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 Welcome to 'The Emerald City' — a blend of laid-back and progressive vibes. As Washington State's largest city, Seattle is not just the home of the iconic Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and Chihuly Garden and Glass, but also the birthplace of grunge and global coffee joints like Starbucks and Tully’s. Forget the rainy reputation; Seattle often outshines it with more sun than you'd expect!

currency

US Dollar, $1 = 100 cents

phone

911

newspaper

The Seattle Times — www.seattletimes.com
Seattle Weekly — www.seattleweekly.com
Seattle Post-Intelligencer — www.seattlepi.com
Seattle Chinese Post (Chinese language) — seattlechinesepost.com
Washington Free Press — wafreepress.org
The Stranger — www.thestranger.com

hours

Most stores are open all week from 10 am to 8 pm or later. Most bars and clubs close around 2 am.

population

749,256
Metropolitan area: 4 million (2023)

info

Visit Seattle
701 Pike Street (Lobby of the Washington State Convention Center), Seattle, WA
+1 206 461 5888
visinfo@visitseattle.org
Open Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm

website

visitseattle.org

Seattle Sunset Helicopter View of Downtown City Skyline OpenRangeStock/Shutterstock.com

The City

Seattle's charm lies in its blend of metropolitan bustle, idiosyncratic neighborhoods, and a natural playground of lakes and mountains. Here, you can switch from daytime kayaking to a sophisticated night at the opera. Local officials even came up with a new term — metronatural. The city pulses with a relaxed, educated and progressive vibe.

Nestled between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, Seattle boasts an engaging shoreline: think piers, waterside attractions, and water tours aplenty. The majestic Mount Rainier dominates the city's southeastern skyline on clear days, just 60 miles away. Heading north the same distance, you'll find Mount Baker, one of the world's snowiest locations.

Tech plays a significant role in shaping Seattle's culture. It's home to giants like Amazon, Microsoft in nearby Redmond, and Boeing — a major local employer. The aviation theme continues with The Museum of Flight, a crowd-pleaser that showcases the city's aerospace history.

Seattle downtown skyline and Mt. Rainier, Washington. Emperorcosar/Shutterstock.com

Do & See

A Seattle Double Decker Tour is an easy way to see the best sites of Seattle. Hop on or off at any attraction, or ride the entire loop for a complete tour. A lake cruise will give a uniquely different view of the city and its waters. Some lake tours offer dining options to enjoy while you take in spectacular waterfront views. Or, you can enjoy Seattle from both land and water on a one-of-a-kind Duck Tour aboard a WWII amphibious landing craft. Whichever you choose, a tour is a perfect, family-friendly way to explore the many sights, sounds and attractions of Seattle.

In addition to the Space Needle, Seattle's most recognizable landmark, visitors should be sure to include a visit to the world-renowned Seattle Art Museum (called SAM by locals). Popular outdoor activities include whale-watching tours, winery visits and the 270-foot waterfall at Snoqualmie Falls is a shutterbug's delight. Top off any day in Seattle with a wide choice of museums, live music venues and neighborhood coffee shops.

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Space Needle

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Pike Place Market Food Tour

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Seattle Aquarium

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Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour

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Pacific Science Center

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Pike Place Market

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Woodland Park Zoo

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Museum of Flight

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Seattle Art Museum

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EMP Museum

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Chihuly Garden & Glass

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Mount St. Helens

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Reptile Zoo

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K1 Speed

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Family Fun Center & Bullwinkle's Restaurant

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Olympic Sculpture Park

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Waterfall Garden

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Bear Creek Country Club

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T-Mobile Park

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Sky View Observatory — Columbia Center

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Brandon Lee & Bruce Lee's Grave Site

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Gas Works Park

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Kubota Garden

Homemade Seattle Style Hot Dog with Cream Cheese and Onions Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com

Dining

Seattle's dining scene is surprisingly diverse. In addition to the expected Northwestern style seafood restaurants and steakhouses, visitors will find a variety of restaurants with influences from Latin America, Asia, France and other places not normally associated with the Northwest. Many restaurant menus are rooted in fresh seafood, an abundance of small-scale producers, great local wines and an ever-growing pool of talented chefs.

Foodies will enjoy the Savor Seattle Food Tour at Pike Place Market. This two-hour walking tour gets behind the scenes to experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of this historic 105-year old landmark. A gourmet restaurant tour and a chocolate tour are also available in the city.

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Fisherman's Restaurant & Bar

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El Gaucho

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Andaluca Restaurant & Bar

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Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria

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Duke's Seafood

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Alibi Room

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Altura

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Canlis

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Salumi

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RockCreek Seafood & Spirits

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The Pink Door

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TAT'S Deli

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Spinasse

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Mashiko

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Lola

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Metropolitan Grill

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Din Tai Fung

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JuneBaby

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The Independent Pizzeria

Cappucino latte art coffee cup banner background for cafe. Maridav/Shutterstock.com

Cafés

Seattle is home to both Starbucks and Tully's Coffee but these two caffeine-driven powerhouses are not alone in café offerings of the city. Many independent cafés are finding their niche with a wide-variety of coffee roasts and specialty pastries and food items. A short walk in most any direction will bring you quickly to a café to enjoy a unique treat and a cup of Joe.

True coffee worshipers should visit the very first Starbucks which opened in 1971 in the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. Because the Market is a historic district with design guidelines, the store retains its original look.

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Café Besalu

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Van Gogh Coffeehouse

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Artisan Café

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Le Panier

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Portage Bay Cafe

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Bakery Nouveau

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Piroshky Piroshky

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Ghost Alley Espresso

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Café Allegro

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Zeitgeist Coffee

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Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place

Bartender squeezing juice from fresh lime in a glass using a citrus press and splashing it out making an alcoholic cocktail Maksym Fesenko/Shutterstock.com

Bars & Nightlife

Seattle has no shortage of local bars and nightclubs that are sure to make any visitor feel like a real native. Blues clubs, British bars, Irish pubs, lounges, dive bars and college bars are just a few of the varieties you will find. Just as Seattle's food scene relishes using local products, their bars show local pride with most having at least a couple of regional and local beers on tap. The city was early to the craft cocktail craze, in which hand-mixed cocktails with fresh juices and garnishes push your typical margarita mix.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, a collection of bands from Seattle cultivated a distinct sound commonly known as grunge. A mixture of hard rock, punk and metal, the so-called “Seattle sound” helped foster the contemporary rock movement. Several top grunge bands call Seattle home including Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains.

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74th Street Ale House

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Alibi Room

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The Beer Junction

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The Knee High Stocking Company

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Tractor Tavern

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The Triple Door

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The Crocodile

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Tacoma Comedy Club

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Jazzbones

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Von's 1000 Spirits

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The Tasting Room

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Trinity

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Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

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Keys on Main

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Bathtub Gin & Co.

Couple Shopping Outdoors Store Lifestyle Concept Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

Shopping

Seattle is home to excellent shopping all over the city with several unique shopping districts including Downtown Seattle, Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District, University District and Pike Place Market.

Downtown Seattle shopping is a square of several blocks with large names such as Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and Gap. Downtown is also the location of two large malls, Westlake Center Plaza and Pacific Place.

Laying claim as the city's "first neighborhood," Pioneer Square is a richly historic place known for its Renaissance Revival architecture, First Thursday art walks, night life and quirky boutiques. The Square runs between the Alaskan Way Viaduct and 4th Avenue, from Columbia Street on the north side to CenturyLink Field on the south side.

The Chinatown-International District is a multi-cultural, diverse area to find unique gifts and shops with roots from all over Asia. The district includes Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian influence. Just south of Pioneer Square, the eight-block district is within walking distance from Downtown Seattle and Pike Place Market.

Located just north of downtown Seattle and close to the University of Washington, the University District, sometimes called U District, offers a unique formula of locally-owned boutiques and signature national retailers.

Pike Place Market is Seattle's famous waterfront shopping area that features local produce, fresh fish and an abundance of incredible restaurants.

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Ben Bridge Jeweler

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Crossroads Trading Company

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Archie McPhee

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Zumiez

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Car Toys

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Sole Food

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Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)

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Spa Nordstrom

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Totokaelo

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Seattle Glassblowing Studio

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Elliott Bay Book Company

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Vital T Leaf

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Magic Mouse Toys

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Made in Washington

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Pretty Parlor

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Pike & Western Wine Shop

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Pike Place Market

Coin Operated Binoculars Look out towards the Seattle Great Wheel on a Sunny Day Ryan C Slimak/Shutterstock.com

Tourist Information

When visiting any city in the U.S., make sure to always carry a valid ID with you, and adhere to the traffic regulations that might differ from your own country.

Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

You can take public transportation, shuttles or taxis between Seattle and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Lyft and Uber are also good options.

Sound Transit connects the airport to downtown Seattle on its Central Link light rail. Trains run every 7 to 10 minutes during most of the day, up to 20 minutes during non-peak hours. To get to the station, use Sky Bridge 6 on the north side of the airport.

Sound Transit also provides two bus routes from the airport. Route 560 connects the airport to Bellevue, Renton, Burien and West Seattle. Route 574 serves Lakewood, Federal Way and Tacoma.

King County Metro also provides three bus routes from the airport: Rapid Ride A-line (Federal Way), Route 161 (Burien/Kent) and Route 156 (Southcenter/Des Moines). You can use your phone's map app or the King County Metro Transit app to choose the fastest route. All buses leave from Door 6 outside of the baggage claim on the lower level.

Address: 17801 International Boulevard, Seattle

Email:

Phone: +1 206 787 5388

Website: www.portseattle.org/sea-tac/ground-transportation

More Information:

Passport/Visa

Citizens of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Kingdom of Brunei can visit the United States for up to 90 days without applying for a visa (as well as citizens of Andorra, Lichtenstein, Monaco and San Marino). Citizens of these countries must obtain an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before traveling. All other travelers must obtain a visa before visiting the United States. International travelers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip in order to enter the country.

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Best Time to Visit

The perfect time to visit Seattle is late June or early September when the crowds disperse and hotel costs do go down. In these periods you can still enjoy the lovely weather but as it is unpredictable don't forget to bring a raincoat/umbrella. July and August—the driest and sunniest months of the year—mark the peak season, meaning that prices rise due to a significant presence of tourists.

Some key events throughout the year:
May & June: Seattle International Film Festival
May: Seattle Beer Week
Late July to August: Seattle Art Fair
September: Bumbershoot music festival

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Pharmacy

Chain pharmacies — CVS Pharmacy, Safeway, Walmart, Costco etc. — as well as smaller neighborhood stores operate in Seattle, and while working hours may greatly vary, a few are open 24/7. Pharmacy signs are often in red and white, and they are often located inside department stores. Most of the pharmacies sell both prescription as well as over the counter medicine.

Address: CVS Pharmacy, 1401 2nd Avenue, Seattle

Email:

Phone: +1 206 494 3251

Website: www.cvs.com

More Information:

Public Transport

The ORCA transit cards are the most convenient way to pay the fare on streetcars, light rail, buses and more.

King County Metro Transit:
The “Metro” public bus system operates throughout Seattle and King County.

Metro's Route 99 connects Seattle's International District, Pioneer Square, First Avenue destinations including the Seattle Art Museum and Pike Place Market, and Elliott Bay waterfront attractions such as the Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Aquarium and ferry services. Visit Metro Online for a route map and timetable.

South Lake Union Streetcar:
The South Lake Union Streetcar links Seattle's downtown core to the South Lake Union neighborhood and the new 12-acre Waterfront Park.

Seattle Center Monorail:
The nation's first full-scale commercial monorail system provides a fun, two-minute link from downtown Seattle to the Seattle Center daily. The Seattle Center station is across from the Space Needle. In downtown Seattle, catch the monorail at Westlake Center at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street.

Sound Transit:
Link Light Rail connects downtown Seattle with Sea-Tac International Airport, making interim stops in Southeast Seattle neighborhoods.

Sounder Commuter Trains operate between downtown Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.

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Website: visitseattle.org/visitor-information/getting-around

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Taxi

Seattle has several major taxicab companies to get you to and from Sea-Tac International Airport, as well as take care of your transportation needs around town.

In downtown Seattle, Lyft, Uber, and metered taxis offer in-city transportation.

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Phone: +1 206 622 6500

Website: seattleyellowcab.com

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Telephone

Country code: +1

Area code: 206

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Post

United States Post Office offers all kinds of postal services.
Some of the major post offices in Seattle are located in:

7724 35th Avenue Northeast, Seattle
+1 800 275 8777

415 1st Avenue North, Seattle
+1 800 275 8777

3019 Northeast 127th Street, Seattle
+1 800 275 8777

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Electricity

All power sockets in the United States provide a standard voltage of 120V with a standard frequency of 60Hz. Plug type A has two flat parallel pins.

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