Best Day Trips from Seattle, Washington
Are you looking for the best day trips from Seattle, Washington? You’re in the right place!
I’ve been to Seattle many times now, because my brother lives there. So I usually visit at least once a year — sometimes more! And every time I visit, I like to do at least one new day trip. Below, I’ve rounded up some of my favorites (as well as a handful I haven’t done yet, but that are on my list!)
I also have a guide with the best things to do in Seattle, which you might want to check out if you are planning a trip here. Seattle is great, but there’s even more to discover beyond the city. Washington is one of the most beautiful states in the US, and you can visit many amazing places on a day trip from Seattle.
For most of these day trips, you will need a car. Public transportation outside the city isn’t great, and many of these destinations are in rural areas without any public transportation options at all. Some of these day trips also require taking a ferry. I’ll include all your options for getting to each of the places on this list.
When relevant, I’ll also recommend guided tours in case you’re visiting and don’t want to rent a car. These are usually more expensive and don’t offer as much flexibility, but they’re easy and hassle-free.
You won’t find anything on this list that’s more than three hours away (Olympic National Park, for example) because I think that’s too far for a day trip — you’ll want to make it a weekend trip at that point! All of these destinations are doable on a day trip, although you could certainly spend longer too.
Without further ado, here are the best day trips from Seattle, Washington:
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from Seattle:
- Snoqualmie Falls and wineries tour from Seattle
- Boeing factory guided tour from Seattle
- Leavenworth day trip from Seattle
- Mount Rainier day trip from Seattle
1. Snoqualmie Falls
Travel time: 35 minutes
First up, one of the easiest day trips from Seattle is Snoqualmie Falls and the town of Snoqualmie (which is just a few minutes away.) This is only 35 minutes from Downtown Seattle, making it an accessible day trip.
Aside from seeing Snoqualmie Falls and walking around the town, I also highly recommend riding the historic Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. This historic train, operated by the Northwest Railway Museum, takes you on a two-hour journey, including a 30-minute stop at the museum in an old train depot.
If you don’t have a car and want to visit Snoqualmie, this guided tour is a great option. It includes a stop at Snoqualmie Falls, as well as a visit to two local wineries with included wine tastings.
2. Bainbridge Island
Travel time: 45 minutes
Another great day trip less than an hour from Seattle is Bainbridge Island. There are so many islands in the Puget Sound, but Bainbridge Island is the most easily accessible from Downtown Seattle. All you have to do is hop on the ferry, which takes about 35 minutes to make the crossing over to the island.
From there, it’s just a short walk to the town, where you’ll find lots of cool local shops and restaurants. This is a great day trip to do if you don’t have a car and just want to stick with public transportation.
3. Snoqualmie Pass
Travel time: 1 hour
Snoqualmie Pass is east of Seattle, about half an hour past Snoqualmie Falls and the town of Snoqualmie. This is a destination that’s popular in the winter because it’s the closest place to ski near Seattle.
But if you’re not a skier, there are other outdoor activities you can do here. The Franklin Falls hike is my top pick. It’s a two-mile round-trip hike that can be done in any season (I’ve done it when everything was frozen and snowy in the winter, and in the lush, green summertime!) and is suitable for all fitness levels.
One other fun thing you can do here in the winter is snow tubing! This is a great destination for outdoor lovers, and can be easily combined with a visit to Snoqualmie Falls and the town of Snoqualmie.
4. Everett
Travel time: 1 hour
I haven’t made it to Everett yet, but this is on my list! The main attraction in this town, about an hour north of Seattle, is Boeing’s production facility, known as the Boeing Future of Flight. For aviation enthusiasts, this is a really cool place to visit and see how Boeing makes its planes on a factory tour.
This is something you can definitely do on your own if you have a car, but if you’d prefer to take a guided tour instead, this is a highly-rated option. This tour includes a knowledgeable guide to accompany you, round-trip transportation from Seattle, and admission to the Boeing Future of Flight.
5. Whidbey Island
Travel time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Another great island you can visit on a day trip from Seattle is Whidbey Island. This one is further away than Bainbridge Island, and you will definitely need a car to visit. You can get to the southern part of Whidbey Island via car ferry, but you can also drive all the way up and over a bridge to the northern part.
This takes longer, but I personally recommend the northern side of the island, where the main highlight is Deception Pass State Park. This is a beautiful area to explore. You could start here in the morning, then drive down to Fort Casey State Park, then take the ferry and make your way back to Seattle.
Or you could combine a visit to Deception Pass State Park with a visit to the nearby coastal town of Anacortes, which is known for its whale watching tours that run from March through November.
6. Bellingham
Travel time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Located north of Seattle, Bellingham is a city close to the Canadian border that offers the perfect mix of coastal charm, small-town vibes, and amazing scenery with great views of Mount Baker. There are lots of unique local shops and restaurants to explore here in the Fairhaven Village area of the city.
But Bellingham is also an excellent gateway to nature, with tons of hikes and other outdoor activities. An easy and scenic hike to do is the 2.6-mile loop around Lake Padden, which offers peace and tranquility.
7. Port Townsend
Travel time: 2 hours
Port Townsend is a scenic small town that makes a great day trip from Seattle. This isolated destination on the Olympic Peninsula is reachable by car only, but it’s faster and more direct to take the car ferry to get here. Visiting this town, which was founded in 1851, feels like you are stepping back in time.
I enjoyed walking around the quaint downtown area of Port Townsend, which is full of quirky shops and restaurants. There are also plenty of options for hiking along the rugged coastline nearby.
8. Yakima
Travel time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
While all of the other day trips on this list focus on Western Washington, Yakima is an interesting place to visit in Eastern Washington, which is located on the opposite side of the Cascade mountain range. It’s a refreshing change from rainy Seattle, because Yakima gets over 300 days of sunlight every year!
Eastern Washington is the heart of the state’s agriculture and wine industries. On a day trip to Yakima, you can visit local wineries (there are more than 90 of them!), try local produce (Washington has the best apples), and drive along the Yakima River Canyon Byway if you are looking for some scenic views.
9. Leavenworth
Travel time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Leavenworth is an incredibly unique place because it looks exactly like a Bavarian town! In order to revitalize this declining lumber town in the 1960s, it was decided to re-theme Leavenworth to look like a charming alpine village. And it worked, because Leavenworth is now a hugely popular tourist destination!
Located in the Cascade Mountains, this town is perfect to visit year-round. In the winter, you can ski nearby, while in the summer, you can go hiking or tubing on the Icicle River. I especially love the town in the winter when it’s decorated for Christmas, and it also hosts a great Oktoberfest celebration in the fall!
If you are looking for a guided tour and don’t want to drive yourself, this full-day trip is a good option. It includes plenty of free time in Leavenworth, as well as stops in other places like Deception Falls.
10. Mount Rainier National Park
Travel time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Washington is home to three amazing national parks, and one of the best to visit is Mount Rainier National Park. It’s a long drive from Seattle (it can take close to three hours with traffic!), but if you get an early start, you can enjoy a full day exploring this stunning natural park home to a famous peak.
On a clear day, you can often see the awe-inspiring peak of Mount Rainier dominating the horizon in the distance in Seattle, but seeing it up close and in person is an even more special experience.
The Paradise area on the southern side of the park is the best place to go for a day trip, where you can hike part of the Skyline Trail, see the views in the Reflection Lakes, and visit Narada Falls. If you’d prefer a guided tour that includes transportation, this full-day trip is a popular and highly rated option.
11. North Cascades National Park
Travel time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
It always shocks me that North Cascades National Park is one of the least visited national parks in the United States. How could that possibly be?! It baffles me that all of Washington’s other national parks get more visitors than this one, despite the immense beauty of North Cascades National Park.
Like Mount Rainier National Park, this is a destination that will see you spending several hours in the car each way, but it’s worth it to experience the serene nature of this national park. There are tons of hikes and viewpoints that you can visit here, and you’ll never have to worry about battling the crowds!
Where NOT to Go on a Day Trip from Seattle
Now that we’ve talked about the best day trips from Seattle, I also wanted to mention some places that you should not attempt to go on a day trip. People do it anyway (and there are even some tours that you can book to visit these destinations on a day trip), but I really don’t think that you should try to do it.
You’ll spend the majority of your day in transit and have very little time to actually explore the destination you’re in. All of the following places are much better suited for a weekend trip instead:
- Portland, Oregon: It’s a three-hour drive from Seattle without traffic, but there usually is traffic. There’s a lot to see in Portland and its surroundings (like the Columbia River Gorge), so you need a couple of days. Make it into a weekend trip and include the Oregon coast while you’re at it!
- Olympic National Park: I love this national park, but you need at least two days to see it! Popular areas like the Hoh Rain Forest and Rialto Beach are over four hours from Seattle.
- San Juan Islands: The San Juan Islands are beautiful, but you’re looking at at least three or four hours to get to any of the four that are accessible by ferry. Definitely worth a weekend trip.
- Vancouver, Canada: Vancouver is a three-hour drive (in a perfect world with no traffic or wait time at the border crossing) or a four-hour train ride from Seattle. There’s so much to do in Vancouver that you should not go for less than a weekend (and you could even spend more time than that!)
While it may be tempting to check out some of these places, I don’t think it’s worth doing on a day trip. Stick to the destinations that are less than three hours from Seattle for a day trip instead.
Best Day Trips from Seattle, Washington
This guide showed you the best day trips from Seattle, Washington.
There are so many incredible destinations within a few hours of Seattle, including national parks, charming towns, and quaint islands. It’s amazing how quickly you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life and find yourself in the midst of peaceful nature or a laidback small town on a day trip from Seattle.
Have a great trip to Seattle!
Related Guides:
