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Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland

Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland

Overview

Species seen nowhere else in the world, dramatic basalt lava flows nearly a mile deep, and some of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls are a few of the sights that await you on this tour. Come experience the grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge, one of the United States’ most photographed Natural Scenic Reserves. We will drive along the oldest scenic highway in the US, stopping at sweeping viewpoints, flowing falls, a historic lodge, and the famed Bonneville Dam Sturgeon viewing center.

City: Portland

Tue 19 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $79.00

Make a reservation

Tue 19 Nov

Starting at $79.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

Bottled water

Transportation in a luxury passenger van

Knowledgeable, local and friendly guide

Live commentary throughout the tour

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
A maximum of 12 people per booking
Face masks provided for travellers
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides

What To Expect

Director Park

Our central meeting location and pick up point! A beautiful, urban park in the middle of Downtown Portland.

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

We will depart downtown Portland and drive east alongside the Columbia River to Troutdale, known as the Gateway to the Gorge! We will join the beautiful Historic Columbia River Highway, the first planned scenic roadway in the United States.

Vista House

Typically, our first stop for the day is the Crown Point Vista House. This famous overlook sits 733 feet above the Columbia River, atop the remains of a lava flow that swept through the Gorge around 14 to 17 million years ago! Here, we will find amazing 180-degree views of the Columbia River Gorge and explore the Vista House. An intricately designed observatory and museum, the Vista House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Latourell Falls

From the Vista House, we will drive deeper into the Columbia River National Scenic Area. Our first waterfall for the day will be the dramatic Latourell Falls which plunges 249 feet over a massive wall of columnar basalt. Depending on the season, a short ¼-mile trail hike will be led to get a closer view of the falls.

Multnomah Falls

The next waterfall we will visit will be the famed Multnomah Falls. Plummeting 620 feet in two major steps, Multnomah Falls is the highest waterfall in Oregon and second highest in the nation! Here, we can explore the Multnomah Falls Historic Lodge (a Cascadian style stone and timber lodge built in 1925) as well as the beautiful Multnomah Falls itself. The easily accessible viewing platform offers a full view of the Benson Bridge and cascading falls beyond it.

Bonneville Hatchery

We will spend about 20 minutes on a short walking tour of this impressive Fish Hatchery (the largest in Oregon) and Sturgeon viewing center! At the viewing center we will visit local celebrity: “Herman” the sturgeon. Herman is over 70 years old, 10-feet long, and 450 pounds!

Director Park

We end our tour back at Director Park, our central drop off location in the heart of Downtown Portland.

Show 4 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (462)

Judith_J

Nov 2019

Ashley was an excellent tour guide. She was friendly and shared a wealth of knowledge as we traveled along the tour.

Beckofeeze

Nov 2019

This was our first trip to Portland. My husband and I love waterfalls. We took the train up from California, so we didn't have our car with us to go drive around on our own. We decided that a tour was our best option for getting to see the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls. I'm so glad we did! It was so nice getting to relax and enjoy nature without having to deal with directions or parking. I just wish I hadn't walked so much the day before so I could have enjoyed the trails a bit more.

joe z

Oct 2019

Pickup was in downtown Portland and is best suited for travelers situated there and without a car. All the sites visited are free but need to drive about 30 mins out of the city. I found the tour rather dull, not much chatter in the van, a few historical facts. The 2nd row seats were very uncomfortable with no leg room. Each stop was short. The fish hatchery was the wrong season, no salmon. I would skip

Response from Host

Nov 2019

Thank you for your feedback. We very much strive to show our guests an amazing adventure during their visits to Portland. We are very sorry that your experience did not live up to this expectation. There are a ton of beautiful waterfalls out in the Columbia River Gorge, so we try to maintain that balance between too many stops and too few in just the half day that we have on tour. We do pride ourselves in helping to limit some of the congestion that can occur during the busier times of the year in the scenic waterfalls area, as the summer months can experience extreme back-ups on the highway or the closure of parking areas. When visitors are traveling through the gorge on their own, we strongly recommend carpooling or using public transportation. Many tour companies also struggle with the occasional, quiet group, so it’s always great for guides to have some extra conversation starters in their back pocket if needed. We’ll work with the guide to make sure they are equipped to provide additional conversation for those quieter groups, on top of their usual tour narration. As for the fish hatchery, October is the heart of the salmon spawning season, so we are very disappointed to hear that the salmon were not present at the hatchery during your visit. If you ever find yourselves back in Portland, we would love for you to give us a call so that we can have a second chance at showing you an epic time. Again, thank you so much for your feedback. Safe travels and best wishes!