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Seattle, Washington had been on my list of cities to visit for a long time. I was expecting great attractions, amazing food, cool neighborhoods, and dreary weather. It seems when the city is mentioned so is the rainy weather. I love a bright blue sky so I was wondering how much I would enjoy being outdoors in the supposedly rainy city. 

When my mom referenced the theme song of the 1968 TV show “Here Come the Brides” that mentions the blue skies of Seattle I didn’t think much of it. The opening song was the most accurate thing I heard about Seattle! I couldn’t believe the gorgeous blue skies. 

If you’re lucky, your four days in Seattle will also be gorgeous, bright blue sky days. Regardless of the weather, this Seattle itinerary will take you to the can’t miss attractions for a first time visit, lesser known activities in local neighborhoods, and the best places to eat in Seattle. 

4 Day Seattle Itinerary

I spend hours researching all my travels. One of my favorite ways to find recommendations is through other bloggers’ posts and on social media. I have to give a shout out to Elliott from Kindness Financial Planning. He is a native of the Pacific Northwest and gave me so many great recommendations for my trip that I also included in this Seattle itinerary! 

How to Get Around Seattle

Seattle has a great public transportation system. You can reach everywhere on this 4 day Seattle itinerary with public transportation. Leave the car at home to save money on parking. 

If you are arriving from SEA-TAC airport you can take the light rail to downtown. The light rail leaves right from the airport and is not that much farther from the taxi pick-up area. The Amtrak train station is located downtown. 

With a reloadable ORCA card you pay for all modes of transportation including the light rail, buses, water taxis, street cars, and ferries. You can order an ORCA card before your trip or buy one at the airport on arrival. It’s really easy to add value online and it loads to your card immediately. Cards are $3, but the ease of using and reloading the card was worth the cost for me. The $50 I saved by taking the light rail from the airport also was worth it! 

Fares vary by the mode of transportation. Buses and light rails are $2.75 – $3.50, depending on the distance. Transfers are free and last for two hours. Day passes cost $8. It may be best to buy a day pass depending on how many times you plan to use public transportation in one day. 

When boarding, tap your card to pay. You only need to tap on exit on the light rails. 

Where to Stay in Seattle

Downtown Seattle near Pike Place Market is home to many places included in this Seattle itinerary, but due to a large homeless population it wasn’t my first choice to stay. I stayed at Four Points by Sheraton near Seattle Center. The area is also home to a lot of Seattle’s big attractions and feels a little nicer. Plus you can walk downtown or take a quick bus ride. 

Not only was the hotel’s location perfect, but I had a great overall stay at the Four Points. My room was clean and spacious. There are so many things to do in Seattle that I didn’t want to sleep too late, but the dark black out curtains made it very tempting! I can’t forget to mention the super comfy beds that will ensure you aren’t sleepless in Seattle either 😉 

Currently rooms are cleaned every other day. You can request your time at the front desk. The front desk was very friendly and accommodating with any requests, including giving extra free bottles of water. 

Other hotels in this area with good reviews include Hampton Inn Seattle Downtown, The Maxwell Hotel, and Hyatt House Seattle Downtown.  

How to Save Money in Seattle

There’s no doubt about it, Seattle is an expensive city. Most big cities have some sort of city pass. Sometimes these multi attraction passes are worth it and other times they are not. Seattle’s CityPass is definitely a great deal for your first visit to Seattle. The pass includes all the big attractions that you would want to visit even if they were not included on the pass.

The Space Needle and Seattle Aquarium are included on all passes. Three of the following four places are also included (your choice): Chihuly Garden & Glass, Museum of Pop Culture, Argosy Harbor Cruise, and Woodland Zoo.

When following this Seattle itinerary you will want to purchase a Seattle CityPass as you will save up to $54. 

I also included several free tours and activities to help you save money! 

Seattle Itinerary Day 1 

For your first day in Seattle head downtown and to the waterfront. 

Seattle 101 Free Walking Tour

If you are familiar with my other itineraries you know I like to take free walking tours in every city I visit. The tours can be found in almost every European city and are becoming more popular in the US as well. I always recommend starting off your trip with a free tour. By beginning your 4 day Seattle itinerary on a walking tour you’ll receive more ideas and recommendations from a local for the rest of your time in the city. It’s also a great way to meet other people if you are traveling solo. 

Seattle Free Walking Tours has two daily tours. The Seattle 101 tour takes place downtown, in Pioneer Square, and along the waterfront. It’s the perfect overview of the history of the city.

My guide, Joe, did an awesome job telling stories with the right amount of facts and jokes mixed together. You’ll learn everything from how Seattle got its name to the controversy over the statue in front of the art museum.

Lunch at Ivar’s

In 1938 Ivar Hagland opened an aquarium on the pier. To feed the hungry guests he soon opened a fish bar. Now Ivar’s is a local chain and Seattle icon. 

After hearing the amusing anecdotes about Ivar on the walking tour, I had to try the spot for myself. I went to the walk-up fish bar, but Ivar’s Acres of Clams next door is a sit down restaurant. 

The fish and chips were good, but not that “oh my gosh this is so good” that I was hoping for. While I wasn’t amazed by the food, Ivar’s is a convenient spot along the water, especially after the tour, and an iconic place to try. I heard many rave reviews about the clam chowder though. 

Another Lunch Option: Pike Place Market is full of local places to eat. You can walk back up to the market for lunch instead. See below for Pike Place recommendations. 

Seattle Aquarium

The aquarium isn’t huge, but it is really nice. The first building has smaller tanks of fish, touch pools, and the giant pacific octopus! 

In the other building and outdoor area are sea otters, harbor seals, and northern fur seals. Throughout the day there are talks about the animals. if you don’t catch one of them, there is often an education expert around to give more information and answer questions. I spent most of my visit in this area as I loved watching the adorable sea creatures swim around and play.

The aquarium is included on the Seattle CityPass. You can reserve timed tickets ahead of time or exchange tickets in person. 

Seattle Harbor Cruise

The one hour harbor cruise is one of the options on the CityPass. The narrated tour provides information about Seattle and the sights you can see from the ship. Unlike some tours where the information is pre-recorded, there is a live guide that you can see and hear! There were a lot of fun stories and information provided. Although the information is probably the same from cruise to cruise, it didn’t feel scripted. 

During the cruise I couldn’t get enough of the sparkling blue water and dazzling blue skies. There is indoor and outdoor sitting. If you have a nice sunny day like I did you’ll definitely want to sit on the roof and enjoy the breeze. When boarding I would choose a seat on the left side (facing the chairs) as you’ll be on the correct side for Seattle city views. 

Restrooms and a bar are on board.

Another Activity Option: The Seattle Great Wheel is a large ferris wheel near the aquarium. It’s a fun way to see Seattle from another vantage point. 

Dinner at Rocco’s 

Rocco’s is a nice pizza spot with a good atmosphere. Pizzas are gigantic. You can order half or whole pizzas. They also have specials for slices. I ordered a half and ate half of it at the restaurant and had the other half as dinner the next night in my hotel. Unless you want leftovers, share a pizza or order slices if you are dining solo. 

The create your own options are quite numerous, starting with several different kinds of sauces. I had a curry marinara sauce that was delicious with sausage and arugula. They weren’t stingy with the toppings either! 

Seattle Itinerary Day 2 

Your second day in Seattle will cover the rest of the sights downtown and around Pioneer Square. 

Pike Place Market

Seattle Free Walking Tours also does a free, one hour Pike Place Market tour. The market is gigantic. It can be quite overwhelming to know where to go and what to see. The tour is a great way to receive some recommendations as well as learn how the market became what it is today. 

My guide was awesome. She was very upbeat and clearly passionate about the market.

You’ll hit most of the top spots during the tour like the famous fish throwers, but there really is a lot to see so you may want to spend some more time afterwards walking around. You could spend hours checking out all of the stores and craft market stalls. I really liked walking by all the food stalls and getting as many samples as I could! 

Lunch at Pike Place Market

Pike Place Chowder is one of the most popular places and known for their, you guessed it, chowders! Save yourself some time and skip the line and order to go. Online take-out orders are down the hallway behind the restaurant. There’s wifi and the food is ready in 5 minutes. If you dine in, it is still counter service. There are other table areas around the market, so there is really no reason to wait in the main line!

I got the seafood bisque in a sourdough bread bowl. It comes outside of the bowl. I really liked that as then I could just dip the bread in the bisque and avoid the bread becoming too soggy.

Other Lunch Options: The Pink Door is a highly rated Italian restaurant. Piroshky Piroshky is a popular stop for piroshkies, an Eastern European street food. An authentic Mexican place, Maíz, is known for their corn tortillas. 

While the free tour is great for learning about the market, a guided Pike Place food tour with food included is a great way to sample a variety of places. There is a plant-based food tour too! 

Klondike Gold Rush Museum

This is an awesome, free museum that is run by the National Park Services. Stamps are available for US passport books in the gift shop.

The museum describes the history of the Klondike Gold Rush from when gold was first found in the Yukon to the aftermath of the historic event.

The museum isn’t huge, but if you are like me and want to thoroughly read everything you will need a couple of hours. The 22 minute video is a great overview of the Klondike Gold Rush. The information in the museum covers everything in more detail.

There’s also a film about the national parks in general. An additional area features rotating exhibits. Currently there is a sad, but interesting exhibit about Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island who were put in internment camps during WWII.

Another Activity Option: One thing I didn’t fit into my Seattle itinerary that I thought would have been cool was an underground Seattle tour. From the free walking tour I learned about streets from the 1890s that were built over after the big Seattle fire that destroyed the area around what is now Pioneer Square. A guided tour is the only way to see this hidden part of the city. 

Dinner in the International District

Dough Zone is a local Chinese restaurant chain with a location in the International District. I wasn’t overly impressed walking around this neighborhood, but I was impressed with the food at Dough Zone. You’ll mark off everything you want on a paper menu. Note that there is a full menu available with a QR code, but no wifi.

All the menu items are tapas sized so it is a great way to try a variety of dishes. I had the hot & sour glass noodles, shrimp & zucchini dumplings, and green onion pancakes. The noodles were very flavorful, but I had no idea how to eat them. The springy consistency made it really hard to cut. I was hoping nobody was noticing my slurping struggles. If anyone knows how to properly eat those please let me know!

Dumplings seem to be the most popular items on the menu. Although the restaurant isn’t huge, one waiter seemed to be constantly bringing out more dumplings. The green onion pancake was also very good. It was one of my favorite meals so make sure to include it during your 4 days in Seattle!

Another Dinner Option: Phnom Penh Noodle House is another great choice in the neighborhood.I have never been a huge soup person so I liked how you could order the noodle soups with the broth on the side. I liked having the noodles dry, but I ended up enjoying the side of broth more than I thought. 

Seattle Itinerary Day 3 

Day three in Seattle is focused on some of Seattle’s biggest attractions at the Seattle Center. Between the tourist sites I included some of my favorite places to eat a little farther afield. 

Seattle Space Needle

Every big city has an iconic building, statue, or tower that it is known for. In Seattle it is the Space Needle that was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. It was only intended to last for the duration of the fair. Here it is 60 years later and the Space Needle is still standing strong and making the Seattle skyline recognizable!

I actually learned more about the Space Needle from other tours than I did at the Space Needle itself. There are a few boards on the way up that go over the making of it. It’s part of the line so it’s hard to read. I wish there was more of a museum about it. At the top it is only an observatory. The highest level has an indoor and outdoor deck. One floor below is an indoor rotating glass floor. It’s cool to see below you as you slowly spin around.

Of course there are 360 degree views and you can’t miss going in Seattle’s most famous building! It is included on every CityPass or can be purchased as a combination ticket with Chihuly Garden & Glass. 

Chihuly Garden & Glass

Chihuly Garden & Glass is a long term art exhibition. It features Dale Chihuly’s glass blown art. The exhibit begins with several rooms. Each room has a theme and focuses on one piece of art or collection of art. Then there is the greenhouse with another glass work. Outdoors Chihuly’s work is combined with gardens.

Most days there are 5 – 10 minute talks at the start of every hour. They take place in different rooms in the exhibition and give more details about Chihuly and his work. Before exiting into the gift shop, stop at the theater to watch short films about glass blowing and Chihuly’s works around the world.

While it is a unique place that should be included on your Seattle itinerary, it is quite pricey. I typically take way longer than most people when visiting places, but I only spent about 1.5 hours here. I walked through the entire place twice, read every sign, and watched all the videos. At $35 it is expensive for the size of the place. Luckily it is included on the CityPass so you receive a much better deal.

Lunch at Biang Biang Noodles

Seattle is full of great places to eat, but a lot of them are not located around the most popular attractions in Seattle. Biang Biang Noodles was one of my favorite places I ate and worth the 30 minute walk from the Seattle Center. 

I had the pork belly dry rub mixed noodles. They are hand pulled noodles. I admit I don’t know what that means, but I haven’t had any quite like those. I may not know how to describe the noodles, but I do know noodles with great flavor! At a late lunchtime, my food came out super fast too. 

Museum of Pop Culture

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) is also an option on the CityPass and a really cool place…..if you are interested in pop culture. I don’t have much interest in pop culture. That being said I typically enjoy most museums on a wide variety of topics. I’m not a big Abba fan, but thought the museum in Sweden was so much fun. The Harry Potter studios outside of London were incredible.

At MoPop there are themed exhibits on Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Horror. I definitely skipped the horror exhibit, but some people loved it. There are music specific exhibits on hip hop, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, and Pearl Jam. I was expecting the fantasy exhibit that did have some costumes from Harry Potter to be similar to the Harry Potter Studios and the music sections to draw me in with a story of the musician or group’s history and interactive activities. 

Everyone raves about the museum, but I didn’t think there was a lot of information to read or interactive activities outside of the sound lab. A lot of the exhibits, especially the Pearl Jam one, mostly had artifacts with placards. The sound lab, where I “learned” to play the drums, was pretty cool though.

It is one of those places that I could appreciate was cool and I am glad I checked out, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite thing to do on my Seattle itinerary. If you are someone who is into the topics covered at the museum and/or enjoy museums where you look at things more than read, it might be right up your alley! 

Another Activity Option: The Bill and Melinda Gates Discovery Center is also located at the Seattle Center. The Discovery Center has free exhibits related to human rights and global issues. 

Dinner in Capitol Hill

The neighborhood of Capitol Hill is a good area to find good eats! 

Kedai Makan is one of the top ranked restaurants on Yelp. I was really excited to try this Malaysian restaurant as it came highly recommended. I tried to eat there, but it was a 2 hour wait and they weren’t taking any more names on the waitlist. As Kedai Makan is only open Wed – Sat nights, doesn’t take reservations, and doesn’t offer take-out it is very tricky to score a table! 

Carmelo’s Tacos with a walk-up window for ordering is around the corner. The Mexican style tacos are a quick, tasty alternative. They also are quite a bit cheaper than most places to eat in Seattle. 

Seattle Space Needle

You’re probably thinking, wasn’t the Space Needle included already? You’re not going crazy, you are correct. With CityPass a day and evening visit is included (two visits within 24 hours). You can start and end your day with amazing views of the city. 

Seattle Itinerary Day 4

For your last day in Seattle leave the touristy areas behind and venture out to some of the best local neighborhoods. 

Fremont

​​Every big city has their quirky neighborhood. In Seattle it is Fremont. Forget about Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, spend your morning in one of Seattle’s most unique neighborhoods.

Theo Chocolate Factory

Your first stop needs to be Theo Chocolate for the chocolate factory tour experience. Although they ship to stores around the country, the Seattle factory and store is the only Theo Chocolate location.

They are proud to be the first fair trade and organically sourced chocolate company in the US. The hour-long tour will take you behind the scenes to learn how their chocolate is made. All the top secret Theo Chocolate roasting details won’t be given, but you will learn exactly how they source their chocolate and other details about the process.

What you really want to know is if they give samples, right? I hate to disappoint you…..just kidding, the tour is full of samples! Theo Chocolate is rather pricey, so the tour cost almost pays for itself with the amount of samples on the tour (and more at the chocolate shop). If you are on the fence about spending the money or not, do it!

Fremont Art & Shopping

Like most bohemian neighborhoods, Fremont is an artsy area with lots of cool pieces of street art.

Pick up a Fremont Walking Guide map one block south of Theo Chocolate. When you’re there check out the topiary dinosaurs! You’ll find more art and a nice walk on the Burke Gilman trail which runs along the Fremont Cut.

There is plenty more art on the city streets to the north. The Fremont Troll on N 36th St under the Aurora Bridge is one of the most popular.

The streets are full of local places to eat and shop too. On Sundays there is a huge farmers market with all the goods coming directly from the producers, farmers, and ranchers.

Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park isn’t technically in Fremont, but it’s a short walk to the east on the Burke Gilman Trail. It’s on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company Plant. You can still see the remnants of the plant.

If that doesn’t sound appealing, don’t despair, it’s a popular park for another reason. There are great views toward downtown Seattle.

On top of the kite flying hill is a good vantage point. There was indeed someone flying a kite from it when I visited too!

Restrooms are available in the park, but do not expect anything nice!

Another Activity Option: Woodland Zoo is another option on the CityPass. I was choosing between using my pass for MoPop or the Zoo. When in Seattle I met a local blogger, Stacia, who wrote about visiting Woodland Zoo. As I described above I thought I would check out MoPop and didn’t take her advice that I may have preferred the zoo over the museum! If my thoughts on MoPop struck a chord with you, you may want to take her advice, unlike me! 

Ballard

For the afternoon go west to Ballard, another hip, local neighborhood. 

Spice Waala

Spice Waala has two locations. One in Ballard and one in Capitol Hill. The food menu currently includes four types of Kathi rolls, five snacks, and ice cream. Usually a small menu means the food is really good and this was definitely the case!

All the kathi rolls are wrapped in grilled roti bread and include green chutney and onions. I had the lamb one and it was delicious. They aren’t huge, but nice for a lunch time portion.

Take your food to go and eat at Ballard Locks!

Another Lunch Option: Bongo’s is a delicious Caribbean place that is off the usual tourist trail. It’s only a 13 minute walk from Woodland Zoo so you’ll especially want to eat there if you go to the zoo. 

Ballard Locks

I didn’t notice Ballard Locks included on most lists of what to do in Seattle. Luckily The Barr Scene recommended it because It ended up being one of my favorite things in my Seattle itinerary. First of all everything is free: the tour, the gardens, the exhibits, the salmon ladder viewing room, hanging out by the locks…..all free!

Most importantly I thought it was so cool! The two locks are the busiest locks in the country! You can see up close the various boats going in and out of the locks. On busy days a thousand boats might travel through the locks.

There is also a salmon ladder and viewing windows. Your best bet for watching salmon is from mid-June to September. You can also see them outdoors jumping in the water. I even spotted a seal. Apparently it is one of their favorite hang outs and they even know how to use the locks!

The visitor center is a great way to learn about the history and technology of the locks as well as more about the salmon. Free, guided tours are very informative too. I was very interested so I spent some time at the visitor center exhibits and went on the guided tour.

Beautiful botanical gardens, walking trails, and public restrooms make it a great spot in Seattle to visit!

Another Activity Option: I was enjoying my time at Ballard Locks so much that I ran out of time for Discovery Park. Other than a 1/3 lap around one side of the perimeter I didn’t go inside the park. It has really nice trails and views of Seattle.

Dinner at Basilic Essentially Thai

If you take my recommendation for staying at the Four Points, this is a handy spot for dinner before heading back to the hotel. It is a charming Thai restaurant within a historic home. 

I went with the classic option of Pad Thai and it was really good. Basilic Essentially Thai has a full menu of all your Thai favorites. 

With all the city has to offer, 4 days in Seattle isn’t nearly enough time, but hopefully this Seattle itinerary makes you love Seattle as much as I did!

More in the Pacific Northwest

• Olympia: Fun Things to Do
• Olympic National Park: Best Hikes
• Oregon: Crater Lake Hikes & Viewpoints
• Portland: 3 Day Itinerary, Donut Shops, Food Cart Pods

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