If you’re visiting for the first time, this Portland, Oregon travel guide has everything you need to plan the perfect stay and feel less overwhelmed. We’re answering all your questions about Portland and sharing helpful tips for first-timers!
We may be biased as fellow Oregonians, but Portland is one of our all-time favorite cities. Being that we live in Bend, Oregon, we’ve visited Portland on many occasions and return to visit all the time.
We’ve celebrated milestones in Portland, played tour guide to friends visiting Portland for the first time, and have returned time after time to explore all the city’s weird quirks and hidden gems.
Traveling to Portland for the first time can be overwhelming. We know from firsthand experience.
But we’re here to help!
We’re sharing all sorts of insider tips and things we’ve learned over many visits. Plus we’re answering your most pressing questions, like:
What is the best neighborhood in Portland to stay in? We’ve got some strong opinions.
Where can I find the best food (and beer!) in Portland? Oh, honey, we’ve got a lot of ideas for you!
What’s there to do in Portland when it’s raining? Trust me, you’re going to want to know the answer to this one!
Okay, let’s dive right in and get you ready for your first trip to Portland!
Portland Travel Guide
- Best time to visit
- How many days do you need in Portland?
- Top things to do in Portland
- Getting around Portland
- Custom Portland map
- Where to eat
- Where to stay
- Is Portland safe?
- Day trips from Portland
Best time to visit Portland
Though Portland is a year-round destination, there are a few factors you should consider when planning your trip.
The rainy season across much of Oregon runs from November through March. High season is during the summer months, when the weather is at its peak for outdoor activities and school holidays allow for family travel.
The best time to visit Portland is from June through August when you have the best chance for warm, sunny weather, making this the perfect time to visit if you want to spend a lot of time outdoors. During the summer months, Portland also plays host to a variety of festivals and events.
We’re also big fans of traveling to Portland during May (when flowers are starting to bloom) and September, as it is less busy than the summer months.
How many days do you need in Portland?
The ideal amount of time to stay for a visit to Portland depends on your interests, the activities you want to engage in, and whether you’re looking to explore the city itself or venture into the surrounding areas.
Here is our general guide to planning your trip duration:
- 2-3 days: If you’re primarily interested in exploring Portland’s city life, its diverse neighborhoods, food scene, and cultural attractions, a stay of 2 to 3 days is often sufficient. This allows you time to visit popular spots like Powell’s City of Books, the International Rose Test Garden, and the Portland Art Museum.
- 5-7 days: If you also want to explore the natural beauty surrounding Portland, including the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, or the Oregon Coast, you might want to allocate additional days. Outdoor enthusiasts might find a week or more beneficial to fully appreciate the hiking, waterfalls, and scenic drives in the region.
Tip: Consider the timing of your visit. If there are specific events or festivals you want to attend, plan accordingly and adjust your stay duration.
Ultimately, the perfect length of stay varies from person to person based on individual preferences.
Whether you’re drawn to the urban experience, outdoor adventures, or a mix of both. There are so many fun things to do in Portland, you could easily come back time and time again (like us!) and not get bored.
One Day in Portland
Just have one day to spend in Portland? No problem! We did the legwork for you and came up with a bunch of recommendations for the perfect one day Portland itinerary based on your travel style and preferences.
Things to do in Portland
If you’re looking for the very best things to do in Portland, here are our top recommendations:
- Go on a Portland food tour
- Hike to the “Witch’s Castle”
- Taste Portland’s best doughnuts
- Grab some grub at a food truck pod
- See the view from the Pittock Mansion
We have an entire article dedicated to the best things to do in Portland where we share details and tips for first-time visitors.
How to get around Portland
Portland is a fairly easy city to navigate, with multiple transportation options depending on your travel style and itinerary. Whether you prefer to walk, bike, or ride, there’s a way to get around that suits your needs.
Rental Car
If you plan to explore beyond the city—like the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast, or Mt. Hood—a rental car is a good idea.
We usually reserve cars through Booking.com (formerly RentalCars.com) because we have used them before and they have the best deals for rental cars.
Street parking downtown can be limited and metered, but many hotels offer parking. If you’re staying in the city and mostly exploring urban areas, you likely won’t need a car.
Good to know: If you are staying in a hotel downtown, there will likely be a pretty large fee for using the parking garage (which you will definitely want to do). Be sure you factor in this cost.
Public Transit (TriMet)
Portland has an extensive public transportation system, including buses, the MAX Light Rail, and the Portland Streetcar.
The MAX Light Rail is useful for getting from Portland International Airport (PDX) to downtown and for visiting neighborhoods like the Pearl District or even heading out to Beaverton.
They make it super easy to pay using your phone or contactless credit card, or by downloading the Hop mobile app.
Biketown Bike Share
Portland is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S., and the Biketown bike share program makes cycling convenient for visitors. The city has plenty of bike lanes and scenic routes, making it easy to explore on two wheels.
Rideshare (Uber & Lyft)
Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft are widely available in Portland and are a convenient way to get around, especially after indulging in a few local brews.
Walking
Many of Portland’s best neighborhoods, like Downtown, the Pearl District, and the Alberta Arts District, are highly walkable, so you may find that your own two feet are the best way to explore!
Overall, if you’re sticking to the city, you can easily get around using a mix of public transit, rideshares, and bikes. But if you’re planning to take day trips, renting a car will give you the most flexibility.
Portland Map: Our favorite spots!
Click on the map and enter your email to gain access to our custom Portland Map.
It’s filled with 100+ custom pins of our favorite Portland activities, eateries, nightlife and more! We’d made personal notes for each pin and included many of our personal photos so you know exactly what to expect from each pinned location.
Where to eat in Portland
Portland has a never-ending variety of very, very good restaurants. With so much competition, establishments need to be really high quality to keep up, or do something so unique that they stand out from the crowded restaurant space.
Portland restaurants have a huge culture of focusing on locally-sourced produce, and you won’t have to look far to find healthy or vegan options. There is also quite a variety of cuisines from around the world. Portland really is a foodie paradise.
There would be no way for us to make a truly comprehensive list of restaurants in Portland, as new ones are popping up all the time. However, we made a list of some that we have enjoyed or people have recommended to us. Just tryin’ to spread the love!
Our top Portland restaurant picks:
These are our favorite restaurants in Portland (so far!). Try them and let us know what you think!
- Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen: amazing Vietnamese dishes and fun cocktails in a lively atmosphere (one of our top Portland food recs!)
- Fried Egg I’m in Love: Popular food truck with one of the best breakfast sandwiches we’ve had! (Expect a wait!)
- Bake on the Run: Guyanese cuisine in a food truck in the Hawthorne Asylum pod. The owner is super friendly and offers free samples.
- Pine State Biscuits: hearty breakfast sandwiches (good for hangovers!)
- Oven and Shaker: excellent wood-fired pizza and cocktails
- Bamboo Sushi: sustainably sourced sushi for the win!
- Lardo Restaurant: Casual sandwich shop with a focus on pork that also serves up craft beers.
- Grassa: unassuming Italian place with handmade pasta in a quick and casual atmosphere
- Boke Bowl: inventive bao buns, ramen, and other Asian fusion
- Por Que No: street tacos, other Mexican fare, margaritas & a fun atmosphere in the Mississippi neighborhood
- Ranch PDX: Best deep dish pizza we’ve ever had; there are a few locations in the city
- Family Cafe: Located in Beaverton (a suburb southwest of Portland), this tiny cafe serves Arabic specialties like lamb shank over rice and Turkish coffee. The owners are from Afghanistan and are super sweet and the food is great, making this a good stop if you’re coming through the area.
More Portland restaurants:
These places are still on our list!
- Bollywood Theater: Indian with a cool atmosphere
- The People’s Pig: highly-rated barbecue
- Andina: Peruvian cuisine in the Pearl District, on the fancier side
- Virtuous Pie: vegan pizza, SO Portland!
- Kati Portland: vegetarian Thai cuisine
- Grand Central Bakery: baked goods and sandwiches
- Tusk: Middle Eastern cuisine
Favorite Travel Tip: Whenever we hear restaurant recommendations for places we’re traveling, we pin them on our Google Maps. That way, when we are looking for a place to eat, we can open our map and see what is near us. It also is a good way to look up reviews for places you walk past.
And if you have a sweet tooth like us…
Where to find the best donuts in Portland
We did all the taste testing research for you, and found the absolute best donuts in the city. And the answer might just surprise you…
Where to stay in Portland
In short, if it is your first time visiting Portland, Pearl District (if you don’t have a car) and Mississippi neighborhood (if you have a car), are our top recommendations for where to stay.
If you want more details and accommodation recommendations, we have an entire guide to where to stay in Portland, including insider tips and things to do in each neighborhood.
Is Portland safe?
The media has recently been making Portland seem like it has become very unsafe over the last few years, after the 2020 riots. We’ve received countless emails and messages asking the same question:
“Is Portland a safe place to visit right now?”
In our opinion, the media has some things a bit out of proportion.
Like any major city in the world, there are areas that are a bit dodgy. You probably don’t want to leave valuables inside your car (but I wouldn’t recommend doing that in any city). And there is a very noticeable population of unhoused people in Portland; however, this has been true long before 2020.
We have visited Portland many times before and after 2020, and we personally haven’t felt too much of a long lasting difference in terms of safety.
That said, this is coming from our personal experience, and everyone will have differing perspectives and opinions about what they are comfortable with.
We can’t tell you definitively if you will feel safe in Portland, but hopefully our experience will help you know a little more about what to expect.
Best day trips from Portland
If you’re looking to combine your trip to Portland with a few other places, or you’re a Portland local in search of nearby adventures, you’ve got a ton of options.
There are so many places near Portland that you can go for a quick adventure or a weekend getaway, so we decided to do an entire round-up of the best Portland day trips.
Wanna try out #vanlife in Oregon?
Portland is the hub for all types of adventure that surrounds the city, from Mount Hood to the Oregon Coast. And, in our opinion, the best way to get out there is to travel by campervan.
Check out our list of top companies for Portland campervan rentals, from budget to bougie. We’ve even included some exclusive discounts for our readers!
Plan your trip to Oregon state
Being that Oregon is our home state, we have TONS of content to help you plan your trip. Start with our Oregon Homepage and be sure to check out the articles below. Leave us a comment if you have any more questions!
- If you need more ideas, here are some incredible places to visit in Oregon.
- You’ll want to keep this Oregon road trip itinerary close by.
- Read up on all the fun things to do in Bend, Oregon (our hometown!)
- If you’re headed west, here are all the cutest Oregon Coast towns.
- Plan your Oregon coast road trip with our insider tips & map.
- Don’t skip Cannon Beach, our favorite small town in Oregon.
- Keep this list of our favorite things to do in Oregon handy.
- This article will help you visit the 7 wonders of Oregon.
Don’t miss your chance to grab our custom Portland map!
Get our customer Portland map sent straight to your phone! We loaded this map with all our favorite restaurants, breweries, sights and activities, so you can make the most of your time in Portland.
Just enter your email and we’ll immediately send you access instructions!
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We want to hear from you!
Are you planning a trip to Portland and still have questions? Is there anything you think we’re missing in this Portland travel guide? Leave your comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you with the answers you’re looking for!