The Pacific Northwest has always been a place of confluence—salmon-rich waters and cedar forests, tribal trade routes and seafaring ports, indie record labels and tech giants. Indigenous nations shaped these lands for millennia; in the last century, Boeing aircraft, grunge music, and third-wave coffee reinvented Seattle’s identity while Portland leaned into design, cycling, and culinary experimentation.

Expect skyline icons like the Space Needle and mountain silhouettes that steal the scene on clear mornings. In Portland, bridges arc over the Willamette and a mosaic of neighborhoods fuels a thriving food cart and brewery culture. Nature is never far: ferry rides, rainforest parks, and waterfall canyons sit within an hour’s reach.

Practical notes: pack layers and a light rain shell year-round. Peak summer often brings wildfire smoke and seasonal timed-entry at Multnomah Falls; spring and fall trade crowds for mossy trails. Oregon has no sales tax; Seattle’s Link light rail and Portland’s MAX connect airports to downtown in under an hour.

Seattle

Seattle marries saltwater and skyline. Ferries crisscross Elliott Bay, while snow-capped Mount Rainier floats like a mirage to the south. This is the city that popularized espresso culture, turned garage bands into global icons, and made seafood the centerpiece of market-to-table dining.

Top hits include Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, MoPOP, the waterfront, and neighborhood gems in Ballard and Capitol Hill. Food runs the gamut from briny oysters to handmade pastas and inventive pastries.

• Where to stay: Book near Pike Place/Belltown for easy walking, or in Capitol Hill for nightlife and cafés. Browse stays on VRBO or compare hotels on Hotels.com. Well-located picks include Palihotel (across from the Market), Ace Hotel (design-forward), Thompson Seattle (rooftop views), and Hotel Ändra (Scandi-chic).
• Getting in: Fly into SEA and ride Link light rail ~40–45 minutes to downtown. For flights, check Trip.com or Kiwi.com for competitive fares.

Day 1: Arrival, Pike Place Market, and Waterfront Sunset

Afternoon: Arrive and drop bags. Head straight to Pike Place Market: watch fish fly at Pike Place Fish, say hello to Rachel the Pig, then snack on a warm cheddar and chive piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky or mini doughnuts at Daily Dozen. Grab a Beecher’s mac & cheese cup to-go and walk the new MarketFront for Elliott Bay views.

Evening: Dinner at The Pink Door (Italian with a cabaret soul; book ahead) or Matt’s in the Market (Pacific Northwest plates, sunset-facing windows). Cap the night with a cocktail at The Nest rooftop (Thompson Seattle) or a classic at Zig Zag Café, then hop up to Kerry Park for postcard night shots of the skyline.

Day 2: Space Needle, Chihuly, and Capitol Hill Eats

Morning: Espresso at La Marzocco Café (rotating roaster showcase) or Elm Coffee Roasters, then ride to Seattle Center. Do the Space Needle first for clearer morning views, followed by Chihuly Garden and Glass—glowing glass botanicals blazing under real sunlight feel otherworldly.

Afternoon: Lunch on oysters and chowder at Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar (near South Lake Union) or slurp award-winning bisques at Pike Place Chowder (go early to avoid lines). Swing by MOHAI on Lake Union to trace Seattle’s maritime and tech history; watch seaplanes skim the water.

Evening: Capitol Hill crawl: aperitivo at Bar Vacilando, handmade pasta at Spinasse (tajarin worth a pilgrimage) or plant-based creativity at Plum Bistro. Nightcap at Canon (legendary whiskey list) or grab hazy IPAs at Cloudburst Brewing.

Day 3: Ferry to Bainbridge Island + Ballard Locks and Oysters

Morning: Coffee at Storyville (Market) and board the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge (about 35 minutes; views of city and Olympics). Stroll Winslow’s boutiques, pop into Bainbridge Museum of Art, then taxi or rideshare to Bloedel Reserve for mossy gardens and reflective ponds (book timed entry in advance, especially on weekends).

Afternoon: Lunch back in town at Bruciato (wood-fired pies) or Harbor Public House (pub fare with marina views). Ferry back and head to the Ballard Locks to watch boats rise and, seasonally, salmon climb the fish ladder. Wander Ballard Avenue’s indie shops.

Evening: Dinner at The Walrus and the Carpenter (oysters, small plates; arrive early or join the waitlist). Post-dinner pints at Reuben’s Brews or Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden nearby. Sweet treat: gelato at Fainting Goat.

Day 4: Urban Icons or Mount Rainier Lite

Morning: Choose your adventure. Urban: explore the Seattle Art Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park, then an Underground Tour in Pioneer Square to see the city’s buried past. Nature: if weather’s clear and you’re up for a drive (~2 hours to Paradise), head to Mount Rainier National Park for the Nisqually Vista Loop and Myrtle Falls.

Afternoon: Urban path: lunch at Il Corvo’s spiritual successors for pasta (check current pop-ups) or Korean bowls at Belltown’s Momosan Ramen & Sake. Nature path: picnic with views of glaciers; watch for wildflowers July–August.

Evening: Celebrate the Seattle leg with sushi at Sushi Kashiba (omakase near the Market) or a special-occasion dinner at Canlis (classic Pacific Northwest tasting menu). Craft beer fans can toast at Holy Mountain Brewing’s taproom.

Day 5: Travel to Portland + Pearl District and Powell’s

Morning: Depart Seattle for Portland. By train (Amtrak Cascades) it’s ~3.5 hours along Puget Sound and the Columbia—comfortable and scenic; by car it’s ~3 hours. Flying SEA–PDX is ~55 minutes (often $69–$150); check fares on Trip.com or Kiwi.com.

Afternoon: Drop bags and stretch your legs in the Pearl District. Get your bearings at Powell’s City of Books—an entire city block of literature. Coffee at Heart or Barista, then browse local boutiques and galleries.

Evening: Dinner at Andina (Peruvian classics and ceviche), Canard (French-ish small plates, killer steam burgers), or Kachka (Belarusian fare—order the dumplings flight). Cocktails at Teardrop Lounge or a fruit-forward IPA flight at Great Notion Brewing.

Portland

Portland is a city of bridges and bike lanes, artists and urban gardeners. Neighborhoods feel like small towns stitched together—Alberta Arts, Mississippi, Hawthorne, and Division each with their own rhythm of coffee, murals, and makers.

Expect inventive dining (and famous food carts), world-class gardens, riverfront cycling, and easy access to the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood. Creativity infuses everything from doughnuts to design shops.

• Where to stay: Downtown and the Pearl are walkable for first-timers; Mississippi and Alberta suit those seeking local vibes. Compare options on VRBO or browse hotels on Hotels.com. Look into The Nines (design + rooftop), Woodlark (boutique), The Benson (historic), Hotel Lucia (photography-forward), or Jupiter NEXT (for nightlife).
• Getting around: MAX Light Rail connects PDX airport to downtown in ~38 minutes. The city is compact—rideshares and bikes work well.

Day 6: Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls

Morning: Early coffee at Coava or Stumptown, then drive east along the Historic Columbia River Highway. Stop at Latourell Falls for a short loop under columnar basalt, then Bridal Veil and Wahkeena Falls. Multnomah Falls is the showstopper—arrive early; seasonal timed-entry may apply in peak months.

Afternoon: Continue to Cascade Locks for lunch at Thunder Island Brewing (river views) or press on to Hood River for Solstice Wood Fire Pizza and a stroll along the waterfront to watch windsurfers. Optional hike: Tamanawas Falls on Mount Hood’s east side (family-friendly, usually less crowded).

Evening: Return to Portland. Dinner at Ox (Argentine grill—order the clam chowder with marrow bone) or Kann (James Beard-winning Haitian flavors; book well ahead). Nightcap at Multnomah Whiskey Library (arrive early for the waitlist) or sours at Cascade Brewing Barrel House.

Day 7: Gardens, Food Carts, and Departure

Morning: Brunch at Screen Door (Southern—praline bacon, fried chicken and waffles) or Pine State Biscuits (Reggie Deluxe lives up to the hype). Walk Washington Park’s International Rose Test Garden, then the serene Portland Japanese Garden for classic stone, water, and maple compositions.

Afternoon: Snack around a food cart pod—Hawthorne Asylum (wide variety), Cartopia (late-night stalwart), or Prost! Marketplace on Mississippi (great with a beer). Grab last-minute gifts at MadeHere PDX or Schoolhouse Electric. Depart in the afternoon; for flights, compare prices on Trip.com or Kiwi.com.

Evening: If you have a late flight, stroll the Eastbank Esplanade at golden hour and toast the trip with Salt & Straw’s seasonal scoops. Return car or hop on MAX to PDX.

What to Eat and Drink (Daily Shortlist)

• Seattle coffee and breakfast: Elm Coffee Roasters; La Marzocco Café; Bakery Nouveau (kouign-amann); Portage Bay Cafe (build-your-own berry bar); Tilikum Place Café (Dutch babies).
• Seattle lunch and dinner: Pike Place Chowder; Taylor Shellfish; The Pink Door; Spinasse; Sushi Kashiba; The Walrus and the Carpenter; Canlis.
• Seattle drinks: Cloudburst Brewing; Holy Mountain Brewing; Zig Zag Café; The Nest rooftop.
• Portland coffee and breakfast: Coava; Stumptown; Heart Coffee; Screen Door; Pine State Biscuits; Blue Star Donuts.
• Portland lunch and dinner: Kachka; Andina; Ox; Kann; Lardo (sandwiches); Apizza Scholls (NY-style pies); Nong’s Khao Man Gai (poached chicken and rice).
• Portland drinks: Great Notion Brewing; Breakside Brewery; Cascade Brewing Barrel House; Teardrop Lounge; Multnomah Whiskey Library.

Logistics at a Glance

• Getting to Seattle: Most US hubs offer 2–5 hour nonstop flights; compare fares on Trip.com and Kiwi.com.
• Seattle → Portland: Train ~3.5 hours; drive ~3 hours; flight ~55 minutes (often $69–$150; see Trip.com or Kiwi.com).
• Best time: May–October for drier days and alpine trails; November–April for cozy cafés, museums, and winter sports near Mount Hood or the Cascades.

Featured Viator Experiences (outside the Pacific Northwest)

Editor’s note: The following bookable tours are not in the Pacific Northwest but are provided as requested examples of Viator experiences you can save for future travels.

• Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show Ticket Optional Dumplings or Royal Dinner

  

• Xi'an Evening Food Tour by TukTuk

  

Wrap your week with a head full of skyline silhouettes, mist on your jacket from Columbia Gorge spray, and the soft hum of espresso machines and brewery chatter. Seattle and Portland reward curiosity—wander a block off the main drag and you’ll find your new favorite café, mural, or neighborhood park.

With this day-by-day plan, you’ll balance icons and local haunts, transit ease and scenic detours. The Pacific Northwest invites repeat visits; consider this your first, perfectly brewed pour.