Portland is the biggest and most populated city in the USA, Oregon. It is a perfect place for gutsy bikers, unstoppable coffee drinkers, desperate foodies, die-hard fans of craft beer, and passionate nature lovers.
This short travel guide will come in handy to any tourist going off on a journey to the city of Roses. By the way, do you know why Portland is called so? If the answer is “No”, read the article and you’ll find the answer to the question.
How to Get to Portland?
There are a few ways to get to Portland:
- By plane. There is a choice of aircraft from any airport in the USA or the world to reach your destination.
- By train. Several Amtrak trains run to Portland. Amtrak is a respected national US railroad corporation. It operates a fleet of inter-city trains. Travelers can choose among 3 different routes to/from Portland:
- The Cascades. Runs from Seattle to Vancouver.
- The Coast Starlight. Connects California and Portland.
- The Empire Builder. Travels back and forth to Chicago.
- By car. You can easily and comfortably reach Portland by driving Interstate 5 or I-84. Rent a vehicle for your road trip and set off on a journey to one of the most atmospheric cities in the USA.
Top 7 Worthy Tourist Activities in Portland
If you are planning to visit Portland, here is the ultimate bucket list of must-see sights and the worthiest activities for the city’s visitors.
Admire the Beauties of the International Rose Test Garden
Another name for Portland is “The City of Roses”. The nickname appeared in 1905 when 200 miles of roads sank in millions of roses during the flower festival. A bit earlier, in 1889, the Portland Rose Society was founded.
The first point in a list of must-do things for any tourist is to visit the International Test Garden.
Around 650 varieties of roses are gathered here from all around the world. Have you ever seen 10,000 rose bushes in bloom?
Come here from April to October and see that beautiful fairy tale with your own eyes. The entrance is free, the smell of roses is marvelous, and the atmosphere is fabulous.
FUN FACT
In 1971, Guinness World Records confirmed what most Portlanders already knew, Mill Ends Park is the smallest park in the world.
Sip Some Spirits
All connoisseurs of alcoholic drinks are welcome to try the best taps of spirits. You can taste more than 2,000 kinds of liquor from all over the world in the Multnomah Whiskey Library.
Go wine tasting in Willamette Valley with awe-inspiring views of vineyards. Appreciate the best samples of cabernets or chardonnays from the local wineries. You can also buy a bottle of exquisite drink to take home with you as a thoughtful gift for a loved one.
Try Delicious Donuts
Citizens of this beautiful locality have a thing about doughnuts. You can even book a doughnut walking tour around the destination. During the tour, you’ll take a stroll through downtown Portland, enjoy its awesome highlights, peep into multiple doughnut shops scattered here and there, and taste the locals’ best-loved pastry.
Are you a hopeless sweet tooth? Then you’ll be delighted to try Mexican hot chocolate, lavender, blueberry bourbon, or maple bacon donuts.
Visit the Pearl District
Pearl District in Portland used to be a port warehouse district. After reconstruction it has been turned into an up-to-date neighborhood packed with stylish shops, cheered eateries, fashionable condos, and contemporary art galleries. You’ll never be bored in the Pearl District.
Shop till you drop in an endless array of shops, boutiques, and farmer’s markets. If you are an artsy person, a wide range of art galleries, theaters, and museums are at your disposal. Drop in one of the multiple restaurants, cafés, and bakeries that are scattered around the locality.
They serve extremely popular dishes of Peruvian, French, Thai, Italian, and other types of world cuisines. Here you can also try the local creative variants of sandwiches and subs.
Pearl District is the best place to spend the whole weekend in Portland, Oregon. Does the idea seem captivating to you? Then use this link to do short-term vacation rentals at the location and in the roundabouts.
Tourists love to shop around and visit local places which has hugely contributed to Portland’s tourism and hospitality industry as shown in the graph below.
Explore The City’s Supply Of Breweries
Portland is home to 70 breweries and a center of beer-centric fun. Try innovative craft beers or take part in beer festivals and tasting events that are held here all year round. Private tour guides offer plenty of walking, bike, and bus beer tours around this city and its outskirts.
Traveler’s Tip: You can plan a journey to one of 80 breweries in Portland and 13 breweries located less than an hour away from the city. To bring the plan into effect, you’ll need a car. It would be a nice idea to rent a van here, or for a family trip.
If you travel with a big company, apply for a reliable 12-passenger van rental in Portland, Oregon. Online 12-seater car rental reservation is cheaper, safer, less time-consuming, and easier, than on-spot auto hires.
Wander about Powell’s City of Books
Powell’s is a Portland notable landmark, the biggest bookstore in the world, and a priceless gift for every bookworm. It occupies a territory of 68,000 square meters and has a stock of 1 million books on sale.
A Book Festival is held here every year in November. National and foreign authors come to the place to put forward their new works of literature. For first-time tourists navigating through the City of Books might seem a hard boil.
Download a detailed map of Powell’s City of Books and don’t get lost in an endless world of books.
Snap a Carpet
It may sound odd, but a carpet has become one of the main attractions of Portland. The gigantic carpeting occupies a few acres at PDX – Portland International Airport.
Visitors often take pictures of their feet on an airport cult cover. Nearly 20,000 pics with the hashtag #pdxcarpet have already been posted on Instagram accounts. Now, you also have an opportunity to become one of the members of Portland’s “carpet community”.
