Seattle is a large port city surrounded by nature that is super fun to explore!
Seattle Tips:
Pack a rain coat! Even on days with a tiny percent chance of rain you will probably see some sprinkles, even in the dry months.
Avoid driving if you can. Seattle is not a very car friendly city, so if you can ditch your ride I would definitely recommend it.
It is extremely uncommon for breweries in the area to have kitchens, so plan ahead to ensure you’re not brewery hopping on an empty stomach. Most taprooms will have food trucks later in the day and/or on the weekends, but I’d recommend looking at each spot’s website or Instagram to see what they have planned.
Planning a Washington Road Trip? Check out my recommendations here! I visited Seattle, Bellingham, North Cascades National Park, Chelan, Leavenworth, Yakima, Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park and more!
Adventures & Ales Top Seattle Recommendations:
Fair Isle Brewing: An amazing brewery focused on Saisons and Farmhouse Ales. Their taproom is cute, their staff is really nice, and their beer is absolutely incredible. By far my favorite stop in Seattle. 49th Street Beast is their onsite food truck.
Great Notion Brewing: This fantastic Portland based brewery has two locations in Seattle, one in the Ballard neighborhood and one in the Georgetown neighborhood. In Ballard the taproom has nice indoor and outdoor seating with Burb’s Burgers inside for eats. They are particularly great at Sours and Stouts.
The Masonry: A stellar beer bar and pizza restaurant in Lower Queen Anne. They have a solid draft list and a good list of beer bottles, wines and cocktails. Their pizzas are fantastic and the menu also includes salads and small plates.
Fast Fashion: This is a great brewery with two locations in Seattle: Lower Queen Anne (connected to The Masonry) and in the SoDo neighborhood. They are known for their tasty IPAs but still have a robust tap list.
Kerry Park: A tiny and touristy park with fantastic views of the skyline and the water. Don’t expect to really hang out here, it’s really just a viewpoint, but I definitely recommend checking it out!
Fresh Flours Bakery & Cafe: A delicious bakery with great breakfast options. Be prepared for it to be busy and for things to sell out quickly.
RidgeWood Bottle & Tap: A great beer bar and bottle shop in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. They have a huge tap list with a great selection. The vibes are chill and there are some water views from the front patio space.
Fulcrum Café: A cute coffee shop in Belltown with a small food menu. Their coffee is great!
The Fat Hen: A cute spot for brunch just north of the Ballard neighborhood. They have a coffee bar, full food menu and a few cocktails. Everything I had was delicious and it is a great little neighborhood spot.
Fremont Brewing: The most widely-known Seattle brewery is probably Fremont. They have a large distribution footprint and a large taproom to match it. Their beer garden is a fantastic spot to hang out. Their beers are solid, but flights can be pretty pricey as a heads up.
Dirty Couch Brewing: A brewery focused on Sours and Wild Ales with a nice patio.
Holy Mountain Brewing: Holy Mountain has two locations in town—their OG taproom and the newer Phinney Ridge taproom. Phinney Ridge is a nice, sleek space with a smaller tap list. There are a few places nearby to snag eats. The original taproom has frequent food trucks and a large open space.
Fair Isle Brewing
Brewery hop in the Ballard neighborhood! This area is packed full of breweries so I would make a plan ahead of time or you’ll never hit all the ones you want to because there are so many to choose from!
Fair Isle and Great Notion from above are both located here!
Stoup Brewing: A great brewery with a large tap list, delicious IPAs, a nice patio, and frequent food trucks.
Urban Family Brewing: Urban Family is directly across the street from Stoup and has great Sours and Hazy IPAs. They have a nice patio and beers to-go as well.
Lucky Envelope Brewing: Another brewery in the Ballard neighborhood. I found the tap list to be less than ideal and their beers they had when I visited to be mediocre, but perhaps with different selections on tap they would shine more.
Rueben’s Brews: A popular brewery with a nice patio and delicious beers, particularly their Hazy IPAs.
Pike Place Market
Seattle Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:
Chihuly Garden and Glass: A very cool glass museum with an indoor gallery, outdoor gallery, glass blowing demonstrations and onsite restaurant. Tickets are $35 which I was shook by but I would say it is worth it! Located in the Seattle Center next to the Space Needle.
Pike Place Market: The ever-popular market that is a Seattle icon is a must visit. Try a variety of foods, see flying fish, and be surrounded by hoards of tourists.
I highly recommend visiting the Beecher’s Cheese storefront.
Parking can be a nightmare, so I would recommend walking/Lyfting but if you do drive the street parking is way cheaper than the parking lots/garages.
This is where the ridiculously popular Starbucks is that basically always has a line. I’d recommend local Anchorhead Coffee instead if you need some java.
Cloudburst Brewing’s smaller original location is located here too.
Discovery Park: A popular park with multiple trails along the beach. I did this trail on AllTrails which ended up taking about an hour and 45 minutes and was 4.8 miles and 28 flights up. The beach itself is pretty rocky and a bit dirty, but it was still nice to be on the water. On a clear day you can see the surrounding mountains as well. One thing to note if you do the full loop trail you will walk near a waste treatment plant which is a bit smelly, but it is just for a short period of time.
You can also hike at Mount Rainer, which is a bit further out from Seattle but absolutely worth it! Be sure to check road closures and weather advisories before making the drive. Mount Rainier recommendations are here!
Rattlesnake Ledge Trail: A popular trail about an hour from Seattle only a few miles off the highway. I did this trail on AllTrails which ended up taking about 2.5 hours and was 6 miles and 131 flights up. You are quite literally climbing directly up the mountain and it takes about an hour to get to the first view point. There are two other ledges for views from slightly higher up that are less crowded.
Alki Beach: A cute little sleepy town with a rocky beach and views of the Space Needle and surrounding mountains
Ampersand Cafe: Average coffee shop right across from the beach
West Seattle Brewing: They have a taproom at Alki Beach but it was closed during my visit. Google and their website + social media said they were open, so I’d recommend trying to call ahead to confirm their hours if you plan to visit.
Gas Works Park: An old industrial park with great views of the city and the water. Ideal spot for a picnic or just to hang out in the grass.
Lake 22 Trail: This trail is 6.4 miles long with 1,450ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. It is a rocky trail out to Lake 22 which is pretty and overall it’s not too tough. The trailhead is 1 hour north of Seattle in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. It takes just over 2.5 hours to complete.
Biscuit Bitch: A popular and touristy spot with delicious biscuits. They have 2 locations and you can order online to avoid any potential lines.
Seattle Center: Wander this area that is home to the Space Needle, multiple event spaces and a large outdoor park.
Chiluly Gardens and Glass
Other Seattle Things To Do:
Cloudburst Brewing: Cloudburst has two taprooms—one on Shishole and one near Pike Place Market. I visited their Shishole location that has a food truck onsite, a nice patio, and solid beers. They tend to focus on IPAs.
Ballard Coffee Works: A cute coffee shop in the heart of the Ballard neighborhood with a few food options as well.
The Pine Box: A craft beer dive bar with a food menu in an old chapel. The vibes are fun and their selection is solid. The Pine Box is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, parking in this area can be tough.
The Beer Junction: A beer bar and bottle shop in West Seattle with a few taps and a large can/bottle selection.
Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery: A popular taproom with a large variety of beers on tap.
Narrows Brewing: This brewery is not in Seattle, but if you venture down to Tacoma, be sure to check it out! They are located right on the marina with a small patio. They have great views and delicious beers.
Georgetown Brewing: Named after the small industrial neighborhood they are based in, Georgetown has a huge operation and widely distributes. They have a small beer garden and taproom and are definitely more focused on distribution.
TeKu Tavern: This beer bar and bottle shop has a great can and bottle selection alongside some solid taps.
Ravenna Brewing Company: An average brewery in the northeast Suburbs with frequent food trucks.
Best of Hands Barrelhouse: A brewery in West Seattle focused on Farmhouse and Sour Ales. When I visited that did not seem to be the case with just one Saison and one Sour on tap. The beers I did have were average. It is a nice little taproom, so if you’re in the area check it out, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to visit.
The Good Society Brewery and Public House: A brewery in West Seattle with a small food menu and nice patio. The beers were mediocre at best in my opinion.
Fremont Brewing
Check Out BELLEVUE:
Bellevue is right across the water from Seattle and has a cute downtown and over 100 parks.
Bellevue Brewing Company: Located in The Spring District, a planned community, they have a great patio, a large variety of beers, cocktails, wine and a full food menu.
Get on the water: Rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard from the REI Boathouse on Meydenbauer Bay. The bay leads out to Lake Washington with pretty views. They also offer tours.
Take a Circuit to get around: Bellevue offers Bellhop for free electric transport in town.
Have more time in the Pacific Northwest?
Drive a bit further north to Vancouver, BC! Vancouver is about 2.5 hours north of Seattle and a cool city. Check out my full beer and travel guide here!
Drive down to Portland! This beer mecca is about 3 hours south of Seattle and full of fantastic spots to check out! Here is my full beer and travel guide for Portland!
Take a trip to the beautiful Oregon Coast! Check out my one day Oregon Coast itinerary and recommendations here!
