Portland tours, things to do and tickets

Welcome to my hometown! Hop aboard for an authentic 90 minute sightseeing tour of Portland and 3 lighthouses with an experienced guide who is a real local, born and raised in Portland, ME.

Get an insider’s look at the current happenings and rich history of my hometown. We’ll go where other tours go, and then I'll take you places other tours don't - you'll see hidden gems and learn little known facts about Portland and the great state of Maine that only a real local knows!

As a college librarian I'm always researching the hidden history of Portland, while at the same time keeping on top of what's new in town and visiting as many local establishments that I can. I take pride in representing this city, and providing an informative and entertaining tour, delivered with a true Mainer's sense of humor.

This is The Real Portland Tour!

Check my website for a complete listing of tour days, times, and availability.

This tour is for the Lighthouse Lovers!!! Unfortunately in Maine, we cannot go into the lighthouses, except 1 day in the year. This tour is visiting the lighthouse grounds with epic photo stops!!

Whether this is your first visit or you've lived in Portland for years, you’ll explore the Greater Portland area from a new perspective.

Travel through downtown Portland with a local lobsterman and hear about the working waterfront, commercial fishing industry and more!

Next, visit 3 lighthouses and spend about 40 minutes walking around and taking pictures at historic Portland Head Light. 2 more photo stops are included on the tour at Spring Point Head Light and Bug Light.

Transportation provided in a temperature controlled 12 passenger Ford Transit. Your guide provides tips for dining and activities during your stay in Portland, Maine.

Call us directly for information on booking a custom or charter service tour!

Explore the sights and scenes of Casco Bay on a fully narrated scenic cruise. See major sights like Portland Head Light and Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse as well as local wildlife in the bay.

This 50-minute sightseeing tour is a fun and unique way to discover Portland, Maine. Board a Vintage Fire Engine and travel back in time as your knowledgeable guide helps relive Portland’s colorful history from a local’s perspective. See lighthouses, Civil War forts, city parks and buildings, interesting stories and a multimedia experience packed with historic images of Maine. This is one family-friendly tour you should not miss out on!

Jump aboard a trolley to join a fully-narrated sightseeing tour of Portland's diverse historic and hidden gems accompanied by engaging and informative guides.

Curious about Portland's history with railroads, fires, wars, famous poets and Hollywood producers? Join us for a Walk Through Time! This tour begins on Commercial Street and continues for 2 hours through the historic Old Port, downtown and waterfront areas, sharing highlights of Portland's history since 1632.

Some of the locations we may feature on your tour include; the lobster statue, the home of Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow and his place of worship, the Eastern Cemetery, the Abyssinian Church, the U.S. Customs House and more.

***Tour duration is two "ish" hours, based on guest engagement and pace of the group. Planning on 2.5 hours for arriving early to check-in and make it back to your vehicle post tour is recommended.

- Portland's culinary culture is made up of many kinds of artisan food and beverage entrepreneurs from bakers, brewers and chefs to confectioners and more - wherever taste and creativity meet!
- We combine a unique combination of social history, culinary education, the stories of talented entrepreneurs and current award-winning food scene narrated by friendly and engaging local guides
- This tour visits 4-5 venues where you will enjoy a mix of Maine/Maine-inspired cultural, up-and-coming, and trending fare, plenty for lunch with a sweet treat to cap it off.

Meet Portland and the people—of all backgrounds and identities—whose wit and grit have made Maine's largest city what it is today. Your locally-raised guide will captivate you with extraordinary, exciting, and surprising stories largely left out of the history books. Get ready to broaden your sense of what Portland and Maine have been and could be.

Brick sidewalks beneath your feet and beautiful Victorian-era buildings nestled around you, we'll casually stroll Portland’s lush, historic Old Port toward the sparkling waters of Casco Bay. We’ll see where Indigenous Wabanaki leaders made their earliest relationships with European colonizers and walk together through the centuries.

Enjoy an inclusive, empowering, and surprising constellation of tales that offers a welcome contrast to the more obvious themes you’re likely to experience on other tours. You'll enjoy 2 hours of narration over a 1.5-mile route with owner and guide, Dugan Murphy. He is Portland's top-rated guide on TripAdvisor!

Explore the bustling inner harbor, Diamond Pass, and the main shipping channel to get close up views of civil war era forts and as many as 4 lighthouses that guide mariners into Portland Harbor.

The most comprehensive tour of Portland! Hop on board a trolley and relax as we show you around. The tour covers all of our most famous sights on the Portland peninsula. Towards the end of the tour, we make a 20-30 minute stop out at Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth.

Join a 50 minute fully-narrated tour of Portland while aboard an open air fire engine.

Take in Portland's history and sights on this trolley tour. Hop aboard a classic trolley with an experienced guide, and learn about sites such as the Portland Observatory and Victoria Mansion.

What better way to see the delights of Portland than from the sea in one of the famous schooner tall ships. Join us for this mid morning cruise that will make your visit to Portland live long in the memory.

A fully narrated 60-minute scenic cruise through busy Casco Bay and its innermost islands to see lighthouses, forts, lobster boats, seals, and seabirds. As many as four lighthouses can be seen including a close up view of Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest and most photographed lighthouse.

Climb aboard a spacious boat with indoor and outdoor seating and enjoy a fully-narrated cruise in Portland. Discover Casco Bay and see iconic lighthouses, forts, lobster boats, seals, and seabirds.

Walk through Portland's exciting old town. This 2-hour guided tour is packed with historic landmarks and commentary from a local history expert.

Soak in the views of Portland, Maine aboard a famous schooner tall ship. Cruise the rugged coastline of Casco Bay and catch sight of seals, lighthouses, and coastal wildlife.

Eat your way through one of Maine's most "foodie" centric cities on this culinary walking tour of Portland. Enjoy a leisurely walking tour that carves a path through the streets of the charming Old Port educating you on local food, drinks, and history.

The only tour of Portland on an open-air trolley, the Peek at Portland is a 60-minute, fully narrated tour of Portland's most famous sights and various neighborhoods that still leaves you plenty of time to explore the city further on your own.

Learn about Maine's most famous crustacean and the men and women who make their living from trap to table. Stroll along Portland's vital working waterfront , view lobster boats often unloading their catch and visit Old Port and waterfront district destinations for a progressive, iconic Maine lunch.

- This walking tour is appx. 1 - 1.5 miles visiting local favorites with plenty of food, and food for thought - lots of time for Q/A.
- There's always a whole lobster roll, a New England clam or seafood chowder, local craft beer (or soda) plus a whoopie pie or other Maine sweet, and a surprise seafood taste or two along the way. This is our most “classic heritage” Maine experience with a bit of modern flare.