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(988)
Bland. You get visit a few sights and neighbourhoods. Not much history. Guide was nice and friendly but mostly just a driver. M .
The lighthouse tour was great way to learn the history and see a few lighthouses to boot. Our guide was Peter and he very informative on history and shared places to eat. Peter had humorous way of sharing Portland’s history. We had enjoyed morning and I would recommend this tour.
We're glad you had a fun time on the Lighthouse Tour! Pete's knowledge of the area partnered with his enthusiasm to showcase the history and geography is second to none, and we're happy to hear you had a good time with him. Thanks for joining, and we hope to see you again soon!
Peter was a great guide and very informative throughout the drive. He gave us great insight to the Portland area and history as well as a great experience looking at some of the lighthouses.
Thank you so much for joining us on the Lighthouse Tour! We know how much Pete enjoys sharing Portland's rich history and community with others, and we're so happy to hear he showed the group a good time. We hope to see you again soon!
A wonderful and informative trip. Got to see the 3 lighthouses and also got a historical perspective of the city. It was a warm day so it was good to be in an AC vehicle. Billy our tour guide was passionate about Portland which is always good to see in a guide. He was well informed of the history of Portland and we had a most pleasant trip. Would recommend it to others!
We're so happy to hear that you had a good time with Billy on the Lighthouse Tour! His knowledge of Portland's rich maritime history is outmatched only by his desire to share it with others. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again soon!
We really enjoyed our tour of three lighthouses and Joe was an excellent tour guide. There were 10 of us in our group, which was a nice size for the vehicle, and we really liked that we were able to include two lighthouses that were too small for our ship's tour buses to be able to visit.
We're glad to hear you had a good time with Joe on the Lighthouse Tour! His knowledge of the area and passion with sharing it with others is second to none, and we're happy to hear he showed the group a fun time. There's a lot more to explore around here so we hope to see you again sometime soon!
Fun trip! The headlight is amazing. Pete was a great guide. Very hot weather but nice to have A/C in the van.
Thank you so much for joining us on the Lighthouse Tour! We know how much Pete loves showing folks around and highlighting Portland's rich history and community, and we're glad to hear you had a good time on the tour. Hope to see you again sometime soon!
Seeing three lighthouses around Portland was absolutely amazing! This tour however was not really a tour, there was no talk about history or culture, as the link said. This was disappointing because we were really looking forward to it. This tour is truly a drive and drop to each lighthouse. If you have transportation- you can do it yourself. If you do not have transportation- then its helpful. The guide was nice, but truly a let down.
Thank you for the kind words about the lighthouses and the guide. We're sorry the tour didn't match what you expected. Our guides are trained to share ample historical and cultural context at each stop, so we're looking into this with the team. Our hope is to provide an exceptional experience that dives deep into Portland's history and culture, for folks both with and without transportation, and we'll use your feedback to make sure every guide is delivering the storytelling that's core to the experience. Thanks again for visiting, and we hope to see you again sometime soon.
Billy was very knowledgeable and friendly. The van was comfortable. We loved the lights houses. Over all a great trip. .
We're so happy to hear you had a good tour with Billy! His knowledge of Portland's history partnered with passion for sharing it with others is what makes him such an exceptional guide, and we're glad to hear it was a fun tour. Thank you for the kind words, and we hope to see you again soon.
What a fantastic tour! Allie was an amazing tour guide, and her passion for the Portland community and our understanding of it was infectious. Great tour!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this! Alie has such a talent for welcoming folks into the area and sharing in Portland's rich history and community, and we're so glad to hear that you had a fun time on the tour. Hope to see you again sometime soon!
We would recommend to others. Chris did a great job showing us around and sharing his knowledge of the area.
Thanks for joining us on the tour! Chris's knowledge of the area and his passion for sharing Portland's history and culture are second to none, and we're glad to hear that you had a fun time on the tour! There's a lot more to explore, and if you find yourself in the area again we'd love to host you on another tour!
