Downtown to Capitol Hill

Distance: 3.3 Miles | Time: 1.5–2 hours

Start at historic Pike Place Market (85 Pike St) with a bite to eat at Anchorhead Coffee (2003 Western Ave), which serves seasonal espresso drinks—like the blackberry-caramel latte—and quaffles (a crunchy-flaky hybrid between a croissant and a waffle). Or for omelets, pancakes, and more substantial breakfast fare, have a seat at Market Diner (1514 Pike Pl).

Walk east up Pine Street past Westlake Park (401 Pine St)—with its fountain, food trucks, and picnic tables—and by the impressive nine-story Renaissance-style 1918 building that contains Seattle’s flagship Nordstrom (H500 Pine St) department store. Just beyond Ninth Avenue, note the historic Paramount Theatre (911 Pine St), which presents top-name touring musicals and concerts, and gaze up at the stunning Seattle Convention Center Summit building (900 Pine St) before crossing over Interstate 5 into the lower end of Capitol Hill.

You’ll notice immediately that this neighborhood hums with trendy eateries, bars, and boutiques. Turn right onto Melrose Avenue, stopping to browse the well-curated food and gift retailers inside Melrose Market (1527 Melrose Ave). Then try the latest coffee concoctions at Starbucks Reserve Roastery (1124 Pike St) before turning east onto Pike Street into this diverse district—note the rainbow crosswalks, in honor of Capitol Hill being the hub of Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ community. Turn left onto 10th Avenue, stopping to browse inside the legendary Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 10th Ave).

Heading north through Cal Anderson Park (1635 11th Ave), pass the playing fields and briefly detour east a half block to pick up a cold brew or iced chai at friendly Cafe Argento (1125 E Olive St). Return to the park and sip your refreshment on a bench near picturesque Lincoln Reservoir and Waterworks Fountain (a.k.a. “fountain mountain,” because of its shape). At the north end of the park, don’t miss the moving and beautifully designed AIDS Memorial Pathway (920 E Barbara Bailey Way), with its striking public artworks, before walking a block west to Broadway.

Turn north through this bustling commercial corridor lined with interesting shops like Phoenix Comics & Games (113 Broadway E), Spin Cycle Records (321 Broadway E), and Crossroads Trading (325 Broadway E) for both vintage and current, on-trend clothing. You’ll find inviting spots for a drink or a bite to eat, including high-ceilinged Corvus & Company (601 Broadway E), with its delicious Asian street food, and nautically inspired bar Bait Shop (606 Broadway E). As the neighborhood becomes more residential, turn east up Aloha Street for a few blocks—noting the many Victorian and Craftsman houses—then left on tree-shaded 14th Avenue E to Volunteer Park (1247 15th Ave E). Step inside the historic brick water tower and follow the curving staircase up to the top to see the historic photos and take the downtown skyline. Then visit the park’s other impressive attractions, including the striking Seattle Asian Art Museum (1400 E Prospect St) and plant-filled Volunteer Park Conservatory (1400 E Galer St).

Alternative Options

Bus 49 traces much of this route, along the lower Pike-Pine corridor and up Broadway to within a couple blocks of Volunteer Park. For a shorter walk, from Pine Street you can bypass the upper the upper Pike-Pine corridor and Cal Anderson Park by taking E Olive Way to Broadway.

Market to MOHAI

The bustling and culturally rich Market to MOHAI Corridor is another great route for a rewarding urban walk. From Pike Place Market (85 Pike St) to the engaging Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) (860 Terry Ave N), this 1.7-mile (one-way) ramble passes through four parks and by numerous attractions, restaurants, and shops. Along the way, 75 sidewalk panels are printed with inspiring literary quotes, and 46 light posts contain interpretative panels with photos that relate colorful tales of Seattle’s rich history.

Belltown to Queen Anne Hill

Distance: 3 Miles | Time: 1.5–2 hours

Beginning in nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Ave), follow the zigzagging paths past eye-catching art and over the train tracks down to the paved Elliott Bay Trail, which fringes the waterfront. Walk by Pocket Beach and Myrtle Edwards Park (3130 Alaskan Way), taking in the splendid views across Puget Sound toward the Olympic Mountains. Then cross the pedestrian bridge to West Thomas Street, which offers several spots for snacking on its steady slope east into the Uptown neighborhood. Try Bake Shop (221 First Ave W), which serves tasty ham-gouda-and-egg breakfast sandwiches and vegan miso buckwheat cookies.

As you approach the crest of the hill, the flying saucer–inspired observation tower atop the Space Needle (400 Broad St) will come into view. You’ll soon pass the state-of-the-art Climate Pledge Arena (334 First Ave N), home to NHL hockey’s Seattle Kraken and WNBA basketball’s Seattle Storm, as you enter the festive 74-acre campus of Seattle Center (305 Harrison St), home to many of the city’s top museums and performing spaces.

Explore this dynamic cultural district’s striking buildings and attractive grounds, including Neototems Children’s Garden, Kobe Bell Meditation Garden, Center Steps Plaza, and the popular International Fountain (a fun place to cool off on a hot day). The Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall is home to local eateries like Skillet Counter and MOD Pizza, and kids love frolicking in the whimsically designed Artists at Play Playground.

Emerging from Seattle Center’s northwest corner, turn north up Queen Anne Avenue N, which climbs steeply toward Queen Anne Hill, the 456-foot-tall summit of this charming neighborhood named for the ornate turn-of-the-20th-century architectural style that characterizes many of its houses. At W Highland Street, turn left and walk three mercifully flat blocks to Kerry Park (211 W Highland Dr), where you can catch your breath on a bench while savoring the stunning view of Seattle’s skyline (it’s famously featured in TV’s Frasier). For a memorable photo op, frame your shot through the curves of Doris Totten Chase’s abstract sculpture, Changing Form.

Walk north three blocks to W Galer Avenue and treat yourself to a scoop of mint-brownie ice cream at Molly Moon’s (321 W Galer St) or a Valencia orange latte at Caffe Fiore (224 W Galer St). Then follow Galer east three blocks to explore Queen Anne Hill’s inviting eateries and shops. Have dinner at the contemporary American restaurant Betty (1507 Queen Anne Ave N), sip wine at Aluel Cellars (1629 Queen Anne Ave N), and browse fun gifts and toys at Stuhlberg’s (1801 Queen Anne Ave N). Or cap off your adventure with a meal at the trendy gastropub Big Max Burger Co (1935 Queen Anne Ave N).

Alternate options

From Seattle Center, you can skip the steep walk by taking bus 2 or 13 up Queen Anne Avenue N to Queen Anne Hill. You can also reduce your walking if you bypass the shoreline along Elliott Bay and instead, from Olympic Sculpture Park, walk up Broad Street to Seattle Center.

Pioneer Square to Beacon Hill

Distance: 2.2 Miles | Time: 1.25–1.5 hours

Start your adventure at Pioneer Square (100 Yesler Way), a historic sliver of greenery that’s home to a 50-foot-tall Tlingit totem pole and a 1909 bronze statue of Suquamish and Duwamish Chief Seattle. Walk south a block, admiring the stately architecture—much of it in the Romanesque Revival style—of the city’s oldest neighborhood, passing through tree-shaded Occidental Square (117 S Washington St) and on to Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (319 Second Ave S) to explore the free and engaging exhibits about the city’s role as an embarkation point for fortune-seekers during the 1890s gold rush in Canada’s Yukon.

Walk east on S Jackson Street past Union Station (401 S Jackson St), a 1911 Beaux-Arts beauty, into the dynamic Chinatown–International District, which Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian immigrants began settling in the late 19th century. Turn right onto Fifth Avenue S, stopping for a slice of ube cheesecake at Hood Famous Cafe (504 Fifth Ave S), before walking through the elaborate 45-foot-tall Historic Chinatown Gate at S King Street. Admire the gardens of Hing Hay Park (423 Maynard Ave S), before taking a turn or two on one of 50 classic and modern games at the Seattle Pinball Museum (H508 Maynard Ave S). A block east is the outstanding, Smithsonian-affiliated Wing Luke Museum (719 S King St), where well-designed history and art exhibits relate Seattle’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage.

Farther east, S King Street rises sharply as it crosses beneath Interstate 5. Turn left on 10th Avenue S and walk through the landscaped Yesler Terrace Hillclimb (300 10th Ave S) and then among lawns, a playground, and water features at Yesler Terrace Park (903 E Yesler Way). Walk southeast to 12th Avenue South, the heart of Little Saigon, where great dining options include Chu Minh Tofu and Vegan Deli (1043 S Jackson St) for bánh mì and salad rolls, and Hello Em Viê˙t Coffee & Roastery (1227 S Weller St) for Vietnamese style hot and iced espresso drinks.

Continue south on 12th Avenue S over the bridge above Interstate 90 to diverse Beacon Hill and Dr. Jose Rizal Park (1007 12th Ave S), with its spectacular views—especially at sunset—of downtown, Elliott Bay, and the Olympic range. Extend your walk (or take the bus) another mile down to Beacon Avenue’s hip dining, like Milk Drunk (2805 Beacon Ave S) for gourmet soft-serve ice cream and The Coupe & Flute (3015 Beacon Ave S) for Champagne and tasty appetizers.

Alternate options

From Union Station you can take bus 7, 14, 36, or 106 along Jackson Street up to Little Saigon; from there, bus 36 and 60 pass within a short walk of Dr. Jose Rizal Park. For a shorter walk, from Wing Luke Museum, bypass Yesler Terrace Park by taking S King St to 12th Avenue S.