25 Best Things to Do in Seattle

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If you’re looking for the best things to do in Seattle, Washington, look no further.

After living in the city for almost a year, and exploring as much as I possibly can, I feel like I can give you a pretty great breakdown of the top Seattle attractions that you don’t want to miss.

As well as a few off-the-beaten-path museums, neighborhoods, and tips for seeing the best that this stunning city has to offer.

Getting to Seattle

There is one major airport in Seattle, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Known by locals as SeaTac, this is your best option for getting to Seattle from elsewhere in the country.

It is an incredibly well-connected airport, so unless you are flying from a smaller airport near you, there is a pretty good chance you’ll be able to snag direct flights right into SeaTac.

From the airport, it’s a short trip in a taxi to the city center, but the prices can be pretty steep, costing you about $50 for the 20 minute journey.

A more budget-friendly alternative is the lightrail. This is a train that runs from the airport all the way to the downtown area and only costs about $3. Just follow signs from the terminal to the lightrail and buy a ticket before getting on.

The Amtrak network here in Seattle is also somewhat extensive. If you prefer train travel, you can head here from Oregon, California, or even all the way from Chicago on the Empire builder. It takes about 3 days, so it’s not the most efficient route, but it’s pretty fun.

Where to Stay in Seattle

The downtown area can be hit-or-miss when it comes to the best place to stay in Seattle.

There is no hiding the fact that there is a large addiction and homeless problem in the city and much of that is centered around the corners of Pike St and 3rd Avenue as well as Pine St and 3rd Avenue (this makes up a single city block that isn’t the most glamorous place to hang out).

If you want to stay in downtown, I recommend booking a place close to Pike Place Market like the State Hotel or Inn at the Market.

Or look in the next neighborhood over, Belltown. Belltown still has a downtown vibe with newer skyscrapers and is home to the famous Seattle Space Needle.

A few great spots in Belltown include The Mediterranean Inn, Ace Hotel, and Belltown Inn.

Getting Around Seattle

Seattle is a city that you could easily visit without needing to rent a car.

If you are only planning to visit for a few days, you can explore most of the downtown area by foot. If you get tired you can hop on one of the city’s many buses, trams, or lightrail. And if you aren’t trying to stick to a strict budget, Uber is readily available at any time of day.

I simply use Google Maps to navigate around the city’s public transportation. Simply input the destination you want to reach and then navigate there using the public transportation button. It will tell you where the nearest bus stop is to your current location as well as when the next bus will arrive.

You can pay for the bus in Seattle with cash (you’ll need exact change) or you can get the TransitGo app which you can get for Android or Apple phones.

Tickets are valid for two hours, so you can continue to use the same ticket across as many buses as you need to as long as it is still valid. Simply activate the ticket when you are getting on and then show it to the bus driver as you get on.

Top Things to Do in Seattle

Seattle is a city that is constantly growing and improving.

Even in the short few months that I have called this city home more restaurants have opened up, more bars and cool art venues are appearing. 

This article will be an ever evolving list of all of the coolest things that I discover in Seattle. But if you want to stay truly up to date on the events that are going on during your time in the city, Visit Seattle is always a great resource for checking out what timely events will take place during your trip to the city.

1. Seattle Space Needle

The Seattle Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. During the expo it hosted over 2.5 million people, including a few famous names like Elvis, Prince Philip, Walter Cronkite, and Bob Hope!

You can purchase tickets to the Seattle Space Needle which includes a mini museum where you can learn all about how the idea of the Space Needle came to life. There are photos from the early 60’s showing the progress of building it, which is a fun way to learn more about it.

Then you take a 43-second elevator ride to the top. The views back over the city are unparalleled up here and the glass floor rotates. It takes about 45 minutes to make a full rotation. You can of course, simply use your legs and walk around the edges to see all of the different views without waiting quite so long.

It’s a must to pre-book your tickets, especially if you are visiting during the summer months when time slots sell out. The best option for those that also want to see the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum is to book a combined ticket. This way you save a little bit of money on each ticket.

If you just want a ticket to the Space Needle, you can book a ticket and time slot here.

2. Chihuly Garden and Glass

This small museum that sits just beneath the Space Needle is one of the most incredible things to do in Seattle.

The blown glass work here is all made by Washingtonian artist Dave Chihuly. It is colorful and bold. It is interesting and unique. You will no doubt be stopping to stare at the shapes he has been able to make with glass.

Learning much of his trade around Italy, he returned to Washington to share his experiences with eager art students here. His work is housed both inside as well as in the gardens where you can see how much nature influenced some of his works.

It’s best to visit the gardens on the same day that you visit the Space Needle since they are located right next to each other. The combination ticket allows you to save a few dollars on each entry ticket.

3. Pike Place Market

Founded in 1907, Pike Place Market is one of the oldest and largest public markets in the USA. Today the market still covers over nine acres in downtown Seattle and is home to hundreds of market vendors, farmers, restaurants, and small businesses.

In the different buildings of the market you’ll find artisan food vendors, fruit and vegetable stalls, fish mongers, crafts, flowers, and restaurants.

A few delicious spots not to miss include:

• Homemade crumpets from the Crumpet Shop
• Oysters from Jack’s Fish Spot
• Incredible savory pastries from Piroskhy Piroshky
• Clam Chowder from Pike Place Chowder

A few other notable things to check out inside the market include the minty fresh gum wall and the fish throwing at the stall right by the main entrance of the central building on Pike Place (where the big red Public Market sign is).

There is no schedule for the fish throwing. It is simply done when someone actually buys a fish. Your best chance of seeing it is when the market is busy and there are shoppers around mid-morning. 

If you really want to get to know the market well, consider taking a guided tour around it. You can sample food from some of the most famous spots and learn about the history of this fascinating place from a local chef. Book that tour here.

4. Seattle Art Museum

The Seattle Art Museum, referred to often simply as SAM, is a fine arts museum located in downtown Seattle.

The museum’s collection has over 25,000 pieces on rotation throughout the museum at any given time. They also have new and exciting international exhibits that you can see throughout the year.

This means that even if you have been to the SAM before, you can revisit next time you’re in Seattle and it’s likely that you’ll find rooms filled with completely different art than the last time you were here.

The museum offers free entry on the first Thursday of every month or you can purchase tickets online in advance.

5. Museum of Flight

Seattle is the home of Boeing and the Museum of Flight is one of the best museums about aviation in the entire country. 

There are several enormous rooms home to airplanes from every decade that airplanes have existed. There are military planes, old mail planes, homemade aircrafts, and a hangar full of enormous jets. 

The museum has a Concord, a 787 Dreamliner, and an Air Force One plane. There is also a huge exhibit about space including an Apollo 17 Lunar Module and a full sized space shuttle.

The original Boeing factory, known as the red barn, is also part of the museum and you can go inside where there are photographs and artifacts sharing the history of the company from the very beginning.

One last thing not to miss at the Museum of Flight is the Tower on Boeing Field. See what it’s like, even if for only a brief moment, to be an air traffic controller. Listen in on the radio to conversations between the tower and nearby pilots. It’s a very fascinating experience that you won’t find in many other places.

6. Museum of Pop Culture

Designed by famous architect Frank Gehry, this museum will certainly stop you in your tracks. Gehry is known for his work on the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA to name a few.

I highly recommend taking a full lap around the outside of this colorful and unique building before heading inside. The inside of the museum is dedicated to the changes in pop culture across the generations.

Learn about how music, gaming, film, and TV have shaped much of our culture in the United States, with a special focus on those that came from this region of the country. 

Count on a Nirvana exhibit, a Hendrix room, and an incredible guitar gallery. This is a particularly fantastic museum for music lovers and a great place to come with teens. You can show them some of the relics of your childhood which are no doubt scattered throughout the museum’s extensive collection of pop culture memorabilia. 

7. South Lake Union Park

One of the draws of living in a city like Seattle is that you feel like you are close to nature without really needing to leave the city. On a clear day, you can spot the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Mountains, and if you’re really lucky, Mt. Rainier.

But you also have access to tons of central city lakes, including the most central one, Lake Union.

You can access this lake from several different areas, but if you are staying close to the downtown, South Lake Union Park is the best place to come. If you’re here in summer, be sure to pack your bathing suit, and if there’s room, your inflatable paddle board.

This is a great place to come with a towel and a book and simply sit back and enjoy the sunshine. There are grassy spots, a few benches, and plenty of decking along the shoreline for you to spread out.

If you get hot, you can hop right in off the edge of the dock and cool off in Lake Union.

There are kayak rentals just around the eastern side of the lake where you can hire a boat for a few hours to explore all of the different sides of Lake Union. Paddle up close to some of the house boats to get an idea of where Tom Hanks’ character in Sleepless in Seattle lived.

8. Watch a Live Sporting Event

Seattle is home to tons of live sporting events throughout the year (except men’s basketball, don’t talk to a Seattleite about men’s basketball). 

Head to Lumen field to catch a Seahawks game. Go to T-Mobile Arena for a Mariner’s game. Head back to Lumen field for a Seattle Sounders match. Or you can get close to the Space Needle and watch the Kraken play at the Climate Pledge Arena.

If you love women’s sports, there are the Seattle Storm and Seattle Reign FC.

If you want something really local, head to a Ballard FC game at Memorial Stadium. This is a second division men’s soccer team that has a fantastic group of supporters and the beer garden is stocked with local craft beer. Tickets are usually under $20.

9. Go to the Beach

Whether you are visiting Seattle in the summer month’s or you’re looking for a nice place to go for a walk along the Puget Sound, there are a few fantastic beaches in Seattle worth visiting.

Just a word of warning if you’re not from the PNW. The water in the Puget Sound is COLD. It is never really warm enough to swim in for extended periods of time without a wet suit. Even in July and August it can feel closer to a cold plunge than a sea for floating in.

That being said, if you enjoy a cold dip or you’re happy to just perch on the beach and look out at the coastline, then you’ll love these spots.

• Alki Beach: Located in the neighborhood of West Seattle to the south west of the city center, this is one of the sandiest beaches in Seattle. You can get incredible views here out over the Puget Sound and spot a little bit of wild life if you’re lucky. There is a long boardwalk that you can take along the coastline that eventually brings you to a viewpoint back over the city center.
• Golden Gardens: This beach is located in the Ballard neighborhood and is not quite as large as Alki Beach. But it has tons of free parking and enough space even on a busy summer Sunday. There are clean facilities here and even a little cafe where you can grab ice cream or cold drinks. 
• Carkeek Park: This tiny rocky beach has a huge grassy park area and ample free parking. This is a fun place to come with young children because there is a large play area, safe walking trails, and then a beach where, at low tide, lots of rock pools form close to the water’s edge. 

10. Gas Works Park

Check out the views of Lake Union from the other side. Gas Works Park is often touted as having the best views of Seattle.

The park was once a gas works and the remnants of industry have been left as-is with a large fence around it to keep people safe. It’s not the most beautiful part of the park, but if you walk around the metallic piping, you’ll open up to an expansive view back over Lake Union and downtown Seattle.

During the summer months the lake is abuzz with activity. There will be sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards, floating hot tubs, and seaplanes taking off. And this is the best place to soak it all in. 

There is a large expanse of grass in every direction here. You’ll want to bring some beach chairs or a blanket to lay down on as well as any snacks or picnic goodies to enjoy.

There are clean bathrooms and a kid’s play area as well as a decent-sized parking lot that is free to park. If you want to grab some food to bring with you on the way check out Stone Way Cafe or Mas Cafe for epic egg sandwiches.

11. U District Cherry Blossoms

One of the best things to do in Seattle in the spring is to check out the cherry blossoms at peak bloom. This tends to happen some time in March. You can keep up with the peak bloom alerts on the Cherry Blossom Festival website.

There are a lot of different places around Seattle to see the cherry blossoms, but the very best place is in the Quad at the University of Washington Campus. 

There are over 100 trees around the entire campus and in the quad alone there are 29 cherry trees. This means when they are in peak bloom, it is truly a stunning place to wander through.

There is parking on campus that costs roughly $4. However, if you are visiting on a weekend, it is a much better option to take the bus and leave the car at home. The parking lot can get crazy on campus during peak bloom and you will likely spend more time waiting for a spot than you will exploring the cherry blossoms.

12. Magnuson Park

One of the best parks within a short distance from central Seattle is Magnuson Park. From here, on a clear day, you can see Mt. Rainier and the Cascade Mountains.

There is a large swimming area where you can take a slightly warmer dip into Lake Washington. This is also a great place to launch a kayak or paddleboard.

There are walking and running trails. There is an enclosed dog run as well as a large off-leash area for dogs.

There is ample free parking around Magnuson or the #62 bus stops right outside the entrance and runs directly into the city center from there.

13. Discovery Park

For a park that is a little bit closer to the city center, Discovery Park is a great option for hiking, running, and taking a cold dip in the Puget Sound.

There is a small beach at the tip of the park where you can sit, swim or watch the kite surfers. At low tide, you can walk quite far along the beach right beside the soft sandy cliffs.

This 534-acre park offers some of the best views in the city of the Olympic Mountains. There are so many wonderful trails for walking and running. There’s an interesting information center near the entrance of the park to stop into and even grab a few PNW souvenir stickers or t-shirts.

14. Experience a Seattle Farmer’s Market

Nearly every day of the week, especially during the summer, you can find a great farmer’s market somewhere in Seattle.

No matter what time of year, you can find the Ballard Farmer’s Market happening every Sunday from 9am-2pm. This market is one of the best in the city for grabbing some fantastic local produce and artisan crafts.

There is also fantastic food to try here like the quesadillas at Patty Pan Cooperative, the amazing pizza at Vespucci, or birria tacos at T’Juana Tacos.

If you would prefer to browse the stalls at a cool vintage market, the Fremont Sunday Market will be more up your street. It opens around 10am and lasts for much of the afternoon with tons of vendors selling vintage and repurposed clothing and homewares along the street as well as inside the Bazaar.

There are also great food trucks at this market, making is the perfect place to come for lunch and a fun browse on a Sunday in Seattle.

A little bit closer to downtown is the Capitol Hill Sunday Market. This is similar to the Ballard Farmer’s Market with produce and meat vendors as well as some great food vendors. 

15. Ballard Locks

If you decide to go to the Sunday market in Ballard, head down the road to the Ballard Locks to see this historical site here in Seattle.

Completed in 1917, these locks separate the fresh water of Lake Union with the saltwater of the Puget Sound. Boats as large as 760 feet can make their way through these locks, but it’s something much smaller that may bring you over to this popular tourist spot.

Each year, salmon migrate from the Puget Sound into the fresh water of the lake to spawn. There is a fish ladder with 21 steps for the fish to make an easier journey through the water.

There is also a viewing area that takes you beneath the water where you can watch the salmon “climbing” these steps through the glass windows.

The best time to see the large King Salmon coming through the locks is mid-late August. Coho Salmon make their way in September. Stealhead Trout make their way through the lock between late-February and mid-March.

16. National Nordic Museum

One more stop to make while you’re in Ballard is to the National Nordic Museum.

Long before Ballard was a neighborhood in Seattle, it was actually it’s own city. The city was settled in the 1850s and quickly became a hub for fishing and timber jobs.

Many of these jobs were filled by Scandinavian immigrants. Inside the National Nordic Museum you can learn more about the history of the journey that many of these people made and what an enormous impact their culture has had not only on Ballard but on all of Seattle.

The museum is a fascinating look at Nordic culture with historical artifacts from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. Many of the pieces are on loan from the national museums in each of these countries. The museum was even officially opened by the Princess of Denmark!

Pop into the museum cafe (no museum ticket necessary) to sample some Nordic cuisine. They have truly exquisite Danish pastries (the cardamom rolls take me right back to Copenhagen!) and some great lunch options.

17. Henry Art Gallery

One of the best galleries in the city, the Henry Art Museum is located at the University of Washington campus. Entry is by donation, so you can pay as much or as little as your are able and still explore this amazing space.

It is a contemporary art museum with two levels and constantly changing exhibits. I have lived here for less than a year and already visited the museum twice to discover different exhibits and look forward to checking it out again in a few months when they change things up yet again.

This is a particularly wonderful gallery for photography lovers. The gallery has a collection of photographs that dates back to the 1840s. 

18. Green Lake & Woodland Park

Located in the same greenspace, these two parks blend into each other. 

Woodland Park is a good place to start. If you are visiting Seattle with kids, this is the perfect place to get them to burn off some of that energy.

There is an abundance of trails, a few playground areas, and a zoo. The Woodland Park Zoo is doing some amazing conservation work and they also host some fantastic events throughout the year that are fun for both kids and adults.

If you follow the paths to the northeast you will eventually hit Green Lake. There is a 2.8-mile loop around the lake. There is a swimming area, a cafe where you can grab ice cream, coffee, and snacks.

There is a kayak and paddle board rental area if you want to get out into the water or just jump off of the dock that sits a few dozen yards away from the shore.

If you get hungry, head to nearby Beth’s Cafe for one of the best diners in Seattle. 

19. Japanese Garden

One of the most tranquil things to do in Seattle, the Japanese Garden is located in the Washington Arboretum Park.

It’s a 3.5-acre garden with winding paths and benches where you can sit and reflect. There are ponds, rock gardens, lanterns, bridges, and stone structures. 

Each season is a new experience with different flowers in bloom throughout the year. You can learn more about the park on a tour of the gardens which takes place at 11am and 1pm Tuesday to Friday. 

Entry is $10 and like many museums in Seattle, it is free on the first Thursday of each month. There is a single tour available on this day at 1pm.

20. Wander around Fremont

If you have read other lists of the best things to do in Seattle, you’ll no doubt have already heard about the Fremont Troll. This is what brings most tourists to the Fremont neighborhood. And he is pretty cool.

But this neighborhood is worth so much more of your time. Head down 34th street and explore some of the best locally owned shops.

Pop into Ophelia’s Books, grab some food from Lucky’s Pho, eat insanely delicious chocolate chip cookies from Brownies and Bites, and have the best Thai food in town at Kin Len Thai Night Bites.

There’s Fremont Brewery with its delicious beers and large beer garden. There is the Vintage Mall for amazing clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories.

There are also other cool statues besides the Fremont Troll. You have a statue of Lenin that made it all the way over here from Poland. There is a statue of people waiting for the Interurban.

Once you’re done eating and exploring, walk along the Burke Gilman Trail and head back into the city by foot across the Fremont Bridge. 

21. Frye Art Museum

The Frye Museum is a modern and contemporary art museum in the downtown area of Seattle. It is free every day of the year, making it accessible for all budgets.

It was opened in 1952 to house the private art collection of Charles and Emma Frye. Charles Frye was the owner of a local meatpacking plant in Seattle and he and his wife were first generation German immigrants.

They collected mostly German and Austrian works during their lifetime. The collection still reflects this style but has grown enormously to include American and other European artists. There is also always a collection of visiting exhibits from around the world.

In addition to paintings and sculptures, the museum also has mixed medium work, photography, and film. They also have live events each month where you can learn about an artist or a style of work being featured at the museum. 

22. Take a Ferry to Bainbridge Island

There are dozens of islands and peninsulas to explore out in the Puget Sound. You could take an entire week to explore just one or two of these amazing spots.

But if you are visiting Seattle, you can easily visit one as a half-day trip. Bainbridge Island is a 30-minute ferry ride and you don’t need to bring a car to see some of this beautiful little slice of the Puget Sound.

The ferry costs $10 round trip and the boat ride alone is worth the money. It will take you out right in front of the harbor and you can look back at a stunning view of the skyline and Space Needle.

As the boat heads towards Bainbridge Island, look to the left and you might get a sight of Mt. Rainier. Look straight ahead for the snow-capped Olympic Mountains.

Once you get to Bainbridge Island, follow the crowds to the center of Winslow, the closest town on the island. It takes just over 5 minutes to walk there from the ferry terminal.

Here you can explore spots like Eagle Harbor Book Co, taste some locally made balsamic vinegar and olive oil and Lively Olive Tasting Bar, and sample the local wine at the Fletcher Bay Winery Tasting Room.

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is spectacular and free every day of the week. Take a walk along the main street and then turn left on Madison Avenue to head towards the water. Along the way, take note of the different sculptures along the way, there are many more along the waterfront walkway.

Grab lunch or dinner at Doc’s Marina Grill, Proper Fish, or Bruciato.

23. Soak in the Views of Mt. Rainier

There are plenty of places to take in the views of Mt. Rainier in Seattle if the weather is good.

You can see it from the top of the Space Needle, you can see it from the lightrail as you head towards the airport. If you are taking it from the city to the airport, look out of the window to the left as you get close to the airport.

As I mentioned above, you can also get a great view of Mt. Rainier from Magnuson Park.

But the absolute best view from Seattle, without having to drive south too far, is from Seward Park.

This park is stunning enough to visit even if you couldn’t see Mt. Rainier. But the view from the south side of this park is truly unbeatable on a clear day. It feels like you can reach out and touch Mt. Rainier. 

As a bonus, you can bring some towels and a bathing suit and take a dip in Lake Washington while you’re here. 

24. Explore the Craft Beer Scene

There was a moment in time back around 2016/17 when Seattle had the most craft breweries in the entire United States.

It has been overtaken by Chicago since then, but it still remains a city packed with amazing craft breweries that are worth exploring. Over 250 of them to be precise. You can see an extensive list of them here.

Whether you like a fruity IPA, a rich porter, a light Pilsner, a Sour or something totally different, you are bound to find a brewery or three to suit your tastebuds.

A few notable breweries that have been tried and tested by yours truly include:

• Fremont Brewing has the best beer garden in Seattle (the POG and the Sky Kraken are particularly delicious).
• Fair Isle Brewing is creating some truly unique beer that you won’t find elsewhere in Seattle.
• Urban Family is the must-visit for those that love Sours and IPAs.
• Fast Fashion Brewery has a cool bar setup and an extensive IPA list.
• Pike Brewing is a long standing brewery right next to Pike Place Market.
• Stoup has several locations around Seattle, but the Capitol Hill location has the best vibes.

25. Burke Museum of Natural History

Located in the U District neighborhood on the University of Washington Campus, this is a fun museum for kids and lifetime learners.

It is free on the first Thursday of each month. Otherwise, booking online is recommended since it can get very busy on weekends or during school holidays.

There are three floors packed with Native American history, dinosaurs and other fossils, a biology exhibit, and an Arts and Culture section.

If you get hungry, stop into the museum cafe, Off the Rez for some amazing Native American chile and fry bread. The coffee is also excellent here.