Seattle City Guide: What to do, Where to Eat, and Where to Stay
Seattle, Washington has always an incredible city for exploring! I mean, how many cities have a troll under a bridge, not many! 
Table of Contents
Things to do in Seattle
There is an abundance of activities to be done in Seattle, Washington and many of them can be done at a discounted price using a City Pass. Also, because of the large military population everywhere in Seattle seemed to offer a military discount.
The first Thursday of every month, numerous museums offer FREE admission to all guests! The Museum of Flight, Museum of Glass, Seattle Children’s Museum, Museum of History and Industry, and the Burke Museum.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Chihuly Garden and Glass is a beautiful tribute to Dale Chihuly. Dale Chihuly is a well known glass artists with exhibits at over 200 museums worldwide. Chihuly Garden and Glass has to be fully explored by visiting the Glasshouse and the Garden. Their hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 8:30am until 8:30pm and Friday through Sunday from 8:30am until 9:30pm. Located at 305 Harrison Street.
Museum of Pop Culture
Museum of Pop Culture is the coolest thing, if you are into pop culture. They recently added an exhibit by Jim Henson. The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimitedexplores Jim Henson’s groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on popular culture. This comprehensive exhibition reveals how Henson and his team of builders, performers, and writers brought to life the enduringly popular worlds of The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and more. Their hours of operation vary according to season. Visit the website for exact hours. Plan on lunch at the Culture Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck. Located at 325 5th Ave North
Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Art Museum is so much in one. There are three museum perfectly situated throughout downtown Seattle. You have the Seattle Art Museum located at 1300 1st Avenue,Asian Art Museum of Seattle (closed and under renovations until 2019) which is located at 1400 E Prospect Street and Olympic Sculpture Park located at 2901 Western Avenue. Visit one of them are all of them and take in the history.
Seattle Glassblowing Studio
Seattle Glassblowing Studio is a great way to be up close and personal with the fine art experience of glass blowing. This studio presents so much about glass blowing that you will be totally fascinated with the craft. Sign up for a class to Blow Your Own Glass and experience it first hand. Their hours of operation are Sundays from 10am to 6pm and Monday through Saturday from 9am until 6pm. Located at 2227 5th Avenue
Seattle Children’s Museum
Seattle Children’s Museum is where imagination comes to life. That is their motto and it rings true throughout the museum with their engaging exhibits. Plan your visit to get the most out of it. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10am until 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 6:00 pm. Located at 305 Harrison Street.
Woodland Zoo
Woodland Zoo is not your traditional zoo. As a zoological garden you will find a new appreciation for The Tropical Rain Forest and the Butterfly Garden. Their hours of operation are 9:30am until 6pm daily. Located at 5500 Phinney Ave North
Pike’s Place Market
Pike Place Market is Seattle! This is a local community favorite and literally the heart best of Seattle. Experience the farmers market, crafts market, waterfront dining and the Market Front. There is so much to do here and those are just a few.
Starbucks Roastery and Tasting Room
Starbucks started in Seattle and you can see the original Starbucks at Pike’s Market, but what many don’t know is that they have this super cool Roastery.
The Space Needle
For great views go up in the Space Needle. It is one of the included attractions with the City Pass. They also offered a military discount when we visited.
Bridge Troll
One of the best things about Seattle is the random troll they have under a bridge. He is crushing a real Volkswagen. It’s hideous, yet awesome.
Pier 57
Carousel at Miners Landing on Pier 57 – In 1897, the steamship Portland, weighed down with the first load of gold from the Klondike, docked at the pier where Miners Landing now stands. Now, Pier 57 is home to the Miners Landing, a family-friendly shopping, restaurant and entertainment complex.
Seattle Great Wheel
The Seattle Great Wheel is a large Ferris wheel on pier 57. It has an overall height of 175 feet. I took the photo at the beginning of this article from the Seattle Great Wheel. The views are fantastic!
Point Defiance Zoo
This zoo is small and lesser known, but it is fantastic. They do an interactive show with animals that is extremely well done.
Up Improve
This is an adults only comedy club. I’ve only been once, but it was a lot of fun. It’s located near the gym wall.
Jefferson Park
If you want to take your kids to an amazing playground while you are in Seattle our favorite is Jefferson Park.
Where To Stay in Seattle
Inn at the Market is a downtown hotel and is a recently renovated boutique hotel. With only 76 rooms you have great views available to you from the waterfront to downtown to the mountains. Located at 86 Pine Street
Palladian Hotel by Kimpton is another boutique hotel in downtown Seattle, close to Pike’s Market.
Monaco Hotel in Seattle is a boutique Kimpton hotel located in the heart of downtown Seattle. This beauty takes your breath away with its luxurious offering. You must sign up their Kimpton Karma program which is their rewards program. Located at 101 4th Avenue
Residence Inn is always a nice choice for a family vacation. Always known for their space and two room accommodations this location is close to several attractions. Free internet, free breakfast, pet friendly and kitchenettes. Located at 800 Fairview Avenue North on the shores of Lake Union it is an excellent choice because of its proximity to downtown Seattle.
McMenamins Anderson School – If you are a fan of McMenamins properties you will be thrilled to know that they have a property just north of Seattle in Bothell.
Hyatt Regency Bellvue – If you do not mind staying in Bellvue, I highly recommend the Hyatt over here. I had a wonderful stay here.
Silvercloud Inn in downtown Seattle – I loved staying here with the kids. There’s a rooftop pool and hot tub that we enjoyed a great deal!
VRBO is always an excellent choice if you prefer the home feel. Just remember, to be selective, ask all the right questions, and be careful.
Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound – If you don’t mind staying south of Seattle there is a Great Wolf Lodge about an hour south. It is a little smaller than other Great Wolf Lodge properties, but still super fun. I took my teens recently and they loved it.
Where To Eat in Seattle
There are loads of fantastic places to eat in Seattle. I will be updating this every time we visit, because we seem to never have a bad meal here.
- Six Seven Restaurant & Lounge is known for their ambience and lamb Bolognese.
- Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, is known for great macaroni and cheese.
- Bongos has an outstanding Cuban Joe.
- Shuckers Oyster Bar has an excellent selection of oysters and the Dungeness Crab Cakes are fantastic.
- Anthony’s Pier 66 & Bell Street Diner has an early (before 7pm) dinner selection of four for $24 that is delicious four course meal.
- Voula’s Offshore Cafe near the university is great for breakfast.
- Black Bottle has the best tapas and an excellent happy hour. It’s in Bellvue.
- Sister’s European Cafe has the best sandwiches in the city. Three Sisters has been in Pike’s Market forever and they’ve never changed their menu because they don’t have too. Their sandwich creations with Mediterranean flair have already stood the test of time and people keep coming back for more.
- Los Agaves has the best tacos in town hands down, but be warned when they ask you if you want hot sauce you do not. Their hot sauce was created for fire breathing dragons. If you are the kind of person that loves to see if they can handle hot food, this will be your ultimate challenge!
- The Pink Door has been on my food bucket list for over a decade. I’ve heard it’s amazing.
- Pike’s Chowder as expected serves seafood chowders, but there is just something about this place. Their chowder is amazing and people line up out the door and around the building to eat here. So, if you are looking for that perfect bowl of clam chowder this is your place.
- Pike Brewing Company is a 25 year old gravity flow brewery and the perfect place to enjoy a local ale. While you are there, check out their museum going through the history of their brewery.
27 Best Day Trips From Seattle
Seattle is a beautiful family fun vacation to explore. Plan your trip today and please come back to this article and share your experience.
Get Travel Insurance
Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on any trip. Be prepared for the worst with travel insurance. We use Travelex or Safety Wing (often cheaper).
Book Flights
I use Skyscanner to find flights. I use it so much, I wrote an entire guide to finding cheap flights with Skyscanner! Another option for finding deals is FlightHub.
Book a Place to Stay
I recommend using Expedia.com or Hotels.com for most hotel bookings. I prefer to book directly with Marriott when I stay there because of their excellent military discount.
If you prefer staying in a vacation rental instead, I recommend VRBO. If you are looking for a hostel, I use HostelWorld.
Choose Activities and Tours
To find great activities in any area I use Viator. If we are visiting a city with lots of popular attractions I always check CityPass, PogoPass, and GoCard to see if they have discount cards available. Groupon also tends to have a lot of local travel deals.
When I want to book a full-on multi-day tour I use TourRadar. They’ve got fantastic weekly deals. If going somewhere in Mexico or the Caribbean, I use Apple Vacations.
Rent a Car or Get a Lyft
More often than not, Lyft is cheaper than Uber. Use my Lyft link for an $18 credit! For a car rental in any country, I recommend Hertz or Discover Cars.
Save Money on Gas
Upside a free app gets you cash back on gas! Use promo code RV2Q2 to get an extra 15¢/gal bonus on your first purchase.
Get a Visa
I use iVisa to get all of my Visas.
Travel Printables
If you found this information helpful consider buying me a cup of coffee aka helping me pay to put kids through college! Just scan the QR code or click the link. As always, thank you for your support!
