Best Things To Do in Seattle

The metropolis of the state of Washington is located in an unbeatable setting: surrounded by wild nature and bathed by the waters of the Puget Sound, a strait that connects the city with the Pacific.

Seattle is nicknamed "Emerald City" and is one of the most dynamic cities in the United States. Whether you stay in Seattle for three days or a week, there are some must-see attractions. This article illustrates the best ones.

This observation deck was designed by Edward E. Carlson for the 1962 World's Fair. From the top floor you'll enjoy a breathtaking panorama: you'll see the city's central core, the waters of Puget Sound and snow-capped mountains in the distance.

The Space Needle is open every day of the week from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. For a more rounded experience, I recommend booking a table at the Loupe Lounge, a revolving glass floor specializing in signature cocktails.

• Price: a standard ticket ranges from $35 to $40. For children under 12, the price ranges from $25 to $30. A good way to save money is to purchase the Seattle City Pass, the city's tourist card.
• Address: 400 Broad St

Pike Place has occupied the same corner since 1907 and is a true institution in the city. No route should exclude it and often one visit is not enough.

Seattle' s best food tours offer tours of the market with food tastings. It's a recommended and affordable option.

Typically, dining experiences include clam chowder, smoked wild salmon, artisanal yogurt, freshly baked cookies and other treats.

A chocolate-covered Rainier cherry usually tops off the experience. The fruit is deliciously sweet and characterized by thin, yellow skin that hides a creamy flesh.

• Where: 85 Pike Street
• Price: Admission is free and food tours vary according to duration and tastings included. They can cost around €60 or more.
• Hours: most of the stalls are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., although some offer breakfast from 7:00 a.m. or dinner until almost midnight.
• How to get there: if you are staying near a Link Light Rail station, you can take the Link Light Rail and get off at the University Street stop. Being centrally located, it is also easy to reach by bus. You can find all the information about routes and schedules on the official web site

Since the Bronze Age, humans have been drawn to glass. Century after century, manufacturing techniques have improved to perfection. In Seattle, the most modern and amazing creations are found in Chihuly Garden and Glass, a large exhibition dedicated to glass sculptures.

The museum is located in the center of the city and is open daily from 9:00 to 21:00. It consists of three main parts - a greenhouse, the surrounding garden and galleries - plus a gourmet cafe and a theater that explains the making of glass.

Its icon is the glass and steel structure hanging from the greenhouse. Orange, yellow and red flowers are suspended in the air and the perception of the colors changes with the light. If you want a tip I recommend visiting the museum after sunset. For more ideas, I recommend the post about the 10 things to see and do in Seattle at night.

• Address: 305 Harrison St
• Price: a standard ticket is around 30 $. Seniors over 65 will have to pay around 25 $ while youngsters between 5 and 12 years old will have to pay around 20 $. Children under the age of 4 are free.
• How to get there: a good option is the monorail. The Seattle Center stop is located a few meters from the entrance.

In the state of Washington, the Pacific Ocean enters the American continent creating a landscape of inlets and wooded islands. A boat tour of Seattle is perfect for discovering this stretch of ocean and can be taken in both spring and summer.

There are several routes; the easiest are limited to cruising the harbor while the longer ones reach the San Juan Islands, a stone's throw from the Canadian border. One of the most popular destinations is Vashon Island, a large island with charming villages and lush nature.

• Price: it depends on what you choose. A cruise in port usually costs about 35 €, a longer trip can exceed 250 €.
• How to get there: cruises usually depart from the Seattle Waterfront, a very central area. To get there, the easiest option is the Link Light Rail. The University Street stop is within walking distance of the docks.

The Asian district is always worth a visit, especially if you're traveling to Seattle in March. The neighborhood is home to Kobe Terrace, a green area dotted with cherry trees. These trees arrive directly from Japan and in this month the first pink blossoms begin to emerge. Normally, the flowering show continues until the end of April.

After a stroll through the garden, you can take the opportunity to do a little shopping. Kobo is the ideal destination for contemporary and traditional ceramics designed by Japanese artists (604 S Jackson Street). Tuesday Shop is the go-to store for modern kimonos and other oriental garments.

• Price: free although it will be difficult to leave the neighborhood without a souvenir.
• How to get there: an easy option is the Link light rail. Get off at the International District Chinatown stop.

Discovery Park covers 534 acres and sits on a bluff overlooking the Puget Sound. Locals come here for respite and outdoor sports.

The trails and paved roads can be hiked or mountain biked. You'll see forests, meadows and bluffs that shelter sandy beaches.

If you travel to eattle in spring or summer, you can take advantage of the good weather to take a SUP ride. In this case, I recommend booking an individual or small group lesson at nearby Salmon Bay Paddle. Don't worry if it's your first time, it's an easy activity for all ages.

• Where: 3801 Discovery Park Blvd
• Hours: Discovery Park is open daily from 4:00 am to 11:30 pm. The visitor center has shorter hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30am to 5:00pm.
• Directions: The bus (#24) stops in front of the West Emerson Street entrance. Bus 33 enters the park and stops near the North Parking Lot.

Seattle and aviation are intimately linked. Most likely, to get here you will have traveled in an airplane designed and built in this same city: the Boeing. The name pays tribute to William Edward Boeing, aviation pioneer and founder of the company of the same name.

The Museum of Flight pays tribute to the city's industrial tradition. Its large hangars house a myriad of aircraft and in some cases it is permitted to enter the interior. The jewel in the crown is the mythical Air Force One, the flying fortress reserved for U.S. presidents. The model on display in Seattle was used by Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.

• Address: 9404 E Marginal Way S
• Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Price: A ticket for adults costs about $25. If you are traveling to Seattle with children between the ages of 5 and 12, you are entitled to a reduced fare of about $15. Seniors over 65 will have to pay about $20. Admission is free every first Tuesday of the month.
• How to get there: The Museum of Flight is located near King County International Airport. You can easily get there by taking the 124 city bus. The closest stop is East Marginal Way S & S 96th Pl

There are many neighborhoods worth seeing, yet if I had to choose one, it would be Ballard. If the International District concentrates the Asian community, Ballard is the neighborhood of Scandinavian immigrants. In fact, Swedes and Norwegians arrived here at the end of the 19th century to work in the district's fisheries.

Possibly its greatest attraction are the Ballard Locks, a series of locks that connect Lake Washington to the Puget Sound. Should you travel to Seattle in June, July, August or September, you'll see salmon defying the current by swimming upstream.

The neighborhood is also known for its microbreweries- there are plenty of options! A must stop is usually Reuben's, known for its IPAs and Roggenbier (rye beer). You can also opt for Stoup or Lagunitas.

• Price: free (beers not included).
• How to get there: to get to Ballard from downtown, the best option is the 40 bus. Get off at the 24th Ave NW & NW 70th St stop.

Snoqualmie Fall is one of the most famous waterfalls in the United States. Its waterfall measures 82 meters and if it sounds familiar to you, maybe it's because it appears in the series "Twin Peaks". A trail connects the lower part of the falls with the highest area, is approximately two kilometers long and is suitable for all ages.

Along the way you will learn about the customs of the natives and a few pills about the local flora and fauna.

To avoid crowds, it is best to take the Snoqualmie hike from Seattle early in the morning and avoid weekends. The park surrounding the waterfall is open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset. This is, without a doubt, one of the best hikes from Seattle.

• Price: admission is free but there is a $5 parking fee.
• How to get there: if you go on your own and not on a tour you will have to drive on highway 202 to Fall City. Alternatively you can take Interstate 90 and leave it at exit 25. In either case, once off the main road, just follow the signs to the main highway.

First of all, the monorail is not the ramshackle invention featured in a famous Simpsons episode, but a cheap and safe means of transportation. In Seattle, convoys have been running through the city since 1994 carrying an average of 2 million passengers a year.

It is worth getting on board to enjoy a rare panoramic view over the metropolis. It is not very long but it crosses downtown Seattle and reaches some of the city's landmarks.

The Seattle Center terminus is within walking distance of the Space Needle overlook, the Pacific Science Center, the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum and much more.

• Price: A single ticket costs just over $3. Children under 18, people with disabilities and seniors over 65 pay about $1.5.

Since the 1970s, Seattle has hosted a large Vietnamese community and it's easy to find a good Pho, the typical noodle and beef soup garnished with lime and fresh basil.

Ba Bar is a chain specializing in Vietnamese food and has three establishments in the city. Other recommended restaurants include Tamarind Tree (1036 South Jackson Street) and Pho Viet Anh (2621 5th Avenue)

The Asian community in the metropolis is not limited to Vietnam. Seattle is home to many people of Japanese descent, and the availability of fresh fish has spurred the opening of several sushi restaurants.

If you want to play it safe, I recommend booking a table at Maneki (304 6th Avenue) or Sushi Kashiba (86 Pine Street Suite).

In general, Seattle is known for fish and seafood. Salmon, oysters, crabs, giant clams and other delicacies of the sea are caught in the surrounding waters.

If you want to enjoy a good feast, you can opt for the restaurants The Walrus and the Carpenter (4743 Ballard Avenue), Ray's Boathouse (6049 Seaview Avenue) or Rock Creek (4300 Fremont Avenue).

Like other cities in the United States, the "Emerald City" is also transformed during the month of December. Festive decorations and Christmas markets embellish the city and if you love sports, you can go to the Climate Pledge Arena to enjoy an ice hockey game.

In December the weather is usually rainy, although snowfalls are not very frequent. In any case, you can practice winter sports by taking a trip to Mount Rainier, which is about 100 miles from the city. For more information I recommend you to read the post about the 10 things to see and do in Seattle at Christmas.

When is it best to visit Seattle

Whenever you go, Seattle has a lot to offer. To help you with your plans, I leave you with these little guides by month so you don't miss out on the best things to do depending on the month you choose for your trip:

• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in January
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in February
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in March
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in April
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in June
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in July
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in August
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in September
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in October
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in November
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in December

Or maybe you want to know by time of year:

• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in Spring
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in Summer
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in the Fall
• 10 things to see and do in Seattle in Winter

Another tip I give you for your trip to the American city is to plan in advance the Seattle Airport Transfers, essential to avoid wasting time upon arrival. Also, I recommend you to take a look at our post about the Settle tourist bus, as it can be very useful to know the city in a short time.

If you are still doubting how much time to spend visiting Seattle, that obviously depends on your interests, but I give you a hand with our articles of things to see and do depending on the duration of your trip:

• What to see and do in Seattle in 2 days
• What to see and do in Seattle in 3 days
• What to see and do in Seattle in 4 days
• What to see and do in Seattle in 5 days