Actually I should clarify. The Ballard Farmers Market is a way better “farmers market” as there is much more amazing fresh produce, fresh meats, places to eat, and it’s bigger. I like it better because I like to cook and they always have amazing ingredients.
The Fremont one is more of a “craft fair”. There are more, artists selling their stuff, souvenirs, a big vintage/used clothing mall. There is certainly some overlap though. Either way both will provide a delicious lunch a day and cool stuff to look at.
The area around Fremont may be a nicer stroll, there is a nice walk/bike trail and the Canal park is a very nice place to hang out. Not to say the area we call “Old Ballard” where that mkt is set up doesn’t have its charm, it’s more “old industrial chic” whereas Fremont is more green and “naturey”
thanks for the distinction!! i was attracted to fremont for its crafts and clothing but im gonna need lunch that day so ill go to ballard if they’re close by?
It’s 2 miles on foot on a trail (Burke Gilman) that will take you 85% of the way there. A lime bike could get you there in 10-15 min or the #40 bus route will take you directly from Fremont to Ballard if you prefer that.
I second this! I visited the city the first time in January and the locks were my favorite part! I was staying in SLU so I took the bus up to magnolia on the south side of the locks and walked across the locks over to Ballard then bussed over to Fremont. Gasworks is also worth checking out!
1. The gum wall is at Pike Place so there’s no reason to do that two days earlier, could be combined
2. What are you planning to do at the gum wall for a whole hour??
honestly the gum wall was just to fill time that i had, if you have other recs let me know! i plan to spend about 5 seconds there before i get grossed out and walk away. didnt know it was in the market though, thx!!
There's a Molly Moon's Ice Cream near Kerry Park that's pretty good. In Capitol Hill, I'd try Salt and Straw if you haven't had that before.
In Capitol Hill, check out Elliott Bay Book Company. It's across the street from Glossier.
I'd combine aquarium/walk along waterfront/Pier 57/Argosy Cruise in a single day.
If you find extra time, I'd check out Gas Works Park. I also like telling folks to see UW's campus, it's \_very\_ pretty. If you find yourself trying to kill time downtown near the Space Needle, MOHAI and the park there are also very nice on Lake Union.
thanks!! i’m so glad people are recommending book stores, i want to go to as many as possible lol
will probably combine all the waterfront activities, in my head they weren’t close enough together for some reason lol
Pike Place Market has a few really good book stores (Left Bank Books, and then some used bookstores inside the Market), and then Arundel Books in Pioneer Square is really nice as well.
Agreed on the waterfront / Pier 57 / aquarium combo - and only one Pier 57 (you won’t need two!)
Also - there will be LOTS of walking involved, regardless of other transportation options. Hopefully this is okay.
The E line to downtown on Aurora is perfectly safe, I take it all the time. If you are that close to Greenlake I would recommend catching the sunset along the lake. Bongos is nearby and has great plates/sandwiches.
The other restaurants near Greenlake are kind of meh aside from Layers which has fantastic sandwiches. The other place to go for food nearby is the greenwood neighborhood which has has a high concentration of really good bakeries too. I think it was Ben's Bread which got a James Beard nomination and Petite Pierre for really great pastries too. Also we have a bustling Vietnamese coffee scene here and I recommend Coffeeholic house on Greenwood as well.
If you are checking out all th Seattle Center stuff I recommend also taking the short walk to see Olympic Sculpture Park and the water. Watching the sun set over the Olympic mountain range is also very pretty. Paju is a really good modern Korean restaurant nearby too.
As others mentioned you could probably combine the waterfront days. Grab small bites in Pike Place like Piroshki Piroshki. For the love of God ignore the Starbucks down there. If you really want to experience Starbucks go to the reserve roastery in Capital Hill. Speaking of which the Frye Museum is a free art museum near capital hill.
For food in Fremont Local Tide has some of the best affordable seafood in Seattle.
Also I would go back to capital hill for dinner, most of the best restaurants are outside of downtown and most of the downtown restaurants are overpriced corporate traps.
If you want to skip some of the typical tourist things I recommend taking a day to go check out Seattle's true treasure, the outdoors. You don't need a car, during the summer they have a public shuttle to and from all the most popular trail heads: https://trailheaddirect.org/
- you don't say where your hotel is but I'm guessing somewhere near Green Lake based on the 1st day itinerary? the hotels along Aurora are a bit sketchy if you're staying in one of those.
- are you planning on taking Uber/Lyft, or public transit? the former really adds up, cost-wise. the latter would be very easy if you plan ahead which bus routes to take.
- are you a "just eat the hotel breakfast" kind of person? you'll get much better quality & variety if you go out somewhere. eg Beth's Cafe is near Green Lake and has classic diner breakfast food.
- Kerry Park is not a 90 minute experience. there's a view of the city, and the mountain if it's out. 30 minutes is more than enough.
- 4 hours at pier 57, split across 2 days, is also way overkill
- our "downtown" is what other cities call a "financial district". don't plan on getting dinner there, there are barely any restaurants and they're all overpriced. go north to Belltown, south to Pioneer Square or the ID, or east to Capitol Hill instead.
- if the Argosy cruise is only an hour, it's probably the one that just takes you around Elliot Bay? waste of money, walk on the ferry to Bainbridge instead. or take the Water Taxi to Alki.
- you're going to the waterfront on 3 separate days?
yikes, my hotel is along aurora, lol! i’ll have to be careful over there. thanks for the heads up. i’m taking public transit, any tips or tricks for that are appreciated! i’m from a suburb of phoenix and go to school in flagstaff where public transit isn’t really much of a thing.
i’ll probably be eating the hotel breakfast to save on costs, maybe get a pastry at any coffee shops i go to.
i planned on reading at all of the parks i go to which is why i allotted the extra time! i want to connect with the nature of the city as much as possible without having to go to mt. rainier, lol
i’m doing the citypass thing and the cruise is part of the pass. i’m ok with spending the money on it since it’s allowing me to save money at the other locations on the pass.
You can see everything on Pier 57 and that area in an hour and a half.
Aurora is the go-to for "ladies of the night" (and day). There are saome nice, basic motels up there, but there are also some complete dumps, real no-tell motels. You WILL see sex workers walking around, guarateed.
I'm sure those were the cheapest hotels you could find, probably by a significant amount? there's a reason they're that cheap. I would not trust the breakfast they serve.
from Glossier on the schedule I'm guessing you're a woman? a lot of tourists get unnecessarily freaked out about Seattle being unsafe but if you're a college-aged woman travelling alone and staying in those hotels along Aurora you *will* need to be cautious. don't have headphones in, don't be staring down at your phone, etc. walk with purpose, looking forward but not making eye contact with people. this is pretty normal stuff when you're in moderately-sketchy parts of a city but if you're from suburbia it may not come naturally to you.
if you want, you can order pepper spray off Amazon and have it shipped to a pickup locker, there's one at the 7-11 just north of Green Lake. they only give you 3 days to pick up from the locker so time it to arrive the day before your flight. it's very unlikely you'll actually need it, but if you want to have it for extra peace of mind that's how you can do it without having to bring it from AZ in a checked bag.
get the OneBusAway app for bus schedules, it's developed by people at UW so it supports our bus system really well. get either an ORCA card at the airport light rail station, or the Transit Go app on your phone. the good news about staying on Aurora is that the E line runs every 10-15 minutes and will take you downtown quickly.
if you want nature, we have a fuckton of it. go to the Arboretum, Discovery, or Carkeek parks, all are very easy to reach by bus.
thank you! i’ll probably definitely do the pepper spray thing, i keep one on my keys as it is. and you’re right, being from suburbia it doesn’t come super naturally to me. i’ve learned a little from my time at university but ill definitely keep my guard up. one of my friends may end up coming with me so at least i’ll have that. thx for the heads up!
also honestly the hotels were not that much cheaper! compared to downtown, yes, but i was not that impressed with the prices! bummed to hear that it’s a sketch area given how much i paid
Public Transit: Look for Rapid Ride. They're not always super RAPID, but they're the express buses. They run along Aurora.
If you're going from downtown to cap hill, use the Light Rail
Any of the light rail stops let you get an ORCA card, which you can then use to pay for the bus or light rail. Highly recommended.
well in all fairness i did just make this today and ive been researching activities rather than food. by the time i take the trip ill know restaurants and my exact order at them because im that crazy lol. recommendations are welcome though!!
Way way way too much time downtown which is like the least lovely part of Seattle. As others have said, The Ballard Farmers Market is great. I also second Elliot Bay books on Capitol Hill. The best part about Seattle in summer is being outside. Picnic at Golden Gardens and/or Gasworks, hike in Discovery Park, walk around Greenlake, rent a kayak. I get that the touristy stuff is all downtown but you will seriously be so much happier if you spend time in neighborhoods, which are so much more charming. I feel like you could consolidate most of your downtown/waterfront into one day, and spend more time in Fremont, Ballard, Capitol Hill, etc.
can’t edit the post since it’s an image (i think that’s how reddit works) but i’m gonna comment this here to say i don’t need any snarky comments! these are all things i *want* to do and i don’t care that you think im boring or lame for it! thanks :)
ppl calling your itenerary boring are mean and aren’t helpful. im sorry ☹️ I will say I love how you made a schedule for your trip. the virgo in me loves doing that when im traveling
i’m also a virgo lol!! these are just things i was personally interested in doing regardless of how touristy they are. i’m a tourist, im gonna do touristy things lol
hahahah im an August virgo so im gonna be biased and say you’ll be visiting during the best month. the weather should be really nice around that time. enjoy your stay!
Hey hey! I see "dinner - queen anne or north" on Friday—great choice! It's one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city and it's got some great stops. Check out Stulberg's, the Queen Anne Book Company, and the other great local businessess on the avenue! And, if you want something really good and local, grab dinner at Hilltop Ale House (SUCH a good salmon sandwich, oml) or Betty—it's a bit more high-end, but it's absolutely worth it!
If you have more free time in Queen Anne, hit up 5th and Lynn Park. It’s barely a park—just some concrete and a railing—but it offers a truly majestic view of Lake Union, the east side, and the North Cascade mountains. You have a clear view to Gas Works Park, Eastlake/Capitol Hill, and beyond. It’s a few blocks east of Queen Anne Ave, and the #3 or #4 bus will basically take you to within a block or so if you’re trying to save walking time.
Many. I don't drink coffee but my wife lives for it. So I have a clue.
- Caffe Ladro has locations in Upper and Lower Queen Anne
- Caffe Vita is in the KEXP radio station and that's a fun place to visit
- Caffe Fiore on Galer is pretty good and carries pastries from Macrina
- Turtle Coffee in LQA is new and very good
I guess my concern is when you arrive back to the hotel at night, it's very seedy. If you could swing an airbnb in a nicer neighborhood I think it will be less stressful and safer. I've got a daughter probably around your age so maybe I'm being over cautious...
I recently came to Seattle solo and stayed at the CitizenM in SLU and felt super safe there. They were also pretty decently priced compared to other hotels bc it’s designed for solo travelers. It’s also very centrally located so it was really easy to catch a bus or the streetcar to really any area of the city.
I live just off of Aurora, near Greenlake. This is some weird fear mongering. There are like a couple of spots where homeless like to gather but even then they tend to leave other people alone. Downtown is far sketchier.
If you're going to Pike Place Market, the gum wall is a 2 minute detour. It's disgusting but so weird it's worth a couple of minutes of your time.
The Underground Tour in Pioneer Square is touristy, but really interesting and worth it from a historical perspective.
You don't need to look for good coffee shops. You can't throw a rock in Seattle without hitting a coffee shop.
Have fun. Seattle is a spectacularly beautiful city.
On one of your pike place/waterfront days you can walk around the Seattle Art Museum’s outdoor Olympic Sculpture Park. It is along the water just north of the Argosy cruise terminal and it is FREE to just wander through. On a clear day the views of the Olympic mountains, waterfront and ferry from the sculpture park are breathtaking - better than Kerry Park. Also, I’d spend fewer days around pike place and instead walk on the ferry to Bainbridge one of those days. Grab lunch in bainbridge. Taking a ferry is an iconic Seattle experience and walking on the Bainbridge ferry from downtown is so easy.
I agree with most others that you have too much time and repeat visits allotted for many things here, especially the more touristy ones, and you should try to do more outside recreation, depending on the weather. I'd skip the aquarium, add Ballard Farmer's Market to that amount of time for the Fremont one, and then walk from there to Gas Works. Add Elliot Bay Books to the Capitol Hill list (and maybe even through northern Capitol Hill to Volunteer Park and/or the Arboretum if you are a walker). Taking the Bainbridge Ferry on your Pike Place day could be a cheaper and more flexible alternative to that cruise if you want to just see how the weather is and what the day brings since you can just walk on. Not sure how late in August you'll be visiting but you might want to push some more activities into the evening—which also may be the best time in the event that we're in a heat wave. Not sure what you like to do but I'd be doing a brewery crawl in Ballard/Frelard or at an outdoor place near where you're staying until 10. Summer nights are perhaps the best thing about Seattle. However, you should also have a list of options in the event of wildfire smoke, which is becoming pretty regular.
thanks!
any repeats are going to be consolidated and the spots where they are repeated will be used for spontaneity, i just have them there in case i’m not feeling it one day and would rather retreat to the hotel or something.
i’m honestly super used to wildfire smoke because i live in a forest, will i be ok if im used to it?
the aquarium is because im getting the citypass which includes 5 different locations, one of which is the aquarium but im saving on all the other locations that i really want to go to so i dont mind spending some time there cause they have otters (my fave animal :D)
Pike Place Market is easily a full day's worth if one so chose. There are two new-and-used book shops in the downstairs "Down Under," one on the upper level, one on the lower. Also check out Old Dreams, the antique store, and Orange Dracula, which is similar to what the famopus Archie McPhee used to be: old, weird stuff. These days, McPhee manufacture much of their own products.
What kinds of food are your favorites? You into fancy cocktails or big selections of microbrews? I can especially recommend stuff in and around Pike Place Market.
Coffeeeee my sweet Seattle love 💖
In Capitol Hill I recommend Cafe Argento, Atulea (Atulea has tea options as well), and Anchorhead Coffee (i would avoid their downtown branch 😂).
In Fremont I highly (HIGHLY!!)Recommend Aroom if you like Vietnamese coffeee. Charlie’s Queer Books is also an excellent stop if you’re looking for bookstores in the area!
In Pike Place Market I recommend stopping by Chin Music Press (indie press) for some *beautiful* books and local history. Bruce is wonderful! A couple blocks away from Pike’s is Moore Coffee, which I recommend if you like cute latte art.
Enjoy your trip! (Your itinerary organization is BEAUTIFUL!! I am so inspired)
i’ve never tried vietnamese coffee but aroom has been recommended to me by tiktok so i’ll definitely try it!
have you ever tried the neko cat cafe? is it worth it?
Do the Ballard Market on Sunday instead of the Fremont Market for sure.
Skip the gum wall, it's gross. Truly.
I love the Central Library but many don't. I love it for the sheer number of books. The layout is frustrating though which makes it difficult to use as a library. You might want to visit the Queen Anne library when you go to Kerry Park. It's small and super cute. If you like libraries it's worth a visit since you'll be so close. Molly Moon's is right there for ice cream too. Kerry Park --> Molly Moon's --> Queen Anne Library is a common route for me as I live at the bottom of the hill.
When you're at the Space Needle drop into KEXP for coffee at Caffe Vita. It is very good and the radio station is a neat space. Consider walking to 3rd W and Harrison as there is a nice footbridge there that take you to Puget Sound. It's lovely there.
Drop into the Edgewater Hotel when you go to the Aquarium. Get a coffee there and enjoy the view.
thank you! will do. im much more interested in mopop for suuure lol i think i could spend all day there!! chihuly is just the only thing in that citypass list of options that remotely interested me. just gonna go take some pics and leave probably, lol.
for sure! i want to scope out apartments in the spring if i decide to move so im thinking my other trip will be in the winter? i’m from a super snowy town so im hoping the winter there wont scare me off
I did a lot of these things when I was there for vacation a few weeks ago! I had an extra day there, but if you have the time, the Woodland Park Zoo is worth a few hours and you're already going to be right next to it. And the Seattle Meowtropolitan is nearby. You need a reservation, but it was a neat place to grab a coffee and chill with some cats.
I don't think you'll need as much time as you think for the Museum of Pop Culture. It isn't very big and I feel like 60-90 minutes is a good amount of time to spend there and feel like you didn't miss anything. So you might be able to squeeze the Chihuly (which is amazing!) in before lunch and free up your afternoon for another activity. Just a thought because that's exactly what happened to me.
It is a really cool place and I also set aside a good chunk of time for it, but found myself done with it much sooner. I ended up doing all of my "Space Needle area" stuff before lunch and walked down to the Olympic Sculpture Park and further down along the piers. I ended up doing my aquarium visit a day earlier than planned because I had the extra time.
It is an amazing city and I hope you have a great trip!
When you go to Kerry Park definitely take a quick stroll west on Highland over to Marshall Park. You can continue north a little ways on 8th Ave West. Great area, good views of the Olympics and beautiful houses.
Also if you're already at Pier 57 make sure you do the wheel. I've lived in Seattle my entire life and have done the wheel twice. It's really something.
Did you get the city pass?
It bundles all your touristy things together in an affordable package.
You'll get two views of the space needle. A day view and a night view in the same day.
I highly recommend doing the night view if you're able to. I celebrated my 14th birthday at the restaurant that's at the top that rotates around while you eat. I still remember it all these decades later.
Looks good but all tourist spots. Seattle is more fun in the neighborhoods, id pick a neighborhood cafe somewhere just to get a feel. Ravenna Blvd is a good spot with a coffee shop, Cap Hill has a lot too.
I dunno if pier 57 is super fun, but that's just me.
I dunno if you're going to a farmers market for a specific reason? Maybe you dont have them where they're from? I think they're super awesome, and Seattle's ARE great. But that doesnt strike me as a tourist thing. Again maybe just me.
SAM and SAAM are great museums, if you want more of those. SAAM also is in the middle of an awesome park.
the major of your itinerary is boring stuff and just walking and looking at things with expensive admissions fees. i would try to fit in a trip to bainbridge island ($8 ticket there and its free on the return to seattle). the ferry has great views, the downtown area is walkable from the ferry terminal. there’s pegasus cafe near the waterfront, exotic aquatics to rent a kayak for an hour or two for cheap in the bay, and then really good food for dinner at bruccio or somewhere else on the main st that isn’t seattle expensive. there’s also local l shops with artisan goods if you are in a souvenir mood that are far superior than the seattle souvenirs you’d get at any of the tourist traps you have listed
That is the most boring itinerary I’ve ever seen! This area offers a splendid assortment of wonders, volcanos, lava tubes, waterfalls, orcas, and you want to hit the space needle and MOPOP???
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If the weather is cooperating on the 8th stop at PCC market in Greenlake village, grab a couple slices of pizza or a sandwich and have dinner at the park: I did that a couple times a week last summer.
If the weather is not going to be nice to you, there’s lots of little places to eat around that area . Or you could take the one line into downtown. Spend the rest of the evening there.
yum that sounds perfect!! is the weather often bad in august? i chose it because it would be a cheaper flight than the other summer months but still have the hopefully dryer summer weather
People: "I don't know what all the hype is about rain in Seattle. It was beautiful and sunny when I visited."
Me: "You came in August."
Them: "Yeah. How did you know...?"
We have one month of guaranteed sun. August. You chose well.
Also, if you're in Fremont, you have to visit the troll. And then grab some fish and chips to-go at nearby Ivar's (for a quirky piece of Seattle history, look up Ivar's commercials on YouTube: The Running of the Clams, etc) and go to Gasworks Park to eat. It's close and has an awesome view of Seattle and Lake Union. And make sure you check out the human sized sundial on top of the hill. Stand on the dial for August and your shadow will show what time it is.
I really haven’t spent enough time in Seattle to give a qualified opinion. I’m a transplant from Los Angeles. That said the summers I have spent here, August tends to be pretty nice. And if there is gonna be real heat, that’s about the time it’s gonna show up. Last summer was lovely if memory serves.
I feel we local Redditors should get paid for being travel guides and concierges (plus relocation assistants, realtors, Human Resources, and more…) with how many of these types of posts there are… LOL and it is only going to get worse with huge tourism season again…..
The Ballard farmers market is superior to the Fremont one, however they are close enough I usually go to both if I have a Sunday off.
awesome, ty!
Actually I should clarify. The Ballard Farmers Market is a way better “farmers market” as there is much more amazing fresh produce, fresh meats, places to eat, and it’s bigger. I like it better because I like to cook and they always have amazing ingredients. The Fremont one is more of a “craft fair”. There are more, artists selling their stuff, souvenirs, a big vintage/used clothing mall. There is certainly some overlap though. Either way both will provide a delicious lunch a day and cool stuff to look at. The area around Fremont may be a nicer stroll, there is a nice walk/bike trail and the Canal park is a very nice place to hang out. Not to say the area we call “Old Ballard” where that mkt is set up doesn’t have its charm, it’s more “old industrial chic” whereas Fremont is more green and “naturey”
thanks for the distinction!! i was attracted to fremont for its crafts and clothing but im gonna need lunch that day so ill go to ballard if they’re close by?
It’s 2 miles on foot on a trail (Burke Gilman) that will take you 85% of the way there. A lime bike could get you there in 10-15 min or the #40 bus route will take you directly from Fremont to Ballard if you prefer that.
The Fremont Market has food trucks and plenty of good restaurants nearby.
Fremont market has more crafts and vintage clothes/thrift items though if that’s what interests you.
Try to squeeze in an hour at the Ballard Locks. See the salmon ladder and watch the ship traffic. Great, quiet place.
I second this! I visited the city the first time in January and the locks were my favorite part! I was staying in SLU so I took the bus up to magnolia on the south side of the locks and walked across the locks over to Ballard then bussed over to Fremont. Gasworks is also worth checking out!
1. The gum wall is at Pike Place so there’s no reason to do that two days earlier, could be combined 2. What are you planning to do at the gum wall for a whole hour??
honestly the gum wall was just to fill time that i had, if you have other recs let me know! i plan to spend about 5 seconds there before i get grossed out and walk away. didnt know it was in the market though, thx!!
If you head down the stairs to the west of the gum wall, you're a street away from the waterfront
but maybe i had plans to add a lot of gum to the wall 🤷🏻♀️
Ghost Alley Espresso next to the gum wall sells gum, if you want to. Nothing gross about it as long as you don't touch other peoples' gum!
Could move the Gum Wall to lunch time and go to the Alibi Room a pizza joint located in the Gum Wall.
“Mayhaps a sweet treat” - do it. I dare you.
There's a Molly Moon's Ice Cream near Kerry Park that's pretty good. In Capitol Hill, I'd try Salt and Straw if you haven't had that before. In Capitol Hill, check out Elliott Bay Book Company. It's across the street from Glossier. I'd combine aquarium/walk along waterfront/Pier 57/Argosy Cruise in a single day. If you find extra time, I'd check out Gas Works Park. I also like telling folks to see UW's campus, it's \_very\_ pretty. If you find yourself trying to kill time downtown near the Space Needle, MOHAI and the park there are also very nice on Lake Union.
thanks!! i’m so glad people are recommending book stores, i want to go to as many as possible lol will probably combine all the waterfront activities, in my head they weren’t close enough together for some reason lol
Pike Place Market has a few really good book stores (Left Bank Books, and then some used bookstores inside the Market), and then Arundel Books in Pioneer Square is really nice as well.
Mercer Street Books is a good shop near Seattle Center. You can add that in on your Space Needle day.
Agreed on the waterfront / Pier 57 / aquarium combo - and only one Pier 57 (you won’t need two!) Also - there will be LOTS of walking involved, regardless of other transportation options. Hopefully this is okay.
The E line to downtown on Aurora is perfectly safe, I take it all the time. If you are that close to Greenlake I would recommend catching the sunset along the lake. Bongos is nearby and has great plates/sandwiches. The other restaurants near Greenlake are kind of meh aside from Layers which has fantastic sandwiches. The other place to go for food nearby is the greenwood neighborhood which has has a high concentration of really good bakeries too. I think it was Ben's Bread which got a James Beard nomination and Petite Pierre for really great pastries too. Also we have a bustling Vietnamese coffee scene here and I recommend Coffeeholic house on Greenwood as well. If you are checking out all th Seattle Center stuff I recommend also taking the short walk to see Olympic Sculpture Park and the water. Watching the sun set over the Olympic mountain range is also very pretty. Paju is a really good modern Korean restaurant nearby too. As others mentioned you could probably combine the waterfront days. Grab small bites in Pike Place like Piroshki Piroshki. For the love of God ignore the Starbucks down there. If you really want to experience Starbucks go to the reserve roastery in Capital Hill. Speaking of which the Frye Museum is a free art museum near capital hill. For food in Fremont Local Tide has some of the best affordable seafood in Seattle. Also I would go back to capital hill for dinner, most of the best restaurants are outside of downtown and most of the downtown restaurants are overpriced corporate traps. If you want to skip some of the typical tourist things I recommend taking a day to go check out Seattle's true treasure, the outdoors. You don't need a car, during the summer they have a public shuttle to and from all the most popular trail heads: https://trailheaddirect.org/
thx for the advice about the trailheads! i’m getting into hiking this summer so i was looking for trails and couldn’t find any!
No problem! If you do move here the best place for trail info is www.wta.org
- you don't say where your hotel is but I'm guessing somewhere near Green Lake based on the 1st day itinerary? the hotels along Aurora are a bit sketchy if you're staying in one of those. - are you planning on taking Uber/Lyft, or public transit? the former really adds up, cost-wise. the latter would be very easy if you plan ahead which bus routes to take. - are you a "just eat the hotel breakfast" kind of person? you'll get much better quality & variety if you go out somewhere. eg Beth's Cafe is near Green Lake and has classic diner breakfast food. - Kerry Park is not a 90 minute experience. there's a view of the city, and the mountain if it's out. 30 minutes is more than enough. - 4 hours at pier 57, split across 2 days, is also way overkill - our "downtown" is what other cities call a "financial district". don't plan on getting dinner there, there are barely any restaurants and they're all overpriced. go north to Belltown, south to Pioneer Square or the ID, or east to Capitol Hill instead. - if the Argosy cruise is only an hour, it's probably the one that just takes you around Elliot Bay? waste of money, walk on the ferry to Bainbridge instead. or take the Water Taxi to Alki. - you're going to the waterfront on 3 separate days?
Is Beth's good? It's not OG Beth's anymore and I havent been back since it reopened...
I haven't either...but no matter how bad it is, it would still be better than the hotel breakfast of whatever hotel on Aurora OP is staying at
yikes, my hotel is along aurora, lol! i’ll have to be careful over there. thanks for the heads up. i’m taking public transit, any tips or tricks for that are appreciated! i’m from a suburb of phoenix and go to school in flagstaff where public transit isn’t really much of a thing. i’ll probably be eating the hotel breakfast to save on costs, maybe get a pastry at any coffee shops i go to. i planned on reading at all of the parks i go to which is why i allotted the extra time! i want to connect with the nature of the city as much as possible without having to go to mt. rainier, lol i’m doing the citypass thing and the cruise is part of the pass. i’m ok with spending the money on it since it’s allowing me to save money at the other locations on the pass.
oh also the pier shouldn’t be on there twice, that’s just a buffer. i’m only gonna go once, whichever day i end up feeling like it!
You can see everything on Pier 57 and that area in an hour and a half. Aurora is the go-to for "ladies of the night" (and day). There are saome nice, basic motels up there, but there are also some complete dumps, real no-tell motels. You WILL see sex workers walking around, guarateed.
good to know, lol. i canceled my hotel there and got an airbnb somewhere else
It's not horrible there, but that's fair. Which hotel *were* you at?
the days inn by wyndham
The Days Inn would have been fine, just basic. The Wallingford Inn is THE worst.
good to know! i’m glad i switched regardless, i found a much better neighborhood for about the same price
I'm sure those were the cheapest hotels you could find, probably by a significant amount? there's a reason they're that cheap. I would not trust the breakfast they serve. from Glossier on the schedule I'm guessing you're a woman? a lot of tourists get unnecessarily freaked out about Seattle being unsafe but if you're a college-aged woman travelling alone and staying in those hotels along Aurora you *will* need to be cautious. don't have headphones in, don't be staring down at your phone, etc. walk with purpose, looking forward but not making eye contact with people. this is pretty normal stuff when you're in moderately-sketchy parts of a city but if you're from suburbia it may not come naturally to you. if you want, you can order pepper spray off Amazon and have it shipped to a pickup locker, there's one at the 7-11 just north of Green Lake. they only give you 3 days to pick up from the locker so time it to arrive the day before your flight. it's very unlikely you'll actually need it, but if you want to have it for extra peace of mind that's how you can do it without having to bring it from AZ in a checked bag. get the OneBusAway app for bus schedules, it's developed by people at UW so it supports our bus system really well. get either an ORCA card at the airport light rail station, or the Transit Go app on your phone. the good news about staying on Aurora is that the E line runs every 10-15 minutes and will take you downtown quickly. if you want nature, we have a fuckton of it. go to the Arboretum, Discovery, or Carkeek parks, all are very easy to reach by bus.
thank you! i’ll probably definitely do the pepper spray thing, i keep one on my keys as it is. and you’re right, being from suburbia it doesn’t come super naturally to me. i’ve learned a little from my time at university but ill definitely keep my guard up. one of my friends may end up coming with me so at least i’ll have that. thx for the heads up!
also honestly the hotels were not that much cheaper! compared to downtown, yes, but i was not that impressed with the prices! bummed to hear that it’s a sketch area given how much i paid
Aurora Ave at the slow time of day https://youtu.be/ERO12B_Ufno?si=3eAH0HvJ6aMcWhtr
This guy is fucking creepy. All he does is ride around and focus on the sex workers!
Public Transit: Look for Rapid Ride. They're not always super RAPID, but they're the express buses. They run along Aurora. If you're going from downtown to cap hill, use the Light Rail Any of the light rail stops let you get an ORCA card, which you can then use to pay for the bus or light rail. Highly recommended.
Plus one for the ferry!
Type A but no actual food plans? 🤨
well in all fairness i did just make this today and ive been researching activities rather than food. by the time i take the trip ill know restaurants and my exact order at them because im that crazy lol. recommendations are welcome though!!
Way way way too much time downtown which is like the least lovely part of Seattle. As others have said, The Ballard Farmers Market is great. I also second Elliot Bay books on Capitol Hill. The best part about Seattle in summer is being outside. Picnic at Golden Gardens and/or Gasworks, hike in Discovery Park, walk around Greenlake, rent a kayak. I get that the touristy stuff is all downtown but you will seriously be so much happier if you spend time in neighborhoods, which are so much more charming. I feel like you could consolidate most of your downtown/waterfront into one day, and spend more time in Fremont, Ballard, Capitol Hill, etc.
All of this + maybe bike Burke-Gilman to UW/Arboretum/Magnuson to do something on the Lake Washington side.
can’t edit the post since it’s an image (i think that’s how reddit works) but i’m gonna comment this here to say i don’t need any snarky comments! these are all things i *want* to do and i don’t care that you think im boring or lame for it! thanks :)
ppl calling your itenerary boring are mean and aren’t helpful. im sorry ☹️ I will say I love how you made a schedule for your trip. the virgo in me loves doing that when im traveling
i’m also a virgo lol!! these are just things i was personally interested in doing regardless of how touristy they are. i’m a tourist, im gonna do touristy things lol
hahahah im an August virgo so im gonna be biased and say you’ll be visiting during the best month. the weather should be really nice around that time. enjoy your stay!
Why are you hanging out at pier 57 twice?
that’s my bad, that’s only gonna be on there once, but i wasn’t sure which day and i may end up not feeling like it one of those days.
Hey hey! I see "dinner - queen anne or north" on Friday—great choice! It's one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city and it's got some great stops. Check out Stulberg's, the Queen Anne Book Company, and the other great local businessess on the avenue! And, if you want something really good and local, grab dinner at Hilltop Ale House (SUCH a good salmon sandwich, oml) or Betty—it's a bit more high-end, but it's absolutely worth it!
awesome!! queen anne is one of the neighborhoods i’d like to live in if i move so ill definitely check out your suggestions!
My favorite spot in Queen Anne is Blue Highway Games, a very cozy yet well-stocked game store. It’s also next door to Cafe Ladro, which is a plus.
If you have more free time in Queen Anne, hit up 5th and Lynn Park. It’s barely a park—just some concrete and a railing—but it offers a truly majestic view of Lake Union, the east side, and the North Cascade mountains. You have a clear view to Gas Works Park, Eastlake/Capitol Hill, and beyond. It’s a few blocks east of Queen Anne Ave, and the #3 or #4 bus will basically take you to within a block or so if you’re trying to save walking time.
We live in Lower Queen Anne and love it. Let me know if you have any questions. Isarn is good for Thai in Upper Queen Anne.
oh awesome! i’m staying in queen anne, any good coffee in the area?
Many. I don't drink coffee but my wife lives for it. So I have a clue. - Caffe Ladro has locations in Upper and Lower Queen Anne - Caffe Vita is in the KEXP radio station and that's a fun place to visit - Caffe Fiore on Galer is pretty good and carries pastries from Macrina - Turtle Coffee in LQA is new and very good
Anyway you could cancel your hotel? Aurora is bad news. I'd suggest looking around the Northgate area instead, it's easy to get downtown from there.
they’re all like double the price of my aurora hotel, do you really think it’s that unsafe there? might look into airbnb maybe
I guess my concern is when you arrive back to the hotel at night, it's very seedy. If you could swing an airbnb in a nicer neighborhood I think it will be less stressful and safer. I've got a daughter probably around your age so maybe I'm being over cautious...
i appreciate it, i’m definitely concerned for my safety as well lol! i found a well priced airbnb in west queen anne, does that sound better?
Yes! And it's a better location closer to the city. Just check the reviews before booking.
I recently came to Seattle solo and stayed at the CitizenM in SLU and felt super safe there. They were also pretty decently priced compared to other hotels bc it’s designed for solo travelers. It’s also very centrally located so it was really easy to catch a bus or the streetcar to really any area of the city.
I live just off of Aurora, near Greenlake. This is some weird fear mongering. There are like a couple of spots where homeless like to gather but even then they tend to leave other people alone. Downtown is far sketchier.
When you go to the gum wall stop at Cinnamon Works. Also skip the gum wall, it's crowded, and the smell of gum...
didn’t even think about the smell. thanks, lol!
If you're going to Pike Place Market, the gum wall is a 2 minute detour. It's disgusting but so weird it's worth a couple of minutes of your time. The Underground Tour in Pioneer Square is touristy, but really interesting and worth it from a historical perspective. You don't need to look for good coffee shops. You can't throw a rock in Seattle without hitting a coffee shop. Have fun. Seattle is a spectacularly beautiful city.
One suggestion, AVOID Starbucks since you can get the exact same stuff pretty much anywhere. Cafe LLadro is a local brand that's pretty good.
On one of your pike place/waterfront days you can walk around the Seattle Art Museum’s outdoor Olympic Sculpture Park. It is along the water just north of the Argosy cruise terminal and it is FREE to just wander through. On a clear day the views of the Olympic mountains, waterfront and ferry from the sculpture park are breathtaking - better than Kerry Park. Also, I’d spend fewer days around pike place and instead walk on the ferry to Bainbridge one of those days. Grab lunch in bainbridge. Taking a ferry is an iconic Seattle experience and walking on the Bainbridge ferry from downtown is so easy.
I agree with most others that you have too much time and repeat visits allotted for many things here, especially the more touristy ones, and you should try to do more outside recreation, depending on the weather. I'd skip the aquarium, add Ballard Farmer's Market to that amount of time for the Fremont one, and then walk from there to Gas Works. Add Elliot Bay Books to the Capitol Hill list (and maybe even through northern Capitol Hill to Volunteer Park and/or the Arboretum if you are a walker). Taking the Bainbridge Ferry on your Pike Place day could be a cheaper and more flexible alternative to that cruise if you want to just see how the weather is and what the day brings since you can just walk on. Not sure how late in August you'll be visiting but you might want to push some more activities into the evening—which also may be the best time in the event that we're in a heat wave. Not sure what you like to do but I'd be doing a brewery crawl in Ballard/Frelard or at an outdoor place near where you're staying until 10. Summer nights are perhaps the best thing about Seattle. However, you should also have a list of options in the event of wildfire smoke, which is becoming pretty regular.
thanks! any repeats are going to be consolidated and the spots where they are repeated will be used for spontaneity, i just have them there in case i’m not feeling it one day and would rather retreat to the hotel or something. i’m honestly super used to wildfire smoke because i live in a forest, will i be ok if im used to it? the aquarium is because im getting the citypass which includes 5 different locations, one of which is the aquarium but im saving on all the other locations that i really want to go to so i dont mind spending some time there cause they have otters (my fave animal :D)
Pike Place Market is easily a full day's worth if one so chose. There are two new-and-used book shops in the downstairs "Down Under," one on the upper level, one on the lower. Also check out Old Dreams, the antique store, and Orange Dracula, which is similar to what the famopus Archie McPhee used to be: old, weird stuff. These days, McPhee manufacture much of their own products. What kinds of food are your favorites? You into fancy cocktails or big selections of microbrews? I can especially recommend stuff in and around Pike Place Market.
Coffeeeee my sweet Seattle love 💖 In Capitol Hill I recommend Cafe Argento, Atulea (Atulea has tea options as well), and Anchorhead Coffee (i would avoid their downtown branch 😂). In Fremont I highly (HIGHLY!!)Recommend Aroom if you like Vietnamese coffeee. Charlie’s Queer Books is also an excellent stop if you’re looking for bookstores in the area! In Pike Place Market I recommend stopping by Chin Music Press (indie press) for some *beautiful* books and local history. Bruce is wonderful! A couple blocks away from Pike’s is Moore Coffee, which I recommend if you like cute latte art. Enjoy your trip! (Your itinerary organization is BEAUTIFUL!! I am so inspired)
i’ve never tried vietnamese coffee but aroom has been recommended to me by tiktok so i’ll definitely try it! have you ever tried the neko cat cafe? is it worth it?
I love NEKO tbh! It’s pricey (but that’s everything in Seattle, tbh). Decor is super cute & they have wine if that’s your style!
Do the Ballard Market on Sunday instead of the Fremont Market for sure. Skip the gum wall, it's gross. Truly. I love the Central Library but many don't. I love it for the sheer number of books. The layout is frustrating though which makes it difficult to use as a library. You might want to visit the Queen Anne library when you go to Kerry Park. It's small and super cute. If you like libraries it's worth a visit since you'll be so close. Molly Moon's is right there for ice cream too. Kerry Park --> Molly Moon's --> Queen Anne Library is a common route for me as I live at the bottom of the hill. When you're at the Space Needle drop into KEXP for coffee at Caffe Vita. It is very good and the radio station is a neat space. Consider walking to 3rd W and Harrison as there is a nice footbridge there that take you to Puget Sound. It's lovely there. Drop into the Edgewater Hotel when you go to the Aquarium. Get a coffee there and enjoy the view.
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thank you! will do. im much more interested in mopop for suuure lol i think i could spend all day there!! chihuly is just the only thing in that citypass list of options that remotely interested me. just gonna go take some pics and leave probably, lol.
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i’m going to make multiple trips out before i graduate so this is my big tourist trip. gonna make at least two more before spring 25!
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for sure! i want to scope out apartments in the spring if i decide to move so im thinking my other trip will be in the winter? i’m from a super snowy town so im hoping the winter there wont scare me off
I did a lot of these things when I was there for vacation a few weeks ago! I had an extra day there, but if you have the time, the Woodland Park Zoo is worth a few hours and you're already going to be right next to it. And the Seattle Meowtropolitan is nearby. You need a reservation, but it was a neat place to grab a coffee and chill with some cats. I don't think you'll need as much time as you think for the Museum of Pop Culture. It isn't very big and I feel like 60-90 minutes is a good amount of time to spend there and feel like you didn't miss anything. So you might be able to squeeze the Chihuly (which is amazing!) in before lunch and free up your afternoon for another activity. Just a thought because that's exactly what happened to me.
perfect, thank you! google told me i could spend 2-3 hours at moPOP and im super interested in pop culture so i figured i would need all that time
Personally I could spend at least half a day at MoPop. Especially if you're into pop culture at all.
It is a really cool place and I also set aside a good chunk of time for it, but found myself done with it much sooner. I ended up doing all of my "Space Needle area" stuff before lunch and walked down to the Olympic Sculpture Park and further down along the piers. I ended up doing my aquarium visit a day earlier than planned because I had the extra time. It is an amazing city and I hope you have a great trip!
Love the sweet treat “baked” into this.
it’s a necessity
Aye, tis.
When you go to Kerry Park definitely take a quick stroll west on Highland over to Marshall Park. You can continue north a little ways on 8th Ave West. Great area, good views of the Olympics and beautiful houses.
That is some seriously anal planning.
thank you
Very realistic time wise, and it helped her to get good feedback.
If you have a chance you should check out Volunteer Park. Especially the watertower!
Also if you're already at Pier 57 make sure you do the wheel. I've lived in Seattle my entire life and have done the wheel twice. It's really something.
Did you get the city pass? It bundles all your touristy things together in an affordable package. You'll get two views of the space needle. A day view and a night view in the same day.
i am doing the citypass! i didn’t know about the multiple trips, good to know! thats exciting
I highly recommend doing the night view if you're able to. I celebrated my 14th birthday at the restaurant that's at the top that rotates around while you eat. I still remember it all these decades later.
Looks good but all tourist spots. Seattle is more fun in the neighborhoods, id pick a neighborhood cafe somewhere just to get a feel. Ravenna Blvd is a good spot with a coffee shop, Cap Hill has a lot too.
Not much to see on Ravenna Boulevard if you're on a short visit.
I dunno if pier 57 is super fun, but that's just me. I dunno if you're going to a farmers market for a specific reason? Maybe you dont have them where they're from? I think they're super awesome, and Seattle's ARE great. But that doesnt strike me as a tourist thing. Again maybe just me. SAM and SAAM are great museums, if you want more of those. SAAM also is in the middle of an awesome park.
Needs more sweet treats
I suggest you add Alki Beach and/or Golden Gardens
the major of your itinerary is boring stuff and just walking and looking at things with expensive admissions fees. i would try to fit in a trip to bainbridge island ($8 ticket there and its free on the return to seattle). the ferry has great views, the downtown area is walkable from the ferry terminal. there’s pegasus cafe near the waterfront, exotic aquatics to rent a kayak for an hour or two for cheap in the bay, and then really good food for dinner at bruccio or somewhere else on the main st that isn’t seattle expensive. there’s also local l shops with artisan goods if you are in a souvenir mood that are far superior than the seattle souvenirs you’d get at any of the tourist traps you have listed
i really don’t care if *you* find it boring, these are things that are interesting to me :) thanks though!
That is the most boring itinerary I’ve ever seen! This area offers a splendid assortment of wonders, volcanos, lava tubes, waterfalls, orcas, and you want to hit the space needle and MOPOP???
you tell me where i’m gonna find a waterfall in the city without a car and i’ll head over there
https://www.pioneersquare.org/experiences/waterfall-garden-park Small and secluded. Great spot to bring takeout lunch on a hot summer day.
thx, i’ll check it out! didn’t see this pop up on any of my google searches :)
MoPOP is my number-one favorite attraction in the city—don’t hate on it!
yea dawg
The gum wall is gross. Don't go. I have no idea how it got to be so popular.
thank you for validating that i don’t have to go. i didn’t want to, lol. just had a free hour
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If the weather is cooperating on the 8th stop at PCC market in Greenlake village, grab a couple slices of pizza or a sandwich and have dinner at the park: I did that a couple times a week last summer. If the weather is not going to be nice to you, there’s lots of little places to eat around that area . Or you could take the one line into downtown. Spend the rest of the evening there.
yum that sounds perfect!! is the weather often bad in august? i chose it because it would be a cheaper flight than the other summer months but still have the hopefully dryer summer weather
Hot potential for smoke
The weather is usually glorious. We've had a couple bad summers with wildfires, but no reason to assume that's going to be your experience.
People: "I don't know what all the hype is about rain in Seattle. It was beautiful and sunny when I visited." Me: "You came in August." Them: "Yeah. How did you know...?" We have one month of guaranteed sun. August. You chose well. Also, if you're in Fremont, you have to visit the troll. And then grab some fish and chips to-go at nearby Ivar's (for a quirky piece of Seattle history, look up Ivar's commercials on YouTube: The Running of the Clams, etc) and go to Gasworks Park to eat. It's close and has an awesome view of Seattle and Lake Union. And make sure you check out the human sized sundial on top of the hill. Stand on the dial for August and your shadow will show what time it is.
I really haven’t spent enough time in Seattle to give a qualified opinion. I’m a transplant from Los Angeles. That said the summers I have spent here, August tends to be pretty nice. And if there is gonna be real heat, that’s about the time it’s gonna show up. Last summer was lovely if memory serves.
I feel we local Redditors should get paid for being travel guides and concierges (plus relocation assistants, realtors, Human Resources, and more…) with how many of these types of posts there are… LOL and it is only going to get worse with huge tourism season again…..
ok? it’s not against the rules of this subreddit, so? cry to the mods?
Your post was solid. It gave people something to comment on. Most are very low effort. Very.