Portland City Tours

For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.

More than just a basic Portland city tour, the half-day Portland City Tour will reveal the laid-back small city feel of this fun and thriving downtown. You will experience the best Portland sites, including the International Rose Garden, Pioneer Courthouse Square, NW 23rd (the best shopping area in Portland), the Pearl District, the South Park…

Explore Portland Independent Bookstores and Libraries for a chance to win Prizes. Find your favorite Portland based Author, Book, Story or Setting and share on BabbleBuy for more chances to win. Presented by Venture Portland.

Follow the path of an ancient riverbed, carved by the last ice age, past the Bridge of the Gods, and explore the Windsurfing Capital of the World. In the afternoon, traverse Oregon’s fertile fruit valley on the way to the alpine top of a volcano, which boasts a title as the world’s 2nd most summited…

Species seen nowhere else in the world, dramatic basalt lava flows nearly a mile deep, and some of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls are a few of the sights that await you on this tour. Come experience the grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge, one of the United States’ most photographed National Scenic Areas. We…

Join in on a full-day guided tour from Portland to Mt. Hood. By visiting Mount Hood with enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides, you will have multiple opportunities to get the best photographs of the awe-inspiring scenery and to learn about the history and heritage of Portland’s iconic mountain. The tour will depart the hustle and bustle…

The best wineries in Oregon lie just under an hour’s drive from Portland in the Willamette Valley, a thriving wine region known for its outstanding Pinot Noir. The Willamette Valley is one of the world’s leading Pinot producers, and with over 550 wineries and 22,000 vineyard acres planted, it is the largest and most important…

Friluftsliv [free- loves -liv] is the Norwegian philosophy of open-air living or disconnecting from daily stress. What better place to do that than at Nordic Northwest. You will walk through the grounds with arborist and forest-bathing leader Dustin Marchello. Dustin is part owner of Tillis Tree Care (named for his grandmother). This unique experience will…

With over 300 miles of public coastline, Oregon’s beaches are sure to amaze with their dramatic offshore rock formations and reborn beach towns. This tour will travel along one of the most picturesque driving routes in the country, US HWY 101. We will spend the day exploring breathtaking beaches, trekking along sandy shores, and viewing…

Join Tualatin Riverkeepers as they launch from West Linn’s Willamette Park at the confluence of the Willamette and Tualatin Rivers for a round-trip tour of the “The Narrows”, one of the most beautiful sections of the Willamette River in the Portland metro area. Paddle upstream along the pristine shoreline to this wonderful area of cliffs,…

Come and sing among the trees In this class, you will experience connection and harmony through singing with others in a natural setting. The class will begin by gathering to sing simple songs inspired by nature. Then participants will spend time gathering their inspiration through walking and observing the nearby forest. The group will gather…

Have you ever wondered, “What’s behind that door?” while visiting Pittock Mansion? On Behind the Scenes tours, guides lead small groups through areas of the mansion not ordinarily open to the public, including basement passages, the boiler room, the Otis elevator machine room, third-floor servants’ quarters, Henry Pittock’s private den, and more. Tours start at…

Experience a two-hour guided forest bathing walk through Hoyt Arboretum’s unique tree collection and forested areas. Forest Bathing is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and stabilizing and improving…

Hoyt Arboretum plays an important role in the conservation of tree species that are threatened or endangered in their native habitat. Of the 60,000 tree species in the world, 30% are threatened, and over 140 are extinct in the wild. Hoyt Arboretum’s ex-situ conservation work currently protects 67 species of priceless genetic lineages of globally…

Join conifer enthusiast Ken Denniston for a 60-minute (~1 mile) easy-going walk through Hoyt Arboretum’s collection of trees with cones. Learn how to identify common trees you will see when exploring natural spaces in the Portland metro area. Ken will share the textures of bark and the shapes and sizes of different cones. You will…

With the goal of seeing and walking as many bridges as possible over the course of the tour, we’ll go around, across, and under the unique and storied spans that shape the urban landscape in Portland. Strolling along the waterfront, we could expect to cross several bridges, including the Burnside Bridge, where we’ll pause to…

Explore Historic Vanport and Portland’s Hidden Flood Safety System Bike the Levees is a tour of Portland’s hidden flood protection system and the silenced histories of the Vanport Flood of 1948. Did you know there are 27 miles of levees along the lower Columbia River? These levees reduce the risk of flooding for tens of…

Join environmental educator Roland Begin for a hike around Hoyt Arboretum – and through ‘deep time’ – to learn about the unique geology of Portland’s West Hills. You’ll get to walk beside an earthquake fault – and gain an appreciation of ‘timefulness’ and the ever-changing land beneath your feet. In addition, you’ll learn about SLIDO,…

Join environmental educator Roland Begin for a 90-minute easy-going walk among the native trees and shrubs of the Pacific Northwest. This tour will focus on basic plant identification, their seasonal cycles, as well as their many uses. Pacific Northwest Plants is a free guided tour, but registration is required (group size is limited). Meet at…

Nature connection and creative expression meet in these weekly Nature Journaling experiences led by artist Elizabeth Higgins. With prompts and gentle guidance, students will explore a different area of the Arboretum each week, recording their observations and inspirations through writing and drawing exercises centered on themes of appreciation and curiosity. No experience is necessary. Pre-registration…

Maximize your beach time while at the Oregon Coast Oregon’s coastline is graced with unforgettable vistas: dramatic cliffs, offshore rocks and sea lions, wide sandy beaches, majestic capes, historic lighthouses, enchanted forests and lovely small beach towns which artists and artisans make their home. Locations we may visit include: Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, Short Sand…

Discover the feathered friends who make their home at Hoyt Arboretum. You will search high and low with experienced birder Laura Whittemore as you learn how to identify common birds of Hoyt Arboretum by sight and sound. Learn where to look for certain species as well as what clues can be helpful when attempting to…

Oregon Black Pioneers’ Black History Bus Tour resumes with a tour along Oregon’s North Coast, with stops at sites of African American historical significance between Portland and Seaside. With on-board tour guides and special presentations, guest speakers at each stop, included lunch by Fort George Brewery, light dinner in Seaside, and more.

Join Tualatin Riverkeepers to paddle the Tualatin River while cleaning it up Be a steward of the Tualatin River by cleaning up river trash. This clean-up trip launches and returns from Tualatin Community Park, where paddlers will help pick up floating trash while paddling in canoes along the river. Please arrive by 8:30 am for…

Join Hoyt Arboretum for our final Family Forest Day of the summer, where we’ll cover a nature topic very near and dear to our hearts: Urban Forests. The Stevens Pavilion will be transformed into a nature information and activity center from 11 am to 1 pm, but all are welcome. Partners from Portland Parks and…

Join in for a guided interpretive hike through Forest Park near Pittock Mansion by Oregon Black Pioneers’ Executive Director, Zachary Stocks. Attendees will learn more about the figures featured in the exhibit Black in Oregon: 1840-1870 while hiking along an easy wooded trail. Thank you to our Supporting Sponsor Skin by Lovely.

Join Tualatin Riverkeepers to paddle the river and explore the beautiful autumn colors as the seasons change. Paddle with Tualatin Riverkeepers into the surrounding reds, oranges, and yellows of our leafy trees as you listen for crickets, falling leaves and migrating geese. Enjoy the earthy scent that comes only with autumn in Oregon. Please arrive…