When you’re looking to schedule Bar Harbor Maine shore excursions, say a silent thank you to the painters of the Hudson River School, who in the mid-1800s discovered the incredible natural beauty of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Bar Harbor is a “Down East Maine” coastal town that serves as the gateway to the 47,000 acre Acadia National Park, and as a port of call, the town presents splendid opportunities for Canada and New England cruise passengers to delight in its many charms. Booking Bar Harbor Maine shore excursions is your best bet for making the most of your visit.
Lobstering is an important industry in Maine, and that holds true for Bar Harbor as well. Happily, there are Bar Harbor Maine cruise tours that offer an opportunity to board a lobster boat, learn firsthand how lobsters are harvested, hear about maritime conservation efforts, and savor a seafood sampling. The town’s wharf area is home to family-owned lobster pounds (where lobsters are stored), as well as casual eateries often called lobster or clam shacks.
Board a different kind of seafaring vessel and enjoy one of the port’s most popular attractions, a guided cruise to the Gulf of Maine’s whale feeding grounds, where you’ll be treated to sightings of Pilot and Humpback whales, Minkes, Northern Right Whales, and possibly schools of Bluefin tuna, and sharks, including Makos.
Book a leisurely cruise to five offshore islands to explore the area’s historic lighthouses, and enjoy stunning views of Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Mountain and Thunder Hole.
Whether you enjoy walking, hiking, motor touring, or even riding in a horse-drawn carriage, there are Bar Harbor Maine shore excursions to suit the way you’d like to explore Acadia National Park. A motor coach Park Loop tour offers commanding views of the coastline, then takes you far into the park to Thunder Hole, over to Otter Cliff, and under a stone bridge. Step back in time into a horse-drawn carriage and travel along the Carriage Trails of the Park, built from 1913 to 1930 by John D. Rockefeller.
For just plain fun, book a haunted harbor tour. Join a costumed guide on a walking tour of Bar Harbor’s most haunted places. Hear tales of the supernatural, and stories of shipwrecks, ice monsters, and witches from Wabanaki Indian guides, as you walk the historic and iconic paths of the town.