Portland, Oregon City Tour: Parks, Plazas and Views

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Recommended by 97% of reviewers

Badge of Excellence | Portland, USA

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3 hours (approx.)

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Overview

Learn the story of the Portland, Oregon while enjoying its highest and most intimate viewpoints, smelling roses, wandering through gardens, peaking into a forested park and sampling donuts.

After we pick you up at Director Park downtown, we’ll drive up the city's north/south dividing line, head to the summit of King’s Heights, and walk the grounds of the mansion built by a newspaper baron to the view that was once available only to the city’s elite.

We'll visit Washington Park, and walk through our favorite secret garden, and into the Rose Test Garden. In season, we'll smell the roses -- literally and figuratively!

Next: the city center and cultural district. It wouldn't be Portland without a stop for doughnuts, so we'll discuss the history of the city's foundation and the design of these blocks after we duck into one of our favorite shops and grab a treat.

We'll visit the South Waterfront, an inner Eastside neighborhood, and give you lots of foodie ideas before we drop you off!

What's Included

Breakfast Doughnut or other morning treat
Bottled water

Gratuities for your guides, always appreciated

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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Southwest Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205, USA

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Director Park

We’ll pick you up in central downtown Portland at Director Park in one of our roomy vans. We’ll then drive up Portland’s north/south dividing line, pointing out important sites, including some of the city’s bike art, and historical buildings.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Powell's City of Books (Pass By)

We’ll pass Powell’s Books, and tell the story behind the biggest independent book store in the world

Pearl District

Learn about the history of this art and food rich neighborhood. (We do not stop to walk around in this neighborhood)

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pittock Mansion

Once we reach the summit of King’s Heights, we’ll walk around the grounds of the mansion built by a newspaper baron to the view that was once available only to the city’s elite. It's one of the best places to develop the context by which to experience this city. We'll take photos at the summit overlooking the city.We’ll walk through the mansion’s grounds and back to the van.(We will not visit the inside of the mansion.)

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

International Rose Test Garden

We'll learn about the story of the roses here and the rose city; we'll investigate our favorite varieties; we'll take photos and (in season) inhaling the scent of the roses, we'll get into the van for our next stop. (When roses aren't in season, we may make an alternative stop at the Hoyt Arboretum.)

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Washington Park

we will drive into the SW Portland neighborhood of Arlington Heights, on the edge of Washington Park. Here we'll take a walk through our favorite secret garden, and into the International Rose Test Garden, introducing you to the story of the rose city. (When roses aren't in season, we may make an alternative stop at the Hoyt Arboretum.)

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

South Waterfront Park

TIME PERMITTING. After this, it's a drive along Portland's South Waterfront and the waterfront park, telling the story of the shining Swiss Alps-style engineering of the Aerial Tram and the development of this brand-new neighborhood and its beautiful, one-of-a-kind Tilikum Crossing bridge.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

South Park Blocks

From here, we'll head back into the city center, driving through what Portland calls the cultural district -- once the literal heart of the city, the center line along which once the merchants and lumber barons lived, and now institutions like the Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society and Portland State University dominate. It wouldn't be Portland without a stop for doughnuts, so we'll discuss the history of the city's foundation and the design of these blocks after we duck into one of our favorite shops and grab a treat.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Portland Art Museum (Pass By)

We will pass by the cultural district

South Waterfront Lower Tram Terminal (Pass By)

On some days we will visit the south waterfront

Blackfish Gallery (Pass By)

We will tell the story of the art heritage of Portland

Courier Coffee (Pass By)

We'll point out a few great coffee shops in the city

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Portland, Oregon City Tour: Parks, Plazas and Views?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (PDT).This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund. Read more Apr 2025