The Seattle CityPASS® Tourist Card: all you need to know

Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden and Glass are just a few of the many things to see and do in Seattle and the Seattle CityPASS® can be a great help.

You can get the Seattle CityPASS® for as low as $95. The first thing you need to know is that this tourist card is valid for 9 days from the date of first use and will expire one year from the date of purchase.

During those 9 days that it will be active, you will be able to access the attractions included without paying anything extra and avoiding long lines to enter the sites you want to visit. Therefore, it will be very useful to enter museums and enjoy the most popular activities in which, if you do not have this pass, you will lose a lot of time just to buy the ticket.

It's simple. You get your pass and can present it as admission to the included attractions directly from your mobile device. Or, if you prefer, you can also print it out and use it on paper.

Activation and validity

From the moment you purchase your Seattle CityPASS®, it will be valid for one year. As for how to start using it, it will be activated automatically the first time you use it at any Seattle attraction. From that moment on, you will be able to enjoy it for 9 days.

It is important to remember this: to count the 9 days of validity of the pass, the day you use it for the first time will be taken into account, but not the time. Therefore, I recommend that you do not start using your Seattle CityPASS® at the end of the day, but at the beginning of the day to get the most out of the 9 days.

Within the pack of attractions that are included in the Seattle CityPASS®, you will find a total of 5 activities, 2 fixed and you will be able to choose 3 more from an extensive list. This will allow you to tailor-make your trip to meet the top attractions on your wish list.

Attractions and activities included in the Seattle CityPASS® Tourist Pass

You will have access to these two attractions:

• Space Needle: this is a quirky, world-famous 184-meter-tall structure that is located in downtown Seattle and is a symbol of the city. You will reach the top by elevator and you will find a revolving restaurant and one of the most impressive observatories from which you will see the whole city.

• Seattle Aquarium: it is Seattle's public aquarium and receives almost a million visitors each year. Between exhibits and activities it offers fun and exciting ways to discover more about marine life.

You will learn more in detail about salmon, sea otters, puffer fish, sharks and giant clams, among many species housed under the sea. You will even be able to touch some small marine animals such as sea anemones.

In addition, you will be able to choose 3 of the following attractions:

• 1 hour boat ride on the lake with Argosy Cruises: you will be able to appreciate the best views of Seattle from the water enjoying a cruise and living a unique and exclusive experience. A different way to get to know Seattle.
• Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): is a museum dedicated to contemporary popular culture that houses numerous permanent and temporary exhibits, as well as sound sculptures and much more.

Historically, it was an experimental music project and science fiction museum until it became the Museum of Pop Culture. Here you will find exhibits on popular culture, including video games, horror films, science fiction literature and various genres of music.

• Woodland Park Zoo: home to the most diverse wildlife, this is a zoological garden located in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood and has received more than 65 awards in multiple categories.
• Chihuly Garden and Glass: This is one of Seattle's most popular and well-known exhibits. Here you will find the colorful glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly. You can visit the eight galleries, a lush garden and the impressive glass house.

You can tour the garden, greenhouse and indoor exhibits. In addition, you will have other spaces including a large cafeteria, a multi-purpose theater with seating for about 50 people and a dedicated conference space, retail space and much more.

Attractions not included in the Seattle CityPASS®

As you can see from this list there are major absences such as the Sky View Observatory which is not included in the Seattle CityPASS®. Neither is admission to the Museum of Flight and the Boeing Factory, the Seattle Art Museum or the Pacific Science Center. If you want to do any of these activities, you will have to pay for them separately.

Still, considering that the ones included in the Seattle CityPASS® are the most popular, I can assure you that it is still the most cost-effective option.

I don't have a concrete answer to that question, it's going to depend on how you use it, how much time you have to get around the city and what you want to see in Seattle. I can only give you the certainty that if you take advantage of the Seattle CityPASS® you will save money and time.

By purchasing this pass you will have 5 attractions included and you will avoid the lines at the most popular and crowded activities, that's for sure. So if you are the type of traveler who prioritizes optimizing time and saving money, don't hesitate any longer.

When is the Seattle CityPASS® Tourist Pass® best for me?

I recommend that if you are interested in learning about the history of Seattle and you don't want to miss the main landmarks of the city, make a list of their prices separately, add them up and compare them with the price of the pass. This way you will be able to know more clearly if it is convenient or not.

• The Seattle CityPASS® includes the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, MoPOP, Woodland Park Zoo and Chihuly Garden and Glass. With these attractions you can view the city from the most iconic tower, visit the zoo, the aquarium and one of Seattle's most important museums. All this makes it the most cost-effective option to visit the main attractions of the city.
• If you have in mind to live a different experience, you can also choose to take a one-hour ride enjoying the most beautiful views of Lake Washington, which is also included.
• If you want to see a lot in a short time, the Seattle CityPASS® sightseeing card will be the most convenient option. You'll have a variety of activities to choose from that will allow you to take in the highlights of the city. You will have everything included, you won't have to waste time in long lines and you will simply have to organize the attractions the way you want, considering the amount of days you have.
• In general, if you visit Seattle between November and January, which are the coldest, most unstable and rainy months, it will be good to have this card so you can choose those activities that also serve to shelter you from the weather inside.

When is the Seattle CityPASS® not convenient?

• If you're going to be in Seattle for a very long time, you won't need to cram all your sightseeing into a few days, so the Seattle CityPASS® may not be very cost-effective and you may want to organize the attractions you want to see, coordinating the days as you see fit.
• If you are a type of traveler who prefers to stay away from the typical, touristy or crowded places, you won't get much out of this pass either.

If you've already decided you'd like to purchase the Seattle CityPASS®, here are a few things you can do to get the most out of it so you can definitely make the most of it.

Plan your visit to the city

It is clear that this type of tourist card will be very helpful if you are going to visit the city for a short period of time so you can see as many things as possible, but this does not mean that you can improvise and run from one place to another, because in this way you will be wasting the benefits of the Seattle CityPASS® tourist card and you will not enjoy enough of the city.

A good planning, taking into account the days, schedules and location of the activities included in the pass, will allow you to access the greatest number of tourist attractions, being able to take advantage and enjoy each one of them. I recommend that before starting your trip, make a list of the attractions you want to see and organize them according to where they are located.

Keep in mind that in many of these areas you will also have the opportunity to take a tour of Seattle or a free walking tour. By this I mean, do not think that buying the Seattle CityPASS® Tourist Card means spending all day visiting closed sites, running from one side of the city to the other, but you can organize various activities by zones and schedules and combine them as you wish.

Keep in mind the schedules of the attractions you want to visit

Before activating your card it is important that you check the opening and closing days and times of museums and tourist attractions. Also keep in mind that some are usually closed on holidays or special days.

Once you find out all this information, arrange to activate your card on a day that is not a holiday or when an attraction does not have limited opening hours. Also, if you don't have much time and can't waste the day, you can take advantage of the Lake Washington ride.

Check the included attractions before visiting the city.

You may be strolling or taking a free downtown tour and not know that your Seattle CityPASS® includes admission to the Space Needle. So, before you plan your trip and the activities you will do, check the attractions included in the tourist pass, to optimize your visit to the city.

I also recommend that you ask the stores or restaurants you go to if you have discounts with this card, as you may have discounts at local restaurants or stores.

With the Seattle CityPASS® Tourist Card, you'll get all of the city's most popular and well-known attractions included, but you'll still have a few things left to see.

You can combine the Seattle CityPASS® Tourist Card with a Seattle Sightseeing Bus tour to complete your sightseeing experience. In just under an hour and a half, you'll be able to visit iconic sites such as Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Seattle Center, Occidental Park, Seattle Public Library, and more.

You will also have a wide variety of excursions to do from Seattle to surrounding areas full of nature and attractions to visit. You can get more information at: Best tours from Seattle.

In addition, you can complete the experience by including a gastronomic tour around Seattle and discover the most exclusive flavors of the city. Here you will get more information: Best food tours in Seattle.

I recommend that if you have some time left in the city, visit on your own some of the attractions not included in this pass, but that are not to be missed: Museum of Flight and the Boeing Factory, Seattle Art Museum and Pacific Science Center.