash swamp, field, and pine plantation |
| Cemetery Trail | 0.3 km | Connects to the Pioneer Cemetery and learn about the history along the path. |
Parking: As with many provincial parks, there are designated parking areas depending on the trail you take. It is possible to park on the side of the road quickly if there’s a spot you want to check out, but stay alert! You can get a park pass at the gate or by booking at Ontario Parks online.
Interesting Facts: Presqu’ile is a tombolo. I never heard of this word either until I read the Information Guide that was given to me when entering this park. It’s basically an island that’s attached to the mainland by a sand and/or gravel bar. And Presqu’ile is the largest freshwater tombolo in Canada with 7 different habitats which include beaches, dunes, pannes (wetlands between dunes), conifer forest, deciduous forest, old field and meadows and offshore islands. Because of its location, there are a lot of migratory animals in this area. There are also a lot of fossils in this area that are 450 million years old.
5 – Proctor Park Conservation Area
Time Spent: Up to 1 hour.
Interesting Facts: Aside from a 3 km hike that offers something for every season including fishing, picnicking, or cross-country skiing, you can visit the Proctor House Museum that’s located within this conservation. It’s a historic house that’s restored from the 1840-1880 time period. The Brighton Barn Theatre is also in this conservation and holds many stage productions and concerts.
6 – National Air Force Museum of Canada
Time Spent: You’ll need up to 2 hours here if you like to take your time. You can purchase admission tickets at the museum.
Interesting Facts: The National Air Force Museum of Canada was established in 1984 and is dedicated to preserving and sharing the Canadian military aviation history. This museum is also an archive which holds photos, memorabilia, and other documents from back in the day. There are dozens of aircraft on display and you can also take private tours if you like.
7 – North Beach Provincial Park
Time Spent: You’ll need at least 2 hours or so if it’s a nice day and you’d like to enjoy the beach and have a picnic. It is definitely really relaxing at this beach and the water is quite clear. It’s also a great alternative to Sandbanks Provincial park if you can’t get in during your short getaway in Prince Edward County. If it’s not as sunny as you’d like on the day you go like it was for me, it was still very nice to walk along the beach and to take some time to enjoy the peacefulness of the water.
Parking: There is a lot of parking here, but I believe that in the summer it gets quite busy. You will need to make a reservation online to guarantee a spot in this provincial park before you go. I didn’t know this before I visited, but since it was during the weekday with very little people and it was slow because of the pandemic and its restrictions, the person at the gate allowed us to visit without booking.
Interesting Facts: North Beach Provincial Park is only available for day use from June to Labor Day in September. It has a 2 km bay-mouth barrier sandbar and dune system with a beach on both Lake Ontario and North Bay. But be careful to watch out for rip currents on windy days! The waters have steep drop-off points so be careful of depth.
8 – Casa-Dea Winery And Banquet Hall
Time Spent: Depending on what you decide to do at the winery, you can spend about 45 minutes with a private tour, wine tasting, or walking the facilities. If you decide to also have lunch here, add in another hour or so. Not only can you enjoy the vineyards, you can have wine tastings or even join a private tour. But definitely book a reservation at their La Pergola Restaurant & Patio for local sourced food to pair with a good wine. Your Prince Edward Country gastronomic experience starts now!
Interesting Facts: Casa-Dea is one of the biggest and most well-established wineries in Prince Edward County. This winery was built by an Italian native who left home at an early age to study with monks and was assigned to the wine cellar in the monastery. From there he fell in love with the fine art of wine making and studied oenology and viticulture in Italy before he brought his knowledge to Canada and implemented it in Casa-Dea. The name Casa-Dea is inspired by romance as casa means home and dea means goddess. Dea is also the name of the owner, Dominic’s wife.
9 – Sandbanks Estates Winery
Time Spent: Personally, I only spent about 30 minutes here. We only browsed the gift shop and made a purchase as it is pretty small and quickly looked at the vineyard. But you can enjoy the Tasting Boutique at your leisure and they occasionally have different events so be sure to check their calendar.
Interesting Facts: The founder of Sandbanks Estates Winery was to produce high quality, award-winning wines at affordable prices that pairs well with food and can be enjoyed with family and friends.
10 – Millefleurs Lavender Farm
Time Spent: About 30 minutes including if you want to spend time taking photos in the lavender field to get your perfect shot. There is also a small gift shop that is worth visiting on top of the lavender field. Farm tours are also available as well as lavender gardening and distilling, beekeeping and yoga.
Interesting Facts: The best and probably only time to visit the lavender field at Millefleur would be in the month of July. I went in the first week of July this summer so it was blooming beautifully. It was also not very busy due going during the weekday so you can pull off a photoshoot here if you wish. Sunflowers, sage and dahlias are available in August and September. The farm boutique also has handcrafted body and culinary lavender products with local honey, and honey wine.
Where To Stay For A 2 Night, 3 Day Getaway In Prince Edward County
I would prefer to stay directly in the Prince County Area, but as it can get really busy and accommodations sell out fast – Belleville is a great area to stay and for cheaper prices. It’s right across the bridge and is a bit more city-like where as Prince Edward County is more country-like. I usually get really good deals for stays here. Another option is to stay at an Airbnb for your 3 days in Prince Edward County.
Second Day In Prince Edward County
1 – Prince Edward County Lavender
Time Spent: If you want more photos or just want to visit one lavender farm during your getaway in Prince Edward County, it would be this one. You can spend about 1 hour here. Prince Edward County Lavender is much larger than Millefleurs and has separate fields. You can shop the boutique, tour the lavender fields, and enjoy other flower beds on the property. You can also stay overnight at this Bed and Breakfast at one of their 3 rooms, just remember to make a reservation early!
Interesting Facts: Prince Edward County Lavender has added fine herbs to their product lines and some are even blended into the lavender which gives a fresh and unique taste. Not only do they have culinary lavender products, but body care and other handcrafted items you’ll wanto take home with you or purchase as gifts.
2 – Karlo Estates
Time Spent: We spent about 1 hour here as we did sit down for a tasting and some snacks, but the service was also a bit slow since there was only one person. Otherwise, if you just want to purchase wine, browse the shop or walk the grounds, 30 minutes is a good amount of time. There are also options for wine tastings, tours,
Interesting Facts: Karlo Estates does aim to create gold medal wines so do try the 2018 Quintus wine. Quintus combines 5 grape varieties: Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. There are only 5 True Bordeaux First Growth producers but the prices of a bottle are over $1,000. Karlo Estates had set out to prove that Ontario can create a similar wine for a fraction of the price. And that they did.
Karlo Estates currently has 21 different wines and since they sell out every year, they do not sell at LCBO! So you’ll need to visit Prince Edward County to get your hands on these!
3 – Wellington Farmers Market
Time Spent: About 30 minutes is enough at the Wellington Farmers Market. Since if you’re on a road trip and on the go, you won’t be able to bring too much food home with you. But it will be worth it to buy a few baked goods, local crafts and gifts to enjoy and take home as a memory.
Interesting Facts: The culinary scene is huge in Prince Edward County and the Wellington Farmers Market is where many local businesses come together to share their fresh foods and artistic talent. What better way to see all of these businesses than in one place to get a feel of everything that Prince Edward County has to offer?
4 – Bloomfield Beauty Co.
Time Spent: If you’re interested in getting pampered while on your road trip in Prince Edward County, indulge yourself for at least 1.5 hours at the Bloomfield Beauty Co. From massages to facials, and manicures to cosmetic treatments, there’s many choices to choose from here. While in cottage country, time at the spa is a great way to spend and help you wind down.
5 – Sandbanks Provincial Park
Time Spent: You’ll need to make a reservation here as it’s one of the most popular provincial parks and I suggest that you use the entire time you get allotted! The best time to go is during the weekday to avoid crowds and get a spot. July and August are also the most popular and busiest months because of the good weather, so if you want to take a chance at securing a spot, book early! This is a must-visit destination while on your getaway in Prince Edward County.
Interesting Facts: The Sandbanks Provincial Park protects an extensive dune system and is one of the best sandy bay beaches in Ontario. There are 3 beaches: Outlet Beach, The Sandbanks, and The Dunes. It also has the largest bay-mouth barrier dune formation in the world. The dunes were created by the glaciers more than 12,500 years ago.
6 – Waupoos Estate Winery And Restaurant
Time Spent: If you plan to enjoy their farm to table meals, allocate about 2 hours including time to explore the vineyards. And let me tell you, you’ll absolutely want to eat here. The food is so fresh, pure, and high quality. Not to mention the price is amazing.
Interesting Facts: Waupoos Estate Winery and Restaurant has 100 acres and is actually the first winery in Prince Edward County. The first vineyards were planted in 1993 and has quickly grown and expanded since then.
Waupoos Restaurant is the epitome of a farm to table experience and really showcases the Prince Edward County culinary works of art. Plus, this winery is totally sustainable with their self-grown ingredients. We ate here for dinner and had the pleasure of speaking with Chef Scott McInerney. Literally everything that gets brought to your table is either completely grown on the winery’s property (including animals), or sourced from other local farmers. The type of fresh produce you get at the restaurant and onto your plate, depends on the season you visit. And they strategically grow all of the plants, herbs, and other food so that there will be just the right amount of food to serve fresh and not go to waste.
Their house-made sourdough pita bread is so delicious I had to get seconds. And as a bread lover, I am only sad that I can’t get this anywhere else. And also as a person who has the biggest sweet tooth ever, their strawberry pound cake and blueberry infused custard is a must-have and I wished for seconds. I really couldn’t believe how good my experience was here and I’m so excited to come back. You can look at their menu and book a reservation here!
Not only is there a winery with award-winning wines and an amazing restaurant at Waupoos, they also have 4 rooms to rent out if you’d like to stay overnight and enjoy the area. I highly recommend visiting Waupoos during your wine country getaway in Prince Edward County.
7 – Lake On The Mountain Provincial Park
Time Spent: You can spend up to 45 minutes here. At the time of writing this, it does not seem you need to make reservations online and can just drive in to the provincial park. Like North Beach Provincial Park, Lake on the Mountain is also for day use only.
Interesting Facts: For years, people haven’t been able to figure out this natural wonder’s source of water with its constant and natural flow of clean water.
Third Day In Prince Edward County
Now for your final day of your wine country getaway in Prince Edward County and area, these will be quicker stops to enjoy the town one last time before heading back home. But not without exploring one more amazing natural wonder.
1 – Downtown, Belleville
Time Spent: 1 hour or so if you’d like to spend the time visiting this quaint little town and enjoy the boutique shops. There are also a few different architecturally pleasing churches and City Hall here if you’d like to stop for a few photos.
Interesting Facts: The Crown had purchased this land in the 1800’s to resettle United Empire Loyalists that were forced to leave when the US became independent. It later became a bustling town known for producing limber and exporting it to England. It may be a small town, but it has a lot of history to go with it.
2 – The Boathouse Seafood Restaurant And/Or Chilangos Mexican Restaurant
Both of these restaurants are also in the Belleville area but I had to call them out because they were really good. And if you’re in the area – you might as well get some good food!
Time Spent: 1 hour if you want to eat at the restaurant, or none at all if you like takeout! This is what we did since we booked our accommodations in a beautiful Airbnb close by and ate there instead. However, if you do decide to eat at the restaurants, Boathouse has nice waterfront views and Chilangos is decorated with traditional Mexican items.
Interesting Facts: Boathouse was nominated the best seafood and Chilangos was nominated for best Mexican establishment in Ontario by Food Awards Ontario.
3 – Glanmore National Historic Site
Time Spent: Up to 1 hour.
Interesting Facts: The Glanmore National Historic Site was constructed in 1882. The reason it is a national historic site is because of its architectural style: Second Empire (aka Napolean III style – electic and decorative). It is now a museum you can visit but it is also apparently frequently haunted by the wife of the man who constructed this house.
4 – Tyendinaga Caves
Time Spent: The only way you can see the caves is if you do a tour and they last 40 minutes long. You will need to book online, and the only form of payment they accept is e-transfer. Space is limited per group and the best way to guarantee your spot is to reserve it. I wasn’t able to reserve a spot online for some reason but I took a chance and tried purchase tickets when I got there. The only reason we were allowed in was because it was during the weekday and there were not a lot of people.
Interesting Facts: The property is actually privately owned by a family. They had purchased this land and realized there was much more to it than they had thought and started bringing in people to do some digs. Little did they know at that time, that it will become Ontario’s largest cavern.
Other Prince Edward County Vineyards
For those of you who want to enjoy more of Prince Edward County’s wines, there are 20 VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance – a symbol of quality and designation of Ontario wines) wineries to choose from. Here are the 16 other wineries that I did not mention in the itinerary above that you may want to visit during your stay:
1 – Amanda’s Vineyards
2 – Black Prince Winery
3 – Broken Stone Winery
4 – Closson Chase Vineyards
5 – Grange of Prince Edward Vineyard & Winery
6 – Harwood Estate Vineyards
7 – Huff Estates And Winery
8 – Keint-he Winery And Vineyards
9 – Lacey Estates Winery
10 – Norman Hardie Winery & Vineyard
11 – Redtail Vineyards
12 – Rosehall Run Vineyards
13 – Sugarbush Vineyards
14 – Three Dog Winery
15 – Trail Estate Winery
16 – Traynor Family Vineyard
You can also book County Wine Tours here.
As you get ready for your 2 night 3 day wine country getaway in Prince Edward County, here are 22 Vital Lessons Learned On My Summer Road Trips that will help you make your trip a smooth one. For other travel itineraries and destination inspirations, click here.