Portland With Kids
Portland is weird and eccentric and one of our favorite cities in the world. It's small enough to feel like you can get a grasp on it, but big enough to have cool, creative people trying their ideas around every corner. And the food scene is one of the best in the country. Portland punches well above its weight in restaurants, breweries, and the creative kind of cooking that comes from a city where chefs can actually afford to take risks. Oh, and did we mention it's at the base of Mt. Hood?
With children, the city is easy — transit is great, there is plenty to do — and aside from a few sketchy blocks downtown, it feels as welcoming as ever.
The Short List
The places we’d build the trip around
Some of Portland’s best Thai food, with crispy fried chicken, roti and curries that are easy to share with the whole family. Go early — it’s popular and fills up fast.
A park built on an extinct volcanic cinder cone, with forested trails, open lawns, and a playground. Kids can run around, explore the trails and climb the stairs while parents get great views of downtown Portland and Mt. Hood on a clear day.
The world’s largest independent bookstore, taking up an entire city block with roughly a million new and used books. The kids’ section is especially fun, but give yourself time to wander — there are nine color-coded rooms spread across multiple floors and plenty of weird, wonderful finds for adults too.
One of the most Portland-feeling neighborhoods in the city, with colorful murals, independent shops, galleries, coffee shops and plenty of places to stop for a snack.
Serious craft beer, great pizza, and natural wine in Slabtown. We also saw them pull up a seat cushion and reveal a chest of Fanta’s once! A true child’s delight.
One of Portland’s best kid stops, it has all the big favorites — elephants, polar bears, lions, giraffes, penguins and more — but is small enough that you can see the highlights in about two hours.
Portland sits at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers — territory that belonged to the Multnomah, Clackamas, and other Native peoples for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. The city was formally platted in 1845 and named, famously, by a coin flip: Asa Lovejoy of Boston and Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine each wanted the new settlement named after their home city. Pettygrove won the toss. The city grew quickly as a Pacific port and timber hub in the latter half of the 19th century, earned the nickname "Stumptown" from the tree stumps left standing in early cleared land, and developed a reputation for both progressive politics and a certain productive eccentricity that has never really left.
Portland was hard hit by the post-pandemic years — the combination of the Covid shutdowns, the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd, and a prolonged period of downtown dysfunction pushed some residents and businesses out and gave the city a difficult few years in the press. That chapter is largely behind it now. The neighborhoods are alive and well, the restaurants are full, Powell's is still there, and the particular Portland quality — creative, weird, charming — is back.
Quick History:
A WEEKEND IN PORTLAND
FRIDAY
ARRIVE → EAT → SETTLE IN TO BURNSIDE
AFTERNOON | CHECK-IN
Check into your hotel and drop the bags. The Kex is our favorite base for this trip, and not just because of its location — though East Burnside puts you equidistant from nearly everything on this itinerary in a way that's hard to beat.
It’s a gorgeous boutique hotel with family bunk rooms that kids love (who doesn’t love feeling like they have their special own space?) The downstairs restaurant, Pacific Standard, turns out a great happy hour and dinner, and the hotel has a sauna and — from late spring through early fall — a small rooftop bar that serves frozen martinis, draft cocktails and oysters. (21+ - but the kids probably want to stay in the room and play in their bunk beds anyway).
The rooftop runs seasonally and isn't always advertised — ask at check-in whether it's open during your stay.
LATE AFTERNOON | NONG'S KHAO MAN GAI
First meal of the trip is at Nong's Khao Man Gai (~$10–15/person, open from morning). Nong Poonsukwattana started selling khao man gai — poached chicken over rice in bone broth — from a food cart on SW Alder in 2009, and what she built became one of the city's most beloved and most written-about culinary institutions.
The dish is deceptively simple: silky rice cooked in broth, sliced poached chicken on top, a cup of clear golden broth on the side, and a dark, pungent dipping sauce that ties the whole thing together. It is one of the most satisfying things you will eat in Portland, at any hour, but it is especially right as a first meal — warming, restorative, and the kind of food that kids love. Nong's also bottles her famous sauce, available at the counter and in grocery stores around the city.
EARLY EVENING | POWELL'S BOOKS
From Nong's, walk 20 minutes across the Burnside bridge (iconic with the Portland, Oregon sign) to Powell's Books (free to browse, open daily 9am–9pm). Portland's most famous store occupies an entire city block and contains roughly a million books across nine color-coded rooms on multiple floors — new books, used books, rare books, and a children's section with mini chairs for your kids to discover their love of reading in.
The staff recommendations are fun to read and the rare books room on the upper level is worth a look even if you're not buying, and it’s also great to browse the fun souvenirs near the check out, but most importantly, there is a cafe serving up good coffee.
DINNER | KACHKA
Dinner is at Kachka (~$35–55/person) — Chef Bonnie Morales, a first-generation American daughter of Belarusian immigrants, cooks the food of the former Soviet republics with deep personal knowledge and Pacific Northwest ingredients, and the result is one of the most singular restaurants in the country. Eater named it one of America's Essential Restaurants for four consecutive years and inducted it into their Hall of Fame.
The room is kitsch-Soviet warm: floral plastic tablecloths, Soviet Dolls hanging from the ceiling, and a vast selection of vodka behind the bar. We like to go for happy hour, kids are welcome in the dining room and for $14 you can order their “combo meal” which includes a cabbage roll, a cup of soup, house bread & butter and pickles with a glass of kompot (a traditional, non-alcoholic fruit drink).
It’s warming and hearty and a nice change from the chicken nugget/grilled cheese menus you see almost everywhere. The zakuski are famous here and kids who eat adventurously will have a wonderful time. Families are welcomed but we recommend going earlier to avoid the perpetual dinner rush.
SATURDAY
THE EAST SIDE → ALBERTA STREET → REALLY GOOD BEER
MORNING | DOS HERMANOS BAKERY
Start Saturday at Dos Hermanos Bakery (~$5-$15/person, open for breakfast and lunch). The bread is exceptional. The hojaldra is the thing to seek out: a laminated pastry layered with ham, cheese, and jalapeños, then more flaky dough, then sugar, then the oven — sweet and savory and a little absurd in the best way. The kids will love the conchas, the giant cookies and the morning buns. We ourselves are huge fans of the chopped sandwiches they begin serving at 10:30.
Built on their own bread, you wonder why more people aren’t serving up chopped sandwiches everywhere. Directly out the back door is a food truck area with coffee, cocktails and covered patio seating.
LATE MORNING | MT. TABOR PARK
After breakfast, head to Mt. Tabor Park (free, open 5am–midnight daily). Mt. Tabor is one of only four volcanoes located inside city limits in the United States, which is a fact you can tell your kids at the trailhead and watch their eyes go wide. The paths are literally paved with volcanic cinders excavated during construction — ancient lava underfoot the whole way up.
The park offers three official trails ranging from a 1-mile Red Trail to a 3-mile Blue Trail, all manageable for small legs, and paved roads closed to cars on weekdays make it stroller-friendly. At the top, views stretch across the Portland skyline, and on a clear day Mount Hood appears in the distance. The playground at the base is a nice little reward for finishing a loop.
LUNCH | HAT YAI
Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, head for lunch at Hat Yai (~$12–18/person, open for lunch and dinner). Earl Ninsom's Hat Yai is named after the Thai city near the Malaysian border known for its fried chicken, and the fried chicken here is worth building a meal around. The roti, served alongside with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce, is the other reason you came: flaky, buttered, fried fresh, and the kind of thing kids will devour.
Hat Yai is counter service only and moves quickly, which is perfect when traveling with kids who are hungry and not inclined to wait.
(Hat Yai and Nong's Khao Man Gai are both part of the broader ecosystem of Thai cooking in Portland that orbits around Earl Ninsom — the same chef behind Yaowarat, your Saturday dinner option. If you end the day at Yaowarat having started it at Hat Yai, you will have had two of the best Thai meals available in the United States on the same day in the same city. Portland is like that.)
EARLY AFTERNOON | REJUVENATION
After lunch, swing by Rejuvenation (SE Grand Ave). Portland's great home goods and lighting institution — a sprawling showroom of hardware, furniture, lighting, and décor that began as an architectural salvage company in 1977 and has evolved into one of the most beautiful home stores around. It is not a children's store but it has a cute play house they can pretend in while you look around.
If you love design, old houses, or the specific pleasure of finding exactly the right cabinet pull, it functions as a minor pilgrimage site. HOT TIP: there’s a clearance section in the back that we have found incredible deals at.
MID-AFTERNOON | CHEESE & CRACK
If you’re feeling ambitious, make your way to Cheese & Crack for a mid-afternoon stop. A wine bar with great cheese boards and soft serve ice cream. It’s like someone with kids came up with the idea. The wine and beer list is focused and well-chosen.
AFTERNOON | ALBERTA STREET
Spend the rest of the afternoon on Alberta Street (free to walk, NE Alberta between 10th and 30th). One of those neighborhoods that really feels like Portland — locally-owned shops, murals on every other wall, coffee from serious roasters and enough galleries and boutiques to fill an afternoon without trying. The Last Thursday art walk (the last Thursday of each month, May through September) turns the street into a full street fair with food carts, live music, and the kind of crowd that is reliably good for people-watching with children. On a regular Saturday, just walk it from east to west and see what calls. Beam & Anchor for homewares. The Meadow for salt and bitters and chocolate. Pistils Nursery for plants or little ceramics.
LATE AFTERNOON | BREWERY STOP
Two excellent brewery options within easy reach of the Alberta neighborhood, both family-friendly: Breakside Brewery's Dekum location is the closer and more casual of the two — solid IPAs, good food, outdoor seating, with kids welcome.Ruse Crust Collective (in Slabtown, a short drive - not walkable) is the more serious craft destination, with a rotating tap list that beer-focused adults will appreciate and pizza the kids will love. We stopped at Ruse for the first time a few years ago and have not been back to Portland without making a stop there, since. The beer is extraordinary and our kids love the pizza. Both spots work well as a late-afternoon stop before dinner or as a dinner spot themselves if everyone has hit a wall. If not, we’ve got something special planned next for you.
DINNER | YAOWARAT
If you can handle another stop today, Grab dinner at Yaowarat (~$25–35/person) — and don’t take it from us: it’s on the New York Times' 50 Best Restaurants list. Named for Bangkok's Chinatown neighborhood — is the latest project from Earl Ninsom, whose decade-long run through Portland's Thai dining scene lands here at its most ambitious and most personal. It’s a tight menu of snacks, noodles, stir-fries, and desserts where most dishes run $18 or under. The chive cakes, black olive pork, and pickled cabbage are all incredible. The room — paper lanterns from Bangkok's Chinatown, walls hand-collaged with images from found books, a 1970s Thai funk disco soundtrack — is unlike anything else in Portland. The food is not spicy per se (peppery, vinegary, fatty, funky, rich, but not fire-hot), the dining room is lively and loud in the best way, and families regularly eat here. Go early or make a reservation on a Saturday — it fills up — and order more than you think you need.
RAINY DAY SWAP
If the weather is really bad: Skip the outdoor activities and head to OMSI (~$22.50/adult, $15.50/kids 3–13, free under 3) — Portland’s hands-on science museum is basically made for a rainy day. Kids can experiment with everything from water and electricity to dinosaurs and the natural sciences, and younger kids can burn off energy in the Science Playground. There’s also a real submarine, the USS Blueback, parked outside the museum, plus a planetarium and theater if you want to make a whole afternoon of it. Plan on 2–4 hours depending on how much your kids want to explore.
If your kids are more into art, lights, and running around than science, head to Hopscotch Portland (~$15–24/)— a giant immersive art experience with colorful rooms, interactive light installations, murals and plenty of things kids can actually engage with rather than just look at. It’s about a 90-minute experience, which makes it a great swap when you need to fill a rainy afternoon without committing to an entire museum day. There’s also a lounge for snacks and a break when everyone needs one.
SUNDAY
PORTLAND ZOO → 23RD STREET → HANDMADE PASTA
MORNING | OREGON ZOO
Hop on the Max, in an uber or grab your car and head to the Oregon Zoo (~$20–25/person, open daily). The zoo has been around since 1888 and sits on 64 forested acres just minutes from downtown Portland — the setting alone distinguishes it from most urban zoos. There is a baby elephant named Tula-Tu, born in early 2025 who now weighs close to 1,000 pounds and can be seen nursing and exploring alongside her herd. The polar bear exhibit, Polar Passage, features chilled saltwater plunge pools and elevated terrain that gives the bears panoramic views over visitors' heads — which means the bears occasionally appear to be surveying the crowd, which delights everyone. Go on a cool or lightly rainy day if you can: the animals are far more active, and the elephants in particular put on a show. Strollers and wagons can be rented just past the entrance, and the zoo is manageable even with very young kids.
LUNCH | BREAKSIDE BREWING OR CANARD BEAVERTON
If you’re starving after the zoo, there are a couple great options near by. Once again, Breakside Brewinga 12-minute drive into Beaverton, is great and has a myriad of food carts with everything from Burgers to Tacos to Pizza to Sushi in an outdoor space where kids can sit at a picnic table and chill for a minute. Parents can grab a really good beer and lunch and unwind too. It’s easy and casual and great.
If you want a lunch with a little more, Canard Beaverton is our recommendation. We’re obsessed with the Burnside location (for adults only) but their Beaverton location (minutes from the zoo) has a dedicated kids menu and still features our favorites the Steam Burger, the Oysters, the Broccoli Cobb and Fois Gras Dumplings. The kids (“Little Ducks”) menu features everything from Mac and Cheese to their famous steam burger sliders, to a Kid’s fry with Ketchup. Yum.
EARLY AFTERNOON | INTERNATIONAL ROSE TEST GARDEN
If you still have energy post zoo:
Head to the adjacent International Rose Test Garden (free, open daily 5am–10pm). Established in 1917, it is the oldest continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States —and it’s free! More than 10,000 rose bushes representing over 650 varieties cover the hillside in Washington Park, and on a clear day the views stretch from the Portland skyline all the way to Mount Hood. Peak bloom runs late May through June.
AFTERNOON | NW 23RD AVENUE
After the rose garden (or lunch), head to NW 23rd Avenue (free to browse, Nob Hill) — Portland's most concentrated stretch of independent retail runs through the Nob Hill neighborhood, a Victorian residential grid of beautiful old houses where the street level has been quietly converted, over decades, into one of the better shopping districts in the Pacific Northwest. There is a mix of clothing boutiques, kitchen shops, bookstores, chocolatiers, home goods stores, and coffee shops.
LATE AFTERNOON | SALT & STRAW
As you’re walking 23rd, stop for ice cream at Salt & Straw (open daily 11am–11pm) where Portland's most famous ice cream shop started in 2011 before expanding to cities across the country. The rotating seasonal menu is creative and samples are given freely, which helps with children trying to choose between eleven options. The line can be long on a Sunday afternoon but it moves faster than it looks.
DINNER | GRASSA
End your day at Grassa(~$15–25/person) — about as close to a perfect casual dinner as Portland offers: handmade pasta, a short and serious menu that changes with the season, wine on tap served in juice glasses and a room that is loud and easy. We love the cacio e pepe and the bucatini all'amatriciana. Grassa makes everything in-house, moves with good speed, and is priced generously for what it is. A simple kid’s menu of buttered noodles, kids marinara or kids marinara with meatballs is available and our kids leave extremely happy.
WHERE TO STAY
We look for hotels with real character in the right neighborhoods that can comfortably accommodate 4 people.
Downtown
Hotel LuciaHotel Lucia
From $150/night
Hotel Lucia is a well-run boutique hotel in a 1909 building on SW Broadway — the best-located downtown option for this itinerary, within a short walk of Powell's and the Pearl District. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the lobby photography collection (curated by David Kennerly, who was Gerald Ford's White House photographer) is excellent and worth a slow look. Rooms accommodate families in double-queen configuration; the location is quieter at night than you'd expect for downtown Portland.
Downtown
The Nines Hotel
From $200/night
The Nines is the more polished, grand-hotel option on this list, housed in the historic Meier & Frank building right in the heart of downtown Portland. The location is hard to beat — you’re steps from Pioneer Courthouse Square, shopping, restaurants and the MAX, making it an especially easy base if you don’t want to drive. Rooms are spacious and stylish, and their two-queen rooms can accommodate a family of four. The hotel has several restaurants and bars, including Urban Farmer, and the dramatic atrium lobby makes the whole place feel a little special without being too formal for kids. It’s a good choice if you want a traditional full-service hotel and a more central downtown location.
Southeast
KEX HOTEL
From $150/night
Kex Hotel is the best family hotel in Portland for a trip like this: bunk rooms that kids love, free self serve coffee and tea in the morning, a sauna, and a great, locals-filled restaurant/bar called The Pacific Standard on the main floor. The location on East Burnside puts you within easy distance of everything on the list. The aesthetic is Icelandic-meets-Pacific-Northwest — clean, warm, and not trying too hard. Book the bunk rooms early; they fill up.
Burnside
Jupiter Next
From $150/night
Jupiter NEXT is the more elevated sibling of the Jupiter Original, with 67 rooms, sweeping views of the Portland skyline and West Hills, and the tropical-inspired Hey Love restaurant in the lobby. Rooms come with oversized windows, a bar area, and extra seating — The double queen rooms work comfortably for four without any creative furniture arrangement. Their website doesn’t list connecting rooms, but it's worth calling ahead to request them if needed as they do offer them. Hey Love serves tropically-inspired comfort food and bright cocktails. The location on E Burnside puts you close to most of the things on this itinerary.
Hotel pricing is dynamic and subject to change.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW
Getting Around: Portland is compact and very walkable. The MAX light rail, buses and streetcar make it easy to get around without a car, and the MAX connects directly to PDX. That said, this itinerary does bounce between neighborhoods, utilizing Uber will make some of the farther-flung stops much easier.
Power Outlets: Portland uses the standard U.S. Type A/B outlets, If you’re visiting from outside North America, you’ll need a U.S. plug adapter.
Kids at Restaurants: Portland is easy for eating out with kids. Most restaurants are casual, kids are welcome and you’ll find plenty of places where you can have a really good meal without feeling like you’re imposing on everyone around you. For nicer restaurants, we generally recommend going early.
Tipping: The standard American tipping rules apply here. At restaurants, plan on tipping around 18–22% for good service.
Cleaning up after your children is always appreciated everywhere.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME TUSK
If you have an extra night or want to plan around a specific dinner: Tusk (~$30–45/person) sits directly on East Burnside, ten minutes from the Kex, and has been one of Portland's most praised restaurants since it opened in 2016. The room has an airy California-dream quality: pink neon, white furniture, bleached wood, a heated plant-filled patio. The food is Middle Eastern and has at certain points, made us claim it’s our favorite restaurant in Portland. It’s not terribly kid friendly if you don’t have adventurous eaters but if your kids like hummus and pita and expertly cooked veggies, you could have a wonderful dinner.
WORTH A MENTION: GREAT NOTION BREWING/MATT’S TACOS
Great Notion Brewing + Matt’s Tacos (~$15–25/person) — This is one of our favorite combinations for a family meal: great beer for the grown-ups and some of Portland’s best tacos for everyone else. Great Notion’s Alberta taproom is a big, casual space in the Alberta Arts District with plenty of room for the family. Inside, Matt’s BBQ Tacos serves Texas-style smoked brisket and pulled pork on tortillas that are pressed and cooked to order. The flour tortillas are lard-infused and ridiculously good — honestly, some of the best tortillas we’ve ever had. The chopped brisket taco is the move, but the all-day breakfast tacos are also excellent. There’s a full kids menu with tacos, mini burritos, a kids bowl and waffle fries, so even picky eaters have options.