This is the history lover’s walking tour.
Consistently named as one of America’s most walkable cities, Seattle was built to be seen and experienced by foot. This two hour walking tour shows off a few of the must-see Seattle sites – Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market to name two. But it goes one step further… the tour also tells the story of the city’s rich, albeit short, history.
Starting with its original name, New York Alki, a Chinook word meaning “eventually” –so New York “Eventually” – Seattle’s earliest settlers had big plans for this city nestled along the shores of Puget Sound. And boy did those big plans come true. But not without a few hiccups and surprises along the way.
Join our guides – doctoral students in history at local universities, teachers of history and/or history super nerds – for a great, relaxing, inexpensive tour throughout Seattle.
- $15 cash or plastic (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AMEX). Tickets are sold at the meeting location or online (click the Buy Now button below). No reservations accepted (or needed).
- The tour meets at Westlake Park on the corner of 4th Avenue and Pine Street, kitty corner from Macy’s (click here for map). Look for the guide holding the sign, present 20 minutes prior to the start of each tour time.
- Lasts 2 hours, covers 1.5 miles, and ends in Pioneer Square, which is a 20 minute walk or short, free bus ride from starting point. Or better yet, you can parlay your Pioneer Square visit to hit up nearby attractions such as the International District, Bainbridge Island Ferry, West Seattle Water Taxi, waterfront, Klondike Gold Rush Museum or even the Seattle Underground Tour.
- The tour is almost entirely flat or downhill and is both dog and stroller friendly.
Summer (May 28-September 5)
Every day at 10:30am
Offseason (May, September)
Saturday and Sunday at 10:30am
Winter (October through April)
Saturday at 10:30am
The World’s Greatest Seattle Walking Tour was named by CBS Local as one the best historical tours in Seattle. Living Social named The World’s Greatest Seattle Walking Tour in its “Best Way to Get to Know Seattle” list.
“As a native and a former employee of both the UW archives (Special Collections) and Seattle Municipal Archives, I assumed I would be a pretty hard sell for this sort of thing. However, I completely enjoyed this tour! It was fabulous to put all the events I learned about Seattle’s formative years into context.” – Marion B, Seattle
“We came to Seattle on a business trip and had a few extra hours on the first day and were lucky enough to find a brochure for this walking tour. We love walking tours of cities and this one is among the best.” – Entlebuch, Houston (More TripAdvisor reviews)
“My girlfriend and I took this tour on a Saturday at 10:30am – with Wendy as our tour guide. She was absolutely amazing and informative and I learned more than I could have imagined about Seattle and each of the neighborhoods. I am so happy we decided to do this tour – plus it was a bargain at $15/person and you can pay with cash or credit.” – LoveLondon3, San Diego
Private tours are available. Perfect for smaller groups that want a private experience or large groups such as birthday parties, workplace team building, an activity for out of town wedding guests, conferences, etc.
Discount rates are available for large groups. Send an email to info@theseattlewalkingtour.com for more details.
