A First Timer’s Guide to Seattle
When I planned my first visit to Seattle, all I really knew about Seattle was that Starbucks originated there and the Space Needle has a pretty view. As I started doing my research I found that there is a lot to do in Seattle…more than just the expensive, tourist-trap Space Needle! I made a list of Seattle Must-Do’s that made our trip great. A lot of these are not the typical things you usually hear about, but I highly recommend each and every one of them!
Stay at the Hyatt Regency Seattle
Built in 2018, the Hyatt Regency Seattle is practically brand new. The rooms are clean, modern and I love the extensive list of available free amenities (toothbrushes, toothpaste, sewing kits, etc.). During our stay we appreciated the umbrellas at the entrance of the building that you could take with you as you exit the hotel. This is a must in Seattle because it always rains!
The staff at the front desk and the Guest Relations department at the Hyatt Regency Seattle is unmatched. They are very friendly and try to make your trip special. We let them know we were visiting for my dad’s birthday, and we arrived to find that our room was upgraded with a beautiful view of Downtown Seattle and the Port of Seattle. We didn’t even need to visit the Space Needle because we had such an amazing view of the city! They also left a card for my dad in the room with a $10 gift card for the cafe at the hotel. So thoughtful!
We also enjoyed the gym (great equipment), cafe (great staff), and the location of the hotel. The Hyatt Regency Seattle was in close proximity to everything that we planned to do in Downtown Seattle, so we ended up walking everywhere! It was wonderful to be able to walk to get coffee, walk to dinner, and everything in between.
My only piece of advice if you stay here (or anywhere in Downtown Seattle) is to see if taking Uber/Lyft everywhere is a better option for you than a renting a car. We found that many hotels do not have free or low-cost parking, so you may end up paying a lot more for parking than you think. We realized that next time we visit, as long as most of what we want to see is close enough to walk, using Uber/Lyft a few times may be a much cheaper option!
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a popular tourist attraction with so much to see. It has a wide variety of food being sold, including fruits and vegetables, pastries, treats, and even seafood that is TSA-approved! Some days there are also vendors with tables selling items like shirts, jewelry and handmade crafts.
Within Pike Place Market building there is a brewery named The Pike Brewing. We stopped here for a beer in the afternoon and we enjoyed our experience! We were surprised to find an entire brewery inside the market, but we found that the market is much bigger than you think from just looking at the outside. They have a great beer flight, and although we didn’t try the food, others around us seemed to like it.
Outside of the market itself is a street of various other eateries and shops, including the famous Pike Place Chowder! You can read about our experience here. If you’re looking for clam chowder, you have to stop here!
Everything Starbucks
Across from Pike Place Market you’ll find the very first Starbucks. It is a cool experience to see because it is amazing to see where this large, world-renowned brand started! You can buy items including their signature Pike Place roast, mugs with the location on them, and of course your typical Starbucks drinks!
The Starbucks stuff doesn’t stop there! Seattle’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room is very unique; they brew their own coffee on-site, and their menu items differ from a normal Starbucks. They have the typical Starbucks food options like pastries, but they also have cool options like pizza! As for drinks, they have countless type of coffee and teas, including coffee with alcohol. To check out the drinks we ordered and to learn a little more about the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, check out my Seattle food guide!
Take the Monorail
How did I not hear much about the Monorail when I was planning my trip?! I’m so happy we found out about it because it was a nice break from all of the walking we were doing and it was centrally-located for us in downtown Seattle!
If you are staying in or visiting downtown Seattle and you want to visit any place within the Seattle Center, you should consider taking the Monorail. The Seattle Center includes popular attractions like the Space Needle, Fisher Pavilion (popular event center), The Armory, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and much more!
The Monorail travels from Westlake Center Mall (between 5th Avenue and Pine Street) to the Seattle Center, or vice versa. The Monorail is so easy to take; the ride is only 2 minutes long, and there’s only one stop, so you can’t get lost!
The cost of the ticket is worth it for the view in between the tall Downtown Seattle buildings, as well as how much time you save when compared to walking. Once again, there are so many other ways you can get around Downtown Seattle without a rental car!
One-Way Fares:
- Children 4 and under ride free
- Youth (age 5-12) – $1.25
- Adults – $2.50
- Seniors 65+, disabled, persons with Medicare cards, & U.S. military with ID – $1.25
Visit Bainbridge Island
Visiting Bainbridge Island from Seattle is a great half-day trip! You can take the ferry at the Seattle Ferry Terminal to Bainbridge, which was a beautiful 30-minute ride each way. Once you arrive, you can start to head to the downtown area and walk around. There are countless shops to walk through, as well as restaurants, wineries and breweries. I would research ahead of time to see where you want to go, so you can decide if you’d prefer to walk or drive around the island. If you opt to drive around the island, you can drive your car onto the ferry, but the fare prices differ from the ones below.
Seattle to Bainbridge Island Ferry Fare:
- Children under 6 ride free
- Youth (age 6-18) – $4.25
- Adult (age 19-64) – $8.50
- Senior (age 65+) / Disability – $4.25
Traveling from Baingbridge Island to Seattle is no charge!
Make sure you time your walk back to the ferry with the departure times listed on their website so you aren’t stuck waiting for the next available ferry. My other suggestion is to make sure you don’t arrive Bainbridge Island before 11am. We went on an early ferry, which was nice because it wasn’t too crowded; the downside was that when we arrived Bainbridge Island, a lot of the shops and restaurants weren’t open yet!
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a great attraction for all ages. At this museum you can learn about the history and evolution of aviation. It is amazing to see how much airplanes have progressed! You can easily spend over 3-4 hours here, so make sure to plan for this if you want to see everything the museum has on display.
Our first visit to Seattle was a quick 3-day weekend. Although we packed as much in as we could, I was amazed to see how much there is to do in Seattle! Have you visited any of these places? Do you have any other must-do’s on your list? Leave your comments below!
