3 perfect days in Seattle

Seattle is more than a rainy city. Yes, it’s wet—but rain is what keeps Seattle’s lush greenery at peak levels year-round. Look in any direction and you’re greeted with giant Douglas Fir or Bigleaf Maple trees. Flowers thrive. And the hiking trails are always Instagram-worthy. No wonder they call this place “The Emerald City.”

Three days is not nearly enough time to explore a city that prides itself in its rich nautical history, major league sports, diverse cultures, and buzzing food scene—but with this guide, you can pull it off. Tripadvisor reviews and ratings are also included, so leave all the other guidebooks and lists at home. (Leave the umbrella at home, too—just like the locals do.)

Grab a chocolate croissant or jalapeno cheddar biscuit from Sea Wolf Bakers in Fremont, a neighborhood just north of downtown Seattle. The family-owned bakery has been feeding Seattleites carbs of all shapes, sizes, and flavors all while using Pacific Northwest grain since 2014. Carbs just taste better here.

With your goodies secured, walk over to Gas Works Park, a nearly 21-acre green space built around a former city gasification plant (think something old, something new, and do take a selfie in front of the cluster of giant industrial pipes). Make your way up to Kite Hill for an unobstructed view of downtown Seattle overlooking Lake Union. On a clear day, the majestic Mount Rainier will announce itself in all of your photos.

If you have time, explore the many shops and sculptures in Fremont: Find a treasure at the Fremont Vintage Mall; pick up a new cookbook at Book Larder; pass by the Fremont Troll under the bridge; take in the towering Lenin Statue. Nothing about Fremont makes sense, and that’s what makes it such a magical place.

Take public transit or grab a quick cab ride to Ballard, once known as “the shingle capital of the world” at a time when a roaring timber and fishing industry attracted immigrants mainly from Scandinavia. The Nordic history and culture is still very much part of Ballard’s identity, along with award-winning restaurants, bars, shops, and a bustling farmer’s market (Sundays only).

Ballard is also home to a stellar lineup of breweries, including Lucky Envelope, whose brews are inspired by Asian flavors (black tea, pandan), and Reuben’s Brews, which always has great non-alcoholic options on its tap list. Both breweries are family- and pet-friendly and have food trucks on site so you don’t have to relocate for lunch.

If you need a more substantial snack in the late afternoon, head to The Walrus and the Carpenter, one of the finest seafood establishments in town. Run, don’t walk, especially if it’s closer to 4 p.m. for happy hour. Seating is first come, first served, and if you can, sit at the bar, order a dozen oysters, the steak tartare, and the bread (from Sea Wolf in Fremont), which comes with a generous serving of light, whipped butter.

Walk west along NW Market Street for a leisurely 13 minutes to arrive at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (a.k.a. the Ballard Locks). Constructed in the early 1900s, the Locks help maintain water levels of saltwater in the Puget Sound and freshwater in Lake Washington, and also move boat traffic between the two bodies of water. You might see luxury yachts go through the canal, hungry seals, a great blue heron colony (and their poop), and the occasional train crossing the Salmon Bay Bridge.

If you’re visiting in mid-to-late summer, spend some time at the Fish Ladder Viewing Room, which comes to life when swarms of Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho salmon pass through the Locks to travel up to 50 miles upriver to spawn (and eventually die). Even during the off-season, the Viewing Room is a great place to chill out and learn about one of mother nature’s most extraordinary performances.

For dinner, tuck into the Lockspot Cafe, located just outside of the Locks’ official entrance, and order one of its signature burgers or fish and chips. If it’s picnic season, get dinner to-go and eat on the grass of the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden along the water. I love watching the boats and people go by as the sun sets.

BALLARD LOCKS TOUR OPTIONS

A ferry trip without a car isn’t always doable, but when your destination is Bainbridge Island, going by foot is highly encouraged. The 35-minute ride, which departs from the edge of downtown Seattle, feels like a dream—even on a foggy day. On a clear day, you’ll see Mount Rainier pop up behind the giant cranes and catch killer views of the Seattle skyline, West Seattle, and Discovery Park.

Once on Bainbridge, pretty much everything you need to see, eat or drink is within a 10-minute walk from the terminal. Peruse the stacks at Eagle Harbor Books or grab a fresh scone and coffee from Blackbird Bakery. The downtown area is also home to a number of arts and crafts stores, gift boutiques, and home shops filled with treasures and small town vibes.

Your return ferry will drop you right back at the border of downtown Seattle and Pioneer Square, which is commonly known as Seattle’s “first neighborhood” and rich with Renaissance Revival architecture, art galleries, and cobblestone streets. Don’t miss the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, about a 12-minute walk from the ferry terminal. Here, you’ll get a quick history lesson on how the Yukon gold fields forever changed the landscape, culture, and way of life in Seattle in the late-1800s.

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE AND PIONEER SQUARE TOUR OPTIONS

Break for lunch at Harbor City, a no-frills Chinese restaurant in the nearby International District. Feast on traditional Cantonese dim sum (shrimp dumplings, barbecue pork buns, turnip cakes, steamed rice noodles) and roast meats like duck and pork while washing it all down with piping hot tea. The food comes out fast, even during peak hours, so you’ll barely have time to get hangry.

Your next history lesson is at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, which highlights the histories of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and how they shaped modern Seattle and the rest of the country. The museum—the only pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the country—spans some 60,000 square feet over three floors. Expect to spend at least one to two hours here, especially if you sign up for a tour.

Rest your feet with a 15-minute cab ride to Lake View Cemetery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The cemetery, located inside the Olmsted Brothers-designed Volunteer Park, was the final resting place for martial arts legend Bruce Lee, who went to school and trained for a time in Seattle. His son, Brandon, is buried next to him. Other notable names at the cemetery: Princess Angeline (daughter of Chief Seattle—who the city is named after), John W. Nordstrom (founder of the retail giant), and John Saxon (Bruce Lee’s co-star in Enter the Dragon).

Today, Capitol Hill is a lively, welcoming neighborhood filled with rainbow crosswalks (11 crossings at six intersections, to be exact), college students from Seattle University, tudor-style mansions, and pop culture history. Which is why your next stop is the Jimi Hendrix statue, located near Cal Anderson Park. (The famed guitarist, who was born in Seattle, is buried in a cemetery south of the city, next to his mother.)

If you’re traveling with a Nirvana fan, the natural next stop is Linda’s Tavern, an unassuming neighborhood bar that’s been around since 1994. This is also where Kurt Cobain was reportedly last spotted before his death that same year.

For dinner, make your way to Monsoon, a Chinese-influenced Vietnamese fine dining restaurant best known for its catfish claypot, Saigon Dungeness crab, and crispy imperial rolls. For more than 20 years, the restaurant has helped build and shape the Vietnamese food scene in Seattle, adding a second location in Bellevue and opening up several outposts of Ba Bar, Monsoon’s low-key cousin that serves up street food straight out of Saigon.

For a three-day trip, there’s simply not enough time for a hike outside of the city (next time, be sure to check out Cascades and Olympic National Park). Thankfully, on this trip there’s plenty of time to see Discovery Park and all its 534 acres of natural beauty. Set at the edge of Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, Discovery Park has trails for all ages and levels of experience, views of the Puget Sound, and the occasional sea lion spotting. The beauty will stop you multiple times for photos of the water and surrounding giant trees along the Loop Trail (2.8 miles roundtrip). The shorter South Beach trail includes stairs and a trip to Discovery Park Beach, where the famous West Point Lighthouse is located. (The Loop Trail also connects to the beach via the South Beach trail.)

If you’re not feeling up to a hike but still want to head to the beach, and if you’re traveling with children or the elderly, the park’s Visitor’s Center offers a limited number of parking passes so you can skip the trails. It’s like going in the HOV lane on the highway, except you end up at the beach and you might see Mount Rainier (again!) on the horizon.

Whatever kind of adventure you’re doing in Discovery Park, pack a snack, water, sunscreen, and feel your soul heal instantly.

Access the market from Pike or Pine Street to grab that classic photo in front of the three-story neon “Public Market” sign. Over some nine acres of space spread among several floors, Pike Place Market is perhaps most enjoyable (read: a tad more spacious) if you visit on a weekday.

For lunch, indulge in Filipino comfort food at Oriental Mart, where steaming hot chicken adobo and crispy lumpias will greet you like a hug on a cold day. From the moment you take your first bite of pancit, you’ll forget you’re basically in Seattle’s equivalent of Times Square.

PIKE PLACE MARKET FOOD TOUR OPTIONS

Ask any Seattleite and you’ll quickly learn that Seattle is Seahawks (NFL), Mariners (MLB), Storm (WNBA), and Huskies (University of Washington) nation. In the last decade and a half, the city has also opened up its arms to professional soccer, with both men’s and women’s teams filling up stadiums season after season (thank you, Megan Rapinoe). In 2021, professional hockey officially entered the chat with the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season.

If a hockey game coincides with your trip (secure tickets in advance), make your way to Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Kraken and the go-to concert venue for some of music’s biggest names. The arena has a vast selection of dinner options, including pizza, tacos, poké, and soup dumplings. If you have extra time before the game, explore the surrounding Seattle Center area, home of the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, the Monorail, and several other arts and culture venues.

If it isn’t game day, a fantastic backup option is the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum, which celebrates local artist Dale Chihuly’s famous blown-glass creations in eight indoor galleries and landscaped gardens. For dinner, skip the museum’s in-house bar and head to nearby Taylor Shellfish to properly toast your last night in Seattle. Treat yourself to more fresh oysters, order geoduck sashimi (a Taylor Shellfish specialty), and sip on some bubbly. You’ve done very well.