10 Things to Do in Seattle in November

The city of Seattle, located in the northwestern United States, is a city with a very special combination of elements. Its wooded and lush landscapes most of the year, along with the almost endless humid weather, create an atmosphere that calls for introspection and shelter, but also, innovation and creative escape.

These lands, to which the Vikings once migrated, maintain a natural scenery of breathtaking beauty, attracting millions of tourists year after year.

Visiting in the penultimate month of the calendar means going out with waterproof clothing, fewer daylight hours, a sometimes shivering temperature and panoramic views surely overshadowed by the humid air. But it also means fewer lines, pre-Christmas festivals, museums and beautiful snow-capped mountains. Don't miss out on all the exciting sites and activities Seattle has in store for you this season!

The pre-Christmas season in Seattle brings with it a very festive atmosphere. One celebration you can't miss during your stay is Magic in the Market, which takes place in one of the city's most iconic spaces: Pike Place Market.

Enjoy the pre-Christmas spirit with the caroling choirs that perform here, take pictures with Santa under the market' s famous clock, or stay for the traditional countdown to the lighting of the beautiful Christmas tree at the main entrance.

There is no more iconic place in the city to celebrate this pre-Christmas season than Pike Place. This market, already famous and recognized as "the heart and soul of the city," picks up the pace in November.

As a tourist, I won't invite you to go shopping for a Christmas tree (although if you can, do it!), but there is no doubt that you will find other options and, if you are especially looking to taste the food that is prepared here, an excellent option is to take a gastronomic tour. The best tours that will take you inside this market are priced from 55 euros.

In the tours, you will have the opportunity to taste various dishes and preparations, talk to the authors and of course, have a great time with other members of the tour, eating and sharing stories.

I recommend starting your tour with a good meal on the food tour and then looking forward to the evening caroling and the rest of the nighttime festival.

At the end of November, around Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) the holiday spirit begins to creep into the city. Lighting takes center stage at night in neighborhoods, businesses and public spaces, creating a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere ideal for sightseeing.

If you think you've seen everything in pre-Christmas lights, I invite you to take a tour of Wildlanterns, a one-of-a-kind exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo.

Wildlanterns is an immersive experience with large-scale illuminated animal sculptures representing different wild regions of the world. The festival begins in the month of November and runs through the beginning of the following year, however, as it is an outdoor exhibit, visiting this month is best if you want to stay as dry as possible.

If you are a "light-up" romantic or, travel with little ones, this event will delight them.

You can see more details of this exhibit at the following link.

Thanksgiving is when the best end-of-the-year feasts begin and, from that point on, many have already forgotten about diet and exercise. If you don't want to sacrifice the bountiful feasts, you have the option of participating in a race: the Seattle Turkey Trot.

It's a 5K race for the whole family that takes place on Thanksgiving Thursday morning. The course starts at the intersection of NW 85th St and 32nd Ave NW in the Sunset Hill neighborhood and ends at Golden Gardens Park.

Admission averages between 15 and 40 euros. You can register and get more information about the race on their website.

It's a charity race... Another reason why it's worth attending!

With the weather begging for shelter at times, and with so many museums waiting to showcase the city's culture, I recommend setting aside a day to attend the National Nordic Museum.

In case you didn't know, Seattle has a great Nordic heritage. This widely distributed community was initially centered in the Ballard neighborhood, where this museum is located.

In the museum's galleries, you'll find dozens of artifacts and other objects from the everyday life and culture of the Nordic region (which, by the way, is not the same as Scandinavia), from the migratory adventures of the Vikings more than 10,000 years ago to the modern contemporary art for which this European region is noted today.

In November, the weekend before Thanksgiving, this museum hosts the Julefest Festival. In the style of a traditional open-air Christmas market, at this festival you'll find all kinds of Nordic crafts and traditional dishes to try, while the scene is enlivened by live music and dance performances. Come along! You'll love it.

Here's a link to the museum's website so you can plan and take advantage of these two pre-Christmas events in one visit.

Practical information

• Where: the festival takes place at the National Nordic Museum. 2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107
• Price: free
• When: one weekend before Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November).

Another event to breathe in the approaching holiday air is the lighting of the Christmas tree at Westlake Center, one of downtown Seattle's busiest venues.

This decades-old tradition takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving and attracts thousands of visitors to witness the countdown to the lighting of the huge tree. Afterwards, the show continues with fireworks and a colorful carousel that will finish illuminating this great night.

Take advantage of a shopping trip to one of Seattle's most traditional Christmas shopping malls while you prepare for the light show. You may have the option to ride the city's famous monorail, as a station arrives right at this site.

Practical Information

• Where: Held at the West Lake Center. 400 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
• Price: free
• When: 4th Friday in November

One of the most fascinating things about Seattle is its verdant landscapes, with which it has aptly earned the title "Emerald City." In November, the hues have changed to the autumnal palette: yellows, reds, oranges...quite a natural spectacle to behold!

The Seattle metro area has many natural spaces to enjoy these scenes. This season, I especially recommend the Bellevue Botanical Garden, across Lake Washington in the town of Bellevue. It is an opportunity to see another city, independent but at the same time part of the greater Seattle.

Walk the fairytale paths of this beautiful place, discover its Japanese garden and enjoy its spaces. You will also see the original residence of the former owners, who donated this little paradise in the early 1980s.

Returning to the theme of "the little lights", from late November and December, this place offers a luminous show, the "Garden of Lights". Take a look at their program that you might like.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Washington State is Mount Rainier. This national park, mountain or more specifically an active volcano over 4,300 m high, is an unavoidable element of the city's scenery.

Millions of people visit this park annually to connect with nature, to practice various activities and to take advantage of the postcard backdrop. Although, as I've been telling you, in this region of the world the scene changes a lot throughout the year.

In November, the golden and red autumn colors of the park's vegetation remain, with the tamarack and its yellows especially striking. With snow falling in the middle of the month, the surfaces gradually turn white, creating beautiful landscapes suitable for guided hikes and winter sports.

For this reason, especially lovers of sports such as mountaineering, skiing and snowboarding begin to arrive at the park this month to take advantage of the white blanket for recreation.

Due to the snow conditions, some of the park's entrances and trails have been restricted since November. However, this does not prevent you from accessing areas and trails that will captivate you with autumn scenes, with the advantage that in this month, the crowds will be significantly reduced.

From Seattle, there are several tours that depart to this park. I recommend an all-day tour that, at a cost starting at 150 euros, will take you in a comfortable bus with a guide to discover this wonderful natural park in depth.

No pretext, but the November weather in Seattle invites you to stop by a coffee shop once in a while...so, you have to do what you have to do, right?

Seattle is a city with a great reputation for coffee worldwide. While this became known globally after the opening in 1971 of a small store called "Starbucks" (that's right, here you will find the first operating store), the truth is that many other coffee shops present since decades before, attracted locals and visitors like children in a toy store.

The establishments of the 60s and 70s in the area of "U-District", were the ones that started this tradition. A relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that was like a magnet for art and culture inspired these and, over time, many other coffee shops in the city.

Today, you can see examples of this legacy in various establishments, such as the Allegro, Monorail Espresso and Uptown Espresso

It's true, November in Seattle may greet you with more rain than you expected. But, that doesn't have to leave you without leaving the hotel...the city and its people are still active and, as I told you before, it is a season you can take advantage of especially if you don't want to wait in long lines.

And precisely because of the high probability of rain, why not do it on a city tour? There is one that I recommend that is done in minibuses, which will help you stay dry while they take you through the various attractions that give personality to this city, usually include Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, plus Lake Union, Kerry Park, among other stops.

With a price from 77 euros, it is a 2-hour route that you can not miss.

Exporting figures to the artistic world such as Jimi Hendrix and Pearl Jam, besides being the birthplace of grunge music, Seattle had to have a special place to show it to the world: the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop).

This museum, designed in 2000, is very focused on the theme of music (which with artists of such stature, you can imagine how much there is to show here), although it also contains other exhibits that cover memorable moments in pop culture, from video games and tattoos to unique objects from seventh art productions.

In addition, the architecture of the museum is very attractive. The building stands out in the area as if it were out of place, you'll notice it right away.

To save on your visit to this museum and also have the opportunity to visit other attractions such as the Chihuly Garden and Glass, boat rides on the bay or the Seattle Aquarium with a better price, I recommend you purchase the Seattle City Pass.

In this link you can get more details about the exhibits and tickets to the museum.

If you are planning a visit to the city of Seattle in November, you will need to be prepared for the rain that will frequently accompany you on your travels. Seattle is one of the cities with the most precipitation in the United States and November is among the three rainiest months of the year. So, the first thing you should pack is a light rain suit and an umbrella.

Also, with an average temperature that ranges from 5 to 10 degrees Celsius in this month, you will need to travel warm.

As a tourist, if you visit Seattle in November you should go with the idea that:

• With high probability, it will not be possible to get sharp, clear photographs of the scenery.
• Some mountain excursions may be suspended due to weather conditions.
• Museums will be your allies when in some extreme case, you have to change your plans. Don't worry, there are many! And weather permitting or not, you have to visit at least one of them.
• There are not many people in the city. An advantage for those who want to save time to get to know it and, with the reduced rates for lodging and other services, save money at the same time.

Here I close my tips and recommendations if you visit Seattle in the month of November. I hope you find the information useful and that you will soon be preparing your suitcase to finish the fall in this American city.