Portland itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Portland, day by day: the International Rose Test Garden, the Portland Art Museum, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Powell's City of Books and Lan Su Chinese Garden first, then the Portland Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion, Forest Park, the Oregon Zoo, the Aerial Tram and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Portland in 1 day
Day 1
International Rose Test Garden
Terraced garden in Washington Park with thousands of rose bushes and views over the city to Mount Hood.
Portland Art Museum
One of the oldest art museums on the West Coast, with Native American, Asian, European and modern collections.
Keller Fountain Park
Downtown plaza with a large concrete waterfall fountain from Lawrence Halprin's firm, where people wade and cool off in summer.
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Brick-paved public square known as Portland's living room, with concerts, markets and a large Christmas tree in winter.
Powell's City of Books
Huge independent bookstore filling a city block on the edge of the Pearl District, selling new and used books side by side.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Walled Suzhou-style garden in Old Town Chinatown with a lake, pavilions, rare plants and a teahouse.
Portland in 2 days
Day 1
Forest Park
One of the largest urban forests in the United States, crossed by the Wildwood Trail and many miles of hiking paths above the city.
Pittock Mansion
French Renaissance-style mansion of 1914 in the West Hills, with period rooms and wide views of the city and the Cascades.
Portland Japanese Garden
Highly regarded Japanese garden in the hills of Washington Park, with several garden styles, ponds and a cultural village.
International Rose Test Garden
Terraced garden in Washington Park with thousands of rose bushes and views over the city to Mount Hood.
Portland Art Museum
One of the oldest art museums on the West Coast, with Native American, Asian, European and modern collections.
Powell's City of Books
Huge independent bookstore filling a city block on the edge of the Pearl District, selling new and used books side by side.
Keller Fountain Park
Downtown plaza with a large concrete waterfall fountain from Lawrence Halprin's firm, where people wade and cool off in summer.
Day 2
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Brick-paved public square known as Portland's living room, with concerts, markets and a large Christmas tree in winter.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Walled Suzhou-style garden in Old Town Chinatown with a lake, pavilions, rare plants and a teahouse.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Long riverside park along the Willamette downtown, with a walking path, fountains and the city's big festivals.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Hands-on science museum on the east bank of the Willamette, with a planetarium, a large-screen theatre and a submarine.
Portland Aerial Tram
Cable car linking the South Waterfront with the hospital campus on Marquam Hill, with views of the city and mountains.
Oregon Zoo
The city's zoo in Washington Park, one of the oldest west of the Mississippi, known for its elephants.
Portlandia
Raymond Kaskey's hammered-copper statue of a kneeling woman above the Portland Building entrance, one of the largest of its kind.
Portland in 3 days
Day 1
Portland Art Museum
One of the oldest art museums on the West Coast, with Native American, Asian, European and modern collections.
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Brick-paved public square known as Portland's living room, with concerts, markets and a large Christmas tree in winter.
Portlandia
Raymond Kaskey's hammered-copper statue of a kneeling woman above the Portland Building entrance, one of the largest of its kind.
Keller Fountain Park
Downtown plaza with a large concrete waterfall fountain from Lawrence Halprin's firm, where people wade and cool off in summer.
Portland Aerial Tram
Cable car linking the South Waterfront with the hospital campus on Marquam Hill, with views of the city and mountains.
USS Blueback (SS-581)
The US Navy's last non-nuclear attack submarine, moored at OMSI and open for guided tours inside.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Long riverside park along the Willamette downtown, with a walking path, fountains and the city's big festivals.
Day 2
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Hands-on science museum on the east bank of the Willamette, with a planetarium, a large-screen theatre and a submarine.
Shanghai tunnels
Network of old basements and passages under Old Town, linked to tales of sailors kidnapped for ships, seen on guided tours.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Walled Suzhou-style garden in Old Town Chinatown with a lake, pavilions, rare plants and a teahouse.
Powell's City of Books
Huge independent bookstore filling a city block on the edge of the Pearl District, selling new and used books side by side.
Portland Japanese Garden
Highly regarded Japanese garden in the hills of Washington Park, with several garden styles, ponds and a cultural village.
International Rose Test Garden
Terraced garden in Washington Park with thousands of rose bushes and views over the city to Mount Hood.
Hoyt Arboretum
Arboretum in Washington Park with trees and plants from around the world along free walking trails through the hills.
Day 3
Oregon Zoo
The city's zoo in Washington Park, one of the oldest west of the Mississippi, known for its elephants.
World Forestry Center
Museum in Washington Park about forests and trees of the Pacific Northwest and the world, with hands-on exhibits.
Pittock Mansion
French Renaissance-style mansion of 1914 in the West Hills, with period rooms and wide views of the city and the Cascades.
Forest Park
One of the largest urban forests in the United States, crossed by the Wildwood Trail and many miles of hiking paths above the city.
Watch: Portland
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Portland
July to September is dry, warm and sunny, the best time for the gardens and the waterfront, and the Rose Festival fills the city in late May and June. October to May is mild but grey and often rainy, with fewer visitors. Spring brings cherry blossom on the waterfront and the roses start flowering in late May.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Portland on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Portland on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Portland on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for United States from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Portland with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Portland
- Washington Park holds the Japanese Garden, the Rose Test Garden, the Oregon Zoo and the World Forestry Center; a free shuttle runs between them in the busier months and MAX light rail stops at the zoo.
- Book timed tickets for the Portland Japanese Garden ahead at busy times, and arrive early for a quieter visit.
- Powell's City of Books fills a whole city block; pick up a store map at the door, as its rooms are colour-coded by subject.
- The Shanghai tunnels can only be seen on guided tours, which are small and sell out at weekends.
- Oregon has no sales tax, and Portland's TriMet MAX, streetcar and buses share one fare system with a tap-to-pay Hop card.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Forest Park: EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hoyt Arboretum: EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0
- International Rose Test Garden: PiccoloNamek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Keller Fountain Park: Victorcmyk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lan Su Chinese Garden: Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry: Spicypepper999, CC0
- Oregon Zoo: Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pioneer Courthouse Square: Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pittock Mansion: PittockBack.jpg : Cacophony derivative work: Tiptoety talk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Portland Aerial Tram: User:Cacophony, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Portland Art Museum: Spicypepper999, CC0
- Portland Japanese Garden: Laurascudder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Portlandia: Spicypepper999, CC0
- Powell's City of Books: Cacophony, CC BY 3.0
- Shanghai tunnels: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Tom McCall Waterfront Park: brx0, CC BY-SA 2.0
- USS Blueback (SS-581): USN, Public domain
- World Forestry Center: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
