City Tours & Outdoors Activities

Walking Tours
Strolling Seattle’s walking tour has earned high marks from people who’ve enjoyed its combination of humor and history. The route traverses downtown from the Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square, and there are never more than 10 people per stroll.

2nd Ave. and Pine Streets
206-736-4336
www.strollseattle.com

Seattle Walking Tours, focuses on local landmarks and also includes Pike Place Market. They will custom design tours for groups.

Westlake Plaza and 5th Ave.
425-885-3173
www.seattlewalkingtours.com

Quack, Quack
You haven’t seen Seattle until you’ve seen it from a Duck—an amphibious World War II landing craft, that is. The Coast Guard-certified Ride-the-Ducks-of-Seattle will take you on a fun-filled, musical tour that includes downtown, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, the funky Fremont neighborhood (with its statue of Vladimir Lenin), Lake Union, and “Sleepless in Seattle” houseboats located at 516 Broad Street, across from Seattle Center, 206-441-3825.

Double Decker Tours
Gray Line of Seattle offers tours of the city by a London double decker. Call 206-624-5077 or 800-426-7532 for information on this and other tours (which include the Boeing Tour, Mt. Rainier, and Victoria, B.C.).

Harbor Cruises
Millions of visitors have enjoyed Argosy Cruise’s tours of Seattle’s busy waterfront, Elliott Bay and Puget Sound since the first cruise set sail in 1949. One of the tours offers an excellent close-up view of Seattle’s working container port, one of the busiest in the country. Other trips include tours of Seattle’s lakes and locks, and the Tillicum Village dinner and dance show.

Pier 56, 1201 Alaskan Way,
206-623-1445.

Sail Boat Trips
Emerald City Charters offers harbor trips on the 70-foot sailboat “Obsession” through the end of October, weather permitting.

Pier 54, 1001 Alaskan Way
206-624-3931
www.sailingseattle.com

Hot Air Balloon Rides
If you thought all the hot air was in Washington, D.C., you’re in for a surprise: Over the Rainbow Balloon Flights offers wind-powered sightseeing balloon trips with up-close views of Seattle, Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Olympic Mountains, and Mt. Rainier. The route and view depend on wind, weather and cloud conditions, and five to nine people can go at one time. This trip is not for the faint of heart: The gondola is a traditional rattan basket with a “flexible” plywood floor.

14471 Woodinville-Redmond Rd., Woodinville
206-364-0995.
www.letsgoballooning.com

The Great Outdoors

Seattleites love the mountains and forests of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, but they also enjoy outdoor activities right in the city. Wilderness trails crisscross the unspoiled forests of Seward Park near Lake Washington, and, northwest of downtown, flock to Discovery Park’s miles of hiking trails. You can call Discovery Park’s visitors center at 206-386-4236 for information about guided nature walks and bird-watching expeditions in the park.

Elsewhere, the paved, 16-mile Burke-Gillman Trail is popular with bike riders, runners and walkers. A good place to rent a bike is Al Young Bike & Ski, 3615 NE 45th St., 206-524-2642, near the University of Washington (and the trail).

Another popular spot for joggers, bikers, inline skaters and the like is Green Lake Park, northeast of downtown, which can be crowded on weekends. The paths are quite short here, but that doesn’t stop anyone from having a good time. You can rent bikes and inline skates from Gregg’s Greenlake Cycle, 7007 Woodlawn Ave. NE, 206-523-1822.

Washington Park Arboretum
Known for its flowering trees in spring, the 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum, in the Broadmoor neighborhood, is popular year-round with visitors who go bird watching in its marshes.

2300 Arboretum Drive E.
206-543-8800
http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/general.htm

Kubota Garden
A gem of a classical Japanese garden, Kubota Garden sits in a hilly area near Lake Washington. Tours are offered.

Renton Ave. S. and 55th Ave. S.,
206-684-4584.
www.kubota.org

Snoqualmie Falls
The beauty of Snoqualmie Falls enchants visitors who venture from downtown Seattle. At 230 feet, they’re higher than Niagara Falls. The power plant behind the falls was built in 1898. There are formal gardens and overlooks, and a trail that takes you to the base of the falls, a popular place for fishing and the start of whitewater raft and kayak trips. The Salish Lodge and Spa, 425-888-2556, perches above the falls. Call the Snoqualmie Pass Visitor Center, 425-434-6111 for information and directions for the half hour drive from Seattle.