25 Best Things to Do in Seattle (From a Local Guide)

If it’s your first time in Seattle, it’s easy to hit the obvious spots — the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the waterfront — and still feel like you barely scratched the surface.

Seattle is layered. It’s neighborhoods, viewpoints, engineering marvels, hidden trails, and day trips that most visitors never hear about.

As local guides, these are the places we show friends when they visit — and many of them are stops on our tours.

Here are our favorites.

Classic Seattle

1. Pike Place Market

2. Space Needle

3. Chihuly Garden & Glass

4. Seattle Waterfront

5. Ferry ride across Puget Sound

6. Olympic Sculpture Park

7. Kerry Park sunset view

8. Fremont Troll

9. Ballard Locks

10. Discovery Park lighthouse walk

Neighborhoods Worth Exploring

1. Capitol Hill coffee shops + bookstores

2. Ballard breweries

3. Fremont vintage shops

4. Chinatown–International District eats

5. West Seattle beach walks

Views & Hidden Spots

1. Gas Works Park skyline view

2. Volunteer Park Water Tower

3. Alki Beach skyline at sunset

4. Snoqualmie Falls

5. Twin Falls hike

Engineering & History (our favorite category)

1. Seattle’s floating bridges

2. The underground city tour

3. Ship Canal locks

4. Downtown tunnel system

5. Hidden viewpoints along Lake Washington

If you want to experience many of these in one smooth day — without planning routes, parking, or logistics — our private Seattle City and Engineering tours connect the dots with stories and local history along the way.

Seattle’s best spots aren’t just attractions.

They’re experiences.

Experience Seattle like a local.