4 days in Portland is amazing if you want to explore the city. Portland is a great city in the United States that's incredible to visit.
This beautiful place in Oregon has so much to offer! There are parks, historic places, museums, amazing sights, and there's so much more!
This itinerary shows you how you can make the most out of your 4 days there!
Getting to Portland
You can reach the city of Portland in various ways. You can do so by airplane, train, bus, or car. All options can be convenient for your 4 days in Portland.
Airplane
Portland International Airport is the airport of the city. You can find it about 12 miles (or 19 kilometers) from the center of Portland.
Many direct flights go to the airport, which makes it easy to visit the city of Portland.
For example, there are flights from many places in the United States and Canada. So this can be a great way to go there for your 4 days in Portland!
Train
The train is another way to reach the city of Portland.
There are many train routes that go to Union Station in Portland.
Whether you are coming from a place within the state or from a bit outside of it, the train is a convenient way to travel.
Bus
There are various bus companies with direct routes to the city of Portland. The bus if affordable which is convenient if you're going to spend 4 days in Portland!
Car
You can also reach the city of Portland by car. This is a great option if you aren't near public transport stations. Also, it's great if you want to decide for yourself when and where to go!
Itinerary for 4 Days in Portland
Let's start with the itinerary for a 4-day trip to Portland!
Day 1: The First Day of This 4 Days in Portland Itinerary
On the first day of this itinerary, you are going to see some of the most famous places in Portland.
Explore Downtown Portland
It is the first day of your 4 days in Portland and it's time to explore the city.
The best place to start is in Downtown Portland. This is the city center where you find most of the city's activity.
You find here lots of shops. This makes it a great place for shopping! If you enjoy shopping, you should definitely spend some time here!
Furthermore, the atmosphere of this part of the city is great! It is a great way to experience the feeling of the city. This is especially great at the beginning of your trip!
Also, you can find a lot of sights, restaurants, and hotels in Downtown Portland. This makes it a place where you come back often during your 4 days in Portland! Moreover, it is a very convenient place to be, with lots of facilities!
See the Pioneer Courthouse Square
When you are in Downtown Portland, you should also go to Pioneer Courthouse Square. Another name for this square is "Portland's living room". That's because you find a lot of things to do here.
It is a large square that is great for hanging out. There are many steps where you can sit.
These steps are also great during one of the events that take place here. It then serves as an amphitheater!
There are many events happening throughout the year that are great! When there's an event when you are in Portland for 4 days, you should definitely go there!
Another great feature of the square is the milepost sign you can see here.
This is a large and chaotic pole with many signs showing all the things to do in the city and where they are! This is a great thing to see when you are at Pioneer Courthouse Square!
Another sight at the square is the bronze statue "Allow Me". This is a statue of a man that holds an umbrella and wears a business suit.
Go to the Portland Art Museum
In Downtown Portland, you find another great sight that you should see when you are 4 days in Portland.
The Portland Art Museum is one of the best museums in Portland.
This is a great museum that is one of the oldest museums in the United States. Also, it is one of the largest art museums in the country!
At the Portland Art Museum, you find more than 40,000 artworks. These objects are part of the permanent collection of the museum.
Besides that, there is always a temporary exhibition with great art. This means that there is always something new when you are visiting the city of Portland and this museum.
The collection of the museum consists of a lot of different art. That makes the collection very interesting.
For example, there is modern and contemporary art. Moreover, there is art from Asia. There are also sculptures, there is American Art, and there's more.
You can also find here artworks by a lot of famous artists, such as Monet, van Gogh, and George Inness.
Visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden
The Lan Su Chinese Garden is an incredible garden to visit when you are 4 days in Portland. You can find it in Chinatown.
This is a large garden with a Chinese landscape design. Furthermore, there are many plants from the country of China. These plants are great to see and some of them are older than 100 years, which is amazing!
You find here lots of trees, bamboos, orchids, and more! So if you love nature, this is incredible to see.
Furthermore, there is a large lake in the middle of the garden.
This garden is a great place for a relaxing stroll, which is great!
Day 2: Seeing Nature and an Amazing Historic Place
On the second day, you are going to see nature and one of the most historic places in Portland!
Visit Washington Park
Washington Park is a great park to visit during your 4 days. It is a very large public park that is great to see at the beginning of your second day in Portland!
The park is beautiful to see because of the nature you find here.
You can go here for a relaxing morning stroll, which is great. Or if you want to be even more active, you can go for a morning run!
Along the way, you see stunning trees, plants, and more.
Also, there are lots of other great things to do and see in the park that you are going to next!
Enjoy a Performance at the Washington Park Amphitheater
One of the best things that you can go to in the park is the Washington Park Amphitheater.
This is a place where many concerts take place. When you are in Portland during one of these concerts, you should definitely attend it!
Also, during summer, you find here the Washington Park Summer Festival. During this event, you can attend free concerts! This is one of the best activities in Portland and great if you are four days in Portland!
See the Hoyt Arboretum
Also, you find Hoyt Arboretum in Washington Park. This is an arboretum where you can see lots of different species of trees.
There are more than 6000 trees at Hoyt Arboretum, which is great to see!
Also, there are scrubs, magnolias, conifers, and more.
What's great about the arboretum as well is that there are many hiking trails in the park. This makes it is the perfect place if you like hiking!
Also, there are picnic areas at Hoyt Arboretum that are great for having a picnic.
Furthermore, there is a visiting center where you can get information about nature!
Visit the International Rose Test Garden
Another one of the best things you can see at Washington Park is the International Rose Test Garden. This is one of my favorite activities on this 4 days in Portland itinerary!
It's another garden that is perfect for a relaxing stroll while seeing pretty nature!
The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden with a lot of different types of roses. There are more than 600 different types here, which is incredible!
These roses are beautiful to see! And the garden is very popular because of that. More than 700,000 people visit the garden every year, and you should too!
What's interesting about this garden is the function it has. New types of roses from all over the world come here. In the garden, they test the roses on several features.
Go to the Pittock Mansion
At the end of the day, you should go to Pittock Mansion. This mansion was the private home of Henry Pittock.
It is one of the most historic places in the city of Portland!
What's great about this place is the architecture. It has Victorian and French Renaissance architecture that is stunning to see!
Furthermore, it is a very large building that has 46 rooms.
Also, from the mansion, you have a wonderful view of the city of Portland.
You should definitely do a guided tour of the mansion when you are in Portland for 4 days!
Day 3: Exploring More of the City During Your 4 Days in Portland
Today, history, a bustling place, and views are central!
Visit the Oregon Historical Society Museum
On the third day of this itinerary, you start at the Oregon Historical Society Museum!
For those that like history, this is one of the best activities in the city. The Oregon Historical Society Museum is the best place to learn about the history of Oregon.
It is a smaller museum with fewer annual visitors than other museums. But it is definitely worth visiting.
You find here more than 85,000 objects that all relate to the history of Oregon.
What's great is that they are also traveling exhibits at the museum, which makes the place even better!
See the Portland Saturday Market
The Portland Saturday Market is a great arts and crafts market that you can visit on Saturday.
If you happen to visit the city of Portland on Saturday or Sunday, I recommend going here!
You find the market at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
At the market, you find all kinds of great products. Besides that, the atmosphere of the market is great to visit!
What's great is that there is no admission fee for the park!
Use the Aerial Tram of Portland
The Aerial Tram of Portland is one of the best things to do in Portland.
When you are in Portland for 4 days, you should go here for sure!
The aerial tramway allows you to travel from the South Waterfront to the OHSU Hospital.
It is a great way to get around in the city of Portland, and the view from the tram is lovely!
The upper station is on Marquam Hill, which is a great place to visit!
Get a View of the City from Marquam Hill
From Marquam Hill, you have a wonderful view of the city of Portland.
The hill is a bit higher than the city, which makes it possible to have a panoramic view.
From there you can see the buildings of the city of Portland. Furthermore, the river and the bridges that cross it are very clear to see from here, which is great!
What's great is that you can see all the things you already saw during your trip to Portland!
Day 4: Discovering Some Other Highlights of the City
On the last day of this itinerary, you are going to see some of the last highlights of the city!
Visit OMSI
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is another must-see when you are 4 days in Portland.
At this wonderful museum, you can learn about science and technology, which is great.
You find here many exhibition halls with all kinds of interesting objects. These objects all relate to natural sciences, industry, and technology.
One of the best exhibits of the museum is the Eart Science Hall. Here you find objects related to geology!
Another great thing at the museum is the USS Blueback. This is a submarine that the US Navy used.
But there is much more to see at the museum! You'll have a great time here for sure!
Visit the McCall Waterfront Park
After seeing the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, it's time to relax a bit in nature.
The McCall Waterfront Park is one of the best places for that!
You can find this park along the Willamette River. There is beautiful nature next to the water here.
Also, during some parts of the year, the trees turn pink, which is very pretty! This makes it an even better place to visit!
See the Shanghai Tunnels
Now, it is time to go to the Old Portland Underground. Another name for this is the "Shanghai Tunnels". That's because you can find them underneath Chinatown.
These tunnels connect many parts of the city. They connect many basements of hotels and taverns of the city with the river.
The original purpose of the tunnels was to move objects from ships to the business of Portland. This way they could avoid traffic.
You can do a walking tour during which you can see the tunnels!
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