2018 Top 3 Tourist Destinations in Seattle WA

If you are in Seattle, there is certainly no shortage of things to do and to see. In fact, one of the most difficult things to figure out is what you MUST see and do if you only have a limited time in the city. So, with that in mind, here is one locals perspective on the things that I would tell a friend or relative they absolutely must see and do when they are in Seattle!

 

#1) Take a ferry ride:

As a local and a Seattle native, in my opinion there is nothing that is more “Seattle” than taking a ride on one of the massive ferries that take people from the main land to the numerous islands in Puget Sound. Taking a ferry ride is a tremendous way to take in the beauty and splendor of Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest. If you are looking for something to do while in Seattle, my recommendation would be to catch a ferry from the waterfront (which is worth spending an entire day at) to Bainbridge Island. It’s a fairly short ferry ride, and it offer spectacular views of the city skyline from the water. As an added bonus, you can easily walk onto the ferry and walk off at Bainbridge, where the main town is full of shops and restaurants and all in easy walking distance from the ferry terminal!

 

# 2) Check out the Ballard Locks:

There are many reasons to visit the Ballard Locks. For one, it is an impressive engineering feat and one of the largest Locks in North America, allowing boats passage from the fresh water of Lake Washington to the salt water of Puget Sound. Think of it as an ‘elevator for boats’. It’s a very unique thing to Seattle and draws many tourists each year! As an added bonus, the Locks have an incredible fish ladder, complete with underwater viewing area. Here, you can watch salmon coming from Puget Sound climb the ladder up to Lake Washington, where they will eventually spawn in the rivers inland. On top of all this, there is also a museum with some cool exhibits and some beautifully landscaped grounds to check out while you are there. It would be easy to kill a full day in Seattle just by hanging out and enjoying the Ballard Locks.

 

#3) Go to the Museum of Flight:

Ok, so it is no secret that the weather in Seattle can be a little bit less than sunny at times. And by at times, I mean nine months out of the year! So, should you find yourself in Seattle during one of these months and are looking for something to do indoors, you can not go wrong paying a visit to the Museum of Flight. As one of the largest flight museums on the west coast, they have everything from a Space Shuttle trainer to an SR-71 Blackbird to a Concorde that you can actually walk through. The collection is super impressive by anyone’s standards and it offers up something to do if the weather in Seattle is not cooperating. There is also an excellent tribute to Boeing that highlights much of their accomplishments and achievements, especially in the early years when they were just getting started building airplanes!

 

So, there you go! Three great “must do” things while you are in Seattle. I must admit, one of the most challenging things about putting this list together is that there are easily a dozen things that I would HIGHLY recommend doing while you’re in Seattle. But, as is the nature of these lists, I wanted to try and keep it to only the very best of the best things to do in Seattle! I hope you enjoy!