Slowing Down on the Oregon Coast: A 5-Day Girls Trip Itinerary

A 5-day Oregon Coast girls trip itinerary for slow travelers. This itinerary is based on the one featured in my Oregon Coast vlog.

Every year for my birthday, a group of my closest girlfriends and I go on a getaway retreat with the goal of slowing down. Our lives are so busy, and this annual retreat gives us a mini break from the go-go-go. It’s a time when we can just be with our girls and kick our feet up a bit.

We chose the Oregon Coast because we pictured waking up in a cozy A-frame coastal cabin with ocean views in the distance. None of us had ever been to the Coast, so it was the perfect opportunity for all of us to explore a new place.

The itinerary found in this blog is slightly different from what we actually did since stormy waters messed with our initial plans.

In this blog you’ll find:

• A recommended 5-day Oregon Coast itinerary
• Oregon Coast food & activity recommendations
• Travel tips based on our experience, including what we’d do differently

This itinerary isn’t just for group trips, but for fellow slow travelers as well. Meaning that you’ll find intentional pockets of space within it for free time to explore, wander, and relax.

I hope you find this Oregon Coast travel itinerary helpful!

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How to Get to the Oregon Coast from Portland (PDX)

Our group rented a car to go from Portland to the Oregon Coast. The drive is about 2- 2.5 hours, depending on traffic.

We rented a Yukon from Hertz at PDX, and it fit all seven of us perfectly. The catch is that we all agreed to stick to one carry-on and a backpack—no large suitcases.

🩵 Find a rental car for the Oregon Coast here.

The roads along the coast are also very windy, so keep that in mind if anyone in the group gets carsick easily. If so, I’d recommend getting more cars so no one’s squeezed in the back and feeling nauseous.

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Where to Stay on the Oregon Coast

Many people choose to road trip down the Oregon Coast and stay in multiple places. However, our group chose to stay in one central location to avoid constantly packing and repacking.

We ended up staying in Tillamook since it was the most central to everything we wanted to do.

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What to Book Before Your Oregon Trip

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My 5-Day Oregon Coast Girls Trip Itinerary

Day 1 – Travel to PDX + Cannon Beach

• ARRIVE AT PORTLAND AIRPORT (PDX)
  • I recommend arriving in the morning if you want to follow this itinerary exactly, since the drive to Cannon Beach is a couple of hours. Our group arrived around 10 am.
• GRAB RENTAL CAR AT THE AIRPORT
• PIT STOP IN PORTLAND FOR COFFEE & SNACKS
  • One of the first things I quickly discovered about Portland was how many 4.5+ star coffee shops are located in the city. You can’t really go wrong, so we ended up going to the place closest to where we could park our behemoth of a car.
  • 📍Roseline Coffee — lots of indoor seating and places to work or relax; located on the bottom floor of a boutique hotel. The vanilla latte was 5/5.

• 12 PM – DRIVE TO CANNON BEACH (~2-2.5HRS)
• 2:30 PM – CANNON BEACH
  • Explore the shopping area near the beach and walk to Haystack Rock. The beaches in Oregon are closed-toed beaches, so watch your step if you plan to walk the beach. I’d also double-check when stores close because some close around 4-5 pm.
  • Parking was fairly easy to find with outdoor lots and street parking available. (We visited on a Saturday)
  • The public restrooms were also relatively clean, and we passed multiple during our walk from the north side of Cannon Beach to Haystack Rock.
  • Some of my favorite stops at Cannon Beach:
    • 📍Cannon Beach Clothing Company
    • 📍Bill’s Tavern & Brewhouse
    • 📍Cannon Beach Book
    • 📍The Alchemy Lounge by MacGregor’s
    • 📍Haystack Rock

• HEAD TO AIRBNB/HOTEL FOR CHECK-IN
  • Stop for groceries and pick up dinner on the way.
  • Note: We stayed in Tillamook since it was central to what we wanted to do.

Day 2 – Scenic Railroad & Rocky Coast

• BREAKFAST AT AIRBNB/HOTEL
  • Our group also picked up coffee on the way to the railroad station at 📍Lindsey’s Lattes in Tillamook.
• 11:30 AM – ARRIVE AT GARIBALDI STATION
  • Boarding begins 15 minutes before your reservation.
• 12-12:30 PM – OREGON COAST SCENIC TRAIN RIDE
  • We booked our Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad tickets two weeks ahead of our trip. We chose the Signature Excursion from Garibaldi Station to Rockaway Beach. When purchasing tickets, you can book round-trip or one-way. Book your tickets here.
  • The train ride is about 30 minutes each way, with options to sit indoors or outside.
  • I’m grateful the train had a guide pointing out historical facts and things to notice along the route. For example, we got to see multiple bald eagles and even one sitting in its nest — something that we definitely wouldn’t have seen on our own.

• 12:30-2:30 PM – EXPLORE ROCKAWAY BEACH
  • You have a couple of hours to walk around and explore the Rockaway Beach area before the last train back to Garibaldi.
  • Our group decided to have lunch at 📍Pelican Brewing in Rockaway Beach. Pelican Brewing has multiple locations along the Coast, and I recommend stopping by for their fish tacos and local brews.
  • Other places to visit at Rockaway Beach:
    • 📍Seaquest Treasures
    • 📍Trash & Treasures
    • 📍Flamingo Jim’s Gifts & Clothing

• 2:30 PM – ARRIVE AT ROCKAWAY BEACH STATION
  • Boarding begins 15 minutes before your reservation.
• 3-3:30 PM – TRAIN RIDE BACK TO GARIBALDI
• FISH & CHIPS AT SEA BARON’S
  • Before leaving Garibaldi, grab fish and chips from 📍Sea Baron, located across the street from Garibaldi Station. I highly recommend stopping here because this was one of my favorite meals from this trip.

• OPEN NIGHT

Day 3 – Whale Watching & Tillamook Creamery

• 9:30 AM – CHECK-IN FOR TOUR IN DEPOE BAY
  • Allow yourself extra time to find parking.
• 10 – 11:30 AM – WHALE WATCHING TOUR
  • Depoe Bay is known as the “whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast” and is a great place to spot gray whale migrations. There’s also a group of resident gray whales that feed along the coast during the summer.
  • The whale-watching tour we signed up for was 📍 Whale Research EcoExcursions at Depoe Bay. I chose this company because expert marine naturalist captains lead the excursions. You can reserve your tickets online here.
• 11:45 AM – QUICK BITE + EXPLORE DEPOE BAY
  • Our favorite stops at Depoe Bay:
    • 📍Grey Whale Gifts
    • 📍Gracie’s Sea Hag

• 1:30 PM – LEAVE FOR AIRBNB/HOTEL
  • We left earlier to allow ourselves time to change before our next tour.
• 3:15 – 4 PM – TILLAMOOK CREAMERY FACTORY TOUR
  • The minute we booked our Tillamook Airbnb, we knew we had to stop at Tillamook Creamery and do a tasting. Entry to the factory itself is free, and you can easily just do a self-guided tour.
  • The benefit of a tour is learning special tidbits about the factory from the guides. And, of course, the tastings.
  • A few different tours are available, depending on whether you focus on cheese or ice cream. I recommend booking your tour at least a month in advance, since time slots are limited. You can book your tour online here.
  • Check in at least 15 minutes before your reservation.

• 4-6 PM – TILLAMOOK SOUVENIR SHOPPING & FOOD COURT
  • After our tour, we head straight for the souvenir shop on the main level. Whoever is in charge of Tillamook merchandise deserves a raise because everything was a hit. Our group’s personal favorite was the plushie cheese curds and Tillamook Creamery postcards.
  • Tillamook Creamery also has a large food court with both sweet and savory food options. You can either have a meal and dessert, or just focus on the ice cream dessert, which is what we did.
  • Note: Tillamook Creamery closes at 6 PM.
• DINNER AT AIRBNB/HOTEL (OR IN TILLAMOOK)

Day 4 — Tide Pooling & Lighthouse

• TIDE POOLING AT HAYSTACK ROCK
  • Arrive a little before low tide; you can check what time low tide is on Cannon Beach’s website.
  • Parking was very easy, as you can park (for free!) in the lot closest to the stairway that leads down to Haystack Rock. There’s also a public restroom across the street.
  • I recommend bringing water shoes to protect your feet. You won’t be climbing on any rocks anyway — but regardless, it was nice to have our feet covered since it was chilly in the morning.
  • When you’re there, you’ll find Haystack Rock volunteers walking around and educating visitors about what they’re looking at in the tide pools. I recommend listening to what they have to say for an enhanced experience.
  • Also, look out for the puffin volunteers who set up a binocular and help people see the tufted puffins on Haystack Rock.

• TILLAMOOK COUNTRY SMOKER FACTORY OUTLET
  • This was a nice little find on the highway. A place that specializes in all sorts of beef jerky. It’s a great place to pick up snacks for the road or to load up on souvenirs for people back home.
• CAPE MEARES LIGHTHOUSE & OCTOPUS TREE
  • There are nine total lighthouses along the Oregon Coast. We chose Cape Meares because it was the closest to our Airbnb in Tillamook. The Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest one on the Coast, so there’s not much to see. But you can go inside it and also check out the gift shop for souvenirs.
  • The Octopus Tree is located only a short uphill walk away. The walk feels more like an easy hike, but the coastal views along the way make for a great distraction.
  • Note: There’s a paid parking lot near the lighthouse.

• OPEN AFTERNOON/NIGHT

Day 5: Portland & Travel Day

The last day of this itinerary is short and sweet since it’s mostly a travel day. If you have time, I suggest exploring Portland a bit before returning to the airport.

• CHECK OUT OF AIRBNB/HOTEL
• DRIVE TO PORTLAND (~2HRS)
• LUNCH IN PORTLAND + POWELL’S CITY OF BOOKS
• RETURN RENTAL CAR AT AIRPORT
• FLIGHT FROM PDX

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Watch My Oregon Coast Vlog

You can see how our trip went in my Oregon Coast vlog. Again, the itinerary in this blog is slightly different from what we actually did because stormy weather threw a wrench into our initial plans.

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Where to Eat on the Oregon Coast

• Sea Baron Fish & Chips (Garibaldi) — fresh fish caught the morning of with flavorful, flaky batter, one of my favorite meals on the trip!
• Pelican Brewing (multiple locations along the Coast) — I recommend the fish tacos, fried cheese curds, and trying their recommended beer/cider pairing for your food choice.
• Tillamook Creamery — they have a food court with food featuring Tillamook ice cream & cheeses
• Gracie’s Sea Hag — my favorite clam chowder of the trip! The chowder was thick, creamy, and filled with lots of seafood and flavor
• Bill’s Tavern & Brewhouse (Cannon Beach) — nice mid-shopping pit stop for bar food snacks and local brews
• The Alchemy Lounge by MacGregor’s (Cannon Beach) — nice craft cocktail, whiskey, and beer selections, but the food selection is the main star. Highly recommend the baked brie and the smoked crab dip.
• Lindsey’s Lattes ( Tillamook) — our go-to coffee stand drive-thru during our trip
• Cabin Coffee Company (Tillamook) — another drive-thru coffee stand located down the road from Lindsey’s. We loved the breakfast options: the breakfast bowls and cinnamon roll.
• Tillamook Country Smoker Outlet (Tillamook) — worth stopping by for road trip snacks! Our group favorites were the spicy & sweet, teriyaki, and the caramel brownie cow tales.
• Mo’s Seafood & Clam Chowder (multiple locations) — second-best chowder I had on the trip! They also have a location within PDX airport.

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Download My Oregon Coast 5-Day Itinerary (Free PDF)

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What I Wish I Knew Before Visiting the Oregon Coast

• Bring cash — some places are cash-only
• Water shoes (if tide pooling)
• Binoculars (for bird or whale watching)
• Oregon Coast beaches are closed-toe shoe beaches.
• Plan to wear layers — it gets cold at night
  • We visited at the end of June, and the weather was still pretty chilly.
• Whale watching suggested gear:
  • Jacket/rain gear
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Gloves
  • Camera/cell phone
  • Note: there’s no place to secure anything on the boat for whale watching. Whatever you bring, including backpacks, will be in your lap or hands for the entire trip.
• The following activities in this itinerary require reservations:
  • Tillamook Creamery Tour
  • Oregon Coast Scenic Railway
  • Whale Watching
• I definitely recommend renting a car. You can easily pick one up at PDX airport.
• Places are farther apart than we expected. This is why many people road trip down the Coast and stay at different hotels/Airbnb’s as they go.

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Final Thoughts: Is the Oregon Coast Worth Visiting?

The Oregon Coast is absolutely worth visiting! Whether you’re a hiker, ocean lover, or just want to cozy up in a cute A-Frame rental to post up in for the weekend. The Oregon Coast has something for everyone!

It’s the perfect destination for families, group trips, solo travelers, and especially slow travelers. There are lots of opportunities to take your time and linger in places along the coast.

I already know I’ll be back to visit all the places I missed on this trip. Plus, I definitely am coming back for those fish and chips + clam chowder!

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Plan Your Trip: Resources & Links

• Watch my Oregon Coast trip
• Read my “8 Tips for Planning a Group Trip (From Someone Who’s Always a Planner)”
• Download a PDF version of this itinerary

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