A Great Private Tour Comes Down to the Guide, Not the Stops

By Scott Temaat· October 30, 2026

A gray day in Bar Harbor transformed into a delightful adventure thanks to our guide Carli, whose knowledge of Acadia enhanced our experience. The rain revealed beautiful waterfalls and led us to the stunning Asticou Terraces. In contrast, our Saint John tour showcased great logistics but left us wanting more depth in storytelling. Finding the right guide can make all the difference … Read more

Two ports, two days, two private tours on our anniversary trip this fall. Both hit the right stops, and both had a small-group edge over the big bus. One was great. One was adequate. The difference was the guide.

Rain on the granite cascades in inpromptu waterfalls.

The great one made a gray day wonderful

Bar Harbor gave us rain, on a trip we'd timed for color. That's the kind of day that turns a tour into a long, damp drive. Our guide, Carli of Acadia Driving Tours, didn't let it. She was genuinely friendly, and she was full of the history of the island and the park. The rain even helped. Acadia has very little topsoil over its granite, so a wet day turns the park into waterfalls.

Then came a surprise: the Asticou Terraces. They aren't part of the national park. They're gardens laid out by landscape architect Joseph Henry Curtis and maintained by the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve. After a rainy morning, the light on the wet leaves and flowers gave me shots I'd never tried before. Carli made a gray day a wonderful one.

The adequate one still did the small-tour job

The next day in Saint John, the logistics were excellent. The marquee stop is the Reversing Falls, and a small tour can time it in a way the buses can't. We went first thing in the morning with the tide going out, ahead of the crowds, and came back just before we returned to the ship to watch the tide come in. Same falls, running both directions.

Our group split across two vehicles, the women in one and the men in the other. The women's guide gave them Saint John's history and a well-rounded look at the city. They'd rate it a 5.

Our guide is a good guy and an engaging one. He's also a photographer, and the tour centered on his photos and his stories. If that's what you came for, it's an entertaining day, and you'll still see what you need to see. We came for how the town became what it is. We'd rate it a 4. Nobody did anything wrong. We were there for a different set of stories.

Why I sell the trips I've traveled

I know Acadia Driving Tours is good because I've ridden with Carli. I'll book future small-group tours through them, for myself and for my travelers.

I know the Saint John guide is right for a specific traveler: someone who wants the photography and the stories behind the shots. For that traveler, he's the right booking. For someone who wants the history, he isn't.

And I know to ask any Saint John tour to take us to the Reversing Falls going both directions.

None of that is on a website. It's what I bring home for my travelers.