Highlights

Options & Add-ons:

• Scholarships for Free Travel
• Online Payment Portal
• Luggage Handling
• Full Time Tour Director, or
• Tour Director at Destination Only
• Hotel Security
• Group Travel Video APP
  • With Student GEO Tracking

Whatever you want, America4Kids by US Tours will be happy to customize this program for you.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Portland, ME – Southworth Planetarium – Portland Observatory

Arrive this afternoon in Portland, ME.  (Groups flying will be met at the airport by a motorcoach that will stay with the group the entire trip.)

Start with a visit to the Southworth Planetarium – Portland’s space & science place! The Southworth Planetarium is in the Science Building on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus.  Enjoy stargazing and a movie of on your choice of topics.

Then visit the Portland Observatory and discover why it is “NOT A LIGHTHOUSE,” and learn more about the tower’s place in the rich, unique maritime history of Portland. After climbing 7 stories (104 stairs!), you see tremendous views of Casco Bay and her islands.

Dinner will be included this evening at a local restaurant. End the day by checking into your Portland hotel for a two-night stay. (D)

Day 2 – Portland Head Light – Casco Bay Lines Mailboat Cruise – Portland Museum of Art – Ghost Tour

After breakfast, head to Cape Elizabeth, home of Portland Head Light. Situated along the shores of Fort Williams Park, this popular landmark is one of the most iconic sights in Maine. Visit the museum, hike along the Cliff Walk Trail, explore the history of the former artillery batteries or discover fun surprises in the Children’s Garden. Lunch will also be included today.

The afternoon features a Casco Bay Mailboat Cruise. The locals’ favorite way to experience Casco Bay – this true working boat carries passengers, mail and freight to Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long, Cliff and Chebeague Islands.

Next stop at the Portland Museum of Art where you can see a diverse collection of works from the 19^th and 20^th century including art by Winslow Homer, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol and Andrew Wyeth. The museum is the largest and oldest public art institution in Maine.

Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant followed by a guided Ghost Tour. Learn of the long-forgotten souls of pirates and lost sailors that rise from the depths, revealing the dark secrets hidden in the Forest City’s shadowy streets. (B,L,D)

Day 3 – Maine Maritime Museum – Bar Harbor, ME – Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf

After breakfast, depart Portland and stop in Bath, ME to visit the Maine Maritime Museum. This waterfront museum is located on the Kennebec River and explores Maine’s maritime heritage through exhibitions, historic sites and more. The 20-acre campus includes the nation’s only intact historic shipyard, once home to the Percy & Small Shipyard.  Your students will get the chance to explore indoor galleries, tour the Victorian-era Donnell House and experience Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience, which recreates the view from inside a lighthouse lantern room.

Following the tour, travel to Bar Harbor, ME, where you enjoy an overnight stay. Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant.  After dinner, head to Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf. Enter the world of 18th century pirates–carousing buccaneers, an authentic, full-scale pirate ship, and lavish landscaping. Putt your way through mountain caves, over footbridges and under cascading waterfalls! (B,L,D)

Day 4 – Guided Tour of Acadia National Park – Depart for Home

After breakfast, meet your local guide for a tour of Acadia National Park, the Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast.  Learn about the area’s rich history, from its discovery in 1604 to the great fire of 1947. Enjoy spectacular scenery, including Paradise Hill, Frenchman Bay, Bubble Mountain, Sand Beach, and Otter Cliff, as you travel along the full 27-mile Park Loop Road. Enjoy photo stops at the biggest attractions of Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Mountain, the Jordan Pond Area, and Thunder Hole on Ocean Drive.

Following the tour, stop for an included lunch then depart for home. (Groups flying will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home.) (B,L)

Tour Map