Portland Explorer | Maine History, Culture, & 3 Lighthouses Tour
Description
Skip the city and head straight to the coast on this dedicated lighthouse tour of Maine’s best lighthouses. Explore three iconic beacons that have guided sailors for centuries, each offering a chance to delve into their rich history. While most lighthouses aren’t open for tours, you’ll still get up-close views and plenty of opportunities to admire their stunning architecture and scenic surroundings. As you navigate through Portland’s picturesque coastline, you’ll be surrounded by breathtaking views that are as storied as they are beautiful. This focused, relaxed tour is the perfect way to connect with maritime past while soaking in the charm of Maine’s coastal landscape.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Whether you're visiting for the first time or have called Portland home for years, this tour offers a fresh and engaging way to explore the Greater Portland area. Ride in comfort aboard one of our Ford Transit passenger vans, as we journey through the heart of the city and its scenic surroundings. Starting off on tour, we drive down Fore Street, a charming historic thoroughfare that runs parallel to one of North America's last working waterfronts. We will pass by cobblestone streets, brick row buildings, and some of Portland’s most iconic shops, brewpubs, and restaurants—many housed in the city’s oldest commercial and residential structures. The blend of old-world charm and modern energy makes this neighborhood a local favorite.
Walk around Fort Williams Park home to Portland Head Light! One of the most photographed lighthouses in the world! With cliff walks, memorials, and breath taking views, you will be able to take photos, visit the Lighthouse museum/giftshop "May-September" and also snag a bite/treat at a few of the parks food trucks, lobster Rolls, chowder, gelato, whoopie pies!
Spring Point Ledge Light we will park and stop for 10 minutes. Here your guide will breakdown the importance of this lighthouse which is situated out on a 900 ft. granite breakwater, early 1800's military instalments in the area, and scenic views of our coastal islands of Casco Bay! Please ask your guide for pictures taken during this stop.
Here at Portland Breakwater Light, known as "Bug Light" to locals, you will be given 20 min to visit one of Maine's smallest lighthouses still in commission. With beautiful Greek Corinthian Columns this lighthouse is situated on a much shorter/safer breakwater where you'll be able to walk out and enjoy amazing views of Portland's waterfront!
As we finish our tour, we drive through Commercial Street, you'll get a glimpse of one of North America’s last working waterfronts. This iconic stretch in Portland’s Old Port district features cobblestone streets, 19th-century fishing wharves, and bustling piers still used by lobstermen and local fisheries. You’ll also see a vibrant mix of boutiques, restaurants, and pubs, all set within some of the city's oldest brick/granite buildings.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour pick up is approximately 10 minutes walking from cruise ship terminal, less than 1/2 mile.
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended to enjoy the full experience at the lighthouse!
- This tour is fully on land. We will be driving in a high-end van.
Reviews(961)
Great tour to learn about Portland and lighthouses. Small size group with engaging and knowledgeable guide. Eric was excellent!
This tour was great. Pete W. Is an amazing guide. All four of us loved it! Highly recommend.
We're so glad to see that you had a great time on the tour! Pete is so great at highlighting Portland's rich coastal history and we knows how much he enjoys getting folks out to see the sights. Thanks for joining us!
Pick up was smooth, Sam was our driver and he was very sweet, nice calm driver. And I'm a nervous passenger so he was perfect! Everything was ontime. Everything was as it read it would be. We loved the first stop, scenery and the beach was beautiful. Kennenbunkport was such a nice spot - literally a tourist street with boutiques and so on, a pretty neighborhood just up the road from the shops that one couple on our tour walked round. Lunch in Portland was nice, enough time to casually eat and walk if off after. By the time we got to the lighthouse we were pooped - this was our 3rd tour in 3 days so yes we were tired. We spent 5 minutes walking round the lighthouse then got an ice cream and sat on a bench just enjoying the view. Glad we took the tour, it was nice to drive up the coast and stop and see a few different places and we loved driving thought the little towns, wouldn't have seen those if we took a train.
Easy going, see a lot, learn a lot. Highly recommended for travelers in Portland, Maine area! Just do it!
Thanks so much for joining us on the lighthouse cruise! We're so happy to hear that you had a good time, and we know how much our guides enjoy showcasing Portland's rich waterfront history. We hope to see you on a tour again sometime soon!
Derek and Zack greeted us at the meeting location as we got settled in. Both are super friendly and down to earth. Derek was our guide, and he was super informative, funny and laid-back. Great to have someone local to share experiences and history throughout the tour. My wife and daughter loved the tour as well, and we had tons of great pictures. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Portland's history and culture are truly exceptional, and we're honored to be able to share it on our tours. There's so much more to explore here, so we hope to see you again sometime soon. Thanks for joining us!
Wonderful tour of very interesting sights. Local guide was informative and friendly. Very much recommended this tour.
We're so happy to hear that you had a good time on the tour! Portland's history and culture are so unique and we're incredibly proud to be able to highlight them. There's a lot to do here, so we hope you consider another tour if you find yourself in the neighborhood!
John was so funny and friendly! He struck the perfect balance between chatting with us and giving us space to explore and the tour itself is the perfect length. You hit three gorgeous spots in about 90 minutes and you even get a complimentary 5 oz beer pour with every ticket. Highly recommend!
We're so thrilled to hear that you had a great time on the Lighthouse Tour! Our landscape and history are truly remarkable, and we know how much our guides love talking about them. John's one of the best in the game at keeping things informative yet fun, so we're happy to hear you had a good time with him. Hope to see you on a tour next time you're in town!
Four people registered for the experience. While John was driving, he shared interesting and historic information about Portland and the three lighthouses we visited. At each lighthouse, we were given time to take take pictures, explore the grounds, stretch our legs, and ask John questions. John was very knowledgeable, engaging and fun!
Thank you so much for the kind words, and we're so happy to see that you had a great time with John on the Lighthouse Tour! We're beyond thankful to have him on our team. Balancing the knowledge and the engagement is his forte. There's a lot more to do in the area, so we hope to see you on another tour next time you're in the area!
John was a great guide...we learned a lot about the history and culture of Portland as well as seeing three lovely lighthouses. You meet at Portland Beer Hub, which has a great selection of beers and the tour gives you a ten percent discount. Christopher , the bartender there, is also great. We really enjoyed this tour!
We're so glad to see that you had a great time on the tour with John! We know how much he enjoys spreading the passion for the landscape and Maine history. Also glad to hear that you enjoyed the Portland Beer Hub - We're thankful for our partnership with them. Hope to see you on a tour next time you're in town!
Our tour guide was wonderful- very knowledgeable about the history and area. The tour was great in spite of the rainy weather and would recommend. The meeting spot is a great place and staff was so welcoming- great selection of local beers too!
Hi there Colleen, Thank you so much for your kind words and for joining us on the lighthouse tour! We're happy you had a good time despite the weather, but it's not always so rainy, so we hope to see you for another tour sometime in the future!
