Grand Slam Lighthouse Cruise with Bar Harbor Whale Watching: 18 lighthouses!

Do you love Maine’s lighthouses and you can’t get enough of them? Do you love being on the water all day? Well, if the answer to either of those questions is yes, then you should plan to visit Bar Harbor in September and do the Bold Coast Grand Slam or MidCoast Lighthouse Tour with Bar Harbor Whale Watching. Each year at the end of the summer Bar Harbor Whale Watching puts together the most epic lighthouse cruise visiting at least 18 lighthouses, and starting in 2026 they’re doing TWO of them!

We’ve done the Bold Coast Grand Slam Lighthouse Tour and have all the info on what to expect and how to make this or the MidCoast tour and awesome experience. If you have any questions about either of these tours or planning your time in Bar Harbor, please leave a comment or send us a note so we can help you better. We love getting to share all about Maine and are thrilled to help YOU place your own Maine trip!

Highlights the Grand Slam Lighthouse Cruise from Bar Harbor

What I think was the coolest part of doing the Bold Coast Grand Slam Lighthouse Tour was actually how remote we were able to get. Bar Harbor Whale Watching really takes you out there from Penobscot Bay all the way up into the Bay of Fundy. Yes, this lighthouse cruise from Bar Harbor goes way up into Canadian waters and back down into Maine. Because you cover so much ground, you really do get to visit some obscure light stations that even lighthouse buffs haven’t ever been to (or maybe heard of). It’s awesome.

I love when we visit lighthouses, especially the ones we get to hike to like the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse or the Squirrel Point Light, but taking the approach from the water is wonderfully different so really puts the lighthouses’ stories into context. As your Lighthouse Grand Slam Tour progresses, you get so many stories of why certain light stations were built and the struggle of designing them, and then the saga of keeping them manned through the years. I loved having a lighthouse historian on board with us telling us about each of the Maine lighthouses, and then the Canadian ones too, and what it’s taken for them to be the iconic beacons they are today. For our lighthouse tour with Bar Harbor Whale Watching, we actually had an amazing man on board with us, Bob Trapani, who is a lighthouse historian and the director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. He was so very knowledgeable and passionate about telling the stories all day long and was great with everyone’s questions. Between him and the captain, we had 8+ hours of nonstop information and history.

As a bonus, the Bar Harbor Whale Watching Lighthouse Tour was more than lighthouses… there were whales! Yes, even though this specific tour, the Lighthouse Grand Slam, happens at the end of summer on Open Lighthouse Day, there are still quite a few whales hanging out around the coast of Maine and New Brunswick, including minke and humpback whales. We saw several minke whales, lots of harbor porpoises and countless seals, both harbor and gray, during our tour. Add the birdwatching element and it was basically the best boat tour we’ve done in Maine.

Book the Grand Slam Lighthouse Tour here!

Tips for a Lighthouse Cruise from Bar Harbor

When you know you want to do one of the epic lighthouse tours with Bar Harbor Whale Watching, you need to book it right then! Spaces are limited and because of the niche, really focusing on lighthouses, nautical fanatics book their cruises a year in advance. There are two options: the Grand Slam 18 Lighthouse Tour (the one we did) or the MidCoast Grand Slam, which heads southward. Both are great choices and you’ll get a ton of history and you’ll get to see lots of lighthouses that you normally can’t even spy when you’re on land. Book the MidCoast Grand Slam Tour here!

When it comes time for your epic lighthouse cruise from Bar Harbor, get there early. Lighthouse people are intense (I’m one of them) and we want to get the best seats on the boat, so when they say boarding begins at 8:00, what we hear is “You can get on board at 8:00 but you should queue up at 7:00.” Yep, there is indeed room for everyone who’s book onboard, but the prime seats on top or at an inside table go fast. If the weather is cooperating, sitting outside is really the best because you get a full day of fresh sea air, unobstructed views of lighthouses and wildlife, and the vibes outside are really fun. Yes, it can be windy, but it’s a blast and you’ll make friends with the other lighthouse geeks you’re hanging out with. I think we’re a fun crew.

Note: if you have a lighthouse passport, bring it with you. There will be a chance before the end of the lighthouse cruise to get all the stamps for each of the lighthouses you’ll sail past. Donations are recommended per stamp, so bring cash (both for the stamps and the snack bar).

Being Prepared for the Grand Slam Lighthouse Cruise

Lighthouse cruises go out into the open water, whether you’re on the Bar Harbor Whale Watching Lighthouse Grand Slam or if you’re on a half day sailing. This means that you’ve got the wind and mist coming off the ocean the whole time, and that can be chilly, even in the middle of summer. Dress in layers, including a very warm coat so that you can peel them off if it gets too warm. You’ll be able to see what the weather is doing before you get on the boat, but weather can change, so plan appropriately. We dress in layers including hats, gloves and scarves and at no moment in our lighthouse cruise (or any other whale watching in Maine) have we regretted being too warm. Also, bringing a poncho isn’t a bad idea just in case it’s misty or rainy.

When it comes to camera gear, yes! Bring it all! You don’t need to bring a tripod because that’ll just get in the way of everyone else, but if you’re using a large lens, having a monopod on your camera isn’t a bad idea to help you keep stable. I personally prefer to just hold my camera, even with my big lens on it due to the rocking waves. It can be difficult to shoot well and adjust yourself when you’re using a lens of 400mm or bigger, so being nimble is key. There are some awesome birds to photograph while you’re on your lighthouse cruise from Bar Harbor, so keep your telephoto at the ready. You’re looking for gannets, bald eagles, eider ducks, razorbills and even Atlantic puffins (if they haven’t left for season yet). Be ready for them!

Also, you’re going to be on your lighthouse tour ALL DAY. You need to bring snacks and a lunch. There is food for purchase on board with cash, but really, it’s a long day and you’ll want some healthier option than what’s available.

Need to Know for the Lighthouse Grand Slam Tour from Bar Harbor

While the itinerary for the Lighthouse Grand Slam Tour implies that it’s an eight hour tour, you’ll actually be on the boat for much longer. Boarding begins at 8:00 am and then it takes some time to get everyone situated before you leave Bar Harbor. Once you’re at sea they keep to a schedule, but sometimes a crossing may take a little longer or there is wildlife to watch, so you may have a longer day than you plan. For our Lighthouse Grand Slam Tour wth Bar Harbor Whale Watching we were actually onboard for 9.5 hours. It was a long day. We brought snacks and treats for ourselves, but we should’ve brought more. By the 7 hour mark we were not just getting coffee at the galley, but we started going for wine because it had been so long at sea. Yes, we loved the whole experience, but this really is a very long day on the water and if you’re not accustomed to it, you may feel like it’s a struggle at the end.

Parking for Bar Harbor Whale Watching and Lighthouse Cruise

If you’re staying directly in Bar Harbor, just walk to the marina in the morning for your lighthouse tour. You can also likely use a shuttle service by your lodging provider, but you’ll want to be sure that they’ll bring you to the marina as early as you want to be there. The Island Explorer buses don’t start running early enough to take them from wherever you’re staying to the marina, so you’ll need other plans. If you’re driving into town for the day of your lighthouse tour from Bar Harbor, you’ll need to either park in a lot or find street parking, and either way be sure that you’re able to pay for your entire duration of parking.

Bar Harbor street parking is metered until 9:00 pm so if you’re parked on the street, you’ll need to up your parking throughout the day via the ParkMobile app. This is going to be expensive! The cost of getting an Uber or taxi from your hotel is likely cheaper than paying for metered parking all day, and then when you’re done with your lighthouse cruise you can take the free Island Explorer bus back to your accommodations.