Ultimate Portland Self-Guided Driving GPS Audio Tour

Portland, US
75% of travellers recommend this
Very Good (41 reviews)

Highlights

  • Experience historic architecture and rich seaside culture
  • Explore the cobbled streets of Old Port
  • See iconic Maine lighthouses
  • Visit pristine beaches
  • Discover the city's long and embattled history

Meeting Point

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.

Meeting point

14 Ocean Gateway Pier, Portland, ME 04101 , United States

End point

End Point

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.

Meeting point

14 Ocean Gateway Pier, Portland, ME 04101 , United States

End point

What to expect

1

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. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
2

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
3

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
4

Portland

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.

Duration 5 minutes
5

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
6

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
7

Brown St

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.

Duration 5 minutes
8

Temple St

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.

Duration 5 minutes
9

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

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
10

Franklin St

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.

Duration 5 minutes
11

Eastern Cemetery

Here’s Portland’s Eastern Cemetery, it’s the oldest cemetery in the City of Portland Some Head Stones date back to 1768. The oldest markers were wooden, and they were lost to the fires.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
12

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
13

Waterville St

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.

Duration 5 minutes
14

Munjoy St

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.

Duration 5 minutes
15

Casco Bay

If you look over your right shoulder, see the land mass with the oil tanks. That's the City of South Portland.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
16

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
17

Walnut St

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.

Duration 5 minutes
18

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
19

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.

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included
20

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.

Duration 5 minutes
21

Fort Williams Park

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

Duration 5 minutes
Admission Admission Not Included

The experience can be subject to change due to bad weather or unforseen circumstances. We always endeavour to give you the best possible experience.

Additional Information

  • Additional information
    Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Additional information
    Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Additional information
    How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and text with instructions: • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password • Download the tour MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular Works offline after download
  • Additional information
    How to start touring: 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.
  • Additional information
    Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
  • Additional information
    Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
  • Additional information
    Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
  • Additional information
    Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Provided by Guide With Action

What our experts say

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    Start early for fewer crowds.
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    Visit Old Port for great dining.
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    Check out local art in the Arts District.
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    Pause at Eastern Promenade for views.
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    Download the app while on Wi-Fi.

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