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Historic Bar Harbor Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour Guide

4.442 reviewsVillage Green

  • 1–2 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • Guided in English
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

Return to the extravagance of the Gilded Age in Bar Harbor, Maine. Once the vacation destination of choice among some of America’s wealthiest families, this quaint seaside town is still chock full of lavish historic architecture. Dive into Bar Harbor’s rich history, stroll alongside the ocean, and learn how the lobster became such a Maine icon! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
  • Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
  • Just bring your phone and headphones; the app guides your walk.
  • Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
  • Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
  • Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
  • Private walking tour experience for your family or group.
  • Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
  • Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.

What's not

  • No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.

Itinerary

  1. Your tour of Bar Harbor begins on the pier by Agamont Park, where you'll find plentiful parking. As you walk through this historic town, you'll see tons of beautifully preserved architecture, phenomenal ocean views, and much more. Plus, you'll learn plenty of fascinating history along the way! NOTE: The tour is over 2 miles long, with more than 28 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

    5 min

  2. Bar Island Trail is a totally unique walking trail. It's a sandbar trail leading out to one of Bar Harbor's beautiful islands, but it only appears at low tide! If you're here at the right time, it makes for a positively magical stroll.

    5 min

  3. The West Street Historic District features rows of breathtaking historic homes, all dating between 1870 and 1910. Here, you'll learn how to identify which ones are the oldest!

    5 min

  4. Built in 1902, La Rochelle is a simply jaw-dropping estate. This enormous mansion has 41 rooms and a ton of history. It's now owned by the Maine Seacoast Mission Society, which purchased the property for only a dollar.

    Passes by

  5. Built in 1878, this iconic structure only barely survived a huge fire that swept through Bar Harbor in 1947. Today, it continues to welcome visitors as a cozy bed and breakfast!

    Passes by

  6. This is a church which simply must be photographed. The impressive stonework, the imposing tower, and the gorgeous windows are all just begging to end up on Instagram!

    10 min

  7. St. Saviour's Episcopal Church is a quirky architectural oddity. This church was built in multiple sections, with the oldest parts dating back to 1877 and the newest to the 1930s. The end result is an oddly endearing and totally unique structure.

    10 min

  8. This historic library dates all the way back to 1877. At the time, it had only 250 volumes, almost all of which were donated by the town's wealthy residents. Since then, that small collection has continued to expand.

    Passes by

  9. Abbe Museum celebrates the heritage of the native Wabanaki. Also known as the People of the Dawn, the Wabanaki lived in Bar Harbor long before it was Bar Harbor. Museum founder Robert Abbe wanted to honor that long history, and the museum now features exhibits encompassing 12,000 years of Native history in the region.

    Passes by

  10. Bar Harbor's village green isn't just any old park. It was designed by Beatrix Farrand, who also designed the Rose Garden at the White House! It features an 1896 street clock, a historic bandstand, and a fountain in the style of 17th century Italian fountains.

    Passes by

  11. Balance Rock is an unusual landmark which rests right next to the Shore Path. It's a glacial erratic, meaning a glacier dragged it a very long way before setting it down here. This boulder is estimated to have moved about 40 miles before setting up shop in Bar Harbor!

    Passes by

  12. Once the site of a Gilded Age mansion, Grant Park is now just a pleasant, oceanside green space for all to enjoy. If you're looking for the ideal picnic spot, this is it!

    Passes by

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

4.4

  • 529
  • 46
  • 33
  • 20
  • 13

Ratings come from 41 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point
Start at John B. Ells Pier, 23 Ells Pier, Bar Harbor. Look for the Bar Harbor Port Security Building on your right and Ellis Park with a gazebo ahead. This is the suggested starting point. We’re not affiliated with nearby businesses. Audio plays automatically—check your email/text for details.
Pickup
Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by
Adventures with Action
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Your password can be used on the same number of devices as travelers booked. Enter the same password on each device.
  • Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
  • Private tour: Follow the route on your phone without an in-person guide or crowded group.
  • At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
  • Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
  • Multi-device access: Use the same password on one device for each traveler included in your booking.

How it compares in Bar Harbor

  • Its from-price is 91% below the median of the 64 experiences we list in Bar Harbor.
  • It is shorter than most of them.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 23 of 64.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is a coastal town on Mount Desert Island in Maine and the gateway to Acadia National Park, with granite peaks, rocky shores and lobster boats.

Bar Harbor sits on the north-east shore of Mount Desert Island on the coast of Maine, facing Frenchman Bay and a scatter of small islands. It grew as a summer retreat in the nineteenth century, when wealthy families built large seaside cottages here, and a fire in 1947 destroyed many of those houses. The Shore Path runs along the waterfront, and at low tide a sandbar leads out to Bar Island.

Top-ranked sights in Bar Harbor: Acadia National Park, Village Green, Criterion Theater.

See all 64 experiences in Bar Harbor

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Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.

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