Quick Details
Tour Length: 4 hours
Tour Start Times: 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 1:00 pm
Vehicle Options: minivan or 14 passenger van.
Tour Attractions & Sites: Bar Harbor, Cadillac Mountain, Sieur de Monts Springs, Precipice Cliffs, Sand Beach, Otter Cliffs, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Asticou Gardens, and finish by driving along spectacular Somes Sound, the only fjord on the East Coast.
Starting at
$ 625
From Gilded Age Mansions to Glacial Fjord
Experience the full grandeur of Mount Desert Island on this comprehensive private journey. This tour is meticulously crafted to showcase the dramatic duality of the island: the raw, prehistoric power of Acadia National Park and the refined, aristocratic elegance of the Gilded Age summer colonies. Led by a local expert, your group will bypass the crowds to discover the stories, geology, and hidden vistas that define this coastal crown jewel.
High-Altitude Grandeur & The Granite Coast
We begin by navigating the iconic 27-mile Park Loop Road, a masterpiece of landscape engineering. The journey climbs to the Summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard. From this granite pedestal, you’ll enjoy sweeping 360-degree views of Bar Harbor, the Porcupine Islands, and the infinite blue of the Atlantic.
As we descend, we balance Acadia’s wilder side with stops at its most powerful landmarks:
- The Roaring Thunder Hole: Feel the vibration of the ocean as waves compress air into a granite cavern, erupting in a thunderous boom.
- The Soaring Precipice & Otter Cliffs: Gaze up at the sheer vertical walls of the Precipice, where Peregrine Falcons nest, and look out from the 110-foot Otter Cliffs, where the pink granite meets the sea in a dramatic vertical drop.
- Hand-Cut Stone Bridges: Marvel at the historic masonry of the Rockefeller carriage road bridges, seamlessly integrated into the Maine wilderness.
The “Cottages” and Cultivated Beauty
Transitioning from the wild to the refined, we showcase the communities of Mount Desert Island. We’ll wind past the “Summer Cottages”—the massive stone and shingle mansions of the Vanderbilts, Fords, and Rockefellers—and the manicured lawns of Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor.
- Asticou Azalea Gardens: Experience a moment of Zen in these world-renowned gardens. Designed to harmonize Japanese aesthetics with Maine’s rugged flora, the sand-raked paths and vibrant azaleas offer a peaceful counterpoint to the crashing surf.
- The Great Harbors: See the “white fleet” of luxury yachts and traditional Downeast lobster boats moored in the pristine waters of the island’s most exclusive ports.
The Fjord & The Legacy of the “Summer People”
The finale of your journey explores the island’s unique glacial geography. We’ll take a stunning drive along Somes Sound, the only glacial fjord on the U.S. East Coast. Flanked by the steep slopes of Acadia and Norumbega Mountains, the sound offers a dramatic, deep-water perspective found nowhere else in the country.
Your guide will weave together the history of the “Summer People”—the philanthropists who preserved this land—and the ancient glaciers that carved it, leaving you with a profound understanding of why this island remains one of the most storied destinations in the world.
