With so many things to do, it can be hard to narrow down an itinerary for just 3 days in Seattle. Being one of the biggest tech hubs in the world, Seattle is a melting pot of cultures and demographics. In my opinion, it is one of the most eccentric and well rounded cities in North America. Trendy boutiques, dive bars, award-winning restaurants, successful sports teams. There is no shortage of things to do in Seattle, especially if you love exploring eclectic neighbourhoods, stopping for delicious cocktails, and bringing home pinterest worthy goods from artisan shops. This itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Seattle has that person in mind. If that sounds like you, let’s get into it!
How to Spend 3 days in Seattle: Day 1 – Explore Downtown
For your first day in Seattle, I would recommend exploring the downtown core. There is so much to see and do, but it isn’t intimidating in size and can be walkable. A few highlights not to miss:
Pike Place Market
I figured I’d start here as it’s one of the most obvious tourist attractions in the city. I recommend getting there as early in the morning as possible, as it can get ridiculously busy! Don’t leave without buying a bouquet or two of flowers if your travel plans allow (being from Vancouver, I am only 2 hour drive away, so I just put them in water until we are ready to head home! I asked one of the vendors and they mentioned they can stay out of water for 10 hours). The flowers are so cheap and insanely beautiful!
Stay and watch the famous fish throwing, or sneak down to the gum wall (directions to the gum wall here).
I love wandering to the back of the market towards the water, as the view is incredible! You can see the great wheel and sit outside on the patio where the city has set up some free tables and chairs for your enjoyment.
Breakfast at Pike Place
While I find this a little too touristy for my taste, I have to mention that the original Starbucks is right across the street from Pike Place market. Just look for the line 😛 If you are looking for something a little less mainstream, I’d save your coffee fix for some of the best local coffee in the city, like Storyville Pike Place or Ghost Alley Espresso.
Piorshky Piroshky
A few doors down from the original Starbucks, you’ll see Piroshky Piroshky, a famous russian bakery serving up croissants, breads and swirly things (lol, no idea what they are actually called but they are delicious). Baked goods come in both sweet and savoury varieties. Grab a few of them and enjoy them at the sitting area I was talking about overlooking the wheel.
The London Plane
If you’re still hungry, visit the London Plane for a heavier meal. It’s a stunning space with an in house flower shop and bakery. They also have an incredible dinner menu.
Nordstrom Rack
Pop into Nordstrom Rack and the original Nordstrom if you fancy some shopping. I always find amazing things at this Nordstrom Rack as their stock is constantly being refreshed.
Happy hour at Mr.West Café Seattle
Head to happy hour at Mr. West Cafe, a super trendy cafe with great happy hour specials.
Dinner at Purple Café and Wine Bar
Hands down one of the most popular dinner spots in Seattle, Purple has a great atmosphere and delicious food! A great place to come for a late dinner after shopping and exploring all day!
After Dinner Drinks in Seattle
Go out for after dinner drinks in one of Seattle’s trendy neighbourhoods! I personally love Fremont or Ballard! Some favourite bars are:
- Barnacle
- Essex
- The Backdoor
- Canon Whiskey Bar (Capitol Hill)
- Bottlehouse Wine Bar
- The Nest Rooftop at the Thompson Seattle
How to Spend 3 Days in Seattle: Day 2 – Spend the day in Capitol Hill!
Capitol Hill is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Seattle. It has so much life to it. In fact, I wrote an entire post on how to spend the perfect day exploring there. From brunch to breweries to shopping to going out, this post has it all. You can’t leave Seattle without a visit to Capitol Hill!
Dinner at Spinasse Capitol Hill
This spot is in my Capitol Hill post, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned it here too. It’s THAT good. Seriously, go here for dinner if you love Italian food and good wine. (If you do, we could probably be friends).
How to Spend 3 Days in Seattle: Day 3- Game time
Space Needle
If you’ve never been to Seattle, chances are you’ll want to see the space needle. Head there early in the morning with a coffee. If you love museums or art, make sure you spend some time at Chihuly Garden and Glass!
If you are fulfilled with admiring the space needle from afar, you can explore downtown Seattle and the shops near Safeco/Centurylink Field.
Pregame Drinks at Quality Athletics
This bar is a lot of fun and a great replacement for FX McRory’s, which sadly closed down recently. Try the blood orange cider!
Go to a Seahawks or Mariners game
One of the best parts about Seattle is their sports venues. Centurylink Field (home of the Seattle Seahawks) and Safeco Field (home of the Seattle Mariners) are both centrally located in Downtown Seattle. Games here are so much fun, even if you aren’t a diehard Seattle sports fan. If you’re a soccer (or “football” fan), the Sounders play at Centurylink as well.
Dinner at Copal
Leave the game and have dinner at Copal, a trendy Mexican restaurant walking distance from the stadium
Finish the night with a drink at the Nest at the Thompson Seattle, a rooftop bar with stunning views of the city!
Water Taxi to Salty’s Seattle
Have time for brunch the following day? A fun way to see the city is to take the water taxi to Salty’s, a famous brunch spot voted Best Restaurant in Seattle and Best Brunch in Seattle in 2018. Great view, great food! (you could also go here day one before your trip over to Pike Place or instead of the Space needle!)
How to get there: Take the water taxi from Pier 50 to West Seattle. After dinner, they recommend you walk the 2.5 mile beach for incredible views of Seattle! Make a reservation for the taxi just in case!
I hope this gave you some ideas for how to spend 3 days in Seattle, Washington! As always, reach out with any questions you may have! xx, Kaylchip
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