Seattle in One Day: 10 Things You Gotta See, Do, and Eat

If you only got to visit Seattle for just one day, you need a cheat sheet guide to help you decide where to go and what to eat. You might be tempted to turn to ChatGPT for a quick itinerary, but I would rather you bookmark this webpage instead because I'm going to tell you all the things that I would do!

I've lived here in Washington for over 20-something years, and I've been to Seattle a handful of times. You need my insider's guide to Seattle on a budget-from a real, live human, NOT THE AI VERSION!

10 Things You Gotta Do in Seattle (On a Budget)

#10: Before I continue, do you have enough dough for just one teenie little splurge?

Because if you do, I highly suggest you buy a ticket to ride the elevator up the Space Needle. Sure, it's the biggest tourist trap in Seattle, but as someone who did this with a three-year-old and survived, I highly suggest you do it. Just once is good. (The other touristy thing is the Underground Walking Tour.)

That leaves us with nine other things you need to see, do, and eat in Seattle.

#9: Are you up for leaving the city for the day?

This suggestion is great for those of us who have already been to Seattle before and want to try something outside the box. I suggest you take a ferry and get the heck out of dodge. (DODGE, not DOGE!) Here's a list of towns you can visit from the ferry station downtown:

• Friday Harbor
• Bremerton
• Oak Harbor
• Orcas Island
• Anacortes
• Bainbridge Island

#8: Dick's Burgers

They are so good, even Sir Mix-A-Lot put 'em in his music videos! Celebs will wait in line just like the rest of us just to get a bag of Dick's! Sing "Posse on Broadway" as you walk down the street with your food. No one will think you're weird, I promise.**

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#7: Take the Tram

It's a cute thing to do, especially if you have kids. It gets you out of the heat if it's hot outside, out of the elements if it's raining, and will save your tired feet from walking a couple hundred steps!

#6: Visit Pike Place Market

To Do List:

• Poke fun of all the tourists who stand in long lines to step a foot inside the very first Starbucks (okay, it IS a tourist attraction).
• Checking out the kitchy stores downstairs and inside and buy some pepper jelly to take home as a souvenir (I like to put it on entertainment crackers with brie).
• See the (gross but cool) Gum Wall and take selfies like all the other tourists do. (Or don't.)
• Watch them throw the fish on the street by the cobblestones and the giant pig statue.
• Count how many people try to sit on said pig statute. (Give yourself a point for each adult and 5 points per kid who is too big to be sitting on that thing.)
• Yell out, "Find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real! This is the Real World: SEATTLE!" and get strange stares from passersby like I did.

#5: Visit the Downtown Seattle Library

Take in the cool architecture, peruse the magazines, people watch, have a seat to wait for the rainy drizzle to stop: This sightseeing experience is very unique!

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#4: Catch the city bus (or take an Uber) to the Columbia District.

It's the historical haunts of the African American population and is still filled with rich Afro-Caribbean culture, food, and home architecture.

#3: Walk around with the crowds and window shop in the Downtown Retail Core near Pacific Place.

If you walk by the Tiffany store, do not press your nose against the glass and for heaven's sake, don't grab a donut and try to relive your own Audrey Hepburn moment.

#2: See a concert or the symphony.

If you're staying near downtown Seattle, you're in luck because there's the Showbox, Paramount Theatre, Crocodile Cafe, McCaw Hill, Benaroya Hall, and Neumos.

#1: Go to a major sports game.

We've got the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders, Seattle Storm, and Seattle Kraken! They'll be playing at either Climate Pledge Arena, T-Mobile Park, or Lumen Field.

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I hope you have a ton of fun during your stay in Seattle. Just remember, we can spot if you're a tourist from a mile away if you walk around with an umbrella during the rain!

**Everyone will think you are weird, I promise.