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Talk about the trip of a lifetime! I had the absolute best time on our trip to New England!  We took a girls trip and toured around New England for a blissful 10 days. Our New England itinerary included stops in the countryside of Vermont, the mountains of New Hampshire and the coast of Maine. We had been looking for the perfect vacation spot for a while and finally settled on beautiful New England! If you’ve never been to New England, you need to go! There is so much to see in this gorgeous area of the USA! And there’s so many things to do in Kennebunkport! I will admit I had never heard of Kennebunkport until the first President Bush made it famous as  the Summer White House – but who knew it was so cool!

While we actually started our trip in Burlington, VT and did a road trip from there, it would be super easy to fly into Boston, MA and drive the 2 hour trip. Or you could fly into Portland and drive south for about an hour. 

Kennebunkport is quaint and charming and the quintessential New England seaside town – and of course with all the great things to do in Kennebunkport it’s impossible not to have a good time!

What about budget you might be wondering? I was too. And happily, much of what we did was free, and while some things weren’t free, they were still on budget.  The biggest splurges by far were eating lobster and doing the Maine Food Tour. But, we balanced those activities with way less expensive things so pretty much kept the balance in check!

While the Bush family may have put Kennebunkport on the map for me, there is much, much more to Kennebunkport than the Bush compound. In fact we found so many great things to do in Kennebunkport that we couldn’t fit them all in! And I’ll share shortly – but first: where to stay in Kennebunkport?

Where To Stay In Kennebunkport On A Budget

First things first. You obviously need somewhere to stay in Kennebunkport. Let me say that Kennebunkport has many really great places to stay and most of them are expensive! This makes sense as Kennebunkport is a super popular seaside town that has a short tourist season. It’s all about supply and demand. So, while there aren’t a ton of places to stay on a budget, there are two excellent choices!

The two fabulous, budget friendly options are: King’s Port Inn and Rhumb Line Resort. Of the two, King’s Port Inn is closer in town and offers a great, walkable location. While technically in Kennebunk, it’s super close and its an easy walk. Speaking of walking, I don’t know about you, but I always like to be where I can walk around town and that’s why King’s Port Inn is perfect! King’s Port Inn is located over the bridge in Kennebunk, and this spot is perfect for strolling through town, checking out the shops and dining options. Once you’re here you can just park your car! Rates less than $200 per night!

Rhumb Line Resort is a great option as well. It’s a little further out – about a mile from Walker’s Point – but the In Town Trolley stops at the door every hour in season, so you can hop on for a quick trip to Dock Square. Rhumb Line Resort – A stay here is a good budget choice. Since it is a little further out of the way, you’ll feel peaceful and serene with your out of the way stay, but still close enough to all the action in town! And Rhumb Line offers a refreshing pool! Rates less than $200 per night!

Things To Do In Kennebunkport

There aren’t too many places special enough for me to go back to, because there are just SO MANY awesome places to explore. But, I will go back to Kennebunkport!  There’s just way too many things that I didn’t get to do and see there. Here is my list of the best things to do in Kennebunkport. 

Lobster Boat Tour 

Our lobster boat tour with First Chance Whale Watch was great!  We knew we wanted to do a water tour in Kennebunkport. At first we were leaning towards the Whale Watching Tour with First Chance, and we actually booked it online. But the timing didn’t work out so we ended up booking their Lobster Boat Tour.  I’m so glad we did! 

The tour was about 2 hours which was absolutely perfect for us. We had a lot we wanted to do in Kennebunkport and of course there’s never enough time, so we didn’t want to spend the whole day on the tour. This tour was spectacular. We climbed aboard and were soon off on our voyage!  After a short cruise through the harbor, we were out in the Atlantic looking for lobsters.  Pretty cool. The captain stopped & pulled a trap up and whadyaknow, there were lobsters waiting for us in the trap. 

I learned so much about lobsters on this tour. The captain was fantastic & super informative  Now this midwestern girl knows  a thing or two about lobstering!  As a bonus, we cruised past the Bush compound at Walker’s Point, and got to see some seals playing nearby.  All in all, I highly recommend this one.  Top notch all the way and not expensive.

Sunset Cruise

What if you’re too busy doing other fun things but you still want to get out on the water while in Kennebunkport?  Fear not!  You have options because there are cruise boat operators that go out at night. Sunset cruises are super fun and a great way to see the town from another vantage point. Watch the sun go down as the skies turn brilliant shades of pinks and blues. Try the cruises aboard  the Pineapple Ketch that cruises from the fabulous Nonant Resort.

Eat Lobster

You’re in Maine. That means lobster! I will say that lobster isn’t cheap. But it’s worth a splurge! If you eat cheap for most of your other meals, you’ll be fine. There are a ton of places to dig into scrumptious Maine lobster here. Try the Clam Shack, Mabel’s and The Pilot House. And that’s just for starters. You can indulge every night of the week and twice on Sundays and never eat at the same place twice.

Have A Beer At A Brewery

Enjoy a beer at one of many breweries in town!  We enjoyed checking out Federal Jack’s, a local brew pub and brewery built on the site of historic Kennebunk shipyards. There’s a huge deck overlooking the river here – it’s a great place to sit back with a brew and watch the boats come and go.

Try Authentic Mead

Have you ever heard of mead?  It’s not a beer nor a wine. It’s in a class all by itself.

Mead is one of the oldest drinks around and its actually an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey with yeast. We tried this tasty drink for the first time at Maine Meadworks in Kennebunk. They have quite a few different flavors, some of which rotate based on the season. Give it a try!

Drinks at The Colony

One of the best things we did we actually owe to our waitress. She recommended we head over to the Colony for drinks or dinner to check out the historic hotel and THE VIEW! She said the view was the best in town…..I didn’t really think it’d be that great. I was wrong. The view from The Colony was spectacular! There’s an infinity pool that overlooks the Atlantic – perfect for photo ops! And the hotel itself is breathtaking. Built in 1914, it’s a nod to the days of yore with old-school elegance and it’s absolutely oozing with charm. We had drinks in the Marine room. Our drinks were really reasonably priced (score!). Of course, the highlight was venturing out to the pool deck to take in the view. You must visit the Colony!

Go On A Food Tour

We wanted to do something different and unique while in Kennebunkport. The Maine Foodie Tour totally fit the bill. What a fun and informative way to learn a lot about Kennebunkport. Our tour guide was phenomenal and we ate so much good, local food. I highly recommend this tour! You’ll get plenty of lobstah,too!

Shop Dock Square

Dock Square is the super cute downtown area in Kennebunkport. Filled with quaint, historic fishing shacks turned local boutique’s, it’s fun to shop around in the unique little shops.  Here you’ll find all sorts of local shops and restaurants including iconic Alisson’s. We loved the Dock Square Coffee House, Old Salt’s Pantry, the Abacus Gallery, the Northlight Gallery,  the kitchy souvenir shops and ice cream at Rococo Ice Cream 

Visit H.B. Provisions

While you’re in Kennebunk, you must stop into the general store. H.B. Provisions is a quaint shop that carries just about anything you’d need while you’re in town, including wine! And, they have a deli that’s open for breakfast and lunch, serving up fresh sandwiches and unique breakfast fare that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.  This is said to be a favorite spot of the Bush’s!

Lower Village

From Kennebunkport, cross the bridge by the Clam Shack, and enter the Lower Village. Here you’ll find all kinds of fun shops and great restaurants. In fact, I was surprised at the vast number of shops and restaurants in the Lower Village. Check out Old Vines Wine Bar for fabulous wine, food and atmosphere. Make sure you cross over to Lower Village while in Kennebunkport, otherwise you’ll be missing out! 

Walker’s Point

Take a drive by the Bush Compound and all the other incredible mansions on Ocean Avenue.  Of course, you can’t get super close to the Bush summer home, but you can get close enough to see where they spend their summer. And it is pretty spectacular.  The home, built by Dorothy Walker’s father right about the time she was to marry Prescott Bush, is situated along a peninsula that juts out into the water right across from Cape Arundel. Dorothy Walker was President Bush’s mother and the former president eventually purchased the land. There are now multiple Bush homes on Walker’s Point, all behind the secret service guard shack!

St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, the beautiful church just down the road from the Bush compound, is where the Bush’s worship when they’re in town. The stone chapel is gorgeous, but even better is seaside service outside overlooking the Atlantic. The church is open daily in the summer and closes for the season at the end of September.

Hit The Beach 

You’ll have your choice of a few different beaches, all in very close proximity to Kennebunkport. We walked over to Colony Beach and it was beautiful and nearly deserted in the early morning. Just the way I like it!  Also try the larger Kennebunk Beach and Goose Rocks Beach

Ocean Avenue

If you like to see incredible seaside homes, get yourself to Ocean Drive.  We walked the scenic Ocean Avenue from our hotel up to St. Ann’s Church to see all the beautiful mansions up close. It’s an incredibly beautiful area. All the homes are exquisite, with manicured lawns and everything very pristine. It’s definitely worth a look.

Tour Historic Churches

Kennebunkport is home to a few beautiful historic churches. In addition to St. Ann’s, South Congregational Church and the beautiful Village Baptist Church on Maine St. are both very near Dock Square and worth the time to take a peek inside. 

Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

Visit the historic Louis T. Graves Public Library housed in a building” that was built in the early 1800s. It’s actually on the National Register of Historic Places. How cool is that?! Even the address of this cute library is cool:  18 Maine Street.

More Best Things to Do In Kennebunkport

16. Browse The Art Galleries in Kennebunkport & Kennebunk
17. Drive to Cape Porpoise or Ogunquit
18. Photo Ops at The Bridge To the Lower Village
19. Try Crabbing
20. Go To A Lobster Boil

Things To Do In Kennebunkport In The Winter

I love summer in Kennebunkport for sure. But, I’m also really dying to visit in winter! I think it’s a totally different feel in wintertime – fewer people and much quieter. Of course, in winter there’s also all the outdoor winter activities like sledding, ice skating, and even sleigh rides through the countryside. But what I really want to experience is the Christmas Prelude! The festivities are held every year for a couple of weeks in early December and supposed to be something really special!

No matter when you plan your trip to Kennebunkport, I think you’ll have a fabulous time!

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