5-Day Seattle and Portland Itinerary

Arrive and ride Link light rail

Take Link light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to downtown in about 40 minutes, then check in and drop your bags.

Pike Place Market

Watch the fish toss, browse flower and farm stalls and graze on piroshky, chowder and smoked salmon.

Waterfront and Pioneer Square

Walk down the Pike Street Hillclimb to the waterfront, then south to historic Pioneer Square and its underground tour.

Seafood dinner

Order local oysters, Dungeness crab or salmon at a waterfront or Belltown seafood restaurant.

Coffee in Capitol Hill

Start with a pour-over or espresso in Capitol Hill, one of the hubs of Seattle's coffee culture.

Space Needle

Ride the monorail to Seattle Center and head up the Space Needle for views of the Sound, the city and Mount Rainier on clear days.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

See Dale Chihuly's dazzling glass sculptures indoors and in the garden beside the Space Needle.

Ferry to Bainbridge Island

Ride a Washington State ferry from the downtown terminal for golden-hour skyline views, then return or dine on the island.

Early drive to Mount Rainier

Leave Seattle by 7 AM for the 2- to 2.5-hour drive to the Nisqually entrance, checking nps.gov for any timed-entry rules.

Paradise and Myrtle Falls

Park at Paradise and walk to Myrtle Falls for the famous view of the mountain above the falls.

Skyline Trail or Nisqually Vista

Hike part of the Skyline Trail for meadow and glacier views, or take the easier Nisqually Vista loop.

Back to Seattle for dinner

Stop at Narada Falls on the way out, then drive back to Seattle for a relaxed dinner.

Amtrak Cascades to Portland

Take a morning Amtrak Cascades train (about 3.5 hours) or drive I-5 (about 3 hours) to Portland.

Powell's City of Books

Walk from Union Station to Powell's and lose yourself in its color-coded rooms of new and used books.

Forest Park and Pittock Mansion

Hike from Lower Macleay Park past the Stone House on the Wildwood Trail, or head up to Pittock Mansion for city views.

Food cart pod dinner

Graze at one of Portland's food cart pods, sampling dishes from around the world at outdoor picnic tables.

Vista House at Crown Point

Drive east on the Historic Columbia River Highway to Vista House for a sweeping view of the gorge.

Multnomah Falls

Walk to the Benson Bridge or hike to the top of the 620-foot falls; in summer, book a timed use permit in advance.

More gorge waterfalls

Stop at Latourell, Wahkeena and Horsetail falls, or continue to Hood River for lunch and orchard views.

Portland brewpub dinner

Return to Portland for dinner at a brewpub, sampling local IPAs and seasonal ales.