Recently Viewed
Portland River Cruise: Scenic Downtown Views
4.3
92 Ratings
Portland
Experience Portland, Oregon from a unique vantage point. Sail through the center of Portland along the Willamette River. Delight in a narrated tour of the attractions visible from every deck. A happy hour menu and a fully stocked bar are available for purchase throughout the cruise.
Experience Portland, Oregon from a unique vantage point. Sail through the center of Portland along the Willamette River. Delight in a narrated tour of the attractions visible from every deck. A happy hour menu and a fully stocked bar are available for purchase throughout the cruise.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Hawthorne Bridge - Pass by the Hawthorne Bridge, which connects Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. This truss bridge is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland.
- Marquam Bridge - Pass by the Marquam Bridge, the busiest bridge in Oregon. It is a double-deck, steel-truss…
- Hawthorne Bridge - Pass by the Hawthorne Bridge, which connects Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. This truss bridge is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland.
- Marquam Bridge - Pass by the Marquam Bridge, the busiest bridge in Oregon. It is a double-deck, steel-truss cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 5 traffic.
- OMSI - Cruise by OMSI and view the USS Blueback, a Barbel-class submarine from the United States Navy.
- Tilikum Crossing - Cruise under this cable-stayed bridge, known as the Bridge of the People.
- Ross Island Bridge - Cruise under the Ross Island Bridge, which connects Arthur Street to Powell Boulevard. This is a cantilever truss bridge spanning the Willamette River.
- Oaks Amusement Park - Cruise by the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country. Oaks Amusement Park opened in May 1905 and is located just 3.5 miles south of Downtown Portland.
- Sellwood Bridge - Cruise under the Sellwood Bridge, a deck arch bridge that spans the Willamette River.
- Sellwood Riverfront Park - Cruise by this riverfront park, covering about 7.6 acres in southeast Portland.
- Waverley Country Club - Cruise by Waverley Country Club, one of the first golf clubs in the West, established in 1896. Its history dates back to Henderson Luelling, known as the Johnny Appleseed of the West, fifty years before the club’s construction on the current site. Many believe the tradition of presenting the green jacket at the Masters began at Waverley.
- Tom McCall Waterfront Park - Cruise by much of Tom McCall Waterfront Park, which offers 36 acres of open space and hosts a variety of events throughout the year.
- Morrison Bridge - Cruise under the Morrison Bridge, named after Scottish immigrant John L. Morrison, who built the first home on Morrison Street.
- Burnside Bridge - Cruise under the Burnside Bridge, notable for its Italian Renaissance-style towers, designed by architect Joseph Strauss, who also designed the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
- Oregon Convention Center - The Oregon Convention Center is easily recognizable from the water due to its two blue-green glass spires.
- Moda Center - The Rose Quarter campus includes the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Moda Center. The Moda Center can seat nearly 20,000 for NBA basketball games and is the current home of the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Steel Bridge - The Steel Bridge is remarkable for its design features. It is the world’s only double-deck bridge with independent lifts.
- Portland Oregon Sign - The Burnside Bridge offers a great view of the “Portland Oregon” sign, also known as the “White Stag” sign, which will be visible on the port side of the vessel.

What's Included
- 1.5-hour cruise on the Willamette River
- Historical narration on all levels of the vessel
- 1.5-hour cruise on the Willamette River
- Historical narration on all levels of the vessel
What's Not Included
- No meal included (food & drinks can be purchased on board)
- No meal included (food & drinks can be purchased on board)
Additional Information
- This is a NON Smoking Vessel
- Gluten Free options available
- Vegan options available
- Wheelchairs are able to come aboard the enclosed lower deck — please notify us when booking. Stairs are required to venture to the upper decks.
- This is a NON Smoking Vessel
- Gluten Free options available
- Vegan options available
- Wheelchairs are able to come aboard the enclosed lower deck — please notify us when booking. Stairs are required to venture to the upper decks.
Location
1010 SW Naito Pkwy
Southwest Naito Parkway
Please note: We occasionally depart from our Caruthers Landing dock at 110 SE Caruthers St, Portland, OR 97214. A member of the Portland Spirit customer service team will contact you if there are any changes to your reservation.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(92 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Lucille_t
Aug 23, 2025
This short boat ride down... - This short boat ride down the Willamette River turned out to be very educational and a lot of fun. The weather was perfect on the day we sailed. We sat up top (after reading reviews about people not being able to hear the narrative down below) and had no problem hearing everything. We stood at a table along the side and had a perfect view of the sights along the river, including its many bridges. It was a very relaxing cruise with everyone seeming to have a great time and interacting with each other. Getting on and off was fairly easy but I would not recommend high heels. If you want to sit up top, it seems to fill up very quickly so arrive early.
Review provided by Viator
Nancyw953
Aug 20, 2025
Fun way to have lunch; pay attention to the bill. - There isn’t that much to do in Portland if you aren’t an outdoor enthusiast. We are old people, so this was our speed. The lunch cruise was entertaining. Decent meal, decent wine, piano bar, and nice staff. We were staying near Pioneer Square and the cruise is a short walk from the redline “Hop” metro. You can listen to the narrative on ear pods, but mine weren’t working, so they gave me a booklet with the narrative. A quick skim told me enough. I enjoyed just looking at the houses along the shore. Only annoyance, when they brought the bill for the drink and tip, it included the total cost of the ticket (including the sight seeing part), so if you weren’t paying attention, the tip would have been triple what it should have been. (You can do just the sight seeing on the upper deck). FYI—the pianist was tipped separately. She was excellent and worth tipping. As like most things in Portland, you are “nickeled and dimed” for everything. We paid the extra $15 per ticket for the window seats, and that was worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terany_c
Aug 13, 2025
Beautiful/Serene - This was relaxing and it was beautiful to see the cullture of Portland. Very family friendly. Food and drinks are offered on the boat.
Review provided by Viator
Kenric_r
Aug 10, 2025
Happy Hour Cruise on Willamette River - Nice, relaxing ride up the Willamette River. Pass under all the bridges that span from one side of the city to the other. Nice narration of the history along the Willamette River/ valley. Great views on both sides- city on one side, woods and beaches on the other side. Food and drinks/ cocktails available for purchase during the cruise.
Review provided by Viator
Lisa_b
Aug 9, 2025
Happy Hour Cruise - If the Viator app is not working or you can’t print your tickets remotely, don’t worry, you are in the list and they will print your ticket at the booth for you to board. Easy boarding, great staff. Loved the happy hour cruise!!
Review provided by Viator
Charity_j
Aug 9, 2025
It’s great! - This boat tour is relaxing. You sit and drift slowly down the water. You see bridges, an old cement factory, speed boats, houseboats, beautiful lake-front homes, sail boats, jet skis, marinas, docks, coves and more. This is not a super entertaining boat ride. It’s to relax and enjoy the scenery!! So glad I went! Totally worth the money and time!
Review provided by Viator
Soomi_l
Aug 7, 2025
Informative and easy ride. - Good information about the landmarks and
Just the right amount of time to enjoy the ride.
Good times!
Review provided by Viator
Molly_k
Aug 20, 2025
Nice afternoon excursion - Interesting history shared. Great views and comfortable seats. The second half of the trip other passengers were having personal conversations making it difficult to hear the recording. If you are interested in hearing it all try to sit by a speaker!
Review provided by Viator
Daniel_h
Aug 13, 2025
Relaxing way to end the... - Relaxing way to end the day. Crew was courteous and professional.
Recommend using earbuds to hear the audio.
Review provided by Viator
Ray_j
Aug 13, 2025
cannot hear - cannot hear the entire presentation by some lady. was not loud enough, we heard less than 20%..!!!!!!??!??
Review provided by Viator