Seattle, Washington is an amazing tourist destination in its own right. However, if you have a few extra days to spend in the Seattle area, you’ll definitely want to think about taking some of these amazing day trips from Seattle.
1. Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park – Mount Rainier seen reflected in a small mountain lake.
See my photos from Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier National Park should be on the top of your list of favorite day trips from Seattle, especially if you’re a fan of nature. The park is home to an active volcano which makes this place truly unique. From lush meadows, waterfalls to sweeping mountain vistas, Mount Rainier is amazing.
The drive from the Seattle area takes close to 3 hours, so it is best to spend the entire day in order to experience a little bit of this awesome place. The best place to enter the park is via the Longmire entrance as it gives you a chance to experience all the attractions on the southern side of Mount Rainier.
Find budget hotels near Mount Rainier National Park. With over 30 properties, you can easily find what your looking for.
Take a private local tour to Mount Rainier from Seattle. Tour operator can pick up from hotels in the Seattle area and near the airport. Very convenient and highly rated.
2. Olympic National Parks And The Olympic Peninsula
Olympic National Park, Washington – Beautiful Marymere Falls
See my photos from Olympic National Park
Secondly on my list of day trips from Seattle is the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic National Park is located on the Olympic Peninsula. It includes four basic regions and you’ll want to spend the entire day exploring them all. Actually, it’s best to budget two days if you have the time. In a single day you can only reach the East side of Olympic National Park. It is estimated that the park receives roughly 3.5 million visitors each and every year making it one of the most popular in the entire country.
There is plenty to do here as well. You can camp in the park or hike along the many trails. Be sure to research the weather, as it changes frequently.
Sequim, Washington – Lavender fields at the George Washington Inn
See my photos from Sequim
Driving around the lavender fields of Sequim was one of the highlights of our trip. Even the kids liked all the many colors and perfumes at these farms.
Find a budget hotel in the Olympic National Park area. With over 60 properties you can easily find a hotel for your budget and travel style.
Take a local tour from Seattle to Olympic National Park. This is the most convenient way to get to this beautiful place if you don’t have a rental car.
3. Museum Of Flight
Seattle, Washington – A lunar rover model at the Museum of Flight.
Even though located on the outskirts of Seattle, the Museum of flight comes high on my list of day trips from Seattle. Do you have an interest in aviation and history? If so, you’ll definitely want to visit this non-profit museum. The museum is located on East Marginal Way in Seattle. Suffice to say, it won’t be a long drive. More than 500,000 tourists visit the museum each and every year.
Once you arrive, you’ll be able to see all types of aircraft, including the Boeing Model 80A-1 and the Douglas DC-2. In addition, the World War 2 display is amazing, containing all major airplane models as well as beautiful displays and information panels. Highly recommended for older school children.
Get your skip the line ticket to the Museum of Flight, Seattle. The lines are long during opening times every day, so you can skip all that waiting by pre-buying your ticket ahead of time.
4. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
The Columbia River Gorge seen from Portland Women Forum State Viewpoint
See my photos from Columbia River Gorge
If you’re willing to travel out of state, you’ll want to think about taking a trip to The Columbia River Gorge, located right over the state border into Oregon. The Gorge is full of history and the landscapes are gorgeous. In fact, they’re unlike anything else you’re going to see elsewhere.
If you’re adventurous, you’ll want to think about kite surfing on the Columbia River. Once you spend a day around the Columbia River Gorge, you’ll immediately understand why it comes so high on any list of day trips from Seattle. Our favorite attractions along the Columbia River were the waterfalls, the Bridge of the Gods and hiking Beacon Rock on the Washington side of the river.
If you have more days to spend in the area, you can find budget hotels in the Columbia River Gorge area. With over 120 properties, you can easily find a hotel for your travel style.
5. Seattle To Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver Harbor
As you should already know, Seattle is pretty close to Canada. If you’ve got an entire day to kill, you should definitely think about driving from Seattle to Vancouver. Vancouver is one of the most happening places in all of Canada. Just make sure that you drive on I-5.
The road can be a little busy from time to time, but it won’t be too terrible and the drive is pretty scenic.
If you have more time to spend in the area, you can find budget hotels in Vancouver. With over 300 properties you can easily find accommodations that suit you well.
6. Seattle To Victoria Island
Victoria, Canada – Parliament Building
Photo by Ian D. Keating on Foter.com / CC BY
Many people want a unique trip. If you fit into this category, you’ll definitely want to travel from Seattle to Victoria Island. Why will it be unique? Well, you’ll be taking the ferry. As an American, you don’t have to worry about any visa requirements to enter Canada; you just need to have your valid US Passport with you. However, if you don’t reside in the USA, you maybe need and Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from the government of Canada. You can get help with your Canada ETA from eta-canada.com.
You can take the ferry from Seattle or for a much shorter ride, from Port Angeles. Once you arrive in Victoria Island, you’ll have plenty to do. You will most certainly want to check out the Inner Harbor and the Royal BC Museum.
If you want to spend the night you can easily choose from over 300 properties, and find a budget hotel in Victoria, BC.
7. Seattle to Olympia
Olympia, Washington – The Washington State Capitol building
See my photos from Olympia
Finishing our list of day trips from Seattle comes Olympia, the capital of the State of Washington. This is where all the state government buildings are located. Much smaller to walk through and delightful to visit, Olympia is worth your time to visit.
Find a budget hotel in Olympia, Washington. Olympia is a good location for exploring the Olympic Peninsula as well as taking in the rich historical heritage of Washington State.
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