Attraction
Space Needle
Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle at Seattle Center has an observation level at 520 feet and The Loupe, a revolving glass floor.
There are plenty of things to do in Seattle, and most visitors start downtown, where Pike Place Market has traded above Elliott Bay since 1907 and the waterfront has been rebuilt as a walking route with the Seattle Aquarium and the Great Wheel. A short monorail ride north, Seattle Center holds the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Museum of Pop Culture. Pioneer Square is the oldest part of the city, Capitol Hill is the main area for bars and restaurants, and Ballard, Fremont and Queen Anne give a more local side of Seattle.
Food is a strong reason to come. Oysters, Dungeness crab and salmon from local waters appear on menus across the city, from chowder counters in the market to fine dining at Canlis, and Seattle's coffee culture runs from the Original Starbucks to small independent roasters. Evenings bring live music at venues such as The Crocodile and The Showbox, jazz at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley and cocktail bars in Capitol Hill. Three days covers the main sights, and four or five allows time for a ferry trip to Bainbridge Island, the Ballard Locks and the Museum of Flight.
Attraction
Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle at Seattle Center has an observation level at 520 feet and The Loupe, a revolving glass floor.
Attraction
Open since 1907, Pike Place Market is Seattle's historic public market, with produce and fish stalls, craft vendors, small shops and restaurants above Elliott Bay.
Attraction
Next to the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass shows Dale Chihuly's studio glass in indoor galleries, a tall Glasshouse and a planted garden.
Attraction
Housed in a Frank Gehry building at Seattle Center, MoPOP covers music, film, science fiction and games, with a large Jimi Hendrix collection.
Attraction
The Seattle Art Museum's downtown building on First Avenue holds about 25,000 works, from Northwest Coast art and Asian ceramics to European painting.
Attraction
At the south end of Boeing Field, The Museum of Flight displays historic aircraft and spacecraft, including a Concorde, an Air Force One and the first…
Café
Baking in Pike Place Market since 1992, Piroshky Piroshky is a small Eastern European bakery selling savoury and sweet piroshky and pastries to take away.
Café
A French bakery in Pike Place Market since 1983, Le Panier sells bread, croissants, macarons, éclairs and other pastries, with coffee and espresso, every day.
Café
Trading at 1912 Pike Place since the 1970s, the Original Starbucks is the company's oldest store, keeping its early look and drawing crowds of visitors.
Café
Opened in 1975 in an alley in the University District, Café Allegro is one of Seattle's earliest espresso bars and roasts its coffee on site.
Café
Founded in 1995, Caffe Vita runs its flagship café and roastery on East Pike Street in Capitol Hill, with farm-direct coffee roasted on the premises.
Café
Family owned since 2006, Bakery Nouveau's West Seattle shop in the Alaska Junction sells French-style breads, pastries and seasonal bakes, Wednesday to Sunday.
Hotel
A downtown landmark since 1924, the Fairmont Olympic fills a city block between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, with 450 rooms, an indoor pool and five places…
Hotel
On Union Street above the waterfront, the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle has Elliott Bay views, Goldfinch Tavern and what it calls the city's only outdoor infinity…
Hotel
Inn at the Market is a boutique hotel inside Pike Place Market, with rooms looking over Elliott Bay and the city and a guest-only rooftop view…
Hotel
Built over Elliott Bay on the waterfront, The Edgewater has over-water rooms with fireplaces and balconies and is famous for its links with The Beatles.
Hotel
Open since 1909 on First Hill, Hotel Sorrento is a historic boutique hotel with 76 rooms and suites, the Fireside Room bar and STELLA, a coastal…
Hotel
Set in a 1904 landmark building about 90 steps from Pike Place Market, The State Hotel is a boutique hotel with the Ben Paris bar and…
Bar
Family owned and operated since 1980, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley is a Seattle jazz supper club hosting touring artists, with its own dining menu.
Bar
First opened in 1991, The Crocodile is Belltown's independent live music venue, now on First Avenue with a 750-capacity showroom, smaller rooms and hotel rooms upstairs.
Bar
Opened in 1939 opposite Pike Place Market, The Showbox is a landmark concert hall for about 1,150 people that has hosted acts from Duke Ellington to…
Bar
Tucked below Pike Place Market on the Pike Street Hillclimb, Zig Zag Café is a cocktail bar known for helping to revive the classic Last Word…
Bar
A small Capitol Hill bar and restaurant, Canon has a spirits collection of over 4,000 labels and has appeared on international lists of the world's best…
Bar
Unicorn and its basement bar Narwhal are two carnival-themed bars on East Pike Street in Capitol Hill, with arcade games, bar food and weekly events.
Restaurant
Family-owned since 1950, Canlis is a Seattle fine-dining restaurant on Aurora Avenue North, known for its award-winning building, wine list and tableside Canlis Salad.
Restaurant
Opened in 2010 in Old Ballard, The Walrus and the Carpenter is an oyster bar serving raw oysters and small seafood plates on a first come,…
Restaurant
Behind a pink door on Post Alley since 1981, The Pink Door serves Italian-American food with live music, aerial performances and a seasonal deck over Elliott…
Restaurant
On the top floor at First and Pike, Matt's in the Market serves market-influenced Pacific Northwest cooking at lunch and dinner.
Restaurant
Ivar's flagship on Pier 54 has served seafood on the Seattle waterfront since 1938, with a dining room, patio and a take-out fish bar for chowder…
Restaurant
A family-owned counter in Post Alley, Pike Place Chowder serves New England clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, other chowders and lobster and crab rolls.
Thing to do
A small park on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill, Kerry Park has one of the best-known views of Seattle, with the Space Needle, downtown…
Thing to do
On the north shore of Lake Union, Gas Works Park keeps the towers of an old coal gasification plant and has a kite-flying hill with views…
Thing to do
Opened in 2012 on Pier 57, the 175-foot Seattle Great Wheel extends over Elliott Bay, with enclosed gondolas giving views of the waterfront and skyline.
Thing to do
On the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, the tallest building in Washington State, Sky View Observatory has 360-degree views over Seattle at 902 feet.
Thing to do
Washington State Ferries' Seattle to Bainbridge Island route crosses Puget Sound from Colman Dock in about 35 minutes, with views of the city skyline and mountains.
Tour operator
Starting beneath Doc Maynard's Public House in Pioneer Square, the 75-minute Underground Tour explores storefronts and sidewalks buried when Seattle rebuilt after the 1889 fire.
Tour operator
Founded in 1949, Argosy Cruises runs sightseeing cruises on Elliott Bay and through the Ballard Locks, including a one-hour guided Harbor Cruise from Pier 55.
Tour operator
Running since 2007, Savor Seattle leads guided food tours of Pike Place Market, including a breakfast tour before the crowds and a progressive dinner tour.
Tour operator
Flying since 1946, Kenmore Air runs seaplane scenic flights from Lake Union, with routes over Seattle, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, and the San Juan…
Tour operator
The Wing Luke Museum in the Chinatown-International District runs Historic Hotel Tours of its restored building and Chinatown Discovery Tours of the neighbourhood.
Three days covers Pike Place Market, the waterfront, Seattle Center and a neighbourhood or two, and four or five days adds a ferry trip, the Ballard Locks or the Museum of Flight.
Downtown and the Pike Place Market area are the most convenient for sightseeing on foot, Belltown and Queen Anne are close to Seattle Center, and Capitol Hill suits travellers who want restaurants and nightlife nearby.
Link light rail runs from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to downtown Seattle, and taxis and ride-shares are also available at the airport.
Hotels and dining can be expensive, especially in summer, but free sights such as Pike Place Market, the Olympic Sculpture Park, Kerry Park and the Ballard Locks help keep costs down.
The main tourist areas are busy and well used, but take the usual city precautions, especially at night, and check local advice about specific streets and neighbourhoods.