The Best Weekend Itinerary For Seattle (Created By a Local!)

Headed to Seattle for the weekend? In this post, I’m sharing with you the best weekend itinerary for Seattle! I grew up in the Seattle area and I’m sharing my favorite places with you. (These are the places I take my own family and friends when they visit for the first time!) I’ll share with you some of the most iconic Seattle experiences, such as ascending the Space Needle, as well as some of the more quirky experiences. Read on to find out the best things to do during a weekend trip in Seattle!

Day 1 (Friday Evening)

Depending on when you arrive in Seattle, you may have time to see a few things before you go to bed on Friday evening. After you check into your hotel, we recommend the following:

Seattle Spheres

The Seattle Spheres were built by Amazon for their employees. There’s filled with over 40,000 plants. They are closed to the public most days, so you’ll probably just get to see them from outside. This is a quick “walk by” attraction. (TIP: See if Rachel’s Ginger Beer is open! They’re a famous local business and their ginger beer is really good. We also like to get the fried chicken sandwiches from Ma’Ono there.) 

Kerry Park

Kerry Park is about two miles away from the Seattle Spheres, so you may want to take a ride share or public transportation to the park. (We promise you it’s worth it!)

If you’ve seen a postcard of Seattle, chances are the photo was taken from Kerry Park. This park has one of the best views of the city! My favorite part about this park is that you can clearly see the Space Needle from this park. Whether you arrive in time for sunset or if you arrive later in the evening, the park has a beautiful view of Seattle. We think it’s the perfect glimpse of the Seattle skyline to start your trip.

Cocktails at Oliver’s Lounge

If you have the energy at the end of your travel day, head over to Oliver’s Lounge for a craft cocktail. It’s within walking distance of the hotels we mention. Oliver’s Lounge is famous for their martinis. They have won Seattle’s Best Classic Martini for eight years in a row!

Day 2 (Saturday)

Coffee at Storyville

A major part of Seattle is the coffee scene, and on your first morning in the city, we recommend that you head to Storyville Coffee for the perfect cup of coffee. We think it’s one of the best coffee shops in Seattle.

Explore Pike Place Market

After grabbing your cup of coffee, we recommend that you visit Pike Place Market. The market is absolutely huge and contains over 500 different vendors. For breakfast, we recommend one of the following: Honest Biscuits (amazing homemade biscuit breakfast sandwiches), Pike Place Bar & Grill (endless Belgian waffles), and the Athenian Seafood Restaurant and Bar (try the dungeness crab benedict).

After breakfast, explore the market! You can watch the fish mongers toss fish (one of the most iconic scenes in the market), see Rachel the Piggy Bank (the market’s bronze mascot), add a piece of gum to the gum wall (located in Post Alley), visit the market’s secret garden (an urban garden located on the roof), and see the oldest continuously-running Starbucks (sometimes mistakenly called the “First Starbucks”). 

Great Wheel

After exploring the market, head to the Seattle waterfront. (It’s less than a 10-minute walk down to the piers.) There are a number of attractions at the waterfront. You might enjoy seeing the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Great Wheel, Wings Over Washington, or Miner’s Landing. We especially like the view of Seattle from the Bell Street Pier Rooftop Deck. 

Seattle Central Library

Before heading to your hotel to rest for a bit, stop by the Seattle Central Library. The building is one of the most unique in Seattle due to its glass and steel honeycomb design. The library also features a “Red Floor”, which is colored in 13 shades of red. It’s one of the most photographed areas of the library. 

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Evening

For dinner, see our post on the best restaurants in Seattle. There are tons of great places to eat, so choose something from our list that sounds good to you!  

After dinner, we recommend that you go to the Fremont neighborhood. You can see the Fremont Troll (a giant troll statue under the bridge) and have after-dinner drinks. We recommend Add-a-Ball (an old-school barcade) or Brouwer’s Cafe (has hundreds of different beers and over 50 types of scotch).

Day 3 (Sunday)

To Start Your Day

Head over to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery to have a special coffee experience. You’ll get to learn about Starbucks’ coffee-making process, and you can experience some unique drinks like an espresso flight.

One of our favorite places to eat breakfast is the Portage Bay Cafe. Their South Lake Union location is less than a mile from the roastery.

Seattle Center

After breakfast, head to the Seattle Center. From downtown, a fun way to get to the Seattle Center is by using the Monorail. You can hop on the Monorail at West Lake Center and it will take you straight to the Seattle Center. 

Seattle Center is one of the cultural hubs of the city. You’ll find the Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, the International Fountain, and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. If you have time to explore all of them, we highly recommend it. 

Space Needle

The Space Needle is the most iconic symbol of Seattle. To get to the Space Needle viewing decks, you’ll take the elevator up over 500 feet. The Space Needle underwent a major renovation in 2018. The outdoor viewing deck now has glass walls with glass benches (“skyrisers”) that make for some incredible photos. The Loupe on the lower viewing deck contains the world’s first and only revolving glass floor. You’ll be able to see Seattle underneath your feet! The Space Needle also has a trendy lounge for cocktails, a cafe for drinks and snacks, and a gift shop.

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

The MoPOP is another one of Seattle’s most unique buildings. The building’s exterior is curved and made from thousands of iridescent and metal panels. Inside the museum, you’ll find exhibits dedicated to Seattle musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam, as well as tons of exhibits related to movies. During our last visit, we saw the light saber Luke Skywalker used in Star Wars, the hat and jacket Indiana Jones wore, the dress Dorothy wore in the Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter’s glasses. 

International Fountain 

The International Fountain was built in 1962 as part of the World’s Fair. The fountain contains 274 water jets and LED lighting. The fountain contains four ‘super shooters’ that blast water 120 feet high into the air. On a sunny day, you’re likely to see dozens of children and adults try to touch the dome and run away before the jets resume!

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Adjacent to the Space Needle, you will find Chihuly Garden and Glass. Dale Chihuly is one of the most famous glass artists in the world, and his studio is based in Washington. At the Chihuly Garden and Glass, you’ll find a museum filled with his artwork. Our personal favorite exhibit is the Glasshouse, which is a 40-foot-tall building that resembles a conservatory. (Pictured above.) Suspended from the ceiling is a large 100-foot-long suspended glass sculpture. Outside the museum, you can explore a glass garden. Chihuly’s glass pieces are blended seamlessly into the plant collection. It’s truly a unique experience to walk through this garden of glass!

Lunch

For lunch, you can eat at the Seattle Center. The Armory has a bunch of different food vendors, the MoPOP has a restaurant (Culture Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck), Chihuly Garden and Glass has a restaurant (Collections Cafe), and the Space Needle has a cafe with snacks. If you don’t mind a short walk, you can also eat at Toulouse Petit, which is located on Lower Queen Anne Hill.

Gas Works Park

Depending on when you need to leave on Sunday, you may have time for one last activity. If you can fit it into your itinerary, we recommend stopping by Gas Works Park to say goodbye to Seattle. Gas Works was the former site of the Seattle Gas Light Company’s gasification plant. Many of the original structures were never cleared from the park, so there are a bunch of rusty structures in the center of the park. The park is located on the other side of Lake Union, and it has a beautiful view of Seattle from across the lake. Go to the top of the hill and find the giant sun dial (which has the best view of the city).

TIP: Be sure to see our hotel recommendations for downtown Seattle.

Summary

Seattle is a really special city, with plenty of activities and view points. We hope that you enjoyed this post on the best weekend itinerary for Seattle. Enjoy your trip!

Disclaimer: We always strive for content accuracy. Since the time of publishing, travel-related information regarding pricing, schedules, and hours may have changed. Please look up such information directly from each vendor or institution for the most current information.