Tom McCall Waterfront Park: Our most recommended tours and activities

Essential Portland: 2-Hour Guided Bike Tour

1. Essential Portland: 2-Hour Guided Bike Tour

There is no better way to explore Portland’s beautiful riverfront views, historic neighborhoods, and vibrant culture than on this casual urban bike tour which allows you to avoid city traffic, get some exercise, and see attractions up close. Make your way to the downtown meeting point, where you can pick out bikes and get ready to experience the sights of Portland. Riding through the heart of China Town and into Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the first stop on the tour is at the Japanese American Historical Plaza, where great views of the ever-changing cityscape await. Continuing on, you will have the opportunity to experience world-class bike paths and scenic skyline vistas en route to the city’s green neighborhoods and successful commerce spaces. The tour then moves onto the smooth paths of Portland’s Park Blocks where you will be able to visit the city's newest park providing a look into the future of community spaces. Finally, the Portland City Bike Tour would not be complete without a cruise through the Pearl district, known as a hotspot for incredible food, beer, and craft culture.

Portland: All-Inclusive Walking Food Tour

2. Portland: All-Inclusive Walking Food Tour

Explore downtown Portland on an all-inclusive walking food tour through the heart of the city. We'll meet at "Portland's Living Room," Pioneer Courthouse Square, and venture deeper into downtown while sampling food from unique vendors. Enjoy a philosophical introduction to Portland's iconic food cart ecosystem while learning about our city's history, culture, and people. On our tour we'll walk through the neighborhoods of downtown, old town, and chinatown, while passing through the largest independent bookstore in the world, our scenic waterfront park, and the famous Saturday Market (weekends only). Come hungry.

Portland: Guided Foodie Bike Tour

3. Portland: Guided Foodie Bike Tour

Come hungry and join your guide as you discover Portland's local foodie hotspots. Learn about the city's bustling culinary scene and the "localvore" philosophy that drives it. The first stop on your tour is a local coffee shop. Learn about this incredible business, its dedication to sourcing beans from women-owned cooperatives, and its passion for creating the very best coffee. This coffee shop even makes its own chocolate, a must-visit for any foodie. Discover Portland's food truck scene and taste the incredible flavors served up by some of these gourmet street vendors. The city has over 500 food trucks, creating fierce competition that drives the quality and creative delivery to delicious new heights. Continue your tour as you journey through more craftsman neighborhoods towards your last stop. Indulge your sweet tooth, topping your experience off with a visit to what is considered home to some of the best ice cream in the city. Enjoy the unique taste of the wonderful flavors created from the store's own handmade ice cream base, the perfect ending to your foodie adventure.

Portland: Guided Bike Tour with Brewery Visits

4. Portland: Guided Bike Tour with Brewery Visits

Discover some of Portland's best bike routes and breweries on a brews cruise bike tour. Join your guide as you head out on the city's bike-friendly streets and peddle through downtown. Enjoy two stops at local microbreweries to sample their craft beers. Get some exercise and avoid the hassle of driving as you explore some of Portland's oldest neighborhoods with your guide. Learn how the city rose to fame as an international craft beer destination and how the culture of collaboration and experimentation allows so many breweries to coexist in Portland. Take a sneak peek behind the scenes at a microbrewery and learn about the brewing process. Discover how locally sourced, world-class ingredients like Willamette Valley hops and Mt. Hood’s pure snowmelt are transformed to make some of the best beer in the world. Along the way, visit Lone-Fir Cemetery, Portland’s second-largest arboretum, where you'll pay homage to one of the original brewmasters of the world, followed by a cycle through Portland’s flagship Laurelhurst Park.

Portland: Sightseeing Tour with Columbia Gorge Waterfalls

5. Portland: Sightseeing Tour with Columbia Gorge Waterfalls

On this full-day tour, you’ll see the best of the Portland area and the Columbia River Gorge. Along the way, learn about Portland’s interesting history and modern-day culture from your guide. This tour combines some of the most iconic and unique places in Portland with the natural beauty and splendor of the waterfalls, scenic vistas, and historical sites in the Columbia River Gorge. More than just a basic Portland city tour, our 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 (seasonally), the World Forestry Museum (seasonally), the Oregon Society of Artists (seasonally), Pioneer Courthouse Square, NW 23rd (the best shopping area in Portland), the Pearl District, and the South Park Blocks. Today Portland is known as one of the world’s most environmentally conscious cities: a hub for farm-to-table eateries, alternative lifestyles, a large community of cyclists, and high walkability. Let our informative and entertaining Tour Guides show you the best the City of Portland has to offer. Your Gorge adventure will take place along the Historic Columbia River National Scenic Byway, where some of the locations we may stop include, Portland Women’s Forum, Crown Point Vista House, Latourell Falls, Multnomah Falls, and Shepperd’s Dell. Millions of years ago, during the formation of the Cascade Mountain Range, lava and other pyroclastic matter flowed west from what would be the Cascades all the way to the Pacific Ocean, creating a thick shell of basalt rock that covered Western Oregon. Then, during the Pleistocene Ice Age, roughly 15,000 years ago, water from the Lake Missoula Flood carved out the Columbia River Gorge as hundreds of cubic miles of water, ice, rock and mud rushed from present-day Montana to the Pacific Ocean. Explore the beauty of the canyon walls and rock formations, breathtaking waterfalls and awe-inspiring visas that make the Columbia River National Scenic Area one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. Our enthusiastic guides will introduce you to the most amazing places in the Gorge while providing a comprehensive narrative of this spectacular landscape and its transformative history.

Other Sightseeing Options in Tom McCall Waterfront Park

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What people are saying about Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Overall rating

4.8 / 5

based on 11 reviews

We did a fairly easy ride of 7-8 miles and stopped frequently to hear about the city. Bikes were comfortable too.