Only one day in Portland?
If this is your first time I would first recommend to spend more than a day here, as there’s so much to do! Whether you’re coming for a quick getaway, a part of a cruise or as a stop on a Pacific Coast tour, I’ve compiled a list of must-sees for an ambitious one day visit. This itinerary assumes that you’d be visiting a full day, will be highly caffeinated and it involves a moderate amount of walking.
Choose between the following:
Allow 3 hours
- Columbia River Gorge waterfalls (article coming soon!)- The easiest way to get here is with a vehicle, but they do have summer shuttles and Zipcar car share. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Portland (outside rush hour) but well worth it, even without hiking you can spend a hour stopping by and seeing waterfalls right off the road. Park your car at Wahkeena Falls and walk left to Multnomah Falls. Then get back in the car and drive to Horsetail Falls.
- Pittock Mansion Hike at Forest Park can get crowded but for good reason- it’s an easy 5 mile loop with views of the Portland skyscape and Mt Hood. Skip going into Pittock Mansion, but wander around the (free) grounds! Without a car and staying downtown this is the closest and easy to get to with a bus or Uber/Lyft (quicker).
Discover Downtown
Allow 2-3 hours
My self guided downtown walk & attractions- Park Blocks, Pioneer Square, Powell’s Books, Waterfront, Voodoo Donuts and more are on this walk!
If you’re visiting on a Saturday or Sunday check out the Portland Farmers Market or the Saturday Market (also open year round on Sundays)
Have lunch at one of the many food carts- its hard to go wrong with so many choices!
Explore Northwest Portland
If you’re in town in June, check out the Rose Garden. If not, try the Japanese Garden. Allow 45 minutes including parking for the Rose and 1 hour for the Japanese Garden. The Rose Garden is free, the Japanese Garden is $15.
If you have extra time before dinner, shop (or window shop- but we have no sales tax!) on NW 23rd Nob Hill area.
*Note*- If you choose Forest Park as your hike of choice you can do this afterwards and then head downtown
Hit the Eastside
At night do what the locals do and choose a popular nightlife neighborhood to explore.
My personal favorite neighborhoods for nightlife are North Mississippi Avenue (Boise Neighborhood), Southeast Hawthorne Blvd or Buckman neighborhood (in between Belmont-Stark and Grand Ave and 15th) where you’ll find breweries, good restaurants, beer and cider pubs, venues, and many other forms of entertainment.
Getting there is easy- use public transportation, bike, Uber or Lyft if you don’t have a car or are planning on drinking. Our beers are stronger than they look! Even if it’s a weekday in any season these neighborhoods will have something going on. On Sunday-Tuesday check the hours if you’re expecting to go to a certain place, as sometimes they can be closed or have limited hours these days.
