Portland travel guide
United States
A green, bookish city on the Willamette River, known for food carts, coffee roasters and craft breweries. Mountains, forest and the Pacific coast are all within a couple of hours.
Essentials
- Language
- English; Spanish is also spoken
- Currency
- US dollar (USD)
- Plugs
- Type A and B, 120 V
- Emergency number
- 911
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: around 18-20% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, and a similar share for taxis.
Rough daily budget
Approximate spend per person per day, in US dollars:
- Backpacker: $70-110, with a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport.
- Mid-range: $180-280, with a private room and restaurant meals.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Where to stay in Portland
- Pearl District: converted warehouses, galleries and restaurants, a short walk from Powell's Books.
- Alberta Arts District: murals, small galleries, cafés and a monthly street art walk.
- Hawthorne: vintage shops, food carts and laid-back bars on the east side.
Getting around Portland
TriMet runs the MAX light rail, buses and, with the city, the Portland Streetcar; tap a contactless card, phone or Hop Fastpass card to ride. The MAX Red Line runs to the airport, and much of the city, especially the east side, is flat and easy to cycle.
Best time to visit Portland
June to September, when the weather is dry and warm, before the grey, rainy months from October to May.
Top things to do in Portland
- Lose an afternoon in Powell's City of Books, which fills a whole city block downtown
- Walk part of the Wildwood Trail through Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the country
- Visit the Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park
- Eat your way around one of the food cart pods, where many kitchens share a single car park
- Step into the walled Lan Su Chinese Garden in Old Town for tea and quiet
What to eat in Portland
- Food cart lunch: a cheap plate from one of the hundreds of carts serving cuisines from all over the world
- Marionberry pie: a pie made with a blackberry variety bred in Oregon
- Dungeness crab: a sweet local crab from the Oregon coast, often served whole
- Craft beer: hoppy ales and seasonal brews from the city's many small breweries
Day trips from Portland
- Columbia River Gorge: waterfalls including Multnomah Falls and forest hikes, about 45 minutes east by road
- Cannon Beach: a coastal town beside the sea stack of Haystack Rock, about 90 minutes west by road
- Mount Hood: alpine trails in summer and skiing in winter, about 90 minutes east by road
Local etiquette
Queue patiently at food carts and coffee counters, and give cyclists room, since bike lanes are busy and taken seriously. Sorting your rubbish into recycling and compost is the norm.
Staying connected
Prepaid SIMs and eSIMs from the major US carriers are easy to buy, and free Wi-Fi is common in cafés, libraries and accommodation.
Staying safe
Car break-ins are common, so leave nothing visible in a parked car, especially at trailheads. Parts of downtown and Old Town have visible homelessness and drug use; take ordinary care at night and keep to busier streets.
A local tip
Oregon has no sales tax, so the price on the tag is what you pay at the till.
Visas:rules depend on your nationality and change often – check your own government's official travel advice before you go.
Meet people in Portland on Waypacker
Waypacker is a free travel community: stay with ID-verified local hosts, join meetups and city groups, and ask people who live in Portland for advice. We are new here, so if you live in Portland, you could be one of the first hosts.
Questions about Portland
- What currency is used in Portland?
- Portland uses the US dollar (USD).
- What is the emergency number in Portland?
- In Portland, call 911.
- When is the best time to visit Portland?
- June to September, when the weather is dry and warm, before the grey, rainy months from October to May.
- How much does a day in Portland cost?
- Roughly $70-110 a day in US dollars on a backpacker budget (a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport), and $180-280 mid-range (a private room and restaurants). These are broad estimates, last reviewed October 2026.
- Is Waypacker free to use in Portland?
- Yes. Joining is free and stays with hosts carry no nightly rate or booking fee.
- Are Waypacker hosts ID-verified?
- Every host's ID and selfie are checked by hand by a real person before they can host. Nothing is sent to an AI service.
- Can I meet locals in Portland without staying with anyone?
- Yes. You can join meetups and city groups, or ask locals for tips, without booking a stay.
- Will anyone see my exact location?
- No. Hosts and meetups appear as a neighbourhood-sized area about a kilometre wide, and exact addresses are never stored.