All-Season Seattle Guide
All-Season Seattle Guide
Himanshi Sharma
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This guide is written with the intention of making the most of all this City has to offer - nature, views, city life, restaurants and bars, sports, music - with minimal planning.
To make is easier to read I have split the guide into sections of things to do regardless of the season and then activities for each season. You can pick and choose events on how active you want this trip to be and how far you want to venture out of the city. (Find some transportation tips at the end of the guide :))
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All Year Activities
Iconic Seattle Sites:
Kerry Park
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I swear this is the best place to see all of Seattle. In fact I would argue this is one of the most underrated spots to visit in Seattle. Day or Night, catch the best views from Kerry Park.
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Fremont Troll
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This is on the way back to Seattle from Fremont and North Seattle. It is much bigger than you would expect and it would make the troll under the bridge very grumpy if you didn't stop to say hi :)
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Space Needle
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The iconic tower on every picture of Seattle's Skyline is a spot you should stop at. There is a really cool souvenir store at the base of the tower with 100s of options to choose from. The trip to the top of the tower is worth the view throughout the day but sunsets are always beautiful up there. The rotating floor was also revolutionary in the 1960s.
Note that sometime the wait times can be over a few hours on the weekend. If you don't have time to wait around, you can either buy tickets early or stop by at the Columbia Observatory to catch views
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Pike Place Market
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Stop by at one of the oldest and culturally rich market. You can spend hours checking out food and produce offered by all the vendors. I always itch to buy the art and flowers sold here.
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The Gum Wall
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Stop by at admittedly one of the weirdest attractions in Seattle - the gum wall. It is a short flight of stairs down from the pike place market.
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Pier 62
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Take your snack down to the Pier to see all the ships go by at the waterfront. You can also see most of the high rises from this spot so it is good spot to rest your feet and take a breather.
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Architecture and Museums
Museum of Pop Culture
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With rotating exhibits every month, there are always new features and points of focus to explore. When we visited the focus was Disney characters and films.
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Chihuly Garden and Glass
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10/10 recommend. I did not expect to see all way glass is shaped here and how they all refract light so differently.
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Pacific Science Center
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If you are a big science geek, the Pacific Science Center is a great spot to stop by and it is right by the space needle. It is good to take kids to as well. It has one of the largest iMax screens too.
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Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)
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If you stop by at South Lake Union, the MOHAI is a unique museum that focusses on maritime history and innovation.
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The Museum of Flight
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Great place to learn about aviation and walk through various Boeing airplanes.
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Sky View Observatory - Columbia Center
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If you weren't able to make it to the Space Needle this iconic observatory is the next best thing. It usually has a shorter wait time. Check ahead of time to see if it is open.
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The Spheres
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Also called Bezos's balls, this Amazon building is beautiful and lush. It is open for visiting on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month.
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Seattle Public Library - Central Library
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Check out this interesting Zig Zag shaped library in the heart of the city.
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Smith Tower
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Historically one of the tallest buildings outside New York for decades. The neoclassical architecture and the rooftop bar are some notable features.
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Rainier Tower
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This unbelievable tower stands on an inverted 11-story high pyramid with 29 stories of office space resting on top.
If you can't stop here definitely drive by.
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Food and Drink:
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
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Visit the home of Starbucks and try out all their unique offerings exclusive to the reserve.
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Theo Chocolate
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Learn and see all about local Chocolate at the Theo Factory. They offer both tastings and classes.
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Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar
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While this is a little ways out of the city, if you are visitiing Bellevue this is a great place to stop for a good meal. We enjoyed the Paellas.
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The Pink Door
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Loved the vibe of the place and with a variety of options on the menu, there is something for everyone.
If you can't find the restaurant/bar remember to look for the pink door, literally.
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Din Tai Fung
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If you're craving Chinese, stop by at one of their locations in Seattle. Their noodles and chicken soup dumplings are my favorite.
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Wild Ginger
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If you're looking for a variety of Southeast Asian dishes, Wild Ginger offers a selection to choose from.
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Portage Bay Cafe - South Lake Union
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The portion sizes here are huge and the berry bar offers a huge selection of toppings. Top spot for brunch and mimosas!
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Tacos Chukis
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This Taqueria offers some of the best tasting Tacos and they are snack sized so grab as many as you want :)
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MOTO West Seattle
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This deep dish pizza chain can have a wait time off 3 months, this location however is able to meet all walk in needs.
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Can Am Pizza
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10/10 would recommend and can be delivered. South Asian Pizza that hits the spot
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Kanishka Cuisine of India
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If you're craving Indian, this restaurant offers authentic Indian and a large lunch buffet.
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Bai Tong Thai Street Cafe
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One of the best Thai restaurants in Seattle. The Papaya salad is amazing!
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Inside Passage
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An immersive underwater themed bar that is located inside Rumba Bar. Walk in and ask to be put on the list for Inside Passage.
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The Nest Rooftop Bar
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This is a great rooftop facing the puget sound but majority of the seating is outside so it isn't the best for colder months.
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mbar
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Rooftop bar facing SLU and the water, there is also a great indoor area that you can still see the views from while enjoying your espresso martini
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Chop Suey
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Club with unique themed nights - check out their website or instagram to know the theme of the night
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Fog Room
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Another rooftop bar with great snacks and in the heart of the skyscrapers in Seattle
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Fremont Brewing's Urban Beer Garden
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Brewery with over 30 options and flights to taste test them.
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Seattle does Coffee really well! Venture out and try local cafes based on where you are.
Seasonal Activities:
Summer
Mount Rainier National Park
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Take a day trip to this mountain and checkout alltrails with 100s of hikes to choose from with descriptions of distance and difficulty.
Pictures don't do justice to the beauty of Rainier. In fact you can see it from Seattle on the clear days and it makes the day of everybody that lives here.
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Olympic National Park
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A combination of beach, snow covered peaks, rainforests and crystal lakes. There is a lot that this national park has to offer.
You can either drive all the way over or take the ferry to Bainbridge. Hurricane ridge is one of the most iconic hikes here and Crescent lake is another stop you must make.
For more recommendations look into all trails and WTA's websites.
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Lake Union
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Go Paddleboarding or Kayaking across the lake. There are plenty of rental spots near South Lake Union.
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Cal Anderson Park
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If you want to spend a day living like a local, Cal Anderson is the hub of activity in Seattle. Join in on a game of Spikeball
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Golden Gardens Park
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Another great picnic spot except this time it faces the sea and the Olympic mountains!
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Deception Pass
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If you want a drive our of Seattle that combines the Puget Sound and mountains + an iconic bridge: Deception pass is about 80 miles North. Visiting the beach and surrounding areas involves minimal hiking and is more of a walk.
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Fall
Bainbridge Island Ferry
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Take the ferry for 40 minutes to Bainbridge Islands with stunning views of the sound, city and islands. You can book the ferry and check schedules here https://www.bainbridgeisland.com/ferry/
You can take your car along if you want or rent scooters there
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Climate Pledge Arena
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You can't miss a Kraken game! It is a part of the Seattle spirit and also home to a lot of concerts
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Winter
Leavenworth
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Check out this German town a couple hours from Seattle with stunning views, great beer and amazing winter/fall lights
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The Elliott Bay Book Company
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Spend an afternoon out of the rain checking out some of the latest books!
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Spring
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Roozengaarde
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Expanse of 1000s of tulips in dozens of colors spreading as far as you can see with peaks of mountains in the background.
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Capitol Hill Sunday Farmers Market
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Check out local street food and produce in the heart of the city
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Puget Sound Express
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Go whale watching and see the pods of Orcas that live a few miles off the coast
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Tips:
- The link is probably the quickest and cheapest way to get to the city. If you would not want to drag you luggage around, cabs will pick you up in less than a few minutes.
- While traveling through the city, a lot of things are walkable but the buses and link are great options. Ubers/Lyfts should be about 10/20$ within the city.
- If you have a rental car, downtown parking is expensive so if you are visiting that part of the city leaving your car behind would be a good idea. Â Street parking can usually be found in all other areas (barring Cap Hill on weekends and around Climate Pledge on game days.)
- Always look for sports and music events in Seattle when you visit. There is always something going on and it really is a big part of the culture in Seattle.
- Always carry a waterproof coat. Usually rain in Seattle is like a constant drizzle so you don't need an umbrella but unless it is the middle of Summer there is a chance of rain.
- While flying out of the city, you can check out Seattle Spot Saver which is basically a site to book a 15 minute interval of express TSA lines reserved for you. Book this 24 hours before you fly out and go to the TSA Checkpoint at the time you booked.
- Seattle has some good days of Sunshine through Spring, Fall and Winter so even though there are different activities bracketed by Season, there is a good chance you can do things like hikes, whale watching, concerts, and games throughout the seasons based on what the weather is like.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Himanshi Sharma
Available for hire
Hey! I am a young traveller trying to see as much of the world as I can. I love travel and I want to make the most of each place while balancing limited time off and budget as someone early in their career. I would describe my travel style as a mix between going out and exploring on my own terms and leveraging tours and guides for activities that would require expert advice/guidance.
My goal while creating itineraries here, is to make the most of each trip possible. I share the things I kept in mind while planning and packing for the trip as well as things I wish I knew before I got there. My guides are filled with places and activities that I would 11/10 recommend and the logistics to do them.
If you are debating whether to buy any of my itineraries, think of them as a starter template for you trip with a lot of options for you to add and subtract based on your preferences. I hope you have the best trip :)
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