72 Hours in Seattle Travel Plan

How goes it, fine people of the world? We are wrapping up our weekend, and boy was it a productive one. Got some big chores done, some relaxing in, and celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. I’ll be exhausted tomorrow, but it was worth it!

72 hours in Seattle Travel Plan

I mentioned our weekend in Seattle here and here, and wanted to follow it up with a  72 hours in Seattle Travel Plan. We’ve been enjoying checking out new cities for the weekend (see San Francisco here), and it’s been our thing to fully immerse ourselves in the culture by not renting a car and taking public transportation to get around. While this limits our scope a bit, it forces us to really take in the essence of the city. Because it’s just for the weekend, it makes our trip more manageable by creating a smaller footprint to explore.

72 Hours in Seattle Travel Plan: Where to Stay

When you are visiting a city for just 72 hours, choosing a home base is critical. Being in the heart of the city, with quick access to the airport is first priority. We chose to stay at the Executive Hotel Pacific in the heart of Seattle. Rated well, located within close proximity to a Link light rail stop, situated above a nice bar and coffee house, friendly staff and clean room = everything we need. We were able to book at a discount, and even enjoyed a nightly wine reception included in our stay. Located within walking distance to the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass, Pike Place Market, harbor cruise, restaurants, bars and basically everything you can squeeze into a weekend excursion. We enjoyed our stay, and while this isn’t a five-star hotel, it offers clean rooms and nice amenities.

72 Hour Seattle Travel Plan: What To Do

Here is our itinerary, which worked out really well:

First Night:

Fly in on Friday night, take Link light rail to hotel. Check-in, get settled and head out for a drink. Our hotel had The Lodge Sports Grill located onsite, for an easy dinner or nightcap.

Day One:

Check out the infamous Seattle Space Needle, obvs. They open at 9 on the weekends, and you can set up a tour through a kiosk in the front of the building. We bought the combo ticket to include the Chihuly Garden and Glass for a discounted rate. Tours typically take 20 minutes, and are at your own pace.

Next up, check out the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit, right next door. This stop takes a bit longer, and you’ll want to save time for the glass blowing demonstration. The artisans show you how to make a glass piece from start to finish in their outdoor Airstream trailer studio. It’s pretty neat, and I definitely recommend making time to catch this exhibit! This took us a few hours to explore. Also nearby: the MoPOP. Cool architecture and a neat lobby, but we didn’t explore this museum.

Round out the day with an hour-long harbor cruise. We booked with Argosy Cruises and had a blast! The ship boasts a fully-stocked bar, snacks and a great tour guide who gave us the 411 on all the history of Seattle. We learned a ton, caught a buzz and got some really good sightseeing in of the skyline that makes this city famous!

Our final stop in this busy day was to the Can Can for a burlesque show that did NOT disappoint. OY! I reserved this show online, and when we got there we were warmly greeted, had a quick complimentary photo shoot and enjoyed $25 off dinner with our tickets.  I highly recommend buying your tickets far in advance, as this is a very small venue with limited seating often sold out. Located in Pike Place Market, the show is professional, flirty and fun – and the food is the best we had in Seattle. The bar is cool and serves delicious craft libations that went down probably a little too easily.

Day Two:

Sleep in. Because Day One was a whirlwind of fun, exercise and cocktails. We definitely earned a few extra zzzz’s with Day One’s adventures. On our second day, we worked our way to Pike Place Market and explored all the fun and kooky chaos it had to offer.

Pardon the bags under my eyes – we may have overdid it at the Can Can the night before >,< Pike Place Market is one of the longest running continuous public farmers’ markets in the states. There are about 85 local farmers with booths, as well as established shops within the market that have everything from vintage prints to a full theatre. Multiple floors spanning several city blocks, underground and hidden gems, as well as street performers and restaurants with local and worldly flavor. SO.MUCH.TO.SEE. You can’t go to Seattle without experiencing the market, trust me on this. We were lucky enough to be there before opening bell the day before, and got to witness the booths being assigned and set up before the hustle and bustle of business hours. So much energy!

Across the street from Pike Place Market is a little place called Piroshky Piroshky Bakery. Russian, handmade pastries and desserts that are out of this world with a smell that wafts down the street and practically calls you to their shop. Elbow your way in and get yourself a breakfast and lunch pastry. Then, walk to the Starbucks at 4th Avenue or the one on Lenora. If you’re up for a wait, just go to the one a few doors down, but I warn you: the line is LONG. And they have the same coffee as the other two that’s just as fresh and iconic. Trust me on this. We went to the one on 4th Avenue, and the barista was eager to recommend a complimentary coffee to our chosen Piroshky. And BTW, totally spot on, I might add. <3

Eat lunch at the market and then wander to the shorefront. Get a ride on Seattle’s Great Wheel at Pier 57. Check out the shops along the water, and maybe even the aquarium if you’re up to it – we weren’t. *See under eye bags, above!

Once you’ve wandered all you can, eat dinner on the pier. Ivan’s Fish Bar has high ratings and while we tried to eat there, we ended up at a not-so-great spot that I won’t be a jerk and divulge because it’s not nice to talk smack. When you’re all tuckered out for the night, hoof it back to your comfy, centrally located hotel and crash hard for the flight home the next morning. Our hotel offered a third-party shuttle service for a lesser price than Uber and faster than the light rail, so we opted for that. But not before divulging in another Starbucks and people watching the natives during their rush-hour commute.

If you make it to Seattle for a weekend, let me know what you think! Especially if you follow the 72 hour travel plan I just laid out – I’d love to hear if you enjoyed the itinerary as much as we did!

xoxo, amy