Historic Bar Harbor Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour Guide
Description
Return to the extravagance of the Gilded Age in Bar Harbor, Maine. Once the vacation destination of choice among some of America’s wealthiest families, this quaint seaside town is still chock full of lavish historic architecture. Dive into Bar Harbor’s rich history, stroll alongside the ocean, and learn how the lobster became such a Maine icon! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour of Bar Harbor begins on the pier by Agamont Park, where you'll find plentiful parking. As you walk through this historic town, you'll see tons of beautifully preserved architecture, phenomenal ocean views, and much more. Plus, you'll learn plenty of fascinating history along the way! NOTE: The tour is over 2 miles long, with more than 28 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Bar Island Trail is a totally unique walking trail. It's a sandbar trail leading out to one of Bar Harbor's beautiful islands, but it only appears at low tide! If you're here at the right time, it makes for a positively magical stroll.
The West Street Historic District features rows of breathtaking historic homes, all dating between 1870 and 1910. Here, you'll learn how to identify which ones are the oldest!
Built in 1902, La Rochelle is a simply jaw-dropping estate. This enormous mansion has 41 rooms and a ton of history. It's now owned by the Maine Seacoast Mission Society, which purchased the property for only a dollar.
Built in 1878, this iconic structure only barely survived a huge fire that swept through Bar Harbor in 1947. Today, it continues to welcome visitors as a cozy bed and breakfast!
This is a church which simply must be photographed. The impressive stonework, the imposing tower, and the gorgeous windows are all just begging to end up on Instagram!
St. Saviour's Episcopal Church is a quirky architectural oddity. This church was built in multiple sections, with the oldest parts dating back to 1877 and the newest to the 1930s. The end result is an oddly endearing and totally unique structure.
This historic library dates all the way back to 1877. At the time, it had only 250 volumes, almost all of which were donated by the town's wealthy residents. Since then, that small collection has continued to expand.
Abbe Museum celebrates the heritage of the native Wabanaki. Also known as the People of the Dawn, the Wabanaki lived in Bar Harbor long before it was Bar Harbor. Museum founder Robert Abbe wanted to honor that long history, and the museum now features exhibits encompassing 12,000 years of Native history in the region.
Bar Harbor's village green isn't just any old park. It was designed by Beatrix Farrand, who also designed the Rose Garden at the White House! It features an 1896 street clock, a historic bandstand, and a fountain in the style of 17th century Italian fountains.
Balance Rock is an unusual landmark which rests right next to the Shore Path. It's a glacial erratic, meaning a glacier dragged it a very long way before setting it down here. This boulder is estimated to have moved about 40 miles before setting up shop in Bar Harbor!
Once the site of a Gilded Age mansion, Grant Park is now just a pleasant, oceanside green space for all to enjoy. If you're looking for the ideal picnic spot, this is it!
The Bar Harbor Inn is a seaside resort with a very long and complicated history. It was once a reading room where Bar Harbor's wealthy residents discussed literature and the matters of the day. Today, it has been converted into one of the most lavish hotels in the town. Your tour concludes just past this hotel, right near the pier where it began.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Walking tours: couples can share one tour by splitting headphones
- New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
- For the best experience, bring headphones/earbuds for your walking tour.
- The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
- Your password can be used on the same number of devices as travelers booked. Enter the same password on each device.
Reviews(39)
I learned a lot about the structures and the history of this cute town. This tour was an easy stroll that all ages can enjoy.
Glen, I’m so glad to hear that my Historic Bar Harbor Walking Audio Tour helped you learn more about the town’s structures and history. It’s great that you found it to be an easy stroll that all ages can enjoy. If you’re exploring more of Maine, you might also enjoy my Portland, Ocean Path, and Acadia National Park self-guided tours. Happy travels!
This walking tour was well arranged and thorough. The narrator was very pleasant. The start/stop was easy to navigate.
Leslie, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed my Historic Bar Harbor Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour! It’s wonderful to know you found the route well-organized, the narration engaging, and the app easy to use. I hope it added a little extra charm to your walk through beautiful Bar Harbor. If you plan to explore more of Maine, be sure to check out my other tours, especially the Bar Harbor, Acadia, and the stunning Ocean Path Trailhead tour. Happy exploring!
The audio tour worked well until we got near the end (points 22 and 23). At that point there was no longer any narrative and not even any message saying this concludes your tour.
Patricia, I’m glad to hear my Bar Harbor audio tour worked well for you. I’ll be sure to pass this along to my team so they can look into the issue. Did you follow the route and speed limit shown in the app? That can sometimes impact the narration. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m here to help daily from 9 to 6 EST. I can also offer an alternative tour as a replacement or process a refund if needed.
The tour was easy to follow and very informative about the area and history. Would recommend to ours as a cost effective way to see Bar Harbor.
George, I’m so glad you enjoyed my Bar Harbor walking audio tour. It’s great to hear you found it easy to follow and informative about the area’s history. Thanks for recommending it as a budget-friendly way to explore—I really appreciate it. If you plan to see more of Maine, don’t miss my other tours, especially the Portland drive, Acadia, and the beautiful Ocean Path Trailhead tour. Happy exploring!
Fun way to explore Bar Harbor st our own pace It gave a nice history with the option to learn more Recommend
Marta, I’m so glad you had fun exploring Bar Harbor at your own pace with the Historic Bar Harbor Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour. I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the history and the option to dive deeper with the “Learn More” feature. If you’re ready for more adventures, consider exploring my East Coast USA: Self-Guided Driving & Walking Tour Bundle. From Acadia to Key West, enjoy the flexibility and convenience of discovering at your own pace.
It was a nice walking tour of Bar harbor. The directions were easy to follow and the tour automatically turned on at designated sites.
Kelly, I'm glad you enjoyed my Historic Bar Harbor walking tour. It’s great to hear that the directions were clear and the automatic narration worked just right at each stop. If you plan to explore more of Maine, don’t miss my other tours, especially the Portland drive, Acadia, and the stunning Ocean Path Trailhead tour. Happy exploring!
Overall , it was a nice tour. We had a little trouble getting it to work . I called customer service and I received a call 8 hours later. Luckily we figured it out.
Kelly, I'm glad you enjoyed my tour overall and that you were able to get it working. Sorry for the delay in response—I'm usually available daily from 9 to 6 and happy to assist more promptly. Appreciate your patience and hope you’ll explore more of my tours in the future!
Well worth the time and money - an interesting and relaxed walk with lots of entertaining stories and local knowledge - our guide was excellent and made it worthwhile, as guides can often do!
Annalisa, I'm thrilled to hear you loved my Historic Bar Harbor Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour. It's wonderful that the stories and local flair made the walk feel both relaxed and rich in history. If you plan to explore more of Maine, don’t miss my other tours, especially the Portland drive, Acadia, and the stunning Ocean Path Trailhead tour. Happy exploring!
We actually really enjoyed the audio tour. It is an easy walk with several places to stop and shop or have a meal or a drink. It was well priced, and I would highly recommend it.
I’m glad you enjoyed my Historic Bar Harbor Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour! It’s great to hear you found the walk easy and enjoyable, with plenty of spots to stop for shopping or a meal. For more experiences like this, check out my East Coast USA Bundle, featuring a variety of self-guided tours from Acadia to Key West, all designed for you to enjoy at your own pace.
It wasn't clear to me that there wouldn't be a person or a desk to check in with. The harbor master said lots of people show up at his office based on the apps map of starting location abd he has no knowledge whatsoever of the company ... inside the pier shops are other tour desks who have never heard of this company. We spent half an hour stumbling around, going to the Visor Information desk downtown who knew nothing either ... then got within like sto #3 and the audio started playing off the app on my phone.
Cathy, I’m sorry for the confusion. This is a self-guided audio-walking tour of Bar Harbor, so there’s no need to check in with anyone—the app and tour need to be downloaded beforehand. The tour is valid for a year, not tied to a specific date, so you have plenty of time to enjoy it at home or on your next visit. My support team is ready to help—contact details and a tutorial video can be found in the confirmation email, the app, and our FAQ. Feel free to email them if you have any other questions!
