I’m the kind of traveler that likes to explore as much as possible every time visiting somewhere new. It goes without saying as you scroll through our weekend itinerary that we did just that. Pleasantly surprised by how much there was to see, explore and taste in Prince George, there was never a dull moment. I’ve listed out below our full weekend itinerary, when you are looking for things to do in Prince George, know that each of these places was such a delight and come highly recommended.
From coffee shops, the most amazing brunch, getting crafty and tastings at the local winery, Prince George really does have something for everyone.
We stayed at Prestige Hotels just outside of downtown Prince George, right near Mr. PG, which was very clean and comfortable. Such a good night’s sleep in these beds! We ended the nights with a soak in the hot tub and lots of laughs as we whipped down the spiral slide. Get a glimpse of that in my recap reel that I shared on Instagram here.
When asking my Instagram audience what was a must do in Prince George the most recommended places were; The Makerie for coffee + crafts, brunch at Nancy O’s, a beer at Trench Brewing + exploring the cut banks. We didn’t have a bad experience anywhere! Service was outstanding at every restaurant, the trails we explored were refreshing and the culture at the Arts Festival was so friendly and community focused.
We arrived in Prince George on Friday around lunchtime and left later in the evening on Sunday, so we had a full three days to explore. Let’s help you plan a weekend in Prince George shall we. Here’s what we suggest for things to do in Prince George:
21 Things to do in Prince George, BC | Full Weekend Itinerary
Friday
Ancient Forest
This is a bit of a drive from Prince George but something that, in my opinion, needs to be visited while in the area. Chun T’oh Whudujut/Ancient Forest is within the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. With around 2.5 km of boardwalk to explore you will be led through the world’s only inland temperate rainforest to discover trees predicted to be over 2000 years old as well as a majestic waterfall leaving your jaw dropped.
More about Ancient Forest online
Betulla Burning
We came for a drink and couldn’t resist ordering one of their woodfire cooked pizzas as well for an afternoon snack. Their Neapolitan pizza made with a modern flair was mouthwatering (as cliché as that may sound it’s the best way to describe it). I loved the experience of being served the pizza cutter and cutting up the freshly cooked pizza from their Italian made oven. Such a great well-rounded experience.
Visit Betulla Burning online.
North 54 Restaurant
When you walk up to the restaurant outside you’ll see a mural painted with a phone booth giving you all the European vibes, that’s when you know you’re at the right place. We each grabbed a martini and pasta dish and compared who was best! Of course they were all delicious, though I like to say that my lasagne, made with ground steak, is one of the best lasagne around.
Visit North 54 Restaurant online.
Explore Downtown Prince George Murals
We weren’t ready to call it a night so we wandered around the downtown Prince George area and found a variety of murals by local artists.
Crossroads Brewing
This place was bumping! Each time we walked by we loved seeing how busy they were and the community coming together at Crossroads brewery. Their restaurant has a lot of seating inside and on the patio. We braved the sprinkling weather and enjoyed a drink on the patio.
Visit Crossroads Brewing online.
Saturday
Ritual Coffee Bar
Look at how loaded that avocado toast is! This was the perfect way to start the day with a fresh breakfast and hot drinks. Their coffee is roasted locally in downtown Prince George, paired with one of their breakfast or freshly baked goods options you really can’t go wrong. Stay a while and enjoy select seating within the bright, modern styled urban café.
Visit Ritual Coffee Bar online.
Farmer’s Market
Walk downtown Prince George and visit the 2 different outdoor farmer’s markets and their indoor market all within a couple blocks of each other. My sister picked up a wooden bowl from a local woodcrafter and we both grabbed necklaces with ruin stamps that two younger boys had handmade. There’s lots to discover and a wide range of local makers and farmers showcasing their best.
Visit Prince George Farmers Market online.
The Makerie
Hands down the most recommended thing to do when visiting Prince George. If you only have a few things to do, add this to the list. Whether you are travelling with kids or without, The Makerie brings out the inner creative and allows you to explore and choose from a wide variety of different crafts and projects while enjoying their sweet treats and café drinks to go alongside it.
Visit The Makerie online.
Arts Festival
Prince George has a large arts community, celebrating and connecting through the arts. Make sure to check in to see if CN Centre or Studio 2880 has anything planned during your stay as there could be a unique event that aligns with your visit. When we visited they were hosting a food festival weekend. So good! Their annual local chili makers competition was on and it was such a cool experience visiting the local competitors and getting to vote for our favourite chili. The best part was selecting our locally made pottery bowl (you get to keep it too!) and using that for each of the chili servings.
See what Studio 2880 has upcoming here.
Junk n’ Your Trunk Sale
Set up right next to the chili competition was the Junk n’ Your Trunk sale. The CN Centre has Junk n’ Your trunk set up where locals come to unload their trunks and essentially sell their “junk”.
Dandy Lines
Was my favourite store to pop into and explore. Lots of home and garden goods to explore and get all google eyed over. If you don’t have time to shop around all the local downtown shops, try to at least make a stop into this one. You may just end up leaving with a herb stripper, or something else equally random and awesome like I did.
Visit Dandy Lines online.
Trench Brewing
Get the tacos! So good. Trench brewing is about a 6 min drive/20 min walk from downtown Prince George and you’ll most likely think you are headed in the wrong direction on your way over. Once you get there you’ll feel relaxed in their dimly lit cozy brewhouse with a selection of drinks and well rounded menu to enjoy.
Visit Trench Brewing online.
Daydream Donuts Café
Anyone need an afternoon treat? Daydream donuts has a wide selection of donuts from lemon drops, birthday sprinkles, crunchy cereal and Oreo chunks (not the actual names, but you get the idea).
No website for Daydream Donuts visit them in person: 565 George St, Prince George, BC
Northern Lights Estate Winery
Another one to add to the must visit weekend itinerary. Northern Lights Estate Winery is locally owned and operated and rated BC’s #1 Fruit winery. Enjoy a tasting around the property learning about the variety of different wines available and what makes them so unique based on the fruit varieties grown locally and the area that the winery is situated in Prince George. Don’t forget to also visit the restaurant, I suggest ordering a few different things and then splitting and sharing as everything is so delicious featuring as many locally made ingredients as possible
Visit Northern Lights Estate Winery online.
Local Theatre Performance
Right across the street from Northern Lights Estate Winery is their outdoor amphitheater. During our weekend visit we had the pleasure of watching the first showing of the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. This performance was led by local actors/actresses, gave us quite a few chuckles and left us with all the warm and fuzzies to support local artists.
Learn more about Theatre NorthWest online.
The Cutbanks
Get ready for a climb as you tackle the cutbacks, just down the street from Northern Lights Estates Winery. We tackled this climb just after the show and caught the perfect sunset skies. If you walk along the tip of the cutbacks towards the parking lot of McMillan Creek you will come across gorgeous caves that overlook Nechako River.
Trailhead to the Cutbanks is on Hoferkamp Rd
Sunday
Nancy O’s
This restaurant is right beside Betulla Burning and owned by the same owners. We had the best waitress here when we dined for brunch, she even told us that she “dreams about the bacon benny.” We were sold and it was without a doubt very dream-able. Such a cute touch having the Benedict served with a smoothie shot as well, a fun, delicious and memorable dining experience there.
Visit Nancy O’s online.
Arts Festival
Depending on when you visit Prince George you will have to look into the different festivals they have on. We visited the Bacon Cook-Off and bought tickets to try each of the vendors bacon dishes and were able to vote for the “best” one. Check out the CN Centre + Studio 2880 to see if they have any community arts events upcoming
Cottonwood Island Nature Park
This was an absolute highlight from our visit to Prince George. We spent so much time here in the afternoon after we met our new friend, Stan, a local who spends his mornings in the park. Stan shared with us how he calls for the birds. He has the chickadee’s and a woodpecker that comes to sit on his hands as he feeds their favourite nuts each morning.
It was an incredible experience for him to show us his tips and tricks and before we knew it we both had chickadees and woodpeckers coming to visit our hands for some peanuts too. Watch a video of this experience here.
The trail also has carvings of local faces engraved on the trees. The carvings were done by local resident Elmer Gunderson, he used to work for the City of Prince George Parks and helped build the trails in the 1980’s. You can read more about his work within the park here.
Cottonwood Island Nature Park is located on River Road, Prince George, BC
Frozen Paddle Ice cream
I mean why not go all out. I got the double scoop and she was big! This locally made ice cream spot was busy but the line moved quickly and we soon found our way. I enjoyed salted caramel + London fog flavoured ice cream, so so good!
Visit Frozen Paddle online.
Greenway Trail to Shane Lake
Though we didn’t end up having time for this last recommendation it was definitely on our list of things we wanted to do. This trail can be easily followed along a 4.2km loop with only about 108m elevation. Most people can complete within an hour and it takes you all the way around Shane Lake, guess we need to plan another Prince George trip to complete this next time.
I have no doubt that our weekend itinerary can keep you busier for more than a weekend but if you like squeezing everything in, go ahead and give this weekend itinerary a follow.
Did I miss anything? Where’s your favourite places to explore, dine out or shop around town? Let me know in the comments below.
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