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  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people sitting at tables eating foodView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • Accessible Portland
    • Portland Weather
    • COVID-19 FAQ
    • Safety in Portland
    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
Emma Mannheimer

Emma Mannheimer

Emma Mannheimer is a Seattle-born, Portland-based writer and editor. Read More

A couple poses for a selfie in front of a Christmas tree and a historic building A couple poses for a selfie in front of a Christmas tree and a historic building
i
Snap that perfect Portland selfie at these popular photography spots.
Attractions

Portland’s Best Instagram Spots

No filter is needed at these photo-friendly local landmarks.

Updated Feb. 22, 2023 4 min read
Emma Mannheimer

Emma Mannheimer

Emma Mannheimer is a Seattle-born, Portland-based writer and editor. Read More

We’ve all heard the saying: “Pics or it didn’t happen.” Luckily for you, we’ve collected Portland’s most Instagrammable spots to ensure your photographs capture PDX from its best angle. From mansions to flowers to doughnuts (this is Portland, after all), these picturesque destinations are sure to spark envy in your many friends and followers.

To see (and share) more great local photos, follow @travelportland on Instagram and tag your photos #PDXNOW.

Eight Best Instagram Spots in Portland

Voodoo Doughnut

photo of person with donuts in front of pink wall with Voodoo Donut sign
Photo by @alyshaleah

If the emblematic pink boxes, bubblegum-colored brick wall and neon sign aren’t spectacle enough, then let the notorious delicacies at Voodoo Doughnut capture your camera’s vision. Cereal-coated cakes, bacon-bedazzled bars and voodoo doll-shaped donuts filled with jelly “blood” are just the beginning.

Where to shoot

From the line snaking along SW Third Ave. to the cramped interior, you can’t go wrong.

Keep Portland Weird Sign

Photo of wall stating Keep Portland Weird
Photo by @frenchspark

While you’re in Voodoo’s neighborhood, pop across the street to the iconic Keep Portland Weird sign and snap a selfie proudly featuring the city’s unofficial mantra. The Portlandia fans among your followers will surely recognize the sign from the television show’s opening credits.

Where to shoot

The parking lot across SW Third Ave. from Voodoo Doughnut (at Ankeny). Bonus points for a Unipiper sighting!

Perched atop Old Town’s White Stag Building, The Portland Oregon sign serves as a twinkling salutation to one and all. A snap of this informal city beacon — which looks spectacular day or night — guarantees instant nostalgia for your trip to the Rose City.

Where to shoot

Portland Oregon Sign

view of Old Town Portland Oregon sign through pale pink cherry blossoms on a grey cloudy day
The White Stag can be seen from Tom McCall Waterfront Park with a view of cherry blossoms.
Credit: NASHCO Photo

The sidewalk on the north side of the Burnside Bridge affords the best view.

Cathedral Park and St. Johns Bridge

Cathedral Park under the St. John's bridge
Photo by @burgundyblue9

Believed to be a landing spot of Lewis and Clark, leafy Cathedral Park is gorgeous any time of year. The juxtaposition of this North Portland waterfront park with the gothic St Johns Bridge provides photographers with gorgeous sights. Capture the slender suspension bridge’s teal supports in the background, and you’re sure to rack up those likes in no time.

Where to shoot

Get ground-level shots in Cathedral Park and be sure to walk onto the bridge to capture its iconic spires.

Mt. Tabor Park

People viewing the city from the top of Mt. Tabor
Photo by @blazertodd

There’s nothing like spending the afternoon on a dormant volcano to get those creative juices flowing. With 190 acres (77 hectares) of trails, trees and reservoirs to explore, Mt. Tabor Park guarantees a perfect photo for every kind of Instagrammer. Be sure to check out their summer concert listings to make the most of your visit.

Where to shoot

The reservoirs offer a great foreground for the skyline, while the summit offers more expansive views.

International Rose Test Garden

photo of Mt. Hood through the trees at the International Rose Test Garden
Photo by @alixdixon3

Perhaps the dreamiest spot in all of Stumptown, the International Rose Test Garden is a hotbed of Instagram activity for natives and visitors alike. The world-famous, century-old garden features more than 650 varieties of roses, not to mention sweeping views of the city. Don’t miss the park’s special Shakespeare garden, where visitors can see and sniff botanical beauties mentioned in the bard’s works.

Where to shoot

Capture the skyline from the eastern edge of the garden; the amphitheater is great for group shots.

Pittock Mansion

a view of Mt. Hood and the city scape of Portland
Photo by @sarah_chait

Once the home of pioneering The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock, historic Pittock Mansion promises panoramic views of downtown Portland and unparalleled glimpses of Mount Hood. You’ll find plenty of lavish details to document inside the French Renaissance-style chateau before heading outside to its expansive public grounds for a picture-perfect picnic.

Where to shoot

Shoot the city from the viewpoint on the east side of the mansion grounds, then turn around to get a shot of the mansion itself.

Portland Japanese Garden

Photograph of Portland's Japanese Garden
Photo by @thisbeautifulday

Share the quiet power of the Portland Japanese Garden with your followers by snapping photos that encapsulate the garden’s tranquil beauty. Snag footage of the mesmerizing koi fish swimming beneath your feet, or take a silent still of the meticulously groomed Sand and Stone Garden.

Where to shoot

No matter where you point your camera, shots of this Portland treasure will provide digital bliss.

Parks & Gardens, Tours & Itineraries, Weird

Places for Pretty Pictures

A gorgeous photo is almost always guaranteed at these local destinations.

Go To Parks & Gardens
A large stone mansion with red roof surrounded by trees

Pittock Mansion

High in the West Hills, the Pittock Mansion offers picture-perfect views of the city and interesting insights into Portland's history.

Maple trees with red leaves frame a light green bridge

Bridges of Portland

Learn the history and key features of the city’s 12 Willamette River bridges.

people look at koi in pond at garden

Portland Japanese Garden

A haven of meticulously maintained, tranquil beauty, proclaimed one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, the Portland Japanese Garden offers meandering streams, intimate walkways and an unsurpassed view of Mount Hood.

Two people view a waterfall from a wood deck

Waterfalls Near Portland

Some of the most picturesque waterfalls line the Columbia River Gorge, just a short drive from Portland. But these cascading natural wonders are even closer to Portland from the Willamette River to the Cascade Mountain Range.

people visiting a blooming Rose Garden in Washington Park

Portland International Rose Test Garden

The oldest official continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States, the Portland International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park features more than 10,000 roses, great views of the skyline and the Cascades.

people stand in a lobby decorated with art, colors, and menus on the wall

Voodoo Doughnut

Since 2003, Portland's Voodoo Doughnut has sold millions of wacky, sugary snacks — and the downtown landmark still attracts lines at all hours of the day.

sunrise through trees with grassy field on waterfront park

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Hugging the Willamette River in downtown Portland, this once bustling highway now offers a strollable, bikeable and dog-walkable public park with historical and cultural monuments, and kid-friendly fun.

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