The Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour (small-group) is an excellent tour of the highlights and hidden gems of Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle.
The Best Walking Tours in Seattle
• Best Food & Walking Tour: Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour is our favorite tour in downtown Seattle.
1. Evergreen Escapes
Evergreen Escapes offers fantastic day tours and hikes in Seattle’s many nearby wilderness areas: Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks, Mount Saint Helens, the North Cascades, and Snoqualmie Falls. These small group tours are capped at ten guests, and include transportation in a Mercedes van, a day hike, and gourmet lunch with local wine. Tours run year-round, with snow-shoeing replacing day hikes in the winter months, when needed. Evergreen Escapes also offers a private San Juan kayak and whale-watching tour in the summer months, with optional sea-plane or overnight add-on.
Tours pick up at downtown hotels. Guests staying elsewhere meet the tour at Hotel Monaco.2. Tours Northwest
Tours Northwest offers a Mount Rainier National Park day tour that’s a great option for those looking for an easy way to see the park. Informative guides will pick you up at your downtown or Sea-Tac hotel, and customize the trip to your desired activity level. A grocery stop is offered, to buy items for a picnic lunch on the mountain, or you can purchase food at the park’s visitor center while you’re there. This tour runs May through November.
Tours pick up at Seattle and SeaTac area hotels.3. Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is a branch of Seattle Art Museum located along Seattle’s downtown waterfront, just downhill from Seattle Center. It’s home to a great collection of modern works by contemporary artists: most notably, Alexander Calder, Claes Oldenburg, and Louise Bourgeois. Besides boasting an impressive collection, the Sculpture Park is one of downtown Seattle’s few green spaces, set amid picturesque views of the sound, mountains, and ferries. Admission is free, and hour-long public tours are offered at 1pm on weekends from April through November. Check the SAM events calendar for details.
Tours depart from the Sculpture Park’s Paccar Pavilion.4. Klondike Museum Walking Tour
This small museum in Pioneer Square is actually a pint-sized National Park, filled with artifacts and exhibits highlighting Seattle’s role in the Klondike gold rush of the 1890’s. They offer free 45-60 minute walking tours of the Pioneer Square neighborhood in the summer months, and the rest of the year provide a Trail to Treasure map (available at some tourist offices), so that visitors can walk it on their own.
Tours depart from the Klondike Museum Vistor Center, at 319 2nd Avenue South.5. Seattle Architecture Foundation
These volunteer-led downtown walking tours are organized around such architectural themes as Northwest Art Deco Skyscrapers, Design Details, and Hidden Spaces in Public Places. No previous experience with architecture is required; you’ll learn as you go – not only about the buildings, but about the city and its history, as well. Tours run year-round, rain or shine (but only on Saturdays in the winter months). Outside of downtown, SAF also leads tours in the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, South Lake Union, as well as the University of Washington campus. Not recommended for children under 12.
Tours depart from various locations, check website for details.
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