Multnomah Falls sunset tour: 5 waterfalls plus Vista House

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/21

Duration3h 30m

GroupUp to 28

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Five waterfalls in one afternoon, ending where the Gorge glows at sunset

A guided tour of five Columbia River Gorge waterfalls, starting with a 176-foot swimming hole and moving through Multnomah Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Latourell Falls, and ending at Crown Point Vista House for sunset views over the water and mountains. The tour runs 3.5 hours with 2.5 hours spent walking and exploring the waterfall parks; pickup is included, and a reserved parking spot at Multnomah gets you past the crowds to the Benson Bridge and the gift shop. The route may shift due to weather or road conditions.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls

Visit local swimming hole under waterfall
Explore Multnomah Falls up to Benson Bridge
Hike 0.5 miles to Wahkeena Falls spray
Walk 100 yards to view falls at rest stop
See Latourell Falls up close
Enjoy sunset at Crown Point Vista House

The Experience

The tour leaves Portland in a small group with a live guide and heads straight into the Columbia River Gorge. Your first stop is a 176-foot waterfall with a swimming hole underneath — on a warm day you can jump in, or stay dry and shoot photos from the multiple viewing areas. The bus moves on to Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon, where a reserved front-row parking spot cuts through the usual crowds. You have time to walk all the way up to the Benson Bridge, grab ice cream at the lodge, and browse the gift shop without the tour feeling rushed.

From there, a half-mile round-trip hike takes you to Wahkeena Falls — the name means "Most Beautiful" — where you walk into the spray of a powerful waterfall. The next stop is a 1915 rest stop with a narrow chasm and a short 100-yard hike to the best vantage point. Then comes Latourell Falls, a 290-foot drop in a charming park that locals favor, where you can get close to the water. The air-conditioned vehicle moves between stops, so the 2.5 hours of walking is broken up across the five sites rather than one long hike.

The tour ends at Crown Point Vista House, the highest point on the Historic Columbia River Highway. At sunset the whole Gorge shifts through colors — the water and mountains catch the light while Portland glows in the distance. This is the reason the tour is timed this way: you see the Gorge at the hour it looks like nothing else. Weather and road conditions can shift the route, so the operator may adjust which falls you visit or the order you visit them in.

What’s included

All park fees and taxes.
air-conditioned vehicle.
live guide in English.
pickup from Portland.
reserved parking at Multnomah Falls so you skip the main lot and head straight to the bridge and lodge.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Waterfall Shuttle

Is this one for you?The 3.5-hour window leaves room for the rest of your day — you're back in Portland by early evening — and the reserved parking at Multnomah means you see the most crowded waterfall without losing time to the entrance queue. If you want to swim, hike, and photograph five different falls without driving yourself, this tour holds all of it inside one afternoon.