A trip to the capital of Salem makes for the perfect weekend getaway when visiting Oregon. Surrounded by a fantastic wine country with a lot of great food options, two days in Salem should be part of any Oregon itinerary or road trip.
Disclaimer: Special thanks to the Salem Tourism Board for hosting me on my trip to Salem! As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you!
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History of Salem, Oregon
The Kalapuya originally inhabited the Salem area. Later, the Methodist Mission came and took over the Mill Creek area. Sometime in the 1850s, the area became known as Salem. Throughout the 1800s, more European settlers came to the area.
In 1842, Willamette University was established and Salem was the capital off and on throughout the 1850s. Oregon officially became a state in 1859 and with that Salem became the permanent capital.
When to Spend Two Days in Salem
Summer is the best time to spend two days in Salem. The weather usually does not get too hot. In wintertime, you tend to see more rain, but it is still a decent time to visit.
How to Get to Salem
The closest major airport to Salem is Portland International airport. There are flights here from all over. A typical flight from California usually costs around $200.
From Portland, take the 205 South to the 5 south. In a little over an hour, you will reach Salem.
Transportation in Salem
To get to Salem and around the area, you will need a car. There are limited public transportation options. I recommend renting a car through Autoslash as that is where I always find the best deals.
Where to Stay in Salem
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Salem hotels here!
Salem is not a huge city, so anywhere you stay you will be close to many of the sites. I recommend staying close to Downtown Salem. We opted to stay at the Best Western Mill Creek Inn. It was a good location and a decent hotel.
Other options include the Home2Suites Salem or the Hampton Inn Salem. You can always try searching Priceline Express Deals for a better price or try to price match a hotel.
What to do During Two Days in Salem, Oregon
Day 1
Hallie Ford Museum of Art
Cost: $6
Hours: Tues-Sat: 12pm-5pm
The perfect way to start two days in Salem is with a visit to the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. This art museum is attached and run by Willamette University. It opened in 1998 and is the third largest museum in Oregon. It contains a wide variety of art ranging from Asian, to local artists, and rotating exhibits.
Visitors can easily spend an hour to two exploring all of the galleries. They offer a variety of programs throughout the year, so make sure to check the website for more information. One of my favorite parts of the museum was the colorful windows built by Richard Elliott.
Lunch at Wild Pear
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-6:30pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-8pm
Wild Pear is a nice casual bistro for those looking for a light lunch. It was opened in 2000 by two sisters. They serve mostly soups, salads, and sandwiches as well as oven-baked pizzas. It is the perfect place to fuel up after wandering through the art museum.
Willamette Valley Wine Tasting
You cannot spend two days in Salem without heading out to the Willamette Valley for some wine tasting. The Willamette Valley spans over 150 miles with over 700 wineries. Visitors could easily spend the entire trip visiting wineries, but the following are a few of the ones I was able to visit.
Bryn Mawr Vineyards
Cost: $20
Hours: 11am-5pm
Bryn Mawr Vineyards was established in 2009 with a four-acre foundation establishing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Tempranillo Vines. Since that time, other wines have been added and the tasting room opened in 2019.
Present-day, Bryn Mawr offers visitors gorgeous views of the Willamette Valley and a chill atmosphere. Visitors get to taste a couple of different Roses, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, as well as a Dolcetto and Tempranillo, which is a bit harder to find in this region. A tasting costs $20 for 5 wines and they have no problem with you sharing.
Bjornson Vineyard
Cost: $20 tasting for 5 wines
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-7pm
The 107-acre Bjornson Vineyard area was purchased in 2005 and the family began growing grapes during that time. Throughout the years, they have perfected the creation of Pinot Noirs and offer a variety of Pinots to try. A tasting here costs $20 and visitors get to try 5 different Pinots. If you are lucky, you get to try a few other bonus wines as well. This might have been my favorite of the three wineries I visited during my two days in Salem.
Stangeland Vineyards and Winery
Cost: $20 tasting for 9 wines
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 12pm-5pm, Fri-Sat: 11:30am-5pm
Stangeland Vineyards is one of the OG Willamette Valley/Salem Vineyards. The area was purchased in 1971 and the first vineyards were planted in 1978. In 1991, the first vintages of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris were produced.
Present-day, this boutique vineyard offers walk-in tastings for $20 for a taste of 9 of their wines. They produce a wide variety of both common and unique wines such as orange wine and Viognier. Many of them are highly rated. The owner also frequently hangs out in the tasting room, so visitors will most likely get a chance to talk to him.
Dinner at Bo and Vine Burger Bar
Cost: $
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-10pm
Bo and Vine is the place to go during your two days in Salem if you want a fantastic burger. They have some preset options or you can choose to build your own burger. They also have chicken and salad options too if you do not feel like a burger. They also offer plant-based patties and gluten-free buns.
Bo and Vine also have several different fries and tater tot options with many sauces to choose from. I like the Bo and Vine and the Garlic Aioli Sauces with the House/Sweet Potato mix of fries.
Cocktails at Archive Coffee and Bar
Cost: $
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 7am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 7am-12am
One of my favorite places to visit during two days in Salem is Archive Coffee and Bar. This shop serves coffee all day long but also turns into a bar later in the evening. They have a lot of fun cocktail options. On some days they also do a brunch and will serve light bites to eat throughout the day.
Coin Jam
Cost: $
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 4pm-12am, Fri-Sun: 11am-12am
Coin Jam is the perfect bar to head to when you want to relive nostalgic games from your childhood. Filled with video games like Pac Man and Jurassic Park, there are also a ton of pinball machines. They serve light bites to eat and have a variety of typical drinks.
Day 2
Breakfast at Busick Court
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat: 7am-2pm, Sun: 8am-2pm
Busick Court is a traditional breakfast place in downtown Salem. They have a lot of general breakfast items to eat and they are conveniently located next to the Riverfront City Park. It has a small-town diner feel.
Bigwig Donuts
Cost: $
Hours: Wed-Sun: 9am-1pm
If you would like a lighter breakfast, opt to grab some gluten-free donut holes from Bigwig Donuts. Their flavors may rotate but the maple ones were my favorite. They also have an assortment of coffee beverages.
Riverfront City Park
Cost: Free
Hours: 7am-9pm
After a filling breakfast, start your second of two days in Salem with a walk around Riverfront City Park. This 23-acre park is located along the Willamette River. It is mostly known for its Riverfront Carousel. You can easily spend an hour or so strolling through the park.
Lunch at Ventis Cafe
Cost: $$
Hours: Tues-Sun: 11am-9pm
Ventis Cafe is one of the best places to eat at during your two days in Salem. They serve a variety of Mediterranean-type foods with lots of vegan and gluten-free options. I especially love their sweet potato fries and all of the dipping sauce options. Ventis also has a ton of beers on tap.
Oregon State Capitol
Cost: Free
Hours: 8am-5pm
Salem is the capital of Oregon, thus a visit to the state capital is a must-do during your two days in Salem. You can opt to just walk around the grounds outside or take a guided tour of the inside. Guided tours take place between 10am and 2pm and often take you up to the observation deck. Visitors can also opt for a self-guided tour.
Willamette Heritage Center
Cost: $8
Hours: Tues-Sat: 10am-4pm
The Willamette Heritage Center is the place to visit to learn about the history of the area and the Oregon Trail. Many of the buildings on site are preserved historic structures from the 1840s and have historical exhibits on the inside.
This site is also the location of the first Pendleton (like the company) mill. You can buy a lot of the Pendleton things in their gift shop. They also have looms you can rent out in the mill or go watch weavers working. It is such a great location to visit during two days in Salem.
Teacher Tip: Teachers can get into the Willamette Heritage Center for FREE! Just show a teacher ID card.
Wine Tasting and Dinner at Willamette Valley Vineyards
Cost: $15-$20
Hours: Sat-Thurs: 11am-6pm, Fri: 11am-8pm
One of the best things to do during two days in Salem is to stop at Willamette Valley Vineyards. This winery began in 1983 and has several locations scattered around the Willamette Valley. The tasting room near Salem is the original location and was used to film the season finale of Top Chef.
I highly recommend visiting for dinner as they had a delicious menu and the prices were very affordable. Along with dinner, you can opt to do a wine tasting or they have recommended glasses to go with each entree.
A tasting here is either $15 or $20 depending on which flight you choose. All of the wines were delicious and I really enjoyed getting to dry all the varieties. My favorite wines of the flight were the Whole Cluster Pinot Noir and the Bernau Block Pinot Noir.
More Than Two Days in Salem, Oregon
EZ Orchard Farm Store
Cost: $
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am-6pm
The EZ Orchard Farm Store is a good stop if you are looking to pick up some local products. From Marionberry jams and syrup to other local fresh produce, you will not be sorry if you stop here. You also have the option to pick up a marionberry shortcake as well.
The Oregon Gardens
Cost: $12
Hours: 10am-4pm
The Oregon Gardens was an awesome place to stroll through some botanical gardens and learn about plants. With over 80 acres and 20 different gardens to explore, visitors can easily spend several hours wandering the gardens. I recommend adding on the tram tour for an extra $3 because it gives you a good overview of the gardens as well as some of the history.
The gardens are pet friendly and often put on special events. You can also grab a bite to eat at their cafe or shop art from local artists in their store. When wandering the gardens, be on the lookout for a door that leads to the Secret Garden!
Silver Falls State Park
Cost: $5
Hours: Varies by season
Silver Falls State Park is located pretty close to Salem. It is most well known for its feature waterfall -Silver Falls. Visitors can go on a 7.2-mile loop hike to the falls and even get the chance to hike behind the falls. It is one of the most popular hikes in Oregon and a fun thing to add to two days in Salem.
Willamette Valley Pie Company
Cost: $
Hours: Mon-Fri: 8am-7pm, Sat: 8am-6pm, Sun: 12pm-5pm
The Willamette Valley Pie Company is the place to go for pie lovers. They make fresh pies and other pastries daily. Most of the fruit ingredients come from the Willamette Valley. It is a great place to stop for a snack or a light breakfast.
Final Tips for Two Days in Salem
Salem is also an easy day trip from Portland if you do not have two days to spend in Salem. If you only have one day, I recommend completing day two of the above itinerary. After visiting Salem, make sure to spend some time in Portland to explore all of the cheap things to do and delicious food options.
8 thoughts on “The Perfect Oregon Weekend Getaway: Two Days in Salem, Oregon”
This two day Salem Itinerary looks awesome! I would love to try all that yummy food!
I love Oregon in the summer. It makes me think I could live there all year long.
Salem looks like a fantastic place to visit. I especially like the look of coinjam, seems like so much fun!
You had me at wine but the sweet potato fries sealed the deal! I’m only been to Portland but I am thinking a weekend in Salem is absolutely necessary.
I love that you included the prices for all of these activities! It’s so helpful for trip planning. I went to Salem a few years ago and loved Archive Coffee Bar, it was so cool!
I really didn’t know much about Salem at all. Seems like a great place for vineyards and food. I’d love to visit EZ Orchards as I love finding fresh, farmer’s market type of items!
Wow, all of these views are amazing! The prices are super reasonable too.
I definitely need to take a trip to Oregon soon.
I love Oregon but haven’t been to Salem. Looks like a great town to visit. Wine tasting in the Willamette Valley is fantastic. Would love to try some of the ones you recommend, as I haven’t been to those specific ones yet. The views at Bryn Mawr look beautiful! Would also enjoy the Art Museum. I never miss the chance of checking out the art in the cities I visit.