If you’re visiting Seattle for the first time, this guide has everything you need to plan the perfect stay and feel less overwhelmed. We’re answering all your questions about Seattle and sharing helpful tips for first-timers!
Seattle is easily one of our favorite cities to visit. Being that we used to call Washington state home, and now reside full time in the Pacific Northwest (in Bend, Oregon to be exact!), we’ve visited Seattle on many occasions and continue to get drawn back.
Traveling to Seattle for the first time can be overwhelming. We know from firsthand experience.
But we’re here to help! We’re sharing all sorts of insider tips, things we wish we would have known, and answering your most pressing questions, like:
What’s the best neighborhood in Seattle to stay in? We’ve got some strong opinions.
Where can I find the best food (and beer!) in Seattle? Oh, honey, we’ve got a lot of ideas for you!
What’s there to do in Seattle when it’s raining? Trust me, you’re going to want to know the answer to this one!
Okay, let’s dive right in and get you ready for your first trip to Seattle!
Seattle Travel Guide
- Best time to visit
- Top things to do in Seattle
- Getting around Seattle
- Tips for visiting Seattle
- Where to eat
- Where to stay
- Perfect Seattle itineraries
- Day trips from Seattle
- More Washington travel resources
Best time to visit Seattle
Usually when people think of weather in Seattle, and the PNW in general, they think of rain. While Seattle does have quite a bit of rainfall per year (especially when compared to other parts of the country), there are still times when the weather can be quite pleasant.
Generally speaking, May through September are the driest months in Seattle and summer temps tend to be mild to warm when the sun is shining!
However, the answer to this question is relative, based on your personal travel preferences. For instance, the winters in Seattle are much more mild than other northern states, and the nearby mountains make Seattle a great winter destination for snow-chasers.
We’ve visited Seattle in every season (winter, spring, summer and fall) and find the weather to be the most pleasant for sight seeing during the late-spring and early-fall months.
Things to do in Seattle
If you’re looking for the very best things to do in Seattle, here are our top recommendations:
- Eat the best of Seattle on a food tour
- Shop local at Pike Place Market
- Pop around the corner to the Post Alley Gum Wall
- Ride in a hot air balloon beside Mount Rainier
- Snap a selfie with the Fremont Troll
- Get the best free view of the city at Kerry Park
- Go brewery hopping
We have an entire article dedicated to the best things to do in Seattle where we share details and tips for first-time visitors.
Save big with Seattle CityPass!
If this is your first visit to Seattle, and you really want to see all the top attractions, you’ll likely want to get a CityPASS.
This includes admission to both:
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Space Needle
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Seattle Aquarium
Plus, you get admission 3 more attractions of your choice:
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Chihuly Garden and Glass
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Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour
-
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
-
Woodland Park Zoo
Use the CityPASS website to calculate how much money you’ll save versus visiting all of the attractions on their own.
Grab Your CityPass!How to get around Seattle
Seattle has a massive metro area and quite a few neighborhoods to explore. We’re sharing the best ways to get around in Seattle:
Rental Car
If you are flying into SEA, you can pick up a rental car after you land. Seattle Airport has an off-site Rental Car Facility that connects to the airport via a free shuttle.
We usually reserve cars through Booking.com (formerly RentalCars.com) because we have used them before and they have the best deals for rental cars. When searching I found deals around $38 per day for a standard sedan, which is all you would need in Seattle.
Warning: Make sure your hotel or Airbnb has parking (hopefully free parking) because spaces get pretty tight in Seattle.
Uber or Lyft
If you plan to have a few beverages out in the city, don’t risk driving. Instead, order an Uber or Lyft to get you where you need to go. Downtown Seattle decently sized but you can get to and from most places pretty quickly.
Metro
Seattle is very well connected city when it comes to public transportation. They have buses, light rails trains, street cars, and monorails throughout the city.
A typical one-way fare is between $2.25 to $3 depending on how far you go.
There are apps to find a route and time schedules (like the Trip Planner App from King County), but we prefer to use Google Maps to plan out our trips.
Bicycle Rental
There are actually quite a few bike share programs around the city, so if you feel most comfortable on two wheels, go ahead and give it a spin!
Tips for visiting Seattle
Here are our top tips for visiting Seattle, Washington to make the most out of your stay.
- The Sound Link light rail is the best (and most inexpensive!) way to get from Sea-Tac airport to the city center. A $2.75 ticket will buy you a one-way ride and the journey should take just about 40 minutes (which is also a great way to beat rush hour traffic!).
- Pack layers. The weather in Seattle can be a bit temperamental and change quickly. You’ll want to make sure you are prepared for rain, cool temperatures and heat (especially if you are visiting during the summer!)
- Bring comfortable walking shoes. Seattle is a very hilly city and you’ll likely be doing a lot of walking. Trust us, you’ll thank us later!
Where to eat in Seattle
How does one even begin to sum up places to eat in Seattle — a city with an incredible and ever-changing food scene?
Answer: You can’t simply sum it up.
This list is far from exhaustive, but it highlights some of our personal favorite spots (as well as some restaurants that are on our own bucket list!).
So if you’re looking for a rec from two cool travel bloggers (wink, wink!), here ya go…
- Bar Harbor: for lobster rolls and chowder on an outdoor deck
- Tacos Chukis: authentic Mexican fare at (multiple locations)
- Market House Meats: famously good Reuben
- Ba Bar: upscale Vietnamese with a buzzy atmosphere
- Oddfellows Cafe & Bar: great brunch spot
- Volunteer Park Cafe & Pantry: this spot earns the coziest cafe award (in our opinion!)
- Bangrak Market or Pestle Rock: both have excellent Thai fare (order the Khao Soi!)
- Paseo: Caribbean sandwiches in Fremont
- Ramen DANBO: excellent ramen in Capitol Hill
- Find creative sandwiches at Slab Sandwich (& yummy cookies!) or HoneyHole (casual, dive atmosphere)
- Seoul Tofu & Jjim: authentically delicious Korean food
- Off the Rez: Native American fry bread tacos in a trendy setting
Where to stay in Seattle
In short, if it is your first time visiting Seattle, Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill and Belltown are the most popular neighborhood choices. You’ll be near many big attractions, making these super convenient areas to base yourself. Plus, there are lots of hotels to choose from.
That said, the hotels in the city center tend to be quite expensive and very small.
If you are traveling with kids or on a tighter budget, we recommend looking into West Seattle, Green Lake & Wallingford and Fremont (budget-friendly and larger spaces available).
If you want more details and hotel recommendations, we have an entire guide to the best neighborhoods to stay in Seattle, including insider tips and things to do in each.
Perfect Seattle itineraries
There are so many things to do in Seattle for every type of traveler. But with so much to do, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to plan your time.
We decided to give you a little head start and create the perfect Seattle itinerary for each type of traveler. You’re welcome!
Top Seattle Attractions
If you’re planning your very first trip to Seattle, Washington, these are some of the top sights to include on your trip.
- Pike Place Public Market
- Space Needle
- E-bike tour
- Drink Seattle coffee
- Chihuly Glass exhibit
Foodie Experiences in Seattle
Seattle is consistently ranked as one of the top food cities in America and for good reason! Below we’re sharing all of the best things to do in Seattle for foodies (including some can’t-miss drinks to try as well!).
- Sample Seattle’s best ice cream
- Pike Place Public Market
- Food Tour
- Cabaret Show at The Pink Door
- Authentic Vietnamese food
- Eat your way around Ballard
- Go brewery hopping
- Seattle’s “Secret Bars”
- Eat fresh seafood
Free Things to do in Seattle
If you’re a budget traveler, we’ve got all sorts of free things to fill your time in Seattle.
- Fremont Troll
- Post Alley Gum Wall
- Best view of Seattle at Kerry Park
- Picnic in Gasworks Park
- Go on a Free Walking Tour
- Scope out street art
Outdoor Adventures in Seattle
If you’re a nature lover, these experiences should be top of your list.
- Green Lake
- Hike to Rattlesnake Ledge
- Discovery Park
- Kayak or SUP on Lake Union
- Hot air balloon ride beside Mount Rainier
- Alki Beach
- Snoqualmie Falls & Twin Falls
- Tide Pools at Golden Gardens Park
- Bonfire on the beach
Things to do on a rainy day in Seattle
If you happen to be in Seattle on one of the notoriously drizzly days, fret not – there are plenty of rainy day activities!
- Boeing Factory
- Seattle Pinball Museum
- MUSEUM of Pop Culture (MPOP)
- Board Game Cafe
- Live Music
- Play bocce ball in a Beer Hall
- Comedy Show
- Seattle’s Underground Tunnels
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS: Our Personal Seattle Favorites
If we had to choose our very favorite things to do in Seattle, this list would be it! Spread them over a few days, and boom — you’ve got yourself the perfect weekend in Seattle!
- Pike Place Public Market
- Go on a Food Tour
- Hot air balloon ride beside Mount Rainier
- Fremont Troll
- Seattle winery tour
- Eat your way around Ballard
- Post Alley Gum Wall
- Handcrafted cocktails at Seattle’s “Secret Bars”
- Best view of Seattle at Kerry Park
- Picnic in Gasworks Park
- Hike to Rattlesnake Ledge
- Snoqualmie Falls & Twin Falls
- Bonfire on the beach
- Cabaret Show at The Pink Door
- Authentic Vietnamese food
- Go brewery hopping
- Sample Seattle’s best ice cream
Best day trips from Seattle
With the mountains to the east and the ocean to the west, Seattle has the best of both worlds when it comes to adventuring.
There are plenty of opportunities for day-trips (or weekend getaways!) near Seattle. We put together an entire guide to all of the very best day trips from Seattle (packed with all sorts of tips!).
Plan your trip to Washington state
We’ve had the privilege of calling Washington state “home” for a while and we have tons of resources to help you plan your trip. Start with our Washington Homepage and be sure to check out the articles below.
- Start with this list of the best things to do in Washington State (our favorite US state! shhh…don’t tell our fellow Oregonians).
- Read this if you’re planning a trip to Olympic National Park!
- Don’t miss the cutest little town in the state: Leavenworth (we lived there for 8 months and have all the local secrets!).
- Keep this Washington National Parks guide close by.
- Start checking these Mount Rainier hikes off your bucket list.
- Read our guide to North Cascades National Park, one of our favorite underrated national parks in the country!
Don’t miss your chance to grab our custom Seattle map!
Get our Custom Seattle Map sent straight to your phone! We loaded this map with all our favorite restaurants, breweries, sights and activities, so you can make the most of your time in Seattle.
Just enter your email and we’ll immediately send you access instructions!
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We want to hear from you!
Are you planning a trip to Seattle and still have questions? Leave your comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you with the answers you’re looking for!