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Top things to do in Portland

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Portland: the city's best neighbourhoods

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About Portland

Including tips for the best time to visit Portland

Divided by the Willamette River, Oregon's largest city has earned a reputation for its cuisine, creativity and sustainability. Seemingly everywhere you look, another independent retailer and craft brewery is setting up shop, while vast green spaces make the urban sprawl almost bucolic.

Portland is renowned for its food and drink scenes, due to its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and Willamette Valley. Chefs and mixologists are especially drawn to the area's fresh, accessible ingredients and creative energy. In town, you'll find no less than 70 craft breweries and more food carts than you can count. Coffee culture is equally strong in Portland, with Stumptown Coffee Roasters leading the pack.

No matter what Portland neighbourhood you find yourself in, nature is within easy reach. Thanks to eco-forward urban planning policies, roughly one third of the city is covered in trees. Forest Park sprawls over 20 square kilometres, while Washington Park is home to the Hoyt Arboretum, International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden. Meanwhile, Mount Hood, wine country and the Oregon Coast are all less than a two-hour's drive away.

Overcast skies are common in Portland – this is the Pacific Northwest, after all – but indoor activities are plentiful. You could fill an entire afternoon exploring Powell's City of Books, one of the largest independent bookstores in the world. For art lovers, the Portland Art Museum showcases Native American and Northwest art as well as paintings by famous Impressionists. It's also worth visiting Pittock Mansion for its downtown views.

Tonight

From £70 per night

This weekend

From £136 per night

Next weekend

From £136 per night

Most popular time to visit October–December
Cheapest time to visit January–March
Local currency US$10 = £7.92
Language
Average weekend price £88 per night
Average weekday price £88 per night
Typical stay 2 nights

Points of interest in Portland

Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Portland

Portland reviews

What other travellers say about Portland

10

Absolutely loved the country.

18 March 2024

Absolutely loved the country. We saw so much! The falls, the coast, the bridges. So incredible. We are not super touristy..so we kept out of the downtown areas. We eat relatively simple so the market was amazing to get most of our food. Getting around in our rental car was so easy. We loved the 55 mph limit on the freeways. The only downfall that we saw was the unfortunate homeless. Sadly that seems to be everywhere now though. So, we did not let that bother us at all. Everything was amazing.

April
April United States
8.0

I know Portland has a stigma attached to it.

13 March 2024

I know Portland has a stigma attached to it. I am one who has judged it from afar. In all reality the worst part was driving in the freeway in the rain. Not good for my nerves! We stayed in a B&B In a historic district. Beautiful old homes. There is a mixture of graffiti and businesses that is almost complimentary to each other. We went to a Blazer game with our kids and it was outstanding! Even getting a ride after the game was quick and simple. All in all we weren't there long. The people seemed to be friendly and welcoming. Makes it easier for me to say I would definitely go back.

Randall
Randall
10

The area of the Crystal hotel was very close to several...

23 February 2024

The area of the Crystal hotel was very close to several other restaurants. Walking was safe to shopping centers. The Crystal ballroom was great and concert was excellent with more events coming daily. Fantastic place. Highly recommended!! Uber pick up was within 3 minutes and affordable. Portland is full of continuous festivals and beautiful places for everyone's liking.

pollitz
pollitz
6.0

Portland seem to have a great food and pub/micro-brewery...

21 February 2024

Portland seem to have a great food and pub/micro-brewery scene. We only visited a few due to the shortness of our stay, but the ones we went to were exceptional. Considering it was rainy, there wasn't too much we could do. Public transport seems to be quite good. However, Portland seem to have a huge problem with homeless people, who camp around the city, as they seem to have nowhere else to go.

Jan
Jan Australia
4.0

We used to love Portland's vibrant feel.

16 February 2024

We used to love Portland's vibrant feel. Most of the beautiful city has been ruined by "mostly peaceful" riots of 2020 and the criminality that has been allowed to follow. The stores between 5th and the beautiful river front park are no longer, nor are the restaurants. It's sad. We used to visit the REI and it has now had to close due to the criminals. The NW area was in better shape. We enjoyed walking and shopping in that area.

Debbie
Debbie United States
2.0

It was terrible ghetto I was surprised there was no rodents...

2 February 2024

It was terrible ghetto I was surprised there was no rodents or bugs!!!!!!!!!! Do not stay there!!! There was a condom rapper in one of the drawers! Part of the sealing was falling! It was the worst place I have ever stayed at!!!!!

Anonymous United States

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