When in Seattle, often people are keen to explore and enjoy Starbucks coffee. While this is a popular place to enjoy the birthplace of Starbucks, there are so many other things to do besides just coffee. Seattle has a ton to offer like art museums, food, markets, architecture, and unique finds. Lets see what there is to do in Seattle, a must see list when in Seattle.
When in Seattle you should try and branch out from just the normal sightseeing to the original Starbucks and try out some of these destinations.
I would recommend seeing the following when taking a trip to Seattle. I had been located in the Seattle area over the summer, so a couple weekend getaways to the city I got to create a fun list.
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Pike's Place Market
When in the area you must come and see this big market. It is open from usually 10 a.m - 5 p.m most days. There are so many shoppes here to explore. The most popular things people come for are the fresh flowers, fresh fish market, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Besides that there are many shoppes with clothing, handmade goods, and many restaurants to try. In this area as well there is the original Starbucks location, which in my opinion, its best to get a coffee down the road at a different location or try some local coffee shoppes instead.
Here are some recommendations for food and shoppes to explore here:
- Three Girls Bakery
- Mee Sum Pastry
- Crepe de France
- Cobbs' Popcorn
- Rachel's Ginger Beer
- Public Market
- Gem Heaven
- House of Jade
For a full list of destinations I enjoyed in Washington and Seattle area check out my list here.
Post Alley
The Post Alley is located in the same area as Pike's Place Market, so you must take a stroll through the Post Alley for some picture opportunities to see the famous Gum Wall. Also in this area, is the original Starbucks, a selfie museum, the view of the ferris wheel, the pier is near, and the aquarium.
International District/ Chinatown
Welcome to the International district or the Chinatown of Seattle. Here there is a lot to do, most of them include restaurants, good eats, Asian markets, and a lot of street art.
Of course there are some must see's whilst here including this gate pictured. Other must see's in this area are Hing Hay park, Wing Lake Museum, and Pinball Museum. There are tons of places to eat at, but to give you some recommendations; I recommend Hello Em Viet Coffee & Roastery, Dough Zone, Tamarind Tree, Young Tea, Oasis Tea Zone, and Samurai Noodle.
Seattle Art Museum
The Seattle Art Museum is a must see when in Seattle for the art lovers. It isn't open everyday, and there is a lot to see when going. If in the downtown area then this is something easy for you to see whilst on your trip.
Seattle Library
Very near to the art museum is the library, this isn't a tourist attraction, but I enjoy reading a lot and found the architecture of the library to be very aesthetic.
Amazon Spheres and Space Needle
There is some cool architecture to offer in Seattle and you should try to visit these two for a picture opportunity. In the Amazon Spheres there is actually a cafe located inside of it which is pretty cool. It is really modern and fun to look at, I quite enjoyed it. Also, the Space Needle is fun to see, there is the option to go up it or you can just take photos of it, but definitely worth seeing.
MoPop Museum
While in the area you should take a stop at the Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP. It is a super nice museum and they offer different exhibits throughout the year. I spent an entire afternoon here.
Speak Easy bars
There are some cool Speak Easy themed bars to enjoy while in Seattle. Try "the alley" and check out the cool theme of speak easy, but remember to book it in advance as they are extremely popular. These types of bars used to be hidden, so often they have hidden entrances, it is quite fun.
Seattle had tons to offer and surprised me with lots of fun things to do and tons of good food to try. Being located in the area was fun to explore. Washington truthfully had tons more I wanted to see including more nature. If I were to come back, I would love to do some hiking at Mt. Rainer, do some hiking and sightseeing in Leavenworth, and see more of the islands. I was living in Vashon for the summer and it was very relaxing being by the beach and in the woods. I hope this list of things to do in Seattle helps you all out for your next adventure when in Seattle.