4 Day Road Trip Seattle & Oregon

Seattle & Oregon Road Trip Itinerary (4 Days)

9/12/2022

Is 4 days in Seattle & Oregon even enough for a short trip? Honestly, no. But if you're like us and only have a short trip/long weekend to explore the area, then this is a great itinerary to keep you moving and seeing as much of the area as you can. From the Oregon Coast, to top sights in Seattle and even a National Park in between - this 4 day itinerary really gives you a little taste of it all. We recommend flying into and out of Seattle if you'd like to follow this itinerary exactly, otherwise if you're ok skipping Seattle then you can fly into Portland and have some more time to explore in Oregon!

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Our Essential Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are our favorite websites and resources to help you plan an incredible trip.

For flights, we recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to your destination.

Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you if you're heading somewhere international!

We always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick, especially for tours in Asia.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

Before You Begin Your Adventure

I'll be honest, like I mentioned above this itinerary is VERY jam-packed. Each day you'll be heading to a new spot and staying somewhere new - however, you'll be able to see a large area of Oregon as well as Seattle. If you have a few days to spare then I highly recommend adding longer stops at the Oregon Coast, in Crater Lake National Park, and in Seattle - I truly think you could spend an entire week at each of these to really explore more than just the "top sights." Anyways, this is still a great way to see the biggest visitor attractions at each location, and we had a fantastic time zipping through!

Our 4 Day Itinerary

Day 1 :

Fly into Seattle - the earlier the better to give you the most amount of time to explore
Pick up a Rental Car - we’ve found that typically Turo can be a bit cheaper than the rental car companies, especially for unlimited daily miles
Drive to Portland & Explore - the entire drive takes about 2.5-3 hours if you go straight through, but of course we recommend stopping at places along the way
Things To Do in Portland - explore the Columbia River Gorge including Multnomah Falls & Latourell Falls, before heading to Valley Public House for dinner and drinks (check out this 4 hour hiking tour that brings you to the best waterfalls and overlooks in the area)

Day 2 :

Drive to Eugene - or stay somewhere on the Coast - we highly recommend stopping at Genie’s Cafe before leaving Portland for breakfast!
Ideas for the Drive - we went ahead and took the scenic route, which was a bit out of the way if we’re being honest - if we could change one thing, we would definitely stay somewhere on the Oregon Coast and extend a couple days - the coastline here is incredible! Some of our favorite stops along the way were Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach, Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site (much quieter than Cannon Beach), Devil's Cauldron - a 0.5 mile trail to an amazing overlook, Rockaway Beach (which is home to the Original Pronto Pup a..k.a. where the pronto pup was invented!), and the Tilamook Creamery - which has ice cream flights! (consider joining this full day tour of the Oregon coast - this way you don't need to worry about finding parking!)

Day 3 :

Drive to Crater Lake National Park - (we would also 100% recommend extending a few days here too, we spent just as much time driving to and from Crater Lake National Park as we did exploring it)
Ideas for the National Park - similar to the Oregon Coast, the National Park was another spot we wish we had at least a few days to explore, however if you're taking a quick stop like we did then we recommend driving the 33 mile long Rim Drive, with over 30 overlooks you're sure to find some incredible views - you can also hike down to the lake itself via Cleetwood Cove Trial or take a boat or trolley tour if you have a bit more time!
Drive back to Portland - from the National Park it'll take about 4 hours
Ideas for the Drive - stop in Portland for dinner and dessert (we recommend Ojisans Ramen Food Truck & Voodoo Donuts - we got the Hibiscus, Oh Captain My Captain, Dirt, and the Voodoo Doll), you can also stop in Salem to see the State Capitol Building of Oregon

Day 4 :

Drive to Seattle - again, we would recommend extending a few days in this area as well, there is so much to do in the areas we visited on this trip but if you're short on time you can see the majority of top sights in Seattle in one day
Ideas for Seattle - The Space Needle & Chihuly Glass Exhibit are right next to each other and can be done fairly quickly (purchase this combo ticket for a discount to both attractions), make sure to grab a "Seattle Dog" at Dog in the Park (Seattle Dogs have cream cheese!), then make your way down to explore Pike's Market (which also has top sights like the Gum Wall, Market Grill - try their famous Blackened Salmon Sandwich which is 100% worth the hype, and Pike's Place - try the Chowder Sampler to taste the most flavors), you can even grab coffee at the "First Starbucks"
Fly Home - hope you enjoy your trip! let us know if you have any questions :)