Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs

The Best things to do in Seattle in a 24-hour period.

You might ask what you can do when you visit Seattle in just 24 hours. Well, if you are like us, quite a lot if you don’t mind doing a little walking. After disembarkation from an Alaskan cruise, we had limited options for flights home. We decided the best options left us with a 24-hour layover in Seattle.

We made a reservation at The Paramount Hotel, but as it was only 8 AM when we arrived in Seattle, we checked our bags with the hotel front desk clerk, and we were off to make the most of our 24 hours in Seattle. The Paramount is a beautiful hotel that is very centrally located, hence a must when you plan to maximize your limited time in a city.

Pike Place Market:

Our first plan was to head back to the waterfront and visit the Seattle landmark – Pike Place Market. Stroll the market, smell the flowers, and do some shopping. Then we grabbed a croissant and a famous coffee at one of the quaint cafes or the original Starbucks.

As you walk through the market, you may not be able to buy fish, but you will definitely want to stop and check out the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market as they put on their little show. Get your camera ready to take a video because the show is quite entertaining as they toss giant fish across the market at each other.

At Pike Place, you will also find one of the weirdest attractions you have ever expected to visit: Pike Place Gum Wall. That’s right. This wall of gum is located at “Post Alley” behind the market theatre, where wads of chewed gum are stuck to the walls on either side of the alley.

Seattle Waterfront:

The Seattle Aquarium is close to Pike Place and located on Pier 59 of Seattle’s waterfront. This is a small aquarium but definitely worth checking out, and since it is small, it won’t dig too much into your 24 hours. Watch the sea otters put on a show, as sea otters are known to do, those playful, adorable little scamps.

Walk along the waterfront to Olympic Park and check out the sculpture garden. There are some great views of the city from here as well. Look up and see the iconic Space Needle in your sights. Head up the hill (sorry, but Seattle is a pretty hilly city) to Space Needle Park. Surely, you will spend a good portion of your day because there is so much to do around here. In addition to a very large garden with vendors and festivals, there are several excellent museums here. Some you may wish to visit: The Museum of Pop Culture – which includes the “Experience the Music Project”, The Children’s Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the Pacific Science Centre.

Around Town:

As you tour the city, you will see other great iconic structures like the Pink Elephant Carwash Sign. You may recognize this structure from many movies and television shows. Fans of Archie McPhee novelties and toys will love to stop and visit their store.

The Cinerama theatre is one of only a handful of theatres left in existence that have the ability to show 3-panel Cinerama-technology films. Fans of cinematic history will want to visit this theatre and see a movie if there is still time left in your 24 hours.

Take a load off and grab the nearest Hop on/Hop off bus. Rest up a bit as you take in the sites as you tour the city and see as much as possible without the walking. You can get off the bus and visit one of the many craft breweries or Coffee houses that Seattle is known for. Victoria Coffee House and Starbucks Reserve Roastery are very popular spots for coffee lovers.

Unusual Attractions in Seattle

Our next stops may be a little out of the way, but they are definitely worth a visit. Straight up Aurora Ave heading north, you will pass the Queen Anne district. Here, you will find some fantastic homes in the Queen Anne style of architecture that Seattle is known for. Some of the locals refer to them as the “friendly witches’ houses”.

Across the Water, you will find another local icon: the Freemont Troll at the Troll Statue Bridge. This roadside attraction is located under Aurora Ave N at N 36th St.  It is definitely worth a visit if you love offbeat roadside attractions as we do.

Concluding your 24 hours in Seattle

Once you are back downtown, do some shopping and go for a spin on the Great Wheel Ferris wheel.  Don’t forget to spend your last few hours in the city enjoying a great meal. Seattle is a great food town. One of the best meals I have ever had was an excellent Mexican meal at Mama’s Cantina on 2nd Avenue. We asked several locals for some restaurant recommendations and tried to get into the top 3 or 4 options we received.  Most restaurants were busy as it was a Saturday night, and we couldn’t make it into any of them. Then we came across a vibrant Mexican restaurant, and while it was busy, there was no wait. We had fantastic Margaritas (Jalapeno), appetizers, and a delicious meal. 

This was a very busy day, for sure. However, it was one that was packed with experiences, activities, and memories that would last a lifetime.  A 24-hour layover can be a lot of fun. Above all, make the most of your time and experience as much as possible in a new city. It may whet your appetite to come back to revisit Seattle.

Good Night, Seattle, we love you.