Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland, OR
4.9
Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland, OR
By Wildwood Adventures
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About
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, and a historic lodge.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Transportation in a premium, high-roofed passenger van
- Knowledgeable, local and friendly guide
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Live commentary throughout the tour
- Entry/Admission - Multnomah Falls
What's not included- Gratuities- If you enjoy the tour and would like to tip your guide, a 20% gratuity is suggested
- This is a half day tour. Please note, the tour route and sights may vary depending on the time of year and weather conditions. It is always our goal to provide you with the most interesting adventure possible. Departing downtown Portland, we drive east alongside the Columbia River towards the quaint town of 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, and wind our way along the Sandy River to our first stop for the day: Crown Point. 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! There, we will find 180-degree amazing views of the Columbia River Gorge and have time to explore the Vista House. This intricately designed observatory and museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From there, we will again join the historic highway as we 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 .25 mile paved trail hike will be led to get a closer view of the falls. Continuing on our journey through the gorge, we’ll get a sneak peek of the famed Multnomah Falls on our way to our next stop—an overlooked gem directly off of the historic highway called Horsetail Falls. Once at the base of these falls, it won’t be difficult to see how it received its name. Feel the mist on your face as the water plummets down into the deep pool below. Worry not! The grand Multnomah Falls will be the final stop in our journey. Plummeting 620 feet in two major steps, Multnomah Falls is the highest waterfall in Oregon and second highest continuously flowing waterfall in the nation! There, we will explore the Multnomah Falls Historic Lodge (a Cascadian style stone and timber lodge built in 1925) as well as the beautiful Multnomah Falls itself. During the gorge fire of 2017, the wildland fire crew fought tirelessly and ultimately saved this historic landmark. The easily accessible viewing platform offers a full view of the Benson Bridge and cascading falls beyond it. Our journey will return us to Portland via the Columbia River scenic route (approximately 45 mins). Depending on changing visitation patterns in the Columbia River Gorge, this tour may run in the reverse order than what is listed above.
- Start:
- 900 SW Taylor St, Portland, OR 97205, USAWe pick up at one of the corners of Director Park, located at the cross-streets of SW 9th Ave and SW Taylor St. The guide will aim to pull up in front of a restaurant called Pastini.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 9634P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A maximum of 12 people per booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 9634P2
From
$89.00
per adult
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Itinerary
- 900 SW Taylor St, Portland, OR 97205, USAWe pick up at one of the corners of Director Park, located at the cross-streets of SW 9th Ave and SW Taylor St. The guide will aim to pull up in front of a restaurant called Pastini.
- 1Pass byColumbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Expedition2820900 contributionsNice selection of wineries!Excellent tour! Dominque, our guide, had an amazing breadth of knowledge about the Valkey and wines. Really appreciated the selection of wineries we visited! All distinctly enjoyable in their own way.Written November 9, 2024
- ktitimbo0 contributionsGreat tour!Awesome full day tour with Dominique!! She was very informative, knowledgeable, friendly, energetic, and quick to offer great recommendations for the best spots during the tour and for exploring the city afterward. The tour was fantastic, filled with stunning natural beauty, many impressive tall waterfalls. Even though not all the trees had turned autumn colors yet, the views were breathtaking. Every stops offers amazing angles and natural lighting, ideal for photo enthusiasts. I would definitely recommend this tour with Wildwood Adventures. They truly know what they are doing and handle any inconvenience promptly.Written October 28, 2024
- S7659MLgracek0 contributionsAwesome tour !!Thank you David for great hospitality!! This is first trip with only my daughter (without husband 😊) so we were so excited to enjoy this Portland trip!! This tour made our great memories. I’ll definitely take others tour next time with my husband. Appreciated David and tour company.Written October 23, 2024
- OnAir097934567980 contributionsExcellent experienceVery friendly and engaging guide. The breaks to walk and take pictures were much appreciated. Definitely recommend this tour to see as much as possible with little time to do so.Written October 14, 2024
- cynthiamR3685WH0 contributionsBest guide ever!Daniel was an amazing guide. He was very knowledgeable, very courteous And made everything about the trip great. I would recommend Wildwood adventures to anyone taking a tour.Written October 4, 2024
- Odyssey3240610 contributionsAll day tour falls and Mt HoodSo many breathtaking sights! Spectacular waterfalls, lovely little towns, Mt hood was amazing! Our tour guide Jake , was very informative, energetic and made the trip perfect. Thank you!Written September 30, 2024
- ym_jessica0 contributionsSolo traveller's experienceJoe was a great tour guide! He shared wonderful information about the various spots we visited as well as history of the area. He even squeezed in an extra stop because we had some extra time. When stopping in Hood River, he drove around a little and offered several recommendations for where to get lunch; of the 10 on the tour, 6 of us went to Full Sail Brewing for the salmon fish & chips based on Joe's description. I'm glad I took the chance of doing a group tour, Joe and Wildwood Tours were the right choice!Written September 30, 2024
- Leslie P0 contributionsHighly recommend this beautiful excursionThe route was stunning, with waterfalls, a family- owned fruit farm, and the historic Timberline Lodge. Joe was a fabulous driver and guide. Our small group quickly became friends.Written September 29, 2024
- laurasT8425PW0 contributionsAwesome experienceWhat an amazing day. So much beauty to be seen along our journey. We had a great guide who was very knowledgeable and informative. Would highly recommend this activityWritten September 29, 2024
- 654lynw0 contributionsGreat Tour!Our group enjoyed the tour immensely! We were impressed with our guide’s knowledge of the area and his enthusiasm to share it with us. We were well taken care of throughout the day and highly recommend the tour.Written September 20, 2024
- 957virginiak0 contributionsAwesome day tripGreat day seeing many waterfalls along the Columbia river gorge and mt hood. Our guide was excellent. Eric was knowledgeable on everything Portland, the Falls, the gorge, rivers, mt hood and all the people involved in the development of these areas. The ride is comfortable and scenery beautiful. Well worth spending the day exploring this part of Oregon.Written September 14, 2024
- Carol D0 contributionsDominique is the best!Dominique was a wonderful tour guide!She has a vast knowledge of the areas she shared with us. She was an excellent driver, kind and considerate. I sure hope we get to ride with her again one day!!!Written September 9, 2024
- RubiaDente0 contributionsCosta OregonWe had a beautiful tour, despite the fog on the beach that made it impossible for us to see the beauty of the beaches. Our guide David was very kind and helpful throughout the entire tour. Thank you Wildwood Adventures.Written August 31, 2024
- Taylor J0 contributionsColumbia River Gorge/Mnt HoodI went solo on this trip and it was awesome. My tour guide Chuck was very knowledgeable and animated. He clearly loves his job. The bus is comfortable with large windows to view the scenery. There is plenty of time at each of the stops to take photos. We stopped in hood river and our tour guide made multiple suggestions for lunch and we had enough time to eat and enjoy our food/drinks. I would absolutely book another tour through this company again and would recommend it for other travelers.Written August 28, 2024
- Paradise294851575670 contributionsBeautiful Scenery BUTThe only reason to take this tour is the scenery, which is fantastic. But the van that the company uses is small and not suitable for taller and/or larger customers, Of the 12 people on our tour, only two had good seats from which to view the scenery. Our tour guide was knowledgeable but lacking in social skills and verbally berated several of the people on the tour. We would not take another tour offered by this company or recommend it to any of our friends or family.Written August 23, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.9
483 reviews
Excellent
456
Very good
20
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Ina V
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Couples
We enjoyed the half-day Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls Tour with our Tour guides Andy and Eric so very much! They are extremely knowledgable and professional and so fun to be with! Group size (9 people only) just perfect, hotel pickup from downtown was included and timing for this 4h tour was just fantastic- we have seen amazing places before the tourist masses arrived and even were shown some hidden nature gems! Very organized, very pleasant and friendly! Hence we highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of the gorge and the waterfalls around Portland!!!!
Written July 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amber N
17 contributions
Our guide Mel was knowledgeable and personable. She had some great info and trivia about Portland the city as she drove us out to the Gorge and to see the many waterfalls on our tour. She was eager to show off the wonders of this gorgeous area. Highly recommend doing this tour, the pick up process was quick and easy. The van we traveled in was comfortable. Mel even offered water bottles and hot tea options to keep us warm on what ended up being a rainy afternoon.
Written March 14, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Delaney W
57 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
Super fun trip right out of Portland to 4 different waterfalls & then a final stop at Vista House. Our driver, David, was excellent— he was super knowledgeable about the area, able to answer any questions, kept everyone on time, and was happy to take photos for guests. There were multiple opportunities to use restrooms along the way. The van was comfortable, we were provided with water, and we felt safe the entire time. October feels like the perfect time to visit as the leaves are just beginning to change & it’s gorgeous. David was also able to drop us back off at a beer garden for food on the way back, which was much appreciated. Would definitely do again!
Written October 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
z-manr
Cupertino, CA4 contributions
Nov 2024 • Friends
The tour was enjoyable, and we stopped at all the vista points. Weather was mildly cold and cloudy, but no rain. Eric, the driver, narrated almost non-stop; with good info, he also oversold the beauty of the Portland area with all the waterfalls, and we're from the Bay Area having visited Yosemite, Iguazu Falls, etc.
Written November 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donald B
3 contributions
Daniel was fantastic! So knowledgeable about the geographic wonders of the area and regional history. Plus, he had great information on the native plants and wildlife. He expertly drove to all the sights on winding mountain roads and through city traffic, saving us the trouble and making us feel very safe. Would definitely book again and recommend it to everyone!
Written December 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen W
Chattanooga, TN46 contributions
Sep 2024 • Friends
We had a private tour and it was wonderful. The guide was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the area we were visiting. The vehicle was clean and quite comfortable. I recommend seeing this area with a tour so you can focus on what you are seeing without driving challenging roads and not hassle with parking. Our guide made good use of our time with him by taking us to several beautiful and special waterfalls. Great experience!
Written October 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JanRSF
Rancho Santa Fe, CA432 contributions
We had a great day with Mel on a 4 hour afternoon tour of four waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge with a stop at the Vista House. It’s only open Friday to Monday and we went on Thursday so it wasn’t open but we could look in the windows and see how beautiful the building and stained glass is. The waterfalls were beautiful. Mel gave us lots of information and we had plenty of time to take pictures. She was an excellent driver and we enjoyed the trip very much.
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Looey12
Phoenix, AZ3 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
Mel was so informative about the area and how a forest fire had destroyed the trees and made a big impact on the environment. I was delayed getting to the meeting place because of a drawbridge and Mel told our group all about the different bridges in the city, how they worked and the story behind them. Fascinating.
Written April 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert M
1 contribution
Oct 2024 • Couples
This was a fantastic trip and chance to see several waterfalls and trees changing color. Our guide, Aaron (sp?), was so full of information and happily shared his knowledge and interests about the area with us. He always made sure we had what we needed to truly enjoy this experience. We had ample time at each stop and thoroughly enjoyed the half-day tour, and 100 percent would recommend for someone visiting Portland.
Written October 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam D
Wauseon, OH288 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
This tour is exactly as stated. Well worth the money ... we had about 8-9 people on the tour in a high-top van. GREAT local guide, and we stopped at many waterfalls and got up close and personal. We were able to approach most of the falls very up close and could get misty wet very easily. Absolutely gorgeous! Multinomah Falls was busy, but we only had a short walk to the overlooks. You can se why this is such a popular stop for tourists and cruise ship passengers. Our pick-up spot was right across the street from our Paramount Hotel. On time, and very convenient. We had a beautiful day and wonderful tour.
Written March 12, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We will be on a cruise ship. How can we get to your pick-up point, or can you pick us up at the dock?
Written April 7, 2022
Do these vans fit 3 people per seat? Is someone always in the middle?
Written February 13, 2022
Like the other person my wife and I were the only ones on the tour so I didn’t check the seat configuration. The company is very helpful and friendly, so I would give them a call to get your answers to any questions.
Written February 16, 2022
What is the average size of the group?
Are private tours available?
Written April 20, 2021
We will be in Portland in early August, but not sure if we will be able to see Multnomah Falls with COVID restrictions. Can you please tell us if we would be able to go there and any additional changes?
Written July 16, 2020
Silvia C
Beaverton, Michigan
Is this a good tour to do in October? Like mid October?
Written September 24, 2019
I would say so. Our weather was cool but with all the walking it was comfortable. Bus is super comfy too. Take a light rain jacket as waterfalls put off a lot of spray. Hopefully weather is good. Enjoy!
Written September 24, 2019
How long are the distances that need to be walked? If one or more spots are too long or difficult, is it possible for a guest to remain in/near the van while the remaining guests do the hike?
Written September 4, 2019
Not far, one waterfall is about 1/8 mile in, but you can certainly opt not to walk that far.
Written September 5, 2019
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