A Perfect 1 Day in Seattle Itinerary

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Seattle is a fantastic city in the Pacific Northwest with ample coffee, an incredible food scene, and so much to do. It may feel like 1 day in Seattle isn’t enough, but with this one day Seattle itinerary, you’ll be able to cross off some major sights. So, whether you’re in Seattle for a long layover, passing through on a West Coast road trip, or just want to see the city quickly, I guarantee this itinerary for 24 hours (or less) in Seattle will set you straight!

Map of Your 24 Hour Seattle Itinerary

Itinerary for 1 Day in Seattle

Morning – Pike Place Market Food Tour

There’s no bigger attraction or to-do in Seattle than Pike Place Market. This outdoor market is one of the most famous places in America.

It was founded in 1907 and is one of the oldest and largest continually operated public markets in the country!

Now, it’s a historic landmark that sees 10 million visitors per year!

It might seem like an odd place to start in the morning, but the market has every type of food and drink you can imagine, so you can get breakfast and more here.

While I could direct you to a breakfast spot or two, the only real way to experience Pike Place Market is with a proper food tour. I went with Eat Seattle Tours, which is a chef-guided tour, and it was my favorite thing I did on the whole trip!

Not only did the tour cover the most important Pike Place Market staples like Pike Place Chowder, but it also showcased the hidden and often overlooked gems like Maiz serving up the most delicious tacos on daily fresh made corn tortillas.

The tour makes 9 stops and your guide will share tidbits about the market itself, its vendors, and answer any questions you may have! It’s truly a must-do, so be sure to budget for this activity in your travel budget. It costs $67 not including gratuity.

@periodicadventures

#hosted by Eat Seattle Tours. This food tour was AMAZING! Easily my favorite thing I did on my Seattle trip 😍 #pikeplacemarket #pikeplacemarketseattle #pikeplacechowder #pikeplacepikeplacemarket #pikeplace #pikeplacemarketseattle💙💙 #eatseattletours #eatseattle #seattleeats #seattlefood #seattlefoodie #seattlerestaurant #foodtour

♬ how you get the girl – r & m <3 ⸆⸉

Late Morning – Pike Place Market Exploration

It might seem odd to spend any more time around Pike Place Market after your tour, but there are a couple more sights here that every traveler should see – the flying fish and the Gum Wall.

At Pike Place Fish Market right under the huge Public Market sign, they literally throw fish every time an order is placed (even online orders). It’s always a fun experience to see them launch these things across counters and displays of their fish for sale.

Right around the corner is Gum Alley, one of the most odd attractions in Seattle. It’s mostly a photo opportunity, but feel free to add your own gum to the mix and watch where you step!

Since both of these activities only take 30 minutes together, it’s worth checking them out.

Lunch – Beecher’s Mac and Cheese or Seattle Dumpling Co.

It might seem odd to go for lunch after a food tour, but I find that when it comes to trying food when traveling, the limit does not exist. Not to mention, it’s best to fuel up completely so that for all the afternoon activities, you aren’t lagging.

There are two restaurants I recommend that may not have been on the food tour (or at least weren’t on mine) – Beecher’s Handmade Cheese or Seattle Dumpling Co.

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese has some of the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. It’s absolutely perfect with creamy cheese over penne noodles and an oh-so-slight kick. The line can be a bit long, but they move quickly, so don’t be deterred.

Alternatively, I highly highly highly recommend Seattle Dumpling Co., which is in a building adjacent to and behind the original Starbucks location. Their xiao long bao is to die for and honestly, all of their dumplings (I tried a few…for research purposes, obviously) were beyond delicious, and not too expensive!

They were also playing anime to watch while waiting, so the vibes were immaculate.

For dessert hop next door to Chocolate and Ice Cream Delight for a small, yet delicious bite of chocolate.

Or, if you somehow still I have room (I commend you!), you can visit the ever popular Piroshky Piroshky for their sweet Russian pastries. You can’t go wrong in Pike Place Market!

Early Afternoon – Museum of Pop Culture

The museums in Seattle are incredible and all so unique. With only one day, I’ll recommend a few for this afternoon, starting with the Museum of Pop Culture.

This museum features all things pop culture – music, movies, TV, video games, photography, and more!

Check out the Visual History of Hip-Hop with never before seen photos of artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, and Salt n Peppa. For music fans, there’s more with exhibits on Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix, who both come from the Seattle area.

Dive into books, TV, and movies in the exhibits on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror (3 separate exhibits). And, try your hand at some video games in the Indie Game Revolution exhibit.

I absolutely loved the Sci Fi exhibit where you could use their alien code to decipher secret messages throughout the exhibit. You could also pilot a ship, explore your favorite pop culture space destinations, and see real props used in Star Wars, Alien, Dune, and more!

Tickets are ~ $34 and vary in price based on the day of week you visit. Note that they are closed on Wednesdays.

Allow yourself 2 hours to explore the museum fully. If you get hungry or want a drink, they have a restaurant called Culture Kitchen, that serves a full food and coffee menu.

Late Afternoon – Chihuly Garden and Glass

In the late afternoon, I recommend checking out Chihuly Garden and Glass, an underrated museum in my opinion.

It’s located just around the corner from the Museum of Pop Culture and features glass blown artwork from the artist Dale Chihuly. His work is world-renown and you’ll find it in destinations all over the world. For example, there’s a huge ceiling piece in the Bellagio in Las Vegas and a chandelier at the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina!

Dale Chihuly is from Washington, so this museum is a celebration of his accomplishments and gives back to his home state.

The museum itself can be done in about an hour, although, you’ll want to give yourself an extra 15-30 minutes if you want to catch a glassblowing demonstration, which is free with your ticket.

In the museum, you’ll see pieces like Mille Fiori, a collection of 1000 glass flowers, one of the largest ceiling pieces ever made called Glasshouse, and seaforms, a collection of ocean-life inspired pieces.

There are indoor exhibits, an outdoor garden full of glass art, and the Glasshouse, which is in a greenhouse building.

Also, by visiting the Chihuly Garden and Glass, you’ll be right next to the Space Needle so you can snap some photos of it! While you can go up to the observation deck, I honestly think it’s a better use of your time to get to one of the best views of the city that includes the Space Needle in the skyline.

Alternative Late Afternoon – Ferry Ride

This is one of the best, inexpensive things to do in Seattle! Taking a ferry is the perfect alternative to an expensive cruise on the water for a fraction of the price.

Ferries are part of the public transportation system, so they are cheaper tickets, and you get the same views of Seattle and the surrounding sights!

For example, tickets are $9.45 to go from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. You can simply turn around and take the return trip or get off and explore a bit.

Dinner – The Pink Door

There’s no better place for dinner in Seattle than The Pink Door. This restaurant has the best lasagna I’ve ever had (that seems to be a running theme for Seattle).

You can find it in Pike Place Market in one of the alleyways just above the main marketplace level, away from the water. I’m sharing these directions, because the restaurant is a bit of a speakeasy where there’s no sign or obvious entrance. You quite simply look for the pink door in this alleyway and go inside.

On select nights, The Pink Door transforms at night to host burlesque, acrobatics, and musicians for a one-stop entertainment center. Don’t worry, you can still get dinner and drinks while the shows are going on.

Check their calendar for the most up to date events and performances and make reservations, if possible as it can get quite busy. They do accept walk-ins, so when in doubt, give it a try!

Sunset or Evening – Kerry Park

Depending on the weather when you visit Seattle and what time the sun sets, I recommend hitting this next spot at sunset if you can. If the sun is down, it’s still a good view even at night, so don’t count it out.

The final itinerary item is Kerry Park for the best view in Seattle. This park overlooks the city skyline and Mount Rainier in the background (on clear days).

It can get crowded (it’s a beautiful view, can you blame ‘em?), so when parking, be patient for a spot. You may need to drive in circles a few times to get a spot.

And, while you can take public transportation, I recommend renting a car for your one day in Seattle to save on transportation time. It’s certainly doable, if you want to save the money, though.

That concludes your one day in Seattle itinerary!

We covered a lot for just one day, but there really is a lot to see. If you have a full few days to spend, consider this Seattle weekend itinerary instead. It includes more activities like the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Experience Bar, the Seattle Aquarium, the Fremont Troll, and LOTS more food!

Where to stay in Seattle

If you do need an overnight stay, I can’t recommend the hotel I stayed in enough. It was the Belltown Inn within a mile or so of Pike Place Market and the museums, so if you really wanted to, you could walk between activities.

They had free bikes, as well, plus daily snacks and coffee from a local favorite, Victrola Coffee. And, they were right around the corner from Biscuit B*tch, a super yummy breakfast sandwich shop (another local favorite, so I was told).

The best way to get around Seattle for one day

If you are short on time, I recommend renting a car for a day. This is actually the opposite advice, I’d give if you were visiting for longer than a day. Here’s why.

The freedom to go whenever you want is useful when you only have a day in the city. Traffic can be unbearable at times (that’s coming from an LA native) and parking can be annoying and of course adds to your travel expenses, but it will save time compared to waiting for buses or the Light Link.

Public transportation is available and if you’re visiting for longer than a day, it’s just better to avoid a car.

Alternatively, you can walk most places in this itinerary pretty easily (except Kerry Park). Just beware, Seattle is very hilly, so you’ll be getting your workout in!

@periodicadventures

Why did no one tell me it was so hilly 🤣 #seattlewashington #seattlewashingtoncheck #seattlewa #pikeplacemarket #pikeplacefishmarket #pikeplacemarketseattle #visitseattle #seattlevibes

♬ оригинальный звук – malinka_na_torte

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