Half-Day Columbia River Gorge and Waterfall Hiking Tour

Embark on a half-day Columbia River Gorge tour and immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of iconic waterfalls, ancient rocks, and captivating stories of gods and animal spirits.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area - After meeting you at the starting point, 833 SE Main Street #124, we’ll head out in one of our comfortable vans. The tour all takes place in the Columbia River Gorge, in the waterfall-laden western end of an 80-mile (130-km) canyon.
  • Multnomah Falls - Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state and one of the most impressive, and most photographed, waterfalls in the U.S. If you’re chasing waterfalls: this is the one many are seeking to catch.
  • Latourell Falls - Latourell is the most impressive of the plunge-style waterfalls, tumbling over layers of 15 million-year-old columnar and entablature basalt frosted with lichens and, according to local legend, carries the spirit of a Beaver princess who led a tragic life. At Latourell, you’ll have the opportunity for a longer hike, up to 2 miles or 3 km. Breathe deep: you’ll experience the rich variety of the forest with all its healing power and spiritual truths.
  • Vista House - Vista House is currently open limited hours! If it is closed, we will stop to take photos of this architectural icon and see the view.

At the most beautiful rest stop in Oregon, we’ll stop, take a walk to the upper deck (weather permitting), learn about the architectural history, and enjoy what could be the most expensive public bathroom in the Pacific Northwest. We’ll also remember the Wasco people, who found this one of their holy places.

  • Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint - View an expansive vista of the Columbia River Gorge, take photos, and hear the story of who was here before us. We’ll also tell you how the waterfalls were created. Due to road closures we sometimes replace this stop with an alternative.
  • Bridal Veil Falls State Park - This hidden waterfall is one of the state’s most visited and most romantic. A 2/3 mile, 1km hike takes us down to the gorgeous spot that we believe is a genuine fairy land. Due to weather or traffic conditions or road closures, this waterfall is sometimes replaced with an alternative!
What's Included
  • Snacks
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Bottled water
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities (always appreciated by our passionate guides!)
Additional Information

The Columbia River Gorge’s imposing cliffs that stretch for 80 miles, provide some of the globe’s most breathtaking landscapes with its cascading waterfalls, majestic eagles, centuries-old trees, various ferns and flowers, and ancient stones. Your half-day journey of exploration and contemplation filled with brief hikes and stopovers at panoramas and viewpoints, will leave you utterly astonished.

Our journey includes visits to waterfalls and panoramic spots, handpicked by our guides to showcase both Oregon’s famous landmarks like the Latourell Falls, a striking plunge waterfall, and the extraordinary. Weather permitting, we might encounter hidden waterfalls and another magnificent plunge waterfall ornamented by columnar basalt.

Not only will you learn about the geography and vegetation, and the often-told narratives of pioneer settlers and road developers, but we’ll also share the ancient legends we’ve discovered about deities, animal spirit entities, and the unfortunate princess turned into a waterfall.

Location
833 SE Main St
Southeast Main Street
Our shop is #124, on the ground floor, the north side of a silver and red building. To find us, walk north on SE 9th Avenue from Main Street and look for our A frame sign to your left! Limited street parking is available, or paid lots at 7th and Madison and 10th and Madison Streets
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1391 Ratings)
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Paradise41009278430
Aug 23, 2024
Totally worth it - Really really great day trip, saw four waterfalls and learned a lot. Our guide Ana was knowledgeable and passionate and really enhanced the experience. Coffee/gift shop at the last location was also pretty nifty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cantwait2020
Aug 23, 2024
Relaxing and informative tour - Ana really gave us a good lay of the land and had answers to all of our questions. She made the tour easy for everyone, working around each person's individual wants. It started to rain at one point and she gave us the option of staying in the van, or hiking up in the rain, or looking from different vantage points whichever each person wanted. Very fun and informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyzaannl
Aug 22, 2024
Portland Waterfalls - Great trip for a solo traveler or group! Our guide was wonderful - provided fun facts on the ride up to the waterfalls, stopped at a little produce stand, and provided snacks and water. Plenty of photo opportunities and the guide gave us more than enough time to see each waterfall without making us feel rushed/pushed for time. Wonderful experience. Already looking at booking other tours through them 😀
Review provided by Tripadvisor
355keannac
Aug 19, 2024
Half day tour - waterfalls - Anna was our tour guide and she was amazing; she was very knowledgeable on the history of Oregon and even the types of trees! We were supplied snacks and water throughout our trip and Anna was very mindful of our groups energy levels. the views were amazing and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. We definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_s
Aug 18, 2024
Nature is amazing! - The waterfalls were beautiful! The hikes to them were easy. Our tour guide Ana was full of interesting facts.
Review provided by Viator
Michelle
Aug 17, 2024
Highly recommend - Ana was an amazing guide and very informative, she was fun and energetic and keep things interesting, it was nice to not have to worry about parking
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peter_d
Aug 15, 2024
PNW Simple Joys Abound - Growing up in Seattle and now living in Tacoma, I’ve always heard it said, and often repeated myself, that the beauty in the PNW is unparalleled, especially in the summer months. So, when the end of my youngest daughter’s summer visit approached, I had faith in this mantra and made a last minute (night before) reservation for a Waterfall Tour/Hike outside Portland. This day trip will live in our memories for years to come! The Half-Day Columbia River Gorge and Waterfall Hiking tour was to begin at 2:00pm Tuesday. We decided to hit the road and just grab sandwiches on the way. We arrived in Portland about 30 minutes prior to the start of the tour and checked in with our operator, Around Portland Tours. Located in a set of business lofts and garages, the operator and their neighboring business owners were quite friendly and approachable. They even shared a parking permit so that we could park on the permitted lot worry free. Our Tour Guide, Shannon Krahel, is a Portland native that has lived in Seattle as well. So we had common ground from the start. When she mentioned Sir Mix A Lot and “Possey on Broadway” her street cred became apparent as well. Shannon was very knowledgeable about the history of Portland and gave many interesting facts, previously unknown to me, about the city’s beginnings as we started out of town. We learned facts about Portland’s main industries, past and present, as well as some of its biggest benefactors. Though we were scheduled to experience directly 4 of the 70 Waterfalls on the Gorge, because of Shannon’s efficiency, we got to directly experience 5. We began with the massive 620 feet Multnomah Falls and worked our way back towards town, ending with breath taking and more intimate Latourell Falls. The ladder being Shannon’s favorite. And one look at this beautiful and serene waterfall and its backdrop made it abundantly clear why it was her favorite. The hiking and viewing were mixed perfectly for us. What began with faith in the oft repeated mantra that PNW beauty is unparalleled, and a random internet search turned out to be the best time one on one had with my daughter for her summer visit. We will share these memories for life.
Review provided by Viator
Nick
Aug 14, 2024
Half day Columbia Oregan Tour ! - Shannon the tour guide was amazing Super friendly and informative and made the tour a pleasure Very knowledgeable about the area and history ! I would definitely recommend this tour company to other fellow travellers !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maltamariaatta
Aug 13, 2024
Breathtaking Experience - Well organised and Carrie our driver and guide was amazing, patient and thorough in her explanations. This is ideal if you don’t have much time available to tour - if I could I would have included full hiking at some waterfalls. Places are amazing and views breathtaking. Everything ran smooth and on time and bathrooms, cafes and all available. Slightly overpriced for what it is especially if you need a taxi to go to the meeting point and back. Exceeded $100 in total.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anil_s
Aug 15, 2024
Good hiking tour - Anna was a good guide which made the experience memorable. The hikes to the waterfalls were not difficult and picturesque.
Review provided by Viator
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