What You Will Do
On this 3-hour tour, you'll get a broad overview of the Central City. We'll make stops at Pittock Mansion and the International Rose Test Gardens. At Pittock Mansion, you'll get pictures of the best views of the city, and Mt. Hood if it's a clear day. You'll have plenty of time to smell the roses at the Rose City's most famous garden. Your expert guide will provide background on the sites and city history, while navigating through city traffic, so you don't have to. You'll meander through all of the major neighborhoods of inner Portland on both sides of the river while gaining views of 14 of Bridgetown's 29 notable bridges. Your guide will return you to your departure location at the end of the tour. *All participants must be 3 years of age or older.*
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
Meeting Point
Director Park (1 city block, 200 ft/61 m per side). The guide will stop where space allows on either side. Look for a black or white van. Driving? Contact us for a free parking location to meet us 15 minutes earlier.
1
International Rose Test Garden
20 minutes
Here you'll get to stop and smell the roses, in the City of Roses, at the oldest continuously running public rose test garden in the US.
2
Pittock Mansion
20 minutes
Walk around the grounds of Portland's premier French Renaissance-style château, and get a view of the city from above. If conditions are clear enough, you'll also see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Jeffrson.
3
Hoyt Arboretum
We'll drive through a garden that contains over 2000 woody plant species from around the world, 63 of which are vulnerable or endangered.
4
Oregon Zoo
Watch out for elephants!
5
Portland Japanese Garden
Get a brief glimpse into the most authentic Japanese Garden, outside of Japan. To experience the garden from the inside, come on our Portland Garden City Tour.
6
Washington Park
Home to Hoyt Arboretum, Oregon Zoo, Children's Museum, Holocaust & Vietnam memorials, Sacagawea, Portland Japanese Garden, and International Rose Test Garden.
7
Providence Park
Portland landmark since 1926, now the home of Portland's soccer team, the Timbers.
8
First Presbyterian Church
Most would agree that this High Victorian Gothic structure is the most beautiful church in the City of Portland...
9
Crystal Ballroom
The only remaining floating dance floor in the US.
10
Al's Den
This basement of an old flatiron and the Crystal Hotel contains a bathhouse.
11
Portland Art Museum
The oldest art museum on the West Coast.
12
Simon Benson House
Home of the most important figure during Portland's Golden Age.
13
Oregon Historical Society
See the location of this excellent museum of local history.
14
First Congregational Church
The most prominent Venetian Gothic structure in the city.
15
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
The location of the vertical "Portland" sign on Broadway, that is so iconic.
16
Pioneer Courthouse
Second oldest federal building west of the Mississippi.
17
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Portland's living room.
18
Heathman Hotel Lobby Lounge
The 50 Shades of Grey hotel.
19
Portlandia
The namesake for the television series.
20
Elk Fountain
This iconic statue was donated in 1900 by the founder of the Oregon Humane Society.
21
Hawthorne Bridge
Oldest continuously running lift bridge in North America.
22
Mill Ends Park
Smallest park in the world. For reals.
23
PSU Farmers Market
Largest farmers market in Oregon.
24
Portland Saturday Market
Items must be locally-made and handcrafted.
25
Portland Oregon Sign
This iconic sign next to the Burnside Bridge, used to be the Stag Sportswear sign.
26
Japanese American Historical Plaza
A memorial to the Japanese internment camp victims of WWII.
27
Oregon Convention Center
Contains the worlds largest Foucault pendulum.
28
Steel Bridge
The only dual independent lift bridge in the world.
29
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Modeled after the classical gardens of Suzhou, Portland's sister city, Lan Su is an oasis downtown, one block in size. To experience the garden from the inside, come on our Portland Garden City Tour.
30
Pearl District
A 21st-century archetype of urban conversion.
31
Powell's City of Books
World's largest new & used independent bookstore.
32
Portland Center Stage at The Armory
This Romanesque Revival structure was built as an Oregon National Guard armory annex to contend with anti-Chinese rioting during the 1870s & 80s.
33
Broadway Bridge
Longest double-leaf bascule in the world at the time of construction.
34
Fremont Bridge
The 6000-ton center span with the arch was lifted into place using 32 hydraulic jacks, and was the heaviest lift ever completed.
35
St. Johns Bridge
The most beautiful bridge in the City of Portland.
36
St. Patrick Catholic Church
Another prominent landmark in the city, this Renaissance revival structure, with a 35-foot high dome, is the oldest church in Portland that is still operating as such, along with First Presbyterian. Both were completed in 1890.
37
Northwest (Nob Hill)
This neighborhood is known for old Victorians, high-end boutiques, galleries, cafes, restaurants, and old stone churches & synagogues.
38
Ladd's Addition
This neighborhood of diagonal streets, alleyways, roundabouts, gardens, old trees, and vintage homes harbors the oldest rose bush in the city, planted in 1901.
39
Hawthorne
The locus of Portland hippie culture during the 1970s, now known for vintage homes, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, pubs, and dive bars.
40
Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery
One of the largest and oldest cemeteries in Portland, and the second largest arboretum in the city. To experience the garden outside of the vehicle, come on our Portland Garden City Tour.
41
Sunlan Lighting Inc
15 minutes
Many Portlanders think of North Mississippi Avenue as the epitome of Portlandia. We'll cruise down this street, and we may even get out for a brief stroll into Sunlan Lighting Inc, where you can buy virtually every light bulb known to man.
42
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
You'll pass by by the OMSI on this tour.
43
Mount Hood
Mt Hood is the highest point in Oregon, about 50 miles outside of Portland.
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