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!

We took their Nature Cruise with Kevin and Annalise. Kevin was funny and entertaining, telling us…read morestories of the rich folk who built cottages on the waterfront. Annalise was very knowledgeable and told us about lobstering, showed us seals and bald eagles, and even a shy harbor porpoise. It was a fun 2 hour cruise and much less crowded than the ones at the harbor.

We took the puffin tour: Nice service and crew- gave me ginger chewable when I was sea sick,…read morechecked in frequently to make sure everyone on the boat was doing okay. We saw puffins, seals, and a few porpoises. Pictures do not do it justice Wish the speaker down low were higher- hard to hear while out boating. It is chilly too so make sure to wear pants and a jacket! So fun

Omg great food , long wait but the pier was nice and once we got back in it was a great view nice…read morestaff

This was fun! Would definitely do this again! Got to hold lobsters! Would be great for kids about…read more10+. Great for families. Rachel our guide was very informative. She taught us so much about lobsters. Don our captain was very funny. He told us before we left water was choppy. We might not make it to seal island. We made it. Tour would have been great even without seals.

Woody is awesome my wife and I flew in to Bar Harbor Airport i has scheduled a pick by Woody(owner)…read morehe was waiting. Drove to hotel in Bar Harbor at that time scheduled a pickup to return to Airport today he was on time. He kept in touch. He is super friendly and will be using his services again

We took a 3 hour tour with Woody as our guide and it was fantastic.. He showed us more than we ever…read moreanticipated and it was such a great professional job. I would highly recommend him if you are in town looking to get a tour. He really exceeded our expectations

For my birthday, we joined a whale watching tour in the Gulf of Maine.  We honestly weren't sure…read morewhat to expect but were blown away by getting to see 3 different types of whales (Humpback, Minke, Finback), with multiples of each type and also two blue sharks. The people that led our tour were knowledgeable and friendly and I also appreciated they had food and drinks onboard for sale (and single serve dramamine). We had a hot dog, their ocean gin drink, and a blueberry harbor ale and couldn't have had a better time. Make sure to get there early as the most in demand seats on top of the boat were full after they let the people waiting in line early on the boat. I'd say we got there 30 minutes earlier than needed and got some of the best seats but there weren't many left. There is a shop with good coffee close so you can have one person hold your spot in line while others do that. Dress warmer than you think you need: we ended up wearing long sleeve shirts and pants with jackets and beanies and it wasn't a rough or especially cold day at sea and closer to 70 degrees on land. .

Spent the July 4th weekend in Bar Harbor and we booked this company for the whale watching as well…read moreas for the fireworks on the water. I will start by saying that the staff is absolutely wonderful! Super attentive and polite and was constantly checking on all of the riders. The ride was long but we went to two locations before we finally got a glimpse of one humpback whale- Anthur. The captain did his best to get us as close to the whale as possible without disrupting it and also tried to make sure both sides of the boat got ample time to view. The narrator on the boat had a ton of information to provide which was really cool. It wasn't just about whales, we learned about other sea life and productivity and sustainability as well as about the harbor and Acadia park. It was an experience for sure. I do tend to get a little motion sickness which thankfully I was spared on this trip- but unfortunately it seemed like it was happening all around us where people were just losing it. The staff was quick to react and accommodate those riders with bags, drinks and food. Prepare for the cold because even though it was 80 degrees on land, it was extremely windy and freezing out of the water. They do provide hot chocolate and coffee and snacks on board for purchase, you can also bring food on board as well. We went back out again in the evening for the fireworks- they do a trip out towards the lighthouse and the porcupine islands and again provide lots of information about the islands, sea life, and about the earlier settlers. That part was great- the fireworks (out of their control) was eh. Everyone said Bar Harbor has some of the best fireworks and unfortunately they were super underwhelming. Would I do it again..... probably not, but it was an experience that we enjoyed and have stories to tell.

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!

Charlie, our guide, met us at the clock on the square and we were off. It was immediately apparent…read morehe was very comfortable and knowledgeable about Bar Harbor and Maine history. " The 'help' would stay upstairs, because downstairs was cooler.", he said as we passed a two story historic home. Highlights of this food tour included the lobster sliders and the hot Italian sandwiches, including how and where these were eaten. We mostly ate inside. This was just starting out. Charlie gets 5 stars.

My husband and I went on the happy with appeys (love the name by the way) this past week and loved…read moreit! Highly recommend it to anyone looking to be able to try out a few different restaurants and drinks!! The four appetizers were yummy as well as the drinks! Our tour guild (well we had two, one was a trainee) were both fun, knew a lot about the area as well as answered any questions we had about the local area!

We rented 2 e-bikes Saturday July 29 every thing we needed they provided maps of area suggestions…read moreof trails best suited for a pleasure ride we ate lunch at grab and go rode back the whole thing was a success would highly recommended

They made it easy for someone who has never ridden an electric bike. We took our bikes out over 30…read moremiles and had a beautiful day exploring parts of the park we would not have been able to see otherwise. There was a minor issue with one of our bikes, but they were able to resolve this over the phone quickly. Highly recommended.

My Boyfriend and I had an amazing experience, This was my second time on this tour and his first…read more This time I splurged and got the VIP tickets, so worth it!! We got extra stories and a cute little merchandised lantern. Our tour guide Daniel was amazing at giving us the haunts and histories of the area. It was a all around great time.

This was a fun thing to do in Bar Harbor and right before the start of the season! Our tour guide…read moreDaniel was fantastic and very knowledgeable about the history and the stories! My favorite part was the Mi'kmaq folk tales at the end for sure! Unfortunately I just think bar harbor doesn't really have enough lore to make this feel truly haunting. My only other comparison point was a ghost tour from New Orleans, so maybe that's also just unfair. Would recommend if looking for something active around the town to do at night!

Acadia National Park has been on my list of "must visit" parks for years. I've been talking to…read morevarious friends about a trip there for a while. While searching for a last-minute 4-day weekend birthday trip - the timing seemed to work out to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia. I was here from 30 April - 03 May and loved it. Not everything was open, but enough was open that I was able to explore and see most of what I wanted in Acadia (Cadillac mountain opened ON 30 April so, we were able to drive to the top, park and walk around without a permit/pass before season starts in a few weeks. We hiked Beehive, Jordan Pond, Ocean Path, Homan's Trail and a few other short park and walk items. By far, my favorite was Beehive as it's just scary/steep enough to give you a thrill, gorgeous views. I also loved Homan's trail - easy and short, but beautiful rock work. The ranger also told me that one of the women who originally donated a ton of the land for Acadia and wanted to do so anonymously was last name Homan, so this is honor of her. And what a beautiful trail it is! The visitor's center is small but as always, friendly and helpful rangers who helped me prioritize my must-sees and map out the best use of time/driving to get to everything I wanted to do in two short days. Schooner Point lookout is also an easy/quick stop off before entering one of the park entrances - and a beautiful view of the ocean. Bar Harbor is charming and fun and welcoming and at that time in late April/early May - no waits for anything as season is just beginning. Can't wait to come back!

I'd have to say that Acadia is one of my most favorite national parks…read more So much beautiful nature to see all around when hiking about. The park boasts over 120 miles of hiking trails. There are spots for swimming and kayaking and other water activities. Biking the trails is another great way to see wildlife on their natural habitat, foliage, and more. Granite peaks (like Cadillac Mountain) with spectacular views. A wonderful way to become with nature whilst checking the cost off your must-see list.