DAY 1 - 3

• Arrive at Seattle airport and transfer to your hotel.

  • Check out all transporation options.

    • Link light rail stations connect with SeaTac airport.

    • At SEA Airport, taxis and ride-sharing companies are available on the third floor of the parking garage.

    • You do not need a rental car to enjoy central Seattle.

      • The city is fairly compact and walkable.

      • Download the PayByPhone app. It is the best way to pay for parking if renting a car

        1. Download the PayByPhone app.

        2. Enter your location code - The location code you wish to park is advertised on street signage.

        3. Enter your parking duration.

        4. Extend your parking anytime.

    Where to stay: The best neighborhoods for first time visitors would be Belltown in the heart of the city and downtown Seattle. Here you will find plenty of things to do, restaurants and within walking distance of the main attractions.

  • Maps of Seattle and region.

• Jump on Hop on-Hop off sightseeing bus in Seattle.

  • A great way to acquaint yourself with the city. Explore Seattle at your own pace.

• Experience Seattle with a walking tour. (Highly recommended is the Seattle Free Walking Tour outfit).

  • How long and strenuous is the SFWT ? — The Market Experience tour is just over one (1) hour and about half (1/2) mile in distance. The Seattle 101 tour is two (2) hours long and two (2) miles in distance (downhill).  There are minimal stairs and hills involved.

• Discover Pikes Place Market - it’s the oldest operating farmers market in the country. Here you find farm-fresh produce, butcher-paper clad bouquets and an abundance of shops, restaurants, and bars. <read more>

• Take the Underground Tour in the Pioneer Square district. It’s a 75-minute guided walking tour beneath Seattle’s sidewalks and streets.

  • As you roam the subterranean passages that once were the roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, the guides will entertain you with the unique stories. The tour is for age 21 & over, including with tales of Seattle's early red-light district.

  • Pioneer Square - is the city’s original neighborhood and retains its century-old charm in its brick buildings and cobblestone streets. The Square is filled with art galleries, coffee shops and trendy bars.

• Seattle is home to nearly 70 breweries. The Ballard, Fremont, and SoDo neighborhoods are packed with dozens of craft breweries, many within walking distance of one another.

• Visit the Seattle Center. The center is an arts, educational, tourism and entertainment center. <map>

  • Head atop the Space Needle. Views from the top feature Elliott Bay, the Cascade Mountains, and Mount Rainier.

• A great spot to visit with or without kids is the Seattle Aquarium and the Museum of Flight.

  • Seattle Aquarium - on the waterfront’s Pier 59, meet sea and river otters, seals, moon jellyfish, lionfish, sea anemones and more.

  • Museum of Flight - The museum is one of the largest air and space collections in the country.

• Catch a Seattle Mariners baseball game at T-Mobile Park or a Seahawks football game at Lumen Field. (during season) <Location>

• Overnight: Seattle (3 nights).

DIVERSION (add an extra day):

• Travel from Seattle to Victoria, BC with FRS Clipper in about three(3) hours via the high-speed Victoria Clipper vessel for a overnight stay. Victoria is a great place to visit for a escape in British Columbia. The city is quite small, so most of the main attractions lie within walking distance of each other in the city center

• A Passport or Passport Card is required. <Learn more>

DAY 3 to 5

• Depart for the San Juan Islands.

  Two (2) ways to get to the Islands.

  1. Fly to Friday Harbor from downtown Seattle or Sea-Tac Intl. airport. 

  • This is the fastest way taking around 40 min. and the most expensive!

  • Kenmore Air - Float plane service, Kenmore Air Harbor is the departure point for floatplane trips to the San Juan Islands located on the north shore of Lake Washington. <location>

  • San Juan Airlines - service from Seattle, Anacortes and Bellingham.

  • Friday Harbor Seaplanes - operating May through early October from Renton, on the south shore of Lake Washington. <location>

  2. By Ferry - this is the most popular method.

  • Departs from the Port of Anacortes ~ a 90-min. drive north of Seattle.

  • Ferry Schedule to the San Juan Islands. <reservations>

    • Ferry Travel - What you need to know.

    • The ferry ride from Anacortes to the islands is ~ one (1) hour.

  • Your car options:

    #1. Leave your car at any of the available parking lots at the terminal. Then walk-onto the ferry. It is a good idea to arrive at the terminal about 40 minutes prior to the ferry time to give yourself enough time to find parking and get your ferry passes. 

    #2. Drive your car onto the ferry. If you choose to drive onto the ferry the wait time could be quite substantial depending on the time and the day. (Busy times are typically ~ 2+ hours.)

  • Summary: It is recommended to bring your car to the islands. The car will provide convenience & you will be able to explore more.

    • Reservations for cars onto the ferry are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED in advance.

    • If you decide not to bring your vehicle, there is cab service on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez Islands.

    • In the summer on San Juan Island only, a shuttle van service runs to the most popular tourist spots. <San Juan transit>

• What is the best island to stay on in the San Juan Islands?

  —That depends on your vacation plans. Each island has unique experiences.

  —Each island’s unique offerings make them adventures all their own, so take the interisland ferry to visit them all !  

• The San Juan Islands are one of the best places to experience whale watching in North America. <excursions>

  • Peak season for viewing the whales is May to September.

• Overnight: San Juan Islands, (3 nights)

What are the things to do in the San Juan Islands?

DAY 6

• Depart the San Juan Islands to Olympic National Park. <route>

• To save time spent at the park entrance gate, pay your entrance fee online at Recreation.gov prior to arriving.

• To maximize your visit it is best to organize a plan.

• Park Rangers recommend the following itinerary:

  Spend your first (1st) full day in the Hurricane Ridge / Lake Crescent area, <route>

  Spend your 2nd day at Hoh Rainforest/Kalaloch and Ruby Beach (on the Pacific coast). <route>

• Overnight: Port Angeles

• Distance: San Juan Islands —> Port Angeles, just outside Olympic Park entrance. 5 hrs. (route includes ferry time)

DAY 7 and 8

• Explore Olympic National Park.

• The park sprawls across several different ecosystems, from the dramatic peaks of the Olympic Mountains to old-growth forests. The hiking trails cut through the park's rainforests and along its Pacific coastline. The park is the size of the state of Rhode Island.

• The best time to visit is July till early September when temperatures are usually warm, most roads and facilities are open.

• Read more on basic information visiting the Park.

• Things to do.

• Sign up for Park Ranger led programs.

  Best hikes:

• Hurricane Ridge - is located 17 miles south of Port Angeles.

  • Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge trail. <Difficulty: moderate> <Length 3.5-mile RT> <Duration: 2 hours> <detailed route>

  • Many visitors begin at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, which offers brochures, maps and tips from rangers on what to do and see. <Learn more>

• Lake Crescent - Marymere Falls trail. <Length 1.7 mile RT> <Duration: 1 hr> <Easy>

  • <Learn more> about visiting Lake Crescent.

• Hoh Rainforest - Hall of Mosses trail. Easy trail surrounded by towering evergreen giants, moss-laden maples & endless green landscape.

  • Very popular trail. <Length: 1.1 miles RT> <Duration: 30 min> <Various trails begin at the Hoh River Visitor Center>

• Kalaloch and Ruby Beach - popular spots with visitors.

  • Both are located on the southwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula. They are accessible directly off of Highway 101 (GPS coordinate).

  • The marine environment consists of three national wildlife refuges.

  • The mile long Kalaloch Nature Trail is an easy loop through coastal forest.

• Overnight: Day 7: Lake Crescent, Day 8: Kalaloch Lodge,

  • <Where to stay>

• Distance:

  • Port Angeles —> Hurricane Ridge —> Lake Crescent. 2 hrs.

  • Lake Crescent —> Hoh Rainforest. 1.5 hrs.

  • Hoh Rainforest —> Kalaloch area. 1 hr.

    
    

DAY 9

• Depart Olympic Park in the early afternoon to Mount Rainer National Park.

  • You can enjoy the morning in the Kalaloch area (Olympic Park) if you missed an activity the day before.

• Arrive at Mount Rainer National Park. The park is located 96 miles (160 km) southeast of Seattle, surrounded by glacier-capped, 14,410-ft (4392 m.) Mount Rainier.

  • The park’s 5,400-ft.-high Paradise region offers glorious mountain views, summertime wildflower meadows and hiking trailheads.

  • North of Paradise is Sunrise Visitor Center (elev. 6,400 ft), the highest point in the park reachable by car.

    • Visitors can fish, hike or just admire Mount Rainier.

  • Basic Information about the Park.

  • If you are planning a summer trip to Mount Rainier, consider visiting mid-week, which is generally less crowded.

  • Purchase park entrance passes from Recreation.gov prior to arrival to save time at the entrance gate.

DAY 10 and 11

• Explore Mount Rainer National Park.

• Mount Rainier Park is implementing a timed entry reservation system. <DETAILS>

  • May 24 through September 2  timed entry reservations are required to enter the Paradise Corridor from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.
    July 4 through September 2  timed entry reservations are required to enter the Sunrise Corridor from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

• Things to do.

  Highlights:

  • Your first stop should be Paradise. Here you'll find the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center providing general information, exhibits, guided ranger programs, a gift store and a cafeteria.

  • ALERT: The only downside is that Paradise is so popular, parking can be hard to come by and you may experience long waits, especially in peak wildflower season (July to August).

  • There are a bevy of trails in the Paradise Area, two (2) of the most popular are:

    • The picturesque Nisqually Vista Trail (1.2 mi/1.9 km) a easy loop trail with views of Mount Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier.

    • A more demanding hike is the Skyline Trail: <Distance: 5.5 miles> <Elevation gain: 1700 feet> <Duration: 4.5 hrs. RT>

    • Read more about Paradise.

  • Visit Sunrise region. Two (2) short hikes which are very popular here:

    • The Sunrise Nature Trail (1.5 mi. RT) - starts from the Sunrise picnic area and is a self-guided loop tour that weaves through meadows with breathtaking views of Mount Rainier and the Cascades along the way.

    • The Silver Forest Trail (1.9 mi. RT) - leads to two overlooks of Emmons Glacier.

      • Follow the Sunrise Rim Trail, then head east on the Silver Forest Trail. This trail leads to spectacular views at the Emmons Vista Overlooks (0.5-mile one way) and continues through an old burn area. <details and map>

  • Night Skies Program (weather permitting)
    Join the rangers for telescope sky viewing and night skies talks. Meet at the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise. (usually Fri-Sun)

• Overnight:

  • Day 9: Paradise. The historic Paradise Inn is recommended. Book 4-6 months in advance. <map>

  • Day 10: Sunrise. <Nearby Lodging>

• Distance: Paradise —> Sunrise. 1.5-hrs.

DAY 12

• Depart for home or add the Vancouver/Victoria Itinerary.

Climate Guide

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