Portland is a relaxed, bike-friendly city of neighborhood coffee roasters, independent shops and some of the best casual food in the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood are an easy morning drive away.
Good to know
- Oregon has no sales tax and you can't pump your own gas in most of the state; attendants will do it.
- The Columbia Gorge Waterfall Corridor sometimes requires timed permits in summer; check before driving out.
- Food cart pods (Hawthorne, Cartopia, Prost) are open into the evening, but opening times are loose.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Widely considered one of the finest Japanese gardens outside Japan, with tea house, waterfalls and views of Mount Hood.
Free garden of 10,000 rose bushes at peak in June, with a city view.
A full city block of new and used books with color-coded rooms; allow more time than you think.
5,000 acres of forest trails in the city with a French Renaissance mansion at the top and a skyline view.
Eat your way through a cart pod: Thai, Georgian dumplings, Korean fried chicken and doughnuts.
620-foot waterfall 30 minutes from the city, plus the Historic Highway and Vista House viewpoint.
Murals, galleries, small bars and food on two of the best neighborhood strips.
Portland has more breweries per capita than almost anywhere; hop between two or three taprooms.
Pinot noir tasting in the Dundee Hills, an hour southwest of the city.
The oldest art museum in the Northwest, strong on Native American art and Northwest painters.
Large open-air craft market under the Burnside Bridge, running weekends from March to December.