Maine
Bar Harbor is the Gilded Age harbor town at the doorstep of Acadia National Park, where a granite mountain rises 1,530 feet from the sea, a 27-mile loop road threads past surf-battered cliffs and a pocket of shell sand, and popovers have been served beside a glacial pond since the 1890s.
This guide covers the best of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula: narrated Oli's Trolley tours of the park and the village, the Cadillac Mountain summit, the Park Loop Road and Thunder Hole, the carriage roads by e-bike, whale watching and windjammer sails on Frenchman Bay, the Abbe Museum, lobster pounds and food walks, and the quiet side of the island around Somes Sound. Alongside twenty attractions you will find ten hotels across downtown Bar Harbor, Eden Street, Northeast Harbor and Ellsworth, and six guides on timing, trolley choices, itineraries and where to eat.
Oli's Trolley 2.5-Hour Acadia National Park Trolley Tour
The quick way to see the Acadia highlights without driving: a fully narrated trolley ride from Bar Harbor with short photo stops at the Cadillac Mountain summit, Thunder Hole and the Jordan Pond area, then a return past the old summer mansions.
Oli's Trolley 4-Hour Acadia National Park Trolley Tour
The most complete narrated tour of Acadia: the full 27-mile Park Loop Road with longer 30-minute photo stops at Cadillac Mountain, Sieur de Monts Spring, Thunder Hole and the Jordan Pond area. Offered from mid-June through October.
Cadillac Mountain Summit and Sunrise
At 1,530 feet, the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast: a granite summit with a 360-degree view of Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands and the open sea, and one of the first places in the country to see the sunrise for part of the year.
Jordan Pond and Jordan Pond House
A glacial pond ringed by the rounded Bubbles, a 3.3-mile loop path, and the famous lawn where afternoon tea and warm popovers have been served since the 1890s. A true Acadia tradition.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
The quick way to see the Acadia highlights without driving: a fully narrated trolley ride from Bar Harbor with short photo stops at the Cadillac Mountain summit, Thunder Hole and the Jordan Pond area, then a return past the old summer mansions.
The most complete narrated tour of Acadia: the full 27-mile Park Loop Road with longer 30-minute photo stops at Cadillac Mountain, Sieur de Monts Spring, Thunder Hole and the Jordan Pond area. Offered from mid-June through October.
A short narrated trolley loop through the village: Gilded Age history, historic mansions, shops and restaurants in about 30 minutes, with advice on where to explore and eat afterward. A favorite first stop for cruise visitors.
At 1,530 feet, the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast: a granite summit with a 360-degree view of Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands and the open sea, and one of the first places in the country to see the sunrise for part of the year.
The 27-mile Park Loop Road is Acadia in a single drive: Sieur de Monts, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliff, Jordan Pond and the Cadillac Summit Road, with the ocean on one side and granite mountains on the other.
A pocket of pale shell sand between granite cliffs, and the 4.4-mile Ocean Path that links it to Thunder Hole, Otter Cliff and Otter Point. Cold-water swimming, tide pools and some of the best easy coastal walking in the park.
A glacial pond ringed by the rounded Bubbles, a 3.3-mile loop path, and the famous lawn where afternoon tea and warm popovers have been served since the 1890s. A true Acadia tradition.
Forty-five miles of broken-stone carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., closed to cars and crossing 16 hand-built stone bridges. Guided and self-guided e-bike tours make the hills easy and the scenery effortless.
Mount Desert Island's most photographed lighthouse: a compact white tower built in 1858 on a granite headland at the quiet southwest edge of Acadia, best at sunset when the rocks glow.
The only part of Acadia on the mainland: a quieter, wilder peninsula with a 6-mile one-way loop road, crashing surf at Schoodic Point, bike paths and far fewer crowds than Mount Desert Island.
Two free walks that define Bar Harbor: the half-mile Shore Path along Frenchman Bay past the grand cottages, and the sandbar to Bar Island, which you can walk across for about an hour and a half either side of low tide.
Boat trips from the town pier into Frenchman Bay and the Gulf of Maine: offshore whale watching, puffin and lighthouse cruises, sunset and nature cruises, and a lobster fishing and seal watching trip. Operates roughly May through October.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Downtown Waterfront
A historic waterfront inn on Newport Drive at the foot of the Shore Path, with bay views, the Reading Room restaurant and a walkable position by the town pier and Main Street.
Check rates →Eden Street
A hillside resort-style hotel on Eden Street with Frenchman Bay views, pools, suites and a spa, a short ride from downtown and the park.
Check rates →Eden Street
A mid-sized Eden Street hotel with Frenchman Bay views, a seasonal pool and easy parking, a short ride from downtown and the park.
Check rates →Eden Street
A full-service resort-style hotel on Eden Street with a large pool, bay views and plenty of parking, a short drive from downtown and the park.
Check rates →Eden Street
A large oceanfront hotel on Eden Street with ocean-view rooms, a pool and a deck over Frenchman Bay, a short drive from downtown and the park.
Check rates →Downtown / Main Street
A mid-sized hotel on Main Street in the center of the village, walkable to restaurants, shops, cruises and trolley tours.
Check rates →Eden Street
A Gilded Age Victorian bed and breakfast on Eden Street with a hosted breakfast and individually decorated rooms, a short walk from the village.
Check rates →Mount Desert Street
A Victorian mansion inn with suites and a garden on Mount Desert Street, a short walk from the village green and the Shore Path.
Check rates →Northeast Harbor
A traditional hotel overlooking the marina in Northeast Harbor, a quiet base for Jordan Pond, the gardens and the southern park.
Check rates →Ellsworth (gateway to Mount Desert Island)
A value-oriented hotel in Ellsworth, about 20 miles from Bar Harbor, with parking, breakfast and easy access to Route 3 and Schoodic.
Check rates →The essentials for a first visit to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park: how Mount Desert Island is laid out, which passes and reservations you need, how to get around without a car and how to fit the highlights into a short stay.
A neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to choosing where to stay for Acadia National Park: downtown Bar Harbor, Eden Street, Northeast Harbor and Ellsworth, with the right hotel for each kind of visit.
A day-by-day plan for three days in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, combining the Park Loop Road, Cadillac Mountain, boat trips, the carriage roads, the quiet side and the best of the village.
When to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park: how summer, fall foliage, spring and winter compare, what is open, how crowds, fog and sunrise reservations shape the trip, and the best months for each kind of traveler.
A guide to the food of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island: how to eat lobster, where lobster pounds fit in, popovers at Jordan Pond House, wild blueberries, seafood, ice cream and tips for dining in a busy summer town.
Compare the Acadia and Bar Harbor trolley tours: the 2.5-hour park tour, the 4-hour Park Loop Road tour and the 30-minute downtown tour, plus how they compare with driving yourself, e-bikes and private guided tours.
