Add dates

Seattle Self-guided activities

Our most recommended Seattle Self-guided activities

Must-See Seattle: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

1. Must-See Seattle: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Sit back, relax, and enjoy Seattle's most popular and important sights on this sightseeing bus tour. Hop on and hop off at any of the allocated tour stops to explore the sights that interest you the most. As you travel, enjoy panoramic views of the city from the open-top deck on the bus, plus a wonderful audio commentary giving you all the information you need. Hop off at popular landmarks including the space needle, one of the cities tallest structures and home to a wonderful observation deck and revolving restaurant. With the Premium Ticket, not only will you have access to all 16 bus stops, but you can enjoy the Scenic Panoramic Tour which gives you completely unrivaled views of the city. This ticket also includes a walking tour in the Pioneer Square Historic District, allowing you to take an in-depth look at some of Seattle's fascinating past.  Must See Seattle Route: • Space Needle • Clipper Vacations • Edgewater Hotel • Pier 66 Cruise Terminal • Waterfront • Pioneer & Occidental Square • Chinatown • Panama Hotel & Tea House • Seattle Sky View Observatory • Seattle Central Library • Seattle Convention Center • Pike Place Market • Capitol Hill & Jimi Hendrix Statue • Paramount Theatre • Westlake Center & Shopping • Amazon Spheres

Seattle: Chihuly Garden and Glass Entry Ticket

2. Seattle: Chihuly Garden and Glass Entry Ticket

Lose yourself in the mesmerizing mix of colors and light, and glass and steel that is Chihuly Garden and Glass. Take your time to wander through the exhibition's 8 interior galleries, richly landscaped outdoor garden, and magnificent centerpiece Glasshouse. Venture through each gallery and marvel at numerous blown-glass works that demonstrate how Dale Chihuly pushed the boundaries of glass as art. While exploring the exhibition, receive complimentary digital photo download and access to daily Gallery Talks and live glass demonstrations. Let the 40-foot tall glass and steel structure that covers 4,500 square feet of light-filled space – the Glasshouse — completely captivate you. The installation in the Glasshouse is an expansive 100-foot-long sculpture in a color palette of reds, oranges, yellows, and amber. Made of many individual elements, it is one of Chihuly’s largest suspended sculptures. Stroll through a lush garden that serves as the backdrop for glass sculptures made of impossible shapes and brilliant colors.

Iconic Seattle: City Exploration Game

3. Iconic Seattle: City Exploration Game

Play an exploration game on your phone that takes you to the most iconic spots of Seattle, Washington. Enjoy the flexibility and safety of an activity ran entirely on an app. Use clues, solve problems, and unlock stories as you explore the city and learn its history. Start your exploration game at the Father and Son fountain. From there, simply follow the game route and instructions. Explore at your own pace: pause the game and resume anytime from any location where you paused it. As you solve challenges, the story unfolds and exact directions on your phone will guide you to the next stop. Visit the Seattle Cloud Cover, Anne Frank Chestnut Tree, Space Needle, and more. Choose to play on your own, in a large group, or in several smaller groups to compete against each other and race to the final stop of the game. Try a new type of experience that’s the perfect mix between a tour, outdoor escape game, and treasure hunt.

Seattle: Historical Downtown Exploration Game

4. Seattle: Historical Downtown Exploration Game

Be led on an exciting self-guided tour around Seattle's city center while playing a mobile-based quest with your friends and family. Solve clues and discover the fascinating history behind the monuments and attractions. Download the app, go to the starting point, and begin the adventure. Follow clues that will take you back in time to learn about the origins of some of downtown's most iconic buildings and tourist sites like Pike Place Market. Here's a sneak peek at the storyline: “You are standing at Union Station, unsure of why you're there. You realize you're a ticket for the S.S. Portland. You'll need to gather your supplies before boarding the next ship to the Yukon region to try your luck finding gold before other miners..." Unlock the secret stories of the places you visit as you solve the problem and guess the answers. Learn about the events around the Klondike Gold Rush, the Seattle Underground, the Great Seattle Fire. Use the clues to lead you from one site to another. Each clue provides you with exact directions so you won't need a map, GPS, or guide. Complete the tour in about 1.5 hours, however, there’s no time limit, allowing you to go at your own pace. Play as a group or split into smaller groups/teams and compete against the others. Each person can also play on their own, separate from the group, and meet the group at the end of the tour.

Seattle: National Nordic Museum Entry Ticket

5. Seattle: National Nordic Museum Entry Ticket

Explore Nordic history and culture over the last twelve thousand years and learn how it influenced the growth of Seattle as a regional and national leader in arts, culture, and business. Visiting exhibitions are drawn from contemporary artists and collections of leading Nordic institutions. Nordic Journeys explores the five Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—and looks at the autonomous territories of Faroe Islands, Greenland, and the Åland Islands, as well as the cultural region of Sápmi, home of the indigenous Sámi people. Though from different nations and backgrounds, the Nordic people are guided by their common values: a commitment to social justice, an abiding respect for nature, an intellectual curiosity, and an openness to new ideas. You will encounter these values throughout the Nordic Journeys exhibition. Nordic Journeys features not only beloved and important artifacts from the Museum’s own permanent collection of nearly 80,000 objects, but also nearly 100 objects on loan from the National Museums of all five Nordic countries and significant American collections. You will encounter utilitarian stone axes and tools that are more than four thousand years old; the rich contents of a Viking grave; rare religious objects from the Christianization of the Nordic region; the traditional objects of everyday life at home and at work; as well as iconic examples of twentieth-century modern design. Emigration from the Nordic region brought millions of settlers to North America—many of whom found a new home in the Pacific Northwest, including the Ballard area where the National Nordic Museum is located today. Embark on a journey through the extraordinary history of the Nordic region and Nordic emigration. Along the way, you will meet ancient nomadic and contemporary semi-nomadic peoples, Vikings, explorers, emigrants, and expatriates—all with a story to tell!

Seattle: The Pink Panther App-Guided City Exploration Game

6. Seattle: The Pink Panther App-Guided City Exploration Game

The Pink Panther Diamond has been stolen, and it's up to you to crack the case. This hilarious and fun Outdoor Adventure will navigate you to the hot spots, highlights, and best parts of the city that we know you'll want to see. You'll discover new places, hidden gems, and little nooks that you might want to return to, all while being entertained by the inimitable Inspector Clouseau, as you practice your detective skills and deduce your way to solving the Case of the Missing Diamond. Your adventure starts and ends at the dazzling Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Pop Culture (open 7 days a week). Less than a minute's walk from the iconic Space Needle observation deck. Throughout your journey you are the star, so you should feel right at home exploring a diverse range of Seattle Neighborhoods, including Volunteer Park (the final resting place of the iconic Bruce Lee), the homes of Grunge bands Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the lively Seattle Waterfront, some great Seattle coffee and much more. Explore until your heart's content. Then, when it's time to move on, press the button and the adventure continues. Whether you journey solo, with friends, or with family, you will have the freedom to explore each location at your own pace. If you find a spot that you want to hang out in, no problem. The bounce app will wait until you're ready to move on, whether it’s in an hour or even the next day. Your adventure remains available to you until you complete it, so feel free to take your time. The Pink Panther and the Case of the Missing Diamond is the best way to discover a new destination or even rediscover your hometown. So, get your tickets, jump in the car, and explore the city the right way.

Seattle Self-Guided Audio Tour

7. Seattle Self-Guided Audio Tour

Enjoy a 3-hour self-guided audio tour of Seattle that comes with a fully detailed map of the area the tour covers. Explore the city that’s home to the first Starbucks store! Discover the wonders of Seattle, visiting the iconic Space Needle and the bustling Pike Place Market. Learn about the Gold Rush days on a visit to the famous Klondike Gold Rush Park. Stop at some of the many restaurants and cafés, and try some of the best seafood in the country. See Victor Steinbrueck Park, take in the views from Alki Point and ride the Monorail at Westlake Center. See the 5th Avenue Theater, the Seattle Art Museum and Pioneer Square. Enjoy your tour at your own pace.

Seattle: App-Based Scavenger Hunt

8. Seattle: App-Based Scavenger Hunt

Looking for a family friendly activity? We can help you explore the city with our fun photo scavenger hunt. Using your smartphone, you'll be given a scavenger hunt list of items to find in the form of riddles and challenges to complete on our scavenger hunt app. You'll go look for the item described in the riddle, complete the accompanied challenge, and send in a photo to get points. Your points will show up on the app's leaderboard so you can see how you're doing compared to teams all across the country! Operation City Quest can be played in any city, no matter how big or small! Don't worry, you won't be alone. You'll have a remote host that will be communicating with you during your game via a chat feature on the app if you need help or have a question. They can also give you hints and additional *mystery* challenges! The goal of this interactive scavenger hunt is to find all the items, earn your way to the top of the leaderboard, and more importantly, to have fun with family and friends! Our games usually take about 2 hours and most teams walk around 2 miles during their scavenger hunt.

Frequently asked questions about Seattle Self-guided activities

What are other things to do than Self-guided activities that are worth visiting in Seattle?

The other unmissable things to do in Seattle are:

Which Seattle Self-guided activities are taking additional COVID-19 precautions?

Other Sightseeing Options in Seattle

Want to discover all there is to do in Seattle? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Seattle

My 11-year-old granddaughter chose the Chihuly Garden as a birthday outing with the grandparents. We were all fascinated by the beautiful glasswork, especially my granddaughter. There are about six or seven indoor rooms with fabulous glass exhibits. There is a large sunny atrium with glass art at the ceiling. And finally there is an outdoor garden of glass artwork in the shadow of the iconic Space Needle.

Amazing glass work. The demonstration of creating a glass vase was informative and entertaining. And the garden! Beautiful in itself but add the beautiful glass structures and it was well worth the peaceful walk thru.

Chihuly is my favorite artist so I’m a bit bias! The exhibit is awesome. We’ll curated. Lighting perfect. Good explanations. Be sure and watch a couple of the short videos to get a sense of his process.

Beautiful glasswork throughout the entire facility, informative short films, glass blowing demonstration - definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in glass or all things beautiful.

Excellent display. Worth every penny. Ticket set up online is confusing and poorly done.