Washington · best-of list
27 Top Things to Do in Washington
All 27 things to do our route editors picked in Washington, across 8 destinations, gathered in one list. 4 spots on this list appear on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
27 things to do in Washington, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Seattle 8 picks
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Seattle · On our Pacific Northwest route + 1 more
Dale Chihuly's glasswork in galleries and a garden beside the Space Needle.
Tip: Combo tickets with the Space Needle save money.
Photo: Jllm06 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kerry Park
Seattle · On our Pacific Northwest route + 1 more
Small Queen Anne park with the classic skyline view of the Space Needle and, on clear days, Mount Rainier.
Tip: Best at sunset; street parking is tight.
Photo: Sage Ross · CC BY-SA 2.0
Seattle Art Museum
Seattle · On our Pacific Northwest route + 1 more
Downtown art museum with strong Northwest Coast Native and modern collections.
Photo: Rootology · CC BY-SA 3.0
Space Needle
Seattle · On our Puget Sound Islands route + 1 more
1962 tower with a rotating glass floor at 500 feet.
Tip: Combo tickets with Chihuly save money.
Photo: Jordon Kalilich · Public domain
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Seattle · On our Pacific Northwest route
Ballard Locks move boats between Lake Washington and Puget Sound; fish ladder windows show migrating salmon.
Tip: Salmon run peaks July–September.
Photo: jparra2K · GooglePacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker at McCaw Hall
Seattle · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Pacific Northwest Ballet's annual Nutcracker, staged at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center from late November through late December.
Tip: Matinees on weekdays near Christmas are the easiest seats to get.
Seattle Central Library
Seattle · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Rem Koolhaas glass-and-steel library with a spiral book ramp.
Tip: Free; ride to the 10th floor for the view down.
Photo: Ɱ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Westlake Park
Seattle · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Downtown plaza that hosts the city's tree lighting, a holiday carousel and light-wrapped trees each December.
Tip: The tree is lit the Friday after Thanksgiving; the carousel runs daily through late December.
Photo: Seattle Municipal Archives · CC BY 2.0
San Juan Island 6 picks
English Camp
San Juan Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
British garrison site with restored buildings and a Young Hill hike.
Tip: Hike Young Hill for views over Garrison Bay.
Photo: Richard Amacher · Google
Roche Harbor
San Juan Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Historic marina village with a flag ceremony at sunset in summer.
Tip: Stay for the evening colors ceremony.
Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park
San Juan Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Over 100 sculptures along trails at Roche Harbor.
Tip: Free; donations welcome.
Photo: Miss Umar · Google
The Farm at Krystal Acres
San Juan Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Working alpaca farm in the island's west valley, with pastures to walk and a barn shop of alpaca-wool goods.
Tip: Pairs well with a drive to English Camp or Roche Harbor.
Photo: The Farm at Krystal Acres · Google
The Whale Museum
San Juan Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Small Friday Harbor museum on the Southern Resident orcas and local research.
Tip: Good primer before whale watching.
Photo: The Whale Museum · Google
Whale watching from Friday Harbor
San Juan Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Boat tours to find orcas, humpbacks and minke whales in Haro Strait.
Tip: Book a small boat; May–Sep gives the best odds.
Photo: Western Prince Whale Watching Adventures · Google
Leavenworth 4 picks
Front Street Park
Leavenworth · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
The town green and gazebo at the heart of the Christmas Lighting Festival, where the village lights are switched on at dusk.
Tip: Find a spot near the gazebo before the lighting; carolers and roasted chestnut stands set up around the park.
Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum
Leavenworth · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Upstairs museum on Front Street with thousands of nutcrackers from around the world, some centuries old.
Photo: Miscellaneous contributor · CC0Leavenworth Ski Hill
Leavenworth · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Small community ski hill just north of town with rope tows, tubing, night skiing and groomed Nordic trails.
Stevens Pass
Leavenworth · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Major ski area on the Cascade crest, 45 minutes west of Leavenworth on US 2, with night skiing on the front side.
Tip: Weekend lots fill early; arrive before 9am or ski a weekday.
Photo: Buidhe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bainbridge Island 3 picks
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
Bainbridge Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Memorial at the dock where 227 Japanese American residents were forced out in 1942.
Tip: Walk the cedar wall of names.
Photo: Eric Baer · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
Bainbridge Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
Free museum of Puget Sound contemporary art steps from the ferry.
Tip: Free; check the jewelry and book-art galleries.
Photo: 박현진 · Google
Seattle–Bainbridge ferry
Bainbridge Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
35-minute ride across Elliott Bay with views of the skyline and Mount Rainier.
Tip: Stand on the stern deck leaving Seattle.
Photo: Aline Gumz · Google
Seattle Center & Queen Anne 2 picks
International Fountain
Seattle Center & Queen Anne · On our Seattle New Year's Eve route
Domed fountain at the heart of Seattle Center whose lawn becomes a dance floor with projections on New Year's Eve.
Tip: The lawn and Fisher Pavilion roof are the closest public views; arrive before 10 pm.
Photo: DimiTalen · CC BY-SA 3.0New Year's at the Needle
Seattle Center & Queen Anne · On our Seattle New Year's Eve route
Seattle's free midnight show, with drones and fireworks launched from the 605-foot Space Needle itself.
Tip: The main show starts about seven minutes before midnight; the earlier light shows run on the half hour from 10 pm.
Snoqualmie Pass 2 picks
Northwest Railway Museum
Snoqualmie Pass · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Railway museum based in the 1890 Snoqualmie Depot, running its Santa Train to the falls on December weekends.
Tip: Santa Train tickets go on sale in the fall and sell out; the depot and train shed are open without them.
Photo: ItsDaDoc · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Summit at Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie Pass · On our Seattle, Snoqualmie Pass & Leavenworth route
Four ski areas at the top of I-90, the closest skiing to Seattle, with one of the largest night-skiing operations in the country.
Tip: Come for night skiing after the Seattle traffic has cleared; tubing runs at Summit Central.
Photo: Buidhe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Olympic NP 1 pick
Marymere Falls Trail
Olympic NP · On our Pacific Northwest route
Easy 1.8-mile round trip through old-growth forest to a 90-foot waterfall.
Tip: Add the steep Mount Storm King spur for big lake views.
Photo: ron haydon · Google
Pike Place Market & Waterfront 1 pick
Seattle Aquarium
Pike Place Market & Waterfront · On our Seattle New Year's Eve route
Waterfront aquarium on Pier 59 with a domed underwater room, sea otters and the new Ocean Pavilion.
Tip: Check the holiday hours before going; it closes early on Dec 31.
Photo: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Washington?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 27 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Washington has the most things to do on this list?
Seattle has the most (8 of 27), followed by San Juan Island (6) and Leavenworth (4).
Are any of these free?
14 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Kerry Park, Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, English Camp, Front Street Park, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Washington
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Seattle 8 on this list
- San Juan Island 6 on this list
- Leavenworth 4 on this list
- Bainbridge Island 3 on this list
- Seattle Center & Queen Anne 2 on this list
- Snoqualmie Pass 2 on this list
- Olympic NP 1 on this list
- Pike Place Market & Waterfront 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.