Seattle

Best time to visit Seattle

Spring (March to May)
Spring in Seattle is beautiful, with blooming cherry blossoms and vibrant gardens. The weather is cool and rainy, with temperatures ranging from 7°C to 18°C. It’s a quieter time to visit, so if you don’t mind a little drizzle, it’s a great option. Bring a jacket and an umbrella!

Summer (June to August)
Summer is the best time for sunshine in Seattle, with warm, dry days perfect for outdoor activities. Temperatures typically range from 15°C to 27°C. This is the peak tourist season, with festivals like Seafair and Bumbershoot in full swing. Just be prepared for larger crowds and higher prices.

Autumn (September to November)
Autumn brings cooler weather, with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 18°C. The summer crowds thin out, and the city’s parks and trees show off beautiful autumn colours. While the rainy season starts in October, September remains relatively dry, making it a great time for a peaceful visit.

Winter (December to February)
Seattle winters are mild but rainy, with temperatures ranging from 2°C to 10°C. While it’s the wettest time of year, it’s perfect for cosying up in coffee shops, exploring museums, or taking short day trips to nearby mountains for skiing. Plus, winter is the least crowded season for visitors.

Discover Seattle

Seattle boasts the headquarters for mega-brands such as Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks and you don’t have to spend long in this go-getting city in the Pacific Northwest corner of the US to understand why it has produced so many successful entrepreneurs.

Its setting - 113 miles south of the Canadian border - is inspirational, with a waterfront overlooking the islands of beautiful Puget Sound and a dramatic backdrop of the Cascade Mountains. A stroll around Seattle’s eclectic, urban, gritty, quirky, and posh neighbourhoods shows that the pioneering spirit lives on.

It is all here, from the quirky character of the Seattle Waterfront and the eccentric "Republic of Fremont," to trend-setters walking prams past ageing mansions on Capitol Hill. There is something for just about everyone within this vibrant Emerald City. For a hint of what may be the next big global fashion, check out the trendy restaurants and bars of Belltown, the nightlife on Capitol Hill and the artists’ community of Fremont. Other attractions include Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, and its iconic Space Needle. Seattle sure does pack a mighty punch on the global stage. Whether you want to get on the Twilight tourist trail, or indulge in cutting-edge style, a holiday in Seattle could leave you sleepless…

Things to do in Seattle

The Space Needle
Get a bird’s-eye view of the city, Mount Rainier and Puget Sound from the observation deck at the top of the 605-feet high Space Needle built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Sip a cocktail at the Sunset Bar as the sun goes down, the Space Needle is the perfect first stop when visiting Seattle.

Pike Place Market
Enjoy the sights and smells of Pike Place Market which has been operating in the heart of downtown Seattle since 1907. It is home to hundreds of colourful stalls and shops selling about everything from fruit, vegetables, and fresh fish, to crafts, vintage clothing and sought-after antiques. Come for lunch, buy some unique souvenirs and for a fun spectacle watch flying fish thrown in the air by the market traders!

Pioneer Square historic district
This is Seattle’s oldest neighbourhood, where founders settled in 1852 and recalls Seattle’s beginnings as a lumber town. Today its Victorian buildings house museums, art galleries, bookshops, restaurants, and bars. Explore the elaborate network of tunnels and passageways created when the streets were elevated during the rebuilding of the city following the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. Once inside the subterranean walkways you will discover a lost world that once served as the main thoroughfares of old downtown Seattle.

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Things to do in Seattle

Woodinville
Take a day trip out of the city to the charming town of Woodinville, just 30 minutes’ drive from downtown Seattle. With ample of green space, this lush river valley is home to over 100 wineries and tasting room, breweries, and distilleries.

Museum of Flight
One of the biggest aircraft museums in the world, Seattle love of the aviation industry is shown in the museums 150 aircraft on display. Seattle was the former home of the airline manufacturer Boeing, and many of these aircraft can be seen including the first flight worthy Boeing 747, the first presidential plane used and supersonic Concorde, the most iconic aircraft the world has ever seen. Located 10 minutes’ drive from the airport, this is a great attraction to visit just before flying home.

Chihuly Garden and Glass
Located next to Seattle’s Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass is one of the city’s most popular and much-loved attractions. See the colourful glass blown sculptures made by renowned artist Dale Chihuly on the eight different indoor galleries and in the beautiful, landscaped gardens.

Starbucks
One of Seattle’s many claims to fame is that it was the first place in the world that Starbucks opened its first coffee shop near to the waterfront at Pike Place Market. Pop in for your favourite cup of coffee or if you want to learn about how coffee is roasted, and try some of Starbucks new speciality coffees, and even alcoholic drinks that are not available in their coffee shops, pay a visit to Starbucks Reserve Roastery.

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Top tips for visiting Seattle

• Woodinville
  Take a day trip out of the city to the charming town of Woodinville, just 30 minutes’ drive from downtown Seattle. With ample of green space, this lush river valley is home to over 100 wineries and tasting rooms, breweries, and distilleries.
  
• Museum of Flight
  One of the biggest aircraft museums in the world, Seattle’s love of the aviation industry is shown in the museums 150 aircraft on display. Seattle was the former home of the airline manufacturer Boeing, and many of these aircraft can be seen including the first flight worthy Boeing 747, the first presidential plane used and supersonic Concorde, the most iconic aircraft the world has ever seen. Located 10 minutes’ drive from the airport, this is a great attraction to visit just before flying home.
  
• Children
  The Woodland Park Zoo has 250 different species of animals from orangutans, zebras to brown bears, cheap parking, and an adjacent playground, with pram rentals are available. Watching an astonishing variety of boats navigate the ship canal at the Ballard Locks will entertain visitors of any age. The Northwest Puppet Center has a museum and weekend marionette plays
  

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Top tips for visiting Seattle

• Getting around
  Seattle is a walking city and within the downtown area it is easy to get around on foot. If going further afield then Metro buses travel to nearly every corner of Seattle. The Seattle monorail zips passengers between downtown Seattle and Seattle centre in less than two minutes.
  
• Travelling by water
  Due to its waterfront location, travelling by ferry, or on a catamaran and cruise is a fun way to explore Washington State’s waterside towns and attractions. There are frequent services to the beautiful green lush Olympic Peninsula and Bainbridge Island to escape city life. Travel across water by seaplane to the pretty fishing villages of the San Juan Islands or on a cruise that sails up to the wilderness of Alaska. Just three hours away, visit the pretty harbourside town of Victoria on Vancouver Island, by catamaran for a day trip or an overnight stay.