An insider's guide
Portland is a hub for artists, entrepreneurs and creators alike Outdoorsy and welcoming, Portland is a city of characterful neighbourhoods that support independent businesses. Its diverse food scene features nationally recognised chefs and is accessible via its many food carts and farmers' markets. There's easy access to nature and remarkable landscapes in all directions. Yet 'the City of Roses' offers much to do inside its boundaries, including visiting the Portland Art Museum and science and industry-focused OMSI.
A City for Everyone
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An insider's guide
Portland is a place to experience craft flavours, pro sports and annual events Portland is a hub of the third-wave coffee movement, which treats roasting as an artform; craft brewing at more than 80 breweries; and artisanal distilling, much of which can be experienced along the 1.5-mile Distillery Row. Fans of professional sports can enjoy the experience the thrill of heading to a Portland Trail Blazers NBA game, to the Portland Timbers for MLS soccer and, new from 2026, to the WNBA's Portland Fire. Major annual events include the late-spring Portland Rose Festival, July's Waterfront Blues Festival and Sneaker Week in August.
Friends enjoying dining in Portland
Food and culinary scene
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ery much a foodie city, Portland was the birthplace of the celebrated chef James Beard and offers a mouthwatering array of dining choices – all the way from elevated snacking to fine dining. A variation on food trucks, over 500 food carts serve dishes from around world. Clustered into pods with communal seating, they feature the culinary scene’s rising stars and established favourites. Portland’s pizza scene is second to none, with Ken’s Artisan Pizza and Nostrana among names to look out for. Several recent James Beard awardwinning chefs are active in the city, including Gregory Gourdet at Kann.
Portland was the birthplace of the celebrated chef James Beard
Insider Tips Head to JinJu Patisserie for desserts at the James Beard Awards’ 2025 Outstanding Bakery. The popular Hawthorne Asylum food cart pod is next to the Asylum Spirits tap house. James Beard Public Market is scheduled to open near Pioneer Square in 2026. 2 travelportland.com
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The outdoors
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ortland offers easy access to outdoor activities. This is a green city with numerous hiking and biking trails in a metropolitan area with almost 300 gardens, parks and natural areas. With 400 miles of bikeways, cycling is a popular way of getting around and a great way of exploring. Rentals are available from hire shops dotted across the city. The vast Forest Park and Marquam Nature Park have trails. Challenging
hikes, including the Wildwood Trail, are accessible from the city. Don’t miss the Witch’s Castle and Redwood Observation Deck along the way, or head straight to them. The city’s beautiful Japanese Gardens are in Washington Park, hosting cultural activities and tea in the Umami Café. The park also hosts the long-established Portland International Rose Test Garden. Free to visit, it is home to more than 10,000 roses.
Nature is easily accessible in Portland
Hip Hipneighbourhoods neighbourhoods Insider Tips Black Heritage Markers convey the Alberta Arts District’s social history. The resurgent Hollywood neighbourhood's ornate theatre dates from 1926. Venture north to Mississippi for live music and food from carts at Prost Marketplace.
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xperiencing the unique character of Portland’s diverse neighbourhoods is one of the great joys of visiting. More than 90 are spread over six urban sections known to locals as quadrants. To understand the urban geography, it’s useful to know that Burnside Street divides the city into north and south. The Willamette River is the east-west boundary. The Alberta Arts District offers
artisanal shopping, chic eateries and street fairs in the summertime. The riverside Pearl District has art galleries and lounge bars, making it a good option at the start of a night out. Old Town Chinatown is also a popular nightlife hub with plenty of dining options. For boutique shopping and independent theatres, visit Northwest/ Nob Hill, whose elegant Victorian housing has been lovingly repurposed. travelportland.com 3
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Outdoor life takes many forms in Portland and the surrounding areas
The region
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regon’s tallest mountain, the snow-capped Mount Hood, is a 90-minute drive east of Portland. The 11,250ft peak towers over a multifaceted landscape offering year-round adventure. Guided white-water rafting, mountain biking and hiking the multi-day Timberline National Historic Trail will get visitors’ adrenaline pumping in Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory. Glorious powder snow is a key draw in winter, with pistes open into the night at the Mt. Hood
Glorious powder snow is a key draw in winter
Snowbowl – the nation’s largest night skiing area. The Tualatin Valley is an agritourism destination with golf courses, farm-to-table dining and vineyards with welcoming cellars. The Washington Square and Bridgeport Village premium malls are a hit with shoppers seeking taxfree bargains. The 21-mile Banks-Vernonia State Trail can be explored by foot or bicycle. Oregon has 44 designated scenic roads, including the Mount Hood and West Cascades scenic byways, and the Historic Columbia River Highway, an All-American Road along the Columbia River Gorge, whose dramatic highlights include the spectacular Multnomah Falls.
Getting there
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British Airways flies directly from London Heathrow to Portland four times a week. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways fly directly to Seattle, less than a three-hour drive from Portland. Freshly renovated, Portland International Airport (PDX) is a 25-minute drive northeast of the downtown. The Red Line of Portland’s Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) Light Rail system connects the airport and downtown.
For more information visit travelportland.com or contact bella@travelportland.com 4 travelportland.com
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