Touristing in Seattle
Quick stops, half-day outings and full-day trips: the list we gave our wedding guests.
October 31, 2026
These are the things-to-do lists from our wedding website, for anyone coming to Seattle. Quick stops first, then the half-day and full-day trips.
For where to eat between them, see Seattle Eats.
Heading somewhere else? Our Google Maps reviews cover a lot more ground.
Quick stops & sightseeing#
Pike Place Market#
Lots to see, eat and enjoy: fish throwers, produce, flowers, and a maze of food counters on the lower levels. Most of the cheap eats in the Eat guide are here.
Tip: Go early on a weekday; by midday on weekends it is shoulder to shoulder.
Seattle Aquarium#
The Ocean Pavilion reef. 
Up close with the octopus. 
The sea otters, mid-nap. 
Scuba Santa at Christmas. That is John in the suit. On the waterfront at Pier 59, a short walk downhill from Pike Place. Sea otters, octopus and a big Puget Sound tank, plus the new Ocean Pavilion with a tropical reef full of rays.
Tip: John volunteers as a diver in the Window on Washington Waters tank, the big one as you walk into the great hall. Wave.
Space Needle#
From the Chihuly garden next door. The obvious one. The glass floor near the top is worth it on a clear day.
Tip: Skip it if the clouds are low; a gray view is not worth the ticket.
Chihuly Garden and Glass#
The Glasshouse. 
The garden outside. Dale Chihuly's glasswork in galleries and a garden at the foot of the Space Needle.
Tip: Buy the combo ticket with the Space Needle.
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)#
Music, sci-fi and pop culture in the crumpled-metal Frank Gehry building next to the Space Needle.
Seattle CityPASS#
One ticket book that discounts several of the stops above. Worth pricing out if you plan to hit three or more.
Argosy Locks Cruise#
A boat tour from the downtown waterfront through the Ballard Locks, where boats get lifted between Puget Sound and the lakes.
Fremont & the Troll#
Quirky, fun, very Seattle. A giant concrete troll crushing a real VW Bug under the Aurora Bridge, plus a neighborhood of bars, shops and Sunday market stalls.
Tip: Pair it with Kin Len or Paseo from the Eat guide.
Olympic Sculpture Park#
Free waterfront art park from the Seattle Art Museum, with big outdoor sculpture and views across Elliott Bay.
Smith Tower Observatory Bar#
Historic views and cocktails from the open-air deck of a 1914 tower in Pioneer Square.
Gas Works Park#
An old gas plant turned park on the north shore of Lake Union, with skyline views and seaplanes landing in front of you.
Tip: Bring takeout and sit on the kite hill.
Kerry Park#
A small Queen Anne overlook with the postcard view: Space Needle, downtown and, on a clear day, Mount Rainier.
Tip: Sunset, or after dark for the city lights.
Alki Beach#
Golden hour from Alki. 
Old pilings and the skyline from the Alki side. West Seattle's sandy beach and promenade, looking back across Elliott Bay at downtown.
Tip: Take the West Seattle water taxi from downtown and skip the parking.
Quarter- to half-day excursions#
The Museum of Flight#
A huge air and space museum on Boeing Field: a Concorde, a retired Air Force One, and a space shuttle trainer.
Tip: Plan three hours at least.
Dimitriou's Jazz Alley#
Dinner-and-a-show jazz club downtown that has booked touring headliners for decades.
Tip: Buy tickets ahead; dinner reservations get you better seats.
The Can Can#
Dinner theater in Pike Place Market: dance, acrobatics, burlesque, song and comedy, with a French-inspired Northwest menu built from Market ingredients.
Tip: Book ahead; shows sell out, especially on weekends.
A Mariners game#
T-Mobile Park has a roof for rainy nights and plenty of good food stands.
Seattle Glassblowing Studio#
Pick your colors. 
The hot shop. A working hot shop in Belltown where you can blow your own piece with no experience, and take it home once it cools. The hot shop is open to watch every day, too.
Tip: Book a hands-on session ahead; you pick your colors from scoops of crushed glass.
Snoqualmie Falls#
A 268-foot waterfall about 45 minutes east, with an overlook a few steps from the parking lot and a short trail to the bottom.
Woodinville Wine Country#
More than 100 wineries and tasting rooms, about 30 minutes northeast of downtown.
Tip: Pick a driver, or book a tour.
Full-day adventures#
Go whale watching!#
Orcas on our trip. 
The Clipper, docked in Seattle. 
Rainier from the water. Orcas and humpbacks move through Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, and there are lots of operators. Our pick is the FRS Clipper out of downtown Seattle.
Tip: Dress warmer than you think; it is cold on the water even in August.
Mount Rainier#
The mountain you keep seeing in the distance. Paradise has wildflower meadows in summer and trails right from the visitor center.
Tip: Leave early; it is about a two-hour drive each way.
Ferry to Bainbridge Island#
A 35-minute ride from the downtown ferry terminal with the best skyline view in the city. Walk on, wander Winslow, ride back.
Tip: Walk on; you only pay going west.
Hoh Rain Forest#
Moss-draped temperate rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula, one of the wettest places in the lower 48.
Tip: It is a long day: a ferry plus several hours of driving each way. Start at dawn.
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