Cruise to nearby Peaks Island for a traditional Maine lobster bake with all sorts of delectable side dishes at a quaint New England inn.

After a short walk from the pier, you will board a ferry bound for Peaks Island, which lies just three miles offshore. Although it will only take about 15 minutes to reach the island, the crossing of sparkling Casco Bay will be wonderfully picturesque.

You will pass the 19th-century Bug Light Lighthouse, an elegant cast-iron lighthouse with Corinthian columns that was modeled after a monument that stands near the Acropolis in Athens. You may also spot Fort Scammel on neighboring House Island, which was erected prior to the War of 1812 to protect Maine’s coastal communities.

First settled by the Abnaki Indians, Peaks Island started to flourish in the late 1890s, as Portland’s population grew, hotels and cottages were built and an amusement park went up. It is hard to imagine, but Peaks Island was once called the “Coney Island of Maine.” Today, the population is about 1,000, and the lifestyle is low-key and quintessentially New England.

Upon arriving, you will walk to the nearby Inn on Peaks Island, a seasonal lodging that features outstanding views of the sea and classic Maine cuisine. Here, you will enjoy a traditional lobster bake that will include New England clam chowder, steamed mussels and sides such as corn on the cob. If you wish to stretch your legs afterwards, there will be time.

To make the most of your day in Portland, this tour combines the city highlights with a visit to historic Portland Head Light and the charming seaside town of Kennebunkport. Highlights of Portland include a scenic drive through the quaint streets of the Old Port where street lanterns highlight a gracious mix of architectural styles. Once a warehouse district, it has been transformed and offers charming restaurants, pubs, boutiques, and galleries. You’ll pass a number of historic Victorian homes and enjoy terrific views of Casco Bay. Driving through Portland, you’ll see the new art district, as well as the commercial and business districts. Continuing along the beautiful coastline of Maine, arrive at the picturesque town of Cape Elizabeth for a visit of the oldest lighthouse in Maine. First illuminated on January 10, 1791, Portland Head Light has since stood at the gateway to the harbor for mariners traveling Maine's perilous coast. A short photo stop will be made here. Located just 45 minutes from Portland, enjoy a scenic drive through Kennebunkport passing the stunning mansions built by wealthy sea captains and merchants in the 1700's and 1800's. Pass Walker's Point, the Bush compound where world leaders often gathered when George H Bush was president. A stop will be made at Dock Square to enjoy some free time for shopping and a bite on your own along the picturesque bay front streets lined with galleries, boutiques, restaurants and cafes overlooking the harbor.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Portland, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie expert guide will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you walk and ride through Portland, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Arctic Campaign Memorial
• Fort Allen Park
• Portland Public Boat Ramp
• Cleeves and Tucker Memorial
• Portland Observatory
• Monument Square

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Portland.
• Follow tips from your selfie expert guide to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• ose at the World War II Arctic Campaign Memorial with the harbor in the background.
• Stand before the 1807-built Portland Observatory, the only surviving tower of its kind.
• Behold the statue honoring Portland’s Civil War soldiers in Monument Square.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Spend a carefree day exploring Portland and Kennebunkport, two deeply historical cities whose architectural treasures have been well preserved. In Portland alone, you will pass through several Victorian neighborhoods and the New Arts District, which has become the hub for the city’s cultural resurgence. The house where poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up is also there. He frequently visited the Portland Head Light, which is said to have inspired his poem “The Lighthouse.” You will stop to see this beacon up close on the picturesque drive to Kennebunkport, a charming seaside village with an abundance of Victorian- and Federal-style homes that wealthy sea captains and merchants built. Perhaps even more well-known is the compound on Walker’s Point that served as the summer retreat for president George H.W. Bush and his family. During free time in Kennebunkport’s waterfront Dock Square, you might shop, browse the galleries and dine on your own.

HIGHLIGHTS

• View the most meaningful landmarks in Portland on a panoramic drive through the city.
• Pause at Maine’s oldest lighthouse, which was first illuminated with whale oil lamps.
• Explore the village of Kennebunkport independently and dine on your own if you wish.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

See Portland’s main attractions at your own pace by riding around town in a motor coach that allows you to get on and off whenever you please at the places that sound most intriguing. The vehicles make continuous loops around Portland, following a route with more than a dozen stops. As you approach each attraction, you will hear enlightening commentary about it so you can decide if you want to visit or continue on to the next attraction. If there is an entrance fee, just show your Attraction Pass and you will get in free or at a reduced rate. You might hop off for a tour of the 19th-century Victoria Mansion, to browse the Portland Museum of Art and Pearl Gallery and to peruse the International Cryptozoology Museum – the world’s only such venue – whose exhibits feature oddities such alleged hair samples from the Abominable Snowman and Bigfoot.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride around Portland in a motor coach and stop at attractions that sound appealing to you.
• Stay as long as you like at each attraction to enhance your understanding of it.
• Board another motor coach when you are ready and ride it to another attraction.
• Choose from a variety of well-known attractions as the motor coach loops around town.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a highly entertaining treasure hunt at three Portland landmarks, where you will learn about their histories and try to unravel clues that will earn your team a winning prize. Each of the attractions is fascinating on its own, but add the element of a treasure hunt and this adventure become all the more exciting. Short and stout, the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse resembles a spark plug sitting at the end of a granite breakwater. Be sure to listen closely as the guide provides historical facts about this beacon built in 1897 and the other attractions so your team can find the hidden clues at each location. Victoria Mansion is noteworthy because it exemplifies the Italian villa style that was fashionable in the mid-19th century, while the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is renowned for its neo-Gothic architecture and three steeples. Correctly answer the most questions about these landmarks and win the prize.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Participate in a treasure hunt at three of Portland’s most historical landmarks.
• Visit a spark plug-style lighthouse, an Italianate mansion and a neo-Gothic cathedral.
• Listen to the guide’s description of each venue and uncover the clue hidden there.
• Use the clues to answer historical questions and win a prize for the most correct answers.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy beautiful views of Maine's famous rocky coastline as well as a visit to the charming coastal village of Kennebunkport, which gained worldwide exposure as the summer home of the Bush family. Located just 45 minutes from Portland, you’ll enjoy a scenic drive through Kennebunkport passing the stunning mansions that were built by wealthy sea captains and merchants in the 1700’s and 1800’s.

A stop will be made in the center of town at Dock Square to enjoy some free time to stroll the picturesque streets lined with shops, galleries, unique boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, and pubs. Your return route will take you past Walker's Point, and the Bush estate where world leaders often gathered when George H. Bush was president.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a panoramic drive around Portland, which borders the seafood-rich waters of Casco Bay, and then stop for tastings of seafood and other local specialties at three restaurants. As an introduction to the city, you will travel along the Eastern Promenade, a scenic coastal road that winds past Fort Allen Park, an urban oasis named for the Revolutionary War fort that once stood there. Along the way, you will hear commentary about the landmarks and how the local cuisine revolves around seafood, most famously lobster. The Highroller Lobster Company will likely be one of the venues for your tastings. While known for its lobster rolls, the dedication to this succulent crustacean doesn’t end there. Although the exact dishes will be determined once you arrive, the menu includes lobster grilled cheese, lobster tacos and lobster BLTs. Each of the venues will offer seafood samples, an ice-cold beer and a sweet treat for dessert.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See the highlights of Portland on a panoramic drive through downtown.
• Sample local specialties, beers and sweets at three restaurants.
• Gain insight into how seafood reigns supreme in Portland and influences the cuisine.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Settle in for a spectacularly scenic drive around Portland and take in the historical landmarks that define the city. While driving between the Eastern Promenade that fronts Casco Bay and the elevated park along the Western Promenade, you will see a collection of outstanding 19th-century architecture that includes Victoria Mansion. This National Historic Landmark exemplifies the Italian villa style that was fashionable at the time. In the New Arts District, you will pass highlights such as the Portland Museum of Art, the State Theatre and the home where poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up. Now home to the Maine Historical Society, it is the first house museum in Maine. On the other side of the Fore River, you will find Bug Light Lighthouse, a 19th-century cast-iron lighthouse that was modeled after a monument that stands near the Acropolis in Athens. Only 26 feet high, it became known as The Bug because of its small size.

HIGHLIGHTS

• View the most meaningful landmarks in Portland on a panoramic drive through the city.
• See poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s house, the first home museum in Maine.
• Drive through the historical districts between the Eastern and Western promenades.
• Pause for photos at the diminutive Bug Light Lighthouse, a cast-iron treasure.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Visit several public gathering places downtown and come away with a better understanding of daily life and Portland’s heritage. The waterfront Cleeves and Tucker Memorial is a granite obelisk dedicated to Portland’s founding families and offers a historical perspective of the city, which was incorporated in 1786. Similarly, the bronze Our Lady of Victories statue in Monument Square honors the thousands of Portland soldiers and sailors that served in the Civil War. Being in the heart of downtown, the square is always bustling and a great place for people-watching. The ambiance at Lincoln Park is quite the opposite as this urban oasis is exceptionally tranquil. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance as a place of respite for downtown workers. Deering Oaks Park is equally serene and being much larger accommodates all sorts of recreational facilities. Even so, you can’t help but feel relaxed while walking its winding paths.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold a granite monument and a bronze statue that reflect Portland’s heritage.
• Pause at a downtown park that earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Enjoy different perspectives of Portland: one at a serene park, the other in a busy square.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Stroll through the Old Port, sampling your way through several venues that offer delectable snacks that reflect Portland’s distinct cuisine. You will follow a route through the historical streets around the waterfront, an area that was once home to canneries, factories and textile mills. Today, the revitalized warehouse district features dozens of quaint restaurants, coffee houses, bakeries and shops selling gourmet merchandise. The guide will bring you to some of the finest venues to sample their wares. The exact stores and restaurants always vary, but you can be sure that the offerings will be heavily influenced by what’s freshest and most indicative of the local cuisine. Some of these Maine-inspired foods may include lobster, chowder, organically grown vegetables, fresh-baked pastries and seasonal berry jams. As you sample the various culinary treats, the proprietors will describe how they were prepared and where the ingredients were obtained.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through the waterfront area sampling snacks prepared with local ingredients.
• Become familiar with Maine’s characteristic cuisine, especially local favorites.
• Learn how the delicacies were prepared and what makes them so special.
• Remain in downtown Portland afterwards, if you please.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Explore two of Portland’s most vibrant local markets and converse with the vendors and artisans for an understanding of the local cuisine and handicrafts. Before the first farmers’ market in Portland opened in 1768, most of the food was peddled door-to-door. Although the popularity of the markets ebbed and flowed over the centuries, today the city supports several choices for shopping directly from farmers. As you browse the dozens of stalls in the farmers’ market at Deering Oaks Park, you will see items such as certified organic produce, wild blueberries, gourmet mushrooms and oysters farmed through aquaculture just up the coast in the Harraseeket River. The purveyors will be happy to discuss their farming techniques and offer tastings when possible. As you will discover at Congress Square Market, Portland is just as passionate about supporting local artisans. There, you will find fine ceramics, colorful paintings and hand-crafted jewelry, along with specialty foods.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse the stalls of a Portland farmers’ market, a tradition that dates to 1768.
• Meander about another market that focuses on merchandise from local artisans.
• Converse with the vendors for an understanding of Portland’s cuisine and creativity.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.