Only have a short stay in the Emerald City and unsure if you can see everything you want? I have come up with an itinerary that will allow you to see the complete picture of the Seattle downtown area. This beautiful city encompassed between mountain ranges and Puget Sound has so much to offer that it will leave you speechless.
I will first start by saying that our trip to Seattle did not include museums and art galleries. However, if you have time, I heard the Museum of Flight and Chihuly Garden and Glass are ones to visit.
Day 1
Starting your Seattle trip, I suggest taking in the city with a seaplane tour with Seattle Seaplanes. Not only do you see amazing views of the surrounding areas, but you get up close and personal with the incredible skyline views of the downtown Seattle area along with Seattle harbor. Make sure to take a ton of photos/videos. Seeing the city high above, in my opinion, gives you the best perspective. To see more info on the seaplane tour, please visit my View Seattle From Above Blog).
Whether you choose to take the 20-minute scenic flight tour offered or a customized trip, be sure to stop for some breakfast after. We ate at Mr. West Cafe, and the food was so delicious. It’s been a long time since I had an egg and cheese croissant, and it did not disappoint! However, do not fill up because, at the next stop, you will want to be a bit hungry.
My husband and I are huge fans of city walking. We feel that by skipping metro transportation, we can see everything and not miss a beat. After the fantastic morning in the skies and a light breakfast, we headed over to Pikes Place Market. Yes, it is a tourist destination, but it’s also a must-see while in town. Going in the early/late morning will allow you to avoid the crowds that the marketplace draws. Pikes Place Market offers a chance to visit various local vendors that range from art, textiles, flowers, fish, fruits, and spices. At times it can become a bit overwhelming with the choices offered at your fingertips. While visiting this area, don’t forget to head to the lower level and check out the infamous Seattle Gum Wall. While some may find beauty in the artwork, others may be disgusted by all the gum. I’ll leave that one up to you.
After spending some time walking around the Pikes Place market, my husband and I walked over to the waterfront piers and took a stroll by The Seattle Great Wheel. Please take note that a lot of construction is currently going on in the area. I can’t wait to visit again when it’s all finished.
Since it was still reasonably early in the afternoon, my husband and I walked down to Pioneer Square through Occidental park. I would suggest walking this in the afternoon. Pioneer Square is in the historic district of Seattle. Pioneer Square is Seattle’s original neighborhood, bringing a charm to it with the brick buildings and cobblestone streets.
On our walk back, we decided to stop in for one drink at Vons 1000 Spirits. One drink ended up becoming two drinks and a customized rum flight, due in part to the fantastic bartender we had along with great staff members. Stop by Von’s if you find yourself in this area. If what I said hasn’t convinced you to try this restaurant out, perhaps the wall displays various alcohols, food options, and indoor/outdoor sitting will. We took in more of the city attractions as we headed back to our beautiful Airbnb apartment. Our stay in Seattle was in a prime location and only a few blocks from Pikes Place Market but, be advised that it does tend to get the city noise at night in the area.
For dinner, we made reservations at the Fog Room. If you’re into small plates and rooftop views, this place is for you. I requested the patio seating, which had a beautiful vantage point of the sunset glow as it beamed across city buildings. The ambiance carried a classy, upscale vibe with fire tabletops. The food and drinks were good. For a nightcap, we walked to The Whiskey Bar. Due to the short-staff from the pandemic, it was a long wait, but I definitely would stop by for a whiskey flight. They had a wide assortment of whiskeys.
Day 2
Today was another full day of walking the city streets. We started by having breakfast at The 5- Point Cafe. I am so glad my husband and I are early risers. We arrived around 8 A.M, and by the time we were leaving, there was already a long wait. I recommend trying their famous Custard French Toast, which was vanilla custard topped with fruit. I bet you can’t stop eating it!
After loading up on the french toast and mimosas, we departed over to the Seattle Center, a complex with beautiful gardens, museums, and the famous Seattle Space Needle. Since we wanted to fit in everything, we opted to skip the museums they offered in the area. However, next time I revisit Seattle, I would love to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass Art Museum.
Our journey continued up to Kerry Park. Kerry Park is the view where you glance out and see downtown Seattle and Mount Rainier in the background. Unfortunately, when we visited, it was hazy, so you can barely make out Mount Rainier in the pictures. Regardless, the view was beautiful, and it was nice to sit down and take it all in after the uphill walk to get there.
From this point, we could have taken an Uber over to Gas Works Park, but we chose to take on the challenge and walk. During our walk, we stumbled upon a quaint little area of Queen Annes. This area, just like most of Seattle, was extremely dog friendly. Making our way across the drawbridge, we continued towards Gasworks Park but made a slight detour to take in some unusual sights like the Universe Sign and getting stopped under the Troll Bridge. I decided it might be good time to stop and grab a beer at the Fremont Brewing Urban Beer Garden. The beautiful weather that Seattle was having made the outdoors ideal for a relaxing start to the afternoon. Since the brewery only served pretzels as a food option, we chose to hold off and venture to RoRo’s BBQ for some takeout.
Finally, about mid-afternoon, we made it to Gasworks Park. We located a great spot to sit down and take in the views of Lake Union and the downtown area skyline. For those that don’t know what Gasworks Park is, here is a little back story.
Gasworks Park was the former site of the Seattle Gas Light Company Gasification Plant. The park contains the sole remnants of the Coal Gasification plant in the US. Nowadays, people use the park for picnics and recreation.
Making our way back to our Airbnb after relaxing for an hour or so, we stopped in for one more drink at Art Marble 21. Later that evening, I made reservations at Aerlume. The ambiance was beautiful, overlooking the beautiful Puget Sound. Request a table on the patio for the best views of the waterfront and sunset. The food and service were fantastic as well. I highly recommend dining here while you’re in town.
Overall Thoughts
This itinerary may seem like it’s packed full of walking but trust me, it’s the best way to take everything within 2-days in the city. I hope you enjoy your time in Seattle, and if you have more time in Washington, be sure to venture out and visit at least one National Park in the area. If you want some information on the fantastic surrounding area that we got to see, be sure to read my Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainier blog.
