3 days in Portland

Day by day

1. Day 1: Powell's City of Books and Pearl District galleries and First Thursday

   Powell's City of Books, Pearl District galleries and First Thursday and International Rose Test Garden, then Central Eastside in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Powell's City of Books

      Powell's occupies a full city block on West Burnside with new and used books shelved side by side in colour-coded rooms.

   2. Late morning

      Pearl District galleries and First Thursday

      Combine an evening gallery walk with dinner nearby and a browse at Powell's.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Food cart meals

      Cart pods in Southeast, North Portland and downtown; carts come and go, so check what is open on the day.

   4. Afternoon

      International Rose Test Garden

      Opened in 1917, this free terraced garden in Washington Park grows more than 10,000 rose bushes of several hundred varieties, tested for new cultivars.

   5. Evening

      Central Eastside

      Warehouse bars, distillery tasting rooms and cocktail lounges near the river.

2. Day 2: Portland Japanese Garden and Oregon Zoo

   Portland Japanese Garden, Oregon Zoo and Hoyt Arboretum, then Mississippi and Williams in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Portland Japanese Garden

      Go early on a weekday, or in October when the maples turn red.

   2. Late morning

      Oregon Zoo

      The Oregon Zoo in Washington Park is known for its Asian elephant herd and its Pacific Northwest habitats with cougars, black bears and river otters, plus polar bears and primates.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Craft doughnuts

      Long-established doughnut shops downtown and on the east side; queues build on weekend mornings.

   4. Afternoon

      Hoyt Arboretum

      Start at the visitor centre for a trail map, and walk the short Redwood Trail.

   5. Evening

      Mississippi and Williams

      Brewpubs, live-music venues and late-night food.

3. Day 3: Food cart pods and Lan Su Chinese Garden

   Food cart pods, Lan Su Chinese Garden and Pittock Mansion, then Downtown and Old Town in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Food cart pods

      Portland has hundreds of food carts, many grouped into pods with shared seating and beer taps.

   2. Late morning

      Lan Su Chinese Garden

      Stop at the teahouse in the two-storey tower for tea and dumplings overlooking the lake.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Marionberry pie

      Bakeries and diners citywide, and farm stands in summer; marionberry jam is sold everywhere.

   4. Afternoon

      Pittock Mansion

      Built in 1914 for newspaper publisher Henry Pittock, this French Renaissance-style mansion sits about 300 metres above the city, with period rooms inside and grounds that look out over downtown to Mount Hood, Mount St.

   5. Evening

      Downtown and Old Town

      Clubs, LGBTQ+ bars and music venues such as the Crystal Ballroom on West Burnside.

Before you go

• Portland Japanese Garden: Timed tickets online are recommended on weekends and in autumn foliage season.

If it rains

• Swap in Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) (Central Eastside and Lloyd): Book the submarine tour on arrival; times are limited.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Downtown keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Pearl District ($$$) suits couples, food lovers, shopping and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–17 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Portland
• 2 days in Portland
• 5 days in Portland

Questions travellers ask