What to do once you land inPortlandFind your bearings
Portland is a city that refuses to grow up in the best way. Food carts cluster in parking lots serving cuisine from 50 countries, indie bookstores stay open until midnight, and you can hike old growth forest without leaving city limits. The east side neighborhoods each have distinct personalities (Alberta is artsy, Division is foodie, Mississippi is funky), and the brewery density is absurd. No sales tax, free public transit in the city center, and everyone bikes everywhere.
Neighborhoods
Pearl District — Former warehouse district turned upscale with galleries, Powell's Books headquarters, high end restaurants, and Jamison Square park with its wading fountain
Alberta Arts District — Northeast Portland's creative corridor. Murals on every wall, independent galleries, vintage shops, and Last Thursday art walk (free street festival monthly)
Mississippi Avenue — Funky strip with food carts, record shops, breweries, and a community vibe. Less polished than Pearl, more authentic, and always changing
Hawthorne — Southeast Portland's original hippie strip. Vintage clothing, used bookstores, Bagdad Theater (beer and a movie), and people watching from every café
Division Street — Portland's modern food corridor. Pok Pok (Thai), Ava Gene's (Italian), and a concentration of the city's best restaurants within 10 blocks
Best time to visit
June through September for dry weather, long days, and outdoor everything. Portland summers are perfect (70s and 80s, no humidity). October brings fall colors but rain starts. November through March is grey and rainy, but prices drop, crowds vanish, and coffee culture shines.
Getting around
MAX Light Rail runs from the airport to downtown for $2.50. No taxi needed unless you have heavy bags
Rent a bike from Biketown ($1 to start, $0.20 per minute) and ride the city's extensive bike lane network. Portland is flat and bike friendly
TriMet buses and streetcar cover everywhere. Day passes are $5 and work on all transit modes
Walking is best for individual neighborhoods. Between neighborhoods, the #14 Hawthorne and #4 Division buses are most useful for food crawls
Key areas
Powell's BooksPearl DistrictAlberta StreetHawthorneForest Park
Zero-dollar wins
1
Powell's City of BooksThe world's largest independent bookstore occupying an entire city block. Color coded rooms, rare book floor, and you can browse for hours without buying (but you will)
2
Forest Park (Wildwood Trail)5,200 acres of old growth urban forest with 80+ miles of trails. Hike to Witch's Castle (an abandoned stone restroom overtaken by moss) in 30 minutes from the trailhead
3
International Rose Test Garden650+ rose varieties blooming from May through October with views of Mount Hood on clear days. Free admission, stunning photography, and quiet morning walks
4
Tom McCall Waterfront Park2 mile riverfront path along the Willamette. Saturday Market (March through December) happens here with 250+ local artisan vendors and live music
5
Alberta Last Thursday art walkEvery last Thursday of the month (May through September), Alberta Street becomes a free street festival with art, music, performers, and food vendors
6
Cathedral Park (under St. Johns Bridge)Gothic arched bridge towers frame a peaceful park along the Willamette River. The most photogenic spot in Portland and completely free
7
Eastside Esplanade and Tilikum CrossingWalk or bike the floating pathway along the east bank of the Willamette, crossing the car free Tilikum bridge for downtown skyline views
Treat yourself
(we think it's worth it)
Canard$60 to $100
Le Pigeon's casual sibling with a wine bar format. Natural wines, duck focused small plates, and some of the best cooking in the city at the bar counterKann$80 to $130
Gregory Gourdet's Haitian inspired restaurant. James Beard Award winning flavors in a stunning space. The prix fixe is generous and every dish surprisesEem$40 to $70
Thai barbecue in a neon lit space on North Williams. Brisket meets som tum meets natural wine. Loud, fun, and unlike anything else in the countryLangbaan$100 to $150
Hidden Thai tasting menu behind a curtain inside PaaDee restaurant. 15 seats, 10 courses, all inspired by Thai street food elevated to fine diningThe legendary bites
The dishes this city perfected
Pok Pok (Thai street food)$15 to $30
Andy Ricker's legendary Thai restaurant that put Portland on the national food map. The fish sauce wings have a cult following for good reasonIke's Vietnamese fish sauce wingsPine State Biscuits$8 to $15
Southern biscuit sandwiches in the Pacific Northwest. The Reggie (fried chicken, bacon, cheese, gravy) is outrageous. Line out the door on weekendsThe Reggie: fried chicken biscuit with bacon and gravyBlue Star Donuts$3 to $5
Portland's artisanal doughnut shop using brioche dough and real ingredients. Skip Voodoo (gimmick over flavor) and come here for the actual best doughnuts in the cityBlueberry bourbon basil doughnutFood carts at Cartopia$5 to $12
Late night food cart pod on Hawthorne. PBJ's Grilled (gourmet PB&J), Potato Champion (Belgian frites), and rotating carts serve until 2am under string lightsPBJ's Grilled with brie and figScreen Door$15 to $25
Southern brunch institution. Praline bacon, shrimp and grits, and chicken and waffles that have had a line forming at 8am for over a decadeChicken fried steak with country gravy and eggsWhere locals eat
Where residents actually go
Food cart pods (any neighborhood)$5 to $12
Portland has 500+ food carts in clusters across the city. Hawthorne, Mississippi, and Foster each have pods with 10 to 20 carts serving everything from Ethiopian to KoreanLardo (Hawthorne)$10 to $15
Pork focused sandwich shop. The dirty fries (topped with scraps from whatever they smoked that day) and the porchetta sandwich are legendary lunch movesNong's Khao Man Gai$10 to $14
One dish, done perfectly: poached chicken over rice with a magical garlic ginger sauce. Started as a food cart, now has a few locations. The simplicity is the pointTaquería Los Gorditos$8 to $13
Cash only taquera on Division with massive burritos (seriously, arm sized) and fresh salsas. The adobada burrito with a side of their green salsa is the orderMatt's BBQ (Mississippi cart)$12 to $20
Texas style barbecue from a food cart that sells out daily by 2pm. Brisket, ribs, and burnt ends that rival anything in Austin. Get there by noonGo off-script
1
Powell's City of Books (get lost for hours)Plan to spend a minimum of two hours. The rare book room, the tiny zine section, and the staff picks throughout are worth exploring floor by floor. Bring a budget or you'll leave with a bag
2
Food cart pod crawlHit three different food cart pods in one afternoon: start at Cartlandia (82nd Avenue), hop to Hawthorne's carts, and finish at whatever's new on Mississippi. Bring stretchy pants
3
Hike Forest Park to Witch's Castle30 minute hike through old growth forest to a moss covered 1930s stone structure in a ravine. Feels like a fairy tale set and it's 10 minutes from downtown by car
4
Brewery trail along the EastsideWalk or bike from Burnside Brewing to Hair of the Dog to Cascade Barrel House along the inner eastside. Six breweries within a mile, each with a completely different style
Insider intel + tourist traps
Tips
- ✓No sales tax in Oregon. Everything from clothes to electronics is cheaper here than neighboring states. Budget accordingly and leave room in your suitcase
- ✓Bring rain layers but skip the umbrella (locals will identify you as a tourist immediately). A light waterproof jacket and shoes that handle puddles are all you need
- ✓Portland is extremely bike friendly. The city is flat, lanes are everywhere, and drivers expect cyclists. Biketown rental is the easiest option for visitors
- ✓Coffee culture here rivals Seattle. Skip Starbucks and try Heart, Coava, Proud Mary, or Extracto for world class single origin coffee
“We did a food cart crawl across three neighborhoods, hiked to Witch's Castle, and hit four breweries before dinner. All without spending more than $60 between two of us. Portland is unreal for budget travelers.”
Skip
- ✗Voodoo Doughnut: the line wraps the block and the doughnuts are mediocre with gimmicky toppings. Blue Star or Pip's Original are better in every way with no wait
- ✗Saturday Market in peak summer: extremely crowded and much of the inventory is generic craft fair fare. Go early morning or visit the smaller Alberta arts markets for better finds