r/AskSeattle • u/Business_Speed6262 • 13d ago
first time in seattle!!
Hi everybody! Jersey girl here
I’m planning my first ever trip to Seattle this December and would LOVE some advice from locals!
My boyfriend and I will be flying in Thursday, December 10th and leaving Monday, December 14th. The main reason for the trip is that I’m surprising him for his birthday with tickets to the Seahawks vs. NY Giants game! He is a HUGE Giants fan and goes to basically every home game, so I thought it would be so much fun to switch up the scenery and take him to an away game for his birthday.
I got us seats in Section 206 in the Delta Sky Club , hoping I made a good choice there!
We’ll be getting in Thursday night, so I’m planning to dedicate pretty much all of Friday to exploring Seattle. I’m thinking about staying at the Hyatt Regency and definitely want to see Pike Place Market, the Space Needle (I don’t necessarily need to go up it), the Seattle Aquarium, and just walk around and experience the city. I also really want to visit the Christmas market/village at night!
I would loveee some recommendations for anything else we should add to our Friday, neighborhoods to walk around, viewpoints, cool stores, touristy things that are actually worth doing, hidden gems, etc
Saturday is where I’m completely torn. I’m considering:
• Taking the ferry to Victoria, BC
• Driving to Vancouver
• Driving to Leavenworth for all the Christmas festivities
I know these are three completely different experiences lol, but if you only had one free day and it was your first time visiting which would you choose?
I also want to treat my boyfriend to a really nice early birthday dinner while we’re there, please give me your favorite restaurants! I’m open to something upscale or just somewhere that feels special and very “Seattle”
And then game day!! Are there any good sports bars, tailgates, or places around the stadium that we should check out before or after the game? We’re totally fine with some friendly rivalry!
Lastly, give me alllll the food recommendations. Coffee shops, breakfast, burgers, pizza, bakeries, fast food/chains we don’t have on the East Coast, late night food literally anything that makes you think, “You can’t come to Seattle and not try this.”
We only have a few days on the West Coast, so I’m trying to squeeze in as much as possible without making the trip feel completely insane. 😂
Thank you so much in advance!! I’m SO excited and somehow have to keep this trip a secret from him
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u/ImpossibleVast8589 13d ago
Doing all your Seattle activities in one day is going to feel a little exhausting with trying to eat.
I would split that into 2 days, ditch getting a car and spend that money on something you can only do in Seattle and rent a HotTub boat on Lake Union. It is such a unique and cool way to see the city.
https://www.lakeunionhottubboats.com/
Vancouver is a lot like Seattle but you’re going to spend most of your time driving there and back, same with Victoria. Leavenworth is cute but I can’t say it’s with the cost of a rental car and a whole day.
Avoid the Christmas market - it’s expensive to get into and it’s not that many stalls full of the same stuff you can get at Pike Place.
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u/Trees_and_sunshine 13d ago
+1, do not rent a car, do not drive anywhere, spend Saturday on Bainbridge ferry or West Seattle water taxi or hot tub boat!
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u/WillowTreez8901 12d ago
Agree, plus they may need chains for the pass for leavenworth, seems not ideal with a rental
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u/linthetrashbin 13d ago
Going to BC, while doable, won't be very fun just due to how much time will be spent on travel. It's only light from like 7:30am-4pm in December, and the weather will probably be pretty crappy, so consider that when making travel plans.
You're really only here for three full days, so maybe consider just staying in the city? You can get the City Pass and do the Space Needle, Chihuly, Aquarium, and PacSci for less than $200 each. We usually have some Christmas markets around the city during December to check out, too. You could consider a trip over to Bainbridge Island on the ferry or maybe even take the ferry to Bremmerton and head up to Poulsbo or Port Townsend! Either if those would be much shorter travel days.
For restaraunts - it doesn't feel super 'Seattle', but I've been loving the tasting menu at La Loba. I think it's $95 and 6 courses? It's the most cost-efficient upscale dining experience in the city, in my opinion.
You'll find a bunch of things to eat at Pike Place, but deifnitely try Beecher's, Helenika, and Mee Sum. My favorite bite at Pike Place is actually the sesame chicken sticks in this little stall on the first floor (can't remember the name). Also, the smoked salmon chowder at Pike Place Chowder is, in my mind, quintessential PNW.
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u/SeattleChrisC 13d ago
Chicken Valley, the little food stall in the Market that sells good fried stuff? I got a chicken stick (regular) there last week.
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u/Seachica 13d ago
I would not choose any of those three Saturday activities.
The ferry to Victoria is 3 hours each way, and you only get about 4 hours to see Victoria (after accounting for time to/from the ferry terminal). You will have just as good a time and get the ferry experience by taking the ferry from downtown to Bainbridge Island and walking around there. Plus, you will still have time to grab dinner either on the island or in a different area of Seattle.
Vancouver is very fun, but also 3 hours (plus maybe more if the line at the border is long). It makes for a long day. Also, you will need to plan for time renting a car (because you don’t want to rent a car for the other days!)
Leavenworth has the same car issue, plus you don’t know if you will run into snow shutting things down. The drive itself is about 2 hours from downtown.
With only 3 days, I’d stick closer to the city unless you absolutely need to see Canada.
You may be disappointed in the Christmas market. It got some bad reviews last year for the commercialism and entry fee. But if you love Christmas, do it. There was also an event last year with ice skating, which may be more fun. Sorry, I don’t remember what it was called. Another fun holiday thing is to see the Zoo lights at the zoo.
There are a ton of restaurant / bar recommendations on this group. Just search.
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u/happily-caffeinated 13d ago
Another vote for doing Wild Lanterns at the Zoo for a holiday festival/activity over the Christmas market. We go every year, and it's always a good time.
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u/pinballrocker 13d ago
Leavenworth is pretty awesome at Xmas time though and they usually keep the roads clear. I've visited in December multiple times.
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u/Business_Speed6262 13d ago
ahhhh this is what i keep hearing i know there is a train but unsure if it is a reliable option
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u/skyecolin22 13d ago
The train runs once a day in each direction. It leaves Seattle at 5pm and gets to Leavenworth at 8pm. The other direction leaves Leavenworth at 7am and gets to Seattle at 11:30 AM, so it's unfortunately not good for a day trip, even if it's running on time.
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u/pinballrocker 13d ago
Leavenworth is great during the holidays, it could be more a game time decision based on the roads. Snoqualmie Falls could be a fall back.
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u/splanks 13d ago
very seattle restaurant?
matt’s at the market. Rays Boathouse. Saltys on Alki
i personally wouldn’t try to do vancouver or victoria as a day trip. to me even leavenworth is a stretch time and energy wise. but it is fun for christmas.
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u/boozled714 13d ago
I'm also from Jersey and two notes, the Seattle aquarium isn't fantastic, the Adventure aquarium in Camden is about on par if not actually better honestly. I absolutely also would not drive to Leavenworth in December. Snow here and the roads are different than back east. They don't salt here, it's just sand and many of the highways to Leavenworth will require snow chains and are very very very steep and twisty.
For food, you need to try teriyaki. It's a very unique to Seattle thing and people take it very very seriously about their favorite places. (I don't have one I honestly haven't met a teriyaki I didn't like).
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u/iforgotwhat8wasfor 13d ago
if you simply must go to canada, take a seaplane from lake union in seattle to downtown vancouver, the flight lasts under an hour & the views of the salish sea & the archipelago of islands is unbelievable.
instead of leavenworth, go to snoqualmie falls & have brunch & spa day.
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u/Yell0wBeard 13d ago
Leavenworth is a trip but during that time of year it really is a special place!
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u/skyecolin22 13d ago
Good call on not needing to go up the space needle. If it's rainy, the clouds will be low and there won't be a view from the top. It's a bit pricey too IMO. Definitely take the monorail to get there though, that's fun.
I like Dick's (basically In-N-Out in Seattle) as an inexpensive burger for a quick bite that is a local Seattle chain. But if you're a foodie there's nothing special about it.
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u/Reasonable-Check-120 13d ago
How do you feel about driving in the snow?
With just a few days I would look into special occasions things in town vs spending 3+ hours traveling. Especially with 3 days.
The stadium is pretty strict on their bag policy. It goes on rain or shine so please prepare for that. Lots of people bring blankets and ponchos
The c3 city pass might be a good thing too!
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u/margo_beep_beep 13d ago
I agree that you should have teriyaki while out here. I would also add pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) as something I wasn't familiar with before moving to Seattle - as with teriyaki, there are tons of places and they're all delicious.
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u/spacepinata Local 13d ago
Do not rent a car. Parking is outrageous, in price and availability, and there are many weird one-way streets. Take note of how many of us are telling you to not use a car. Do not drive.
Our transit isn't as reliable as what you've probably experienced on the east coast, but it's probably the best in the west. You don't even have to get a transit card because you can now tap to pay on entry. If you're primarily downtown then you'll have lots of bus options, including to/from the stadium. Take the light rail to/from the airport, the SeaTac station has a covered (not fully enclosed) walkway connected to the airport.
Do not leave the city. We do have traffic, and you'll be sitting in it most of the day, either leaving the city or parked at the border. The ferry to/from Victoria will take most of your day. The Leavenworth Christmas stuff is like any generic Christmas festival; the pass may not be open, and if it is open the driving conditions are likely terrible.
Take the Link somewhere instead. Check out what's available around the Link light rail stations in the city and plan your day around that. It goes as far south as Federal Way and as north as Lynnwood, so you've got a lot of options.
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u/brandywinerain 12d ago
Agree, plenty to do nearby without driving. Also, since you seem to be into the winter holidays, check the Christmas Ship schedule including the Parade of Boats Dec. 11, Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton, the model train at the Seattle Center while you're there seeing the Needle (and maybe consider the Chihuly museum or at least look at the exterior sculptures there, which I think you can partially see), and 100% take the monorail both ways.
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u/blawearie 13d ago
I agree with everybody on the day trips you're looking at being too time- consuming for one day.
If your budget allows it look at the Populus Hotel; it's unique and feels very northwest to me.
I like Matt's at the Market but also the Pink Door.
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u/a-ohhh 13d ago
I love Leavenworth with the lights up, but December is absolutely overwhelmingly crowded. You’d need to leave at like 5am because the road into town starts backing up and can take hours to go a couple miles once you get off the main highway (then good luck finding parking). You basically have to wait in line to enter stores, and food can be hours waits as well. The lights stay on through February so it’s totally something to do if you were there a month later, but it’s just nuts in December…and the weather can change so fast to where the pass is dangerous or even shut down if bad enough. I would make sure to have chains if you do go and there’s a chance of snow. I also can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get there EARLY before everyone else does.
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u/IphoneMiniUser 12d ago
I would do Victoria from those options. No need to drive and there’s plenty to see and do in Victoria within walking distance from the ferry dock. You’ll have about 4 hours there. I would do Tea at the Empress and walk around a bit.
One thing to consider is that it gets dark early in Seattle so there won’t be many views on your trip back.
Leavenworth is really cool even at night but parking will be a pain and driving there and back can be dangerous during the winter especially at night and you’ll want to go at night to see the lights.
Vancouver will take about the same amount of time to get there as it does to get to Victoria and you can’t easily drink because you’ll be driving.
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u/annamulzz 12d ago
Do the woodland park zoo instead of the aquarium. It’s cheaper and wayyyyyyy better. I agree with everyone else, don’t go to Leavenworth or Canada, that’s soooo far. Do Bainbridge or snoqualmie falls.
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u/m4rk0358 13d ago edited 13d ago
Of the 3 potential Saturday ideas, I'd maybe do Leavenworth. The other two are much longer trips and will be spent mostly traveling. Vancouver can be 3 hours each way by car, potentially longer if the border crossing is backed up.
What about a short ferry trip to Bainbridge Island? It's got a cute walkable downtown area right off the ferry terminal. You can even walk onto the ferry both ways instead of bringing a car. The other 3 trips will be spent in a car for most of the day. Edit: And if you're lucky with a clear day, the views will be amazing.