Seattle Layover Guides and Short Trips
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport sits about 13 miles south of downtown, and the Link 1 Line light rail runs from a station beside the terminal straight into the city. From there, Pike Place Market, the new waterfront, Seattle Center and the ferries to Bainbridge Island are all an easy walk or short ride away.
Layover guides for Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) layovers
8 hoursHow to Spend an 8 Hour Layover in Seattle: Pike Place Market and the Waterfront
Pike Place Market has sold fish, produce and flowers since 1907, and it sits a short walk downhill from the Link light rail at Westlake. Spend most of your time in its Main Arcade, eat chowder in Post Alley, then cross Overlook Walk, the new park bridge, down to Pier 62 on Elliott Bay.
10 hoursHow to Spend a 10 Hour Layover in Seattle: Monorail to Seattle Center
The Monorail built for the 1962 World's Fair still runs between Westlake Center and Seattle Center, a short walk from the Link light rail. On the old fairgrounds, see the International Fountain and eat in the Armory food hall, then walk down to the free Olympic Sculpture Park on Elliott Bay and end at Macrina Bakery in Belltown.
12 hoursHow to Spend a 12 Hour Layover in Seattle: Ferry to Bainbridge Island
The state ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island takes about 35 minutes, and walk on passengers pay only on the way out. Ride the Link light rail to Pioneer Square and board at Colman Dock, then in Winslow see the free Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, browse a bookstore, eat by the marina and sit in Waterfront Park.
Short trip guides for Seattle
Neighborhoods
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in Seattle: Central Library and Pioneer Square
Start at the Seattle Central Library, a glass and steel landmark by Rem Koolhaas with a free tenth floor reading room. Then walk downhill to Pioneer Square, the city's oldest neighborhood, for a tree lined brick plaza and a cup of coffee at Zeitgeist.
4 hoursHow to Spend 4 Hours in Seattle: Chinatown International District
Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and later Vietnamese immigrants built the Chinatown International District, and its history and food fit into a few blocks. Begin at the Wing Luke Museum, set in a 1910 building that once held a hotel for immigrant workers, sit in Hing Hay Park, then eat in the Uwajimaya food hall and browse its Asian grocery.
6 hoursHow to Spend 6 Hours in Seattle: Capitol Hill on Foot
Walk Capitol Hill from north to south, starting at the glass Volunteer Park Conservatory and the old water tower with a view over the city. Then stop for coffee on 15th Avenue East, eat a burger at Dick's on Broadway, cross Cal Anderson Park and finish at Elliott Bay Book Company.
8 hoursHow to Spend 8 Hours in Seattle: Ballard and the Locks
Spend a full day in Ballard, the old Scandinavian fishing neighborhood on Salmon Bay. Start at the National Nordic Museum, then walk to the Ballard Locks to watch boats rise and fall and look for salmon in the fish ladder, stroll the garden beside them and end with fish and chips at the Lockspot Cafe.
Fitness guides for Seattle
FitnessSeattle Green Lake 4.9 km Loop Run With Evans Pool Showers
Green Lake is Seattle's favorite running loop, a flat paved path around a lake in a big park north of downtown. This run of about 4.9 km starts and ends at Evans Pool, a city pool on the east shore where a drop in swim gets you a locker room, a sauna and a hot shower.
FitnessSeattle Ballard to Golden Gardens 10.6 km Run With Ballard Pool Showers
This out and back of about 10.6 km starts at Ballard Pool, drops through the Sunset Hill neighborhood to the shore of Shilshole Bay and follows the Burke-Gilman Trail past the marina to the sandy beach at Golden Gardens Park. Back at the pool, a drop in swim covers the locker room and showers.
About Seattle
Seattle grew up on the hills between Elliott Bay and Lake Washington after settlers landed at Alki Point in 1851. A fire in 1889 burned the wooden downtown, the Klondike Gold Rush made the city rich again within a decade, and the 1962 World's Fair left behind the Space Needle, the Monorail and the grounds of Seattle Center. Downtown slopes steeply to the water, where Pike Place Market has sold fish, flowers and produce since 1907, and a new waterfront park now runs along Alaskan Way. Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District sit to the south, Capitol Hill rises to the east, and Ballard and Green Lake lie north across the Ship Canal. Link light rail, King County Metro buses and the state ferries cover most of it. Fall and winter bring frequent light rain and early dusk, so pack a waterproof jacket and good walking shoes.