Portland Driving Tour: Explore Historic Seaside Culture
4.0
28 Ratings
Portland
Embark on a driving tour of Portland, Maine and immerse yourself in its historic seaside culture. Explore charming architecture, harbor views, and iconic lighthouses. Book now!
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Commercial Street - Portland’s Harbor (the body of water that you just sailed in on) is a “deep water” port, it generally does not freeze over during the winters. the Gulf of Maine has very strong tides, and those tides mix the water column and bring deeper, warmer water to the surface all along the coast.

Note: This 10+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Portland in 1-2 hours.

  • Victoria Mansion - This is the Victoria Mansion. Built by Ruggles Morse in 1858. “the best standing example of Victorian art, architecture and decoration.” He named it “Victoria Mansion” after Britain’s Queen Victoria, It was built as his summer home.

  • The Danforth - On the left-hand side, see the colorful brick rowhouses. These were built originally for the servant class, these rowhouses are now very nice… expensive condominiums.
    After all those fires, brick was used from that point on throughout the city, not a lot of wood.

  • West Street - The Maine Medical Center is home of the Barbara Bush Children’s Wing. Mrs. Bush, the wife of our 41st president and the mother of the 43rd president, she lived much of her life in Kennebunkport, Maine, 30 miles south of Portland. She passed away in 2018. Mrs. Bush did so much great work raising money for treatment of kids with terrible illnesses, and her legacy is remembered in the Children’s wing of the Maine Medical Center.

  • One Longfellow Square - On the right side of the coach we’ll pass the home of Neal Dow. A former Portland mayor, Neal Dow is known as the father of the American Prohibition. In 1851, then Mayor Dow pushed through a statewide prohibition– banning the sale and consumption of intoxicating beverages–that became the model for the National Prohibition.

  • Arts District - This is the “Portland’s Arts District”. The area has many independent art galleries, working studios, Coffee houses and restaurants.
    Up ahead, on the right, is the Portland Art Museum.

  • Brown Street - Just past the non-descript building on the right—the gray/brown Maine Historical Society headquarters—is the Wadsworth Longfellow House. It’s the brick building set a little back from the road, on the left. This is the house where the poet grew up. Built after the Revolutionary War by Peleg Wadsworth, a Revolutionary War General and the grandfather of Henry Longfellow, it’s the oldest brick house in Portland.

  • Temple Street - On our left side is the 1st Parish Unitarian Universalist Church. This is the oldest church in Portland. The building is the second building that has housed this congregation.

  • Portland City Hall - On the left is Portland’s City Hall, a beautiful building for a small city. This is the third City Hall building on this site. The first two building were destroyed by fire

  • Franklin Street - The tall brick and concrete building to your left is the Franklin Tower, built in the 1970s. It’s the tallest building in the state of Maine at 16 stories.

  • Eastern Cemetery - Here’s Portland’s Eastern Cemetery, it’s the oldest cemetery in the City of Portland
    Some Head Stones date back to1768. The oldest markers were wooden, and they were lost to the fires.

  • Portland Observatory - Let’s go back to the 1800’s, during that time, ships entering Portland Harbor could not be seen from the docks until they rounded the point of land at Spring Point Ledge and were almost in the harbor.

  • Waterville Street - Notice that there are several examples of the “flattop triple-decker” this tenement housing style, which is very typical here in New England, were built in the 1880s to the 1920s.

  • Munjoy Street - Off to the right is Portland Harbor. Part of Casco Bay, an inlet on the Southern Coast of the Gulf of Maine, the City of Portland sits along its southern edge and the Port of Portland lies within.

  • Casco Bay - If you look over your right shoulder, see the land mass with the oil tanks. That’s the City of South Portland.

  • Eastern Promenade Trail - The Eastern Promenade is a great space where Portlanders get out and enjoy the nice weather
    and the sea breezes, at the foot of the Eastern Prom is a little beach called the East End Beach.

  • Walnut Street - After the British destroyed city in 1775, Portland’s city leaders decided that they need to build a fort. The green space on the right is the result of that decision.

  • Fore Street Restaurant - You’ll remember earlier we spoke about the streets in Old Portland, how they were named due to their proximity to the water. They are Fore St, Middle St and Back St.

  • Casco Bay Bridge - Continuing our drive here in Portland, we will make our way to the Casco Bay Bridge. The Bridge spans Casco Bay and connects the City of Portland with the City of South Portland.

  • Meetinghouse Hill - While we make our way through the City of South Portland we approach Meetinghouse Hill. Meetinghouse Hill is a kind of quintessential New England scene with the cemetery on the left and the Civil War statue on the right and a beautiful church behind the Civil War statue.

  • Fort Williams Park - We’re now entering Fort Williams Park. You’ll notice several military installations here in the park

What's Included
  • Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat, or Email.
  • Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary with travel tips, professionally narrated tours, videos, texts, and hidden gems.
  • Offline use: No need for cell signal or wifi. Features Offline GPS Map & route along with stop-to-stop direction.
  • Private tour by car: Enjoy at your own pace. No groups to follow. Take breaks for photos, snacks, or hikes.
  • App on your phone: A link to download the Tour Guide App by Action and Password for your tours.
  • Flexible schedule: Use any day or time. Suitable for multi-day travels or future trips. Your purchase never expires.
  • Good value: One purchase covers the entire car. No individual charges. More savings compared to bus tours.
What's Not Included
  • Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
Additional Information

Explore the antique structures, seaside vistas, and vibrant coastal culture of Portland, Maine with this captivating vehicular journey! Traverse the stone-paved lanes of Old Port, brimming with boutiques, eateries, and pubs, all set against the gleaming bay. Immerse yourself in the city’s engaging and contentious past at a church displaying British artillery residue. View the emblematic lighthouses of Maine and explore untouched beaches. Despite its minimum size, Portland delivers a significant impact!

One tour should be bought for each car, not for each individual. Everyone can listen in unison!

Post reservation, you can check your inbox prior to installing the Tour Guide App by Action. Enter your distinct password to access your tour. The aforementioned steps necessitate strong internet/wifi connectivity. You can subsequently follow the audio guidance and the provided route.

This is not an admission ticket. Confirm operational hours before your visit.

No validity limit — the tour possesses a lifetime’s validity!

  • How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email with instructions. Follow the instructions right away: • Download the separate app • Enter the password • Download the tour • MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular.
  • How to start the tour: 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. (Note: no one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided). • The audio will begin automatically at the starting point. If you face audio issues, visit the FAQ. • Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
  • Amazing Savings: why pay for an expensive, crowded, and limited bus tour — priced per person! — when you can have ONE amazing audio guide on your OWN phone for your WHOLE group?
  • Flexibility and Convenience: • Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. It’s perfect for tailoring your exploration and revisiting your favorite spots on future trips. • Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace, free from the constraints of a group.
  • Comprehensive Tour Experience: •The app provides a full itinerary, travel tips, narrated audio stories, scripts, images, videos, and recommendations for additional activities. • Enjoy a private experience without the crowds, ideal for personalized stops and photo opportunities.
  • Ease of Use and Accessibility: • The app is hands-free and activates stories via GPS, offering support through call, chat, or email. • There is no need for a continuous cell or Wi-Fi connection as the GPS map works offline.
  • Memorable Keepsakes: • Utilize the app’s images to create a photo book or share on social media, ensuring you have high-quality, crowd-free memories from your trip.
  • Preparation: • After booking, download the app and the tour using a strong Wi-Fi connection. • Review the tour at home before your trip for a better experience.
  • Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app’s features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.
Location
Visit Portland, Maine Information Center
Ocean Gateway Pier
After booking the tour, search your email for the phrase "Set up your self-guided tour now." Follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.0
(28 Ratings)
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1 star
Daniel
Apr 13, 2024
It was a perfect way to find out quickly about an area. Great voice and very easy to use. - Loved the new technology with the GPS. It was easy to use. Got to see a lot of things I'd missed with out it. I'd like to use it in other places too
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dutchj_13
Jan 17, 2024
Good tour - Good easy fun way to take a tour of a city. It was during non peak tourist season so easy to navigate the city and hear the information.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Freedom652076
Nov 4, 2023
Worth it - Fun tour of Portland, Maine! We all enjoyed the tour and the city. Good amount of information, and not boring.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N7737qndavido
Oct 25, 2023
Great Experience! - Once we figured it out our experience was great. We loved how it synced with the location and we found the information very helpful and informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Veronica_m
Jan 1, 2024
Pretty good, coming from a local - I live in Portland but am new so decided to take this tour and I loved it. It's a bit out of date and so I got a little lost. The houses around the Danforth are no longer painted colorfully. I recommend doing the tour when there won't be people out and about, perhaps very early in the morning.
Review provided by Viator
Vickie_s
Nov 25, 2023
A few more hints about where the things we are looking at are would have helped. - We enjoyed this tour, my daughter lives nearby and we still saw new things! We liked seeing the houses.
Review provided by Viator
Michael_k
Nov 4, 2023
Excellent information - Information was excellent, hit all the highlights of Portland very well, while on our own time schedule via the app GPS.
Review provided by Viator
Relax45800892736
Nov 2, 2023
Great info covered best highlights - We really enjoyed the driving tour and info provided. The GPS component was excellent once we figured out our starting point. That would have gone smoother had we had one of our techs kids with us, so not holding that against the experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alex_s
Oct 30, 2023
NTI - Better Google maps integration and more pictures of what was described would be helpful. The cathedral should be described later when the route passed right in front of it.
Review provided by Viator
Jimlf6225ft
Feb 25, 2024
Great idea, poor execution. - First, why does one have to wait an hour from purchase to download the audio tour? After the hour passed I still had not received the link to download so I called TripAdvisor and was on the phone for another half-hour trying to get the download straightened out. The tour was okay through the first half until #36. When I came to the end of the road there was no instruction on which way to turn. I guess and turned left and drove for about 7 minutes and heard nothing. I gave up in frustration. Great idea; poor implementation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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