72 Hours in Seattle: Things to See and Do

Seattle skyline from Columbia Tower (August 2025)

Seattle is the most-populous city in the Pacific Northwest, home to over 780,000 inhabitants in the city proper and over 4 million in its metropolitan area. It is nicknamed “The Emerald City” (for its lush greenery) and “Rain City,” given it averages about 150 days of rain per year. Rain or shine, Seattle offers a beautiful blend of nature and city that has drawn people over– for work, pleasure, and everything in between.

Originally the land of the Duwamish and Suquamish people for over 4,000 years, Seattle had its first European/Anglo-American contact in the late 18th and mid-19th centuries, especially with the arrival of the Denny Party in 1851 (by leader Arthur A. Denny, credited as the city’s founder). The city was named in honor of Chief Seattle, a leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish people, who worked with American settlers to co-exist and develop the city.

Historically, Seattle excelled in the logging industry before moving forward into software, biotechnology, and the Internet (thanks to big companies like Boeing and Microsoft). Today, Seattle is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, with people flocking over for work opportunities. The city is home to a diverse population (especially Asian and Native American), as well as a large LGBTQ community– overall, Seattle is a melting pot of cultures and identities, all of which make for a liberal and accepting environment.

Thanks to its proximity to the Puget Sound, the city has fairly-light weather year-round, with temperatures averaging 75°F (24°C) in the summer and 47°F (8°C) in the winter. However, as mentioned, Seattle gets a lot of rain throughout the year, which contributes to frequent overcast skies. All the same, there is a beauty to the somberness.

Seattle is a large city that is home to many neighborhoods, and therefore is quite spread out. However, it has a decent public transit system, as well as being walkable and bikeable in its Downtown Core. You could easily spend a long weekend in town getting around and seeing a lot of the city. Having visited Seattle on two separate occasions (in June 2017 and August 2025), I want to share my “72 Hours in Seattle” itinerary with you– it is one of my favorite cities in the United States, and I hope you can head over some day!

72 Hours in Seattle: Things to See and Do

Day 1

Start the day in Capitol Hill, a residential neighborhood that is home to a hip and trendy crowd, as well as a notable LGBTQ community. Enjoy breakfast and coffee at any of the eateries along Broadway East before enjoying a quiet stroll in Volunteer Park.

Volunteer Park is large at 48 acres, and one could spend the whole morning, even afternoon, exploring its grounds. The park offers free views of the Seattle skyline from the Water Tower Observation Deck, as well as a beautiful botanical garden at the Volunteer Park Conservatory. There is also the Seattle Asian Art Museum (small, but full of artifacts throughout Asian civilizations) with the “Black Sun’ by Isamu Noguchi right outside the museum– from a specific angle, you can see the iconic Space Needle through the sculpture!

Volunteer Park

“Black Sun” by Isamu Noguchi

Enjoy lunch at any of the trendy restaurants in Capitol Hill (including Taurus Ox, a Laotian restaurant *open as of 2026) before grabbing an Uber or bus to Downtown. Check out Chihuly Garden and Glass, a beautiful museum dedicated to glass artworks of Pacific Northwest local Dale Chihuly. It is one of my favorite museums I have visited, as Chihuly’s art is colorful, whimsical, and mesmerizing at the same time. Admission is steep at $45 USD (as of 2026), but it is well-worth a visit at least once while in Seattle.

Laotian food

Sculpture at Chihuly Glass and Garden

Just next door to the museum is the Space Needle, one of the most-iconic landmarks of Seattle. Tickets are also quite pricey, but I would highly-recommend splurging for the Seattle CityPASS ($129 USD) to allow two timed entries in order to see Seattle in the day and at night. It is a good idea to visit once in the afternoon, grab dinner nearby in town, and then return at night to see the city light up. A gorgeous way to end your first day in town!

Day 2

Begin with breakfast in the International District/Chinatown, home to plenty of old-school dim sum restaurants and some trendy coffee shops (including Hood Famous, a Filipino café *open as of 2026).

In Chinatown

Breakfast at Hood Famous

From there, head over to the Waterfront to catch a ferry to Bainbridge Island, located just west of Seattle proper across Puget Sound. It is a short, 35-minute ride over, and from there, you can easily spend the entire day on the island. Bainbridge Island is a blend of natural reserves and small-town feel, and you can explore sites (via public transport) like the Bloedel Reserve and the Grand Forest before strolling the small town of Winslow and grabbing dinner in town prior to catching the ferry back to Seattle in the evening.

If you have a car, an alternate day trip is to drive out to Mount Rainier National Park, located about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Seattle. It is the closest national park to the city, and it takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours to get there. You can spend the entire day there, and I would recommend the Paradise section of the national park for first-timers, as it offers scenic hikes and lush waterfalls (including Narada and Christine Falls, my personal favorites). Feel free to picnic by the pensive Reflection Lakes and hopefully get views of Mount Rainier during your visit (as weather can sometimes obscure it) before making the drive back to Seattle in the late afternoon.

Day 3

Enjoy your last day in Seattle with a tranquil stroll along the Waterfront, with views of the Puget Sound and the Seattle Great Wheel. Head along the quay to Olympic Sculpture Park, a public park with free, permanent art exhibits throughout, including the well-known “Eagle” by Alexander Calder.

The Great Seattle Wheel

“The Eagle” by Alexander Calder

Head up towards the Downtown Core towards Pike Place Market, passing by the colorful (yet gross) Gum Wall, a tourist attraction since 1991– just know that you can stick a piece of your own gum on the wall, although it is not recommended! Grab lunch and spend the afternoon exploring Pike Place Market, home to over 220 stalls– I would recommend grabbing clam chowder and lobster rolls for lunch before strolling the market. There is the famous fish-throwing stall at Pike Place Fish Market, the first Starbucks Reserve (originally from Seattle), and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, where you can even sample local cheeses.

Pike Place Market

Clam chowder and lobster rolls

Gum Wall

End your stay in Seattle with dinner by Pike Place Market, before returning to the Waterfront to catch the sunset. An absolutely stunning way to finish the day in town, and to hope for a return to the “Emerald City” some day soon.

Sunset over Puget Sound

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

— Rebecca

I’ve been inspired by the famous New York Times’ “36 Hours in…” segment to have started a similar series to offer some of my own suggestions of things to do, see, and eat in well-renown cities in the world that I’ve been to at least twice in order to ensure a more-comprehensive outlook on the cities themselves. Check out more of my “72-Hour” posts here!