Seattle, sitting within an hour of Canada in Washington State is the grunge music capital of the world. Home to bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam which are all celebrated within the grunge world of Seattle and exhibited at the Pop Culture museum. Indulge in some of the best places to eat in Seattle; from drinking your own weight in Starbucks coffee to enjoying fresh seafood straight from the ocean separating the United States from Canada.

This Seattle itinerary is designed for 2 days, but you could stretch it out or pack it all into one day if you so wished. Visit one of the largest markets in the united states and extend your music knowledge at the Pop Culture Museum before seeing incredible views from the Seattle Space Needle.

Seattle is one of the few places in the United states which I would happily visit again, being so close to the Canadian border it’s easy to dip across the border for a day or two.

Building your Seattle Itinerary

Seattle is a grungy yet cool city, but it helps to know where to go. Belltown and Downtown Seattle are where we spent most of our time as this is where most of the tourist attractions like the Seattle Space Needle and Pike Place Market are located. Most of the best restaurants in Seattle are found in Downtown and we never had a problem finding accommodation or transport.

Be aware Seattle has a lot of homeless people, unfortunately drug addiction is the main cause for a lot of this. We never had a problem with any homeless person and tried to give where we could, but the scenes are quite confronting and just plain sad.

Where to Stay in Seattle

Looking for a boutique hotel? Maybe something with a bit of history and plenty of space? A Seattle itinerary is not complete without stepping back in time in Seattles’ history. The Marqueen Hotel is a step back in time with its 1920’s decor and spacious rooms. It is the perfect place to park yourself for the night and sits in the perfect location to make your way around Seattle on foot.

The Marqueen Hotel has its own place in Ford history; built in 1918 the rooms have almost been left untouched since engineers and blacksmiths occupied the rooms while working at the Ford assembly plant in Seattle. with a spacious bedroom big enough to host a dinner party, and a kitchen still fitted with an ice box now converted to an everyday cupboard.

in 1998 the Marqueen was officially opened and is what we see it as today with the Tin Lizzie speakeasy bar located next door with a private entrance straight from the hotel.

So if you’re wanting to stay somewhere different, somewhere where you can romanticize history and enjoy a date night directly next door, choose the Marqueen Hotel for your next visit to Seattle.

Day 1 in Seattle

The First ever Starbucks

Wake yourself up in your first day in Seattle with a fresh cup of home brewed coffee. Founded in 1971, the original Starbucks in Seattle still serves coffee directly across the road from Pike Place Market. Even if you’re not a big coffee drinker, it is worth getting a hot cup of ‘jo’ in the home of Starbucks. Compared to New Zealand, coffee sizes come in a variety of sizes, with the biggest being bigger than my own head.

If you visit the original Starbucks on Pike Place then be sure to get there early, the lines stack up out the door and down the street. Otherwise feel free to go to any Starbucks in Seattle; they are practically on every street corner.

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market is the biggest and most popular market in Seattle, founded in 1907 Pike Place Market is one of the older and largest continuously operating markets in the States. Selling everything from fresh fish and flowers, to blown glass sculptures, antique jewelry and vintage magazines and records.

You could easily spend half a day wondering through to different corridors and shops, with the market spilling out onto the footpath outside. Finish your shopping expedition by visiting one of the many great places to eat in Seattle; pubs and bars border Elliot Bay and serve some of the best hearty meals after a day on your feet.

Gum Wall

Sounds disgusting? That’s because it is, the famous Gum Wall of Seattle is a brick alley way sitting under Pike Place Market covered in, you guessed it, chewing gum! From ground to ceiling there is colourful and solid lumps of chewing gum, some are strung out between down pipes, others are squished into a ball and wedged between the bricks.

The Seattle gum wall is a popular location for creative Instagram photos but I wouldn’t dare touch the walls, however feel free to add your own DNA to the United States favourite large scale petri dish.

Day 2 in Seattle

Seattle Space Needle

The Seattle Space Needle is what Seattle is most famous for; a giant prick in the sky. The Seattle space needle is an observation tower that allows 360 degrees of viewing from the top viewing platform at 520 feet in the air. Built in 1962 and costing $4.5 million dollars at the time, this popular Seattle tourist attraction has seen more than 60 million visitors since opening day.

As well as 3 viewing decks including an open air viewing deck , there is an indoor revolving glass floor which allows views of the needles architecture and Seattle directly below. one regret from my time in Seattle is not going up the Space needle, but unfortunately we were strapped for time and the exchange rate didn’t work in our favour.

Ticket range from $32.50 – $42.50 for general admission, or you can pick from many of the entertainment packages on offer.

Pop Culture Museum

Sitting right next door to the Seattle Space Needle is the Museum of Pop Culture. You can easily spend a day roaming around Seattle’s Pop Culture Museum, the museum exhibits everything from musical genius’s to cult movies and their props and costumes. Exhibitions include artworks and photographs from musicians like 2Pac and Notorious B.I.Gs famous suit, to grunge bands that found their feet in Seattle.

If you’re a fan of horror films then you wont want to miss their ‘Scared to Death’ exhibition on the bottom floor. From costumes and props used in horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman 2 and The Addams Family you will be totally geeking out at this themed gallery.

The ‘Sound Lab’ allows a hands on exhibition for many multimedia installations so visitors can explore instruments and tools used through music making. From electric guitars to mixing consoles and drums. The perfect gallery for kids who are wanting to explore more in music.

If you have little ones and need a little break from the excessive questions, the ‘Indie Game Revolution’ has several computer and gaming consoles to explore video games on display. Park yourself or your children at a console for 5-10 minutes and get that much needed ‘brain off’ time before you head along to the next exhibition.

Other Things to do in Seattle

Places to Eat in Seattle

Seattle has lot of great places to eat, from the many pubs and bars inside Pike Place market, to fantastic Mexican food like at Dos Chamucos Taqueria just round the corner from the Marqueen Hotel. There are plenty of amazing dining options in Downtown Seattle, too many to choose from or single out!

Day Trip to Vancouver

Using the Amtrak Cascades train line you can use a day to cross the boarder and enter the beautiful country of Canada, the train ride up to Vancouver from Seattle takes around 4 hours, so it’s best to take the early morning train and get some much needed rest on the way up. Once you’re in Vancouver I suggest hiring a vehicle or having public transport already organized to get to your destination.