Seattle is the best of both worlds: city life within an arms reach to the mountains. Not only is it the best of both worlds, but Seattle is also the heavenly dream for the lovers of seafood, coffee, and rainy weather. You’ll feel as cozy as I did walking through the streets of Pike Place Market in the rain – surrounded by fish flying through the air, fresh pink peonies, and little bakeries and cheese shops.
We spent three days in Seattle and packed in as many attractions as we could – so bring your walking shoes! In a moment, you’ll have my Seattle city guide in your hands, ready to book the next available flight to Seattle.
Seattle Hotel
Did you know that the pineapple signifies welcome and warmth? We stayed in The Maxwell Hotel, about two miles from Pike Place Market and a quick half a mile walk from the Space Needle. It makes sense that The Maxwell is a part of the StayPineapple hotel group, as their hospitality and customer service is so warm. Speaking of warm, they offer free cupcakes to guests! That made our trip a little bit sweeter 😉
Steelhead Diner
You will love having dinner at Steelhead Diner, I know we did. My recommendation would be to walk or get a ride because it’s located right in front of Pike Place Market and city parking can be such a pain. When in Seattle.. you order a ton of seafood! We ordered (and devoured):
- Alaskan Razor Clam Chowder with apple smoked bacon and truffle oil drizzle
- Dungeness Crab and Bay Shrimp Tater Tots with Tiger Sauce and celery leaf salad
- Grilled Alaskan Troll Caught King Salmon with Mint Tzatziki, garbanzo beans, and curried cucumber tomato salad
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Poutine
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market opened in 1907, which makes it one of the oldest Farmer’s Markets in the U.S.! The back story of how Pike Place Market came to be can be found here – it’s interesting and worth reading. Like I said, fish fly through the air, meaning you have the opportunity to catch one! Not only that, but Pike Place Market is lined with fresh flowers, local booths, and restaurants. There’s truly so much to see and do at Pike Place Market.
Hands down, Pike Place Market is my favorite part about Seattle, along with the other 10 million people that visit every year.
Things to do Near Pike Place Market
Luckily for you, there is a lot to do near Pike Place market, so you’ll be able to knock Pike Place Market and the next few things out in less than a day. Be prepared to wait in a long line at Pike Place Chowder (wrapped through building) and at the Original Starbucks (out the door).
Pike Place Chowder
The award winning Pike Place Chowder is a must, especially if you love creamy soups (I know I do, especially in the rain). They have a wide variety of different types of soups, sandwiches, and fish. I ordered four different types of soups and sat outside (that’s another hard task – finding a seat). The soups that I ordered:
- Salmon Chowder
- Market Chowder
- Clam Chowder
- Seafood Bisque
Original Starbucks
We all know that Seattle is the coffee capital of the world, so it would be a shame to not visit the Original Starbucks! It’s crowded inside, but the baristas do a great job at keeping the line moving. It looks mainly like your typical Starbucks, but it was fun getting a mug from that store!
Gum Wall
The gum wall is located in Post Alley right near Pike Place Market. You’ll want to head to the downtown Seattle Target to grab some gum before heading to the gum wall! It’s intriguing and gross at the same time, but no one could look away. And, no one could resist adding their chewed gum to the wall either. They scraped the wall one time for cleaning purposes and it took 130 hours…
Shugs Soda Fountain and Ice Cream
This is such a cute, retro looking ice cream shop – not part of our schedule, but we were so happy we ended up here. Not only do they have ice cream, they have ice cream cocktails! I ordered the best blueberry milkshake imaginable. I kid you not, I daydream about it.
Tourist Attractions
Chihuly Garden & Glass Garden
Chihuly’s is about one mile from Pike Place Market and it is right next to the Space Needle, which makes it easy to see both in the same day. Dale Chihuly is the artist behind the beautiful glass artwork with the use of vibrant colors and I promise you will have not seen anything like this before. This was my favorite thing we did, other than Pike Place Market and would definitely go back! Ticket prices vary and can be found here.
Space Needle & Dinner on the Space Needle
As mentioned, Space Needle is right next to Chihuly’s (164 feet – I hope you don’t run into traffic, lol). It’s 605 feet tall – you can’t miss it. You will be able to see Seattle from all angles. I recommend going as early as you can to avoid a long line. Ticket prices can be found here.
Not only should you visit the Space Needle viewing deck during the day, but you should enjoy dinner at SkyCity on top of the Space Needle during sunset (make a reservation). It was beautiful seeing the sun set behind the mountains while we had dinner. *I will say you’re paying for the view, not so much the food.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room
Coffee drinkers of all kinds, this place is for you. You will have the chance to have a peek at “behind the scenes” of the coffee beans. You should expect to spend several hours here because there is a ton to do, see, eat, and drink. Not only that, the roastery is massive and there are a ton of people – you may have a hard time finding a table and chairs. I ordered two coffees, grilled cheese, and tomato soup – everything I tried was 10/10.
Tours
Harbor Cruise
Are you wanting to take a boat ride along Elliott Bay with a glass of wine in hand? Then you should purchase a seat for the Harbor Cruise one-hour narrated boat tour. This is a great way to learn more about Seattle, hopefully see some seals sunbathing, and see the Port of Seattle up close. There is a bar (price not included in ticket) on the boat. Prices can be found here.
Seattle’s iconic ferris wheel is .2 miles away from the Harbor Cruise tour – take a ride up to see a view of Seattle (and just for shits and giggles with your friends).
Underground Tour
Last, but not least: the Underground Tour. Have you heard of the Great Fire? If not, you’re going to learn a lot on this tour about the fire that wiped out the entire central business district of Seattle. The 75 minute tour will take you through the underground tunnels while talking about the fire, the history of Seattle, and you’ll even see some antiquated pieces that were left behind. It’s a little creepy, but cool. Ticket prices can be found here.
Additional Restaurants
We had a lot of food on our trip, but two restaurants worth mentioning: Tavolàta and Palisade.
Tavolàta is a trendy, rustic Italian restaurant and it lived up to my high expectations for Italian food. As classic as it sounds, the waitress said their spaghetti and meatballs are really popular, so I went with that (SO GOOD)!
Palisade is a phenomenal brunch buffet – it’s about $50 and the food quality does not disappoint. How often do you get to go to a buffet that has MASSIVE crab legs for all you can eat? Not often. Additionally, they have delicious mimosas with different flavors.
Seattle Tips
- Bring your rain jacket! I had to purchase a rain jacket there and both Target and TJ Maxx told me they were out of season (haha, doesn’t it rain ALL year?!) and I had to purchase one from Columbia.
- I highly recommend purchasing a Seattle CityPass. It’s $89 to visit five attractions. It also makes it easier as far as not having to deal with individual tickets and everything is contained in one booklet.
Seattle in Nutshell
Seattle continues to reign supreme in my book as far as my favorite city goes. I am always craving that cozy feeling and Seattle brings just that, along with a city that prides itself in music, art, and delicious seafood. If you’re thinking of planning a trip, let me know and I would love to help you plan it/organize it, since there is so much to see!
