CouplesHolidaysWeekend from Boston

Three days · Kennebunkport from Boston

A Christmas weekend in Kennebunkport: the train north, Dock Square and Cape Porpoise

Reviewed Oct 19, 2026How we verify

Three December days for two on the southern Maine coast without a car: the Downeaster from Boston to Wells, a lit-up Dock Square on the Kennebunk River, a shore walk and lunch in the fishing village of Cape Porpoise, and a quiet winter beach before the evening train home.

HolidaysWater’s EdgeMain Street

3 days / 2 nights Best early–mid Dec Couples

Original illustrated itinerary artwork

A Christmas tree built from stacked lobster traps and buoys in snowy Cape Porpoise Square, with a flagpole and blue sky — **The lobster-trap tree** · Cape Porpoise Square’s Christmas tree, built from traps and buoys

The trip in 60 seconds

Trip at a glance

Who it’s for: Couples who want a slow Christmas weekend on the coast: a small harbor town, a working fishing village, winter beaches and long dinners, with no car to drive
Route: Boston North Station → the Downeaster to Wells → Dock Square & the Kennebunk River → Ocean Avenue & Cape Porpoise → the Franciscan Monastery grounds, the Kennebunk beaches & the Wells Reserve → the evening train home
Best timing: Early to mid December, during the town’s Christmas Prelude, when Dock Square and Cape Porpoise light their trees. Any quiet winter weekend also works
Pace: Easy: one area a day, short walks and taxi hops between villages. Expect early dark: the sun sets a little after 4 p.m. in early December
Sleep: Two nights in one Kennebunkport base on or near Dock Square, so the village, the river and dinner are all on foot
Getting there: The Amtrak Downeaster runs from Boston’s North Station to Wells, the closest stop to the Kennebunks; from the Wells Transportation Center, take a taxi or rideshare to Kennebunkport. You do not need a car
Rough budget: Dock Square, the shore road, Cape Porpoise pier and the beaches are free to walk. Train tickets, taxis between villages, two nights’ lodging and dinners are the big costs; reserve rooms early for Prelude weekends
Good to know: Christmas Prelude runs December 3–13, 2026, and the full schedule is posted on the Christmas Prelude app. Some seasonal places on the coast close for winter, so every meal here is at a place open year-round

Reviewed Oct 19, 2026How we verify

Illustration: route map of the three days, an illustrated bird’s-eye view of the Kennebunks with numbered pins at Dock Square by the Kennebunk River (Day 1), the fishing harbor at Cape Porpoise (Day 2) and the long Kennebunk beaches (Day 3) — Kennebunkport in three days · one Dock Square base, the train, short taxi rides and walks

Postcards from the trip

Colorful lobster buoys hanging on the weathered shingles of a shack in Kennebunkport — **Lobster buoys** · look for them hanging on shacks and wharves around the harbors

A crowd gathered at night in Kennebunkport during Christmas Prelude, with lit houses beyond — **Christmas Prelude** · come early to the Dock Square tree lighting for a spot by the tree

The white facade of the Brick Store Museum building on Main Street in Kennebunk, under bare trees — **Brick Store Museum** · Kennebunk’s Main Street museum is the rainy-day plan for Day 3

A large cream-colored barn with a green roof and cupolas at Laudholm Farm, Wells Reserve, under a blue sky — **Laudholm Farm** · the barns at the Wells Reserve, where the marsh trails begin

The idea

Three days in Kennebunkport at Christmas: a harbor square lit for the season, a fishing village on the rocks and a quiet beach in winter.

Kennebunkport is a small harbor town on the Kennebunk River, about two hours north of Boston by train and taxi. In early December it holds Christmas Prelude, eleven days of tree lightings, caroling and a lobster-trap tree in Cape Porpoise, and the rest of the month the village stays quiet, lit and walkable. Everything in this plan is a short walk or a short taxi ride from Dock Square.

Day 1 is the Downeaster from Boston, lunch in Dock Square and an evening by the river. Day 2 follows Ocean Avenue along the shore to the fishing harbor at Cape Porpoise, then dinner in the woods at Hidden Pond. Day 3 walks the Franciscan Monastery grounds and the Kennebunk beaches, then crosses to Wells for a diner lunch, the salt marsh at the Wells Reserve and the evening train home.

Planning more New England weekends? See Newport from Boston and Providence. For more of Maine, try the Maine Coast with Grandparents; for another Christmas for two, see Quebec City at Christmas. More shore routes are in Coastal Drives.

Day-by-day summary

Shops with awnings and clapboard fronts along the street in Dock Square, Kennebunkport, with cars and people walking

Day 1 · by train, taxi and on footDock SquareOff the train and into a lit-up harbor village.

Goat Island Light, a small white lighthouse and red-roofed keeper’s house on a low island off Cape Porpoise

Day 2 · on foot and by taxiOcean Avenue & Cape PorpoiseA shore walk and a working fishing harbor.

A quiet sandy beach curving toward a wooded point under a grey sky, with low waves

Day 3 · on foot, by taxi and by trainThe Kennebunk beachesMonastery grounds, a winter beach and the train home.

The route

Three days, one Dock Square base, no car

The train to Wells, the village on foot, the shore road and Cape Porpoise, then the beaches and the train home, two nights in the same room.

Illustration: clapboard shops hung with wreaths and garlands around a little stone bridge over a tidal river, with a couple walking under a lamppost at dusk, illustrated day card for Day 1

01Dock Square · arrival day

Base: a room on or near Dock Square for both nights. Today starts in Boston: the Downeaster leaves North Station at 8:50 a.m. on weekdays and reaches Wells at 10:36 a.m., and a taxi from the Wells Transportation Center to Dock Square takes about 17 minutes. After that the day is on foot: Dock Square, the Mathew Lanigan Bridge and Lower Village on the Kennebunk side of the river are all within a few minutes’ walk, and they are free to wander. Pace: easy: a morning on the train, a long lunch, a slow afternoon in the village.

Breakfast at the Boston Public Market

Where to eat: start at the Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover Street, a year-round indoor market of New England food vendors a short walk from North Station. It opens at 8 a.m. from Wednesday to Saturday; vendor hours vary, so pick a counter with coffee and something warm and take it with you.

Walk to North Station with time to spare and find the Downeaster on the departures board. The train runs north through the Merrimack Valley and into New Hampshire before it reaches the Maine coast.

The Downeaster to Wells

The Amtrak Downeaster is the train between Boston and the Maine coast. On weekdays the 8:50 a.m. from North Station reaches Wells at 10:36 a.m.; on Saturdays and Sundays the same departure arrives at 10:38 a.m. Wells is the closest stop to the Kennebunks.

The Downeaster Café, in every train, sells snacks, light meals and hot and cold drinks, so a second coffee on the way north is easy.

Expert tip: arrange your taxi or rideshare from the Wells Transportation Center before you leave Boston. Cars can be scarce on a December Friday, and the station building is open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. if you need to wait inside.

Lunch in Dock Square

Where to eat: drop your bags at the inn, then walk to Alisson’s Restaurant at 11 Dock Square, a local landmark for 50 years. Lunch runs every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It takes walk-ins only, no reservations, so an early lunch on arrival day avoids the wait.

Kennebunkport Inn, at One Dock Square, was built as a tea merchant’s home and sits on the rise above the square, which makes it an easy first base.

Dock Square, the river and the lights

Spend the afternoon on foot. Dock Square is a small triangle of shops and galleries at the head of the harbor; cross the Mathew Lanigan Bridge to Lower Village on the Kennebunk side and look down the river toward the sea. Shops along both banks are hung with wreaths and garlands in December.

On Christmas Prelude’s opening Friday, December 4, 2026, the Dock Square tree lighting starts at 5:30 p.m. with carolers from the Kennebunk High School Chamber Choir, and the tree is lit at 6 p.m. The Cape Porpoise lobster-trap tree is lit at 7 p.m. the same night. On other weekends, the square stays lit through the season.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Boston Public Market — 100 Hanover Street, Boston; open 8 a.m. Wed–Sat; vendor hours vary.
Lunch · Alisson’s Restaurant — 11 Dock Square; lunch 11 a.m.–4 p.m. daily; walk-ins only.
Dinner · Batson River Brewing & Distilling (Kennebunk) — 12 Western Avenue, Lower Village, across the bridge from Dock Square.
Quick stop (snack): Downeaster Café — the café in every Downeaster train: snacks, light meals and hot drinks.
Quick stop (other): Christmas Prelude in Dock Square — the town’s December festival; the opening tree lighting is in Dock Square.

Pack light for the train. One soft bag each is easy to carry from the train to the taxi and up the hill to the inn, and Dock Square streets are short but sloped.

Boston Public Market → North Station: about 10 minutes on foot. North Station → Wells by the Downeaster: about 1 hour 46 minutes. Wells Transportation Center → Dock Square by taxi: about 17 minutes (8 miles). Dock Square → Lower Village over the bridge: about 5 minutes on foot.

Where to stay

Kennebunkport Inn (Dock Square) — a historic inn at One Dock Square, built as a tea merchant’s home, steps from the square.
Nonantum Resort (Ocean Avenue) — or a resort hotel at 95 Ocean Avenue on the river, a short walk from the square; check winter dates when you reserve.

Dinner: at Batson River Brewing & Distilling, 12 Western Avenue in Lower Village, across the bridge from Dock Square.

Tomorrow: the shore road east along Ocean Avenue to the fishing harbor at Cape Porpoise.

Bad-weather plan

Rain or a hard freeze on Day 1? The train and Alisson’s are indoors, and Lower Village’s cafés and Batson River are a short walk across the bridge, so keep the walk short and the lunch long.

Stay: Dock Square base · Anchor: Dock Square · arrange the Wells taxi ahead

Good to know: The sun sets a little after 4 p.m. in early December, so arrive by lunch to see the river in daylight. Christmas Prelude runs December 3–13, 2026; the full 2026 schedule is on the Christmas Prelude app.

Illustration: red fishing shacks and lobster boats in a rocky harbor at sunset, with a small lighthouse on an island and a couple on the rocks, illustrated day card for Day 2

02Cape Porpoise · shore day

Base: the same room. Today follows the coast east: Ocean Avenue runs out along the river mouth and the rocky shore, and Cape Porpoise, a fishing village with a working pier, is about 5 minutes by taxi from Dock Square (2.3 miles). Earth at Hidden Pond is about 7 minutes on from Cape Porpoise. The shore road and the pier are free to walk. Pace: easy to moderate: a long morning walk, a harbor lunch and a quiet afternoon before a late dinner.

Breakfast in Lower Village

Where to eat: cross the bridge to Kennebunkport Provisions at 15 Western Avenue, a local marketplace and eatery open every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an all-day menu of breakfast, barista coffee, sandwiches and fresh bakery items. Take a coffee to go for the walk.

Then walk back over the river and follow Ocean Avenue south and east out of the village, past the Nonantum Resort on the river and along the shore toward the open sea.

Ocean Avenue and the shore

Ocean Avenue is the shore road of Kennebunkport, with the river mouth on one side and big shingled houses on the other, and further out the rocky coast opens up to the Atlantic. In December the road is quiet, the light is low and the sea is often a deep slate blue.

On Prelude’s opening Sunday, December 6, 2026, Santa arrives by lobster boat at the Nonantum Resort at 1 p.m.; for the best view of the boat coming up the river at 12:30 p.m., stand on the river side of the Mathew Lanigan Bridge or along Ocean Avenue toward the Nonantum.

Expert tip: walk Ocean Avenue in the morning, then take a taxi to Cape Porpoise for lunch. The shore is at its best in the low morning light, and the hop saves your legs for the pier and the evening.

Lunch at Cape Porpoise

Where to eat: Cape Porpoise Kitchen at 1 Mills Road is open daily and year-round, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, with sandwiches, chowders and prepared food. Eat in or take it down to the pier.

Cape Porpoise Square is where the village’s lobster-trap Christmas tree stands each December, lit on Prelude’s opening Friday at 7 p.m. with carolers from The Church on the Cape Choir.

The pier and Goat Island Light

Walk down to the Cape Porpoise pier, where lobster boats tie up and traps are stacked on the wharf. Out across the harbor sits Goat Island Light, a small white lighthouse on its own island; the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, a local land trust, looks after the lighthouse along with its trails and a historic boathouse.

Stay for the late-afternoon light over the harbor, then head back to the inn to warm up before dinner. On Saturday, December 5, 2026, the Hat Parade leaves the lot behind Alisson’s at 3 p.m. and runs through Dock Square, if you want to be back in town for it.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Kennebunkport Provisions — 15 Western Avenue, Kennebunk; open every day 6 a.m.–8 p.m.; all-day breakfast and coffee.
Lunch · Cape Porpoise Kitchen — 1 Mills Road; open daily, year-round; Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
Dinner · Earth at Hidden Pond — 354 Goose Rocks Road; year-round farm-to-table restaurant; reserve ahead.
Quick stop (other): Goat Island Light (Kennebunkport Conservation Trust) — the lighthouse off Cape Porpoise, cared for by the local land trust; seen from the pier.
Quick stop (snack): Cape Porpoise Kitchen (coffee to go) — a warm-up stop before the walk down to the pier.

Wear boots with grip for the pier. Wharf planks and rocks on the shore can be icy or wet in December, and the wind off the water is colder than it looks from the village.

Lower Village → Dock Square: about 5 minutes on foot. Dock Square → Cape Porpoise by taxi: about 5 minutes (2.3 miles). Cape Porpoise → Earth at Hidden Pond by taxi: about 7 minutes. Hidden Pond → Dock Square by taxi: about 12 minutes.

Where to stay

Kennebunkport Inn (Dock Square) — the same room on Dock Square.
Nonantum Resort (Ocean Avenue) — or the same room on Ocean Avenue.

Dinner: at Earth at Hidden Pond, 354 Goose Rocks Road, a year-round restaurant in the woods; reserve ahead and book a taxi both ways.

Tomorrow: the monastery grounds and the Kennebunk beaches, then Wells and the train home.

Bad-weather plan

In a storm, skip the long shore walk: take a taxi straight to Cape Porpoise Kitchen for a slow lunch, then spend the afternoon in Dock Square’s shops and at Alisson’s before dinner at Earth at Hidden Pond.

Stay: same base · Anchor: Cape Porpoise · reserve dinner and a taxi

Good to know: Taxis are the way between villages in winter; book the evening ride to and from Hidden Pond when you reserve dinner.

Illustration: a couple in winter coats on a quiet sandy beach with dune grass and a rocky headland under a soft sunrise, illustrated day card for Day 3

03Kennebunk · beach day

Base: check out and keep your bags with you or at the desk until the taxi. The Franciscan Monastery is about 3 minutes by car from Dock Square on Beach Avenue, and the beach is about 6 minutes on. In the afternoon, Wells is about 9 minutes from the beach by taxi. Walking the beach in winter is free. The Sunday Downeaster leaves Wells at 7:14 p.m. and reaches North Station at 9:05 p.m. Pace: easy: two short walks in the morning, a diner lunch, a marsh walk and a slow dinner before the train.

Breakfast in Lower Village

Where to eat: Mornings in Paris at 21 Western Avenue, a European-style café in the Lower Village of Kennebunk, serves coffee, tea, crêpes and breakfast. Sit by the window with a warm crêpe before the morning walk.

From Lower Village, Beach Avenue runs south along the river toward the sea, past the gates of the Franciscan Monastery.

The Franciscan Monastery grounds

St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery, at 28 Beach Avenue in Kennebunk, is owned by Lithuanian Franciscan friars who bought the estate in the 1940s. Its quiet grounds have riverside paths and resting spots, and on Prelude’s first Saturday the friars hold candlelight caroling at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at 6:30 p.m. There is no parking on the property for that event.

Walk the river paths slowly in the morning light, then continue along Beach Avenue to the sea.

The Kennebunk beaches

The Kennebunk beaches run along Beach Avenue: small Mother’s Beach under the rocks and the long, gently curving sand of Gooch’s and Kennebunk Beach. In summer they are full; on a December morning you may have the sand to yourselves, with only the gulls and the sound of the surf.

Expert tip: walk the beach in the morning while the sun is low over the water, and keep your back to the wind on the way out. The return is always colder, so save a warm layer for it.

Wells: the diner, the marsh and the train

Where to eat: take a taxi to the Maine Diner at 2265 Post Road in Wells, serving food for over 30 years. Its fall hours are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursday to Tuesday, closed Wednesdays, so go for an early lunch and check winter hours.

Five minutes away, the Wells Reserve at Laudholm is open from 7 a.m. to sunset, with trails through woods and salt marsh to the beach and an old saltwater farm at its center. Walk until the light goes, then head to dinner near the station; the Sunday train leaves Wells at 7:14 p.m.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Mornings in Paris (Kennebunk) — 21 Western Avenue, Lower Village; coffee, tea, crêpes and breakfast.
Lunch · Maine Diner — 2265 Post Road, Wells; fall hours 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m., closed Wednesdays.
Dinner · Batson River Fish Camp (Wells) — on Mile Road, Wells, near Route 1; open daily 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
Quick stop (other): Franciscan Monastery grounds — riverside paths at 28 Beach Avenue, Kennebunk.
Quick stop (other): Wells Reserve at Laudholm — trails through woods and salt marsh; open 7 a.m. to sunset.
Quick stop (snack): Downeaster Café — snacks and hot drinks on the evening train home.

Book the Sunday evening train early. The 7:14 p.m. Downeaster from Wells lets you have the whole day on the coast and a sit-down dinner, and Prelude weekends fill up.

Dock Square → the Franciscan Monastery on Beach Avenue: about 3 minutes by car or a short walk. Monastery → Mother’s Beach: about 6 minutes by car. Beach → the Maine Diner in Wells by taxi: about 9 minutes. Maine Diner → the Wells Reserve: about 5 minutes. Wells Reserve → Batson River Fish Camp: about 10 minutes. Fish Camp → Wells Transportation Center: about 7 minutes.

Where to stay

Kennebunkport Inn (Dock Square) — check out this morning; ask to leave bags at the desk until your taxi.
Nonantum Resort (Ocean Avenue) — or check out of the Ocean Avenue room.

Dinner: at Batson River Fish Camp on Mile Road in Wells, the Wells sibling of Day 1’s Kennebunk brewpub, a short taxi ride from the station.

Tonight: the 7:14 p.m. Downeaster from Wells, arriving at Boston’s North Station at 9:05 p.m.

Bad-weather plan

If the beach is too wild, spend the late morning at the Brick Store Museum, five historic buildings on Main Street in Kennebunk that open at noon on Sundays, then go on to the Maine Diner in Wells and Batson River Fish Camp before the train.

Stay: check out, bags at the desk · Anchor: the Kennebunk beaches · book the 7:14 p.m. train

Good to know: Many beachfront places on the coast are seasonal, so every meal on this day is at a place that posts winter or year-round hours.

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Plan & pack

Pack for the trip

One soft bag each. Easy to carry from the train to the taxi and up the hill to the inn.
Warm, waterproof boots with grip. Icy sidewalks, wet wharf planks and winter sand.
A windproof outer layer. The wind off the sea at Cape Porpoise and on the beach is the real cold.
Hats, gloves and a scarf. For the tree lightings, which are outdoors after dark.
Layers you can take off. The train, the inn and the restaurants are warm.
Phones with your train tickets and dinner reservations. The Downeaster both ways and Earth at Hidden Pond.
The Christmas Prelude app. The full 2026 schedule of events is posted there.
A small flashlight or phone light. Village lanes and beach roads are dark early in December.

The Downeaster platform at Wells station in Maine, with a canopy shelter and lamps beside the track — **One soft bag each for the train to Wells and the taxi to the inn.** **Wells station** · the Downeaster platform; one soft bag each is easiest from train to taxi

Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport in winter, with snowbanks along the road and shops on both sides — **Boots with grip for icy village sidewalks like these on Ocean Avenue.** **Ocean Avenue in winter** · boots with grip for icy sidewalks and snowbanks in the village

Illustration: a red notebook, a folded coastal map, a mug of tea, a red knit hat, a striped lobster buoy, pieces of sea glass and a pine sprig on a weathered wooden table, original illustrated plan card for 3 days in Kennebunkport — **Original illustration** · a red notebook, a coastal map, a mug of tea, a knit hat and a lobster buoy on a wooden table

Kennebunkport in one frame

The plan card gathers the weekend on one table: a warm hat for the tree lightings, a map of the coast, a buoy from the harbor and sea glass from the beach. Every stop, train time and meal is in the day-by-day above.

Illustration: lobster boats moored by a snowy wharf at dusk, with clapboard houses, a lit evergreen and a couple watching the harbor, original illustrated recap card — **Original illustration** · lobster boats by a snowy wharf at dusk with a lit evergreen

Where the trip ends

The recap card closes the weekend on the harbor at dusk, with the boats in and the tree lit. The day-by-day has each stop, taxi hop and train time.

Postcards

Kennebunkport at Christmas, in frames.

Looking south down the Kennebunk River from Dock Square, with boats moored along the docks — **The Kennebunk River** · looking down the river toward the sea from Dock Square

Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport curving past clapboard houses, with snow along the edges — **Ocean Avenue in snow** · a winter afternoon on the shore road out of Dock Square

A wooden viewing platform among dense trees at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in southern Maine — **Rachel Carson refuge** · a viewing deck in the woods of the refuge, established in 1966

Quick answers

Planning notes

When is Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport in 2026?

Christmas Prelude runs December 3–13, 2026. The Dock Square tree lighting is on Friday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m. (the tree is lit at 6 p.m.), and the Cape Porpoise lobster-trap tree is lit at 7 p.m. the same night. The full schedule is on the Christmas Prelude app.

Can you get to Kennebunkport from Boston without a car?

Yes. Take the Amtrak Downeaster from Boston’s North Station to Wells, the closest stop to the Kennebunks, then a taxi or rideshare of about 17 minutes to Dock Square. In the village everything is on foot, and short taxi rides reach Cape Porpoise and the beaches.

How many days do you need in Kennebunkport?

Three days and two nights is enough for Dock Square and the river, the shore road and Cape Porpoise, and the Kennebunk beaches, at an easy winter pace with the train at each end.

When are the Christmas Prelude fireworks?

The 2026 Christmas fireworks are on Friday, December 11 at 6:15 p.m. in the cove, and can be seen from the Mathew Lanigan Bridge and around Dock Square.

Where does Santa arrive by lobster boat?

On Sunday, December 6, 2026, Santa travels up the river by lobster boat at about 12:30 p.m. and lands at the Nonantum Resort at 1 p.m. The best views are from the river side of the Mathew Lanigan Bridge or along Ocean Avenue.

Are restaurants open in Kennebunkport in winter?

Many are, but some seasonal places close; The Clam Shack, for example, is closed until May 2027. Every meal in this plan is at a place that posts year-round or winter hours. Check hours before you go.

Is Kennebunkport good for a couples’ Christmas weekend?

Yes. It is small, lit and quiet in December, with harbor views, a fishing village and long winter beaches, and the Christmas Prelude events in early December add tree lightings and caroling.

What is there to do in Kennebunkport when it rains?

Spend longer in Dock Square’s shops and over lunch at Alisson’s, visit the Brick Store Museum on Main Street in Kennebunk, or take a taxi to Cape Porpoise Kitchen for a slow harbor lunch.

Before you set off — the official checks

Train times, restaurant hours and event dates change. Confirm current details on the sites listed under official links.

Christmas Prelude — December 3–13, 2026; the full schedule is on the Christmas Prelude app. Christmas Prelude ↗
Downeaster schedule — Check the timetable for your dates; weekend and weekday times differ. Amtrak Downeaster ↗
Seasonal closures — The Clam Shack by the bridge is closed for the season until May 2027. The Clam Shack ↗
Maine Diner hours — Fall hours 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m., closed Wednesdays; check winter hours. Maine Diner ↗
Weather — Check wind and snow before the shore walk and the beach. National Weather Service ↗

Plan with confidence

Official Links

Official sites to plan and verify the details in this guide.

Christmas Prelude: Christmas in Kennebunkport ↗Dates and events, December 3–13, 2026

Amtrak Downeaster: schedules ↗Boston North Station to Wells

Amtrak Downeaster: Wells station ↗Station hours and address

Kennebunkport Conservation Trust ↗Trails and Goat Island Light

Wells Reserve at Laudholm ↗Trails and hours

Brick Store Museum ↗Museum hours, Kennebunk

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge ↗U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

National Weather Service Gray, Maine ↗Forecasts and winter alerts

Reviewed Oct 19, 2026How we verify

Conditions and prices can change.

References

Research behind this guide

The reporting and research that shaped this itinerary.

Go Kennebunks: visitor information ↗Kennebunk, Kennebunkport & Arundel Chamber of Commerce

Photo credits

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, resized and converted to WebP. The illustrated cover, day cards, plan card and recap card are this guide’s original itinerary artwork, illustrated from the credited photos listed here.

Lobster-trap tree — photo by John Phelan, CC BY 4.0; it is also the basis of the Cover and Cover web illustrations
Dock Square — photo by Captain-tucker, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0); it is also the basis of the Day 1 card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Goat Island Light — photo by Rapidfire, CC BY-SA 2.5; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.5); it is also the basis of the Day 2 card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Gooch’s Beach — photo by Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0); it is also the basis of the Day 3 card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Wells station — photo by Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.0); it is also the basis of the Packing card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Ocean Avenue in winter — photo by en:User:Dudesleeper, CC BY 3.0
Kennebunk River — photo by Captain-tucker, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Ocean Avenue in snow — photo by User:Dudesleeper, CC BY 3.0
Rachel Carson refuge — photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service - Recovery Act Team, Public domain
Lobster buoys — photo by Marc-Lautenbacher, CC BY-SA 4.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Christmas Prelude — photo by Seasider53, CC BY-SA 4.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Brick Store Museum — photo by John Phelan, CC BY 3.0
Laudholm Farm — photo by Greencan7, CC BY-SA 4.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Route map — original illustrated route artwork for this guide; stop locations from OpenStreetMap

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Three days in Kennebunkport at Christmas: a harbor square lit for the season, a fishing village on the rocks and a quiet beach in winter.

Day-by-day summary

Three days, one Dock Square base, no car

Day 1 · Dock Square—Breakfast at the Boston Public Market, the morning Downeaster to Wells, a taxi to Dock Square, lunch at Alisson’s, an afternoon by the Kennebunk River, then dinner in Lower Village and the lights on the square.

Day 2 · Ocean Avenue & Cape Porpoise—Breakfast at Kennebunkport Provisions, a walk out along Ocean Avenue, lunch at Cape Porpoise Kitchen, the pier and Goat Island Light, then dinner by candlelight at Earth at Hidden Pond.

Day 3 · The Kennebunk beaches—Breakfast at Mornings in Paris, the Franciscan Monastery grounds and the Kennebunk beaches, lunch at the Maine Diner, the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, then dinner at Batson River Fish Camp and the evening train to Boston.

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Kennebunkport in one frame

Where the trip ends

Kennebunkport at Christmas, in frames.

Planning notes

Before you set off — the official checks

More New England weekends and Christmas trips.

Newport from Boston

The Maine Coast with Grandparents

Quebec City Christmas for Two

3 Days in Providence

Official Links

Research behind this guide

Photo credits

Choose the landscape. Then choose the pace.

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