The Perfect 4 Days In Seattle [Itinerary]


This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase. Read Disclosure.

Ahh Seattle, what a place! It’s a city that’s birthed some of the greatest contributors to the 20th century – Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Jimi Hendrix – and has a collaborative, community vibe that you can’t explain in words, you simply have to go.

Famous for its coffee culture and tech innovation, Seattle is the perfect place to spend four days on a city break. It has a culture that supports the arts, unique attractions, innovation, musical legacy and sports.

people in front of a seattle mural
We love Seattle

Following our below 4 day Seattle itinerary, you’ll be able to uncover the unique story behind this city, visit it’s must-see attractions, and peep behind the curtain on what makes this city such a diverse place.

Let’s crack on…

About this 4-day itinerary for Seaatle

Space needle views of Seattle
Views from the Space Needle

This itinerary has been designed for first time visitors and targets the biggest attractions plus local experiences and hidden gems.

I’ve designed this itinerary to be super flexible, so if you have more or less days, you can cut out attractions that don’t fit your taste or you can add in a couple day trips (see the end of this guide for some links to suggestions).

If desired, change according to the location of your hotel, waking hours, specific interests etc.

I’ve organized each day around a certain theme with attractions in fairly close proximity to save time in getting around.

The first two days are where you’ll find the most popular and unique Seattle attractions. This is typically what a person will want to do if limited to a two day trip.

If you only have three days, I’d leave out Day 4.

Four days was a wonderful amount of time for us to enjoy the best of Seattle, soak up the atmosphere, and really get an in-depth experience of it’s cultural diversity.

I didn’t give a lot of choices for eating to give you flexibility to suit your style. We were staying in a vacation rental in a neighborhood east of Seattle and ate around that area, and we also did not experience the Seattle nightlife as we traveled with our daughters.

You may want to add this in to your itinerary if you want to check out the live music venues and bars.

Day 1: Arts and Culture

Seattle is so fun for kids

Seattle is one of the best cities in the country for art and culture, especially music.

This day will focus on learning and experiencing that in the Queen Anne Neighborhood where you’ll find the Seattle Center and some of the city’s best museums.

We don’t usually visit museums but we loved the ones in Seattle for their uniqueness.

As seasoned travelers, we think it’s usually a waste of your time and resources to go to generic experiences like playgrounds, aquariums, zoos, natural history and children’s museums. Save that for entertaining the kids (or yourself) at home.

We only choose those that are specific to the area we are visiting and tell a unique story. Seattle is the exception.

8:00am: Breakfast at Starbucks Reserve Roastery

people sitting on chairs drinking coffee
Having fun tasting coffee in Starbucks Roastery

While everyone else is lining up at Starbucks in Pike Place Market, we recommend you instead head to the Starbucks Roastery for a unique Starbucks experience!

This is not your typical Starbucks café. It’s the mega version with a roastery, a café, a coffee library, and almost a museum of the coffee roasting process.

You can get bakery and food items and alcohol here (operated by Princi Bakery), which I felt were a little overpriced. But, you know, Starbucks.

starbucks roastery seattle
girl holding up a chocolate croissant

The Experience Bar is a place to sit down and order unique and siphon brewed coffees not found elsewhere. I enjoyed this Seattle experience.

If this is too much of a detour to start off this day (depend where you staying) you may wish to fit it in elsewhere. It was on our way from our vacation rental to Seattle Center so was an easy fit in.

9:00am: Olympic Sculpture Park

Olympic Sculpture PArk Seattle
The Olympic Sculpture Park

The Olympic Sculpture Park is an award-winning nine-acre sculpture park on the waterfront. It is Seattle’s largest downtown green space has paved walkways and nature trails lined with quirky sculptures. 

Follow the zig-zag path down to the waterfront and admire the many different sculptures of various sizes and colors.

You’ll have incredible views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains in the distance.

10:00am: Seattle Center

people standing next to physical artwork in a park
The Seattle Center

The Seattle Center is an active civic, arts and family gathering place featuring more than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations in the uptown Arts & Cultural District.

A visit to the Seattle Center is informative and fun and and the place to experience some of the best art and culture in Seattle. They are showing the rest of the world how to make your art and cultural museums and experiences stand out.

I love how all museums and attractions were in one vibrant fun place with art installations and public places to rest and unwind while you either waited for your next museum tour, or ate lunch, or just hung out by the fountain or at the art and play playground for the kids.

Plan your visit to the Seattle Art Center carefully and book in advance when you can to avoid queues.

Here are the Seattle Center attractions we recommend. You can read more in-depth information and more photos on them in our Seattle Guide.

Space Needle

woman and child looking up at The Space Needle, Seattle Washington
The Space Needle

I was impressed with the Space Needle, it’s one of the iconic attractions in Seattle Washington.

Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the 605 ft. high Space Needle is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world and its futuristic design symbolizes the innovative and forward-thinking spirit of Seattle.

woman and kids in space needle with view of seattle behind them
The glass chairs
kids looking through glass floor of space needle
Looking through the glass floor.

The 360 views of the city are spectacular on the two observation decks: the all glass floor and an open-air observation deck above. I especially loved the featured like glass chairs leaning against the glass windows and glass rotating floors to add a little thrill to the experience.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

boat with glass balls in it

I love Dale Chihuly’s innovative glass art and have seem many of his installations across the country so I loved this Seattle Museum the most.

Chihuly has received numerous awards, honorary doctorates and fellowships and The Chihuly Garden and Glass museum is dedicated to his life story, influences and inspirations.

Don’t miss the 40 ft. glass house with a vibrantly warm and colorful 100 foot long sculpture.

You’ll get great views of the Seattle Space Needle behind this sculpture when you look up. Take a walk through the lush landscaped gardens and admire how well the art sculptures blend with it.

You’ll be amazed at how well the art sculptures blend into the lush landscaped garden. 

Museum of Pop Culture

people walking a labyrinth in front of museum of pop culture
Seattle has some of the best and most unique musuems!

One of the newer attractions in Seattle is MoPop (Museum of Pop Culture), an art museum inspired by Jimi Hendrix, the legendary musician born in Seattle . This is a Seattle Center museum dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture, with its roots in Rock’n’ Roll.

It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen back in 2000, and has evolved from being a music museum to featuring movies and other aspects of pop culture too, from fantasy and horror cinema, to video games to science fiction books.

There’s a huge Harry Potter exhibit, which is pretty cool if you’ve never been to Harry Potter studios or Universal Studios.

Housed inside its 140,000-square-foot exhibition space are several galleries.

It’s also home to one of the largest indoor LED screens in the world.

Grunge music lovers will love the exhibitions on Nirvana and Pearl Jam. And the design of the building adds to the unique coolness of Seattle – always making things stand out!

Check what exhibits are on. When we visited there was a Minecraft exhibition which is great for visiting Seattle with kids.

KEXP – grab a coffee

KEXP Live Room and Viewing Gallery. Seattle center attraction
The Prince Wall

A cool local experience while at the Seattle Center is to grab a coffee at the KEXP Live Room and Viewing Gallery. It’s an audio and video broadcast studio that has a Gathering Space, which is a community hub and hangout place for music lovers.

It’s definitely worth a peek inside to sit for awhile with a delicious cup of coffee at La Marzocco 

You can listen to what is on the radio and see them recording it through the window. Check out the amazing dedication wall to Prince.

CONSIDER:
 To save time, pack a picnic lunch or eat at the Pacific Science Center food court.
 Your CityPass admission to the Space needle gives you access to return for night time views!
* Admission part of the CityPAss

5:00pm: Explore Queen Anne Neighborhood

A view of seattle skyling with tall buildings in the background
The view of Seattle from Kerry Park

This much loved hillside neighborhood is named for the elegant “Queen Anne” style of architecture with front-facing gables, balconies, and generous bay windows.

Lower Queen Anne is where you’ll find most of the tourists and major attractions explored above, including the Space Needle, Seattle Center, and Memorial Stadium.

The western portion of Queen Anne Avenue is where you’ll find local eateries and boutique stores. Pick up an ice cream from favorite, Molly Moons.

The highlight of a visit for many to this Seattle neighborhood is the stunning view of Seattle – the space needle (and if you’re lucky Mt Rainier) from the small neighborhood park, Kerry Park.

This was my favorite view of Seattle.

Optional activity: Amazon Spheres and Understory

people sitting around a large art display
Amazon Spheres

Depending on how you are going for time, you may want to visit the Amazon Spheres and Understory, which is not too far from the Seattle Center. It is a popular place to visit with a very unique design, but could be a little underwhelming.

The Understory is in the heart of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. Its a free public space with interactive exhibits about flora and design, showcasing Amazon’s approach towards an urban office.

The space outside had bean bags on a grassed area to sit down on and it was surrounded by loads of plants and trees. It was a nice space.

For a tour of the indoor gardens of the Spheres, you have to sign up in advance at Amazon HQ Tour. They run them two Saturdays a  month.

Day 2: History & Waterfront Attractions

family walking around seattle waterfront
Seattle waterfront views

Today on the Seattle Itinerary will be incorporating more of Seattle’s top attractions this time centered around the Seattle Waterfront region and Pioneer Place.

Don’t forget to leave time for some cupcake tasting, and plan in advance what you want to experience at Pike Place Market and your dinner and evening plans.

8:00am: Breakfast on a Pike Place Market food tour

Pike Place Market was established in 1907 to connect citizens and farmers.

Its “Meet the Producer” tradition offers a year-round farmers market, owner-operated bakeries, fish markets, butcher shops, produce stands and specialty food store across a nine-acre historic district.

My favorite of the things to do in Seattle was the VIP early opening food tour of Pike Place Market, probably the most famous market in the USA.

What I loved about this tour, was not just the delicious sampling of food we had for the entire three hours, nor our funny, friendly and informative guide, Justin, but also all the stories that gave us insight into the history and how this market has shaped the culture of Seattle – and, it is kid friendly!

I loved having Justin take us to all the best and interesting spots like Indi chocolate, maple bacon donuts, spiced tea, Turkish flatbread and locally made chocolate for samples (great for doing Seattle with kids) before all the crowds of the day came to jostle us out of the way.

Book your VIP food tour experience here

10:00am: Explore Pike Place more at leisure

Pike Place Market
The iconic Pike Place Market

I recommend spending time after your tour to explore Pike Place Market a little deeper.

With six levels and more than 200 stores and 80 restaurants, you could get lost in Pike Place for hours.

A highlight will be watching the fish throwers at Pike Place Fish. A tradition since 1986, fishmongers throw fish that customers have purchased, before they are wrapped.

storyville coffee pike place market
Storyville coffee – not Starbucks

Pike Place Market is also the birthplace of Starbucks Coffee.

While I am not a raving fan of their coffee, I do appreciate the grassroots story turned into global phenomenon. Starbucks devotees may wish to line up at the original store (which really isn’t the original original as that one actually burned down.)

  • Honest Biscuits Metl-in-your-mouth biscuits (including gluten free biscuits)
  • Grab a creamy coffee from Storyville. If you don’t love it after the third sip, they’ll refund your money. We did not have to use the guarantee.
  • Don’t forget to peek at the gum wall (we ran out of time)
  • Pike Place Chowder has what is meant to be the best chowder (go early to avoid long lines)f

11:00am: Seattle Waterfront

View of Seattle from the Seattle Ferry
View of Seattle Waterfront from the Seattle Ferry

From Pike Place you can walk along the Seattle Waterfront area located on the Puget Sound which is a collection of lively piers filled with seafood restaurants, souvenir shops and some of the top attractions like the Seattle Great Wheel and the Seattle Aquarium.

Pier 62 is one acre of flexible public space that will be programmed year round with cultural, recreational, and educational programs that celebrate all communities and cultures.

seattle great wheel
seattle ferris wheel views

We rode the Seattle Great Wheel, the giant Ferris Wheel offering superb views of Seattle waterfront and downtown.

This ride will last about 30-minutes in a full enclosed gondola so can be worth it on a clear day if you love city views and photography. Kids will love this!

12:00pm: The Crab Pot for a famous Seafest

Like seafood?

Time to get your hands dirty as you devour a Seafest: a giant steamed bucket of seafood dumped directly onto your paper covered table.

Enjoy your delicious locally fresh caught seafood that includes steamed clams, Pacific Mussels, Dungeness Crab, Snow Crab, Shrimp, Salmon, Corn on the Cob & red roast potatoes.

It’s probably the best seafood I’ve had in the US and reminded me even more of Sydney. Even better that it was paired with a glass of chardonnay on a warm summer’s day.

A table on the wharf would be best for Seattle views and outdoor ambiance.

1:00pm: Walk to Pioneer Square or Cruise

girl walking through pioneer square
Pioneer Square

Plan your timings well here depending on how you are getting around and how much time you want to spend at the waterfront area verse exploring the cobblestone streets of Seattle’s oldest neighborhood.

There isn’t a great deal to see here but it is very pretty. The best way to do it is on the Seattle Underground Tour below.

It’s recommended to book ahead. It will give you the best overview of the area and then with any remaining time you have, you can just wander around the Pioneer Square.

A person holding a phone in front of a body of water
Seattle Cruises

If you want an alternative, since you are in the Seattle Waterfront area, you could take a cruise of the Puget Sound. Argosy cruises of the Puget sound with views of the Seattle skyline are included on your Seattle CityPass.

Or, you can take a Washington State Ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. It takes 30 minutes each way and it will give you those magnificent views of Seattle’s skyline. It isn’t out of the ordinary to see whales on the journey.

We caught the ferry over from Bainbridge Island with our car and it was beautiful!

3:00pm: Seattle Underground Tour

people walking ujnderground on tour
Seattle underground tour

Time to head below Seattle for a fascinating insight into the beginnings of Seattle as a settled city.

The Seattle Underground Tour will take you underneath the streets of the historic Pioneer Square lies a network of undergrounds passageways. They were once the alleys leading into shopfronts as the city was being raised out of the swamps.

Some of those tunnels can be accessed now either through bars, comedy clubs, or retails stores. You can also tour them with a guide who will take you places you normally can’t go and share the stories of this Seattle world in the late 1700s early 1800s.

Notice small purple color glass squares on the pavements of Pioneer Square, they are actually skylights for the underground.

CONSIDER:

Seattle Mariners baseball game and pregame dinner drinks at Pyramid Alehouse. This is not too far to walk form Pioneer Square, or you can add it into the end of tomorrow’s day as it is also close to the Smith Tower. We loved this Seattle sports experience!

Optional Activity: Seattle Aquarium

We’ve been to hundreds of aquariums (or it feels like it) over the years, so we didn’t stop by the Seattle Aquarium.

However, it’s widely recognized as one of the best aquariums in the USA, as well as being a historic attraction in Seattle.

It opened back in 1977, as a place to show visitor’s of Seattle what wildlife lives in the Puget Sound. It has a 360-degree Underwater Dome, where you can look up into a tank of 400,000-gallons of water and watch playful sea otters and seals swim around the marine life.

It has three buildings, so takes a while to explore. There are also marine birds and mammals to see, not just fish and sea plants.

It’s a little pricey, but if you haven’t been to a lot of aquariums in your time, most people who visit say it’s worth it – especially if you have kids.

Day 3: Beach Culture and Views

family on alki beach
Alki Beach

Seattle is a city surrounded by water, which means beaches are all around the shorelines.

The salty Elliot Bay and Puget Sound borders the city to the west, while the massive Lake Washington offers freshwater to the east. (we stayed near here. It’s beautiful!)

One of the most popular beaches (and easiest to get to from downtown) is Alki Beach.

So on Day 3 of our itinerary for Seattle, you’ll experience a more local taste of Seattle beach culture. We’ll end it with some gorgeous Seattle views form above.

8:30am: Breakfast at Arthur’s Cafe

people sitting at a table
Aussie Happy at Arthurs Café!

If you are driving to Alki Beach we recommend breakfast at Arthur’s Cafe, an Australian cafe!

I was delighted with my flat white and smashed Avo: heirloom tomatoes, poached eggs on top of avocado mashed with lemon, mint, basil and parsley on (gluten free) toast. And of course, it was vegemite for the girls’!

If you’re catching a water taxi to Alki Beach, you might want to consider breakfast at a place near your hotel before you leave.

10:00am: Alki Beach

alki beach volleyball courts
Alki Beach

Alki Beach stretches for two and a half miles from Alki Point to Duwamish Head in West Seattle. It’s where the first modern pioneers landed in Seattle in 1851.

You can catch a water taxi from downtown Seattle to Seacrest Park Pier (enjoy the views of Seattle when you arrive.).

At the ferry terminal, rent some roller blades and skate from Harbor Ave around the bend along the 2.5-mile paved path that parallels the beach and takes you to where the Alki Beach cafes and restaurants are.

The views of Seattle skyline along the path were beautiful. It reminded me of my small beach home town. If roller blading is not your thing you can also kayak or paddle board.

Apart from swimming in the beach, there are beach volleyball courts here. Stop to play awhile either after (or before) lunch. Sunsets are also meant to be beautiful here.

1pm: Lunch at Dukes Seafood and Chowder

One of our favorite restaurants in Seattle was Duke’s Seafood and Chowder House in Lake Union, an independent locally owned restaurant since the late 70s.

They are strict in ensuring the food is 100% sustainable and free from chemical nasties.

There’s plenty of fresh, sustainable, wild-caught seafood and gluten free options, including their delicious clam chowder, a meal I rarely get to enjoy – thank you Dukes!

Dine on the deck to enjoy the beautiful views of the Sound and marina backdropped by the Olympic Mountains.

4:00pm: Rachel’s Ginger Beer

Most people think of Seattle as the home of coffee culture, but it’s also home to one of Seattle’s pioneering ginger beer companies, Rachel’s Ginger Beer.

The company began by Rachel Marshall back in 2015, who started making ginger beer after she fell in love with it in Germany.

She began selling it at a stand at Pike Place Market, and then everything just escalated and she’s now one of the 50 most influential people in Seattle and has four bricks and mortar stores.

From a humble stand to four shops in less than 10 years, who knows how far Rachel’s will go! Be sure to try one before the rest of the world hears about her.

5:00pm: Smith Tower Observatory Bar / Sky View Observatory Columbia Center (Views + drinks)

man and woman at top of smith tower observatory having a drink

Head to the Smith Tower Observatory for an early 19th Century vibe. You can sip on Prohibition infused craft cocktails while enjoying superb Seattle views and the eclectic mix of 20s with Chinese inspired décor.

The Wishing Chair is a popular seat for selfies and single people hoping its magic will rub off on them to be married within a year.

We did not make it to the Sky View Observatory at Columbia Center, but many recommended it to us as having the best views of Seattle.

smith tower views seattle

You’ll climb 73 stories for panoramic Seattle views and the tallest public viewing space in the Pacific Northwest.

Views include Mt. Rainier, Bellevue, the Cascade Mountains, Mt. Baker, Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, the Space Needle and the city of Seattle.

Day 4: Local and Unique

people riding bikes on a pathway
Fremont waterfront

We’re so glad you could visit Seattle for four days!

Here’s a chance to explore some cool unique Seattle neighborhoods north east of downtown Seattle and north of the city on Lake Union and Salmon Bay. This is your more local feel. An ambling pace will suffice.

8:00am: Explore Capitol Hill Neighborhood

people on rainbow crossing in capitol hill seattle
Capitol Hill

Seattle’s coolest neighborhood and LGBTQ epicenter, Capitol Hill is packed with hip bars, eateries, laid-back coffee shops and indie stores. Wander the streets and soak it up – or return here at night if you want a little nightlife.

Volunteer Park, atop the hill in a historic mansion district, has walking trails, a plant conservatory, panoramic city views and the art deco Asian Art Museum.

Depending how early you like breakfast, you could explore Volunteer Park, or nearby Washington Park (if you have a car) before our breakfast and coffee ideas.

9:00am: Joe Bar for breakfast crepes

Joe Bar cafe capitol Hill
The cute Joe Bar

Who doesn’t want crepes for breakfast, especially when it’s served in a cute, grey-stone historical Tudor style building?

Crouch down low and head up the creaky stairs to eat, drink or tap away in their unique balcony area designed for hobbits. Green walls display art from high-caliber arts, mostly local.

Since 1997, Joe Bar and Grill has been focused on community, coffee and art, and delicious crepes (including gluten free!) paired with friendly and accommodating service.

Joe Bar one of the unique Seattle places to eat and their smoked salmon and goat cheese, gluten-free crepe was delicious.

10:00am: Coffee at Espresso Vivace

After your breakfast at Joe Bar, walk around the Corner to Espresso Vivace, their flagship café in Capitol Hill location. Grab your favorite cup and a window seat and watch the world go by.

11:00am: Discovery Park

We briefly visited Discover Park on our way to the Ballard Locks. Decide if you have enough time or not and it depends on whether you have your own vehicle (makes it much easier)

Located on a bluff, the 500 acre park has features grasslands, sea cliffs, forest groves, and skyline views of Cascade and the Olympic Mountains.

There is a three mile loop and the trail to reach the West Point Lighthouse is known as one of the best hikes near Seattle.

12:00pm: Ballard Locks

ship coming through ballard locks
Coming through the Ballard Locks

The Ballard Locks are a series of locks that link the Puget Sound with Lake Union and Lake Washington.

Boats as large as 760 feet in length and as small as a kayak can travel through the locks. You can watch the action through a series of swinging walkways or from a boat on an Argosy tour.

On the tour, you can experience the rising and falling of the water (up to 26 feet) as your boat moves from one level to the other.

Kangaroo and Kiwi Seattle Ballard
Cool pub!!

You may want to eat in nearby downtown Ballard Avenue. There is a cool Australian bar here though called Kangaroo and Kiwi where we enjoyed a pint and a taste of home.

Where we ate is now closed so we can’t recommend a place to eat here, but we also found plenty of places to eat in Fremont, if you decide to go there next.

1:30pm: Golden Gardens Park

If you have time (and a car) you may want to visit Golden Gardens Park northwest of the Ballard neighborhood. We did not get time but it was on my list!

Golden Gardens is one of the most popular (And biggest) beaches in Seattle. The beach overlooks Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Golden Gardens has access to swimming, beach volleyball, and forested hiking trails.

Sunset beach campfires here are a THING!

3:00pm: Explore Fremont

the fremont trail seattle
The Fremont Troll

Fremont is a quirky neighborhood filled with creatives, artists and foodies.

When in Seattle with kids, stopping into see the Fremont Troll is fun for them. You’ll find the 18 ft. troll sculpture under the Aurora Bridge (of course). The troll is grasping a Volkswagen beetle in its hand. Be careful when crossing the bridge!

Also in the area is a huge bronze Lenin statue in the main street, and a sign declaring Fremont as the center of the Universe.

While in this area, be sure to walk along the riverfront trail from Fremont down to the Gas Works.

Start with some samples of delicious locally made Theo’s Chocolate. You have probably seen them in supermarkets around the country.

You can sample loads of different flavors – the chili chocolate won me over – another of the cool things to do with kids in Seattle!

Then walking along the water the Burke Gilman Trail Fremont Cut, past the blue and orange Fremont Bridge to the Gas Works Park on Lake Union.

What was once home to Seattle Gas Light Company’s gasification plant is now a place to fly kites and enjoy a stunning view of the Space Needle and the Puget Sound.

Return to the walk and finish at the Fremont Brewery for a wide selection of craft beers and ciders

This a family-friendly and dog friendly brewery with a large beer garden filled with gorgeous flowers.There is no food served here but you can bring in food from outside.

CONSIDER:
 You can upgrade your Seattle CityPass to the Argosy Ballard Locks tour for an extra fee.

Don’t visit Seattle WITHOUT a Seattle CityPass

kids on labyrinth at seattle center playground
Art and Play Playground Seattle Center

Out of all the cites in the USA we have visited, the Seattle CityPass is the one that provides the most value out of all their city attraction passes.

We’re not usually going to see all the top attractions in a city to make a CityPass worth it, but all the top attractions in Seattle are unique and worth visiting.

We absolutely loved them and visited almost all of the Seattle attractions on the Seattle tourist card.

Many of the attractions on this list are featured in the pass:

  • Space Needle
  • Seattle Aquarium
  • Chihuly Garden and Glass
  • Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour
  • Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP)
  • Pacific Science Center

The pass is designed to save you up to 49% on admissions. Learn more about what is included in the Seattle CityPass here.

When in Seattle, be sure to … taste cupcakes

girl with cupcake royale seattle
Ready for cupcake tasting – Cupcake Royale

Throughout your time in Seattle, plan for some cupcake tasting – it’s one of the most popular snacks in Seattle. You will hear about it once you arrive in Seattle. It’s a favorite argument among the locals.

Is it Trophy Cupcakes or Cupcake Royal? Or maybe Top Pot Doughnuts are your preferred treat.

You’ll find their stores all over Seattle, so pop into one that’s near where you are when you’re out exploring each day.

Cupcake Royal are the pioneers in Seattle cupcakes known for locally sourced ingredients. Trophy are known for the party style designs (they sell ice cream too).

Both have gluten free and vegan cupcakes, but had all sold out when we arrived.

Getting around Seattle

young girl looking at view of seattle skyline from Kerry Park
Kerry Park views in Seattle

Seattle is a sprawling city with lots of neighborhoods to explore. Be warned, parking can be hard to find and expensive and traffic jams are a thing.

A car will make getting around to all the experiences on this itinerary easier as we do explore further than just downtown Seattle.

We had our car with us, which meant we could see more attractions and make the most of our time, and then take day trips to see many wonderful things near Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, like Mount Rainier and the Olympic National Park.

Having said that, you can get around Seattle easy enough without a car!

You’ll be surprised at how walkable Central Seattle is, which includes downtown, Belltown, Seattle Center, South Lake Union, the waterfront, and Pioneer Square.

There is also a good bus system, a streetcar that connects downtown to South Lake Union, and a link light rail system that connects Seattle to the airport and makes some stops along the way.

You can get an All-Day Regional Transit Pass, which you can use on all of Seattle’s public transportation services except for the monorail and on Washington State Ferries. Find more information here.

Check car rental options here if you want to explore places near Seattle.

Where to stay in Seattle

seattle skyline on the water
Best to stay downtown for easy access to Seattle attractions

If you don’t have access to a vehicle, staying in downtown Seattle will save you time and help you enjoy all the unique experiences shared in this Seattle itinerary.

Kimpton Palladian Hotel

Stay in the heart of Seattle 1,000 feet from Pike Place Market and 0.6 mi from the Space Needle. Kimpton is one of our favorite hotel brand for their boutique style quirkiness.

The guest rooms here feature pop-art pillows while certain units have a claw footed bathtub.

An evening wine hour is held every night from 17:00 to 18:00 at Kimpton Palladian Hotel. Free bikes are also available.

Past guests rave about the modern décor, spacious and comfortable rooms and location.

Belltown Inn

Located within walking distance to the Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike Place Market, and the Space Needle is the Belltown Inn.

Rooms have a kitchenette and the inn has a furnished rooftop terrace.

Previous guests rave about location, price and clean well sized rooms.

Best time to visit Seattle

The best time to visit Seattle is in the summer. Seattle is known for being a rainy city, and so your best chance of a dry day is to visit from late Spring to summer. May until late September has the best weather.

The shoulder seasons of April and October will have fewer crowds and cheaper prices, but possibly some less dry days.

Whatever time of year you visit, be sure to pack an umbrella and warm clothing.

Final thoughts

Just writing this Seattle itinerary has helped me relive the amazing experience we had in what is one of our favorite cities in the USA.

Sandwiched between the Puget Sound and the Cascades Mountain, we love it not just for what there is to do in the city, but what we can do around it.

It’s surrounded by natural beauty and provides easy access to so many incredible regions near to Seattle.

We spent four days visiting Seattle in Washington State, and we hope this itinerary gives you a good idea of what Seattle is all about. We’ve included some big touristy attractions to the smaller, local experiences, to help you figure out what to do in Seattle in either 2, 3, or 4 days.

You can also get a free printable of this itinerary when you join our free VIP Email community (expect loads of insider tips and bonuses).

More Washington State Travel Tips

While you’re putting an itinerary for Seattle together, why not add in some of these other hot spots in Washington State…

Pin To Save It On Pinterest

Are you planning to visit Seattle? What are you most looking forward to on this itinerary? Let us know in the comments.

Related Stories

spot_img

Discover

Using Ride-Hailing Apps in Thailand

How to Use Grab, Bolt, Indrive and More – Step-by-StepWhile using apps like...

2026 Disney Dining Plan Price Increases & Decreases

Walt Disney World has released vacation packages for next year, revealing 2026 Disney...

The 14 Most Unmissable Things To Do In Jasper...

This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, at...

Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Reportedly Celebrating Their...

Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, have a big...

The Perfect 4 Days In Seattle [Itinerary]

This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, at...

Popular Categories

Comments

Dejar respuesta

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here