Ahh, Seattle. Home to countless landmarks and museums, unique activities, and everyone’s favorite problematic radio psychiatrist, Dr. Frasier Crane. Seattle holds an interesting balance, boasting everything from great coffee, to outstanding natural beauty, and a cultural significance encouraged by the many stories who have made Seattle their backdrop – from Sleepless in Seattle to Frasier. Whether you’re a seasoned local who groans at the hordes of tourists lined up outside the Space Needle, or a complete tourist who would happily join that line in a heartbeat, there’s no denying that Seattle is a fascinating place to explore. Below we’ve rounded up a selection to help you get the most out of the city, handily categorised into water, food tours and airborne. Enjoy the Emerald City from the sky, the ground or with your taste buds!
Read on to find out our favorites…

Explore Seattle on the Water

We all know water is just slightly better than land, so we’ve rounded up our favorite ways to experience Seattle by boat. Leave those lily-livered land-lovers behind, and climb aboard for an exciting voyage.

Scenic Seattle Harbor Cruise – $36

If you know someone who’s keen to explore Seattle via the water, or need an excuse for a day out yourself, this scenic Seattle Harbor cruise is the answer. Boarding at stunning Pier 55, you’ll be greeted by your captain and crew. The people you take an experience with make all the difference, so you’ll feel instantly relaxed in the knowledge that you’re in the safest hands. From here, the unique voyage begins! Guests will enjoy narration throughout the cruise, learning about Seattle’s rich history with the picturesque skyline as their backdrop. Travelling along the Bay, you’ll experience unparalleled views of the city’s waterfront, as well as the surrounding Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.

Tillicum Village Excursion Tour – $105

This Tillicum Village Excursion Tour takes lucky guests aboard the Goodtime II and sets sail to Blake Island. With onboard narration, guests will reach the shores of this historic Seattle landmark. Once on the island, they will enjoy a mouth-watering buffet meal prepared in the traditional style of Northwest Native Americans, on stakes over alder wood fires (beats a sandwich any day!)
While at Tillicum Village, guests can enjoy a live performance featuring dancers and dramatic storytelling. Following the show, there’ll be plenty of time to explore, and even walk in the footsteps of Chief Seattle himself before the return cruise.

Western Washington Whitewater Rafting – $120

Now onto something a little more hands-on! For those who prefer their experiences white-knuckle, this Washington Rafting Trip is just the ticket. River trips take place on the Methow, Wenatchee or Tieton Rivers – so take your pick to experience the ride of your life!
You’ll meet your friendly and knowledgeable river guides at the start of your experience. Any trepidation you have about your upcoming experience is sure to be quelled by their friendly professionalism – and remember, they have your safety in the forefront of their minds. First, they’ll outfit you with your helmet, life jacket and paddle: essential kit for the adventurer! Once your group has been assigned to a raft, you will go over the basics of paddling techniques prior to launching the raft into the river. Once in the white waters, participants will paddle their way through exciting rapids, enjoy swimming holes, and take in the amazing Cascade views. All that activity is sure to make you hungry, so at the end of your experience you’ll enjoy a delicious top sirloin steak BBQ with all the fixin’s! what better way to end a day on the water?

San Juan Islands Whale Watching Cruise – $147

This San Juan Islands Whale Watching Cruise makes the perfect gift for those who prefer the water to the land, and is the ideal excuse for a day out. Any budding marine naturalists in the group will be thrilled by the prospect of the fascinating marine wildlife who call San Juan their home – not to mention the stunning natural beauty that surrounds it.

Begin your adventure at Seattle Waterfront, where you’ll board the Victoria Clipper III and cruise north, through the waters of Puget Sound. Once you reach your destination, you’ll enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour whale and sea life excursion of the San Juan islands. Highlights include native and migratory pods of Orca whales, bald eagles, Dall’s porpoises, and sea otters! Once the ship docks back at the seaside village of Friday Harbor, you’ll have two fun-filled hours to explore the idyllic leafy streets, enjoy some local activities, or take the opportunity for a shopping trip in some of the speciality stores and galleries, filled with unique crafts and local art. You could even dine at one of the town’s highly regarding restaurants, or take a tour of the famous Whale Museum. A truly eclectic and memorable day out!

Intro to Sailing Gig Harbor – $178

Try your hand at sailing with this two-hour private lesson! You needn’t travel far outside of Seattle to discover all that sailing has to offer; this fascinating experience takes place just 40-minutes south west of Seattle and a few minutes north of Tacoma, in the sailor’s paradise of Gig Harbor. This voucher is valid for 2 lucky participants, so bring a curious guest and take to the water! During this roughly 2-hour experience, you’ll learn the basics of sailing, or sit back and relax while the skipper does the work. Whether you’ve never sailed before or are a seasoned sailor looking to brush up on existing skills, this nautical adventure is the perfect way to enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors and spend time with loved ones.

Taste Seattle with a Food Tour

What better way to experience a place than through its food? Every city has its own signature cuisine; a dish or drink that they make really well – and whether you’re local to the area or visiting for the first time, you’d be crazy not to try it. You wouldn’t go to Spain without trying a churro, Italy without pizza, or England without… going hungry. (Only kidding, the fish and chips are pretty great.) In Seattle’s case, the city boasts so many signature dishes and drinks that your best bet is to take a food tour in order to experience them all like a true local. Read on to find out our favorite Seattle food tours…

Pike Place Market Culinary Tour – $55

This Pike Place market tour is a great place to start for locals or tourists looking to explore the best of what Seattle’s food has to offer. The famous Pike Place market is bursting with locally made food and drink just waiting to be discovered! Highlights include clam chowder and seafood bisque, Washington’s #1 artisan handmade cheese, Tom Douglas’ crab bites, homemade fleur de sel caramels, Oprah’s favorite mac ‘n’ cheese, savory Russian Piroshky pastries, and much more! During your tour, you’ll discover unique flavors, meet the purveyors that bring Pike Place market to life, hear humorous stories, and pick up a few culinary buying / cooking tips for home! This tour is a great mix of history and food, perfect for any curious foodies.

Seattle Chocolate Tour – $67

Explore Seattle – via chocolate? Don’t mind if we do…

This coffee and chocolate tour will take its guests on a delicious journey through the Seattle, proving that there are so many things the city does well.
You better arrive hungry for your chocolate tour, as you’ll be treated to an array of delicious sweets from the finest chocolatiers and chocolate makers in the city. Highlights include Tom Douglas’ famous triple coconut cream pie and chocolate chunk cookies, mini cupcakes and rich chocolate brownies, hand-crafted chocolate cocktails, Colombian drinking chocolate and more!

Seattle Happy Hour Tour – $84

Clink! Who doesn’t love a cocktail? If you’re more into your booze than your food, this Seattle Happy Hour Tour is the perfect experience for you. You’ll meet your guide at Pike’s Place, and they’ll escort you and the rest of the guests down the cobblestone road to five of the city’s hottest spots and local favorites. Enjoy a uniquely Seattle night out, encompassing the best nightlife the city has to offer. From speakeasies to former brothels, your bar-hopping adventure will educate you on how alcohol shaped Seattle’s history, and the kind of distinctive craft cocktails contemporary bartenders shake up today! Let’s party like it’s the prohibition era (…but with better alcohol and a slightly lower risk of being arrested.)

Seattle Barista Class – $195

You could say that Seattle was the birthplace of the coffee revolution, being home to the first ever Starbucks, and encouraging the idea that coffee can be so much more than just something to perk you up in the morning. Today, Seattle has more coffee shops than you could shake a stick at, each with its own creative way of doing things.
Whether you’re brand new to the joy of coffee or own 15 novelty mugs that all say things like ‘Don’t Talk to Me Until I’ve Had My Coffee’ (if so, we need to talk about your choices), this three-hour barista class is a great way to acquaint yourself with the process of creating the perfect cup of joe. You’ll start your experience at the area’s premier barista school, where you’ll meet your friendly and professional instructors. These latte artists have been trained by the Seattle Barista Academy – the equivalent of a saxophonist graduating from Juilliard – so they know their stuff when it comes to crafting the perfect cup. During the lesson, you’ll learn how to extract espresso and diagnose taste problems, how to properly steam milk (hugely satisfying when you get the hang of it), and tips and recipes for competition-quality espresso beverages. By the end of the day, you’ll be buzzing on your new expertise (and the samples of your caffeinated creations you tried during the class, of course…)

Victoria Day Trip with Afternoon Tea – $234

We’re cheating a bit with this one, as it takes you out of Seattle – but we think it’s worth it for the adventure that’ll unfold as you head to Victoria on a full day sightseeing excursion. You’ll board the Victoria Clipper in Seattle, and enjoy a scenic cruise to Canada. Upon arrival in Victoria, you can explore the city before enjoying your afternoon tea at The Fairmont Empress. This landmark hotel has been serving afternoon tea for over a century, so they know what they’re doing! From royalty to celebrities and dignitaries, the traditional afternoon tea at the Empress is an authentically British-inspired experience. During the one-hour tableside tea service, you will enjoy scones, sandwiches, pastries and of course, freshly brewed teas. Before boarding the Clipper ship back to Seattle, you will have more time to explore this beautiful city.

See Seattle from the sky

Okay, so you’ve explored Seattle by foot, on water, and eaten every delicacy going. What now? There’s another unique way to experience this beautiful city… from the sky! Seattle helicopter rides, skydives, and hot air balloon rides all give you the opportunity to see the sights from a brand new point of view, and if you’re an adrenaline junky, you’ll get the rush of a lifetime with one of the below aerial adventures!

Hands-On Helicopter Flight in Seattle – $145

If you’ve always had dreams of becoming a pilot, this hands-on helicopter flight in Seattle is the perfect experience for you.

Meet your instructor five minutes south of Boeing airfield, where they’ll brief you on safety and proper procedures. Next, onto ground school instruction, conducted at the helicopter. You will learn how it flies, what each control does, how to read the gauges, what to look for in conducting the pre-flight inspection, and how to make sure the helicopter is safe to fly. After the inspection is complete, you’ll take to the air for a half hour flight lesson, during which you’ll take the controls with the help of your flight instructor. By the end of this thrilling aerial adventure, you’ll feel just like a real pilot. (You might need to invest in some cool shades…)

Tandem Skydive Toledo – $220

Another thrilling experience for aviation enthusiasts… leap from a plane approximately 2 ½ miles above the ground, and freefall for 60 seconds over Toledo, Washington. You’ll meet your qualified instructors at Ed Carlson Memorial Airport, where you’ll receive a briefing on training and safety before being suited up for your tandem skydive. Any reservations you had about jumping out of a plane will be quelled by completely understanding the equipment and sequence of events – knowledge is power, after all! Nothing can compare to the sensation of jumping out of an airplane, reaching an unbelievable freefall of 120 MPH. You’ll feel on top of the world after you land back on the ground following on from a 4 – 6 minute scenic parachute ride. Nothing can stop you now!

Seattle Helicopter Tour – $220

For a more traditional way of experiencing Seattle from the sky, try this scenic helicopter tour. (Well, when we say ‘traditional’…)

This 20-minute tour departs from Boeing Field-King County International Airport. There, you’ll meet your pilot and hop into a Robinson R44. The flight will take you over unbelievable views of downtown Seattle, the Downtown Stadiums, Space Needle, Lake Union, University of Washington, Lake Washington, Ballard Locks and Ship Canal, Fisherman’s Terminal, Elliott Bay Marina and more. An unforgettable experience.

Seattle Hot Air Balloon Ride – $250

This Seattle hot air balloon ride is a definite ‘bucket list’ item, and makes the perfect romantic gift for someone special in your life who’d like to see Seattle from new heights! After all, hot air balloons are so synonymous with romance, they’ve become popular venues for marriage proposals (not that we’re giving you ideas or anything…)

You’ll meet your friendly pilot and crew at the airfield, where you’ll help with the inflation of the balloon’s envelope. Once inflated, you and the rest of the passengers will climb into the basket while the pilot continues to use the burner to heat up the air inside of the hot air balloon. When the air inside of the balloon is heated to the correct temperature, the balloon will gradually ascend above the tree tops, over a thousand feet into the sky. As you float over the gorgeous scenery below, you will travel peacefully at wind speed for approximately one hour. A truly unforgettable way to see Seattle.

Thank you for reading!

… and that concludes our list of the best tours and gifts in Seattle! We hope you’ve found the perfect gift for the Seattle native in your life, or just a cool new way to experience the city. Seattle has so much to offer, from incredible landmarks and museums, to beautiful parks, to bustling bars and nightlife. If you haven’t yet found the perfect tour, browse our full range of Seattle gifts to see everything going on in the Emerald City. Of course if you have any questions about our experiences, feel free to leave a comment – we’d love to hear from you!