Things to do in Seattle
Coffee, ferry rides, soba, and the neighbourhoods locals actually use.
This is Seattle for someone who wants to eat well without performing tourism: dim sum on King Street, hand-made pasta on Capitol Hill, a soba counter in Fremont that earns its reputation. The plan moves between neighbourhoods the way locals do, on foot, by ferry, and by bike, with two proper dinners and enough breathing room to get pleasantly lost.
Day 1: Chinatown, Pioneer Square, the ferry
A flat white at Elm, the Bainbridge ferry for skyline views, dim sum on Jackson Street, Frank Gehry's pop culture museum, then Maneki and a nightcap at Zig Zag.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Ferry to Bainbridge Island
35-min ferry crossing for sweeping skyline views, then a stroll down Winslow Way before heading back in time for lunch.
Map - 12:30 PM
Harbor City
Dim sum in the International District: har gow, shu mai and baked char siu buns to share.
Map - 2:30 PM
Museum of Pop Culture
Frank Gehry building: Seattle's music story, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hendrix, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, hands-on sound labs.
Map - 7:30 PM
Maneki Restaurant
The main table of the day and the day's one memorable dinner, legendary Japantown institution, multiple friends swear by.
Map - 9:30 PM
Zig Zag Cafe
Hidden down the Pike Street Hill Climb, the bar that brought the Last Word cocktail back; order one.
Map
Day 2: Capitol Hill, Lake Union, the hill
Coffee at Storyville, Lake Union's views from Gas Works Park, a Dick's burger at the counter, Spinasse's tajarin in the evening and a drink at Dead Line.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Gas Works Park
Old gasworks towers on a grassy hill over Lake Union; watch seaplanes land against the skyline.
Map - 12:30 PM
Dick's Drive-In
Dick's on Broadway: a Deluxe, fries and a hand-dipped shake from the walk-up window.
Map - 7:30 PM
Spinasse
Spinasse is here for a reason, house-made tajarin pasta and Northern Italian cooking that defines Capitol Hill.
Map - 9:30 PM
Day 3: Fremont, Ballard, salmon and soba
Walk the Ballard Locks for free, watch boats lift and salmon run, eat casual seafood at Local Tide, then end the trip properly at Kamonegi: handmade soba, small plates, and a room full of people who know what they're doing.
- 10:30 AM
Ballard Locks
Free: boats lift between Puget Sound and Lakes Union/Washington, fish ladder shows salmon, sea lions often present.
Map - 12:30 PM
Local Tide
Local Tide's crab roll and rockfish sandwiches, casual seafood a block from the Fremont canal.
Map - 7:30 PM
Kamonegi
Handmade soba and tempura in a small Fremont room; the duck soba is the house signature.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel Ändra
Hotel Ändra sits at a mid-range price point, has genuine character without the flash, and puts you within easy reach of Capitol Hill, the Market, and the ferry terminal.
Hotel Theodore
Hotel Theodore is well-priced, sits close to downtown and Pioneer Square, and has the kind of comfortable, unfussy rooms that make a three-day trip feel easy.
Make Seattle your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Chihuly Garden and Glass: a few days ahead
- Space Needle: a few days ahead
- Museum of Pop Culture: a few days ahead
- Kenmore Air: a few days ahead
- Mount Rainier National Park: a few days ahead
- Puget Sound Express: weeks ahead
Skip these
- The original Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place: a small busy Starbucks with a very long line for a photo. Do not queue.
- The Gum Wall in Post Alley: a 60 second photo on the way through the Market, not a stop to plan around.
- The Space Needle on a cloudy day at full price, and doing two observation decks. One deck, clear day, sunset slot, or Kerry Park free.
- The Crab Pot and waterfront seafood boils: fun theatre, mediocre value versus the Walrus, Matt's or a neighbourhood seafood room.
The full Seattle travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around