The Real Portland Tour: City and 3 Lighthouses Historical Tour with a Real Local

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Portland, USA

High interest

Booked 2 times today.

1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· Jenny_G ·

Jun 2026

Delightful and informative tour guide/owner, Derek. I learned so much in 2 hours about Portland ME. Definitely a value for the experience. The group size was perfect, van was clean, and Dad jokes hilarious. We had just the right amount of time to visit each lighthouse. I would recommend this tour!

· Robin_R ·

Jun 2026

You should ONLY book with this guide! Great communication, easy meet up spot, very knowledgeable and great recommendations! If you want a ton of information to start your week in Portland or only have a short bit of time in town this is your guy!!!!

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Overview

Explore the heart of Portland and head out to see some of the area's hidden gems and less-visited spots with this guided sightseeing tour. Your guide, a born-and-raised Portlander who works as a college librarian by day, shows you off-the-beaten-path locations and shares with you all sorts of local lore along the way.

Get off-the-beaten-path on a guided tour of the real Portland, Maine
A historian and librarian guide leads the way
Travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle
Visit three picturesque lighthouses

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Knowledgeable, entertaining guide with 20 years experience giving tours of his hometown of Portland.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

96 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Please arrive at 96 Commercial Street (in front of the Casco Variety Store) at least 10-15 min before your tour time. The tour departs from the tour bus parking spot next to the US Customs House, which is located directly across the street from the Casco Variety Store.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Make your own way to a central location in Portland 15 minutes before your chosen departure time to begin your bust tour of the city. Led by a true local, this sightseeing tour covers Portland and its three lighthouses.

Starting on historic Commercial Street, see Portland's landmarks and hidden gems, such as the United States Custom House, Fort Allen Park, and the Eastern Promenade Trail, adorned with Victorian-era homes and the iconic Portland Observatory.

Explore the Eastern Cemetery's legends and the vibrant downtown on Congress Street and venture to Fort Williams Park to marvel at Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the country, alongside Fort Preble and Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse.

Capture Bug Light Park's panoramic views and discover the Liberty Ship Memorial before glimpsing Portland Breakwater Light.

The tour concludes with a ride through Old Port, the bustling downtown and waterfront district.

Commercial Street (Pass By)

United States Custom House (Pass By)

Fort Allen Park (Pass By)

Eastern Promenade Trail (Pass By)

Portland Observatory (Pass By)

Eastern Cemetery (Pass By)

Congress Street (Pass By)

The Cathedral Of The Immaculate Conception (Pass By)

The First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist (Pass By)

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House (Pass By)

Arts District (Pass By)

Portland Museum of Art (Pass By)

One Longfellow Square (Pass By)

Victoria Mansion (Pass By)

Fort Williams Park (Pass By)

Portland Head Light

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fort Preble

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bug Light Park (Pass By)

Liberty Ship Memorial (Pass By)

Portland Breakwater Lighthouse

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

John Ford Statue (Pass By)

Old Port (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
The tour is in Portland, MAINE. Unfortunately no pets/animals of any kind can be accommodated on board.

The tour does not pickup/drop off at hotels, and it does not pickup/drop off at the cruise ship terminal. Everyone has to be at the tour starting point ready to board at least 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled tour time.
Wheelchairs, walkers, and luggage do not fit in the van.
This is not a private tour. The tour vehicle is a 13 passenger, high roof Ford Transit van. The tour often sells out, so you will be riding with a total of 13 people in the van.
Please double check the month, day, and time of your booking to make sure it is accurate, as some folks make mistakes when booking online and choose the wrong date.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 13 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 1,580 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

Tour of Portland Lighthouses

Norma_Q, Jul 2026

Derek, our driver, was excellent. He knows Portland Maine well. He knows history and facts, and provides excellent recommendations. He is funny, intelligent, experienced, and very personable. Highly recommend this tour.

Tour Guide

Karen_L, Jul 2026

Derek was funny and entertaining, but had a wealth of information about Portland. I definitely recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local info and humor! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

We had a beautiful day to...

Corinne_W, Jul 2026

We had a beautiful day to visit the lighthouses. It was interesting to see them up close and to hear about the history of the lighthouses in Portland.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a beautiful day, and appreciated the views and history of the lighthouses! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Derek is so funny and...

Adrienne_K, Jul 2026

Derek is so funny and does a great job of explaining and pointing things out during the tour. The van is pretty spacious and doesn’t feel like you’re clustered together like a can of sardines. He also gives out food recs.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local info, food recommendations, and humor! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Do not miss this experience!

Jim_M, Jul 2026

Derek was the best! Authentic, incredibly knowledgeable, and funny (especially if you like dad jokes!) - this man with a van should be the FIRST thing you plan to do in Portland!

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time on the tour, and appreciated all the local info and relished the dad jokes! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

The Real Portland gives...

Melinda_Q, Jun 2026

The Real Portland gives you a great overview of the city sights and history. Derek shares his love for his city as well as his corny Dad jokes. The lighthouses are amazing! It was a fun time. I would recommend Derek’s tour.

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a fun time, and enjoyed all the history, humor, and lighthouses! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you had a great time. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

The ONLY option you should book!

Robin_R, Jun 2026

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the communication, local info, and recommendations! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it means a lot to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Wonderful!

Thomas_W, Jun 2026

Derek was a wonderful tour guide, so knowledgeable. The van was spotless. We learned a lot of Portland history, and the lighthouses were beautiful. We had perfect weather as well!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a wonderful time, and appreciated all the history, the beautiful lighthouses, and the cleanliness of my tour van! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Derek was a wonderful...

Betty_D, Jun 2026

Derek was a wonderful guide. He provided a lot of information, was entertaining and showed us a great time.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

This was my first Viator...

Susan_M, Jun 2026

This was my first Viator experience and it was wonderful and I’m looking forward to many more in the future. Derek was very informative as we went about the various lighthouses in the city. Somehow he even got the weather to cooperate for us. He was also very good at telling us about the city in general.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local info and seeing the lighthouses! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Absolutely worth taking this tour!!!

Sandy_C, Jun 2026

Very enjoyable! I love a tour that is run by a person with personality and Derek is that guy. It’s his own business and he’s a long time local that knows soo much. I love his stories about his parents how they are part of his ‘company’ . Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. We were in Bar Harbor when another couple recommended it.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad you were recommended my tour and enjoyed it! Happy to hear you appreciated all the local info and stories. I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it means a lot to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Worth It!

Rahaf_O, Jun 2026

Derek is a great tour guide. He was thorough when providing historical information and his sense of humor makes it even better. I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the history and humor! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Fun lighthouse tour

Kathy_D, Jun 2026

We had a great tour of Portland and the three beautiful lighthouses. Derek was very knowledgeable and did a great job.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had fun, and appreciated all the local info and beautiful lighthouses! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Great speaker

Sharon_F, Jun 2026

Derek is a local, very knowledgeable and very funny! He kept things moving well, and the stops were interesting! A great introduction to Portland.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Very informative!

Nina_S, Jun 2026

The tour was a great, quick way to see Portland and learn about the history of the forts and lighthouses on land. Derek was charming and was very knowledgeable. He grew up in the area and knew so much. It was quite entertaining to hear about his life as well. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local info, history, and lighthouses! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Great tour

Jenny_G, Jun 2026

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time and learned a lot, and relished the dad jokes too! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Very nice and...

Harry_F, Jun 2026

Very nice and knowledgeable guide. He knew the area and It’s history. He made the tour special. Five stars plus.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local info and history! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Great Portland tour

jdunkie, Jun 2026

Very informative. Small group of up to 13. We enjoyed the presentation and learning about the history of Portland.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time and enjoyed learning all the history! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Great Tour

William_R, Jun 2026

Great!! Derek has so much knowledge about the history of Maine and he made the tour fun!! Highly recommended for first time visitors to Maine!!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had fun, and appreciated all the local info and history! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Info and Humor

Joe_B, Jun 2026

Wealth of knowledge and you'll learn a lot of interesting things about Portland, Maine. The tour guide kept you engaged and laughing with lots of fun facts & great sense of humor!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Impeccable tour

Marilou_M, Jun 2026

It is a short tour but very iinformative. Derek is a walking encyclopedia! You'll see the enthusiasm and passion on what he does. Every place that we passed by and visited has an interesting story attached to it. Overall this tour exceeded my expectation.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the tour, and appreciated all the local info and history! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Portland Lighthhouse tour

cecelia_c, Jun 2026

The guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. We were disappointed in the second and third lighthouses. Not impressive. We also were surprised that tips were solicited by a sign in the van, since the guide owned the company. A little pricey for the content of the tour.

All about Portland ME

Maureen_C, Jun 2026

Tour guide was on time. He had a great personality telling some funny jokes along the way. He grew up in Portland and has spent his entire life here, so he knew everything about the town from its founding to current day. I am from southern New England so it was fun to see the Lighthouses in Maine. Great tour!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Lighthouse tour

LeeAnn_F, Jun 2026

Excellent tour guide, knowledgeable and personable. Best for a sunny day. Shared the van with total of six people.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! Glad to hear you had a great time, and you lucked out on the seating as there are usually 13 people in the van every tour! Happy to hear you appreciated all the local info shared on the tour. I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Good city overview.

Sheila_C, Jun 2026

Tour gives a great look all around Portland. Lots of good information about the city. I could have heard less about his personal life and silly jokes. Tour felt too rehearsed. I would have selected something different.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you for your review! Glad to hear you enjoyed all the local info about my hometown, but didn’t relish the red hot dog puns! I take pride in giving the same entertaining and informative tour every time, so everyone gets The Real Portland Tour experience that they read about in the reviews. Thank you again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Love it

Catalina_O, May 2026

Great solo trip side quest! You learn a lot about the city and get to see the best parts of it. Perfect if you’re still hungover from the night before too :)

Response from Host, May 2026

I’m glad to hear you had a great time and learned a lot about Portland! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it. Hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Very knowledgeable with...

Catherine_B, May 2026

Very knowledgeable with local facts! His wit and humor was an extra bonus. He enhanced the trip by pointing out great, local shops and restaurants.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local facts and humor! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

The best Portland tour

Scott_G, May 2026

Entertaining, educational, humorous. Great tour . Tour guide combined area knowledge and history with jokes and interesting facts that kept us entertained throughout the tour.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the local info, history, and humor! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Excellent- informative and very funny!

Meagan_T, May 2026

Exceptional communication! Showed up on exactly when he said he would. He was very funny while providing local historical information! Fun!

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a fun time, and appreciated all the communication, history, and humor! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Great overview of...

Kim_K, May 2026

Great overview of Portland with stops to see and photograph lighthouses and nearby scenic spots. Derek is personable and full of historical and practical information about the city.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks so much for the excellent review! I’m glad to hear you had a great time, and appreciated all the history, local info, and lighthouse stops! I take pride in giving an informative and entertaining tour of my hometown, and it’s nice to hear you enjoyed it so much. Thanks again, and hope to see you again in Portland, Maine!

Likely to Sell Out