I accidentally traveled solo in Maine but think you should do it on purpose.

I didn’t mean to end up in Maine for 5 days on my own, but the universe (and Jet Blue) had other plans. This trip was originally planned to be a girls’ weekend, me and my bestie exploring coastal Maine amongst the changing colors of fall. Turns out it’s not that easy, logistically, to get all the way across the country from Seattle, Washington, to Portland, Maine. Long story short (and many tearful calls with the airline later), my friend was not able to join me.

On the night before my own un-cancelled flight from Chicago, my bags already packed, I had a decision to make. Should I still go? Solo female travel in Maine wasn’t ever the plan. Thinking about it now, even though I’ve traveled solo to 11 countries, I hadn’t done much solo travel in the US (only to Puerto Rico, New York City, and San Diego). But as I pondered my options, I realized I still wanted to go to Maine, even by myself. Since it was the night before the trip, I wouldn’t be able to get any money back for my flight, our car rental, or our first hotel booking. Money helped me decide to go anyways, but it was more than that.

What makes a good solo travel destination? Number one is obviously safety. Go somewhere that excites you but doesn’t scare you. Besides that, it kind of just depends on your personal comfort level and interests. I mean, I went on a sailing trip alone in Panama without speaking any Spanish and without knowing how to sail, but I didn’t want to go to Asheville and walk around the Biltmore by myself. Make that make sense lol. We all have our quirks.

When choosing where to travel solo, I always pick a destination that offers enough activities I want to do alone. Do you feel ok navigating a language barrier on your own? If not, choose places in the US, the UK, Canada, or Australia for your solo trip. Do you feel ok being out in nature on your own? It’s not particularly for me depending on what level of wilderness we’re talking about– I don’t feel great about my outdoor survival skills in the case of a mishap. So you’ll typically find me solo in cities.

When I thought about it more the night before my flight, coastal Maine checked all the boxes I look for for solo female travel. I would feel comfortable navigating the language and transportation. I would be ok on my own, stuffing my face with as much lobster I could get my hands on. The activities planned (mini coastal road trip, light hiking in Acadia, exploring Portland) would be enjoyable by myself.

So I boarded that flight! I wouldn’t have planned to do this trip solo, but now that I’ve done so accidentally, I think it’s a wonderful solo itinerary you should do on purpose 🙂 It was the perfect mix of exploration and relaxation. I came home feeling so recharged and rested, which isn’t always the case after a vacation.

Now I’ll share what each day looked like, all the travel details, and some photo evidence. Anything that’s underlined is a link you can click to take you to the corresponding website for more information.

Day 1

• Travel day, pick up car (I used Turo), drive 3 hours from Portland to Bar Harbor. Your base for exploring Acadia National Park.
• Have playlists and podcasts ready for a solo drive (you’ll need these for day 3 as well).
• Check into The Holiday Inn Bar Harbor Regency Hotel
• Order room service for dinner. Room service is such a fun, self-care moment perfect for solo travel on those nights you don’t feel up to dining in a restaurant. I absolutely love a solo meal but don’t like to do it 3 times a day 5 days in a row if you know what I mean.

Day 2

• ACADIA NATIONAL PARK!! This was a jam packed day because the area really deserves more time, but it’s the only way this itinerary would work in 5 days.
• Start your morning with a drive to Sand Beach. From there, walk the Ocean Path trail to Thunder Hole and back. This is an easy but beautiful coastal hike.
• Cadillac Summit Road. This famous viewpoint is now so popular you can only access it with a timed reservation you pay for in advance. So you definitely have to plan ahead for this one. Many people try to get sunrise so those tickets are hard to come by. My reservation was at noon which was a total bummer. It was covered in fog at that time, and they wouldn’t let me come back later in the day when it had cleared.
• Cadillac Summit Road reservation
• Head over to the Jordon Pond House for a bite to eat before the “big” hike of the day. A perfect dining option for solo female travel in Maine because it was more like picnic vibes here.
• I walked around Jordan Pond which would have been a pretty easy hike. But then I decided to hike up The Bubbles and that was quite challenging! I was glad I had my good hiking shoes on.
• Head back to the hotel and freshen up to spend the evening exploring Bar Harbor. The great thing about that hotel is they have a shuttle to downtown and back. Perfect for solo travelers because you can have a few drinks without worrying about driving!
• I ate at Leary’s Landing Irish Pub, which is the closest Irish bar in the US to Ireland! lol. I got a delicious seafood chowder and a Guinness. Yummmm.
• I didn’t do much shopping in Bar Harbor but I wish I had more time there. Everything looked so cute. I will definitely have to do another trip to this area, especially since I didn’t get to see the view from Cadillac Summit.

Day 3

• Mini coastal road trip day! The drive back to Portland only takes 3 hours, but spend the whole day taking the scenic route. I would have done more this day but it rained the whole time. The original plan was to check out Kennebunkport in the evening, but I switched that to day 5 for better weather.
• RED EATS. This was the highlight of the day and one of the best food experiences of my life. Red Eats claims to be the world’s best lobster shack which is a strong claim, but I have to say it lived up to the hype. I stood in the rain for 2 hours to get my roll and would happily do it again.
• There are other coastal towns you can stop off at, so do some research and see what interests you or just go with the flow on the day! That’s the beauty of solo travel.
• I got to Portland and checked into The Inn at St. John (loved my stay here!)
• I had such a chill night in my room reading and drinking wine. I had time to read a whole book on this trip which is probably why I felt so rested coming home. It’s what I absolutely love about solo travel–not rushing to keep up with someone else’s schedule, taking things at your own pace, the feeling you get when you take care of yourself and prioritize time for yourself. On this trip for me, that looked like a lot of time reading and a morning watching my favorite soccer team’s game instead of exploring.

Day 4

• Day 4 was my full day to explore Portland!
• I loved Tandem Coffee Roasters for coffee and pastries.
• The city felt very walkable to me. I never drove! I walked Congress Street and the area by all the ports. I passed by the Victoria Mansion, which history or architect lovers should definitely check out for a tour.
• I was sooooo tempted to buy a beach bag from the Sea Bags flagship store. It would have been the perfect souvenir, but they are pricey!
• I got my 2nd lobster roll from Luke’s. I also got some sort of blueberry cocktail because Maine is known for its blueberries! So delicious. Portland also had great vegan options if that’s what you’re looking for.
• My main “activity” of the day was a scenic boat ride around Casco Bay. You can’t think about Maine without thinking about lighthouses. Our tour was extra exciting because they took us right past Portland Head Light. This was a very chill excursion perfect for taking in the sights. It was BYOB which was a nice touch. Bring a coffee or alcoholic beverage of your choice and relax!

Day 5

• Before my flight home, I spent the afternoon exploring a cute coastal town called Kennebunkport. You could do this on day 3 if weather and time permits.
• I went into all the shops, admired all the charming houses, and had my 3rd lobster roll from The Clam Shack. I was in love with this place!

If you’ve been wondering whether solo female travel in Maine is right for you, I hope it helped to see how my trip played out. After writing this post, I’m realizing I would definitely go back. I want the lobster roll from Red Eat’s again and I want justice from Cadillac Summit. And I’d love to explore even more of the state! Obviously I was heartbroken that my friend couldn’t join me this time like we originally planned, but I was pleasantly surprised by this unexpected solo female travel in Maine. I hope you’ll do it on purpose 😉 If you do, let me know!

You Might Also Like… My other USA solo female travel posts:

Solo Female Travel in Puerto Rico

Solana Beach Travel Guide

A Chicago Staycation for When You Want to Treat Yo’Self