Seattle & Snoqualmie Falls Tour Itinerary
1
Explore Seattle History
Our Seattle tour begins at the Pike Place Market. Here you will meet your tour guide and shuttle at 9:45 AM.
Once everyone is aboard the shuttle, we will make our way through the city. As we wind up and down Seattle’s streets, your tour guide will recount major events in the city’s history.
Stories you’ll hear include the importance of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the history of “Underground” Seattle, and how the Klondike Gold Rush helped turn Seattle into the most important port city in the Pacific Northwest.
2
Experience Snoqualmie Falls
After leaving Seattle, your shuttle will pass through the town of Snoqualmie. This town is known as the “real Twin Peaks” and it is here you will see the massive waterfall featured in the show’s opening credits.
Snoqualmie Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest and is the perfect spot to grab that epic PNW selfie you’ve been looking for. Because this stop is one of the most popular stops on our Seattle tour, we will give you a good 30 minutes to explore the falls.
3
Encounter a Fremont Troll
The next stop is Seattle’s very own bridge troll! This one-of-a-kind public art display is massive and is a great spot for photos. Fun fact: if you look closely, you’ll see that the troll is crushing an actual vintage VW Beetle under his hand.
As we drive on through Fremont, your Seattle tour will also pass the famous statue of Communist revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin. At 16-feet tall, the statue is imposing and wildly controversial. Your guide will share the story of this art piece with you and tell you how it arrived in Seattle.
4
The Ballard Locks
After driving through Fishermans’ Terminal (the home of Seattle’s famous Pacific Fishing fleet), our next stop is the Ballard Locks.
The locks are a great location for wildlife spotting. You may see migrating salmon, playful sea lions, and swooping bald eagles. Watching boats pass through the locks is also exciting.
With so much to see and do, it’s no wonder that the Ballard Locks is one of Seattle’s highest-rated tourist attractions.
5
The Best View Of Seattle
The final stop in our Seattle tour is Kerry Park — the #1 rated location for photos of the city’s skyline. This small neighborhood park offers stunning, panoramic views of the Space Needle, Downtown, and (if we’re lucky) Mt. Rainier.
Finally, at 2 PM, our tour will end and we will drop you back off at Pike Place Market. You can use the rest of the day to continue exploring this incredible city.
6
Receive Our Free eBook
Book a tour through our website and we will thank you! After you’ve booked, you will receive a link where you can download our free 30-page e-book, "Self-Guided Walking Tour of Seattle.”
This guide was created by the professional staff at Shutter Tours and will take you around the Pike Place Market, giving you photography tips, and much more.
(The e-book is only available when booking through our website linked in confirmation).
Seattle Tour FAQs
- Where is the tour meeting point?
- Meet your tour guide at the Pike Place Market Information booth located on 1st and Pike Street. Be there no later than 10 AM. This is close to the sign that says "Public Market Center" with the large clock. You will see a large brass pig (Rachel) beneath this clock. Follow the brass hoof prints to the information booth facing 1st Avenue.
- When does the tour run?
- We run our Snoqualmie Falls & Seattle tours daily, except for April when we run our Tulip Festival tours.
- How much does this Seattle tour cost?
- The cost is $76.00 per person with discounts for seniors and children.
- Do you offer hotel pickups?
- Due to the construction and unpredictability of Seattle traffic, we are unable to offer hotel pickups at this time. Multiple requests for hotel pickups per day have caused late starts to tours. Our pickup point is within a 10-minute Uber ride of over 80 downtown hotels.
- Do you offer pre and post-cruise pickups and drop-offs?
- Due to changes at the Port of Seattle facility at Pier 91, we will no longer be booking Cruise Terminal pickups and drop-offs for our public tours. We can do Cruise Terminal pickups and drop-offs for private tours and our partner companies.
- Will children enjoy this tour?
- Children are of course welcome on tour and will especially enjoy the Fremont Troll and Ballard Locks. We do not have car seats on our bus for infants, but all buses are equipped with seatbelts to accommodate your own car seat. Children are not able to sit on a parent’s lap during the tour. Please call us if you have any questions in this regard.
- Are the tours refundable?
- Yes, you can get a full refund up to 72 hours before your tour date. (Tickets booked through ticket resellers such as Viator and Expedia to be refunded with the ticket reseller directly and not through Shutter Tours).
- Do you offer any group discounts on this tour?
- Please contact Terry at 425-516-8838 for group discount information.
- Do you provide lunch?
- Lunch is not provided, and we suggest you bring along a snack or eat a late breakfast. Coffee and snacks are available to purchase at Snoqualmie Falls gift shop which is our first stop. We also offer Granola Bars and fruit snacks as a courtesy during the tour.
- What is the duration of the tour?
- The tour is 4 hours long. We pick up at the Pike Place Market at 9:45 AM and drop off between 2:00-2:15 PM.
- What about wheelchairs and walkers?
- We can accommodate foldable wheelchairs and walkers for those that are ambulatory and can board the bus with minimal assistance. We are unable to accommodate motorized wheelchairs as the bus is not equipped with a ramp. Please call 425-516-8838 if you need clarification.
- Cancellation Policy
If you’re wondering if we might cancel a tour, the short answer is no.
Many tour companies will contact you on the day of the tour and cancel because they have not sold enough tickets. We understand how difficult it is to make travel arrangements and so we will never cancel a tour. Our policy is once a tour is booked we will fulfill our obligation to you so that you may enjoy the tour you have paid for despite the number of tickets sold.
In the event of small groups being on tour, we reserve the right to use a more fuel-efficient form of transportation such as our SUV instead of our bus. This is for environmental impact reasons.