Seattle Weekend Guide + Day Trip to Mount Rainier
Located on the west coast of the United States, Seattle, Washington is known for its lovely setting, great seafood, Pike Place Market, is the birthplace of the Grunge movement, and is home to the original Starbucks. It was on my list to visit for years and I finally had the opportunity to spend a few days here back in 2013. Looking back at all my photos, makes me want to go back asap!
In this Seattle travel guide, you will find info on Pike Place Market, The Chihuly Museum, Mount Rainier, Snoqualmie Falls, Seattle Mariners Baseball game, the Space Needle, and of course, the famous Gum Wall. The guide also includes seafood restaurants and hotels in Seattle.
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used, which means if you purchase via my link I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products I use and love!
Getting to Seattle, Washington
The nearest major airport to Seattle is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It is about 11 miles from downtown. You can take a taxi, which will cost you around $50. Or you can take the Link Light Rail. The trains run every 10 minutes or so and will drop you off at the Westlake Station right downtown. Fares do vary depending on which stop you get off at but they are much cheaper than a taxi.
Where to Stay in Seattle
I highly recommend staying right downtown Seattle. Within walking distance to Pike Place Market and all the major shopping is a must! Check out some options below from Booking.com. There are a ton of great hotels in Seattle Washington to choose from!
Booking.comOkay, now how to spend your time in Seattle. 🙂
Chihuly Museum
First up in this Seattle travel guide, make sure to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum! As a former Art Major, I couldn’t pass up seeing the Chihuly Museum in Seattle. It has some of Dale Chihuly’s best (and biggest!) works! He is the world’s premier glass artist and did most of his work in the Seattle area.
The Chihuly Museum is an amazing experience and there is so much to look at and see. Even, if you aren’t a bit art fan, I would say it’s still worth a visit. They have a glasshouse with many art displays, the gardens, a great audio tour, a bookstore/gift shop, and a nice little cafe!
Cost:
Regular Admission: $32, Senior: $27, Child: $19, Children 4 and Under: Free, Packaged with Space Needle: $49
Hours:
Monday-Sunday 11am-7pm
More details here!
Space Needle
Built for the 1962 Worlds Fair, the Seattle Space Needle has become the icon for the city and is one of the most popular tourist attractions. It stands at 605 feet tall and is one of the most photographed structures in the world. Today, you can journey all the way to the top to experience 360 views of Seattle! I have to say, I really enjoyed the experience. The views of Seattle, the harbor, and Mount Rainier were absolutely amazing. This is a must-see on any visit to Seattle, Washington!
Booking.comHours:
Monday-Thursday 10:30am-8:20pm
Friday-Sunday 11am-9pm
Admission Cost:
General: $35, Senior: $30, Child: $26, Children 4 and under: free
They also offer a special sunset package that includes a wine flight and appetizers. Prices start at $130 per person for this experience.
More info here!
See a Seattle Mariners Game
If your a fan of sports, Seattle has some great teams to go and see! I really enjoyed seeing the Seattle Mariners play at T-Mobile Park (formerly Safeco Field). The ballpark is right on the water with the city set behind it so the view was really beautiful. The stadium was clean and everyone was really friendly. When I went the Mariners lost, but that was okay. 🙂 If they are playing the weekend you are in town make sure to check out a game! Booking tickets in advance is advised.
Book your tickets here!
Pike Place Market
Next up in my Seattle travel guide is a stop at Pike Place Market! Perhaps one of the most famous markets in the world, Pike Place has been a Seattle landmark for over 100 years. Known for its famous Fish throwers at Pike Place Fish, there is much to see and do at the market. Some of the fun things I would recommend include visit Market Spice Teas, have lunch with a view at Copacabana, stop by the original Starbucks, see the Gum Wall, and go on a foodie tour. Make sure to get the Mac n’ Cheese at Beecher’s! Pike Place Market is massive so I highly recommend taking a tour to make sure you get a good feel for everything there is to see.
Hours:
Daily from 9am-5pm
Some vendors stay open late for take-out too! Most restaurants have their own specific hours so make sure to check those out before you go.
Gum Wall
Make sure to stop by the famous Gum Wall on your trip to Seattle, Washington. Located on the Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater wall, sticking a piece of gum on this wall is a Seattle tradition. The tradition of placing a piece of gum here started many years ago but really took off in 1995 when people were waiting in line to see a show and needed someplace to stick their gum. Over the years, the wall has become completely covered in colorful, sticky gum!
Luckily the wall is located just outside Pike Place so it will only take a few minutes to swing by and leave your mark. And yes, I did stick my piece of gum right up there with everyone else’s.
Eat Great Seafood
You can’t go to Seattle without eating some great seafood! The city is known for having some of the best seafood around. There are a lot of places to choose from in all budget ranges. Check out a few of my favorite Seattle seafood restaurants below:
- Pike Place Chowder
- Elliot’s Oyster House
- RockCreek Seafood
- Duke’s Seafood
- Ray’s Boathouse
- Jack’s Fish Spot
- Seattle Fish Guys
- FOB Poke Bar
Mount Rainier Day Trip
It’s worth extending your weekend trip to take a day and head down to Mount Rainier National Park. Located roughly 1.45 hours from Seattle, Mount Rainier stands just over 14,000 feet above sea level. The best way to get here from Seattle is via car rental. Along the way, there were tons of little places to pull off and take photos. We traveled up to Sunrise Visitors Center, located within Mount Rainier National Park. This is the highest point that can be reached via car at just over 6,000 feet. The drive was so pretty and the visitors center has a gift shop and a little place to get some food. Please note that the road to Sunrise is only open during the summer months.
Fun Fact- Mount Rainier is an active Volcano!
Fee: $30 per car or $15 per person to access the park
Camping and Hiking- there are several camping options within the Mount Rainier National Park and tons of day hiking trails! Within the park, you can also rock climb, fish, and go boating.
Snoqualmie Falls
On your way back from Mt. Rainier make sure to pay a quick visit to Snoqualmie Falls. Located just 30 minutes from Seattle, these falls stand at 270 feet high. The visitors center is set above the falls so you get some really unique ‘high-up’ style views! There is also a nice gift shop on site. Visitors have the opportunity to hike or have a picnic!
Parking and Admission- Free!
Hours- Dawn to Dusk
Day Trip Map
Book a Seattle, Washington Tour!
Seattle City Tour
Snoqualmie Falls and Wineries Day Trip from Seattle
Mt. Rainier Day Trip from Seattle
Gourmet Seattle Walking Tour
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Check out some of my other United States travel posts- here!
About the Author
Hi my name is Sara and I am the creator of WanderMoore! 🙂 I started WanderMoore in early 2020 after leaving a full-time job in the Communications/Marketing field to stay home and raise my kiddos, Mila and Liam. I wanted something fun to work on in my free time and WanderMoore has become one of my biggest passions! Thank you for reading my post! I can't wait to share more of my travel adventures with you 🙂
Seattle is such a fun city! I visited a few years ago and loved it. Pike’s Place is awesome and I also got to visit Snoqualmie. I didn’t get to go to Mount Rainier because it was closed when I went, which was in March, but it gives me a reason to go back. 🙂
Sounds like you love the city just like I do 🙂 Sounds like you need to go back and see Mount Rainier!
I have never been to Seattle, it’s one of those cities I have been wanting to visit for a long time. I’m a big foodie so I would definitely want to check out Pike Place Market and eat a lot of great seafood. Thanks for the great Seattle guide! I will use it when I visit eventually!
omg you would love it! So many different foodie places to check out 🙂
That gum wall is interesting to say the least, haha. I’ve never been to Seattle, but I’d definitely love to visit Snoqualmie and Mount Rainier!
Everything is amazing! One to add to your bucket list 🙂
Beautiful! I’ve never been to Seattle, but lived in Victoria BC for a while so was soooo close. Your post is inspiring and I’ll be sure to come back to this to help plan my trip when I do make it there for a visit 🙂
When you can, pop on down- it’s amazing!
I went to Seattle yeeears ago, but I would love to go back! I especially love the idea of visiting Mount Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls – it is such amaaazing scenery!
I heard that they cleaned up that wall of gum…but then people started re-gumming in straight away. It’s so gross!
It really is beautiful, isn’t it! 🙂 For the gum wall- you are correct! They cleared it several times but people and their gum keep coming back 🙂
Awesome post! The market looks like fun but the gum wall looks pretty gross 😀 I’d still check it out though!
haha I was worried it would get in my hair! But I was lucky and it didn’t 🙂
I would love to visit Seattle! I have never been in that part of the USA but this city looks so cool! Thanks for all the tips Sara!
Thanks! You would love it!
I was supposed to do a PNW road trip this year with my best friends but it has sadly been postponed due to everything that’s been going on–I’ve been to a couple of these places but would love to go back someday to go back to Pike Place Market + hike all over the national parks!
Hopefully, you will get to do that road trip soon! Pike Place is amazing to explore in person 🙂
Great guide! I love Seattle but unfortunately haven’t visit Mt. Rainer (even though I live in Portland). Seattle has great food and so many cool attractions. I hope to come back soon.
Totally agree- so much to see and do in the great city!
Totally agree- so much to see and do in this great city!
This is such a comprehensive guide! You cover so much in & just outside of the city…I completely agree with you about squeezing in a Rainier side trip, it was totally worth seeing. Also, LOVED the Chihuly Gardens… completely gorgeous place.
Happy you liked it! Such a pretty area of the US 🙂
This will be so handy! Thanks so much. My husband and I are going to Seattle and Oregon coast for 1 week this September. Will be our first trip out west. Your suggestions look amazing!
Glad I could be helpful! You will love it 🙂