Portland Scenic Views and Donut Tasting

Learn the story of the Portland, Oregon while enjoying its highest and most intimate viewpoints, smelling roses, wandering through gardens, peaking into a forested park and sampling donuts.
After we pick you up at Director Park downtown, we’ll drive up the city's north/south dividing line, head to the summit of King’s Heights, and walk the grounds of the mansion built by a newspaper baron to the view that was once available only to the city’s elite.

We'll visit Washington Park, and walk through our favorite secret garden, and into the Rose Test Garden. In season, we'll smell the roses -- literally and figuratively!

Next: the city center and cultural district. It wouldn't be Portland without a stop for doughnuts, so we'll discuss the history of the city's foundation and the design of these blocks after we duck into one of our favorite shops and grab a treat.

We'll visit the South Waterfront, an inner Eastside neighborhood, and give you lots of foodie ideas before we drop you off!

Meeting Point

Director Park

815 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205, USA

We'll meet in the southeast corner of the urbanscaped Director Park, on the corner of SW Park Avenue and SW Taylor Streets, across the street from the Regal Cinemas Fox Tower entrance.

Not included:

• Gratuities for your guides, always appreciated

What to expect:

Duration: 3 hours

Director Park

815 SW Park Ave, Portland, 97205-3084, Oregon

We’ll pick you up in central downtown Portland at Director Park in one of our roomy vans. We’ll then drive up Portland’s north/south dividing line, pointing out important sites, including some of the city’s bike art, and historical buildings.

10 minutes

Powell's City of Books

1005 W Burnside St, , Portland, 97209-3114, Oregon

We’ll pass Powell’s Books, and tell the story behind the biggest independent book store in the world

Pass by without stopping

Pearl District

Portland, Oregon

Learn about the history of this art and food rich neighborhood. (We do not stop to walk around in this neighborhood)

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Pittock Mansion

3229 NW Pittock Drive, Portland, 97210-5099, Oregon

Once we reach the summit of King’s Heights, we’ll walk around the grounds of the mansion built by a newspaper baron to the view that was once available only to the city’s elite. It's one of the best places to develop the context by which to experience this city. We'll take photos at the summit overlooking the city.
We’ll walk through the mansion’s grounds and back to the van.

(We will not visit the inside of the mansion.)

30 minutes

International Rose Test Garden

400 SW Kingston Ave, , Portland, 97205-5883, Oregon

We'll learn about the story of the roses here and the rose city; we'll investigate our favorite varieties; we'll take photos and (in season) inhaling the scent of the roses, we'll get into the van for our next stop. (When roses aren't in season, we may make an alternative stop at the Hoyt Arboretum.)

30 minutes

Washington Park

4033 SW Canyon Rd, , Portland, 97221-2760, Oregon

we will drive into the SW Portland neighborhood of Arlington Heights, on the edge of Washington Park. Here we'll take a walk through our favorite secret garden, and into the International Rose Test Garden, introducing you to the story of the rose city. (When roses aren't in season, we may make an alternative stop at the Hoyt Arboretum.)

20 minutes

South Waterfront Park

1814-1816 SW River Pkw, Portland, Oregon

TIME PERMITTING. After this, it's a drive along Portland's South Waterfront and the waterfront park, telling the story of the shining Swiss Alps-style engineering of the Aerial Tram and the development of this brand-new neighborhood and its beautiful, one-of-a-kind Tilikum Crossing bridge.

30 minutes

South Park Blocks

Southwest Park Avenue, , Portland, 97201, Oregon

From here, we'll head back into the city center, driving through what Portland calls the cultural district -- once the literal heart of the city, the center line along which once the merchants and lumber barons lived, and now institutions like the Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society and Portland State University dominate. It wouldn't be Portland without a stop for doughnuts, so we'll discuss the history of the city's foundation and the design of these blocks after we duck into one of our favorite shops and grab a treat.

30 minutes

Portland Art Museum

1219 SW Park Ave, , Portland, 97205-2430, Oregon

We will pass by the cultural district

Pass by without stopping

South Waterfront Lower Tram Terminal

3303 S Bond Ave, Portland, OR 97239, USA

On some days we will visit the south waterfront

Pass by without stopping

Blackfish Gallery

938 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209, USA

We will tell the story of the art heritage of Portland

Pass by without stopping

Courier Coffee

923 SW Oak St, Portland, OR 97205, USA

We'll point out a few great coffee shops in the city

Pass by without stopping