Top 20 Most Instagrammable Places in Portland

With a quirky, fun, creative and colorful outlook and some serious gorgeous backgrounds, Portland is a photographer and Instagrammer’s dream. From cute and quirky cafes to wonderful waterfront parks, here are the most Instagrammable spots in Portland…

City Life

Portland Waterfront – a beautiful place to photograph in Portland

Portland waterfront includes parks like the Tom McCall Waterfront Park and South Waterfront Park, along with the South Waterfront Park, as well as landmark hotels, plazas, bridges and the view across Ross Island.

It’s a beautiful area by day, with the parks giving you endless options for Instagram shots, especially when the music festivals are on, but it really comes alive at night.

Here you can grab fantastic images as the city lights reflect off the water and give your followers a different look at Portland life. A beautiful area that is perfect on its own or makes a great backdrop for whatever you are doing, it’s the most versatile place in Portland for your Instagram story.

• Tom McCall Waterfront Park 98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204

Portland White Stag Sign – a great place to photograph at sunset and early evening

A lighted neon sign sitting on top of the White Stag building in downtown Portland. It’s been there since 1940, and as a result is perhaps one of the most famous landmarks in the city.

Great for your Instagram as an instantly recognizable mark of where you are, try to take photos around Christmas where the famous white stag is given a red nose and a festive addition.

• Portland White Stag Sign 70 NW Couch St, Portland, OR 97209

St. John’s Bridge – a picture-worthy place in Portland especially at sunset or for city views

The city has a lot of bridges, but if you want the best Instagram locations in Portland, you have to pick St. John’s Bridge. A classic steel suspension bridge, it has two, 120-foot-high towers and a 2,000-foot total span.

The size is impressive but set against the backdrop of the tree-covered hills on the opposite bank, it has even greater visual impact as the contrast between manmade and nature is so stark.

Other than that, the stone arch supports are a great detail for closer shots, and when dotted with vehicle lights at night, you can create some unforgettable images.

• St. John’s Bridge 8600 NW Bridge Ave, Portland, OR 97203

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall – one of the most Instagrammable places in Portland

With its bright neon lights outside, and the fabulous art deco interior that was completely restored in the 1980’s, wherever you take photos around the concert hall, you will get something amazing.

It is perhaps the interior where you can get the best effects, the steeply sloping seating, reminiscent of a Roman amphitheater, creates an incredible look on camera, and careful framing will leave your followers wondering how you got the shot.

Outside, the wonderful 1920’s style is so cool and unlike most buildings in the area and is sure to stand out and grab attention.

• Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 1037 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

The view of Mount Hood from Pittock Mansion – one of the most popular places to photograph in Portland

The mansion itself sits in the West Hills of Portland and is built in a French Renaissance style that makes it a great place to grab some interesting photos in its own right.

However, what makes the drive, or hike of you are feeling fit, to Pittock Mansion so worthwhile for your Instagram page, is the view.

Look east and you have Mount Hood in the distance, the green, tree-lined hills in the middle ground and Downtown Portland in the foreground. It’s an impressive sight and makes for an iconic image that your followers will love.

• Pittock Mansion 3229 NW Pittock Dr, Portland, OR 97210

Beauty Spots

Portland Japanese Garden – makes a beautiful backdrop for Instagrammers or Tiktokers

With 12 acres of beautiful gardens to explore, you can find the perfect setting for your photos. With naturally growing trees, ferns and shrubs from Japan, ponds, waterfalls, bridges and more, beautiful images are never far away.

The Japanese plant life gives a very different look that stands out too, while Koi Carp and stone gardens are unmistakably Japanese.

The pavilion is host to a range of cultural events throughout the year, and they can give you some magical photos of a different culture.

• 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205, 

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm – a beautiful picture-worthy place in Portland

With its rows of brightly colored tulips of every variety stretching into the distance, every photo here will stand out. Rich, vibrant colors, traditional windmills and natural beauty are great, and if you drop by during the annual Tulip Festival, you can expect even more.

Images from the farm will really stand out when placed among city shots from the rest of your Portland adventure, a splash of color that no one will ignore.

• Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm 33814 S Meridian Rd, Woodburn, OR 97071

Cathedral Park – an atmospheric place to take photos in Portland

Cathedral Park has something for everyone. From the beach to nature walks, views across the river to the tree-lined hills beyond, and of course the fabulous St/ Johns Bridge.

If you want to take some beauty shots of Portland, then this is where you will find Instagram gold.

• Cathedral Park N Edison St And Pittsburg Ave. Portland, OR 97203

Restaurants

Voodoo Doughnut – a super cute place to eat and photograph in Portland

There is no mistaking the bright pink exterior of Voodoo Doughnuts’ second outlet in Portland, with its wild graffiti-like artwork it will certainly stand out on any Instagram feed. Voodoo Doughnuts Too also benefits from less crowds than the original Old Town location, so is generally better for your Instagram shots.

However, if you are happy with the crowds, the original Voodoo Doughnuts has plenty to offer too.

With a less in-your-face purple frontage, the exterior may not be as photogenic, but inside, it is a riot of color with all kinds of delicious, sweet snacks that make wonderful images. Whichever location you try, you will love it, just don’t eat too many!

• Voodoo Doughnut

Miami Nice – a cool neighborhood spot great for both indoor and food photography

Miami Nice is another of those must-visit restaurants with a reputation for great vegan food. But the real reason you’ll want to visit is the fabulous wall art that make sup the front of the place.

Electric blue with two large pink flamingos, a portrait or selfie with this behind you has real impact.

Via Delizia – one of the most Instagrammable restaurants in Portland

This restaurant may not look like its anything special from the outside, no different to a hundred other eateries in the city, to get to the special part you really have to go inside.

Here, among the tables, you’ll find an olive tree. It’s a beautiful thing, and well worth a visit on its own. But you can also enjoy some lovely, and photogenic, food here too, with a variety of sandwiches, pastries and ice creams that taste as good as they look.

Coffee Shops

Presso Coffee in Portland – one of the most Instagrammable coffee shops in Portland

The coffee is great, but you come here for the mural right outside. A pink wall and beautifully intricate flower mural make a great backdrop for your Instagram shot, giving you classic Portland style in an easy-to-get photo.

There’s a second mural on the wall inside too next to the counter. This one has a flower theme too, but more realistic in terms of color and looks. Both make for great shots on your Portland adventure.

Upper Left Roasters – a great option for an indoor photography location

If you want a photogenic coffee, this is the place to go.

Less baristas and more coffee artists, you can get an Instagram-worthy shot of your delicious drink as they’ll make it look absolutely fabulous for you.

Never Coffee – a colorful Instagram-worthy cafe in Portland

Never Coffee use color in an interesting way, both on their logo and throughout the café. With modern wall art and more, there are endless opportunities for finding the perfect shot, even the menu itself has artistic appeal.

Great coffee as well, a lovely place to spend time.

Hotels

Hotel deluxe – a glamorous and fun Instagram spot

Behind the imposing façade, this hotel hides a truly incredible interior. Awash with wood, leather and marble, it is an extravagant paradise that takes you back to the classic 1930’s heyday of cinema.

From the bold flower designs found on the floors to the giant images of Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and more in the lobby, everywhere you turn there is an opportunity to grab an iconic image.

The rooms carry on with this, and outside, the classic minigolf course and more, mean that all day, every day, this hotel gives you the chance at unique, eye-catching images that your followers will love.

Caravan, The Tiny House Hotel – a cute Instagram spot in Portland

A very unique hotel that comprises of a number of tiny houses on wheels as the rooms, it is Instagram heaven.

The brightly colored caravans themselves have all the character you could want, but there are other details, such as a giant octopus painted into the floor beautiful, reclaimed wood deck furniture and more, that ensure that wherever you look, you can find amazing images.

Ace Hotel – a perfect Instagram spot for hipsters

It may not be as obvious as some, but Ace Hotel is a great place to grab some quirky images that give a very different take on Portland. A utilitarian style allows the distinct foal pieces in each room to stand out further and provides a very different aesthetic for any Instagram shot.

Things like the giant ‘Hotel’ sign in the lobby, piles of books used as bedside tables and more give plenty of opportunities to grab images that really are something completely different.

Other great spots

Portland Aerial Tram – to take photographs of amazing city views

On a clear day, a trip on the aerial tram can give you clear views across the riverfront and downtown, Mount Hood and Mount ST. Helens in on a short journey.

A new perspective lets you see the beautiful area in new ways, capturing images that you simply cannot get from any other vantage point.

Red Fox Vintage Woodstock – a great wall mural for Instagrammers

Red Fox Vintage is an incredibly cool store that sells vintage clothes of all kinds, and if you visit you will probably find something to fall in love with, but it’s outside where your Instagram opportunity lies.

The giant mural includes themes from Greek mythology and is a must-see for any visit to the area.

Pistils Nursery – makes a great green backdrop for Instagram photos

There are stores that sell plants, then there is Pistils Nursery. With so many plants a visit is like a trip around the world to see the best flora and fauna from every continent.

It makes for wonderful imagery, while the exterior is just as interesting, harking back to the traditional wooden storefronts of the 1800’s.

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