We built this Seattle Travel Blog because Seattle, Washington, is a great place to visit. Assuming you want to know how many days to spend in Seattle for a perfect itinerary, then you have come to the right place. Seattle is much more than the rainy climate for which it is known. We visited Seattle briefly in 2022. Since it was a short visit, we didn’t get to develop a complete understanding of the city. However, because Cos has traveled here several times previously on business, we do have a good knowledge of the best places to visit.
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How Many Days to Spend in Seattle
So, we will focus on a few places to help you understand what makes this place unique in the Pacific Northwest, and allow you to decide how many days to include in your perfect Seattle itinerary. For a first-time visitor, three days may be enough time to get a good feel for the city and see many of the best things about Seattle. For other visitors, looking to gain a deeper understanding of the city, additional time may be needed.
Here is an overview picture of Seattle with Mount Rainier in the eastern background. Mount Rainier is part of the Cascade Mountains, and not the Olympic Mountains, which are west of Seattle across the Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington.
Day One: Pike Place Farmers Market in Seattle, Washington
What makes the Pike Place Farmers Market such an interesting place to visit when you first come to Seattle? A question that we asked ourselves before our first non-business visit to the city. Perhaps it was seeing the first Starbucks with its original logo, or seeing the amazing cheese shop, or the flying fish. In any case, the Pike Place Market and the surrounding area are some of our favorite things to do in Seattle. Whatever it was, this is a must-see if you visit this amazing, fast-growing city.
The Original Starbucks Store
We visited the original Starbucks store in the Pike Place Market Shopping District and discovered that the well-known Starbucks logo was not the original logo. Here is a picture of the original Starbucks logo. I guess they recognized that it was a little too risqué for all the places around the world that they intended to develop.
The Gum Wall
An interesting place to visit near Pike Place is the Gum Wall. The Gum Wall is a brick wall situated beneath Pike Place Market. Located on Post Alley near Pike Street, south of the market’s main entrance off 1st Avenue, the wall is covered with used chewing gum.
Other Places to Visit Near Pike Place
While you are visiting in the Elliott Bay Port area, there are a few other places to visit in addition to Pike Place, and the fish market. If you like fish, checkout the Seattle Aquarium. If you want some adventure, the Seattle Great Wheel, a large Ferris Wheel that provides a great view of the city, may be your next stop. In either case make a full day of touring downtown Seattle.
If you like museums, here are two places worth a visit. North of the Pike Place Market is the Seattle Art Museum, and further north, near Capitol Hill, is the Museum of Pop Culture. Both museums are well regarded and can provide further insight into the culture of Seattle.
Day 2: Seattle Center: Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass
The Seattle Center is a huge community events complex with museums, theaters, restaurants and shops, plus the Space Needle.
Space Needle
The Space needle is clearly an iconic landmark in Seattle. A visit to the top of the Space needle is the best way to see all of Seattle.
Perhaps Seattle and Washington’s best known landmark is The Space Needle. The Space Needle provides an excellent observation point for the greater Seattle area. At 605 feet tall, it has stood as a symbol of the city ever since its construction for the 1962 World’s Fair. It, for many years, stood as the tallest USA building west of the Mississippi, and has represented the huge growth of the city over its lifetime.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
No one is more famous in the world of blown glass than Dale Chihuly. After your visit to the Space Needle, go next door and visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. Truly, a Chihuly Hidden Gem.
Day 3 – Take a Tour and Checkout Seattle Beyond the City Center
The first two days of your itinerary were focused on traveling in downtown Seattle, the Seattle Center and near Pike Place. Today we are suggesting that you take a tour or get on a boat and explore outside the central city. You can learn more about the tours and places to visit on Trip Advisor. Here is a partial list of your options:
- Aiki Beach
- Bainbridge Island
- Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks
- Natinal Nordic Musem
- Woodland Park Zoo
Show Me Seattle is a tour company that offers tours in a small tour bus to various parts of Seattle. We used them and gained a very nice overview of the city.
The Seattle Business Community
Boeing once dominated Seattle’s business community. They still have a significant presence in Seattle, but have moved their headquarters to the East Coast. Fortunately they still manufacture many of their planes in Seattle and you can take a tour, listed with trip Advisor above, to visit their manufacturing operation. Today, Seattle is home to many US business icons, including Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia, and Costco, as well as Starbucks. If you are an Amazon Prime customer, like us, then you might want to check out our Amazon Travel Gear Post.
If you know what you want to buy without checking our travel gear post, go direct to Amazona and shop till you drop. Whether it is a passport cover, luggage, or any travel gear, Amazon has it all and you can get it quickly.
Conclusion: How Many Days to Spend in Seattle
Seattle is a great place to visit. It brings the Pacific Northwest alive. When you visit, plan to spend at least three days and if you really want to explore the area stay five days or a whole week. In any case, the Perfect Seattle Itinerary requires good planning and pre-learning about the places you might like to visit. According to Anthony Bourdain, “Seattle has a tremendous food culture, and it’s tied to the people’s respect for nature and the sea. Also according to Bourdain, “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable, but that’s okay. The journey changes you.”
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