Things to do · Portland · United States
17 best things to do in Portland
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Adonelson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Portland are Powell's City of Books, International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden. Of the 17 picks below, 10 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Powell's City of Books
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- Powell's City of Books
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powell's City of Books | Pearl District | 1–2 hours | Free |
| International Rose Test Garden | Washington Park | 1 hour | Free |
| Portland Japanese Garden | Washington Park | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Food cart pods | Citywide | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Lan Su Chinese Garden | Downtown | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Pittock Mansion | Northwest and Nob Hill | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Forest Park | Northwest and Nob Hill | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Oregon Zoo | Washington Park | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Hoyt Arboretum | Washington Park | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) | Central Eastside and Lloyd | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Portland Saturday Market | Downtown | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade | Downtown | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Mount Tabor Park | Hawthorne and Belmont | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden | Eastmoreland | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Alberta Street murals and galleries | Alberta Arts District | 2 hours | Free |
| Pearl District galleries and First Thursday | Pearl District | 2 hours | Free |
| Mill Ends Park | Downtown | 10 minutes | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Landmark · Pearl District
1.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. The Rose Room holds children's books, and the Rare Book Room has signed first editions and antique volumes.
Pick up a free store map at the entrance; it is easy to lose an hour in a single room.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Garden · Washington Park
2.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. On clear days Mount Hood appears behind the downtown skyline, which is how Portland got its 'City of Roses' nickname.
Visit from late May to September for blooms; June is peak.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Nature
Garden · Washington Park
3.Portland Japanese Garden
Considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside Japan, it has five garden styles, including a sand-and-stone garden and a strolling pond garden, plus a cultural village designed by architect Kengo Kuma. It is above the Rose Garden in Washington Park.
Go early on a weekday, or in October when the maples turn red.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets online are recommended on weekends and in autumn foliage season.
- Iconic
- Nature
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Architecture
Experience · Citywide
4.Food cart pods
Portland has hundreds of food carts, many grouped into pods with shared seating and beer taps. Larger pods on the east side and downtown offer dozens of cuisines in one spot, from Thai and Georgian khachapuri to barbecue and vegan bowls.
Go with friends and order from several carts to share; most pods have covered seating for rainy days.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Kids
- Iconic
Garden · Downtown
5.Lan Su Chinese Garden
A walled Ming dynasty-style garden built by artisans from Suzhou, Portland's sister city, filling a city block in Old Town Chinatown with pavilions, a lake, rockeries and a teahouse.
Stop at the teahouse in the two-storey tower for tea and dumplings overlooking the lake.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- Couples
- Nature
- Rainy day
Historic site · Northwest and Nob Hill
6.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. Helens and other Cascade peaks.
The grounds and viewpoint are free; you can hike up from Lower Macleay Park on Forest Park's trails.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Architecture
Park · Northwest and Nob Hill
7.Forest Park
One of the largest urban forests in the US, Forest Park covers about 2,000 hectares of Douglas fir and fern-lined ravines in the hills northwest of downtown. The Wildwood Trail runs about 50 km through it, and the Lower Macleay Trail leads to the moss-covered Stone House ruin.
For a short taste, walk the Lower Macleay Trail from NW Upshur Street to the Stone House and back.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
Zoo · Washington Park
8.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. The Washington Park MAX station, one of the deepest transit stations in North America, is at the entrance.
Ride the MAX Red or Blue Line to Washington Park to skip the limited parking.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Garden · Washington Park
1.Hoyt Arboretum
A free tree museum of about 2,000 species of trees and shrubs from around the world on the ridge of Washington Park, with 19 km of trails through conifers, magnolias and maples.
Start at the visitor centre for a trail map, and walk the short Redwood Trail.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Central Eastside and Lloyd
2.Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
A large hands-on science museum on the east bank of the Willamette, with interactive halls, a planetarium, a large-screen theatre and the USS Blueback, a decommissioned US Navy submarine that visitors can tour.
Book the submarine tour on arrival; times are limited.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Market · Downtown
3.Portland Saturday Market
One of the largest continuously operating outdoor arts and crafts markets in the US, running on weekends from spring until Christmas Eve in Tom McCall Waterfront Park by the Burnside Bridge. Every stall is run by the maker, and food stalls and buskers fill the gaps.
Despite the name it runs on Sundays too; check the season dates before planning around it.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Art
Waterfront · Downtown
4.Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade
A riverside park replaced a freeway along the west bank of the Willamette in the 1970s. Combined with the Eastbank Esplanade's floating walkway across the river, it forms a loop of roughly 5 km over the Hawthorne and Steel bridges, with views of the city's many bridges.
Walk or cycle the loop at sunset, crossing on the Tilikum Crossing for the best view of the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Active
Park · Hawthorne and Belmont
5.Mount Tabor Park
A city park on the cone of an extinct volcano in Southeast Portland, with open-air historic reservoirs, forest paths and a summit viewpoint looking back to the downtown skyline.
Go for sunset from the west-facing slopes, then eat on Hawthorne or Belmont.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Garden · Eastmoreland
6.Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
A lakeside woodland garden in Southeast Portland with more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants around a spring-fed lake visited by ducks, geese and herons.
Peak bloom is usually April and May.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Couples
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
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Street · Alberta Arts District
7.Alberta Street murals and galleries
About 20 blocks of Northeast Alberta Street are lined with murals, galleries, studios and food spots, making it a good walking street for an afternoon. The Last Thursday art walk brings performers and vendors on summer evenings.
Walk from east to west and finish with ice cream or dinner near NE 15th.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Food
- Shopping
Neighbourhood · Pearl District
8.Pearl District galleries and First Thursday
The Pearl's former warehouses hold contemporary art galleries, design studios and shops. On the first Thursday of each month many galleries hold free evening openings.
Combine an evening gallery walk with dinner nearby and a browse at Powell's.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- After dark
- Shopping
Park · Downtown
9.Mill Ends Park
Billed as the smallest park in the world, Mill Ends is a single circle about 60 cm across in the median of SW Naito Parkway, created on St Patrick's Day in 1976 and decorated by locals with tiny additions.
It is easy to miss; look for it in the median strip at SW Taylor Street.
- Time needed
- 10 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Portland Saturday Market, Alberta Street murals and galleries and Pearl District galleries and First Thursday |
| History | Pittock Mansion |
| Views | International Rose Test Garden, Pittock Mansion, Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade and Mount Tabor Park |
| Outdoors and nature | International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Lan Su Chinese Garden and Forest Park |
| Food and markets | Food cart pods, Portland Saturday Market and Alberta Street murals and galleries |
| After dark | Pearl District galleries and First Thursday |
| With children | Oregon Zoo, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden and Food cart pods |
| On a rainy day | Powell's City of Books, Lan Su Chinese Garden and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) |
What to book ahead
- Portland Japanese Garden: Timed tickets online are recommended on weekends and in autumn foliage season.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Portland?
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.
+What can you do for free in Portland?
Powell's City of Books, International Rose Test Garden, Forest Park, Hoyt Arboretum and Portland Saturday Market. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Portland when it rains?
Head indoors to Powell's City of Books, Lan Su Chinese Garden and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
+What is there to do in Portland at night?
Pearl District galleries and First Thursday are best after dark.