What to See & Do in Seattle
Henley Vazquez
Passported's Brandi Wilson shares her favorite things to see and do across Seattle for the whole family.
Image courtesy Inn at the Market
Pike Place Market
Still the big draw in town, and it just keeps getting better year after year. Watch the famous fishermen toss giant salmon overhead and taste the sweetest Dungeness crab cocktail you’ve ever had. Sample Rainier cherries, peaches and whatever’s in season at the market, gathering dahlias as big as your head, fresh doughnuts (follow your nose), and farm-fresh picnic fixings as you go.
Waterfront Park
For some classic Seattle fun with kids on the waterfront, explore the Seattle Aquarium, dig into an order of fish and chips on the dock at Ivar’s and top it all off with a ride on the Seattle Wheel, which offers spectacular Elliott Bay views day or night.
Olympic Sculpture Park
Fantastic for morning jogs or explorations with kids. Add on a trip to the Ballard Locks (around a 10-minute car ride away) and watch the boats rise and fall as they switch from salt to freshwater and back.
Underground Tour
Unearth the original city and its story at the kitschy but classic Underground Tour, which will fascinate explorers over age 6.
The Seattle Public Library
Enjoy a fun architectural exploration with kids through the wild florescent corridors and glass overhangs of this landmark building.
Shop REI's Flagship
We’re in REI land here, and the flagship store doesn’t disappoint. Before you hit the trails, bring the kids along to climb the world’s 3rd largest indoor climbing wall and sample mountain bikes on a trail that winds around the building.
Get Out on the Water
Hop a water taxi over to Alki Beach for a boozy afternoon (or stick to a kid-friendly shaved ice) at Marination Ma Kai. You can also SUP or kayak with a view of downtown Seattle across the bay, or rent a kayak and paddle through the Arboretum from the University of Lake Washington.
Go Sailing
Let's Go Sailing offers one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half hour daytime or sunset group sails on their fleet of yachts starting from $36 a cruise.
Day Trips & Overnight Adventures
Kenmore Seaplanes are the go-to choice for exciting day trips or overnights to the San Juan Islands or BC. The 45-minute flights go from Seattle’s Lake Union or Lake Washington to San Juan Island (Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor), Orcas Island (Deer Harbor, West Sound, and Rosario Resort) or Lopez Island. The speedy ferry rides are fun alternative.
Drive up to Salish Lodge & Spa for their famed pancakes and a spectacular view of Snoqualmie Falls. The nearby Twin Falls offer an easy and scenic hike.
Drive around two hours south to Mount Rainier and see fields of wildflowers bloom at the foot of snow-capped peaks in the summertime. Or enjoy the endless trails, lakes and warm blackberry pie from Copper Creek Inn at any time of year.
For a bolder overnight adventure, trek to the Olympic Peninsula, where you’ll find yourself surrounded by dripping moss and evergreens ala The Princess Bride in the only rainforest on the North American continent, just four hours from downtown Seattle.
