Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Island Explorer

    4.8 (17 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Island Explorer Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Island Explorer

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Anna N.

    When I learned that we were going to need to take a bus around Acaida (parking is too much of a problem in the high season) I was bummed. But this bus was actually really nice because we got to see the park while we were on it and some of the drivers would give you info about the area. LL bean sponsors it and it's free. Mostly you'll be taking the number 4 bus.

    Free Island Explorer Buses, Bar Harbor Village Green

    See all

    3 years ago

    So great! A free bus around the entire island. Hard to beat. So glad we chose to use this instead of paying for a private tour.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Why would you drive and fight for a parking space? Free and convenient. What more could you ask for? BTW, this is on Mt Desert Island ME.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark H.
    4
    251
    55

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A M.
    886
    1437
    8

    13 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Island Explorer

    Review Highlights - Island Explorer

    Excellent free shuttle will take you almost anywhere around Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Oli's Trolley - Photo stop in Acadia National Park

    Oli's Trolley

    (205 reviews)

    A must when visiting Bar Harbor!…read more Everything about Oli's is top notch. Ordering our tours was super easy online. Friendly reminders via email were so helpful. We arrived for our first tour super early as we wanted to secure a parking spot (not easy to do in Bar Harbor) and the woman at the Trolley was so kind and make a suggestion to us for how to spend the time before boarding. Our amazing tour guide and driver, Jim, was super personable and interesting, and even helped us find blueberries and took several pictures of my husband and I with the beautiful backdrops of Cadillac Mountain and Jordan's Pond. We had a great bunch on the tour, and can say that this tour was the highlight of our trip. Jim even recommended a great place to eat, and it was so good, we went back again for dinner! But the icing on the cake was again customer service. We booked a second tour for the next day, and woke up to crummy weather, so we decided to head home and skip our tour. As we had passed the cancellation policy time of 24 hours notice, I did not request my money back, but did call and leave a message to let them know we would not be attending, so they wouldn't wait for us. Imaging my surprise when I looked in my email to find they had refunded my money! We would (and will) be touring with them again, and highly recommend them to anyone.

    Oli's is a prominent and reliable tour operator in Bar Harbor, and gives narrated tours of Acadia…read moreNational Park and downtown Bar Harbor. We chose the trolley for its old fashioned charm and a more open view, over taking another popular tour by bus given by a different company. I booked a 2.5-hour tour for my family during our cruise stop - the boarding location was super convenient (55 West St.), right by the tendor port at Town Pier, and the check-in process was organized and a breeze. This tour includes 15-minute stops at three of the most popular sites in the park: Thunder Hole, Jordan Pond, and top of Cadillac Mountain. The stops are too brief for anything other than a quick walk-through to take some photos, but that was enough for my sight-seeing family. The park is huge so most of the time is spent driving and taking in the occasional breathtaking views along the coastline. The first time I visited this park (a much more thorough and extensive, multi-day trip where we camped inside the park and hiked all the most difficult trails that rewarded us with the most stunning views), the majesty of the landscape continuously awed me. There were fewer such moments on the tour due to the route and time crunch, but we were entertained by the excellent narration and stories about the park and the town by our driver Jim, a very knowledgeable local who's quippy to boot. They also offer a 4-hour tour that includes an extra site (Sieur de Monts Spring), with 30-minute stops at each location instead of 15, and is for age 12+ only. If you want to see Acadia park but are limited on time, don't have a car, don't want to deal with the logistics of planning a park itinerary, are mobility-challenged or don't wish to walk/hike too much, or simply like to enjoy the ride and casually explore the park while listening to some informative stories, I heartily recommend Oli's Trolley for your excursion! They're very professional and well run. Be sure to also check out their excellent gift shop nearby (1 West St.) which has a cute and well-curated selection of merchandise that are reasonably priced. Tickets often sell out early - especially during high tourist season and on days when cruise passengers land - so definitely book well in advance!

    Acadia National Park Tours - Parking kiosk throughout downtown

    Acadia National Park Tours

    (34 reviews)

    We wanted a way to explore the park and thought that a tour would be the best option. They offer a…read morestandard tour and a premium tour. We chose the premium tour which is between 3 1/2 to 4 hours and has 4 stops vs. the classic tour which is 2 1/2 hours long and has 3 stops. The narration is very good and the tour guide knew his stuff. I just felt that the tour was geared for people with limited mobility. During the stops, we didn't really have enough time to explore.....especially on the last stop (Jordan Pond House). They have a restaurant there with a beautiful outdoor area on the water. It is famous for its popovers. I thought for sure, we would be able to sit down a little and have some, but the tour guide talks about the popovers and then says, we won't have time to try them. My friend and I ordered them anyway and brought them to the bus to eat. So all in all, the tour was good, but if you want a more active visit to the park, you should check other options. If you take this company's tours, the shorter version would be sufficient, and then maybe you could do some exploring on your own.

    Definitely the best way to explore the entire park in a day. It's guided with a local experienced…read morefor several years about the area, the history, and sprinkled with a bit of silly jokes. Sure, you can have your rental car and experience it yourself at your own pace, but why not go around with someone who already knows the way. This tour group goes around in a shuttle bus and gets special bus parking at each stop. Those four or five stops can get crowded! Especially the ones with the restrooms. Prior to each scenic stop, you're given the heads up of what to expect, thrown in with some interesting facts, and tips on what to enjoy. The island is so big, it is just way more convenient this way, to learn and explore one of Maine's biggest attraction. This tour is so well done and people know it; reservations book quickly so plan accordingly!

    Island Explorer - transport - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...