MacQueen’s Bike Shop & Island Tours has been organizing self-guided cycling tours on Prince Edward Island since the 1980’s. Not to brag <too much>, but with all that practice, we’ve gotten really excellent at curating outdoor adventures. And since we’re local, when you book with us not only does your active bicycle holiday investment have a greater impact on the lives and bottom lines of real Islanders, but we have tons of personal insights and relationships on PEI that will open doors and reveal places that might otherwise go unseen.
We’re pleased to offer a couple of different self-guided cycle tour categories on Prince Edward Island. Spring, summer and fall departure dates are available, depending on the program selected.
Supported Independent

Island Walk by Bike & Confederation Trail

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Supported Independent Bicycle Tours
We’ve been running this service for multiple decades. It mainly covers areas in eastern PEI & the central North Shore.
∙Luggage transfer service included.
∙Emergency road repair insurance included for MacQueen’s rental equipment.
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Island Walk by Bike & Confederation Trail Tours
For independent riders, we offer bookings for both of these established Island-wide routes designed for active travelers.
∙Luggage transfer service is optional.
∙Emergency road repair insurance N/A, as these tours typically cover a larger radius. Cyclists are provided with contacts for support options around PEI if they run into any technical issues they’re unable to solve on their own.
Each self-guided bike tour category has multiple tour itineraries from which to choose, and we sometimes tweak them to customize travel preferences. Our Dad was a founder of the Confederation Trail, and while we incorporate sections where they make sense to avoid traffic in urban areas, or where they’re particularly scenic following coastline, we only offer a handful of tip to tip itineraries designed mainly around the Confederation Trail route, since much of it goes through the woods and some riders find that just a li’l monotonous. While its moderate grade and complete removal from traffic are a draw for families with young children or less experienced riders, most of our mature cycle touring guests are looking for a more varied type of scenic and cultural experience. Cycling the scenic Island Walk? As an official Island Walk trip planner, our team of travel professionals simplifies the logistics with a local lens, so instead of pouring endless hours into research you just enjoy the ride.
Compare Tour Categories
Self-Guided Tour Features | ||
Duration |
2 to 9 nights |
6 to 16 nights |
Begin/end cycling in Charlottetown |
All 29 itineraries |
5/14 itineraries. |
Client Shuttle Service |
X |
Tip to Tip / Mixed tours only |
Location changes (inns) |
Mostly every 2 nights |
Mostly daily |
Mainly Eastern PEI & North Central Shore |
√ |
X |
Options for Island-Wide Routes |
X |
√ |
Route Plotting with Downloadable Digital Routes (print/use with iOS/Android or other navigational devices) |
√ |
√ |
Bicycle & Accessory Rental (reductions available if bringing your own equipment) |
√ |
√ |
View our rental equipment & current availability | ||
Emergency Road Repair Insurance (on call, for MacQueen’s rental equipment) |
√ |
X |
Luggage Transfers |
√ |
√ |
Accommodation Bookings |
√ |
√ |
Meal & Activity Suggestions |
√ |
√ |
Guide Service |
X |
X |
Dedicated Support Vehicle |
X |
X |
Transfer of Bikes/Passengers if inclement weather or physical limitations | Not included. For any self-guided bicycle tour, you should be prepared with proper clothing for sun/rain protection and travel with an adequate water supply + backup energy supplements. In the event they’re required, we can assist with contacting local taxi services, and recommend you carry a cell phone for that purpose. |
Getting Started
We normally book tours 6-12 months in advance of trip start – the closer to departure, the fewer remaining accommodation options. Outside of the main urban centers of Charlottetown & Summerside, PEI has a limited # of short term accommodation venues, and some are very small in nature, requiring significant advance planning to secure from June – September. Especially for those who need multiple rooms. Our itinerary options are diverse – this Trip Comparison Tool may help to choose. It helps to narrow down our most popular PEI bicycle tours, family-friendly PEI bike trips, PEI bike tours with great food stops, PEI cycle tours for couples, cycling in PEI with pets, cycling PEI for beginners or longer rides, or maybe you just want to compare when’s the best time to plan to visit Prince Edward Island for each tour. Some additional tips to get you started:
Spend some time familiarizing yourself with our tour itinerary options to determine which most closely meets your own cycling abilities, time, support needs, accommodation and meal expectations.
1. Begin by narrowing down which tour category you prefer.
2. Then look at the suggested duration. Remember: additional nights can be added to proposed stays at any properties if desired.
3. If price is a concern, we give ballpark figures for guidance. They can fluctuate depending on which properties/rooms/dates are still available when your Registration Form is received and processed.
4. If distance/hills are a concern, consult the suggested daily routes and general ride descriptions in each itinerary. Travelers can evaluate in advance which trip best matches their diverse interests and abilities.
5. If upgraded properties or fine dining are important, then ensure you transmit those details to us when initially comparing each tour. Or ask us for recommendations to achieve an itinerary that closely matches your bed/ride requirements and expectations.
6. If you want us to “reinvent the wheel”, so to speak, with a totally custom tour including route combinations and/or accommodations not proposed on any of our published tours, we usually begin with a nonrefundable deposit for custom proposals and route planning, which can be applied to the tour price if you decide to book. The amount of that deposit depends on the complexity of the tour, but we usually start at $500 CAD/person.
Questions? Check out our PEI Bike Tour FAQ’s
Once you have a better idea of which itinerary outline most appeals to you, or what specific adjustments you’d be interested in having us include, then when you’re ready to request a personalized tour itinerary proposal, kindly send a Quote Request Form with all your particulars and we’ll prepare a tentative and time-sensitive offer for consideration. If you’re traveling with others and wish to pay for rooms separately, then you should request quotes separately, but make reference to each other so that we quote the same itinerary/dates and have that in mind, in the event you proceed to book/secure services simultaneously.