I was born and raised in beautiful Washington State in the Pacific Northwest corner of America. Seattle is the largest city in our state and full of so much charm , beauty and plenty of great things to do no matter what your hobbies are. I grew up on the eastern side of the state in Tri-Cities, WA but often come to Seattle for Mariners games, Seahawks games, concerts, shopping or just for the fun of it.

Seattle is continuing to grow especially in the tech industry with main hubs of companies like Microsoft and Amazon as well as other major companies such as Boeing, Starbucks, Costco, Zillow and more. Seattle can be considered somewhat of a hipster city but has so much more to offer than trendy cafes, boutiques and art. The surrounding nature offers an abundance of outdoor activities and great things to do! From an insiders perspective I am happy to share some of the best things to do in Seattle both well-known and also things to do off the normal tourist track in Seattle.

The Space Needle

First, I will start with the obvious. The Space Needle is the symbol of Seattle and probably the most well known must-do tourist stop in the city. I, at times, can be one to not always play into the hype of the tourist spots but going up the Space Needle in Seattle is a MUST-DO. Especially because the Space Needle was updated around a year ago and not only includes an observation deck with stunning views, but it also has a lower deck below that has a glass revolving floor. It may be a bit scary for those afraid of heights but not something you should miss. The 360 degree views are unreal! On a clear day you can even see the epic views of Mt. Rainier in the distance.

I highly recommend getting yourself a CityPASS booklet when visiting Seattle. It includes entrance tickets to the Space Needle and other awesome attractions in the city that I will be mentioning below. It can save you a lot of money and time! You can get your Seattle CityPass HERE! Thanks to visitseattle.org I was able to go some awesome places on my last Seattle visit!

The Neighborhoods

There are many different neighborhoods within Seattle that offer a different feel and variety of things to do. Some of the neighborhoods in the city itself are West Seattle, Ballard, Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne and the waterfront.

Pioneer Square is the main shopping district of the city. You can find all the big name stores and malls. West Seattle is a residential area that has some great parks and walking trails. West Seattle is also home to Alki Beach, which is a nice escape to get some sun on a hot summer day or just to see the beautiful skyline of the city. Capitol hill is home to trendy bars, gay bars and fun coffee shops. The Queen Anne neighborhood is where the Space Needle is located and it also has some residential neighborhoods in addition to stylish shops and cafes.

I have listed only a few things but I encourage spending some time in each of Seattle’s neighborhoods as they each give you a bit of a different experience and things to do.

Museums

by Courtney Brady @ Chihuly Gardens & Glass

Seattle has no shortage of art and culture for you to experience. There are some awesome museums and an aquarium that you could surely enjoy. The Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Pop Culture, The Pacific Science Center, the Museum of Flight, The Seattle Aquarium, Olympic Sculpture Park, Nordic Heritage Museum, Frye Art Museum and Chihuly Garden and Glass are some of the best!

My personal favorite that I recently visited was Chihuly Garden and Glass. You can also get access to this through purchasing the Seattle CityPASS.

View from Kerry Park, photo by Courtney Brady

Outdoor Activities

As I mentioned previously Seattle is filled with outdoor activities in the city and in a short driving distance year round! This is my personal favorite category of things to do in Seattle! You can try water activities on the bay or Lake Washington. Take a ferry to nearby Islands, go whale watching, go skiing or snowboarding in the winter or visit one of the many parks around the city.

Best City Parks:

Discovery park - the largest in Seattle

Greenlake - In the northern part of Seattle this park offers a great path, swimming, boating, plus a great place to picnic.

Gasworks - a park with cool leftover structures from a gaslight company. It also has great views of the city.

Kerry Park - This is really where you get the most unforgettable view overlooking the city! Its small but so worth the view.

If you have extra time don’t hesitate to visit Mt. Rainier National Park. Here you can go on gorgeous hikes that cater to all athletic abilities. You can learn more HERE in my recent post about the best hikes in Mt. Rainier National Park.

Naches Peak Loop in Mt. Rainier National Park, photo by Courtney Brady

Pike Place Market

Pikes Place Market in Seattle is probably the most iconic spot in the city. It is a lively farmers market, but also so much more than that. It will be filled with tourists and locals alike every day of the week. The best time to visit with the least crowds would probably be during the morning hours of weekdays. It is open daily from 9am to 6pm and 5pm on Sundays.

There are way to many things to do at Pikes Place Market to list them all but here are some of the best things you can do:

random wall art nearby Pikes Market, photo by Courtney Brady

Get a coffee at the first Starbucks store
See Rachel the Pig
Wander through the stalls of fresh flowers, produce and handmade goods
Check out the Market Magic Shop
Eat cheese at Beechers
Watch fish be thrown across the maket
See a show at the Can Can
Eat nearby at the iconic Pink Door restaurant
Add gum to the gum wall
Check out the view from the Market Front

Instagram-able Spots in the City

Seattle is full of perfect places to take photos to fill your Instagram feed. The best ones may be hidden down side streets and in cafes but here I want to give you a few awesome places to take epic photos for in Seattle.

Kerry Park - see the section above. It has awesome views of the city.
Gum wall - this is spot where you can leave a little piece of you and take those perfect shots to share. You can find it just to the left side of Pikes Market on post alley.
Fremont Troll - this is an abstract troll structure under the Aurora bridge.
Japanese Garden - the colors in the fall are the best for photos
University of Washington - the campus is really beautiful and offers many great backdrops for you photos.
Ferry ride - the ferry rides can offer you a great view of the city skyline to snap some photos of. The one to Bainbridge island offers perfect views.

Where to Stay

a lovely welcome gift from Hyatt Olive 8 photo by Courtney Brady

There are so many choices when it comes to deciding where to stay in Seattle. On my most recent visit to Seattle I stayed in the Hyatt at Olive 8 and I could not have been happier! This hotel is everything you could ask for and more. It is in the perfect location.

From Hyatt at Olive 8 you can walk to Pioneer Square and Pikes Market in a short time. The monorail is just a short 5 minute walk and can connect you to the Space needle and nearby museums. It is really in the heart of all the action. It is short convenient drive to Seahawks and Mariners games. Most importantly I received outstanding service while I was there. The rooms are clean and beautiful! This is not a sponsored post, I really just could not recommend a better place to stay!