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Old Port

Old Port

12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
The Old Port's fishing piers, cobbled streets, and historic brick buildings will transport you back in time. But the energy of the area is anything but old. It has a buzzing food scene, especially at night when locals and tourists pack into its restaurants and bars. Don't leave without having a taste of the fresh seafood in the area. Grab the ultimate lobster roll along the waterfront's Commercial Street or snag a table at any of its amazing seafood restaurants. From the port, you can take a ferry to explore the secluded islands in Casco Bay. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Odyssey200118
    643 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Old Port Portland Maine
    What a great spot to relax and spend a few days. Tons of restaurants, bars and retail shops all within walking distance of each other. Jump on board one of the tour ships out to the islands or catch a few lobster.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 June 2024
  • Amy L
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice area
    We stayed at a hotel walking distance from the area. It is a nice area to walk around, along the shore; a mix of local businesses, shops and restaurants. Even with on a cold, misty and rainy day, it was very pleasant. We got there late, so didn't get to go into many shops. We did stumble upon Browne Trading Market, which is a delightful local gourmet food and wine shop. Then we went to Luke's Lobster for amazing lobster rolls. It is an enjoyable place to spend a couple of hours or more.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 15 June 2024
  • traveltheworld012
    Rochester, Minnesota17,080 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved it! The Old Port area is alive with wonderful aromas and sights. Great visit.
    Before coming to Portland we were told this is a foodie's heaven. But most of all fresh Maine seafood. Restaurants on the harbor serve fish caught the same day and often from boats right next to them. Cannot get any fresher than that. I acknowledge that some do not like it here (I see that in some reviews), probably looking for some Disney like fantasy place where all is pristine clean and make believe. Not here. This is the real deal, this is how a real fishing harbor is. many places to relax, take a boat ride, dine, shop, enjoy the time and the harbor views. We were here June 4 and 5, 2024. I very highly recommend it, but don't expect a Disneyland version.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 June 2024
  • jaybeeFL
    Palm Harbor, Florida3,447 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Walk Through History
    Historic New England waterfront still active with large fishing/lobstering fleet. Picturesque at every turn with vibrant restaurant/bar scene. There are photo ops at every step of the way as you look down the cobblestoned streets packed with centuries old red brick warehouses, narrow canals lined with the working fleet, and lobster pots stacked high. Loved it and finished our little tour with a stop at one the waterfront restaurants to devour clams and lobsters and down a couple local brews---now that's a good day well spent!!
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,309 reviews
Excellent
737
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424
Average
117
Poor
21
Terrible
10

jaybeeFL
Palm Harbor, FL3,447 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
This historic picturesque harbor area is now a restaurant mecca for foodies especially those focused on seafood delights. A number of the wharves have been reconstructed and have shops, bars, and restaurants some of them having live music which is a big draw especially on the weekends when they are jam packed in the high season. Parking is at a premium and difficult to find on the weekends. Portland this time of year is very expensive especially for hotel rooms and restaurants in or close to the "old port."
Written 22 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ThomasTCat
St. Louis, MO781 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Loved everything about this area except the cost of parking right on the waterfront. The lots there charged $8 an hour until noon and then a flat rate of $40 a day - no hourly rate after noon. There are much more reasonable lots just a few blocks away and it is worth driving around to locate one of those. You can easily spend five or six hours enjoying wonderful area.
Written 3 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

H F
Brick, NJ60 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020 • Couples
Had a nice time shopping here, centrally located. Almost every store was open but note restrooms are closed even at Star Bucks. Very uniques shopping, friendly staff working in the stores. They recommend high rollers on exchange street for Lobster Rolls but it’s closed Monday and Tuesdays.

Parking is $2 an hour, very reasonable. Off season best shopping around and close to 3 lighthouses.
Written 3 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gregory M
Westchester, IL337 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Couples
The Old Port is your typical tourist area with bars, restaurants, galleries, t-shirt shops and souvenir shops with nothing you need but everything tourists buy. At least it was a nice day for a stroll window shopping and the food was good. It’s only about 8 blocks by 4 blocks so it is easy to cover. There is on street metered parking with a 2 hour limit and parking garages for $5/hour maximum $40.
Written 17 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JNYCwriter
New York City, NY7,517 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Friends
Of course the Old Port is a destination for anyone visiting Portland and a focal point for the City. You will see the old cobblestone streets and the various docks that comprise the port. These days tourist establishments such as ice cream stores are well represented. However, if you admire the Customs House you can also imagine a working port.
Written 13 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dinerdon
Bayville, NJ963 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Couples
The old port still has some charm with the buildings and cobblestones. Some shops still around to browse. My reason for going are the restaurants I like. Fore st, Street and Co, Scales and Becky's diner. Also take the 5am Sunrise cruise on the Casco Bay lines.
Cannabis has made its way there and a lot of shops selling so be aware. Hotels and parking are expensive. Fall is high season so make reservations for restaurants and hotels. Hotels are short staffed and overpriced but its supply and demand. Cruise ships dock there in the fall so daytime are crowded and waits for lunchtime spots neat the dock (ie Gilberts etc) have lines of cruisers looking to sample the seafood. Like all cities these days there were a few homeless around but none were aggressive towards us and we felt fairly safe at night.
Take time to visit Portland light and a drive up to Boothbay to a lobster pound for lunch.
Written 4 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

msu_mom
Troy, MI1,471 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022 • Couples
We expected so much more. Parking was a nuisance. Street parking is free on Sunday but when we arrived shortly after 10 there was none available. So we paid $8.50 an hour for a lot.

Walked around for a while but didn't find it particularly charming and there were many homeless people. We wouldn't return.
Written 17 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dave N
Tewksbury, MA2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022
My wife and 2 dogs are staying in Wells, ME for the week and thought it would be nice to visit Portland. I did a little research and off we went to the section called Old Port. We found a parking lot and the guy told us where to park and pointed us where to pay. When I went to pay I couldn’t believe it……$45 to park….up until 2am…..it was a little after 11am and we were going to be there may 3 hours. So thinking something must be wrong I asked the parking person and he said welcome to Portland in the summer. On top of it when I did complete the transaction they also charged me a 7% fee because I was using a credit card which by the way is the only option given. I check a couple of other lots managed by UPP and all where the same amount. NEVER AGAIN. Portland and UPP you should be ashamed of yourself. Just a complete money grab. Lunch was great at the Lobster Pound with the dogs sitting on the deck. The shops were very dog friendly. But I will never go back with parking that high.
Written 27 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NHjo
Saco, ME14,532 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Old Port is packed with mostly tourists day and night. When we went on a Saturday in mid-October, it was still busy. It's a great place to spend some time, whether you're strolling, browsing, shopping, eating, drinking, going on some scenic boat trips, or just admiring the historic architecture. The unusually warm mid-October weather makes all the outdoor dining spaces that are lit up with colorful lights and lanterns especially nice.
Written 16 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TWB
Cincinnati, OH2,484 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
We had one day to tour Portland and after researching, chose to explore Old Port. Fantastic decision. You can see a good bit here in a day, days would be good for me too. Beautiful buildings, streets, waterfronts. Enough pubs, restaurants and shopping to keep you otherwise. Parking was tricky, but we knew that going in. We parked at a lower priced lot next to Lincoln Park for the first half of the day, then when that lot closed we relocated and paid more for the last few hours of the day which shaved off enough to buy us dinner.
Written 8 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Old Port - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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