Portland Explorer | Maine History, Culture, & 3 Lighthouses Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Portland, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Visitors to Portland can easily miss some of Maine's most stunning sights, since you really need a car to explore the scenic coastline. Avoid the headache of arranging your own transportation or renting a car on this small-group guided tour of Portland's must-see sights. Stop in downtown Portland and visit three lighthouses, including Portland Head Light—an historic lighthouse perched on the rocky coast.
- Tour Portland's top sights, and working waterfront, with a local lobsterman
- Visit Commercial Street, the Old Port District, and Portland Head Light
- Enjoy a personal experience on the tour on this small-group tour
- Easily find your group, with a meet-up in the heart of the Old Port District
What's Included
- Umbrella to use if needed
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- Mobile device charging
- Visits to three historic lighthouses
- Gratuity not included
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Portland Beer Hub320 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Arrive 15 MINUTES before the start time of your tour. Meet inside of the retail store, Portland Beer Hub (320 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101), in downtown Portland's Old Port.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
320 Fore St (Pass By)
1
Portland Head Light
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Bug Light Park
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Commercial Street (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- 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.
- 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
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,069 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Very conveniently located meeting & check in location within a 5 minute walk from our Windstar/Star Pride ship docked in Portland, ME.
Joe, our tour guide, was very nice, informative and accommodating. He offered us water during our trip and we had a Portland Beer Hub sample 3oz if their draft beer either before or after our tour. Very tasty!
It was a fantastic tour, mainly due to our guide & driver, Eric Pray. The tour was a bit of history around & about the Old Portland area & stops at 3 lighthouses. Eric is a native, a son of a lobster fisherman & he worked with his father while growing up. Very knowledgeable & personable. Great facts about lobstering in Portland, but not at all boring. He also gave us tips about restaurants & places of interest after the tour. If you choose Gilbert’s Chowder House, as we did, Eric suggested the super seafood chowder, a mix of lobster, crab, shrimp, etc. it was excellent. Comes in 3 sizes. I also had an appetizer clam cake for only $4.50. He also recommended a place called Highroller that has a lobster taco, where the taco is just flattened and grilled cheese…no bread. I would have loved to try that, too. He said it was an “oops” that has become a big seller.
2 sprinter vans took our group. Very nice to be in a smaller group. If you book this excursion, I would highly recommend you ask for Eric to be your guide. (One Eric joke. He said he wanted to name his daughter Letus, as in “Let Us Pray.” 😂😂😂) This is what you get with Eric Pray as your guide. Loved the tour & Eric.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you SO much for sharing all of this, and we're so thrilled to hear you had a good time with Eric on the tour! Truly, his knowledge of Portland's history runs deep and we know how much he enjoys being able to share the city he knows so well. And to be able to end the day with some good seafood - nothing better than that! Thanks again for sharing this, and we'd love to see you in town again sometime soon.
So fun seeing and learning about all the history of ww2 in the area. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the beer tasting was delicious.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your Lighthouse Tour! Portland's history is incredibly rich and we know how much the guides enjoy sharing the stories. And to end it with a beer tasting is the cherry on top!
Driver and guide was very nice and interesting. Had lived there most of his life so knew a lot about the lighthouses we saw. Short but very nice. Van was comfortable.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for sharing this, and thanks for joining on the Lighthouse Tour! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time and that the guide could provide some good information and stories. There's a lot more to explore around here so we'd love to see you back sometime soon!
Four of us took this tour with Peter on a gorgeous October day. We started with a draft beer sample at the beer hub meeting point. Peter’s tour narratives were interesting and often amusing. He took us to three beautiful lighthouse locations and provided an overview of Portland. He ended the tour with some great restaurant recommendations that we really appreciated. Gilbert’s chowder House rocks! I would recommend this tour to anyone in the area for the day.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for sharing all this, and we're thrilled to hear you had a good time on the Lighthouse Tour! Pete's tours are always fun and we know how much he enjoys getting folks out there to explore. Plus, starting it with a beer tasting doesn't hurt! Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again soon.
This was a nice short tour that provided a nice look at a few Maine light houses with a little bit of history thrown into the mix. Our tour guide Chris was great! He answered the many questions our group had and provided quite a bit of local history. We enjoyed the tour quite a bit and we were glad we did it. We did find that the price was a little high for a short tour based on many other tours we have done in other locations but overall we were happy with it.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks for joining us on the Lighthouse Tour! Chris's knowledge of Portland's history is second to none and we know much he enjoys getting folks out there to explore. We appreciate the feedback on pricing, and hope the local expertise made it all worthwhile. Thanks again for joining us!
Eric is an incredible tour guide. Not only did we get to see 3 lighthouses but we learned so much about Maine. He also has great recommendations for places to go around town.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with Eric on the Lighthouse Tour! As a true Portland local, his knowledge of the history and landscape run deep, and he certainly has enough restaurant recommendations to feed a village! Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you back sometime soon.
It wasn’t really a “wow” experience, but the tour guide Eric was very fun and interesting. We did enjoy it.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for joining us and for providing this feedback! We're glad to hear you enjoyed your time, although we do aim to provide a "wow" experience so we'll take this into consideration as we continue to elevate our tours. Thanks again for joining us!
Wonderful tour. So awesome that it started out with a 5oz pour of a local brew/beer! Our guide was very knowledgeable, because he grew up in the area. Beautiful scenery! Would recommend this tour 100%!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your Lighthouse Tour! Portland's history and landscape are tremendously breathtaking and we know how much the guides love getting to show them off. And to start the tour with a little beverage doesn't hurt either! Thanks for joining us, and we hope to see you again sometime soon.
Chris was an outstanding guide! He was charismatic, cheerful and made it fun. He had great stories in addition to the factual local information and history. Very informative!! Would highly recommend tour and this specific guide!!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for sharing this, and thanks for joining! Chris really does balance information with engagement so well, and we know how much he enjoys the opportunity to show off the sights. We hope to see you back in town sometime soon!
Very thorough explanation of history pertaining to the area. Loved seeing lighthouses and John gave us some excellent tips about places to eat and go.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for joining on the Lighthouse Tour, and we're so glad to hear John showed the group a fun time! There's so much to explore around here (both for history and food!) and we're glad you got to experience our amazing city. We hope to see you again sometime soon!
Tour was fun and entertaining.
We learned so much about Portland
Eric our guide is a native who knows everyone and everything in Portland. His enthusiasm is contagious.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks for sharing this, and we're so glad to hear you enjoyed the tour with Eric! As a true local, his knowledge of Portland's history is only outdone by his passion for sharing it with others - his enthusiasm truly is contagious! We'd love to welcome you back on another tour sometime soon.
If you love lighthouses and want to do other sights in Portland ME as well, this is the one. And ask for Pete W. Best guide I’ve had on an excursion in a couple years. Fantastic!!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks for joining us on the Lighthouse Tour! We're so glad to hear that Pete showed the group a fun time - even if it's just an excursion or a week-long trip, Pete knows how to make the tours fun and engaging! Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you again sometime soon.
Great tour! Views were amazing. My group had a wonderful experience. The tour guide was very accommodating and friendly.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for the kind words, and thank you for joining us! We are so lucky to have guides who truly love sharing Portland's history, so we're happy to hear they showed the group a fun time. We'd love to welcome you back on another tour sometime soon!
Chris was fun, friendly and very knowledgable. Nice tour van with a small group. Chris pointed out other landmarks besides the lighthouses.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're thrilled to hear you had fun with Chris on the Lighthouse Tour! Chris's knowledge of Portland's history and his enthusiasm for sharing it with others are second to none, and we're so glad he showed the group a great experience. Thanks for joining us!
Great info, lots of local history. Very comfortable event! Good meet up location. Very friendly and personable guide and setting!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for the kind words, and thanks for joining us! From start to finish we want folks to be comfortable and engaged, and we're thankful that came through on your tour. There's a lot more to explore so we hope to see you again soon!
This tour takes you to two small lighthouses, neither of which you can go inside. We walked out to the first "Bug" lighthouse but the second one our guide told us we could not walk the jetty to the lighthouse because of insurance issues. The third and last lighthouse you visit is beautiful, the Portland Headlight. Again you cannot go into the lighthouse but found out later that their is a museum inside to visit. Our guide did not tell us that fact so sadly we missed the museum and only walked around the grounds.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for joining and for providing this feedback. We understand the disappointment of not going into the lighthouses, which are indeed closed to the public, but we will work on addressing this in our marketing and pre-tour rundown. Time and safety are the biggest inhibitors to going to the second lighthouse on the breakwater, but the museum at Portland Head Light could have been communicated, so we will work on making sure staff address this during tours. Again, thank you for joining, and we will use this feedback in our efforts to improve our tours!
The tour guide was very informative. We went to 3 lighthouses. 2 small ones and one larger one. Meeting place is at the Portland Beer Hub..- ended the tour with a complimentary 5 oz beer. Enjoyable tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for sharing, and we're so glad to hear you had fun on the lighthouse tour! Portland's history and landscape are second to none and we know how much our guides enjoy sharing them with others. We'd love to welcome you on a tour again next time find yourself in Portland!
Great experience! The tour was very personal, with a small group of only about 10 people, (van capacity) which made it even more enjoyable. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great experience! The tour was very personal, We had a group of around 10, tour capacity, which made the experience feel intimate and enjoyable. Christian was our tour guide and did a fantastic job. The tour lasted a little over two hours, as we were able to get an early start. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Portland!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for joining on the Lighthouse Tour!! I'm so honored to have welcomed you to Portland and I'm glad to hear you had fun on the tour. There's a lot more to explore around here, so I hope to see you again next time you're in town!
Eric was an absolutely amazing, knowledgeable and fun tour guide. Highly recommend! Lived in Portland. All his life is a wealth knowledge
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Eric is indeed a wealth of knowledge, and we know how much he enjoys sharing that knowledge with others. Portland's maritime history is incredibly rich and we're so honored to be able to showcase it on our tours. Thanks for joining, and we hope to see you again sometime soon!
Our guide, Chris, was so nice knowledgeable and just pleasant throughout the entire tour. Would recommend this tour to anyone!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks you so much for the kind words, and we're so glad to hear you had fun with Chris on the Lighthouse Tour! His knowledge of Portland's history is only outdone by his desire to share it with others, so we'll be sure to share this with him. Thanks again for joining, and we hope to see you again sometime soon!
A wonderful way to spend time in Portland and Eric was the best tour guide. Our party of six enjoyed it immensely and are so happy we chose this tour.
Thanks to All.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We're thrilled to hear you had fin with Eric on the Lighthouse Tour! As a true local, Eric's knowledge of Portland's history is second to none, and we know how much he enjoys sharing it with others. There's a million places to explore around here and we'd love to welcome you on another tour sometime soon.
I strongly recommend this excursion. The Maine shoreline is beautiful. The trip to the three lighthouses was interesting all on its own. Seeing the lighthouses, each different from each other made it a wonderful trip. Although the main lighthouse, famous for its many photos was a true sight, I must admit the small one, in the shape of a Greek temple really drew my eye.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thank you so much for sharing it! We agree that Maine's coastline is something special, and we never get tired of showing it off. We're glad you had fun, and we hope to see you again sometime soon! (P.S. - The small lighthouse is Bug Light, and I agree with you, that's my personal favorite!)
I did this tour as a cruise ship excursion. I didn’t realize we were going to see these same sites when we left port. Nothing special.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks for the feedback. Seeing the lighthouses is the main idea of the tour, and ships like yours were the reason they were built, so we can't promise any surprises on that front. What we aim to add is the history and stories behind them. We're sorry that didn't land for you, but we hope to see you again sometime soon.
Eric did an amazing job showing off his beloved city of Portland, Maine and the 3 lighthouses that we saw. He was so personable and attentive, sharing history about each lighthouse and fun stories and about the city. His van was very comfortable and he was a very safe driver. It was also a bonus for the meeting spot for this tour which was The Portland Beer Hub. We were welcomed with a free beer tasting and a mini fridge of free hard boiled egg snacks. Hospitality plus! Highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for joining us on the Lighthouse Tour, and we're so happy to hear Eric showed the group a fun time! His knowledge of Portland's maritime history runs deep, and we know how much he enjoys showing off the sights. From start to finish, hospitality is the focus on his tours. There's a lot more to explore around here, so we hope to see you again soon!
Portland head light don’t bother with the other 2 you could have walked from the ship xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks for the review, and we're glad Portland Head Light was a highlight. The other two lighthouses are visible from Portland, but reaching them on foot is about a 1.5-hour walk. Our tour aims to get you there more comfortably and add the history behind each one. We appreciate the feedback and hope to see you in town again sometime soon.
Eric was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and personable. The tour was just the right amount of time to experience Portland highlights. It was a nice touch to include in the tour a pour at the beginning or end at a local pub.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We’re so glad Eric was knowledgeable and personable on the tour, and we’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to him! It’s great to hear the tour was the right length to take in Portland’s highlights, and that the pour at a local pub was a nice touch. Thanks for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back to Portland soon.
You visit 3 lighthouses with a nice amount of time to take photos and tour the area. None of the lighthouses were open to go inside. The tour guide has good information about the area as well as the lighthouses.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for joining us on the Lighthouse Tour! As much as we'd love to go inside the lighthouses, thankfully the exteriors still provide a beautiful and fun experience. We're glad to hear you had a great tour with the guide, and we hope to see you again sometime soon!
Christian was a really great tour guide, knowledgeable, kind and fun! Nice tour with the highlight being the Head Light. Nice!
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks so much for joining on the Lighthouse Tour! It was such a treat to chat with you all and I'm so glad to hear you all had fun. I hope to see you all again sometime soon!
Very nice tour and Eric was full of information and history of the area. It’s great when it comes from someone that grew up in the area.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
We’re so glad you enjoyed the tour, and we’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Eric! Having a guide who grew up in Portland adds a personal touch to the history and stories, and we’re happy that came through for you. We hope to welcome you back on another tour soon.
Member Pricing
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$75.05
per personWas $79.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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