Maine might just have it all. Historic fishing villages adorning miles of rocky coastline. Romantic schooners weaving around islands and lighthouses. Winding hiking trails revealing ocean vistas, wildflowers and warblers. Festive lobster bakes with freshly-plucked crustaceans. It's essential New England. And it's all here. In Maine.
Days 1-2 Explore New England's diverse landscape at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens | Camden delights with its seaside beauty, quaint boutiques and seafaring history | Take a scenic sail on a fully-restored windjammer | Ascend Camden Hills State Park's Mount Battie for panoramic views of Penobscot Bay | Spectacular vistas of cobalt-blue Lake Megunticook come into sight from a rock-ledge lookout.
Day 3 Amble along the historic carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller in the 1900s | Enjoy unparalleled views as you hike in Acadia National Park from the shores of pristine Jordan Pond to the bald peaks of Penobscot and Sargent Mountains | Stroll the lively streets of Bar Harbor, perched on Mount Desert Island.
Day 4 Trek up mighty Cadillac Mountain and learn about its unique granite trail system | At the mountain's summit, soak in 360-degree views of the harbor, Egg Rock Lighthouse and dozens of outlying islands | Head up the narrow trail of Dorr Mountain, Acadia's second-highest peak, for a look over the east side of the park.
Day 5 Dip your toes in the Atlantic Ocean at Sand Beach as you stroll on Acadia's impressive Great Head Peninsula | Hike up striking rocky cliffs for a shimmering ocean view | Wind down with a final Backroads picnic as we make our way back to Portland.
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An award-winning restaurant, exceptional hospitality and plush amenities come together to create a "refined stylishness that balances classic with contemporary," says Andrew Harper. Travel + Leisure World's Best. A Relais & Châteaux member. (spa)
Spectacular views and elegant accommodations await at this luxury boutique hotel on Frenchman Bay. (pool, spa)
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
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| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| 3 | 300 | |||||||||
| Evening Schooner Cruise (1 Hour) | ||||||||||
| 2 | 4* | 900 | 6* | 1500 | 9* | 1800 | ||||
| 3 | 4* | 500 | 5* | 1400 | 6* | 1700 | ||||
| Horse & Carriage Ride (1 Hour) | ||||||||||
| 4 | 4* | 1500 | 8* | 1500 | ||||||
| 8* | 1700 | |||||||||
| 5 | 3 | 400 | ||||||||
Note: The terrain we encounter on this trip ranges from gently rolling to hilly with several steep longer climbs. Hiking trails are often uneven, with roots, mud, rocks and other obstacles. Please note that unpredictable mountain weather can make hiking conditions more challenging.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Maine, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
In Maine you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
With Backroads you won't end up with kids on what you thought was an adult trip; we have exclusive departures for families, so they're off having their own adventures. As you browse our unrivaled selection of trips and dates, you can count on finding a trip in Maine that's geared exclusively to your choice of traveling companions.
On this trip featuring Premiere Hotels, you can count on the best lodgings Maine has to offer. In fact, the hotels we've chosen in this region have higher retail room rates than those offered by any other active travel company—even when their trips cost more.
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for one or two people (or a family of three or four), subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.
Guests rave about our picnic spreads. Enjoy a welcome break in a scenic spot, or a quick refuel stop if you don't want to lose momentum. And because we have two vans, one can host lunch while the other is out providing support along the route.
We design and support our Maine trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from the selection of dates below for your group; some dates are only available for 16 or more guests while other dates are available for 8 or more guests. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you. Call or email us to reserve your date.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date! i
Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
