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Offered languages
- English
Tour Highlights
• Pedal through Portsmouth’s historic North End, once home to the city’s vibrant Italian “Little Italy” community.
• Ride through The Hill, where beautifully preserved 18th- and 19th-century homes reveal Portsmouth’s early history.
• Enjoy peaceful waterfront views at Little Harbor and the historic Wentworth‑Coolidge Mansion.
• Cycle past the gardens and riverfront paths of Prescott Park and the historic neighborhood of Strawbery Banke Museum.
• Discover Portsmouth’s brewing past at the former Frank Jones Brewery, once one of the largest breweries in New England.
• Visit the modern sculpture installations at Bohenko Gateway Park.
Our city tour is guaranteed to satisfy your love of stories, history, and exploration. You and your guide will ride 6-8 miles in under 2 hours through Portsmouth, along the quiet streets and tucked-away neighborhoods, stopping at historic sites and cultural landmarks. A great family-friendly tour, blending history, architecture, and art.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Historic John Paul Jones House
Itinerary
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1Portsmouth
Highlights of the Hidden Neighborhoods of Portsmouth City View Bike Tour: Former North End / Italian "Little Italy" The Hill South End and Prescott Park Strawbery Banke Wentworth Coolidge Mansion Frank Jones Brewery - West End Creek Neighborhood - Christian Shore
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
There are over a dozen colorful wooden houses are squeezed up against the towering Marriot and the Hilton Hotels. The concept, in the early 1970s, was that dilapidated buildings bred ragged people. After World War II, most cities demolish thousands of "blighted" urban areas across the nation. Most were replaced by high-rise apartments, shopping malls, and hotels. In Portsmouth, we lost much of historic Vaughan Street and replaced it with a parking garage and open lots. We will pass by a collection of preserved historic homes saved by urban renewal and move into this area for preservation.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
Strawbery Banke Museum began as a “save our history” effort by the citizens of Portsmouth. In the late 1950s, Puddle Dock, an area of dilapidated homes near the Piscataqua River was targeted for urban renewal. All the “substandard” homes in Puddle Dock — some of which dated back to the 1600s — were to torn down and replaced with modern buildings. That was until city librarian Dorothy Vaughn addressed the Portsmouth Rotary Club one day in 1957. That day Vaughn “laid it on the line” for the Rotary Club, telling them that every time one of the old houses was torn or an antique piece of Portsmouth furniture shipped out of town, the city was losing its past. The Rotary Club was galvanized into action, and while Puddle Dock did undergo urban renewal, much of it has been saved as a historic museum.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
Explore the beautiful Little HARBOR
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
Franklin Jones was born in Barrington, New Hampshire in 1832. He was the fifth of six boys as well as the fifth of seven children in his family. He left home at 16 and moved to Portsmouth and worked as an apprentice in his older brother Hiram's stove store. Within 3 years he owned an interest in the store and in 1854 he took it over completely. Throughout his life Jones would be active in several businesses at once, a pattern he developed early and in these early years, he was also a tin peddler and a rag picker. In 1858 he became partners with John Swindell, an Englishman who had recently moved to Portsmouth to start a brewery producing ale.
7 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Portsmouth
The Creek (pronounced “Crick”) was about 90% Irish Catholic and there are still many Creek natives who live in the neighborhood. The North End and Christian Shore surrounding the North Mill Pond, are linked to the downtown by Maplewood Avenue. While the southern portion has been intruded by urban renewal, containing several major historic urban archaeological sites, the rest is a 2-story residential area below the Route 1 ByPass which includes the oldest house in New Hampshire and a cluster of Federal and Victorian buildings similar to the South End. Added to the District in 2010, the West End is a 19th-century Frank Jones Brewery and Button Factory which also encompasses the Islington Street neighborhood and includes various residential and commercial architectural styles.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Prescott Park
Prescott Park is a ten-plus acre waterfront park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. The land was purchased in the 1930s by two sisters, Josie and Sarah Prescott. The sisters, public school teachers, had used an inheritance to systematically purchase and clear properties along the Piscataqua River.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8
Visit the new Endeavor Sculpture dedicated for the Portsmouth 400th Anniversary.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9
Ship building Paper mill
20 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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