The Best Walking Tours in Seattle
• Best Food & Walking Tour: Pike Place Market Culinary Walking Tour is our top pick in downtown Seattle.
1. Evergreen Escapes
Evergreen Escapes provides amazing day trips and hikes in Seattle`s many nearby wilderness areas: Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks, Mount Saint Helens, the North Cascades, and Snoqualmie Falls. These small group tours are capped at a limit of ten guests, and involve transportation in a luxury van, a day hike, and a gourmet lunch with local wine. Tours are offered throughout the year, with snowshoeing replacing day hikes in the winter months, when needed. Evergreen Escapes also offers a private San Juan kayaking and whale-watching tour in the summer months, with optional seaplane or overnight additions.
Tours pick up at downtown hotels. Guests residing elsewhere meet the tour at Hotel Monaco.
2. Tours Northwest
Tours Northwest provides an organized sightseeing option for Mount Rainier National Park that is well-suited for those seeking an straightforward way to explore the park. Guides will transport guests from their downtown or airport lodging, customizing the experience based on desired activity level. Visitors have the choice to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy on the mountain or dine at the park`s visitor center. These excursions are scheduled between May and November.
Tours depart from hotels in the Seattle and SeaTac areas.
3. Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is a division of Seattle Art Museum based along Seattle’s downtown waterfront, just below Seattle Center. It houses a notable collection of contemporary works, notably from artists Alexander Calder, Claes Oldenburg, and Louise Bourgeois. In addition to displaying an impressive array, the Sculpture Park serves as one of downtown Seattle’s few green spaces, set against picturesque views of the sound, mountains, and ferries. Admission is free, and hour-long public tours are offered at 1pm on weekends from April through November. Check the SAM events calendar for specifics.
Tours depart from the Sculpture Park’s Paccar Pavilion.
4. Klondike Museum Walking Tour
This small museum in Pioneer Square is actually a miniature National Park, filled with artifacts and exhibits highlighting Seattle’s role in the Klondike gold rush of the 1890’s. They offer free 45-60 minute walking tours of the Pioneer Square neighborhood in the summer months, and the rest of the year provide a Trail to Treasure map (available at some tourist offices), so that visitors can self-guide it.
Excursions depart from the Klondike Museum visitors center, at 319 2nd Avenue South.
5. Seattle Architecture Foundation
These volunteer-led downtown walking tours are organized around such architectural themes as Northwest Art Deco Skyscrapers, Design Details, and Hidden Spaces in Public Places. No previous experience with architecture is required; participants will learn as they go – not only about the buildings, but also about the city and its history. Tours run year-round, whether rain or shine (but only on Saturdays in the winter months). Outside of downtown, SAF also leads tours in the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, South Lake Union, as well as around the University of Washington campus. Those under 12 are not recommended.
Tours depart from various locations, check website for more info.
