A Long Weekend in Seattle

If you couldn’t already tell, I am a little obsessed with the city of Seattle. I laid out some of my favorite things about the city in my last post, which you can fine here. I figured this week I could get a little more specific and give you my guide to a long weekend in Seattle. Lastly, I strongly recommend getting the Seattle City Pass if this is your first time going to the city and plan to follow this guide. It saves you a ton of money and gives you admission to some great activities!

Where to Stay

Obviously, the first order of business on any trip is finding a place to stay. The first couple of times I visited the city, I stayed in hotels. More recently, I stayed in an Airbnb.

The Roosevelt Hotel in downtown is fantastic. It has an old Hollywood vibe and the rooms are quant, clean and spacious. It is also in the heart of downtown, making it easy to walk to a lot of different things. Parking at the hotel is also fairly affordable.

On my most recent trip to Seattle, I stayed in an Airbnb for the first time. I am not going to lie, I was very nervous to do this. Luckily, I had an AMAZING first Airbnb experience. I stayed in a one bedroom apartment in the heart of Capitol Hill. The location was amazing, the apartment was stocked with everything I could ever need and it was so much more affordable than a hotel.

Day 1

12:00 p.m. You’ve arrived in Seattle… yay! I bet you are pretty hungry, so head over to Serious Pie in Capitol Hill. Serious Pie is actually inside the Starbucks Reserve store, there is a super cool vibe as a result. For food, pizza is obviously a must. The roasted mushroom and truffle cheese pizza is life changing.

2:00 p.m. Now for possibly the most touristy thing to do in Seattle… the Space Needle. Really, it is a Seattle must. Be prepared for some wind, it’s pretty high up.

3:00 p.m. Head right next door to Chihuly Gardens, an art museum featuring all sorts of cool glass-blown art!

4:00 pm. In the same area as the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens is the Museum of Pop Culture. The museum has exhibits on Nirvana, Jimmy Hendrix and so much more. A must see if you’re into music.

7:00 p.m. Rest for a bit then head to a delish dinner at Momiji. This is a swanky little sushi restaurant in the heart of Capitol Hill. The food and cocktail menus are extensive and everything I have tried is delicious. A couple of my favorites were the Capitol Hill roll and the Seattle roll.

9:00 p.m. A Friday night in Seattle is not complete without a trip to one of the many bars. Go down the street to Rhein Haus, a German bar that is also in Capitol Hill. They serve their beer by the pint, half litter and litter. Plus they have bocce ball. What else could you ask for?

Day 2

10:00 a.m. Head to Pike Place Market bright and early and explore the million and one shops that are there. A couple of must dos are grabbing a latte at the original Starbucks, a pastry from Piroshky-Piroshky, watching the flying fish, and experiencing Seattle’s gum wall.

12:00 p.m. Before you leave the market area, make sure to grab some lunch at Beecher’s Homemade Cheese. You can actually watch them make the cheese, as you eat your lunch. Really you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but the grilled cheese and mac-and-cheese are world famous…

12:45 p.m. Walk down to the Giant Wheel and get one of the best views of the city. If you are feeling extra adventurous, pay extra for the VIP experience so you can see out of the bottom of your cabin.

1:15 p.m. Next door are the Argosy Harbor Cruises. I recommend the one hour cruise around the Puget Sound. In operation since 1949, all cruises are like a little history lesson on Seattle.

3:00 p.m. The Seattle Aquarium is your next stop, complete with jelly fish, sea anemones, sea otters are more! The staff is extremely knowledge and teaches guests about the different exhibits.

5:00 p.m. Next, grab an early dinner at Elliot’s Oyster House. The wine selection here is amazing and complements the fresh seafood or clam chowder quite nicely.

7:30 p.m. To finish off the evening, head to Rachel’s Ginger Beer for the best Moscow mule in Seattle. The vibe is perfect and the drinks are great.

Day 3

10:00 a.m. Start off your day by grabbing coffee at Roy Street Coffee and Tea. Their chia latte is one of the best I have ever had and their pastries aren’t half bad either.

10:30 a.m. Head over to Green Lake Park and walk or run around lake. The path is roughly 3 miles and is populated by other runners and cute dogs (always a positive).

12:00 p.m. Obviously it is now time for some brunch at Portage Bay café after your very active morning. I do not think there is a bad item on the menu here and is most well known for its breakfast bar (a bar containing fresh fruit, homemade whipped cream, granola and so much more). My absolute favorite menu item is the French Toast (which contains a trip to the breakfast bar).

1:30 p.m. After you finish your breakfast, take a walk around the University of Washington campus. The campus is beautiful and has one of the best views of Mount Rainier. It also has an amazing library in the center of campus that looks like something out of Harry Potter.

2:30 p.m. Next up is a trip to Kerry Park (211 W Highland Drive, Seattle WA 98119) to take in, arguably, the best view of Seattle. Make sure you have your favorite outfit one because you will definitely want to take some photos.

3:30 p.m. Hop on a water taxi to West Seattle for a fun afternoon in a different part of the city.

4:00 p.m. Once you get to West Seattle, take an Uber to The Matador to snack on some yummy nachos and margaritas.

5:00 p.m. After you are done with your afternoon snack, head down to Alki Beach. You can relax a bit, take a stroll along the beach or take in some amazing views of Seattle. You can also follow the waterline back to the water taxi terminal!

7:30 p.m. After a long and active day a hearty meal is a must, so head to dinner at Oddfellows Café+Bar. The vibe is great and the menu is just as great. I highly recommend the meatballs and polenta. And fries. Basically everything is good.

9:00 p.m. If you want to indulge in possibly the best ice cream ever and get chocolatey wasted, head to Molly Moon’s. All flavors are amazing. You can’t go wrong.

9:30 p.m. Finish off the night down the street at the Unicorn Narwhal. It’s fun, vibrant and a good time no matter the day of the week.