Tripadvisor Seattle (2024)

FAQs

Is 3 days enough time in Seattle? ›

Yes, 3 days is enough time to spend in Seattle. You can pack a lot into three days in Seattle! For example, you'll get to see the city's top sights like the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and the Museum of Pop Culture.

A first-time visitor can see the best the city has to offer in as little as 3 or 4 days. This would allow enough time to explore downtown, taste Seattle's amazing food options, one or two unique neighborhoods, visit a museum, and have one or two outdoor adventures.

The best way to get around Seattle is by car, especially if you want to explore outside the city. However, be prepared for heavy traffic during rush hour and high prices for parking around downtown and at your hotel, where nightly parking rates can cost as much as $50.

And if you're an outdoors enthusiast—as so many visitors are—and you're eager to see unforgettable natural splendors like Mount Rainier or North Cascades National Parks or to explore the many islands dotted around the Puget Sound, May to September is by far the best time to visit.

Seattle is an international city with arts, food, science, and the outdoors to explore. With 3 to 4 days in the city, it's easy to experience the best of Seattle: you focus first on the city's core, and then venture out onto the water or to one of the city's parks.

As a visitor to Seattle, you won't need a vehicle if you plan to stick to city sites. In fact, between the cost of car rental, insurance, the ever-increasing cost of gas, and the nightmare of parking, a car is often more trouble than it's worth. Besides, there are plenty of other options for getting around town.

Downtown Seattle is just 8 blocks wide, and is very compact and walkable.

The City of Surrey, the City of Victoria and the City of Abbotsford are closest to Seattle. The Citys' southern boundaries are on the international border. Abbotsford and Surrey as a starting point is a closer drive.

How do I visit Mount Rainier from Seattle? ›

Best Routes to Get to Mt. Rainier. There are a couple different routes to get to Paradise: South on I-5 and Route 7, or east on 164 or 169 and 410. Either way, you are circling the mountain and it will take around 2-2.5 hours.

Seattle to Vancouver by ferry

The Victoria Clipper departs from Pier 69 in Seattle, then makes the approximately three-hour journey across Puget Sound to Victoria, which is located on Vancouver Island. The Clipper is a passenger-only ferry, so you'll have to leave your car behind for this trip.

Seattle is an great city to explore, though two days is not nearly enough to do, see, and eat everything the city has to offer.

Yes, you're right, three days is not enough to see and experience all of the American capital. But our recommended 3 day Washington DC itinerary is enough to get a good sense of this vibrant city and all that it has to offer.

Any local will tell you what makes it special is the spectacular museums and terrific food. Seattle is loved by visitors for many reasons, and is routinely on national "best of" lists, including Money's Best Places to Travel in 2023.

Seattle is often touted as one of the most walkable cities in the United States. In 2022, Seattle ranked as the 9th most walkable large city in the country with a Walk Score of 74, indicating that it is "very walkable" where most errands can be accomplished on foot.