Traveling to Portland? Here are 4 Places You Cannot Miss

August 15, 2022

Written by Joelle & Ryan from Wanderers Compass

From must-visit attractions to hidden gems, Portland’s top attractions continuously evolve to attract visitors and locals alike. It’s safe to assume that you will never have the same experience in Portland twice.

Nestled beside the Willamette River, Portland is the largest city in Oregon and one of the most desirable places to live and settle in the United States. Due to its unique city attractions and creative culture, tourists come in flocks to witness the lifestyle of ‘The City of Roses.’

Another reason that contributes to Portland’s popularity is its proximity to other Pacific Northwest destinations. Whether you want to drive down to Columbia River Gorge or the Oregon Coast, a fantastic adventure awaits you in less than two hours of driving in any direction.

If you’re all set to take your epic road trip to the culture-rich city of Portland, we have curated a list of four attractions you absolutely cannot miss during your visit.

_{Cover photo from Adobe Stock Images}

Washington Park

Washington Park features several tourist attractions, including the famous Rose Test Garden, museums, and a zoo. You can spend the whole day exploring these attractions or taking a stroll through the eccentric gardens. From the Hoyt Arboretum to the Portland Children’s Museum, there’s plenty to see at Washington Park.

Explore Washington Park has excellent maps online to guide you through your visit.

Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden

Launched in the year 2000, The Lan Su Chinese Garden highlights the Chinese history and culture of the city when Portland began a relationship with the city of Suzhou, China.

Upon entering the garden, you’ll be enchanted by the tranquility of plants, rocks, trees, and a lake of about 40,000 square feet. The artisans of Suzhou constructed the traditional walkways and buildings. What completes the garden is its exotic tea house, where you can attend special events like tai chi, mahjong, and tea tastings for cultural exchange.

Click here for directions for your visit to the Portland Lan Su Gardens.

Powell’s City of Books

For all the bibliophiles out there, this legendary used bookstore gives you the chance to browse over a million books. A roomy coffeehouse with a spacious infrastructure allows you to sit and read your picks during the day.

Directions to Portland’s Powells Books locations and hours of operation can be found at this link,

Portland Saturday Market

Founded in 1974, the Portland Saturday market has become one of the city’s most popular open-air artist markets, having more than a million visitors every year. From the beginning of March till Christmas Eve, at least 250 vendors set shop every Saturday money in Old Town Chinatown. From jewelry and illustrations to home décor, you can explore a wide range of arts and crafts products at the market. You can also buy packaged foods at these stores, such as organic tea. What adds an element of charm is the live music that plays throughout the entire market.

For directions and hours of operation for Portland Saturday Market, click here.

Portland

Where to stay in Portland

There are many great locations to stay in the city of Portland. You can find plenty of budget, mid-range, and luxury hotels near downtown, where you’ll remain close to most tourist attractions, trendy boutiques, and popular restaurants. Click the links below to search for accommodations and vacation rentals in the Portland area. Compare each site as not all options are available at both locations. Always look closely at recent reviews before booking.

Booking.com

Expedia

When is the best time to visit Portland

There is no wrong time of year to visit Portland, as there is always something to see, taste, and experience in The Rose City. With the abundance of public gardens in the fall, you can enjoy the changing colors; in the Spring, the lovely blooms, and in the summer, the magnificent rose gardens. There are also many winter festivals, summer beer and food festivals, cultural celebrations, and outdoor adventures to be enjoyed by all ages. Love biking? Portland is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the United States. Add to that year-round, tax-free shopping, theater debuts, live concerts, award-winning culinary experiences, and more await you. Check out Travel Portland’s events calendar to discover more things to do and help you plan your next visit.

Weather-wise, Portland has four distinct seasons. The norm is the area luckily avoids extremes, which makes visiting Portland ideal at any time of the year. Average summer days may be in the 70s, and winter rarely goes below freezing. The Pacific Northwest is best known for rainy weather; showers are typically gentle and short-lived — and locals don’t let that keep them from enjoying the city.

Wrapping Up

It’s best to plan your stay for a couple of days to get the complete Portland experience of fun and sightseeing. There is so much to do and see here for all ages. You will find an energy and vibe in Portland that is unique.

Are you considering a trip overseas? Check out our Country Travel Guides to assist with your trip planning.

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Our Top Recommended Travel Products and Resources

Squaremouth.com

Our favorite travel insurance site!

If you book a trip, don’t forget to get travel insurance within 14 days of your first booking. We could not be stronger advocates of being well-insured. Not just for the little stuff but the big things like medical emergencies. We never leave home without it. Over the years, we have used many sites but have now found our go-to place. Squaremouth.com does a fantastic job; it has a user-friendly interface, uses top-rated and reputable insurance carriers, and most policies cover COVID-19 medical issues and cancellations. They also mediate on your behalf if you have problems with your policy.

To empower you as a consumer, we suggest you read our blog post on the importance of travel insurance and how to get the best coverage from top-rated companies for an affordable price.

MedjetAssist

Medical transport back home from anywhere in the world

They are the premier global air medical transport. One caveat to travel insurance is that medical evacuation usually gets you to the closest facility to care for you. Medjet gets you back to the U.S. to the hospital of your choice once you are stable enough to fly. They cover COVID-related transport as well.

Medjet carries its own policies. The policy is only for transport and no other aspects of travel insurance. They have individual trip policies starting at $99 and annual policies for around $300. Most of their policies limit the age to 74 and younger. Prices are not based on age below that.

To learn more about how Medical Evacuation membership with Medjet Assist works, check out our blog post for a more detailed review.

Expedia.com

Hotels, home rentals, BNBs, flights, and other transportation & tours

Expedia is a US-based company whose mission is to power global travel for everyone and everywhere. Whether planning a family vacation, booking for business, or organizing the trip of a lifetime, they are a fantastic resource. Wanderers Compass focuses on independent travel, and using sites like Expedia makes that possible. Every aspect of travel you need, from airfare, accommodations, rental car, and cruises to activities to do at your destination, can be booked on Expedia.

Booking.com

Hotels, Home rentals, BNBs, Flights, and other Transportation & Tours

Booking.com connects millions of travelers to memorable experiences, various transportation options, and incredible places to stay – from homes to hotels and much more. It is one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces for established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes.

We always check Expedia and Booking.com to verify prices. At times, one is sold out of rooms while another at the same place has rooms. As well we often find some European hotels, especially smaller ones, on Booking.com but not on Expedia. It could be they are a Europe-based company. Try both before booking accommodations.

Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO)

Are you traveling with a family or having an extended stay at your destination?

With over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, VRBO connects homeowners with families and vacationers looking for something more than a hotel for their trip. The VRBO community offers families or groups various rental property types such as condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, etc.

VRBO is under the Expedia group ownership now, which many were worried about, but it hasn’t panned out to be a concern. It is a massive network with access to all lodging forms should issues arise. Joelle has used VRBO for many years with her family with no problems.

Viator

As the leading marketplace for travel experiences, Viator believes that making memories is what travel is all about. And with 300,000+ experiences to explore—everything from simple tours to extreme adventures (and all the niche, interesting stuff in between)—making memories that will last a lifetime has never been easier.

With industry-leading flexibility and last-minute availability, it’s never too late to make any day extraordinary. This one site has it all and has experiences throughout the world. We use them often during our travels, especially for food tours. We especially take the time to read the reviews provided.

Amazon.com

An excellent source for travel essentials and guides

We now have our own Amazon Storefront with all our favorite travel accessories and gear in one place. Check out our travel store at the link below.

Wanderers Compass Amazon Storefront

Amazon is one of the most comprehensive online shopping sources in the world. On behalf of their customers, teams worldwide provide lower prices, better selection, and rapid delivery. They offer a vast inventory, and their 1.7 million small and medium businesses worldwide selling on Amazon.com offer extensive options to customers.

We buy most of our travel books, accessories, and luggage from Amazon. We have ordered up to two days before travel and get what we need.

Welcome Pick-ups
(Airport and sightseeing service)

A global leader in ground transportation for travelers. They help hundreds of companies worldwide enhance their services and boost their revenue with our 5-star ride experiences and hassle-free automation.

Founded in 2015 in Athens, Greece, Welcome Pick-ups goes above and beyond the standard transfer service as the first company to deliver a holistic, in-destination travel experience. From the moment a traveler arrives at a new destination until they return home, Welcome accommodates all their travel needs (transfers, travel products, things to do, information) as the easiest, friendliest, and most personalized solution.

PhotoAiD

Do you feel like you are wasting time visiting an on-site photographer only to be embarrassed by the photo? Would you like control of the final product? Get the perfect VISA or passport photo online with PhotoAID.

When traveling, you often need to apply for official documents such as a passport, ID, and different kinds of licenses or cards. Those applications require a picture that must meet specific conditions to be accepted, depending on the country. Now, it is possible to take this picture at home without the help of a professional photographer. PhotoAiD allows you to take the perfect biometric photo that will be approved by you without leaving your home.

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