The Perfect Weekend in Bend, Oregon
Mountain mornings, afternoons along the Deschutes and a brewery waiting when the adventure is done. Bend makes it remarkably easy to fit a lot into a weekend without making your weekend feel busy. With downtown shops and restaurants, miles of trails, the Deschutes River and Central Oregon adventure all within easy reach, two days is plenty of time to get a taste of what makes Bend special.
Make The Newberry Hotel your home base, unpack your bags and use this 48-hour Bend itinerary to start planning.
FRIDAY: Arrive and Get to Know Downtown Bend
Check In and Head Downtown
Once you've settled into The Newberry, start your weekend with a walk through Downtown Bend. Local shops, galleries, restaurants, coffee spots and breweries make it easy to explore without much of an agenda.
From downtown, make your way toward Drake Park and Mirror Pond for a stroll along the water. Bend is particularly easy to experience on foot, with interconnected paths linking downtown with parks and stretches of the Deschutes River.
Dinner, and Your First Bend Beer
You won't have to look far for dinner. Bend's food scene stretches from casual brewpubs and food carts to restaurants serving globally inspired and more elevated fare.
And this is Bend, so there's a good chance your first evening will include a local beer. Deschutes Brewery helped launch the city's craft brewing movement in 1988, and today there are more than 30 breweries across Central Oregon.
Consider that your introduction. We'll come back to the beer later.
SATURDAY: Get Outside
Start at The Franklin
Before heading out for the day, start downstairs at The Franklin, The Newberry’s on-site restaurant. Settle in for breakfast with favorites like avocado toast, the Newberry Waffle or a hearty breakfast burrito, paired with locally roasted Thump Coffee from the espresso bar.
Then grab what you need for the day and head out. The trails, river and everything else on your Bend itinerary are waiting.
Take a Hike
You don't have to travel far from town to find a trail.
Pilot Butte offers an easy-to-moderate two-mile outing with roughly 500 feet of elevation gain, while the Upper Deschutes River Trail lets you choose anything from a short riverside walk to a longer hike through pine forest and volcanic landscapes.
If you have more time and want to venture farther into Central Oregon, make a morning of it. Bend's location makes it an ideal starting point for exploring the forests, rivers, lakes and Cascade landscapes surrounding town.
Just remember that trail conditions, seasonal closures and permit requirements can change, so check current conditions before setting out.
Spend the Afternoon Along the Deschutes
Back in town, head toward the Old Mill District. Set along the Deschutes River, the area combines shops and restaurants with easy access to the river and nearby trails.
In warmer months, you can make the river itself part of the afternoon. Floating the Deschutes is a Bend summer tradition, with the popular route running from Riverbend Park toward Drake Park.
Prefer to stay dry? Walk the river trail, browse the Old Mill or simply find a spot by the water and slow things down for a while.
Saturday Night: Dinner + Drinks
After a day outside, Bend gives you plenty of reasons to stay out.
Choose a restaurant downtown, explore one of the city's food cart pods or turn dinner into your first real introduction to Bend's brewery scene. From longtime institutions to smaller craft producers, the city offers everything from Northwest IPAs and pale ales to porters, Belgian-style beers, and more experimental pours.
No need to fit them all into one night. We've got another guide for that.
SUNDAY: Take the Long Way Home
One Last Walk
Return to the Deschutes River, wander through downtown or seek out a neighborhood you didn't make it to earlier in the weekend. Bend has more than 80 parks, along with galleries, museums, public art and plenty to discover without leaving town.
If you have a few extra hours, extend your weekend with another short hike or a visit to the High Desert Museum to learn more about the landscapes, wildlife, history and cultures of the region.
Until Next Time
The trouble with spending a weekend in Bend is realizing how much you left for next time. Another trail. Another brewery. Another stretch of river. Another restaurant you meant to try.
That's okay.
Bend is the kind of place that's easy to come back to.
Make The Newberry your Bend Home Base
A great Bend weekend starts with being close to everything you came to experience. Settle into The Newberry Hotel and make yourself at home while you explore downtown, the Deschutes River and the outdoor adventures of Central Oregon.
Stay for the weekend. Start planning what you'll do when you come back.
