A Wonderful Weekend in Seattle Itinerary

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You may know Seattle for its coffee culture, the famous Pike Place Market, nearby mountains, and Washington national parks, or even the iconic Space Needle. Whatever brings you to the city, this itinerary for a weekend in Seattle will give you a taste (literally) of the best of Seattle with some of the main highlights and some must-do’s that you might overlook!

This itinerary covers 3 days in Seattle, knowing that you might not have full days on Friday or Sunday. I’ll also be assuming you’re traveling on a budget, not renting a car, and walking most places. That means this itinerary is walkable and not overly packed with way too many suggestions. I aim to give you ideas without overwhelming you, so let’s dive in!

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Or, if you’re short on time for your trip itself, read this one day Seattle itinerary instead!

How to get to Seattle

Seattle’s home airport is SEA aka Seattle-Tacoma International Airport aka Sea-Tac. Major flights will fly into there!

When you land in Seattle, if you’re not renting a car (and honestly, I don’t recommend you do), you can hop on the Light Link public transportation. For $3 you can ride it to the city center and walk where you need to go!

Lately, they have been doing construction and so you may need to transfer at Stadium station. Listen to the overhead announcements for the most updated information. When in doubt, if everyone gets off the train, you should probably also be getting off…in fact, someone might come by to tell you so.

If you’re driving, you can head on the 5 and you’ll run into Seattle. It’s located about 3 hours drive from Portland, Oregon, and from Vancouver, Canada.

The best way to get around Seattle

Public transportation and walking can get you far in Seattle. In fact, the traffic and parking at the main attractions can be truly awful (coming from an LA native), so I actually recommend opting out of a car rental.

If you place yourself in the city center surrounding the attractions on this itinerary, you’ll be in a great position to walk and take the buses and trolleys. More on where to stay below.

Where to stay in Seattle

Seattle has different neighborhoods, so where’s the best place to stay? Based on this Seattle itinerary, I recommend Belltown or Downtown to stay central. Belltown is more of a hip area with lots of street art and local restaurants. Downtown is more urban with skyscrapers and upscale businesses.

I personally stayed at the Belltown Inn and it was fantastic! There were free bike rentals, daily Victrola coffee (one of Seattle’s big 3 coffee roasters), and great proximity to the attractions. Note, if you do have a car, they charge $30 per day for parking.

I do want to also comment on the population of homeless individuals. Homelessness is a common occurrence in West Coast cities and the governments have failed this population. Please remember these are human beings and most are harmless even if they occasionally get loud.

If you are unaccustomed to seeing homeless encampments with tents or individuals living on the streets, please be kind while also staying aware to maintain your safety. Since I am from Los Angeles, I never felt unsafe walking around, but I may be more accustomed to unhoused individuals than you may be.

Just something to keep in mind.

When is the best time to visit Seattle

Late spring and early fall are the best for a few reasons. The summer crowds are not as prominent and the weather isn’t too dreary as it can be in the winter.

In late spring the market scene really comes alive with stunning flowers, more vendors, and more markets in general (not just Pike Place). In early fall, there are fun festivals and the brewery scene gets lively as Oktoberfest ramps up (you can celebrate at Fremont Oktoberfest).

Summer is also fantastic in terms of weather, however it is the peak season, so crowd levels are intense!

How much does a weekend in Seattle cost

Map of your weekend in Seattle

Day 1 (Friday) – Settling into Seattle

Assuming you arrive on Friday, this itinerary starts with the super thrilling activity of checking into your hotel (ooooh ahhhh).

Get settled and get ready for dinner because I’m starting you off strong at one of the restaurant that instantly became my favorite on my own Seattle trip – The Pink Door.

This is an Italian Restaurant that’s also an entertainment venue and kind of part speakeasy.

What I mean is that there’s no sign for the restaurant, you simply have to look for a pink door…although, not gonna lie, it was more peach/coral to me, but I digress.

The entertainment only happens on Friday and Saturday nights, where you can catch musicians or burlesque or acrobats – there’s seriously hoops and swings hanging from the ceiling.

As for food, The Pink Door won’t let you down! I had their staple lasagna and it was honestly the best lasagna I’ve ever had. It was vegetarian with cheese and pesto. My waitress literally joked about leaving my empty dish so I could lick it clean.

You can make reservations ahead of time and I recommend you do. If not, try showing up early to guarantee a spot! They do hold about half the restaurant available for walk-ins, so worth a shot!

That’s all for day one. However, if you do have more time, jump to the bottom to see some more recommended things to do in Seattle.

Day 2 (Saturday) – Seattle’s top sights…and food!

Today’s the day to see the top 33^rd attraction in the whole world – Pike Place Market! This market sees 10 million visitors per year and is the longest continually operating market having been in operation for 116 years! Wowza!

The market can be overwhelming because of its sheer size and number of stellar vendors, so I highly recommend a guided Pike Place Market food tour!

I went with Eat Seattle Tours*, which is a chef-guided tour focused on the non-touristy spots and most importantly, the FOOD.

The food tour will take you to the big hitters like Pike Place Chowder, but more importantly the hidden gems like Maiz, a Mexican food spot with homemade tortillas made daily from fresh maiz, or Truffle Queen, a long-running staple selling the most incredible truffle products.

What makes the tour special is being guided by a true chef who not only knows the market vendors, but is part of their market family. Pike Place Market isn’t just a tourist destination, it’s where locals come together to shop, support one another, and have some darn good food made from the highest quality ingredients.

I can’t recommend Eat Seattle Tours enough. It was by far my favorite thing I did on my whole Seattle trip!

*Disclaimer: I was hosted on my food tour with Eat Seattle Tours. As always, all opinions are my own.

Once you’ve finished your tour, be sure to take the extra time to wander the market since the tour can’t possibly cover it all. Stop by Pike Place Fish to see the flying fish. They toss them every time one is purchased.

From there head to the left and down the stairs to the Gum Wall or Gum Alley. You may recognize this spot as it’s pretty iconic. Here you’ll find thousands of chewed up pieces of gum stuck to the alley walls! It began because while people were waiting for shows, they stuck their gum on the wall to pass the time.

@periodicadventures

Is this on your bucketlist? #gumwall #gummaley #gumwallseattle #gumwallinseattle #thingstodoinseattle #thingstodoinseattlewa #seattletiktok #seattlewashington #seattlewashingtoncheck #pikeplacemarket #pikeplacepikeplacemarket

♬ Drop It Like It’s Hot! – Haarper & Luga

It’s a fun photo spot, especially if you can blow your own bubblegum bubble. You can also add your own gum to the wall, but bring some hand sanitizer…because ew.

And finally, watch where you step or lean. The gum is everywhere!

If you need somewhere for lunch, I recommend Beecher’s Handmade Cheese for their mac and cheese. It’s also in Pike Place Market and another staple. I actually went back twice because I just couldn’t get enough!

One spot many people miss in the market is the entire downstairs. There’s actually 5 stories of market space and you can descend to the other floors down a hall to the right of the flying fish and across from the flower vendors.

Down there are some fun oddities like a magic shop, paper works, and a record store among others.

This afternoon, head to the Museum of Pop Culture located at Seattle Center, right next to the Space Needle. This museum blew me away and if you love music, TV, and movies, you’ll absolutely love it too!

In this museum, you’ll find exhibits on sci-fi, indie gaming, fantasy, hip-hop photography, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and my favorite, horror on film.

The exhibits are informative, striking, and interactive! You’ll see old favorites like the cowardly lion’s costume from Wizard of Oz and new gems like the entire photo set of Biggie Smalls’ iconic photoshoot including a rare one of him smiling.

The sci-fi exhibit was so fun and you could even decode secret alien messages around the room. I loved the horror on film exhibit, which featured props, costumes, and memorabilia from iconic horror movies and TV shows as well as funny graphics, photo ops, interactive pieces, and interviews with popular horror directors like Eli Roth.

The museum has a café and bar so you can grab a bite or a drink before or after your experience.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to the Space Needle, which is right next door to the Museum of Pop Culture. I will say, I personally didn’t go up to the top of the Space Needle this time around (although I have before), because it was a cloudy day, so the visibility was low. Keep that mind when deciding to go up or not.

You absolutely can skip this part of the itinerary because in my opinion, you probably want a view of the Space Needle, not on the Space Needle. Don’t worry, I’ll get you to a stellar view a bit later.

However, I’ll never tell you to skip the touristy things. Some people dream of doing those things, and if that’s you with the Space Needle, by all means check off that bucket list!

For dinner, I recommend picking another spot in Pike Place Market. I personally returned to Pike Place Chowder because the taste on the food tour was not enough. One tip is that you can order online ahead of time and pick it up at the window in the back to skip the line!

My Seattle local Uber driver recommended Ivar’s for their clam chowder right on the waterfront, if you want to try somewhere new! They have a walkup window and one of the cultural things to do is to feed fries to the seagulls. I’m sure this is a terrible diet for them, so maybe just watch.

To round out your evening, I highly recommend visiting Kerry Park at sunset. It’s the tiniest public park, but gives the best views of the Seattle skyline with the Space Needle front and center and on a clear day with Mount Rainier in the background.

Parking can be a bit of a nightmare because it’s located in the middle of tight residential streets. If you have a rental car, be patient. If you are walking, brace yourself for some steep hills.

You can also get there via Bus line 2. Stop at Queen Anne Ave. N and Highland Drive, then walk a couple blocks west to Kerry Park.

Best of all Kerry Park is free! It’s not always you get the best views for free, so soak it in!

Day 3 (Sunday) – Seattle Art and Coffee

For your final day, start off strong with breakfast from Biscuit Bitch, not to be confused with Bacon Bitch in South Beach. They serve up some delicious breakfast sandwiches and local coffee for under $10.

Once you’re fueled up and ready to go, head on over to Chihuly Garden and Glass around their opening time. There are so many museums in Seattle, but I truly think this one is one of a kind and must visit.

Dale Chihuly is a glassblowing artist who creates the most stunning (and large) pieces. This museum has an extensive collection of his works and has incorporated some of them in an actual outdoor garden.

You’ll see pieces like Mille Fiori (above), or a thousand flowers, which is itself a garden of glass, Ikebana Boat, an actual boat filled with long, flower-like glass pieces, and the Persian Ceiling, a multi-component piece on the ceiling. You’ll also find his ceiling work in the Bellagio in Las Vegas!

Be sure to stop by the education desk where you can touch, feel, and pick up different types of glass with various textures used in the pieces throughout.

And, weather permitting, catch their glassblowing demonstration to learn a bit more about the process and see it in action!

For lunch, I am once again recommending you return to Pike Place Market. I don’t care that you need to walk back and forth, it’s seriously full of the best restaurants and worth supporting. But if you do want to try somewhere new, Belltown is full of great restaurants like Lola for Mediterranean.

This time, visit Seattle Dumpling Company for the most delicious (and inexpensive!) dumplings. I had the pork xiao long bao and the vegetable dumplings for a whopping $13 (Din Tai Fung could never). They were so perfect and it was wonderful to support a smaller business and hidden gem in the market. Highly recommend!

If you’re feeling Pike Place Market-ed out, you can also try the new restaurant in Chihuly Garden and Glass called The Bar. They were still closed since I was there first thing in the morning, but the menu items looked great. You can also grab food at our next stop, although it is on the expensive side.

You can’t go to Seattle and not do a coffee experience. They have coffee tours, but one of the most fun experiences to try comes at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Starbucks famously got their start in Seattle (in Pike Place Market actually…and yes, you can visit the original location, but this is better, trust me). Now, Starbucks only has a handful of roasteries in the world, so visiting the one in Seattle is extra special!

Rather than simply visiting the Roastery, allow me to recommend the Experience Bar. These are ticketed activities for ~$45 that come with a coffee tasting, food pairing, and souvenir coffee beans.

You can choose from various experiences. For example, being the chemist I am, I chose Coffee Chemistry, where we learned about the siphoning technique for brewing coffee. We tasted 4 coffees, paired with chocolate truffles, and got to take one of the coffees home! So fun!

Other experiences include their new Oleato coffee made with olive oil, “It Started Here First” an experimental tasting with pastries, and “Crafted Cold,” where you try poured, shaken, and stirred coffee.

Once you finish, you’ll have lots of time to shop around, order a drink (be sure to check for their Roastery-only menu options – I had a dark chocolate mocha), try their bar, or grab a bite at Princi, an onsite Italian eatery.

That’s the final item on the itinerary! Again if you have more time, check out the list below. However, I know weekend trips are often Friday to Sunday and you might be needing to return to the airport! I hope you’ve enjoyed your little taste of Seattle.

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More things to do in Seattle

If you have more time, here are some other things to do in Seattle:

• Ferry ride – One of the best ways to see Seattle is from their ferries. As part of the public transportation, it’s an inexpensive way to get out on the water and take in the views!
• Fremont Troll – Hiding under a bridge is the Fremont Troll. He’s a large sculpture holding a car and makes for a great photo op.

• Seattle Aquarium – I LOVE an aquarium. I didn’t have time this trip, but you really can’t go wrong. It’s located right on the water and has a stunning dome aquarium tank.
• Great Wheel – Take in the sights from atop Seattle’s massive ferris wheel! As with the Space Needle, be sure the weather is good otherwise you won’t see anything!
• Explore the International District – I heard nothing but good things about the International District, which includes Chinatown and beyond. The food is amazing here!
• Washington national parks – If you have an extra day, consider renting a car and visiting one of the incredible national parks in Washington.
• Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – If you happen to be visiting in April, you have the unique opportunity to catch the tulip festival. There are four main tulip farms, but check their individual calendars and socials to see which are most in bloom. I visited Roozengaarde and was blown away!

Tips for visiting Seattle

• Pack a rain jacket and bring it everywhere – I lucked out big time on my weather in Seattle, but it truly is a rainy city. Don’t let sunny skies fool you. It can rain at the drop of a hat, so pack that rain jacket.
• Download the Transit Go app for your public transportation fares.
• Coffee is king – While Starbucks originated in Seattle, so did plenty of other roasters try Victrola Coffee or Figaro Coffee Company
• Seattle is very hilly – I’ve recommended walking a few times, so don’t forget how hilly Seattle is. Allow yourself some extra time to get places because you might get more tired on your walk than you expect given the hills.

@periodicadventures

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

♬ оригинальный звук – malinka_na_torte

• Some places close during winter especially in Pike Place Market. I was visiting in late April and some vendors were just starting to emerge and prep for summer crowds. Check the individual vendors websites and socials for the most updated individual information.
• Do you need a CityPASS? If you plan to visit the Space Needle and Aquarium PLUS 3 other attractions on their list, the CityPASS can save you money, but remember to check student discounts before assuming it’s worth the price. More info about if CityPASS is worth it here.

My Travel Essentials

• Travel Insurance – Going on an international trip? Don’t forget travel and medical insurance with SafetyWing.
• Travel Card – If you’re new to travel hacking, fear not! My favorite card for beginners gives you $750 in rewards when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus lounge access, 10x points on hotel bookings, and free TSA pre-check!
• Get Your Guide – Check out Get Your Guide for a one-stop-shop for booking travel activities.
• Booking.com – This is my favorite hotel search aggregator, specifically for reading reviews. On Booking.com, the reviews can be searched for keywords like WiFi, breakfast, pool, amenities, etc.! So helpful!
• Anti-pickpocket bag – Worried about having your valuables swiped? PacSafe makes the best travel bags with zippers and straps that lock and with mesh steel enforced fabric.
• Give the Gift of Travel – This is the perfect gift for travelers in your life! Tinggly allows you to gift experiences around the world, perfect for birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries.
• Staycation Idea – Check out Resort Pass, which gives you day passes to resorts so you can use their pool, spa, and fitness center, a great staycation idea!

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