Seattle – The Emerald City Full Travel Guide
Seattle is a unique tourist destination in the United States. The Emerald City blends iconic American culture like grunge with a sophisticated atmosphere influenced by the significant German population that settled in the city. Surrounding the city are emerald forests at the foot of the stunning landscape of Mount Rainier, one of the highest peaks in the United States (excluding the Alaskan summits). Downtown Seattle is known for the Pike Place Market, the city's exceptional farmers' market. Below the market lies the waterfront on Elliott Bay, where you'll find the Ferris wheel and aquarium. To the north, at Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, there's a rare collection of pavilions and museums, highlighted by the Space Needle, the city's iconic tower.
How many days are needed for a trip to Seattle?
For a trip to Seattle, it's worth dedicating at least two full days of travel.
It's highly recommended to find accommodation in Seattle, preferably downtown.
Click here to check availability and prices at Seattle hotels…
12 Must-See and Do Things in Seattle
- View of Mount Rainier (Southeast) and Mount Olympus (West) from atop the Space Needle
- Eat, sightsee, shop, and hang out at Pike Place Market
- Seattle Aquarium
- The Seattle Great Wheel
- Groundbreaking architecture at the Museum of Pop Culture
- The stunning view from the Sky View Observatory at Columbia Center
- Cruise ship views and downtown skyline from Bell Harbor Marina
- The magnificent elegance of Smith Tower in Pioneer Square
- Chinatown at its peak at the Uwajimaya Seattle grocery mall
- Cutting-edge art and breathtaking bay views at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Belltown
- Watch an NFL game of the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field or a Seattle Mariners baseball game at T-Mobile Park
- Get wet on a hot day from the jets of the International Fountain
Click here for all the information on a trip to Downtown Seattle…
Click here for the complete guide to attractions and museums of the Seattle Center and Space Needle…
To purchase tickets online for Seattle's top attractions, click here…
What is Seattle?
Seattle is the main and most important urban center in the northwestern part of the United States. It is the largest city in the state of Washington (the capital is Olympia at the southern edge of the metropolis), and one of the most important industrial centers in the entire United States.
- The nickname for Seattle is the Emerald City, named for the deep green color of the forests surrounding the city
- Seattle is home to more than 700,000 residents, and the larger metropolitan area, including Tacoma and Olympia to the south, houses four million people.
- The city is located on the shores of Puget Sound, a chaotic collection of bays, straits, and bodies of water that connect to the Salish Sea to the north, marking the border between the United States and Canada.
- On the northern bank of the sea lies Vancouver Island, home to the capital of British Columbia, the city of Victoria (the city of Vancouver in Canada, distinct from Vancouver in southern Washington state, is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle in a continuous urban area that crosses the border).
Click here for ferry tickets to Victoria (one-way or round-trip)…
To the east, the iconic peaks of the western Cascade Range tower over Seattle, led by the spectacular Mount Rainier, whose view on clear days (a rather rare commodity in Seattle) is simply stunning from the city.
Click here for a day trip from Seattle to Mount Rainier National Park…
To the west of the city, towards the Pacific Ocean, lies the Olympic National Park, at the foot of Mount Olympus, one of the most popular national parks in the United States.
Click here for a day trip from Seattle to Olympic National Park…
The Evolution of Seattle
- The first European who reached the Seattle area was British sailor George Vancouver in 1792
- Seattle was officially founded about sixty years later, in 1851, as a settlement named New York alongside the establishment of Tacoma
- Later, its name was changed to Seattle after the Duwamish tribe’s Indian Chief, Chief Seattle
- The city developed with the construction and completion of the railroad line that crossed the Rockies and the Cascades and reached Tacoma from Lake Superior. To build the railroad, many Chinese immigrants came to Seattle, and once completed, they remained to live there.
- Until the early 20th century, Seattle was a marginal and unsuccessful city. In 1889, the developing city center was consumed by a large fire. A few years earlier, there were race riots due to tensions between the blue-collar population and Chinese immigrants. In 1893, there was an economic collapse in the city known as the Seattle Panic.
- Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the city begin to grow rapidly, first as a gateway for gold miners heading towards Alaska and the Yukon region in northern Canada (later becoming a base for numerous mining companies) and secondly as a place where large companies started to emerge, which continue to dominate the American market today.
Click here for a guided tour of all the main sites and attractions in Seattle…
The Giants of Seattle
Today, Seattle is one of the major industrial cities in the United States and the entire world. At the beginning of the century, with the city's economic boom, several giant companies were established here.
- The first of them was the shipping company UPS, which is now headquartered in Georgia
- In 1901, the major retail company Nordstrom was founded in the city
- In 1916, the giant aviation company Boeing was established in the city, playing an important role in the city's rapid development. The company's headquarters moved to Chicago in 2001, but it still has a massive influence on the city's economy
- In the second half of the 20th century, Seattle became the birthplace of several brands and companies that changed America. In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded the computer company Microsoft, which now has its headquarters in Redmond, east of downtown Seattle
- In 1971, Howard Schultz opened the first Starbucks branch at Pike Place Market in downtown
- The retail giant Costco was founded in the city in 1983. It was established by Jeffrey Brotman and Jim Sinegal, based on what Sinegal learned from his mentor and teacher Saul Price, the father of Price Club (now owned by Costco) and the inventor of the mega-store genre. The company, a competitor to Walmart, is one of the most extreme expressions of American buying power.
- In 1994, Jeff Bezos opened the e-commerce and tech giant Amazon in the city.
- Seattle is a city known for its giant companies. Many of these companies operate in the city and its suburbs, providing an important source of income for its residents and lots of memorabilia for tourists.
Click here for the complete downtown Seattle coffee tour…
Click here for the complete Capitol Hill coffee tour (including caffeine tastings),
The Culture of Seattle
Seattle is a unique cultural city in the United States. On one hand, the city is known as the birthplace of guitar giant Jimi Hendrix, one of the greatest music icons of the sixties and a prominent member of the 27 Club (the age at which he passed away).
In the nineties, Seattle was the base of what was dubbed the Seattle Sound, or as we know the style, Grunge. Grunge was the most American and the whitest music of the United States and almost the perfect expression of Generation X. The most important grunge bands were formed in the city, such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and, of course, Nirvana from the city of Aberdeen, which mainly operated in Seattle.
Around the same years as grunge, Seattle's cultural expression took a complete turn with the masterpiece series Frasier. The series, a spin-off of Cheers, followed psychiatrist Frasier Crane, his brother Niles, and their father, police officer Marty. Frasier and Niles portrayed the extreme snobbish attitude of Seattle's gentry, and the series is associated with the Belltown neighborhood just north of downtown.
Click here for Seattle's full food street tour…
Map of Seattle
How to get to Seattle?
How to fly to Seattle?
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – The largest airport in Seattle, commonly known as SeaTac, is the main gateway to the Northwest. Nationally, it serves as the main hub for Alaska Airlines, offering flights to all airports in neighboring states and major airports across the United States. The airport offers a wide variety of international routes, including from major airports in Europe, ensuring convenient access to Seattle with a transfer from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
The airport is located south of the city center, midway between Seattle and Tacoma. The travel time from the airport to downtown Seattle along the I-5 is just twenty minutes. It is also conveniently connected to downtown via the light rail's Green Line, Line 1, which runs along Third Avenue in downtown Seattle.
How to drive to Seattle?
Seattle is either the end (or the beginning) of two major highways in the U.S. road system. There's the I-5 running along the Pacific coast down to San Diego, and the I-90 that stretches ocean to ocean through Chicago and ends in Boston.
- The I-5 connects Seattle to two important neighboring cities: both Portland, Oregon, just a two and a half hour drive south, and Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), a two and a half hour drive to the north
- The I-5 runs from south to north close to downtown Seattle and serves as the main artery for the entire city and metropolitan area
- Highway 101 runs right along the ocean shore from the south, circles around the Olympic National Park, and ends in Olympia, the capital of Washington State
Public Transportation in Seattle Metropolitan
Seattle's public transportation system is operated by Sound Transit Authority. The core of the system is the Link Light Rail, or simply the Link. It is a network under construction consisting of five light rail lines connecting all cities and suburbs of the Seattle Metropolitan Area, including metro tunnels primarily in downtown Seattle.
A significant portion of the system is already operational, and the full network will be completed in the coming years (it's advisable to check updates on the Sound Transit website). The Green Line, or Line 1, is the most relevant for tourists, running close to downtown and heading towards Ballard.
Click here for the complete Seattle chocolate tour…
Seattle's public transportation also includes an extensive bus network, operating both within the cities and as metropolitan lines connecting all nearby suburbs and cities with downtown Seattle.
Click here for a cruise in Elliot Bay and Puget Sound…
Another important mode of transportation in Seattle is the ferries. There are routes connecting downtown Seattle with West Seattle and with all the cities and suburbs along the Puget Sound shore. The ferries depart from Pier 50 in downtown, not far from the giant wheel. The international ferry line to Victoria, Canada departs from a slightly northern pier.
Click here for an up-to-date map of the Sound Transit systems, light rail, and buses in Seattle…
Seattle Center Monorail Line
Seattle's futuristic monorail was built as part of the 1962 World's Fair, aimed at connecting Downtown Seattle with the Seattle Center, the Fair's venue, via mass transit. Today, this line is an integral part of the Seattle Center's attractions, reminiscent of monorail lines sprung from the imagination of Walt Disneyat Disney World in Orlando.
The line stretches about a mile and a half, running from Westlake Center Station at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown to the Seattle Center Monorail Station at the foot of the Space Needle. The futuristic system still operates on its unique track several meters above Fifth Avenue until it enters the Seattle Center from the east. It's part of the city's public transportation network and is the most convenient route for tourists, connecting the city's two main tourist hubs.
Click here for a ticket to the Chihuly Glass Garden at the Seattle Center…
When is the best time to visit Seattle?
Seattle is one of the most seasonal cities in the United States, and the weather significantly influences your visit. It's a northern city, which means winters are mainly cold and rainy (but not heavily snowy) and summers are pleasant and mostly sunny.
- Seattle is a very rainy city, with almost half of the days in the year considered rainy and over 1000 mm of rain falling annually
- Since the weather in Seattle is so decisive, it can also be said unequivocally that the best season to visit the city is summer. Summers in Seattle are splendid, ranging from cool to warm (never really hot). The summer is relatively dry in terms of precipitation, and most importantly, there aren't too many fogs, so you can enjoy views of the bays and especially the mountains (the sight of Mount Rainier from the city is simply breathtaking)
- Spring is a great time to visit Seattle too. It's best to visit from May when the weather moderates and there's less rain. In the spring, the weather improves but it can still get quite cold.
- Fall, like spring, is also a good season to visit. As you move away from summer, the city becomes rainier and colder. The fall is quite foggy, which gives the city a really cool vibe (but you won't be able to see the mountains).
- Winter in Seattle is cold and rainy, and occasionally snowy (though not consistently snowy). Mornings usually have ice accumulations, so driving needs to be adjusted accordingly.
How to Plan a Trip Itinerary in Seattle?
Seattle is a frontier city of the United States, dominating the northwestern corner of this vast country. The city is often the main destination for trips in the area, including a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Portland, Oregon to the south and to Vancouver in British Columbia, just across the Canadian border to the north. Another popular tourist destination near Seattle is the Bavarian-style mountain town of Leavenworth.
Click here for a day trip from Seattle to beautiful Leavenworth and Snoqualmie Falls…
There are also some notable natural sites near the city:
- Olympic National Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
- North Cascades National Park
- Snoqualmie Falls
Click here for trip route planning in Seattle and expert consulting…
The three national parks surrounding Seattle are considered among the most beautiful in the United States. The only limitation is that you can mostly visit them exclusively during the summer season (in winter, there's skiing).
- Exploring Seattle itself is relatively easy, and most of it is concentrated in a small area of the downtown and the Seattle Center just to the north
- Most of what there is to see and do in Seattle is concentrated in the city center, around Pike Place Market, traditionally considered the heart of the city
- Under the market structure is the waterfront where the Seattle Great Wheel and the aquarium are located
- Next to the park is the Columbia Center Tower, with its stunning observation deck on the 73rd floor
- A bit to the south is the Pioneer Square district and the International District, which includes Chinatown, Japantown, and Little Saigon
- North of Pike Place is the upscale Belltown neighborhood, and north of that is the Seattle Center
- In Seattle Center, there's a large cluster of attractions, with the Space Needle leading the way
- Nearby are also the Pop Museum, the Science Museum, and the Seattle Children's Museum
Click here for a particularly delicious culinary tour guided by a chef at Pike Place Market…
Everything you need to know about accommodations and hotels in Seattle
Staying in Seattle is remarkably efficient, with very straightforward logic. There are two main clusters of hotels in Seattle:
- Downtown Seattle: A large portion of the city's hotels are located in the downtown area. Most of these are good to excellent hotels, rated three or four stars, and many of them are wonderful boutique hotels. In general, it's advisable to stay as close to the heart of the city near Pike Place Market as possible. In both Belltown and near expressway 5, in downtown Seattle, on Pike and Pine streets, there are several large chain hotels which also provide very convenient accommodation in the city center.
- Hotels and Motels near Sea-Tac Airport: Right next to the airport, off Highway 5, along Route 99, there's a vast array of four-star business hotels from all the major chains and plenty of two-star motels, also from well-known chains. This lodging area is very convenient outside the center of Seattle, mainly due to the easy access to downtown, whether by car or public transport. This is the preferred area for tourists arriving in the city with a car, due to parking issues. Near the large Westfield Southcenter mall, just a five-minute drive from the airport on the 405, there's another large cluster of good motels.
Click here to find accommodation in Seattle…
Map of Recommended Lodging Areas in Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle is a classic American city center filled with towering skyscrapers, a vibrant urban atmosphere (including more than a few ailments), and must-visit spots on your city trip. The heart of downtown is Pike Place Market, one of the oldest and most famous urban markets in the United States.
In the place where the first Starbucks branch opened, you'll find a wealth of entertainment options along Elliot Bay, such as the giant Ferris wheel and the city's aquarium. Up the hill is the financial district with its skyscrapers, topped by the Columbia Center. To the south in Pioneer Square, an urban atmosphere melds with residential living, and nearby is the Chinatown-International District, the city's most vibrant ethnic enclave. To the north, the Belltown district, heading toward the Space Needle, is home to the gentrified and the inspiration for the wondrous world of Frasier Crane.
Click here for all the information on a trip to Downtown Seattle…
What is Downtown Seattle?
- Seattle's downtown consists of two main districts – the Central Business District and the Pike Place Market district
- South of the financial district is the elegant neighborhood of Pioneer Square
- East of Pioneer Square is the Chinatown-International District, which is made up of three sub-neighborhoods – Chinatown, Little Saigon, and Japantown
- North of Pike Place Market, heading toward the Space Needle and Uptown, is the Belltown neighborhood, a residential area immortalized by the iconic sitcom Frasier. It's the upscale residential area of the city with high-rise condos and an atmosphere that blends snobbery with luxury
- Seattle's downtown is the city's beating heart. It's the main walking area of the city along with the Uptown attractions, where the Space Needle is located
- Near Pike Place Market is also the city's waterfront area, which features a large variety of attractions such as the Ferris wheel and the city's aquarium
- The city center stretches along the Elliott Bay Waterfront, part of the Puget Sound
Click here for Sky View Observatory tickets at Columbia Center…
The Space Needle and Museums at Seattle Center
The Seattle Center is a large complex north of the Belltown neighborhood in northern downtown Seattle, where the 1962 Seattle World's Fair was held. For the fair, pavilions were built in the complex, which have since been converted into a wide variety of museums and attractions.
The highlight of the World's Fair is the Space Needle, a 184-meter tall observation tower with a circular viewing platform resembling a spacecraft. The tower is now the most well-known icon of Seattle and a unique tourist attraction dominating the city's skyline.
Click here for all the information on visiting the Seattle Center attractions…
What is the Seattle Center in Uptown?
The Seattle Center is where the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, also known as the Century 21 Exposition, was held. The world's fair took place in the Lower Queen Anne district, which has since been renamed Uptown Seattle.
- The district is located north of Belltown, a short distance from downtown Seattle
- The fair's location was chosen in this area to further develop the city's center, at the expense of the large Queen Anne district to the north, which has a suburban character
- The fairgrounds were donated to the city in the late 19th century by the city's founder, David Denny, with the promise that this land would serve the general public
- The fair was highly successful both during its activity and especially due to the spectacular development of the area, which has become a major tourist hub in Seattle to this day
- Today, the Seattle Center houses several of Seattle's main attractions, including the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, the spectacular International Fountain, KeyArena, and the Pacific Science Center
Click here for a combined ticket to the Space Needle's observation deck and the Chihuly Garden…
Sports Events and Teams in Seattle
Professional sports in Seattle is a great option for entertainment and enjoyment. The big advantage of the city's sports teams is the very central and convenient location of the stadiums. The football and baseball stadiums are located right next to downtown, south on I-5, and the hockey stadium is next to the Space Needle.
- Seattle's teams have never really been at the top, and aside from the Seahawks in recent years, the city has almost no achievements
- The city's basketball team, the Seattle SuperSonics, left in 2008. The team won the NBA Championship once in 1979
- The Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2013, and these are the only two titles the city’s teams have achieved (besides in soccer, which no one cares about)
- Seattle's MLS soccer team, the Seattle Sounders FC, has won the championship twice. They play at Lumen Field stadium.
- Despite their modest achievements, the city's sports teams are beloved by the residents, and sometimes it can be a bit tricky to get tickets, especially for the Seahawks' games.
Football in Seattle
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are Seattle's most beloved team and one of the city's symbols. Founded in 1976, the team won the Super Bowl once in 2013. While most football teams play in huge facilities far from the city's center, the Seahawks play at Lumen Field, located in the southern part of downtown Seattle. Seahawks games are a football experience with a particularly passionate and noisy crowd. The team often makes it to the playoffs. It's a good idea to try to get tickets well in advance since they're in high demand, especially during playoff games.
Home Stadium Address: Occidental Ave S. 800, Seattle. Close to King Street Station train station and the Stadium light rail station on the green or red line.
Click here to purchase tickets on the team's website…
Baseball in Seattle
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are Seattle's baseball team in the MLB. They play at T-Mobile Park, right next to Lumen Field in the southern part of downtown Seattle. Catching a Mariners game is a fantastic way to see professional baseball, especially to check out other strong teams in the league. The Mariners themselves hold the dubious honor of being historically one of the weakest teams, yet the only one to never reach the World Series. The stadium holds 48,000 fans, and getting tickets is no problem (unless they've made it to the playoffs by some chance).
Home stadium address: 1st Ave S. 1250, Seattle, near King Street Station and the light rail Station at Stadium on the green or red line.
Click here to purchase tickets for Mariners games at T-Mobile Park…
Hockey in Seattle
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken is Seattle's hockey team and plays in the NHL. It's a new team, founded in 2017 after the Seattle Supersonics basketball team left a gap. They play at the Climate Pledge Arena, formerly known as Key Arena, located in Seattle Center. The arena was completely refurbished, and it now accommodates 18,000 spectators. Despite being a young team, they are quite good, and their games are an exciting experience.
Home Stadium Address: 1st Ave N. 334, Seattle. The stadium is close to the Seattle Center Monorail station, part of the city's cool monorail system.
Click here to buy tickets online for Kraken games…
Click here for a guided tour of Climate Pledge Arena…
