Seattle Weekend Guide
Here is our Ultimate Seattle Weekend Trip Guide with all the best places to hike, neighborhoods to explore, what to eat, drink, and do!
I was so surprised by Seattle in all the best ways! It is such an eclectic city with a wonderful blend of cultures with the cherry on top being the fresh ocean breeze and impressive food and drink scene.
When you think of Seattle you often think of the throwing of the fish in Pike Place and the original Starbucks but it is so much more than that.
We just fell in love with the bustling city with a killer food and beer scene and wonderful hiking with such diverse cultures making it the best weekend trip!
You can easily extend your weekend trip into a week with all the trails, neighborhoods to explore, local shopping, and markets. If possible I would recommend flying or driving to Seattle Thursday night so you can hit the ground running Friday because there are a TON of things to do.
How to get to Seattle?
First, things first you will get to Seattle by flying into the Seattle Tacoma Airport.
Our favorite sites for finding great flight deals are WayAway, Kayak, Going (previously Scott’s Cheap Flights), and Sky Scanner. Way Away is a great option for affordable flights, you can also get a membership that helps you earn cash back on purchases.
We also tend to look at Southwest website because these flights tend to be cheaper as well if you are flying domestically. You can easily drive into Seattle as well. A great website to help you plan your trip is RoadTrippers, they help plan your routes as well as unique and fun stops to make on your road trips.
Where to stay in Seattle?
Next, you need to book your home for the weekend. We stayed in Pike Pine District and loved staying in this fun vibrant area. It was a very walkable area with lots of restaurants and shops.
Another great neighborhood to stay in is Capital Hill, which is located right next to Pike Pine. Staying in either neighborhood will give you access to both areas which are so much fun to explore.
I will say Seattle is expensive for accommodations. We ended up staying at an older hotel just outside Pike Pine District, about a ten minute walk into Pike Pine and it worked perfectly.
It was more budget friendly for us while still being close to Pine Pike, which is such a fun lively area of town. We stayed at the Baroness Hotel.
Other great options are the citizenM Seattle Pioneer Square Hotel near the waterfront. This is also a budget friendly option.
Belltown Inn is another great choice that is located downtown and is clean, modern, and fresh!
Summer season prices tend to be higher so if you are traveling then, book early.
Day 1: Mt. Rainer National Park
Hiking in Mt. Rainer National Park
Hopefully you are waking up in Seattle and ready to explore. The BEST thing we did in Seattle was visit Mount Rainer National Park, it was just epic!
First, go get coffee and a snack. We went to Lula Coffee, an adorable pink coffee shop with clouds floating from the ceiling and such funky vibes. They had unique coffee drinks and great healthy food to grab and go for your drive to Mount Rainer National Park.
It is about 1 hour 45 minutes to around 2 hours to Mount Rainer National Park. I would recommend renting a car for your drive if you do not have your own car with you.
You can rent from a rental car company such as Budget car rental or better yet Turo- which is basically the airbnb for cars. You are renting a car from a person but insurance and all that is included to let you rest assured you are covered for anything. Turo tends to be much cheaper and is so easy, you just book through the Turo app.
The drive will be worth it! Mount Rainer National Park has been by far our favorite National Park. We were able to see the breathtaking Mount Rainer with snow caps, beautiful lakes, thick enchanting forests, and we even saw a black bear up close!
Tip: Be sure to bring bear spray with you to be prepared for anything, which of course is unlikely but as a good ethical and safe traveler you want to be able to protect yourself if needed while leaving the bear unharmed.
Although I would recommend you stay longer in Mount Rainer National Park if possible because there are so many amazing trails. But even for a day trip you can easily pack in a couple trails and have a great experience. It is so worth it, even for a quick trip. I would highly recommend leaving early so you have most of the day to hike and drive home.
Get yourself plenty of time to drive back before it gets dark because some of the roads by the park can be very curvy and not well lit.Although this is sure to be an exhausting day and will probably be the best part of your trip if you are a nature lover. I know it was for us! We did Mount Rainer has a day trip and found it to be an impressive experience.
Head to Ballard District or Pike Pine District
Next, head back and shower from your day hiking (or not, you do you) and go grab a bite and maybe a craft beer. You earned it!I’d recommend heading to the Ballard District for a beer or the Pike Pine District for lots of food and drink options.
When in Pike Pine District I highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat at Oddfellows. They had the BEST food, it was all very fresh and such a unique blend of flavors. It is located in a historic building and has a gorgeous patio in the back and a great outdoor space in the front too. Eating anywhere in Pike Pine is sure to be a delight, there are so many wonderful places!
Day 2: Pike Pine, Capital Hill, Fremont Neighborhoods Exploring
It is a Saturday and a great day to explore a fun neighborhood in Seattle. Pike Pine, Capital Hill, and Fremont are all fun bustling areas of town to explore. You can pick one or even all of these adorable areas to explore.
Pike Pine Neighborhood
Pike Pine- We stayed in Pike Pine and this was the neighborhood we explored the most in Seattle. Be sure to take the time to venture on your own and hop in and out of different shops and eat from one of the many wonderful options for just about any type of food you can dream up.
Some of our favorite stops were:
Capital Hill Neighborhood
Capital Hill- Capital Hill is located right next to Pike Pine which makes it super easy to explore both areas of town easily.
Capital Hill is a known for its gay community, student population, eclectic shops, nice restaurants, and all around fun energy.
This is such a fun area to go out at night or enjoy during the day too. Some of our favorites were Oddfellows, Optimism Brewery, Hot Cakes for food and Standard Goods for shopping.
Fremont Neighborhood
Fremont is an eclectic area of town full of indie shops, antiquing and vintage shops, trendy bars, and hip restaurants.
Ballard Neighborhood
The Ballard neighborhood is a great stop for breweries, they all made such great craft beer! I would recommend having someone drive or taking an uber there. We walked part of the way here and it is not a super great area to walk around at night so I would avoid that in the future.
Party the night away at Capital Hill or Pike Pine. They are both great to jump around to different bars or restaurants. This area is so easy to wander because it is easily connected with so many bars and restaurants, each looking better than the last.
Follow the neon lights and the energy of the people and find a place that looks like the perfect fit. You just can’t go wrong and when you’re done grab a Seattle Dog from one of the hot dog stands.
Sunday- Pike Place
Now if you are planning a Seattle Trip I’m sure you have heard about the famous Pike Place, the market located on the pier. It is MASSIVE to say the least and has the most remarkable food. You can get almost any kind of food you want and it makes for the perfect food tour.
More time to explore Seattle?
Ferry Tour
I would recommend taking a ferry from the Pier. This is a great way to see the Seattle skyline. If you time it right and go at sunset it will be sure to have a magnificent view. There are tons of ferries that leave the pier for short tours or even longer rides.
Seattle Whale Watching
Another fun activity is whale watching. There are amazing tours that will take you for half days or longer and teach you about whales as you search the waters for a whale sighting. Most tours offer a guarantee that you will see a whale if you are there during whale watching season October through July with May being the best month to visit. Viator offers a great half day whale watching tour.
The Space Needle and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum
The Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum are located right next to one another! They make for a perfect way to see some of Seattle's top attractions.
Seattle was an incredible destination that is way more than just a pier with throwing fish and the Space Needle. We found it to be a grand adventure with so many unique and quirky gems from its lively neighborhood, local shopping, breathtaking nature, dazzling pier, and unrivaled food and drink scene. Be sure to come hungry and take the time to wander and find your own gems. Happy Travels!
Looking to extend your trip? Check out our Portland and Victoria Guides.
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