The ULTIMATE 4-Day Seattle Itinerary
Planning to visit Seattle but don’t know what to do? You’ve come to the right place. Welcome to Seattle, the jewel of the Pacific Northwest. Icons like Pike Place Market, Space Needle, and Ballard Locks are what drew me here, but this city amazed me with much more. Seattle sees over 40 million visitors annually, as people flock to this urban paradise surrounded by nature. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable 4-day adventure through the Emerald City. We’ll take you from the bustling Pike Place Market to the tranquil shores of Puget Sound, with plenty of coffee stops along the way. Let’s dive into the ultimate Seattle experience!
Getting Around Seattle: Transportation Tips and Tricks
Seattle isn’t as car-centric as most United States cities, meaning you can make do without a car for your 4-day trip. If you’re staying downtown, expect most places to be walkable with rail to connect those longer journeys. Expect to be paying for some Uber rides like on day 2 and you’ll be all good.
That said, renting a car certainly helps as you’re in the United States. I’ll talk about each below.
Traveling Car Free
Seattle has surprisingly good public transportation for the United States, and it’s rapidly expanding. With that said, navigating Seattle’s public transportation can be quite confusing as there are so many different options. I’ll simplify it into 2 main modes of transportation: light rail and streetcar. Things like buses, commuter rail, and monorail are definitely good options but it gets too overwhelming for tourists.
Light rail is the main way you’ll be connecting around Seattle. Line 1 connects Seattle–Tacoma International Airport with Seattle and beyond to Lynnwood City Center. Line 2 connects Bellevue and Redmond with a Seattle-to-Bellevue connection planned for 2025.
Streetcars operate within downtown Seattle and run on quite a small network. Once completed, the network will form a square, connecting Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Lumen Field, and downtown. Its map can be found below.
Traveling By Car
Traveling with a car might be easier but also more expensive. Most of downtown Seattle and Bellevue require you to pay for parking, hotels are not an exception. Traffic isn’t the best in the city either, with Seattle having the 10th worst traffic delays in the country.
If you’re planning to take day trips outside of Seattle or planning to stay outside of Seattle, then a car might prove useful. Otherwise, you’re better off traveling car-free.
Where to Stay: Best Neighborhoods and Accommodation Options
There are so many good places to stay in Seattle, with downtown providing the most choice and convenience. I’ll go through some neighborhoods down below.
Downtown Seattle
The best and most obvious choice is to stay downtown. This will put you near many attractions like Pike Place Market, the Square Needle, and the light rail and streetcar stations. Some notable hotels include the Four Seasons, Thompson, and citizenM. All of these hotels have water views, comfortable rooms, and are newly built.
Belltown
Belltown is another fantastic neighborhood to stay. You’re still part of downtown, right between the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Some notable hotels include the Seattle Marriott Waterfront, The Sound Hotel Seattle, and The Edgewater Hotel. Airbnb’s are also available if no hotel suits your needs.
Bellevue
Bellevue is an up-and-coming suburb just outside of Seattle. The area has expanded so fast that it’s being considered a city of its own with unique attractions. My recommendations here would be The Westin Bellevue, The W Bellevue, and The InterContinental Bellevue. All of these places are fancy, brand new, and cheaper than staying in Seattle.
When to Visit Seattle: Seasons, Weather, and Events
Cherry Blossom at the University of Washington
The best time to visit Seattle is in summer, with the weather being absolutely beautiful. The rest of the year experiences a lot of rain making it one of the rainiest cities in the country. It’s also quite cold the rest of the year, occasionally crossing freezing in the winter.
With that being said, you’ll still have a fun trip even in spring, fall, and winter. It’s just that you’ll have to bring more layers of clothes.
Day 1 – Seattle Icons and Downtown Delights
To kick off your 4 day Seattle trip, we’ll first visit arguably the most popular site in Seattle, the Space Needle. My day 1 started with a 2.5-hour drive from Surrey, a large suburb just outside of Vancouver. All this meant that I wanted to keep day 1 light and relaxed.
Everything on today’s itinerary is near the Space Needle, meaning you won’t need to walk much on your first day. I’ve also planned day 1 to have a late start, giving you time to travel and check into your hotel. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to explore!
Space Needle Experience
We start our Seattle adventure with the city’s most known icon, the Space Needle. I visited this landmark on a Sunday and the crowds were there but not overwhelming. Visiting at the Space Needle’s opening time (10am) would give you the least crowds, but it’s not necessary.
From here, you’ll get 360-degree views of Seattle’s skyline, Puget Sound, the Cascades, and even Mt Rainier. You’ll also be able to see many of the activities later in your itinerary, including Pike Place Market, Bainbridge Island, and yes, even some of Olympic National Park.
With your ticket, you’ll be able to experience the indoor and outdoor viewing areas over 500 feet in the air. You’ll also be able to see The Loupe, the only revolving glass floor in the world. If VR is your thing, you can experience bungee jumping off the Space Needle.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Once you’ve taken in the breathtaking views of the Space Needle, you can head on down to Chihuly Garden and Glass. For me, I made a quick stop by the Collections Café to eat lunch. Its location inside Chihuly Garden and Glass made it quite an appealing choice. Right outside is eight galleries worth of Dale Chihuly’s glass work.
If you’re planning to visit the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass, I’d recommend taking a combined ticket as you’ll save a little bit of money. The Glasshouse is a centerpiece of Chihuly’s, with a 100 foot long suspended glass structure. The gardens are also stunning with several glass pieces being incorporated among the outdoor nature.
Exploring the beautiful place took me right around 2 hours, meaning that I was heading towards the Olympic Sculpture Park just after 4:00pm.
Olympic Sculpture Park
A short 10-minute walk south on Broad Street brings you to Olympic Sculpture Park. Unlike the last two places, Olympic Sculpture Park won’t cost you any money and won’t take that much time. Notable works include “Eagle” by Alexander Calder and “Echo” by Jaume Plensa.
If you had extra time as I did, I would recommend connecting to the Elliott Bay Trail to get stunning views of the Puget Sounds and the Olympic Mountains. You can alternatively relax and enjoy the beautiful day. If your first day isn’t going to plan weather-wise, I wouldn’t recommend visiting Olympic Sculpture Park and would suggest an indoor activity like the IMAX Theaters at Pacific Science Center instead.
Dinner With Water Views
From Olympic Sculpture Park, you’ll make a short walk to AQUA by El Gaucho, one of Seattle’s best seafood restaurants. As this place is known for seafood, vegetarians won’t have many options. As this place is part of Pier 70, you’ll get some incredible views of Puget Sounds. Enjoy as you watch the ships go by and get ready for a fun day 2.
Day 2 – Ballard, Parks, and Seattle Culture
For day 2, we’ll be going a bit outside of the city. An early start isn’t needed today so make sure to rest up for day 3. For today, walking won’t be enough, you’ll need to find a way to commute 6 miles north to the Ballard Locks. This journey can be completed by bus and bike but driving is ultimately the fastest option. As no other trip requires a car, taking Uber for this one day might be a smarter and cheaper option. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s start the day!
Ballard Locks
No Seattle itinerary is complete without checking out the Ballard Locks. Although the locks now bring in millions of tourists, they weren’t built with that intention. The purpose of these locks is to prevent salt from the Puget Sound flowing into Lake Washington.
Boats that connect along the Salmon Bay take what I’d call water elevators, as they ascend from ocean level to lake level. For the fish, there’s a fish ladder so that the sealife can cross as desired.
Once done with the locks, cross over north through Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden for lunch. I ate at Portage Bay Cafe for some good brunch, right opposite the Nordic Museum. Keep in mind that this place closes at 1pm on weekdays and 2pm on weekends. If you happen to be later than that time, head two more blocks to 8oz Burger & Co. Vegetarian options are available with a beyond patty.
Nordic Museum Visit
To continue your day, you’ll be visiting the Nordic Museum. This museum honors over 5,000 years of Nordic history with many cool exhibits. The building itself is fancy too, having been opened in 2017, you’ll notice the beautiful glass, tall ceilings, and second-floor walkways.
You can even try some Nordic-inspired food at Freya. Unfortunately, this cafe is closed on Monday meaning that I missed out.
University Village Shopping
As the Nordic Museum doesn’t take too much time, you should have some extra time to kill. I’d recommend spending that time at University Village, probably the fanciest mall I’ve ever seen. This outdoor mall right next to the University of Washington has countless coffee shops including Mr West Cafe Bar, restaurants, shops, and the 18th fanciest Apple store in the country.
Note that University Village is over 20 minutes away from the Nordic Museum by car. If you’re short on time or wish to do something else, go for it. Either way, make sure you’re at the Waterways Cruises and Events home dock or this address, 901 Fairview Avenue North, by 6:30pm for your dinner cruise.
Sunset Dinner Cruise
Another 15-minute drive from University Village and I’m ready for my dinner cruise. I chose Waterways Cruises for this adventure as they’re the most popular in Seattle. I’ve put the price of this experience as well as everything else on this itinerary below, this price includes food and drinks. You’ll start at Lake Union and visit all of Seattle’s most famous sites.
Day 3 – Natural Wonders and Outdoor Adventures
Welcome to day 3, it’s an exciting one. As per our itinerary, you’ll be visiting Olympic National Park. Don’t worry if you’d prefer to stay near Seattle, I’ve given some alternative options for your 3rd day.
I chose to do a day tour when visiting Olympic National Park as I wasn’t willing to make the 2.5-hour drive each way. If you’re interested in exploring the Olympic National Park yourself, Amanda Wanders made a fantastic 1-day Olympic National Park itinerary that I recommend you check out.
Olympic National Park Day Trip
For Olympic National Park, you’ll have to start your day pretty early as most tours pick you up at 7:30am. I booked my day trip through Viator and I couldn’t recommend it more. If you want a slightly cheaper price, you can book on the Evergreen Escapes website directly.
This tour comes with hotel / Airbnb pickup, transportation to and from Olympic National Park including ferry tickets, a guide, and lunch. You’ll be taking the Bainbridge Island ferry, so get your cameras ready for some epic Seattle skyline views. When booking a tour like this, you can sit back and relax knowing that everything has been planned for you.
Your first stop in Olympic National Park will be Port Angeles, a charming town at the northern end of the peninsula. After that, you’ll walk around Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls, taking absolutely breathtaking views. You’ll soon head north to Salt Creek Recreation Area where you’ll see the stunning coastline to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Your incredible day will finally end at Hurricane Ridge. At an elevation of over 5,000 feet, you’ll get incredible views of all of Olympic National Park and will even be able to see Canada.
The last thing to note about Olympic National Park is that weather is a factor. These day tours run year-round rain or shine, meaning that you’ll have to dress appropriately. I’ve made a separate blog post about the best time to visit Olympic National Park which is a must-see before visiting this park.
If you’re planning to do the Olympic National Park day tour, you can go ahead and skip to day 4. If leaving Seattle isn’t your thing, keep reading for some alternatives to your 3rd day.
Bellevue Exploration
For those who prefer to stay around Seattle, you’ve got options. I’ll list a few now starting with exploring Bellevue. Bellevue is Washington state’s 5th largest city and is just across Lake Washington from Seattle. The city is seeing a rapid expansion of new high-rise buildings, transforming the place from a suburb of Seattle into its own city.
Bellevue is a great place to hang out. It’s also a great place to stay, as mentioned above. If you like shopping, visit Bellevue Square. Although it’s not as fancy as University Village, it’s certainly larger at over 1.3 million square feet.
If the weather is nice, you can take a walk to Bellevue Downtown Park, Meydenbauer Bay Park, and maybe even Bellevue Botanical Garden.
Water Activities
As Seattle borders the Puget Sound, Lake Union, and Lake Washington, watersports can be quite fun in summer. Waterfront Adventures was my option when picking where to rent from, as they have every watersport option imaginable.
Their rental location is just north of Bellevue, a 15-minute drive from Seattle. This along with Bellevue could create a perfect day, so have fun!
Local Hiking
View over Rattlesnake Lake
If you’re still looking to go hiking but aren’t willing to travel that far, several closer hikes are equally as beautiful. The photo shown above is from Rattlesnake Ledge, giving unbelievable views over Rattlesnake Lake and the surrounding scenery. Contrary to its name, there are no rattlesnakes at Rattlesnake Ledge, so rest easy.
Closer to Interstate 90 is Twin Falls, known for its waterfall. Further down I-90 is Snoqualmie Pass, a ski resort in winter and hiking mountain in summer. You can take a lift straight to The Summit at Snoqualmie and get incredible views of the Snoqualmie Mountains.
The craziest part is that all of this is within an hour’s drive of Seattle. Driving along I-90 is quite surreal as the tall buildings get replaced with tall mountains in no time.
Day 4 – Seattle’s Waterfront and Farewell
Welcome to day 4, your last day in Seattle. Today’s day is quite flexible as I’m sure there are things you want to do in Seattle that aren’t on this itinerary. If that’s the case, you’ll have much of the afternoon to do that.
Today will also be the first and only day in downtown Seattle. The Space Needle technically isn’t in downtown but rather the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, 1.5 miles north. If you’re staying in downtown Seattle, then these sites won’t be a far walk.
Morning Seattle Coffee Tour
With Starbucks having started in Seattle, coffee is a big thing in this city. If you visited Olympic National Park yesterday, chances are you’re still pretty tired and need some coffee. This makes the perfect opportunity for a coffee and brunch tour to get a good day’s start.
The first Starbucks is also in Seattle right across Pike Place Market. The original location opened in 1971 down the street and moved in 1976 to the place it’s at now. Many refer to this location as a tourist trap, as the lines are over an hour for the exact same coffee. I’d have to agree, especially with Starbucks Reserve Roastery less than a mile away giving a much more impressive experience.
As I’m personally not a coffee person, a food tour worked better for me. This food tour worked best for me as it was a chef-guided tour around Pike Place Market.
Pike Place Market
Now that you’ve gotten your morning started on the right foot, let’s explore Seattle’s most popular tourist destination. Pike Place Market is seriously impressive with hundreds of shops and places to eat. One thing I couldn’t help but notice was how packed the place was, the crowds even on a Wednesday were insane.
Pike Place Market is insanely lively and I would argue the heart of downtown. Take your time to explore all this place has to offer and don’t miss out on the nearby Gum Wall.
Underground Seattle Tour
I find the history of underground Seattle to be so fascinating. Believe it or not, much of downtown Seattle is built on top of the old city, and you can see this old city through this underground Seattle tour.
The reason for the phenomenon actually stems from the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, where most of the city was destroyed. Rather than demolishing the half-burnt buildings, the city of Seattle decided to build on top of old Seattle to prevent future floods.
Now that you’ve finished your underground Seattle tour, the rest of the day is all yours. I’ll give many options of how you could spend that time below.
You Choose!
Now that your Seattle itinerary for 4 days is officially complete, you’ve got the rest of the day to yourself. If you decided to visit Olympic National Park on your 3rd day, you could do some of the other day 3 options like exploring Bellevue or doing some water activities. If you did those activities on day 3, you could take a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island as you’ll get beautiful Seattle views from the Puget Sound.
Alternative options include visiting Microsoft Headquarters’ visitors center and Amazon headquarters’ famous spheres. These places aren’t open all the time so make sure to check the hours. You can also visit the Boeing Future of Flight
That’s a complete Seattle 4 day itinerary. I had a blast visiting this city and I know you’ll feel the same. Whether you follow this Seattle itinerary or not, I know you’ll have a great time.
Budget Breakdown: What to Expect for Your 4-Day Seattle Adventure
Accommodation (per night)
- Downtown Seattle: $150 – $300
- Belltown: $130 – $280
- Bellevue: $120 – $250
Day 1 Activities
- Space Needle: $35 – $45
- Chihuly Garden and Glass: $32 – $35
- Olympic Sculpture Park: Free
- Dinner at AQUA by El Gaucho: $30 – $50 per person
Day 2 Activities
- Ballard Locks: Free
- Discovery Park: Free
- Nordic Museum: $20
- Sunset Dinner Cruise: $120 per person
Day 3 Activities (Option 1)
- Olympic National Park Day Trip: $225 – $325 (guided tour)
Day 3 Activities (Option 2)
- Bellevue Exploration: Free (excluding shopping)
- Water Activities: $50 – $150
- Local Hiking: Free (excluding transportation)
Day 4 Activities
- Seattle Coffee Tour: $30 – $50
- Pike Place Market: Free (excluding purchases)
- Seattle Aquarium: $35
- Underground Tour: $30
Food Costs (per day, per person)
- Breakfast: $10 – $20
- Lunch: $15 – $25
- Dinner: $25 – $50
- Coffee and snacks: $10 – $20
Transportation
- Public Transit Pass: $8 – $16 per day
- Ride-sharing services: Variable, budget $20 – $40 per day
Estimated Total Cost (per person for 4 days, excluding flights)
- Low end: $1,000 – $1,500
- Mid-range: $1,500 – $2,000
- High end: $2,000 – $2,500+
- High end: $2,000 – $2,500+
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