One great thing about Seattle is that the popular attractions are all close together — you can get around on foot. So today I arranged an itinerary like this, though one day might feel a little rushed...

Click here to see Part 1 of the itinerary

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Map of the attractions

Next, let’s head toward the waterfront attractions! The aquarium and the Argosy cruise are both included in the CityPass — super good value, and you can pick three other attractions too!
Here’s the link to Seattle’s CityPass.

Seattle Waterfront

First up, the Seattle waterfront is one of the must-visit spots — you can take in the boundless ocean view right from downtown, and best of all it’s close to all the famous attractions, making it a great place to start the day.

The big draw on the waterfront is the Ferris wheel, where you can look out over a wide sweep of Seattle and the sea. Imagine riding it to watch the sunset over the water — the view down is fantastic; though it spins pretty fast, which scared someone afraid of heights like me, so I didn’t end up riding it! (I’m such a chicken XD)

Next to the Ferris wheel is the amusement arcade, which not only has plenty of the electronic rides kids love, but also a 4D zone and a carousel. You can buy tickets right beside it — it’s basically a children’s paradise! Along the whole street there are souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants to choose from; eating, drinking and playing can all be satisfied right here — a place where you could spend a whole day!

Enjoying the cool sea breeze here and watching the seagulls soar across the sky left me feeling very calm and content.

By the way, when we parked here on January 1st, the sign displayed “Happy New Year — free parking on January 1st.” Such a cute way to celebrate!

Argosy Cruise

The Argosy cruise lasts about an hour. On board, a guide explains the beautiful scenery of Seattle and the history of the marine transfer terminal, letting us admire the container ships and America’s largest Washington State ferries from beside the colorful cargo containers.

Taking in the majestic Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, the historic waterfront and the busy shipyards, with the fresh scent of the sea and a view where ocean meets sky, the wind across my face felt wonderful; with a relaxed heart I took in all of Seattle’s beauty at a glance.

The official website also holds events from time to time, and you can book tickets there! If there’s an evening sailing, it’s quite romantic too!

I’d really recommend taking a cruise here in summer, because there are quite a few sailings you can choose to other islands. For example, Blake Island has different shows and activities for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and Children’s Day, and in July there are plenty of fireworks displays and more — the harbor gets very lively!

Click here to buy tickets!

Things to note

1. Be sure to come early to book tickets; arrive half an hour before departure so you don't miss the boat while waiting in line!
2. The cruise only runs four sailings a day, and the schedule differs between winter and summer, so always confirm the times online first!
3. As for food and drink, the boat offers snacks, beverages and more, so you can nibble while enjoying the ocean view!
4. Bring a light jacket for when the cool breeze picks up.

• Address: 1101 Alaskan Way Pier 55, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 10am – 4pm

Seattle Aquarium

The aquarium has two halls. One is an interactive hall for kids, where besides seeing all the colorful undersea creatures, you can read lots of explanations on the walls and view the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest up close — both grown-ups and children can savor the knowledge inside, which is educational and inspiring.

In one corner there’s a giant octopus you can take photos with — a fun photo spot where you look like you’re being tangled up by an octopus and trying to escape.

Although it’s an aquarium, in the middle you can spot birds, sea otters and other adorable animals. The other hall has a 360-degree fully transparent glass where staff interact with large sea creatures, even wearing special masks to interact with the audience outside, and you can observe thousands of the ocean’s wonders; very entertaining and a lot of fun!

Although it isn’t very big overall and you can finish in about 2–3 hours, the rich variety of animals and plants inside makes it a place well worth visiting.

Click here for the official website

• Address: 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 9:30am⁠–⁠6pm

Pike Place Market

I'd imagined a market like the wet markets in Taiwan. Set by the sea, Pike Place Market is never short of the day's fresh fish — if you want to buy fish, come at 6am to pick from a wide variety of fresh seafood!

They also sell vegetables and flowers and such, but Pike Place Market has a few more artsy shops too — places selling watercolor and ink paintings, souvenir shops, cafés and so on. The orderly-yet-chaotic, wildly varied stores are enough to keep you eating, drinking and playing the whole day.

The most eye-catching of all is the fish-throwing show: whenever a customer buys a fish, the staff loudly “sing it off,” tossing the fish back and forth — and they always catch it — successfully grabbing everyone’s attention! Plenty of customers stand there taking photos!

• Address: 85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 9am – 5pm

Gum Wall

A little spot very close to Pike Place Market. Facing the golden piggy at Pike Place, walk to the left and there’s a small path leading down. The moment you reach the Gum Wall, you catch a faint tea-like scent (?); the wall is covered in colorful gum, and travelers have even stretched the gum from their mouths into heart shapes and stuck them on the wall, leaving a mark of their trip.

Apparently this used to be a theater, and people waiting in line to buy tickets got bored and started sticking gum on the wall, which formed this offbeat tourist attraction — pretty cute, actually.

If a girl got a kabedon (wall-slam) here, she'd probably break up on the spot, haha (just kidding~).

• Address: 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 24 hours

Pike Place Chowder

Around noon we headed to Pike Place Market’s most famous eatery — Pike Place Chowder. Sure enough there was a long line, but they were fast too; after about eight minutes it was our turn. The moment you step inside, the aroma hits you and makes you swallow hard more than a few times…

Pike Place Chowder has very few seats inside, and a seat is hard to come by — it took about 15 minutes before we finally found one and settled in; then we went all in on this legendary must-eat. We ordered a seafood chowder with mushroom and cream, and the rich broth had us going spoonful after spoonful, unable to stop! Although it looks like a small cup, it's packed with generous ingredients and very filling!

We also ordered the lobster roll, which was generously filled with lobster — chewy, springy and very fresh, with the sweetness of onion to bring out the flavor. Truly delicious, no wonder it’s one of their most popular items. Lobster roll price: about USD 18 / half a lobster. Chowder: about USD 10.

After exploring Pike Place Market, you can come here for a bowl of hot soup for lunch or afternoon tea, refueling your tired feet with good food so you can carry on to the next stop.

• Address: 1530 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 11am –5pm

The First Starbucks

Right across from Pike Place Market is the home of the very first Starbucks; I have to say you could spend a whole day in this area! Many of the attractions are less than a ten-minute walk away!

When we arrived we had to line up to get in. The shop is small but the route is neatly arranged; stepping inside, there’s a strong coffee aroma and a simple, unpretentious decor with an old-world, antique feel.

Most tourists come here to buy a coffee mug with the original logo — one of a kind, and no other branch sells it! If you're a Starbucks lover or a city-mug collector, don't miss the original store when you're in Seattle, and learn their history!

One small downside is that there are no seats inside, so if you want to sit and rest with your coffee, head to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery!

• Address: 1912 Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 6:30am – 8:30pm

Olympic Sculpture Park

If you don't like crowded attractions and want a place to rest for a while, this is a great choice. A park near the sea, it's not only close to many attractions, but also features decorative art sculptures created by local and national artists, open free year-round.

Although there aren’t many sculptures on display, strolling here while enjoying the brilliant sunshine and the sound of the waves — the city’s blend of nature and art — makes it a modern art-sculpture park.

The most famous red sculpture is the eagle, rendered with simple lines into a wing-spread, soaring form — very elegant and graceful.

When you’re tired, sit on a bench and enjoy the waterfront view; on a clear day you can even gaze out at the snowy mountains in the distance — the vista is fantastic. There are also well-maintained trails, making it a great park for jogging and picnics, and coming here to watch the sunset is a wonderful option too — a leisurely, relaxing place!

Starbucks Reserve Roastery

The exterior architecture is full of modern style, and with the automated, high-tech machines, the industrial design painted in wood tones plus the timber decor and soft yellow light give a warm, cozy feeling.

The staff skillfully explained the bean-roasting process, and with the running machines and the whole series of descriptions, I finally understood that making coffee actually goes through so many steps!

I’m not a coffee fan, but the aroma that greeted me at the door made it impossible not to order a cup!

Sitting at the counter watching the baristas brew the beans with quick hands, the air filled with a rich coffee aroma, sipping a piping-hot latte whose smooth, gentle taste spread through my whole mouth… Even someone like me who isn’t especially fond of coffee instantly fell in love with this feeling. So this is a kind of life’s romance~

• Address: 1124 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Hours: 7am – 9pm

Paramount Theatre

I hadn’t particularly planned to see a musical in the US, but at the strong recommendation of a Mexican friend, we bought tickets the night before. My boyfriend was impressive and snagged USD 10 tickets on another ticketing platform — so lucky!

Walking in, the decor is utterly lavish, and the magnificent, palatial style added a lot to our anticipation for the show!

This time we saw 【The Donna Summer Musical】. It tells the legendary story of a girl named Donna in the 1960s who leaves home to chase her dreams — her family’s lack of understanding, an unhappy marriage, stumbling along the way — and finally becoming the Queen of Disco. Even though our seats were far back, the penetrating power of the performers’ voices and the strength and beauty of the dancing had even the audience at the back unable to resist getting up to dance; every prop was made with care, and paired with the lighting effects, the music came across as absolutely stunning!

I was so absorbed in the rise and fall of each part of the story, as if I were really walking Donna’s path in life, able to feel her joys and sorrows. Afterwards the classic song — I Feel Love — was still echoing in my head. So good!! Highly recommended!!

Interested friends can click here to book tickets!

• Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States

Closing thoughts

Honestly, finishing all these attractions in a single day is pretty rushed. If you don’t want to just skim the surface, I’d suggest slowly savoring the sense of calm this city brings. I really recommend buying the CityPass — it saved nearly half the cost, super good value! Click here to grab Seattle’s CityPass — highly recommended! (As long as you have time to finish all the attractions, of course.) Actually, many friends around me only spent a day or two in Seattle, which is a bit of a shame. Seattle has plenty of charming landmarks and attractions to explore; wandering through coffee-scented alleys, touring the tech-filled city, the era’s high-tech architecture steeped in a history-rich backdrop; admiring this classic, elegant little town gave us a different feeling of the city. 【This article is sponsored by Leyo Travel】
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